Lights, cameras and non-stop action! When Donna and Jack are placed on Interpol's Most Wanted list, they go on the lam by accepting an offer to act as espionage experts on a movie set.
The Nanny Diaries meets The Wedding Planner in this smart, dishy novel from the author of Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives—featuring a woman who runs San Francisco’s premier baby planning company and the mommies-to-be who seek out her services. Katie Johnson may make her living consulting with new moms on the latest greatest baby gadgets no parent should be without, or which mommy meet-ups are the most socially desirable, or whether melon truly is the new black, but the success of her marriage to her husband, Alex, depends on controlling her own urges toward motherhood. He's adamant that they stay childless. Sure, Katie understands that he's upset over the fact that his out-of-town ex-wife rarely lets him see their ten-year-old son, Peter. But living vicariously through her anxious clients and her twin sisters' precocious children only makes Katie resent his stance more deeply. While helping a new client—Seth Harris, a high tech entrepreneur who must raise Sadie, his newborn daughter, as a single parent after the tragic death of his wife in childbirth—maneuver the bittersweet journey from mourning husband and reticent father to loving dad, Katie’s own ideals about love, marriage, and motherhood are put to the test as she learns ones very important lesson about family: How we nurture is the true nature of love. "Josie "Brown takes baby mania to its illogical, hysterical extreme in this bubbly romp. But what begins as a light foray into Bugaboo country turns into something bigger than a satire of status-obsessed Bay Area yummy mummies as Brown takes a dark look at the fears of parenthood and family, with Katie's heartbreaking longing for a child unveiling a disturbing reality about her marriage and family. Still, the message from the somber realities is one full of hope: love makes a family, commitment keeps it together." —Publishers Weekly "We love Josie Brown. Plain and simple. We first fell for her when we read the impossibly delicious Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives, and now we’re falling all over again after consuming her latest fun, funny and completely satisfying novel, The Baby Planner." -- Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke
THIS IS BOOK 1 IN AN 8-PART EPISODIC SERIES. Each book completes a story arc, but it includes a series cliffhanger that connects Books 1-4; And then Books 5-8. IN BOOK 1 OF THE TOTLANDIA SERIES: In a world of power and prestige, no one has more than Bettina Connaught Cross, leader of the Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club. If you want to be admitted into the most exclusive children’s playgroup in all of San Francisco, you simply cannot cross her. But this year’s admissions process is more rigorous than ever, pitting prospective members against each other to prove their mettle. Four of the six candidates vying for the remaining four slots have a secret that would knock them out of the running. Jade is a former stripper and porn actress, who has been absent for most of her son’s life. Jillian’s husband cleaned out their joint accounts and left her for his pregnant assistant. Ally never even had a husband—just a sperm donor—and she’s hiding a high-ranking corporate job. And Lorna fears that her son may have special needs… just the excuse her sister-in-law, Bettina, needs to deny her entry to the club. Can these hopeful moms keep up appearances long enough to outlast the competition? Or will their chances—and their private lives—go up in flames?
THIS IS BOOK 5 IN AN 8-PART EPISODIC SERIES. Each book completes a story arc, but it includes a series cliffhanger that connects Books 1-4; And then Books 5-8. IN BOOK 5 OF THE TOTLANDIA SERIES: When Bettina Cross is faced with having to share the leadership of her beloved Pacific Heights Moms and Tots Club with her sister-in-law, Lorna Connaught, she plays dirty—only to discover that her actions have aligned her two true enemies: Kimberley Savitch, and Kelly Overton. Bettina’s problems are compounded when Daniel Warwick, a Department of Justice prosecutor, wants to use her as bait to trap her soon-to-be ex, Art, into coming home and answering to long list of fraud charges. The fact that Art has scammed most of San Francisco’s wealthiest families has Bettina fighting desperately to preserve her most priceless possession: her social standing. When Brady lines up venture capital funding for Life of Pie, Ally must tamp down his gung-ho power ranger tendencies, while at the same time shore up Jillian’s insecurities that her pies won’t live up to Brady’s promises. And now that the once homeless Reggie is teaching the complete works of Shakespeare to UC Berkeley undergrads, Jade struggles with her fear that she’s competing for his affections with his younger, more beautiful students. Finally, an unexpected tragedy puts Jillian in the middle of her ex's life again—with consequences that will affect her future and those of her twins—forever.
ALL FOUR SEASONS OF THE ONESIES YEAR, IN ONE COLLECTION. Book 1, The Onesies (Fall) Book 2, The Onesies (Winter) Book 3, The Onesies (Spring) Book 4, The Onesies (Summer) The Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club is the most exclusive children’s playgroup in all of San Francisco. For the city’s ultra-competitive elite, the club’s ten annual spots are the ultimate parenting prize. But not everyone is PHM&TC material. The club’s founder, Bettina Connaught Cross, adheres to strict membership rules: Moms only. No single parents or working mothers allowed. Membership is an arduous commitment. And there’s no room in the club for scandal, bad behavior, or imperfection…from tots or their moms. In a world of power and prestige, no one has more than Bettina. And as every mom in Pacific Heights knows, you simply cannot cross her. But this year’s admissions process is more rigorous than ever, pitting prospective members against each other to prove their mettle. But four of the six candidates vying for the remaining four slots have a secret that would knock them out of the running. Jade is a former stripper and porn actress, who has been absent for most of her son’s life. Jillian’s husband cleaned out their joint accounts and left her for his pregnant assistant. Ally never even had a husband—just a sperm donor—and she’s hiding a high-ranking corporate job. And Lorna fears that her son may have special needs… just the excuse her sister-in-law, Bettina, needs to deny her entry to the club. Can these hopeful moms keep up appearances long enough to outlast the competition? Or will their chances—and their private lives—go up in flames? Friendship. Lies. Seduction. Betrayal. Welcome to Totlandia. PRAISE FOR THE TOTLANDIA SERIES: I love a good mommy send-up as much as the next gal, and this peek into the ridiculousness of the San Francisco upper crust is delightful. Whether or not you’ve ever had the pleasure (or pain) of joining a playgroup, Brown’s tale is as charming as it is cringeworthy. I laughed, I winced, I kept scrolling.” —Romantic Times “With affairs, pending divorces, secret jobs, and unsavory pasts, each wannabe member hides something that could blow her chances for good.Like the characters in reality shows such as “Dance Moms,” the women in Pacific Heights might be over-the-top, but in the end, the best interests of their kids are (almost) always at heart. Laugh-out-loud funny and sometimes touching, the “Totlandia” novellas serve as the perfect quick read for busy moms or anyone looking to escape with some gossipy fun.” —Examiner.com "Josie Brown writes Totlandia with her usual storytelling flair. The dialogue is smooth and flowing. The characters are easy to side with or become angry with, depending on each situation. The scenery is easy to visualize. And we mustn’t forget all the sex (blushworthy, at that) and scandal that is a staple of a true Josie Brown novel. It’s like a soap opera for mommies. Guilty pleasure, anyone?" —Melissa Amster, Chick Lit Central “This book is wonderfully written and has more than just drama. There are touching moments, parts that made me laugh out loud, and as I read the story I felt like I was reading a television show!”—Divine Secrets of a Domestic Goddess "Totlandia by Josie Brown was just a real joy to read. I loved the variety of characters, the balance of funny and serious moments, and just the wacky story. I cannot wait to see what is next in the series!” —The Book CellarX “Brown did it again! She wrote a book that is both hysterical and original. She gets at the heart of motherhood and all its glory and shame! Brown loves to develop numerous characters and you sure to connect with one, if not all in some way. She makes you think, with whimsy and fun. I absolutely adore her writing and I cannot wait to drive into Book Two of this series!” —Mommy Book Nerd
IN THE THIRD AND FINAL NOVEL OF THE EXTRACURRICULAR EPISODIC SERIES: A tragic death catalyzes a power play for control of Ashbury Academy’s trustee board. Daniel’s covert actions, however, have Audrey questioning his vow to protect Lavinia’s legacy at the school. The arrests resulting in the FBI’s investigation into Miranda’s college admissions fraud bring tragedy to some of the families involved, and unexpected opportunities to others. Can Ashbury Academy survive this scandal? An even bigger question: Will Audrey’s marriage—and her family—fall apart after her long-held secret is finally revealed?
Suburbia is a jungle, filled with lots of vicious creatures.Take the Paradise Heights Women’s League board. Lyssa Harper should have warned golden-haired DILF du jour Harry Wilder what he was getting into when she invited him to meet the mommies who run their suburban, gated community. At least he brought cupcakes. Since meeting the former Master-of-the-Universe turned stay-at-home single dad, Lyssa has been his domestic Sherpa, teaching him the ins and outs of suburban life. She just didn’t realize her friends would show up at his house unannounced with casseroles, leopard-print bikini briefs, and plans to rearrange his kitchen cabinets. The truth is, if Harry and his wife, the neighborhood’s “perfect couple,” can call it quits, what does that mean for everyone else? Lyssa’s husband, Ted, is a great father, but he pays her Pilates-pumped momtourage more attention than he does his own wife. Her friends gossip about the neighbors while ignoring their own problems: infertility, infidelity, and eating disorders. When Harry sets boundaries with his new fan club, he is exiled from the neighborhood’s in-clique. But Lyssa refuses to snub him. What she never expects is the explosive impact her ongoing friendship with Harry will have on her close-knit pals—and on her marriage.
IN BOOK 8 OF THE TOTLANDIA SERIES: The final book of the series is filled with surprising conclusions for the Pacific Heights parents you’ve come to love—and the one you love to hate: Stress from the club and motherhood puts Lorna into a tailspin that threatens life. Will Matthew make the right choice for her and their children? Jade’s past puts her career and her marriage to Reggie in jeopardy; In the hope of salvaging her friendship with Jillian, Ally makes a decision that will affect their lives forever. But can it also save her relationship with Brady? And finally: when Art’s funeral fails to end Bettina’s personal purgatory in San Francisco’s social circles, her new puts her back on top—but her successes come at a high price: the love and acceptance of those she loves most. Welcome to Totlandia's summer of love, lust, temptation, and redemption.
It's your child's senior year. A private high school's reputation is at stake. A math teacher refuses to grade his final exams on a curve. Students have only one more shot at the SAT before college applications are due. And a few desperate parents with much more money than brains are willing to do anything to get their children into Ivy League colleges. And Audrey's dirty little secret will soon be the downfall of everyone and everything she holds dear: love, family, friends, and her private high school alma mater. In the Extracurricular episodic trilogy, a dark family secret leads to a college admissions cheating scandal at a private school, setting off a crisis of conscience for the parents, teachers, administrator, and the students involved—and a catharsis for one couple about their marriage.
IN THE SECOND NOVEL OF THE EXTRACURRICULAR EPISODIC SERIES: Audrey’s worst nightmares are coming true: Despite being gravely ill, her mother, Lavinia, doesn't want to give up her position as Head of Ashbury Academy, the school she created and nurtured into a success. Doing so means watching the status-conscious leaders of the school’s trustee board change its core mission: keeping AA affordable, or free, for children who weren’t born into wealthy families. Not only that, Egan’s return to the school puts Audrey’s dark secret in jeopardy, especially now that twins Chuck and Charly are enthralled by him. To make matters worse, Miranda’s quest to burnish her reputation as the region’s premier college admissions consultant includes some questionable practices that could put the school’s reputation in jeopardy and entangle Egan in her plan of deceit.