BUNCO BABES TELL ALL

Author: Maria Geraci ISBN: 9780425227589 5/2009 FICTION Publisher: BERKLEY TRADE

Woman cannot live by Bunco alone. Meet the Bunco Babes of Whispering B ay. Every Thursday night they roll dice, drink frozen margaritas, and catch up on all the gossip in their small north Florida Town. Kitty Burke is the only Bunco Babe who is still single—which is okay—but she's thirty-five and may need to face that their image of Mr. Right is all wrong. Take Steve. Very sexy—but on paper, with three failed marriages and a shady career, maybe not great husband material. And yes, his ring tone is "Freebird." Certainly fellow Babes Shea and Pilar vote thumbs down. But maybe there's more to Steve than meets the eye? Is it time for Kitty to take a chance and hope that she can be as lucky in love as she is in Bunco?

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

BUNCO BABES TELL ALL is a delightful celebration of women, friendships and the unbridled joy that makes women’s friendships irreplaceable. Respect, support and companionship are so clearly defined in this romp that they almost become secondary characters.

Kitty, Pilar and Shea are women any reader might recognize from her own life. They stick together through thick and thin, clogged toilets, hidden thongs and frantic outdoor potty breaks. They schedule exotic dancers, share secrets, dreams and cocktails, and form a support system that is the framework the rest of their lives are built around. They understand, commiserate and encourage—not only each other, but anyone who touches their charmed group.

Right from the get-go, Kitty and Steve have a hotter-than-hot attraction. Their chemistry sizzles, but not all goes well for them romance-wise. The other Babes are supportive, but ultimately it is up to the couple to figure things out. Things look bleak when Steve decides to go to Hawaii, letting it be known that when he returns he and Kitty will only be friends. But as we all know, when friends, family and feelings of the heart are swirled together, plans can change.

A bonus to this fabulous book is the tips about forming a Bunco Babes Group. Also, instructions for playing Bunco are included. I fully intend to give the game a try…this book was so much fun it would be a shame not to at least play a few hands!

Kay James