Le Mariage (2008)

After the success of Dane Johnson's National Book Award-nominated Le Divorce, perhaps it was inevitable that the Paris- and San Francisco-based author would cast her eye on the flip side of love in Le Mariage. Not that all is going smoothly for American journalist Tim Nolinger and cheerful French antiques dealer Anne-Sophie d'Argel. In just six weeks, they'll wed — if their relationship survives murder, international theft, and local revenge, as well as mother-daughter tension, in-law irritations, and second thoughts. While the plot coincidences are incroyable, Johnson manages to whip love and marriage into a frothy souffle. Nothing that will stick in your mind once it's finished, mind you, but delicious going down. B