How does a self-proclaimed squealy fangirl who was 12 circa 1974 resist a book about a teen who is infatuated with - no - in LOVE with - David Cassidy? The back cover goes on to tell me that the first half of the book sets the stage with teenage squealy fangirl nostalgia and the second half of the book finds our heroine in adulthood, where her teen crush resurfaces to lead her to an adventure and a real life romance.

I heard the author interviewed on NPR, so it couldn't be chick-lit, right?

Wrong.

But it was delightful chick-lit - and that is a genre of which I am not generally fond.

I read a lot of reviews that stated that too much time was spent discussing her teen years, but frankly that was my favorite part. I was a Donny girl myself (and we take a mild beating at the hands of the author, but I took no personal offense), but the scene was the same - obsessing with girlfriends, queen bees and wannabes, impossibly strict parents, kissing posters, noticing real flesh and blood boys, even periods - it was all there and I laughed and I cringed in equal measure. Being a teenage girl is awful. And wonderful.

I loved the descriptions of our adult heroine's feelings about motherhood - they really struck a chord.

I have also read reviews that stated that her actual meeting with David Cassidy was anti-climatic. Well it was, but I sort of think that was the point. All of that obsessing and it was just - almost but not quite - a non-event. The truly important moments in the story were much quieter everyday moments.

I also enjoyed the pop culture references that were effortlessly woven into the text - a lot of it was teen idol pop culture, sure, but not all of it.

I gave this three stars because, to paraphrase, I think I liked it.