There is an unfortunate connotation to "chick lit." It suggests easy, breezy and slick. Then there's Marian Keyes, who tells sto­ries about girls with wit and verve. Invariably, her books become international best sellers.

Amusingly, in "The Oth­er Side of the Story" the Irish writer discovers her femi­nist side. One character, Jojo Harvey, smacks into the glass ceiling at her literary agen­cy and, being a forceful wom­an, her howls of outrage are heard. Blessed with Jessi­ca Rabbit looks and a let's­make-a-deal demeanor, she's a former New York City cop who provides more than a few bold moments.

She also represents two au­thors who play leading roles. Lily Wright is a timid type who happens to write a little fable that enjoys huge sales. But her second book fails, and she's trembling at the brink of ruin when she learns that Gemma Hogan has a nov­el coming out. The only ag­gressive thing Wright ever did was steal and marry Gem­ma's boyfriend. Lily suspects Hogan is about to exact a very public revenge.

So there are sufficient complica­tions to provoke high drama in satisfy­ing doses, which is well and good. But Keyes' real connection to her readers is her voice. She's funny, sometimes barbed, in the best tradition of savvy girlfriends everywhere.

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