Smooch Teen Fiction (Paperback), ISBN 0-8439-5325-X

What happens when an uptight uptown New York teenager must accompany her usually sensible mother to Australia to meet a (dorky) guy her mother met in an on-line chat room? If you don't know, you'll have plenty of fun finding out when you follow Madeline Flannagan down under and out back.

Madeline consoles herself about the upcoming trip to kangaroo-land by envisioning herself in a designer bikini and tan beside the pool of a five-star hotel, gawking at Australian hotties and ordering room service. However, when they arrive, her mom's cyber-fiance, Barry, cancels the reservations and invites them to stay with him.

Just when Madeline believes the vacation hit rock bottom, Barry reveals his Christmas present to her and her mother -- a trip to the Northern territory ("a place where the equator lies nearer than a bathroom") to see what Madeline considers a stupid rock. Things can't get any worse, or can they? En route to their destination, their borrowed car breaks down. Four hours later, someone answers Madeline's prayers -- an Australian hottie shows up to help them.

Certain that she can teach him her name (he keeps calling her Marilyn) and win his heart, Madeline strives to endure unacceptable bathroom facilities, minerals in the shower water (that streak hair orange), lack of Midol, make-up and chocolate, devastating heat, Vegemite, goannas and other creatures -- just to prove she's more than a spoiled princess from New York City.

Fast-paced, fun and full of laughs, Australian author Kerri Lane, writing as Kaz Delaney, will send you rushing out for her other American release, My Life As A Snow Bunny.

Lynne Marie Pisano

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