All Shook Up

Readers will appreciate the well-drawn, saucy characters and witty exchanges that garnish Andersen's latest (following Be My Baby) rags-to-riches romance. When construction foreman J.D. Carver inherits part ownership of a swank lodge, he accepts the windfall with relief (to be leaving ""Rat City"") and some measure of suspicion. Having been raised on the mean streets of Seattle, drifting from foster home to foster home, J.D. can't believe that a foster mother who had once tossed him out after accusing him of theft is now leaving him her estate. Moreover, his new business partners, Dru Lawrence and her Aunt Sophie and Uncle Ben, are just too nice about the whole thing. Despite J.D.'s overly suspicious nature, he is strangely attracted to Dru's ""girl-next-door"" charm, and an engaging but fitful romance develops between the two. A perfect balance of femininity, spunk and vulnerability, Dru is an unusually likable heroine, and J.D., in his struggle to let go of his past and become part of this ""Disney"" life, is a fine hero. Unlike many romances that are merely light entertainment, Andersen's winning tale echoes with themes about learning to love, trust and believe in the goodness of humanity. (Jan. 9) Forecast: With a plot line and characters that will remind many of Ally McBeal or Sex in the City, this book, if marketed well, will have some TV fans reaching for the shelves rather than the remote.