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The Godmothers #2
Exclusive
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...
246 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
966 people are currently reading
1299 people want to read
About the author
Fern Michaels
424 books6,518 followersFern Michaels isn’t a person. I’m not sure she’s an entity either since an entity is something with separate existence. Fern Michaels® is what I DO. Me, Mary Ruth Kuczkir. Growing up in Hastings, Pennsylvania, I was called Ruth. I became Mary when I entered the business world where first names were the order of the day. To this day, family and friends call me Dink, a name my father gave me when I was born because according to him I was ‘a dinky little thing’ weighing in at four and a half pounds. However, I answer to Fern since people are more comfortable with a name they can pronounce.
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
As they say, the past is prologue. I grew up, got a job, got married, had five kids. When my youngest went off to Kindergarten, my husband told me to get off my ass and get a job. Those were his exact words. I didn’t know how to do anything except be a wife and mother. I was also a voracious reader having cut my teeth on The Bobbsey Twins, Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Cherry Ames and the like. The library was a magical place for me. It still is to this day. Rather than face the outside world with no skills, I decided to write a book. For some reason that didn’t intimidate me. As my husband said at the time, stupid is as stupid does. Guess what, I don’t have that husband any more. Guess what else! I wrote 99 books, most of them New York Times Best Sellers.
Moving right along here . . . Several years ago I left Ballantine Books, parted company with my agent, sold my house in New Jersey that I had lived in all my married life and in 1993 moved to South Carolina. I figured if I was going to go through trauma let it be all at one time. It was a breeze. The kids were all on their own at that point. The dump was a 300 year old plantation house that is listed in the National Registry that I remodeled. Today it is beyond belief as are the gardens and the equally old Angel Oaks that drip Spanish moss. Unfortunately, I could not get my ghost to relocate. This ghost has been documented by previous owners. Mary Margaret as we call her, is “a friendly”. She is also mischievous. It took me two weeks to figure out that she didn’t like my coffee cups. They would slide off the table or counter or else they’d break in the dishwasher. I bought red checkered ones. All are intact as of this writing. She moves pillows from one room to the other and she stops all the clocks in the house at 9:10 in the a.m. at least once a week. When the Azaleas are in bloom, and only then, I find blooms on my night stand. I have this glorious front porch and during the warm months I see my swing moving early in the morning when the air is still and again late in the day. She doesn’t spook the dogs. I always know when she’s around because the five of them line up and look like they’re at a tennis match. As of this writing we’re co-habiting nicely.
Most writers love what they do and I’m no exception. I love it when I get a germ of an idea and get it down on paper. I love breathing life into my characters. I love writing about women who persevere and prevail because that’s what I had to do to get to this point in time. It’s another way of saying it doesn’t matter where you’ve been, what matters is where you’re going and how you get there. The day I finally prevailed was the day I was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame. For me it was an awesome day and there are no words to describe it.
I’ve been telling stories and scribbling for 37 years. I hope I can continue for another 37 years. It wasn’t easy during some of those years. As I said, I had to persevere. My old Polish grandmother said something to me when I was little that I never forgot. She said when God is good to you, you have to give back. For a while I didn’t know how to do that. When I finally figured it out I set up The Fern Michaels® Foundation.
READ FERN MICHAELS' FULL BIOGRAPHY HERE: http://www.fernmichaels.com/biography/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
January 24, 2016
A funny story of 4 old ladies and a nice to read dialogue between them. Who said old is boring? Maybe a return to spiritism can open some people's minds and change life perspectives. It did the job for them
October 26, 2016
Toots, her daughter Abby, and her three godmothers are back for another fun adventure. You do tend to get caught up a bit with the characters as you read more about them.
January 21, 2024
1.5 stars Wow, this so did NOT meet my expectations based on reading the dust jacket. Based on the jacket, " Toots expected to bump into the occasional celebrity, she just didn't expect them to be dead", to paraphrase. Here's what I will compare that to, without giving away any plot twists.
You are asked if you would like to attend a BBQ where they will be grilling steaks. Also, on the menu are baked potatoes and roasted asparagus. You arrive with your bottle of A-1 steak sauce only to have a ham steak placed in front of you. Not exactly what you were expecting, but it is a type of steak.
Yeah, I got ham instead of a T-Bone.
If this wasn't already a letdown, the actual story line, IMO, was a bit farfetched. It was like the Golden Girls do L.A.
Safe to say I will not be seeking any other books in this series.
You are asked if you would like to attend a BBQ where they will be grilling steaks. Also, on the menu are baked potatoes and roasted asparagus. You arrive with your bottle of A-1 steak sauce only to have a ham steak placed in front of you. Not exactly what you were expecting, but it is a type of steak.
Yeah, I got ham instead of a T-Bone.
If this wasn't already a letdown, the actual story line, IMO, was a bit farfetched. It was like the Golden Girls do L.A.
Safe to say I will not be seeking any other books in this series.
October 14, 2016
I am really enjoying this series.
February 10, 2019
I really dig these Godmothers. They are fun and quirky. I would want to be friends with them.
March 11, 2020
În căutarea fericirii-Fern Michaels
Aceasta carte face parte dintr-o serie de carti ,aceasta fiind a doua,cred ca se pot citi si separat(in total 10 carti )
O carte de 3*
Spoiler!!!.....
Pentru a fi mai aproape de Abby,fiica ei de 28 de ani ,Tessa-zisa Toots ,procura o casa si un ziar "The Informer" pe coasta Pacificului in Malibu iar pentru a nu sta singura, își ia cu ea cele 3 prietene sexagenare (Mavis-o profesoară pensionară, Ida-de 1 an văduvă si Sophia).
Am vrut o carte ușoară, după războiul nu are chip de femeie,dar am sfârșit prin a fi dezamăgită de aceasta carte,este ușoară dar parca i-a lipsit ceva...poate din cauza ca a împărțit-o în mai multe cărți...
Toots a cumpărat ziarul pe care fiica ei il conduce,fără ca aceasta sa stie, casa cumpărată este bântuită, iar cele 4 reusesc sa comunice cu fantomele,făcând o rubrică in ziar,reusesc sa-l demaște pe profesorul Summer,pe "fiica Amala" si Mohamed ce se aflau la clinica unde fusese vindecată Ida.
Aaa,nu stiu cat de normal li se par americanilor ideea de a se îndrăgosti de "fratele vitreg" ...dar eu nu ma împac cu ideea asta....
Aceasta carte face parte dintr-o serie de carti ,aceasta fiind a doua,cred ca se pot citi si separat(in total 10 carti )
O carte de 3*
Spoiler!!!.....
Pentru a fi mai aproape de Abby,fiica ei de 28 de ani ,Tessa-zisa Toots ,procura o casa si un ziar "The Informer" pe coasta Pacificului in Malibu iar pentru a nu sta singura, își ia cu ea cele 3 prietene sexagenare (Mavis-o profesoară pensionară, Ida-de 1 an văduvă si Sophia).
Am vrut o carte ușoară, după războiul nu are chip de femeie,dar am sfârșit prin a fi dezamăgită de aceasta carte,este ușoară dar parca i-a lipsit ceva...poate din cauza ca a împărțit-o în mai multe cărți...
Toots a cumpărat ziarul pe care fiica ei il conduce,fără ca aceasta sa stie, casa cumpărată este bântuită, iar cele 4 reusesc sa comunice cu fantomele,făcând o rubrică in ziar,reusesc sa-l demaște pe profesorul Summer,pe "fiica Amala" si Mohamed ce se aflau la clinica unde fusese vindecată Ida.
Aaa,nu stiu cat de normal li se par americanilor ideea de a se îndrăgosti de "fratele vitreg" ...dar eu nu ma împac cu ideea asta....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2023
This is book 2 of a delightful series. It’s mainly about 4 older women and their life long relationships.
June 16, 2015
I can't recall if I have ever read anything by Fern Michaels before....but, one thing is for sure...I don't much think I will pick up anything by her again....What a started as a good premise...turned very quickly into a silly little novel...not worth my time or energy...so I spent a lot of the book speed reading just to say I read the darn thing cause it counts on my book challenge....Anyway...every now and then in the world of books you come across a dud or two....this one, in my opinion was a dud....
December 13, 2016
These over 60 year old ladies are a hoot. This time they get involved with ghosts. I enjoyed every minute of the story and looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
April 1, 2024
I don't give away spoilers in my reviews.
I am a big fan of Fern Michaels' Sisterhood series so thought I'd try her Godmother series. This is the first Godmothers book I've read.
I admit, I do prefer the Sisterhood series. I like crime and mystery and this series doesn't have as much mystery in it for me.
I do however, like most of the characters. I loved Toots hiding her ownership of the newspaper her daughter Abby is editor of. I also loved Toots house and thought the purple/pink awful design she is forced to live with from the previous owner's taste was pretty funny.
The godmothers are all protective of Abby. I really liked Abby and think I'd read more of the series if it concentrated more on her.
The seance part was fun to read and a good break from crime series I read. I do have to say, I really didn't like how mean Sophie is to the other godmothers. It was funny at first but then grew old as I read the book.
I am a big fan of Fern Michaels' Sisterhood series so thought I'd try her Godmother series. This is the first Godmothers book I've read.
I admit, I do prefer the Sisterhood series. I like crime and mystery and this series doesn't have as much mystery in it for me.
I do however, like most of the characters. I loved Toots hiding her ownership of the newspaper her daughter Abby is editor of. I also loved Toots house and thought the purple/pink awful design she is forced to live with from the previous owner's taste was pretty funny.
The godmothers are all protective of Abby. I really liked Abby and think I'd read more of the series if it concentrated more on her.
The seance part was fun to read and a good break from crime series I read. I do have to say, I really didn't like how mean Sophie is to the other godmothers. It was funny at first but then grew old as I read the book.
June 19, 2018
Well, Fern Michaels has published a lot of books and I'd heard good things about her writing, so I was majorly disappointed in this book that I read to complete a reading challenge: a book you see a stranger reading in public. None of the 4 main characters were likable. Supposedly best friends for around 50 years (they all being 70ish females), three of them godmothers to the fourth's daughter (who is a bit likable), they speak to and treat each other abominably. Also, it's hard to tell which plot line is the main plot--the ghosts or the scam or the who owns the gossip rag. If it hadn't been for the challenge, I would not have finished it, and I may be missing out on something, but I don't plan to read another Fern Michaels book.
February 15, 2022
I have to admit that the first book was a lot better than this one. I still love the characters and will continue with the series. There were so many sub-plots that I'm not sure which is the main story! I didn't enjoy the sub-plot about the paranormal at all. I felt as if Ms. Michael's lost interest in her own story or she couldn't figure out where she wanted to go with the main story. Then I felt cheated not having the details about Ida's doctor and his associates! Could do without knowing what each woman was wearing or what they ate on a daily basis. Overall not bad, held my interest during my telecommute to and from work and pretty entertaining.
September 22, 2019
Talk About an exclusive!
The informer is under new management. Abby Simpson is the new acting editor in chief. The newly repaired and redecorated and technologically updated paper is looking for an exclusive to boost their ratings. Toots has bought a beach house rented and decorated by a young female rock star. The house is done in untastefully garish pinks and purples and is full of tacky touches everywhere. Toots and the Godmothers move in and on the first night Toots is awoken by ghostly spirits. Havoc reigns throughout the rest of the story. A fun read.
The informer is under new management. Abby Simpson is the new acting editor in chief. The newly repaired and redecorated and technologically updated paper is looking for an exclusive to boost their ratings. Toots has bought a beach house rented and decorated by a young female rock star. The house is done in untastefully garish pinks and purples and is full of tacky touches everywhere. Toots and the Godmothers move in and on the first night Toots is awoken by ghostly spirits. Havoc reigns throughout the rest of the story. A fun read.
September 16, 2020
Godmothers
I loved the Scoop, and was expecting more in the 2nd book of the series. I don't mind a little sex in a book but I don't need it described in details. Probably more disappointing was that the swearing and foul language increase tenfold. The Scoop had swearing, but only used the F word on rare occasions. It was way over used in this book. I am willing to read the next the series; however if it on the same order as Exclusive I will stop and look for another author when I am in the mood for some light reading.
I loved the Scoop, and was expecting more in the 2nd book of the series. I don't mind a little sex in a book but I don't need it described in details. Probably more disappointing was that the swearing and foul language increase tenfold. The Scoop had swearing, but only used the F word on rare occasions. It was way over used in this book. I am willing to read the next the series; however if it on the same order as Exclusive I will stop and look for another author when I am in the mood for some light reading.
August 21, 2019
Book 2 in the series. The story is interesting enough that I kept going. There are issues with the style - similar to what I experienced in the first book. The characters keep annoying me & the prose can be repetitive in minor ways.
Listening to physical CD's, so that slows the pace down. I'm interested to see where the paranormal aspect will go. A full on spectral possession would liven things up a bit (I know - not gonna happen - but it would be a surprise!)
Listening to physical CD's, so that slows the pace down. I'm interested to see where the paranormal aspect will go. A full on spectral possession would liven things up a bit (I know - not gonna happen - but it would be a surprise!)
May 1, 2021
I'm giving this book 5 stars because even though its not a thought provoking book, it made.me laugh and you have to love the friendship between these old women. I'm not into the supernatural side of that is woven in, but a fun read and I don't have to put too much brain power into it.
Everyone should strive to have friendships like these women do.
Everyone should strive to have friendships like these women do.
March 4, 2023
This book had some hysterically funny scenes, plus some rather far-fetched ones but they all worked well together. I really enjoyed this book too and can't wait to read the next one! I swear...some of the conversations/friendly arguments the girls have remind me of me with my 2 closest friends that I've had for over 30+ years. We don't cut each other any slack either and we say what we mean!
January 3, 2018
I was thinking of the wonderful Sisterhood series when I picked this up. I'm disappointed. Parts are just plain stupid. I like the old girl characters. The plots are lacking along with the closures on both.
August 29, 2021
Godmothers 2
I am pleased with this book! A great story and wonderful reading. Love is the best part of the story. Second best is the seances these ladies are so into. Solving crime is a result that brings both pride and joy to all of them.
I am pleased with this book! A great story and wonderful reading. Love is the best part of the story. Second best is the seances these ladies are so into. Solving crime is a result that brings both pride and joy to all of them.
October 19, 2022
This book was a bit of a let down from the first volume in the series. I thought the author was unfocused and lost the thread of who her characters were and what they were doing. It is good to shake things up, but this was a huge departure from where she initially started.
March 13, 2023
What is there not to like? It is funny at times . it will bring tears at times and you will keep
What is there not to like? It is funny at times . it will bring tears at times and you will keep reading. Can not wait for the next book.
What is there not to like? It is funny at times . it will bring tears at times and you will keep reading. Can not wait for the next book.
March 30, 2024
Relationships and a bit of mystery and paranormal activity. Beach read. The book was written well enough to imagine the people/locations, but the actual story rambled and the ending was just about written off as to be dealt with later.
March 31, 2025
I liked this story better than the first in the series. However, I feel there could have been a few more sentences explaining if Sammy was caught.
After the first book, I wasn’t sure about continuing with The Godmothers. For now, I want to see what trouble they get into next. Haha
After the first book, I wasn’t sure about continuing with The Godmothers. For now, I want to see what trouble they get into next. Haha
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 31, 2025
nothing special & not something i would have usually chosen for myself (got it as a "blind date with a book") but it got the job done (getting me out of my slump). i did like the characters even tho it was very difficult to take a woman names toots seriously
September 18, 2017
Cute little piece of chick lit.
April 16, 2018
Another awesome one! I can't wait to get the next one.
April 23, 2018
I liked this godmother book best so far as I like the inter action between Abby and her step brother Chris
May 21, 2018
Love this series
This is my time reading this series. I got behind a few books so decided to start the whole series over. Love it just as much the second time around.
This is my time reading this series. I got behind a few books so decided to start the whole series over. Love it just as much the second time around.
July 28, 2018
How many times do we have to be told how much money they have! Got tedious, easy reading, once you get over the repetition over wealth, good read for when you want a beach book.
September 11, 2018
I enjoy the Godmothers Series. :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews