The Wish List (Melanie La’Brooy, Penguin, $22.95 pb, ISBN 0143003119, March) HHHH

Set in Melbourne, reading Melanie La ‘Brooy’s latest book The Wish List is like sitting down with a local cast of ‘Sex in the City’ meets ‘Friends’. The story revolves around a very likeable group of girlfriends—Chloe (think Charlotte from ‘Sex in the City’), Meg (think Samantha), Lucy (a scattier and cuddlier version of Carrie) and their various male interests. But the core of the story is the relationship between Lucy and Tom; an on again/off again couple who can’t seem to turn off their quirky bond. Tired of Tom’s games, Lucy, a hopeless romantic, goes in search of the man of her dreams. Enter Byron the Italian suitor—and Tom’s every opposite—let the love duel begin! The Wish List is a genuinely entertaining story. It has tight, clever dialogue and some really hysterical moments. There is all the ridiculous talk (conversations about whether fish have buttocks) and the simple fun (the girls’ DVD night crashed by the boys is a winner) that makes enduring friendships. And there is true romance. The unravelling of Tom and Lucy’s relationship is touching and believable all at once. Aspiring writers in this genre are sure to put the qualities of this book on their wish list.Michelle Atkins is a freelance writer

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2005, Thorpe-Bowker