While I'm not that big of a fan of the Shopaholic series, in fact I can't really stand it at all, I find myself quite enjoying Sophie Kinsella's standalone novels. I've enjoyed both The Undomestic Goddess and Can You Keep A Secret? and now, I'm contemplating if I should read Twenties Girl. 
 In Can You Keep A Secret?, Emma Corrigan is an ordinary young woman who has, well, a few secrets. For example, she lost her virginity in the spare bedroom with Danny Nussbaum while her parents were downstairs watching Ben-Hur. She weighs one hundred and twenty-eight pounds and not one eighteen, like her boyfriend thinks. She has no idea what NATO stands for. Or even what it is. 
 Having secrets are fine. Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane, who turns out to be the elusive CEO of the company she works for. He now knows every single humiliating detail about her, plus a few incriminating ones. Things can't possible get any worse, until they do. 
 Granted, this sounds like chick lit all over it, but I must say, it does have a little more substance to it. Emma is an extremely likeable character, for me at least. She has a kind heart, she tries her best to please everyone and really, some of the problems she faces shouldn't even be there in the first place. For example, her insufferable cousin. Gosh, I can't even stand her. She's so annoying. 
 At its heart, Can You Keep A Secret? is a love story, but the good thing about it is that it doesn't immediately launch into it. When Emma finds out that her stranger from the plane is really CEO Jack Harper, all she can think about is getting away from him. Indeed, she spends more time worrying and trying to remain a professional in front of Jack, that it actually seems very adoring. 
 I quite like the characterizations and while it doesn't go too deep in Jack's case, it still makes for good reading. You can't help but root for Emma because she's so loveable and likeable and you can't help but root for their romance because it seems just the thing for them both. 
 There are certain parts of the novel where it gets sad and heartbreaking, because which chick lit novel doesn't have drama? But rest assure it's a happy ending and it was a great read for me!