Exclusive (Godmothers) [Paperback]

Fern Michaels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2010 | Series: Godmothers

When Toots Loudenberry relocated to Los Angeles from South Carolina to be near her daughter, Abby, she expected to bump into the occasional celebrity. She just never expected them to be dead. Meanwhile, Toots, Sophie, and Mavis are concerned that the prestigious Dr. Sameer's budding romance with Ida may have something to do with his ailing bank balance. And Abby's attempted makeover of the celebrity magazine The Informer into the most talked-about tabloid in town could end more than just her career. But the Godmothers wouldn't be the Godmothers if they weren't pulling a few behind-the-scenes strings, and Abby's hopes of changing the fortunes of The Informer are still alive. Yet it'll take an assist from a source no one could have predicted, let alone see, to secure a story that will shake Tinselt own to its very core...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The tedious sequel to The Scoop sends Charleston, S.C., grande dame Toots Loudenberry to L.A. to help her daughter, Abby, who is running a struggling tabloid. Toots brings along her best friends--Ida, Sophie, and Mavis--and though the ladies envision some wild times, what they find instead is a haunted Malibu beach house, possible career ruin for Abby, and a dodgy doctor boyfriend for Ida. While there is plenty going on, none of the shenanigans forms what could be called a plot, and too many of the developments are unbelievably outlandish. Meanwhile, none of the characters is especially menaced by her alleged problems, which is almost fine, because Michaels doesn't follow through on the lightweight villainy.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

When Toots Loudenberry leaves her home in Charleston, South Carolina, for L.A., the first thing she does, being wealthy in her own right, is to buy a mansion—Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz’s disturbingly haunted, over-the-top Malibu beach house, to be precise. The real reason for the move is to be near her daughter, Abby, because changes to her National Enquirer-like tabloid, The Informer, don’t bode well for her future. There’s lots of fun, intrigue, and excitement as Toots, Ida, Sophie, and Mavis take on Tinseltown. This is the second book in Michaels’ Godmothers series (The Scoop, 2009), and those who long for the old glitz-and-glamour romances will like this shamelessly name-dropping Hollywood tale. --Shelley Mosley

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kensington Books; Reprint edition (September 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758227205
• ISBN-13: 978-0758227201
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272,601 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Fern Michaels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Fool Me Once, Sweet Revenge, The Nosy Neighbor, Pretty Woman, and dozens of other novels and novellas. There are over seventy million copies of her books in print. Fern Michaels has built and funded several large day-care centers in her hometown, and is a passionate animal lover who has outfitted police dogs across the country with special bulletproof vests. She shares her home in South Carolina with her four dogs and a resident ghost named Mary Margaret.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Strange exclusive, April 12, 2010

By 

wogan "the book reader" - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Exclusive (Godmothers) (Hardcover)

Fern Michaels' Godmothers continue their California adventures. They are the best of friends, most have money and are willing to use it to help each and others live a good life. They have gone to California to help their goddaughter/Toots' daughter with the tabloid newspaper she is in charge of, and that we were left hanging in the last book...wanting to know what was the next scoop...so here it is with the `Exclusive'.

There is a bit of a prologue to help those who have not read all of the proceeding books, so that helps in that sense; but there are still some problems for those who do not read the whole series. Abby the daughter is not introduced as the daughter until deeper in the book. Then there are the friends and questions always arrive about some of their behavior to each other and in their love lives. It also continues in some instances, like not explaining why some celebrity would have a conveyor belt in their bedroom??? Why would Toots make an offer of $50 million before she finished seeing this house and then lose deposit money...I guess I just don't run in these circles of higher finances and celebrity life - I just wish there were some explanations for us `ordinary' people.

Then there is the shock of not the fact of having a séance but having Aaron Spelling and Bing Crosby at odds with each other - it's explained why but it sort of stretches incredulity. I keep trying to like these books more than I do, but at least I keep reading them - so they do have the drawing power for a break away from everyday life.
Personally, I would prefer to have friends that did not always give me the finger or use the language these women do, no matter how much money they have and how much they help out and support each other, but that is their friendship and if you enjoy these ladies and their lifestyle, it's an escape to read about them.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunted, August 31, 2010

By 

Shelly Itkin "Book Lover and Mom" (Long Island, NY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Exclusive (Godmothers) (Paperback)

Now that Toots has relocated to Los Angeles and moved into her new home which had originally been owned by Lucille Ball things have really started to change.
When she purchased the house she was not happy with the decorating and thought the colors were awful but the view was spectacular and so she knew that is why she got it for such a bargain price.
Being close to Abby is what the move is all about and the fact that she might have the story of her life an exclusive of Angelina Joile with Brad Pitt and the family has put her on cloud nine as she is wondering why they would choose The Informer when they could go to People, Us or any of the big gossip magazines.
Of course Mavis, Ida and Sophie and moved in with her. Ida has been seeing Dr. Samer not only as a patient but as a lover behind the girls backs. Mavis also might be in love and things seems to be going too good until Toots feels the house is haunted and by famous celebrity guests.
I love the fact that Ms Michaels shows older woman are not to old to try love for a second chance and what you expect to happens usually does not.
Abby is upset with some events about the story of a lifetime but might find herself with an exclusive that nobody else knows about thru the help of her mom and her friends. A fun and very enjoyable and once again a winner by Ms. Michaels I highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars First Time Failure, November 2, 2010

By 

Ginger Gordon (Alabama) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Exclusive (Godmothers) (Paperback)

I love to read Fern Michaels, specially the sisterhood series; but 'Exclusive'was the most disappointing book I have ever read. This series is so ho-hum, I wish I could get my money back. G. Gordon