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| SUSAN WAGGONER | DAISY WAUGH | LOU WAKEFIELD |
| WENDY WAX | SARAH WEBB | JENNIFER WEINER |
| LAUREN WEISBERGER | POLLY WILLIAMS | LAURA WOLF |
| CAROL WOLPER | CATHY WOODMAN | |
SUSAN WAGGONER
Better Than Chocolate (2005)
Food writer Annie Wilkins' life changes overnight when her research scientist husband Tom invents a fat-free, calorie-free chocolate. With his company deciding to use the couple as the product's spokespeople, Annie has to live up to the right image by losing weight and moving into a dream house. But fame always has a price - and Annie's already run up too much on her credit cards.
7/10
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DAISY WAUGH
The Desperate Diary of a Country Housewife (2007)
This book is based on the Country Mole column that ran in Britain's Sunday Times newspaper. Freelance journalist Martha Mole longs to bring up her children in fresh air and green fields. So they sell their London home and head for a village in England's south-west. With her husband Finley still working in the city, Martha discovers that the locals aren't really all that welcoming, the Dream House needs lots of repairs, and she's got a big crush on builder Darrell. She begins writing a newspaper column about her experiences - hoping the women at the school gate don't find out. A cautionary tale for cityslickers who are dreaming of a treechange.
6/10
Ten Steps to Happiness (2003)
In this sequel to The New You Survival Kit, PR agent Jo Smiley leaves London to live in her husband Charlie's draughty manor house. In the middle of nowhere, Fiddleford makes the ideal refuge for paparazzi-battered guests such as overweight actress Messy Monroe and charismatic politician Maurice Morrison. And the income will help prevent the house from crumbling around them. But first they have to get past the public health inspector.
5/10
Also by author:
Bordeaux Housewives; Bed of Roses; The New You Survival Kit
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LOU WAKEFIELD
Sleeping Partners (2004)
Pauline Watkins decides her routine life needs some excitement - her sex life with husband Mick certainly does. She hopes a change of scenery will do the trick, so puts her council estate semi in Leicester, England, into a house swap scheme on the internet. In Australia, Lorna Mackenzie wants to get her cheating spouse Greg away from his lover. Her mum wanting to attend a family wedding in Leicester offers the perfect excuse. Soon the Watkins and their rebellious teenager Gemma move into their palatial Melbourne abode, with use of the BMW and yacht thrown in. And Lorna, Greg and June move into the Watkins' crowded house.
5/10
Also by author:
Hot to Trot; Rural Bliss; Tuscan Soup
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WENDY WAX
Hostile Makeover (2005)
After Shelley Schwartz's father has a heart attack, he hands his advertising company over to golden boy Ross Morgan. Shelley is annoyed she was overlooked, even though she hardly ever showed up for work. Determined to prove herself to the new boss and her father, she starts showing an interest in the business and takes on some of the company's worst clients. But she's finding Ross is more than a match for her.
5/10
Also by author:
Single in Suburbia; Leave It to Cleavage; 7 Days and 7 Nights
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SARAH WEBB
When the Boys are Away (2007)
Meg Miller has returned to Dublin with her two children, Dan and Lily, after becoming fed up with trailing around the globe after her partner Simon, a professional sailor. But life is far from smooth sailing at home, what with the home renovations, annoying in-laws and her own infuriating family. So Meg teams up with her neighbour Tina, whose banker husband works in London all week, and finds that sometimes life is easier without the men around. But as a secret from Simon's past is revealed, will Meg jump overboard?
7/10
Take a Chance (2005)
When Gemma Redden, the Agnetha of Abba tribute band AbbaFab, breaks her ankle on stage, she turns to younger sister Mia to step into the white thigh-high boots. But Mia, whose older sister Wendy (aka Frida) became her guardian when their mother died, lacks confidence in her ability to perform. Things come to a head when Wendy has a terrible accident - threatening to blow apart the band and the sisters' bond. It didn't take much to guess the family secret.
7/10
It Had to Be You (2004)
In Burnaby village, three women are discovering that it's all fair in love, politics and business. Molly Harper is manager of Ireland's only dedicated romance bookshop, Happily Ever After. She suspects the new owner Milo Jones is up to no good but at least he has a very attractive son, Sam. Her best friend Paige Brady is a councillor who is contesting the next general election. But a newspaper smear campaign and family matters may put her out of the race. Kate Bowan is a shoe shop assistant who runs a dummy dating service at night. She gets more than she bargained for with one of her clients.
6/10
Also by author:
Mum's the Word; Some Kind of Wonderful; Something to Talk About; Always the Bridesmaid; Three Times a Lady
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JENNIFER WEINER
Goodnight Nobody (2006)
Kate Klein is a mother of three under five and is married to political consultant Ben. They move from New York to Connecticut after she is pram-mugged. Finding it hard to fit in, Kate is invited to lunch by Kitty Cavanaugh because they share “an acquaintance”. But when she arrives, she discovers Kitty has been stabbed to death. Despite the warnings of the police chief and her husband to leave the crime-fighting to professionals, Kate launches an investigation - delving into Kitty's double life while the kids are at nursery school.
7/10
Little Earthquakes (2004)
One of my favourite all-time books, this is the story of three women who meet up at a prenatal yoga class. There's Becky, a plump chef who's at war with her mother-in-law; Kelly, an overachieving event planner who has to return to work after her husband loses his job; and Ayinde, who's married to basketball star Richard. Ayinde goes into labour after the class, so Kelly and Becky take her to hospital. Richard arrives just in time for the birth of Julian - smelling like perfume (. . . the things that make you go hmmm!)
9/10
In Her Shoes (2002)
Sisters Rose and Maggie Feller have nothing in common apart from the same shoe size, a dead mother and a wicked stepmother Sydelle. But they have stuck together through thick and thin. But then Rose, a down-to-earth attorney, catches the wild and gorgeous Maggie with her boyfriend, colleague Jim, and throws her out of her apartment and life. Maggie, who fails an MTV screen test because of her dyslexia, takes off to Princeton University where she squats in the library. Rose quits her job, takes up dog walking and starts dating former colleague Simon. Then Maggie rediscovers her grandmother Ella, and heads to stay with her in Florida. The book was adapted into a film starring Toni Collette (Rose) and Cameron Diaz (Maggie).
7/10
Good in Bed (2001)
Plus-sized culture reporter Cannie Shapiro is horrified when her ex-boyfriend Bruce writes a magazine column on the topic of Loving a Larger Woman. Amid the humiliation, Cannie decides it's time to change some things in her life. She joins a weight-loss program, gets stuck into writing a screenplay and befriends a Hollywood actress. And just as she decides she's better off without Bruce, he brings an unexpected complication into her life.
6/10
Also by author:
Certain Girls
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LAUREN WEISBERGER
Author Lauren Weisberger once worked as an assistant to legendary Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.
Chasing Harry Winston (2008)
Emmy’s latest long-term relationship has just ended. Instead of Duncan popping the question, he’s run off with his personal trainer. Adriana only ever has flings and doesn’t have or need a job. But as she approaches 30, she’s beginning to think things need to change. So Emmy and Adriana make a pact - Emmy is to sleep with a man from every continent while Adriana is looking for one man to place a diamond ring on her finger within the year. Meanwhile their friend, the slightly neurotic book editor Leigh, is about to get engaged to her boyfriend, Russell, a real catch. So why has author Jesse Chapman got her all hot under the collar? If you have been hankering after some pure chick lit (and aren’t looking to scratch the surface too deep), this story about three friends trying to change their lives may be just as welcome as a four-carat diamond ring.
7/10
The Devil Wears Prada (2003)
The Devil Wears Prada is the quintessential boss-from-hell tale and became an international bestseller. A movie of the same name stars Anne Hathway as Andrea and Meryl Streep as Miranda. (Lauren Weisberger has a cameo appearance in the film and is briefly seen in the train scene with Miranda's twins.) Aspiring writer Andrea Sachs lands the job “a million girls would die for” as a junior assistant to Miranda Priestley, the demanding editor-in-chief of fashion magazine Runway. Andrea's dream job is to write for The New Yorker but despite her lack of dress sense, a bout of dysentery in India and no time to eat on the job soon sees Andrea able to fit better into the magazine's world - and its designer samples. Andrea gets caught up working 14-hour days, trying to make sense of Miranda's usually unreasonable commands, from getting a yet-to-be-released Harry Potter book into the hands of her children to finding the name of a store where she once spotted a vintage dresser. Andrea barely sees boyfriend Alex or flatmate Lily but she's willing to stick at the job for a year so Miranda will recommend her for her dream job. It comes in as No. 1 on my list of Top Ten all-time favourites.
9/10
Everyone Worth Knowing (2005)
When Bette Robinson quits her banking job, her uncle, a social columnist, sets her up as a party planner for one of Manhattan's hottest PR firms. But Bette starts getting lots of publicity herself when she is seen out and about with one of New York's most eligible bachelors, Philip Weston. She gets quickly promoted to organising events. But is a job that pays you to party all that it's cracked up to be?
7/10
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POLLY WILLIAMS
A Good Girl Comes Undone (2008)
Annie Rafferty, deputy editor at Glo magazine, lives with her boyfriend Nick in a three-bedroom home she's just bought. But cracks begin to appear in their relationship when Nick leaves his PR job to “find himself”. Suddenly Annie is the breadwinner just when she's fighting for survival at the office. Ambitious colleague Alexis is after her job while the new exec Don, who is looking at revamping the magazine, is definitely exerting his male presence. It's enough to get Annie reassessing her life, partner, career - and her good girl tag.
8/10
The Egg Race (2007)
Also known as A Bad Bride's Tale
Thirty-four-year-old Stevie Jonson is not sure she's doing the right thing marrying Jez. But at least it will give her a chance to have babies before it's too late. As she lurches further along a doubt-ridden path, she runs into beautiful but shallow Katy Norris, who's desperate to get her boyfriend Seb to commit. To add to her confusion, Stevie feels there's still a spark with old flame Sam even though she's set him up with her best friend.
7/10
The Rise and Fall of a Yummy Mummy (2006)
Six months after the birth of her daughter Evie, Amy Crane is still schlupping around in maternity clothes. Then she meets Alice, who introduces her to the yummy mummy brigade. Following her new friend's advice, Amy is caught up in a whirlwind of designer shoes, Botox injections and yoga classes. These new interests, including yummy yoga instructor Josh, put further pressure on her relationship with boyfriend Joe, who she suspects cheated on her during her pregnancy.
7/10
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LAURA WOLF
Diary of a Mad Bride (2001)
When Amy Thomas was bridesmaid for a friend, she was driven nuts by her demands and vowed she's never become a crazy, self-centred bride. So now that she is engaged herself (after Stephen proposed in a movie popcorn queue), why are her friends and work assistant cringing every time she comes near? For Amy is quickly discovering that while marriages are made in heaven, weddings are made in hell. While Stephen only as to pick out the wedding band, Amy has a list of 70 items to tick off. Will this couple ever make it to happily ever after?
6/10
Diary of a Mad Mother-to-Be (2003)
After being married to Stephen for two years, Amy Thomas Stewart decides that she wants to have a baby. With the pregnancy guide BABY HOW BABY NOW and an inaudible gynaecologist she dubs the Crotch Whisperer, Amy has to keep it together as she learns how to be a mother-to-be. She also has to keep her pregnancy a secret from her PR company while she promotes a soap actress who has written an anti-kid book.
6/10
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CAROL WOLPER
Secret Celebrity (2002)
Christine Chase, a divorced 35-year-old filmmaker, decides to do a documentary on elusive actor and musician Richard Gault, who went underground in the 1970s.
4/10
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CATHY WOODMAN
Family Matters (2006)
Mother-of-two Lisa Baker runs a cleaning business with best friend Clare. They meet Jacqui when her Jeep crashes into a car at parenting class, and she tells them that she wants to trade in her husband. But who knew that it's Lisa's husband Tony that she has her eye on?
5/10
Also by author:
The Boy Next Door; Our House