DEAR PRINCE CHARMING

Sports reporter spars with ditzy publicist.

Valerie Wagner kissed her girlhood dream of becoming a model good-bye, but she’d still hoped to work for Vogue. Okay, she figured out ages ago that she wasn’t going to be tall, but life goes on. And Anna Wintour is so not begging for her services at the moment. But a new magazine, Glass Slipper, is—and its managing editors are delighted with Valerie’s find: Eric, a witty, sensitive, bestselling author (under a carefully guarded pseudonym) of self-help books for women. He’s utterly gorgeous! He’s agreed to be the magazine’s first cover model, its relationship columnist, and its all-around Prince Charming! Well, maybe—but what if the man who’s supposed to answer thousands of how-come-Mr.-Right-is-always-married-or-gay letters from forlorn readers suddenly decides that he doesn’t want to go public? Why wouldn’t he? Because Eric is secretly gay. His career and credibility will be shot to hell if he comes out of the closet. Who knew? Not Jack Lambert, his longtime pal, but then Jack is your typical semioblivious, totally heterosexual, divorced, utterly gorgeous, and nonchalantly charming sportswriter. Is Eric serious? Not about being gay—nothing wrong with that—but about asking Jack to write the column and appear on the cover? Jack thinks it over. Will he have to wear designer clothes? Will the makeup artists turn him into Boy George? Yes and no. But, okay, he needs the money, and that Valerie is cute in her crazy way. What could go wrong? Everything—when a live, no-holds-barred TV interview turns everyone’s life upside down in an instant.

Nothing to it, but Kauffman ( Catch Me If You Can, p. 517) has a wonderful knack for turning nothing into sparkling fun.