Romance Inc: Romance Inc

A Judith Krantz-style rags-to-riches tale fails miserably to evoke the glamour of Palm Beach or to tell a satisfying love story. The annoying heroine, Caroline Shaw, managed to turn herself from an insecure ugly duckling into a vibrant, creative, beautiful woman who attracts the love and loyalty of men and women alike. After surviving a drunken father and the death of her husband, she starts a business (Romance, Inc.) while raising her son. At the same time she contends with the attentions of three improbably perfect suitors and threats to both business and child. With its irksomely flawless 2-D characters, ponderous prose and the absence of any snappy dialogue, this book will be judged a waste of time by romance readers and Krantz's fans. (Feb.)