Goddess of Vengeance

The 73-year-old chick lit doyenne of raunchy romance presents No. 27 with a revival of her most popular character, Lucky Santangelo (whose debut in the 1981 blockbuster Chances made the prolific Brit author as popular as big-sister actress Joan). But as kick-ass as the now 50-something Lucky is%E2%80%94operating ancient patriarch Gino's Las Vegas hotel empire as it comes under siege from a menacing royal brat with pervy sexual proclivities and a nasty drug habit%E2%80%94the packed plot belongs to the next generation: Lucky's 17-year-old mini-me daughter, Max; hot-and-handsome oldest son, Bobby; and all the lovers and losers the spoiled duo cycle through with giddy abandon. There's never a doubt Collins's cast of strong women, and the guys who chose them, will ferret out true love and survive. But that's not entirely the point in this delicious, manic tale of rich people behaving badly, getting everything they deserve, and leaving enough loose ends to warrant an inevitable sequel. (Sept.)