MERCURY IN RETROGRADE

It sounds like a movie pitch: Three smart, opinionated young women live in the same Manhattan building and band together to improve each other’s personal and social lives. Mixed in is a heady dose of brand names, celebrity name-dropping, and working-girl dialogue. Written by a gossip columnist, this project sounds like the ultimate in chick-lit. Alas, there’s plenty of “chick” but not much “lit.” With such larger-than-life characters, one would expect that Marguerite Gavin would have a lot to work with in her narration. While she makes a valiant attempt to inject some sass and attitude into her delivery, ultimately it doesn’t redeem an unsatisfying book. Fans of Candace Bushnell may enjoy this—others, beware. R.W.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2010]