cover image Don’t Let It Be True

Don’t Let It Be True

Jo Barrett, . . Avon, $13.99 (298pp) ISBN 978-0-06-124117-8

Peeking into the misfortunes of formerly rich heirs of Houston’s oil barons, Barrett discovers a mixed Birkin bag of rueful romance and tongue-in-cheek mayhem. The golden Gucci crowd doesn’t know that their fave society girl, Kat Connor King, no longer possesses the funds befitting the last heiress of a Texas dynasty. Kat may still run the King Foundation, own a ranch and host Houston’s most successful charity fund-raiser every year, but after she emptied her trust fund to finance the building of the Pediatric Cancer Center, she’s broke. The money trouble extends to her love life, as well: she lives in a luxurious high-rise with former Enron lawyer Dylan Grant, whose recently deceased father gambled away his son’s inheritance. Even if the Cinderella factor’s a bit too pat, Barrett’s wit makes watching these down-on-their-luck bluebloods reclaim their fortunes a fun little diversion. (Mar.)