The Jake Ryan Complex

Truth proves better than fiction in this diverting rom-com from Crandell (Summer on the Short Bus). Naperville, Ill., obstetrician Mackenzie Huntress, in an effort to curb her mother’s criticism, has delivered as many lies as she has babies. She’s even made up a fake boyfriend: Michael, a neurologist. So when her younger sister announces her engagement, Mac is expected to bring Michael to the wedding. Mac, who’s unwittingly and unfavorably compared every man she’s dated to Jake Ryan, the hero of Sixteen Candles, sets out on an amusing hunt for a man to pose as Michael. None of the men she meets measure up—except for her new handyman, J.T. Walsh. Enamored since the moment he saw her, J.T. is happy to be Mac’s dream guy—but as himself, not Michael. Mac’s failure to come clean about her made-up boyfriend, along with a surprise from J.T.’s past test their affection for one another. As skeletons come out of both of their closets, quirky, foul-mouthed supporting characters add humor and charm. Readers will chuckle their way to the satisfying happily ever after. [em]Agent: Amy Moore-Benson, Meridian Artists. (Jan.) [/em]