Chasing Harry Winston
by Lauren Weisberger
HarperCollins, HK$112
Lauren Weisberger hit the big time with The Devil Wears Prada, a fact from which it is hard to escape in this, her third novel. Weisberger's latest is actually titled Chasing Harry Winston (a diamond rather than a man), but the words The Devil Wears Prada still receive star billing across the cover. Weisberger's branded cover art is confusing too: all her novels feature the same high-heeled shoe, but in different colours. It's almost as if the publishers want you to buy this book by mistake. Shame on you. Chasing Harry Winston is an enjoyable piece of chick-lit fluff. Better written by far than her famous debut, it substitutes that novel's addiction to cliche for moments of genuine wit. Emmy, Adriana and Leigh are best friends - Sex and the City minus one. They gossip, bitch and, well to be honest, gossip about all manner of topics: their lives, loves, and, well to be honest, loves. Sick of being let down by men, they give themselves a year to find happiness: Emmy wants no-strings sex; Leigh wants a change from the routine; and Adriana wants that titular diamond ring on her finger. It is doubtful whether Weisberger will ever win the Nobel Prize: I trust Jackie Collins is first in line for that award. But she writes entertainingly and with gusto, even if the effects soon wear off.