The Wedding Beat

New York Times “Vows” columnist Sipher balances idealism with journalistic cynicism in his loosely autobiographical debut. Wedding columnist Gavin Greene meets the marvelous Melinda at a party. Gavin is immediately smitten, but he fails to get any contact information. He uses the tidbits he gleaned during their conversation to try to track her down, leading to a series of encounters with women who aren’t Melinda—until he’s assigned to cover her wedding to a guy who obviously isn’t good enough for her. Family and career turmoil add to his introspection about his future, compounded by his obligatory interactions with couples who believe they have found their soul mates. Though somewhat marred by a too-pat ending, the light and witty tale is sure to find an audience among women seeking reassurance that men also carry emotional baggage about weddings and marriage. Agent: Deborah Schneider, Gelfman Schneider. (Apr.)