cover image Just Like Me, Only Better

Just Like Me, Only Better

Carol Snow, . . Berkley, $14 (306pp) ISBN 978-0-425-23248-4

A divorced Orange County suburbanite's life gets a delicious jolt in Snow's superb romantic comedy. After Veronica Czaplicki's husband leaves her for a mega-rich realtor, she scrapes by, substitute teaching at her son Ben's elementary school and renting a guest house from an overbearing couple. In a fun twist of fate, Veronica's resemblance to young superstar Haley Rush (think: Miley Cyrus meets Lindsay Lohan) attracts Haley's manager, who offers Veronica $100 an hour to pretend to be Haley for photo ops. At first Veronica loves getting a makeover and “dating” Brady Ellis, Haley's hot ex-boyfriend and co-star. The good times, of course, can't last, and romantic treachery lurks. Snow (Here Today, Gone to Maui ) turns what could've been just another single mom mope fest into a wonderfully witty reminder that celebrity always carries a price tag. (Apr.)