1.   And yet, it succeeds, thanks to appealing characters, sharp dialogue and an atmosphere that varies from boisterous to melancholy without losing its balance.

2.   Breezily written with appealing characters, this book offers lip-smacking recipes.

3.   His friendly enemy, Marcus, is actually the most appealing character, but even he seems a bit one-sided.

4.   This is the kind of middling series whose appealing characters inspire good will, though not enough to overcome boredom.

5.   A splendidly appealing character, Shari is played by Jenna Elfman, and she is nothing short of a revelation.