Hope in a Jar

March 2, 2009
Harbison (Secrets of a Shoe Addict
) pushes a thin plot to its word-count limits in her latest confection, the tale of two former friends who reconnect at their 20th high school reunion. When Allie Denty—tall, blonde and, these days, just a bit heavy—discovers her boyfriend in the sack with another woman, her primary coping mechanism involves a credit card and the Sephora counter. Allie figures that some Dior lashes will help her feel more confident at her reunion—an event that the lovely, formerly mousy Olivia Pelham has no intention of attending until her mother shows up on her doorstep, licking her wounds from a breakup with husband number five. At the reunion, Allie and Olivia have an awkward meeting and go their separate ways until Allie learns that a mutual friend plans to marry a cosmetically enhanced Mean Girl from their class. It’s “life makeover” time for both women, as they get in touch with their true feelings about beauty, careers and, most importantly, love. Like the face cream from which it takes its title, this is slick, light and indulgent.

September 28, 2009
As a teen Allie Denty believed the cure for most anything could be had in a cosmetics jar. Now, with her 20-year high school reunion approaching, she's facing insecurities she'd never imagined—aging, weight gain and her single status. When her best friend Noah shows up accompanied by a beautiful woman who was the most evil girl in high school, Allie warns him off her and risks damaging their long friendship. Orlagh Cassidy's mellifluous voice makes this mundane and predictable story far more interesting than it is. She gives the characters more personality than was written for them and finds the perfect voices to portray each. Chapters begin with quirky quotes that any baby-boomer would recognize, and Cassidy imbues them with dry, overly dramatic tones, making them the novel's comedic highlight. A St. Martin's hardcover (Reviews, Mar. 2).