cover image WHERE IS HE NOW?

WHERE IS HE NOW?

Jennifer Greene, . . Avon, $6.99 (384pp) ISBN 978-0-380-81973-7

Those who enjoy Jennifer Crusie's intelligent romantic capers should give Greene's latest contemporary romance (after The Woman Most Likely To... ) a test drive. When Jeanne Claire Cassiday's 15-year high school reunion looms on the horizon, she realizes it's the perfect chance to learn why her long-ago sweetheart, Nate Donneli, dumped her in a tersely worded letter only a few months after graduation. If she can understand the reason behind this turning point, she figures she might be able to understand why she made poor choices in the following years and lost her idealism. For Nate, Jeanne Claire's reappearance brings back memories of the optimistic kid he used to be and revives the lust and love that he felt for her years earlier. Though the cover copy suggests that the book's title refers to hunting down old boyfriends, its deeper meaning reflects the protagonists' search for the dreamers they used to be—and the people they want to be again. Greene's crisp, pulls-no-punches humor hits the funny bone every time, and her characters' introspective personalities and yearning to be better people will endear them to readers. (Dec.)