Fourplay

August 1, 2002
When Jo's husband, Jeff, decides that he "can't imagine life without" Candy, he's not referring to sugary confections. So he trots off with his 23-year-old secretary, with whom he had been having an affair for six months. Jo is appropriately devastated at the break-down of her 10-year marriage, but, despite her self-proclaimed status as a "nightmare date"--thirtysomething with children--suitors are clawing their way to her door. Her younger brother's best friend confesses a longtime crush, a traffic accident yields a date with the bad driver, and her multimillionaire client (Jo is an interior designer) tries to woo her through her children by taking them all to a Britney Spears concert. But British journalist and television host Moore's debut novel is titled "Four"play, and rounding out the quartet of suitors is Jeff, who sees the error of his ways and begs to be forgiven. British "GQ" called the book a "modern-day Jane Austen romp," which might make Austen turn in her grave, but it is a perfectly readable, fast-paced, humorous tale, ideal for summer-reading fun. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)