DEAREST YOU: Totlandia Series - Book 7

by Josie Brown

THIS IS BOOK 7 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 7 OF THE TOTLANDIA EPISODIC For the women of Totlandia, spring brings new life and emotional A big question for Bettina is whether she'll succumb to an easy fix for her problems, or will she embrace the challenge that may lead to the financial and emotional freedom she craves... At the same time, Bettina's mysterious disappearances are adding to Lorna's anxieties to keep the club on an even keel up until she delivers her twins. Little does she know that a cruel trick by the power-hungry Kelly will curdle Lorna's relationship with her mother-in-law, Eleanor; Jillian is fighting her former mother-in-law for custody of her deceased ex-husband's infant child. The good Caleb has taken to his new role as über-dad with gusto. The bad it’s causing trouble in the Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club; As for Jade, she is given an opportunity of a lifetime to prove both as an academic researcher, and as the perfect partner for her fiánce, Reggie. But will his assistant Samantha's attentions come between them? And Brady's quest to reunite Ally with her father may be the one thing that will tear their relationship apart; Last but not Top Moms are in full revolt. They know that their only hope of getting out from under Bettina’s thumb is to secure their secrets-filled files hidden deep within a sculpture to be auctioned off with the rest of her possessions. Let the bidding begin! REVIEWS 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 uppercrust 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. The Onesies (book one) kept me entertained and on my toes the entire time. It showed that there are mothers who are human and sometimes screw up even with the best intentions at hand. It’s like a soap opera for mommies. Guilty pleasure, anyone?!? I look forward to reading book two next and will share my thoughts on that one, as well!”—Melissa Amster, ChickLitCentral.com “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

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 25, 2017

About the author

Josie Brown's forty-two novels are now in the hands of over two million readers.

She has been published by St. Martin's Press, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins Publishers, Penguin Books.

Read Josie’s books. You’ll get a good idea of her sense of humor. https://www.JosieBrown.com

You'll also find Josie on
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JosieBrownCA
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/josiebrownau...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josiebrownn...

Visit her podcast, where she discusses writing with other authors:
http://bit.ly/AuthorProvocateurApple

Josie is the author of these novels:

The Housewife Assassin Novel Series, including
- Handbook (Book 1)
- Guide to Gracious Killing (Book 2)
- Killer Christmas Tips (Book 3)
- Relationship Survival Guide (Book 4)
- Vacation to Die For (Book 5)
- Recipes for Disaster (Book 6)
- Hollywood Scream Play (Book 7) [2014, Signal Press]
- Killer App (Book 8) [August 2014, Signal Press]
- Hostage Hosting Tips (Book 9)
- Garden of Deadly Delights (Book 10)
- Tips for Weddings, Weapons, and Warfare Hosting Tips (Book 11)
- Husband Hunting Hints (Book 12)
- Ghost Protocol (Book 13)
- Terrorist TV Guide (Book 14)
- Deadly Dossier (Book 15 - SERIES PREQUEL)
- Greatest Hits (Book 16 )
- Fourth Estate Sale (Book 17 )
- Horrorscope (Book 18 )
- White House Keeping Seal of Approval (Book 19)
- Assassination Vacation Tips (Book 20)
- Antisocial Media Tips (Book 21)
- Manners, Missiles & Mayhem (Book 22)
- Gambit (Book 23)
- Underwater Assets (Book 24)

The Candidate (Steamy Political Thriller)

Extracurricular - 3 episodic Novels (2020; Signal Press)

Totlandia - 8 episodic Novels (2014-2017; Signal Press)

The Baby Planner
[2011, Simon & Schuster]

The Housewife Assassin Gets Lucky (written with Deborah Coonts)

Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives
[2010, Simon & Schuster 2014 Signal Press]]

Hollywood Hunk (Book 1 - True Hollywood Lies)
[2005, HarperCollins; 2010 Signal Press]

Her novel, Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives (Simon & Schuster), is being produced by Jerry Bruckheimer as a dramatic series for NBC-TV.

She is also the author of three non-fiction books: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Finding Mr. Right [Penguin/Alpha]; Marriage Confidential: 102 Honest Answers to the Questions Every Husband Wants to Ask, and Every Wife Needs to Know [Signal Press]; and Last Night I Dreamt of Cosmopolitans: A Modern Girl's Dream Dictionary [St. Martin's Press]

Before becoming a full-time novelist, Josie also worked in advertising (JWT, DDB/Needham, BBM&B) and radio (WPLO-AM, Atlanta; WZGC-FM, Atlanta).

As a journalist, Josie has interviewed Maya Angelou, Brenda Blethyn, Julian Bond, Kenneth Branagh, Jackie Collins, Costa-Gavras, Craig Ferguson, John Gray, Derek Jacobi, Debbie Reynolds, and John Woo. Her celebrity interviews and relationships trends articles have been featured in Los Angeles Times Syndicate International, Redbook, and Complete Woman, as well as AOL, Yahoo, AskMen.com, Divorce360.com, and SingleMindedWomen.com, where she serves as the Relationships Channel editor.

Josie's interviews for her podcast, Author Provocateur, and for the International Thriller Writers magazine THE BIG THRILL include such notable authors as David Baldacci, Samantha M. Bailey, C.J. Box, Allison Brennan, Lee Child, Deborah Coonts, Robert Dugoni, Barry Eisler, JT Ellison, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, Tess Gerritsen, Andrew Gross, Kristan Higgins, Jon Land, John Lescroart, John Lutz, James Rollins, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Brad Thor, and Debra Webb.

Although born and raised (a Southern expression) in and around Atlanta, Georgia, Josie is proudly one-hundred percent Puerto Rican: her father was born in Ponce, and her mother was from Humacao. Does this make Josie a Georgiarican? She thinks so, and proudly claims that title.

She now lives in San Francisco with her husband and two children.

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

**May contain spoilers for the previous books in the series**

With this being the second to last book in the series (sob!), many of the PHM&T Club members are being pushed over the edge, although some are doing the pushing. There are some major game changers in this installment. Some are definitely concerning, especially as we get closer to the finish line of this series.

I'll admit it's hard to review a book this far into the series without spoiling something or being completely vague to keep people guessing. All I can say at this point is that I am definitely worried, frustrated, and sad for some of the characters. Even Bettina, who is starting to be somewhat more likable. I just hope everything gets resolved in the final book and that the most vile characters are taken down. I was glad to see that happen to one already in this book.

I look forward to the final book in the series, even if it means it is going to end. I hope Josie Brown will revisit Totlandia a few years down the road, as well as write more stand-alone novels. She's a talented writer, always keeping me on my toes!

I thought I'd cast some other characters I haven't done yet:
Kelly: Jessica Paré
Daniel: Stephen Amell
Andy: Sam Claflin
Eleanor: Betty Buckley
Hera: Judith Light
Matt: Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Art: David Cross
Grant: Richard Gere
Reggie: Wes Bentley

Lead character casting can be found here.

[Allyson Maclay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg I love this book series!!!!!! Such a good read only down fall is having to wait so long for the next book to come out!!!

[Meredith Schorr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josie Brown has done it again with the seventh installment of her Totlandia series. These books are so much fun, so naughty, and so deliciously sinful. I love how fleshed out all the characters are - no one is all good or all bad (well, almost no one). I go from hating someone to rooting for her in the same paragraph. And incredibly impressive is how the little tots are always present. No matter what else is going on in a character's life, the toddler is constantly wreaking havoc, as is the case in real life. Yet, the author is so seamless in her delivery that you are never pulled out of the story.

Warning: this one ends in a cliffhanger, But, seriously, if you've read books 1-7, how could you possibly resist reading the 8th and final book?

[Jennifer Manley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another hit

This was another hit for the Totlandia series. Josie Brown as usual gives us a look at the upper echelon and the antics they tend to get involved in, whether it's affairs, plotting against socially, love lives, or how to keep ones social standing. I love this series I would recommend it to anyone!

[IRIFF · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've said before that Totlandia is my guilty pleasure, but this one fell a little short for me. I love the series for the parenting, the mischief that the kids get into, and the catty moms butting heads. I love the club functions, the tight friendships between the original Onesie foursome, and the steamy affair. This episode dealt with the romantic and business relationships and we didn't get a lot of the parenting, kids, and friendships. The shift in focus makes sense; we really want to know how things progress with Jillian's baby drama and business, Jade's jealousies, Ally's Daddy issues, and especially Bettina's shady AF ex husband, but the story lost a little of its charm. That said, I can't wait for the next one! And I was super intrigued to click over the last page and see a blurb of Hollywood Whore A True Hollywood Lies Novel. That sounds like fun!

[Lyn Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love these books - funny, quick reading and interesting. However, I do object to buying a book with 281 pages and finding that from page 211 to the end it is nothing but excepts from other books, that is 70 pages that have no relation to the story you have just read.

[Roopsi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the kind of book you read because your library e-book collection makes reading really terrible books very easy.

[Beth Bernardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Easy read — fun story to follow . Love it when you can buy them all at once and go from one to the next 😉