Review: The Smart One and the Pretty One

My review:
These two sisters, while they look a lot alike, couldn't be more different in personality. Ava is the mousy, smart, practical sister, while Lauren is the flashy, sexy, irresponsible one. Lauren loses her job at the clothing boutique where she works, can't pay her bills, and is kicked out of her apartment. This just so happens to occur around the time that both sisters learn that their mom has breast cancer, bringing both girls back to LA.
Lauren goes to her sister Ava for help with her money problems and Ava, the lawyer, ends up roping her into a contract stating that Lauren won't spend any unnecessary money and work with a debt consolidator to take care of her credit problems. This proves to be difficult for Lauren who is a bit of a shopping addict, especially when it comes to a certain new man in Lauren's life. Lauren constantly reminds Ava of how she doesn't date, dresses too conservatively, and needs to find a boyfriend. While at their parents house, Lauren uncovers a document that their mother and a former neighbor drafted up when Ava was just a kid betrothing Ava to their neighbors son, Russell Markowitz. Lauren decides that more than one form of contract can be binding, and as a way to get back at Ava for the financial contract decides to find Ava's "fiance".
She ends up locating Russell who is twice divorced, incredibly handsome, and just happens to work in the clothing industry. Lauren decides that this just might be what her sister Ava needs. Lauren is a bit of a schemer and finds ways to bring the two sisters and Russell together, often leaving the scene so that Ava and Russell are left alone. Ava believes that Russell has more interest in the sexy Lauren than herself, however maybe Ava is just want Russell wants all along. Maybe underneath it all, Ava really can be as beautiful and sexy as Lauren. Can Russell prove that to Ava? This book is full of laughs and interesting turns. If you are looking for a light read, this is definitely a good one. While a lot of the characters and themes are those that are common in "Chick lit", I think that this book was a new twist. The characters were enjoyable, the story was entertaining, and it was a quick read.





From Publishers Weekly:

In the winning latest from Knitting Under the Influence author LaZebnik, sisters Ava and Lauren Nickerson look a lot alike, but hyperpractical attorney Ava, 29, wears dowdy clothes and holds men at arm's length, while flashy, debt-ridden boutique owner Lauren, a few years younger, goes for the quick romantic fix. Drawn together in L.A. by their mother's illness, they determine to straighten each other out. Soon Ava ropes Lauren onto a budget, while Lauren, having uncovered a playful contract in which their parents jokingly betrothed Ava at age eight to a neighbor's young son, decides to find out if the grown-up two—who are strangers—might indeed make a match. The fact that fiancé-designate Russell Markowitz proves to be twice-divorced presents no obstacle to Lauren, especially after she learns that he works in the clothing industry and might be of assistance in making over Ava. Despite the lightweight premise, moments of real depth combine with witty dialogue as LaZebnik deftly spins each turn convincingly to avoid easy answers.