Thank you so much to Kelsey and the team at Book Publicity Services (@bookpublicityservices) for sending me a complimentary ARC e-book of Bunco: A Comedy About The Drama Of Friendship in exchange for an honest review. Bunco is available on Amazon now!

Summary:

Please note this summary is from the media kit and is not my own words.

We all have “those” friends.  Maybe you’ve known them since childhood, or met in college, or while waiting for a child’s practice to end. Maybe you found yourself living on the same street. There’s no single path to friendship. Relationships don’t follow a script and neither do the lives of smart, funny, complicated suburban women.

Jill, Anne, Mary, and Rachel met years ago through a neighborhood group that regularly got together to play a dice game called bunco. Although players have come and gone, they continue to use bunco as an excuse to abandon their day-to-day responsibilities and enjoy food, drinks, and the company of their best friends. 

When new neighbors move in under the cover of night, the foursome sees an opportunity to expand their bunco circle. But within hours, suspicions run rampant as the odd behaviors of the newest residents are interpreted differently. Are they quirky, or kinky? Diabolical, or misunderstood? Time after time, as the truth sheds light on some secrets, more emerge. Each woman finds herself shocked by the friends she thought she knew.

Through the friendly banter, intimate confessions, and tongue-twisting insults, you may see yourself or your friends in these characters. Wipe away tears of laughter and loss as you join the four metaphorical rounds of bunco, and feel part of the conversation. Whether engaging in playful exploits, providing unconditional support, making uncomfortable sacrifices, or winding up in handcuffs again, these ladies are those rarest of friends who become true family. Of course, families don’t follow a script either, unless it is a plot-twisting, slightly off-color comedy about the drama of friendship. And bunco, sort of.

Honest Review:

This was a quick, quirky, fun read!

I found the script-style writing really interesting. At times I forgot which character was speaking because I was so immersed in the dialogue. Nothing a quick scroll back couldn’t fix! Some of the dialogue seemed a bit unrealistic, thinking about how often someone might be interrupted in real life. However, I enjoyed how accurately Delnoce captured the complicated friendship dynamics.

The stage-setting offered a good amount of detail, and the dialogue between the characters often filled in details. I think all four of the main ladies were well developed and each had their “moments.” Delnoce did not strive to make any of the characters perfect, and I think that was the right call because it left them feeling more relatable and realistic. And, I loved how each part of the book focused on a different secret. The message truly shines through that this is more than a friendship, it’s a family. Boy, can this group find trouble!

This script-style book was something new and exciting for me and I found myself constantly flipping the pages in excitement. Bunco definitely reminded me of Desperate Housewives. I’m sure anyone who enjoys it will like this book!

The Bookish Bronde Rating: