T his is an utterly enjoyable novel. As in her previous fiction ("Getting Over It," "Running in Heels"), British author Anna Maxted has set her new novel within the realm of women's lives.

The sisters couldn't be more different. Cassie is slim and successful, and has her life "together." Lizbet is plump, struggling, a self-described mess. Despite the differences, they're best friends.

However, there's tension beneath the surface of their relationship, and when Lizbet reveals she has unintentionally become pregnant and is happy about it, that tension begins to rise. Both women find their lives in upheaval and their roles shifting as they face the unfamiliar situation of Lizbet having something Cassie longs for -- a strong, loving relationship, and a baby on the way.

The sisters take turns as narrator, a technique that succeeds in exploring their lives and relationships more deeply without becoming confusing. Each has a fresh and amusing perspective, and Maxted deftly weaves in pop culture references and commentary.

Each sister demonstrates an entertaining, fully informed pop-psychology understanding of her situation, as might be expected in our "self-help"-saturated world. For example, in trying to explain away her mother's neglect, Lizbet says: "And now it emerged that Vivica had suffered herself, which everyone knows is pretty much a free pass to inflict suffering on others."

There is a sophisticated rendering of the complicated web of love and resentment between the sisters. Maxted explores their close bond as well as the jealousy and difficulties that can evolve as sisters live their individual lives and deal in their own with men, career, the desire for children and the meaning of motherhood.

Maxted also provides an adept portrayal of love relationships through both Lizbet's relatively healthy one with Tim and Cassie's problematic one with her husband. She is able to be both funny and real, and she explores the emotional depths of her characters without veering into sentimentality.

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