Special Delivery

No-frills Steel (Five Days in Paris, 1995, etc.) in this uncharacteristically brief tale of a parenting venture by a glittery L.A. couple skidding into their Golden Years. There are swatches of Steel glamour throughout - monied digs and cars, haute couture, Hollywood celebs - but all thriftily spaced and paced. Amanda, long, lean and blonde, has been recently widowed. Husband banker Matthew had kept her close to home, away from Hollywood society and filmmaking (she'd won an Oscar in her 20's), and now she mourns the man who oversaw every tiny corner of her life. Meanwhile, Jack Watson is the owner and manager of an exclusive women's clothing store. Jack's son Paul is married to Amanda's daughter Jan. Amanda (50) doesn't like Jack (59), but a mild dislike eventually transforms into a roaring passion. Both Jack and Amanda come to love with baggage: Amanda feels lost without Matthew; Jack, divorced for 18 years, lost a someone near and dear in a car accident. But love blossoms as Amanda, the Ice Queen, thaws; she even buys six bathing suits in Jack's store. At the same time, Paul and Jan, desperately wanting a baby and unable to conceive, and Jan's sister Louise are appalled by the affair; only Jack's daughter Julie is kind. The children, though, are in for another blow. When the matter of protection in lovemaking was discussed, said Amanda, I guess it won't he a problem. Guess again. At the close, there'll be a wedding, a wild ride to a birthing in the Ferrari (mother-to-be at the wheel), and reconciliations as the baby's future is decided in a weepy instant. A spongy little romance with a glowing tribute to sexy seniors at play. Pared down, Steel's latest is more shapely and energetic than her larger recent others, though there's always room for dillies like: she was wearing faded jeans wallpapered to her spectacular body. A candied fantasy for seniors for whom Modern Maturity just doesn't cut it. (Kirkus Reviews)