THE GRRL GENIUS GUIDE TO SEX (WITH OTHER PEOPLE)

In this rollicking romantic comedy–cum–self-help guide, Michon offers the disastrous escapades of her fictional alter ego, also named Cathryn Michon, as relationship lessons to learn from. "Think of this as... a 'how not to' book," she writes in the exclamation point–riddled introduction to this self-deprecating "self-help novel" that, despite its title, actually chronicles a quest for true love, not sex. Like the real Michon, the novel's protagonist is a successful stand-up comedian/writer. After self-proclaimed Grrl Genius Cathryn suffers through an awful divorce from an alimony-hungry "househusband," she learns to stick up for herself, seeks solace in chocolate and tries not to obsess about her cellulite. Over pinot grigio and chocolate cupcakes, she and her Grrl Genius friends—all wealthy powerhouse Hollywood women—commiserate over their divorces, love lives or lack thereof and fluctuating self-esteem. The average hardworking middle-class woman may not take kindly to this level of self-indulgence. But still, Cathryn's goofy, over-the-top spirit is infectious, and by the time she ends up with the kindly dreamboat William McCall—after much uncertainty over his sexual orientation—readers will heave a sigh of relief for her good fortune. Throughout the narrative, Grrl Genius facts and tips in sidebar-style boxes and charts (e.g., the drawbacks to being beautiful; a cross-cultural comparison of divorce customs; a "Male Sexual Preference Determinator System") provide witty interludes in the narrative. Agent, Jane Dystel . (Apr.)

Forecast: The cheesy, Cosmo-style cover of a perfect rear end in red lace undies may miss the mark with this book's target audience of savvy 30-something women.