Guilty Pleasures

In this three-handkerchief melodrama with two strong heroines and a dearth of heroes, unwed teen Lili Spaulding has given away her baby girl, thinking she'd be adopted by a wealthy couple. Instead, the infant, Corey, grows up scarred in foster homes while Lili becomes a cosmetics mogul's wife. Running her late husband's empire, Lili's still haunted by thoughts of her baby and lavishes affection on her amoral, manipulative stepson, Grant. Corey discovers Lili is her biological mother and plots revenge for her abandonment, taking a job as the businesswoman's spin doctor. At this point, Bretton loses her grip on a good story and cuts too quickly to the climax. Too bad--this could have been a contender. (Oct.)