Review: The Not So Secret Emails of Coco Pinchard by Robert Bryndza

Title: The Not So Secret Emails of Coco Pinchard Author: Robert Bryndza Publication Date: June 6, 2012
From Goodreads:
Where Bridget Jones left off... Coco Pinchard picks up.

Coco was never a single thirty-something. She married young, had a son, and put her dream to be a writer on hold.

Now her first novel is published. Husband Daniel has greyed nicely into a silver fox, and son Rosencrantz is grown up. It should be time to enjoy life.

That is until the annual family Christmas with her hideous mother-in-law Ethel, and Coco opens her gift from Daniel. It’s not the jewellery she chose, but an iPhone. This marks the start of Daniel’s mid-life crisis and she catches him in bed with a younger woman.

The iPhone becomes a confessional of sorts, through emails to her friends Chris, an ageing trustafarian and Marika a slightly alcoholic schoolteacher.

Then she meets the hunky Adam and she’s back in the world of dating as a single forty something...

Read the emails which tell the hilarious tale of Coco picking up the pieces, in this fun, feel good Romantic Comedy.
My Thoughts:

Coco Pinchard is a happily married (or so she thinks), forty-something year old mother of one who has just recently published her first book. Her son still lives at home while attending drama school and her husband has just landed a new job. When her husband, Daniel, gives her an iPhone for Christmas, Coco starts using it to email her two best friends, Chris and Marika on a daily basis. Then one day she walks in on Daniel and his mistress, which leads to divorce, drunken nights and some hilarious adventures. 
The first time I heard about a book being told through emails, I thought to myself "Now how is that going to work?" But I've read a few books in this style and I have to say that I really like it. Maybe it's because I am a nosy person and love knowing everyone's business and this feels kind of like snooping. But whatever the reason, the more I read these kinds of books, the more I like them.
I loved Coco. She was funny, crazy and drank just a wee bit too much. I can't say that I blame her after everything in her life goes wrong at once, but still, she drinks A LOT. She also had a tendency to over react. She automatically assumes the worst and jumps to conclusions. She has some amazing friends, Chris and Marika, who are also a little off the wall in their own way, and some unfortunate in-laws. I couldn't help but feeling for her and wanted to see at least one thing go right for the poor woman. She has a great personality, always upbeat even in the worst of times and I admired her strength.
The family dynamics in this story were spot on. Ethel, Coco's mother-in-law, is kind of rude, very blunt and a little crazy in her own right. She doesn't seem to understand that her son is the cause for the divorce and keeps trying to push him and Coco back together. The sister-in-law, Meryl, was also very rude and inconsiderate. She passes Ethel off on Coco as much as possible, refusing to help take care of her own mother. They came off as a real family, complete with secrecy and backstabbing. 
The writing in this book is fantastic. It's witty, charming and had me laughing out loud to myself many times. There is never a dull moment in Coco's life, whether it's her crazy in-laws causing her trouble or even if she is causing it herself. She can't catch a break, and that makes her story all the more believable. Her reactions to situations were honest and true, even if they weren't always the right ones. I'm anxious to see if there will be a follow up to this book, as I can't get enough of Coco!
I highly recommend this story to lovers of romantic comedy, fans of Chick Lit and everyone else looking for a fresh, funny read. 

For more about Robert Bryndza and The Not So Secret Emails of Coco Pinchard, please visit his website.

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*I received this book for free in exchange of my honest review. This did not influence my opinion in any way and all views and opinions expressed are 100% my own.