THIS IS SO NOT HAPPENING

The course of true love does not run smooth in this funny and sensitive third installment of Scott’s comic chick-lit romance series.

Just when constantly thwarted lovers Ally and Jake finally establish a firm boyfriend-girlfriend relationship during their senior year in high school, Ally learns that her former best friend Chloe is pregnant and saying that Jake is the father. Because the brief encounter between the two occurred outside of their formal relationship, Ally decides to forgive Jake and stick with him, even as he becomes ever more obsessed with the baby. However, it turns out that someone else might have been involved after all, and Jake does not cope well with that possibility. At this point in the series the author has developed a deft and sure touch for her comic presentation of otherwise serious events—a real achievement. Here, she divides the chapters nearly evenly between Ally and Jake, telling the tale from both perspectives and making them into credible and likable characters, whatever their faults. She handles the unintended-pregnancy plot with compassion, revealing the emotions of all involved, yet still keeps the narrative tripping lightly along. Readers can find both entertainment and insightful life lessons here in equal measure.

Can chick lit come with depth and wit too? Yes, it can.