Jo Miles has a nice London home, a lawyer husband, two lovely children, and a thriving part-time career as an interior decorator. In the world of contemporary women's fiction, she's clearly due for some kind of disaster. In Fourplay, disaster comes as divorce. Jo's husband leaves her for a creature Jo comes to refer to as "the Cliché," a 23-year-old blond secretary. After hubby's departure, Fourplay becomes an extended bout of frog-kissing as Jo, clearly much too saucy and adorable for a lifetime of singleness, entertains four different suitors. Sean is an irresistible cameraman, about whose sexual proclivities we hear far too much; Martin is a millionaire record exec; Conor is a steadfast old friend; and Jeff, her ex, of course comes crawling back. Throughout, Jo is supported and nurtured by her chubby, hilarious, less adorable best friend Rosie. On the whole, the book is ridden with clichés, but here's the funny thing: those very stereotypes make Fourplay a pleasant--even a compulsive--read. We know all will be right for Jo; we know Rosie will never let her down, yet never be prettier than her, either; we know true love will descend on all like a wet, inevitable London fog. Jane Moore's writing is just funny enough, just edgy enough, and just true enough to make us revel in these clichés rather than resist them. --Claire Dederer



At age thirty-three, Josephine Miles is forced to come up with a brand-new life when her husband leaves her for "the cliche"--his very young, very pretty secretary. Suddenly she's single and back in the dating game with the added complication of children in tow. But Jo's no wallflower, and she soon finds herself with not one but four eligible bachelors vying for her time and affections. Add her two kids and her now booming interior design business to the mix, and she winds up with a nightmarish schedule but a dreamy love life.

So who are the contestants? There's Sean, the sexy foreign affairs correspondent who sweeps Jo off her feet and proves to be masterful in bed; Martin, the music industry mogul who offers luxury, stability, and a glamorous lifestyle; and Conor, Jo's trusted confidant, who knows just what to say to make her smile (why hadn't she noticed his irresistible smile until now?). Then there's Jeff, her ex-husband: she wouldn't consider hooking up with him again, would she? It could happen--especially when Jeff's romance with the sweet young thing sours and he launches a full-scale campaign to win Jo back.

Sophisticated, spirited, and as compulsive as a box of bonbons, Fourplay offers a new take on the single-girl life perfect for the thirty-something audience. Fourplay--what a position to be in...