Hope in a jar

Not only did Allie discover her boyfriend with another woman just before her twentieth high-school reunion, she also finds out, while at the reunion, that her best friend, Noah, is dating her high-school nemesis, Vickie. And Allie must face Olivia, her childhood best friend, who hasn't spoken to her since a vicious high-school rumor tore them apart. But Allie and Olivia discover that a true friendship can be rekindled at any time, as Olivia helps Allie admit her love for Noah. Interspersed with the present are scenes from their adolescence, while throughout the book, key moments are associated with the beauty products Allie and Olivia use, from Sun-In to the face cream for which the book is named. Harbison, the author of Shoe Addicts Anonymous (2007), cleverly couples such lighthearted elements with more serious revelations, and she will continue to wow readers with particular chick-lit charm and genuine characters.--Walker, Aleksandra Copyright 2009 Booklist

As a teen Allie Denty believed the cure for most anything could be had in a cosmetics jar. Now, with her 20-year high school reunion approaching, she's facing insecurities she'd never imagined-aging, weight gain and her single status. When her best friend Noah shows up accompanied by a beautiful woman who was the most evil girl in high school, Allie warns him off her and risks damaging their long friendship. Orlagh Cassidy's mellifluous voice makes this mundane and predictable story far more interesting than it is. She gives the characters more personality than was written for them and finds the perfect voices to portray each. Chapters begin with quirky quotes that any baby-boomer would recognize, and Cassidy imbues them with dry, overly dramatic tones, making them the novel's comedic highlight. A St. Martin's hardcover (Reviews, Mar. 2). (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Two estranged friends meet again at their 20th high school reunion. Having dumped her cheating boyfriend, Allie realizes that investing in his career was a mistake, while Olivia feels increasingly trapped in her job as senior beauty editor of What Now magazine. They bond when mutual friend Noah decides to marry high school mean girl Vickie. Olivia invites Allie to New York for a confidence-boosting makeover, helping her confess her love to Noah. The chapters are intercut with high school flashbacks, which help explain why Allie and Olivia's friendship soured. Although the characters veer close to high school melodrama, even as adults, best-selling author Harbison (Shoe Addicts Anonymous) keeps the plot moving briskly forward, and her many fans will want her latest. The makeover plot is sure to appeal to those who devour before-and-after scenarios on TV and in magazines, and the high school chapters will hit the nostalgia button for anyone who ever used Bonne Bell Lip Smackers. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/09.]-Lisa Davis-Craig, Canton P.L., MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Not only did Allie discover her boyfriend with another woman just before her twentieth high-school reunion, she also finds out, while at the reunion, that her best friend, Noah, is dating her high-school nemesis, Vickie. And Allie must face Olivia, her childhood best friend, who hasn't spoken to her since a vicious high-school rumor tore them apart. But Allie and Olivia discover that a true friendship can be rekindled at any time, as Olivia helps Allie admit her love for Noah. Interspersed with the present are scenes from their adolescence, while throughout the book, key moments are associated with the beauty products Allie and Olivia use, from Sun-In to the face cream for which the book is named. Harbison, the author of Shoe Addicts Anonymous (2007), cleverly couples such lighthearted elements with more serious revelations, and she will continue to wow readers with particular chick-lit charm and genuine characters. Copyright 2009 Booklist Reviews.

Cute Allie and smart Olivia were best buddies in high school until a nasty rumor ended their friendship. Now its 20th-reunion time. Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

Two estranged friends meet again at their 20th high school reunion. Having dumped her cheating boyfriend, Allie realizes that investing in his career was a mistake, while Olivia feels increasingly trapped in her job as senior beauty editor of What Now magazine. They bond when mutual friend Noah decides to marry high school mean girl Vickie. Olivia invites Allie to New York for a confidence-boosting makeover, helping her confess her love to Noah. The chapters are intercut with high school flashbacks, which help explain why Allie and Olivia's friendship soured. Although the characters veer close to high school melodrama, even as adults, best-selling author Harbison (Shoe Addicts Anonymous) keeps the plot moving briskly forward, and her many fans will want her latest. The makeover plot is sure to appeal to those who devour before-and-after scenarios on TV and in magazines, and the high school chapters will hit the nostalgia button for anyone who ever used Bonne Bell Lip Smackers. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 2/15/09.]—Lisa Davis-Craig, Canton P.L., MI

Harbison (Secrets of a Shoe Addict) pushes a thin plot to its word-count limits in her latest confection, the tale of two former friends who reconnect at their 20th high school reunion. When Allie Denty—tall, blonde and, these days, just a bit heavy—discovers her boyfriend in the sack with another woman, her primary coping mechanism involves a credit card and the Sephora counter. Allie figures that some Dior lashes will help her feel more confident at her reunion—an event that the lovely, formerly mousy Olivia Pelham has no intention of attending until her mother shows up on her doorstep, licking her wounds from a breakup with husband number five. At the reunion, Allie and Olivia have an awkward meeting and go their separate ways until Allie learns that a mutual friend plans to marry a cosmetically enhanced Mean Girl from their class. It's "life makeover" time for both women, as they get in touch with their true feelings about beauty, careers and, most importantly, love. Like the face cream from which it takes its title, this is slick, light and indulgent. (July)