SO 5 MINUTES AGO

Containing all the guilty pleasure of a fluffy beach read, this lighthearted debut novel from veteran Hollywood journalist de Vries offers celebrity-fixated fans a humorous, insider's look at the less than glamorous underbelly of Hollywood. Alex Davidson, a New York transplant and 30-something divorcée, hates her job as a publicist, even though she's "frighteningly good" at it. With one-third of her clients "gay, in rehab, or seriously twisted," Alex fears her job is on the line after the agency she works for is bought out by a firm, aptly named BIG. While poking fun at both real and fictionalized celebrities and Hollywood bigwigs may not be a stretch for de Vries, reader Hamilton perfectly captures the author's sarcastic tone and takes her (sometimes painfully) hip dialogue to another level with her vast cache of accents and attitude. Hamilton also lets somewhat clichéd characters like Alex's attractive, gossipy, gay assistant and her has-been client, Troy Madden, shine through more clearly. Simultaneous release with the Villard hardcover (Forecasts, Feb. 9). (Feb.)