Belonging

Not since Murphy Brown has single motherhood looked as glitzy as it does in Thayer's (Family Secrets; Everlasting) lavish working-woman's fantasy. Devoted as she is to her work, Joanna Jones, hostess and creator of the wildly popular TV program Fabulous Homes-a cross between Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous and Martha Stewart Living-lives in an austere style that would surprise her loyal fans. Her barely furnished Manhattan apartment serves as a way station between appointments and, more importantly, as a place to conduct her long-running affair with her good-looking but self-centered co-producer. When Joanna becomes pregnant (with twins, no less), an accident forces her to realize that her lover is unreliable and that, at 40, she can handle this challenge on her own. She purchases a $795,000 house on Nantucket and a four-wheel-drive vehicle, complete with all the trimmings, takes a leave of absence from her show and plans to enjoy a quiet pregnancy merely working on two books and supervising (while videotaping for a possible future project) the renovations of her new house. In the months that follow, Joanna gathers around her a circle of kindhearted friends and employees, who become the family she has never had. Additional drama is provided by a somewhat farfetched but engaging subplot concerning buried treasure and the strife between wealthy cityfolk and longtime islanders. Finally, though telegraphed from the novel's beginning, Joanna's eventual romantic involvement with a truly nice guy provides a satisfying ending to this modern fairy tale. (July)