Just Like Me, Only Better-Carol Snow

Just Like Me, Only Better
Carol Snow
Berkley, Apr 2010, $14.00
ISBN: 9780425232484

In Orange County, Hank Czaplicki informs his wife Veronica that he has found his soulmate in realtor Darcy DaCosta, a much older woman. Hank dumps Veronica and their son Ben. Veronica keeps food on the table for her and their son by being a substitute teacher at Ben's elementary school Las Palmas.

However, thanks to the food coach of the Kitty and Katz show Haley Rush, the actress’ manager Jay meets Veronica and realizes she is almost an identical twin in spite of running mascara. He hires her to pretend to be Haley at an easy $100 an hour plus bennies for photo ops. Veronica enjoys the attention and going out with hunk Brady Ellis, but each night she goes home to her rental and raising her beloved Ben.

This is an intelligent tongue in cheek mommy goes Hollywood chick lit tale. Veronica makes the fun story line work, but it is the underlying theme of celebrities pay a deep price for their fame that grips the audience. With a charming twisting romance, readers will relish Just Like Me, Only Better as, like in Here Today, Gone to Maui, Veronica gets to play the part of someone else’s more exciting life that makes her real life seem so boringly suburban mom.

Harriet Klausner