Dream Guy

December 13, 2004
When Annie Long's boyfriend dumps her via videotape, a brilliant idea comes to her: if the perfect man doesn't exist, she'll create him. Halliday's modern-day Pygmalion fairy tale immediately turns techno, as Annie just happens to design video games for a living. Her boss, Matt, is less than thrilled with her outline for Joe Video, a man who always listens, doesn't steal the remote and even helps you discover your sensual side, but his disdain doesn't stop Joe Video from going over big with the corporate powers that be. Annie's triumph proves hard for Matt to swallow, especially since she has made it clear that Matt himself is far from the perfect man. True, he's looking for fun and she wants commitment, but that doesn't stop him from feeling territorial when the gorgeous guy she selects to play Joe Video starts putting the moves on her. As for Annie, the perfect guy doesn't make her heart race nearly as fast as her grumpy boss. This fun but far-fetched romp abounds with clichés—the flamboyantly gay best friend, the gruff but lovable guy and his straight-shooting mother-figure/housekeeper, the corporate bigwig whose mantra is "sales are sales are sales," etc. Those looking for conventional thrills and instant gratification, however, may find this a good match. Agent, Jenny Bent.

February 15, 2005
Dumped by her latest boyfriend via video, Annie Long, a video-game designer, comes up with the idea of an interactive video game that allows every woman to have the perfect boyfriend. Her yummy boss Matt, who seems to have forgotten their one night of sexual bliss, gives her the go-ahead. She finds a gorgeous Cuban bartender named Rico to play the boyfriend role in the game, and he seems crazy about her. But the threats of his ex--fiancee, the spandex-clad femme fatale Helena, and the revelation that Rico is pursuing Annie only to further his actorly ambitions, help Annie get over her fantasy of finding true love, a house in the burbs, a golden retriever, and a minivan. A cutthroat TV personality, a mother who is harboring a handsome Cuban under her skirts, a chaotic shoot-turned-media event, and a one-man Queer Eye for the Straight Girl make for a madcap romp and an engagingly sexy romance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)