Party Favors (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Susan Johnston (Author)
Key Phrases: major donors, nut house, Daddy Gil, Senator Brogan, Senator Griswold (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Party Favors gives a deliciously witty peek into the secretive world of political fundraising in D.C. Co-written by a former Director of Finance for the National Republican Senatorial Committee and a published playwright, the novel tracks the meteoric rise and fall of the young Temple Sachet, the Big Money Babe of the Republican Senate. As a “Ray of Hope” intern at the White House, Temple caught Potomac Fever—a hopeless, incurable addiction to D.C. Hooked, smart, and desperate for more, Temple navigates her way through the treacherous community of lobbyists making deals for dollars, gossiping staffers, and child-like senators to become the second most powerful fundraiser in America. Now she’s expected to raise $95 million and must find creative ways to get the uber-rich and ultra-eccentric to hand over the cash money green. From the outside her life looks like one fantastic party, but on the inside she’s tired of dating the wrong men and sleeping on the office floor. Luckily, she has an elite cadre of political friends to help keep her sane . . . or does she? When Temple’s own career begins to surpass that of her mentor, Prudence, a rude awakening awaits. But an unexpected betrayal and a major hurricane force Temple to reexamine everything she believes in….

From the Inside Flap

 Temple Sachet’s got style, smarts, and the party planning gene in her blood. Having grown up in New Orleans, surrounded by the pageantry of Mardi Gras, Temple learned a thing or two about how to turn a fantastic party into a money maker. It’s a skill that pays off big when her gala for the Missouri Opera turns into a Ray of Hope internship at the White House. Within weeks, Temple’s caught Potomac Fever—a hopeless, incurable addiction to D.C. for which there is only one cure: a nasty-tasting spoonful of disillusionment….

Temple rises quickly through the ranks of the Republican Party’s fundraising elite, navigating a treacherous community of lobbyists making deals for dollars, gossiping staffers, and child-like senators, to be appointed the highly coveted position of Finance Director for the Republican Senate Campaign Committee. Her every  waking moment is spent convincing the über-rich and ultra eccentric to hand over the cash money green and, in the process, she learns everyone’s secrets. Temple knows which senators can be manipulated by baked goods, which donors are most likely to pass out drunk at  dinners, which chiefs of staff are still “in the closet” and, unbelievably, which senators are actually good people, behaving with integrity even if no one is watching. She is envied, adored, respected, feared, and most of all needed as a fundraiser.

From the outside, Temple’s life looks like one fantastic party, but on the inside she’s tired of dating the wrong men and sleeping on the office floor. Her successes are measured in dollars, all of her status is derived from the politicians she knows personally, and all of her friendships stem from her career. But with her entire identity so wrapped up in D.C., can she walk away from it?

Party Favors gives a deliciously witty peek into the secretive world of political fundraising in D.C.  Written by a former Director of Finance for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the novel explores the very real truth that favor
means you owe, winning won’t save you, and, ultimately, you will be betrayed.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: The Lyons Press; First Printing edition (July 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599214598
• ISBN-13: 978-1599214597
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #493,803 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Summer Read EVER!, July 3, 2008

By	Mark Twain "NY Book Addict" (NY, NY) - See all my reviews

This book is outstanding (understatement of the decade). The writing is fresh, witty, sassy, sharp, hysterical and biting, all rolled into one. I couldn't put the book down! It has the dynamic edge of a "Devil Wear's Prada" with the D.C. twists and turns of a political best-seller. This mix of fiction and fact was one of the best books I've read in YEARS. Picking out the real-life characters in this fictionalized tell-all was like putting a puzzle together...(I'm still trying to figure out who a few of the characters may be in real-life.)

I rarely find a story and writing style that flows so well, and sucks me in so strongly and immediately. From the first page, the writing style alone had me hooked -- one of the best written pieces I've come across-- with clever phrasing, word-choices and hysterically-colorful descriptions that had me hanging on every word. I'm normally not a political reading fan, but I've been converted by this book alone. Sexton and Johnston are without a doubt a winning writing team!

This book is was fantastic that it prompted me to leave my very first review on Amazon ever, even though I buy and read books here like they were bottles of water.

If this book isn't turned into the 2009 summer hit Block-Buster movie, I'll be shocked... it has all the elements of a winning film. I encourage everyone to pick up a copy today -- this is one book that is definitely not to be missed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars from a former Political special events coordinator, August 28, 2008

By	Gina Gold (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A fantastic book, and so reminiscent of my stint as Administrator of the mayor's home, Gracie Mansion, in New York City during the Koch administration. As someone responsible for executing hundreds of dinners, cocktail parties, and huge events at the mayor's home and at the city hall of the most-visited city on earth, I can say that this book captured the frenzy, fun, food, and frazzle of trying to organize a political event. Temple Sachet's do-or-die determination to please everyone, seat everyone in the right place, and make sure every single person gets a handshake and photo with the biggest honcho in the room, is spot on! Nicole Sexton and Susan Johnston even nailed the crushing panic of last-minute disasters... Reading this book reminded me of one of my own...The day I arrived to oversee the set-up of a huge dinner for the Governor of Tokyo only to realize that the gardeners had just fertilized the lawn. The whole mansion literally reeked of s#%t! A few staff members and I raced all over the Upper East Side of Manhattan buying up incense. We lit it all over the mansion and it worked! The house even had the faint but welcome scent of a Japanese temple... These are the kinds of authentic stories you will find in this page-turner.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Super-Entertaining with a Serious Side--a PERFECT read!!, August 12, 2008

By	Emily A. Armstrong - See all my reviews

I just went on an overseas trip and little did I know that the most important item I had packed could fit right in my carry-on: PARTY FAVORS! I quickly discovered that when I pulled it out on the flight, and it was really the perfect tons-of-fun plane trip read that made the time pass lightning fast! I could not put it down. It was so interesting (I LOVED the fundraising stories and political insider info, I had no idea that even went on in DC like that)--and it was wildly funny, I laughed out loud several times and people around me kept looking over to try and see what I was reading!! I really liked Temple as a protagonist, she was a really strong, inspiring woman and I was able to relate to her at the same time. It's refreshing to see the contrast between her invincibility-on-the-job and her moments of insecurity and her personal losses. And it definitely made me want to buy a red YSL power suit someday, haha.

I will be shocked if it doesn't become a TV show soon...it has a great world to explore and would be a refreshing way to make a female lead be part of a show that has both drama and fun but also has a real, serious political side. I think that several of my female college friends would enjoy that, who currently like all the soap-opera-ish comedy type shows on TV but also read "The Economist" and the NY Times regularly and would like a way to combine entertainment with real issues of integrity/politics. So bravo, I am a big fan!

Pick up a copy of PARTY FAVORS and I promise your next trip--whether it be on the subway, on a jumbo jet or just to a park bench in the sun--will be much more enjoyable!