Last week, or maybe the week before, I chanced upon a novel at Half-Price Books. I’d heard the author’s name before, so I decided to fork over the cash (having a coupon helped, too) and try it out. What a Girl Wants, by Kristin Billerbeck had me from the first page. Even better, the cover grabbed me first.

“All I want is a Christian guy who doesn’t live with his mother–and maybe a Prada handbag.”

Ha! Yes, this previews the book perfectly. Here’s the official summary, as Billerbeck describes it:

Ever felt like the last item left on the clearance rack? As a successful patent attorney, Ashley Stockingdale has all the makings of a perfect catch – the looks, the brains, even a convertible. But at 31, she’s beginning to wonder if she’s been passed over for good.

The chick in this hilarious chick-lit novel is exactly my age, which added to my enjoyment. I “got” every allusion to music, fashion, celebrities–you name it–related to the 80s and 90s. Readers of any age will laugh and commiserate with the heroine, however. You don’t have to be 30-something to identify with her desire to be married, frustration with her job, bafflement at her church group, and angst with her family. I knew I’d found a winner when I’d laughed at least once a page through the first chapter.

Through the humor, Billerbeck manages to communicate real truth about what’s really important. What does a girl want? Contentment with herself and God, the comfort of knowing she is significant just the way she is (no guy needed), and the freedom to live in that security.

This “review” comes a little late–the book was released in 2001 and has two sequels. Yay! I found them both a few days ago and plan to laugh my way through them during the Thanksgiving holidays.