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Books by
Janice Kaplan and Lynn Schnurnberger


MINE ARE SPECTACULAR!

THE BOTOX DIARIES

MINE ARE SPECTACULAR!
Janice Kaplan and Lynn Schnurnberger
Ballantine Books
Chick Lit
ISBN: 0345468597


MINE ARE SPECTACULAR! is written by Janice Kaplan and Lynn Schnurnberger, the pair who penned THE BOTOX DIARIES. The title is taken from the famous "Seinfeld" episode in which actress Teri Hatcher's character finds that her breasts have been the speculation of Jerry and his friends. Her ending line in that episode after she's broken up with Jerry is, "By the way, they're mine. And they're spectacular!" The authors loved this line so much that they used it as the title of their second book.

The story centers on Sara Turner, a divorced mother of one who is about to get married again. Her best friends are Kate Steele, a very famous dermatologist, and Berni Davis, her neighbor who's having twins. They all are in their early 40s and live in the upscale suburb known as Hadley Farms in New York.

Sara is not only about to say "I Do" for the second time in her life, she also finds herself on television for the first time in her life, the star of a new show on the Food Network at the age of 41. Her co-star is a very hunky soap opera actor who loves to flirt with her (all in innocent fun, of course). While all this is happening, Sara also has to contend with a very jealous ex-wife and a future stepdaughter from hell. Sara keeps wondering about her fiancé, Bradford, when she constantly finds Mimi (his ex) in their home trying to seduce Bradford back to her bed. And it doesn't help matters when James, Sara's ex-husband, finally returns from Patagonia, hoping to create a relationship with the son he's never met.

In the meantime Berni is missing her career as a high-powered Hollywood agent, still competing with her old nemesis Olivia in different areas of their lives, and trying to switch gears from career woman to motherhood.

Kate, the famous dermatologist, is having an affair with a married man and is totally in love with him, willing to play second fiddle to Mrs. Owen Hardy, at least for now. For the time being, Kate and Owen squeeze in quality time in high-priced hotel rooms, sometimes in exotic locations. It's handy that Owen is a wealthy real estate mogul (think "Donald Trump"), and he can jet them across the Atlantic at a moment's notice.

This is a very lighthearted and funny look at the lives of three "older" females, the theme of the book being that women over 40 can be beautiful, successful, and can even start new careers. Being over 40 no longer is a death sentence, and these women prove it. It's a humorous novel filled with interesting characters and even more interesting story lines, my favorite being Kirk, the hunky soap opera star who also knows his way around the kitchen. The perfect man! And although Skylar, the stepdaughter, comes across at first as pure evil, one will warm up to her by the end of the book. There are a lot of "laugh out loud" scenes throughout, helping to keep up the lighthearted pace.

MINE ARE SPECTACULAR! is recommended as a fun beach read and a great way to start the summer.

   --- Reviewed by Marie Hashima Lofton (Ratmammy@lofton.org)

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