cover image Fifteen Minutes of Shame

Fifteen Minutes of Shame

Lisa Daily, . . Plume, $14 (287pp) ISBN 978-0-452-28913-0

A real-life dating columnist and book author (Stop Getting Dumped! ), Daily puts her debut novel's heroine into her professional shoes. Darby Vaughn, 31, is enjoying her success as the nation's most popular romance expert: she's got bestselling books, TV appearances and even her own perfume. But her empire threatens to topple when her cheating husband, aka her publicist, humiliates her and leaves her vulnerable to giant aftershocks in the press. After a few days of intense girlfriend therapy, Darby emerges from the haze of margaritas and sappy movies to rebuild her life starting with “spin dating”—i.e., “dating for publicity.” Besides being photographed canoodling with a basketball star and a young model, Darby hires the best divorce lawyer in town, who also just happens to be the hottest. Daily keeps things moving along quickly, and though her style is not exactly seasoned, she delivers some surprising depth and a heroine with heart to root for. (Apr.)