Reinventing Mona by Jennifer Coburn: Chick Lit Category of Romance

In her second book, Coburn delights us with invigorating characters and a lively subplot. Mona Warren has lived her life through her job and has quietly faded into the background of life, so when her boss offers her a generous buyout, an early retirement so to speak that leaves her rich at age 31, Mona jumps at the chance to see if she can stand out and really live life.

From taking strip classes to fighting in a boxing match to singing lead in an all girl band, Mona has hired Mike "The Dog" Daughtery for help in getting Adam Ziegler, her silent crush to notice her. After all, a man who dishes the dirt on male female dating in a men's magazine should know how to make even plain Jane Mona stand out and be noticed right?

With hilarious results such as hiring an actor to pretend to be her rocker ex boyfriend, Mona sets out to try and impress Adam with Mike coaching silently from the sidelines. But the further she goes with her scheme to get Adam she wonders if she is trying to catch the wrong guy. And is Mike really the male chauvinistic pig he portrays in his monthly column? Along the way, Mona sees what she's been missing and reinvents herself into who she knew she could always be.

With secondary characters such as Vicki the stripper, Francesca the hippie loving surrogate grandmother and Greta, the ass kickin soccer chick and a subplot that is heartwarming, Reinventing Mona treats you into the insights of men and the insecurities of women in a refreshing and direct way that will have you thinking that men really are simple creatures and we are just too complex for them. Or are we?

Mona Warren is a relatable main character in that we see her in all women. We all want to change something about ourselves, but Mona realizes it's our past that shapes us as who we are in the future. Reinventing Mona is a tantalizing peek into what men think and how we respond to it. A heartwarming read!