Hollywood Car Wash

Originally self-published last summer and (more than likely falsely) rumored to be a roman à clef by a Katie Holmes insider, this primer on selling your soul chronicles the rise and abrupt fall of talented, fresh-faced actress Amy Spencer, star of a wholesome breakout TV hit. The Michigan co-ed lucks into the lead role of a Dawson's Creek –like series and then immediately gets tossed into the Hollywood sausage maker. Amy might have the soul of an indie chick, but she's been an “emotional robot” since her beloved dad died, and her grief is no match for the temptation of fame, money and a studio-selected, contractual boyfriend with a not-surprising secret life. But can the simple Michigan girl-next-door keep up the grueling Hollywood life? Amy finds her Tinseltown antidote, but the rescue for her sullied soul ends up being far more mundane. Glammy, dishy and disposable—a beach book shoo-in. (May)