Monday, February 18, 2013

Book Review & Giveaway: Totlandia (The Onesies, Book Three)

By Melissa Amster

**Giveaway is now closed**

This past autumn, my best friend and I were walking around Georgetown and found a pie shop. My best friend loves baking pies and is so good at it too. We decided right then and there that "pie is the new cupcake!" So when one of the characters in Totlandia: The Onesies (book three) said the exact same thing, I immediately e-mailed my best friend to tell her. It makes me wonder if Josie Brown is spying on our conversations. After all, her characters are good at espionage....

Spring comes in like a lamb as the exclusive Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club welcomes its newest members. But that tranquility belies a storm brewing, as new tensions and old rivalries come to a head.

The surviving moms are ready to reap the rewards of membership, but none of them counted on club founder, Bettina Connaught Cross, needing a pick-me-up from a bitter betrayal. While lesser women might cry into their pillows, Bettina finds comfort in exerting control over her domain.

With Bettina on a rampage, the new Onesies are trying to stay out of sight long enough to deal with their own issues: Lorna wants to tell her family about Dante’s autism, but keeping it on her own terms could be difficult when her hippie mom and socialite mother-in-law meet for the first time. Jillian fights to regain her financial footing and confront her own insecurities, finding comfort in an unexpected place. And Ally can’t bear the thought of hurting Jade, so she continues to bury her feelings for Brady. But when another desperate housewife stirs the mix, Jade could become a pawn in an even more devious game.

It’s no ordinary spring in Totlandia, as emotions build to a fury and end with a roar.
(Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Just when I was running out of some good scandalous reading material, Josie Brown is back and she brings it with even more intensity. Who will stab someone in the back first? Who knows something that the others don't? Who is in for a big shock? All will be answered and there will still be a cliffhanger in the end! It's a real page turner...kind of like having a marathon of Desperate Housewives or 90210 (but you could replace these with Revenge, Gossip Girl, or a number of other shows involving sex and scandal.) There's an expectation at this point that you've already read the first two books. Josie doesn't give as much back story as other books in a series would do. I don't mind this because that just takes up space and you really SHOULD read this series in order. It's meant for people who are already familiar with the characters and plot lines. Even so, there's an ease to the story where you don't feel like you're missing out if this is the first book you've read. (Kind of like jumping into the middle of a TV show halfway through the series.) However, the suspense will be gone if you read this before you read the other two. If that's the case and you want to know what you're missing out on before delving in, please read my previous spoiler-free reviews for the series.

Once again, Josie Brown does a great job reminding me why I'm so happy with my own community, considering the number of judgmental and snooty back-stabbers that the newest members of the "Onesies" have to deal with! Now I'm going to layer on the sunscreen to get ready for the summer heat, of both the weather and scandal variety.

Thanks to Coliloquy for the e-book in exchange for an honest review. They have THREE e-books of Totlandia: The Onesies (book three) to share with some lucky readers worldwide!

Mark your calendars for THIS Tuesday night (10 pm EST/7 pm PST) for a special Twitter party where you can win Totlandia e-books! Use #Totlandia and @JosieBrownCA to join in on the fun!

How to win Totlandia: The Onesies (Book three):
Let's talk about spring! Tell us anything you want about the upcoming season (which will hopefully be here soon if the groundhog is right)....favorite things about it, what you're looking forward to most, what it makes you think about, etc. Let's bring some May flowers to CLC while it's still freezing in February!

One entry per person.

Please include your e-mail address or another way to reach you if you win.

Giveaway ends February 24th at midnight EST

17 comments:

Nova said...

I am awaiting Spring so I can see the trees bud, and the flowers bloom, and see the sun shining. I cannot wait for the time change so that it will stay lighter outside later; hate it being dark at 5 p.m.

sparkle40175AThotmailDOTcom

DD said...

I'm anxiously awaiting planting season. I'm notorious for neglecting/loving too much/killing anything around our house (kids not included!) and I'm going to try it once more with some cotton candy grass. Here's hoping!

dawndennis66611 at yahoo dot com

Kat said...

This may sound like a mad answer, but my favourite thing is a lot of good books are coming out this spring, from my favourite authors & new authors.

k_duncan21@yahoo.com

holdenj said...

I'm looking forward to my daffodils coming up in the spring! They beat the tulips and mean it's really here!
Thanks!
JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

TinaB said...

I'm looking forward to seeing the flowers bloom and hearing the birds chirp!!
Brannanflooring@aol.com

Lauren McCormick said...

I love watching all the flowers blooming. I really like being able to take along a light sweater when I go out as I dislike carrying around or being bundled up with a heavy coat.
I've got book 1 and would love to win book 3! I'll gladly buy book 2 so I can read them in order. I just love knowing as I finish one great book that I've got another to continue the journey!

itzhunic at hotmail dot com

Unknown said...

I just can't wait for it to get warm and for all of the snow to melt! I live in Minnesota, and it's been so flipping cold and it seems like it snows every day! (My poor husband has been shoveling like crazy for the last couple of months)

bjoneill@hotmail.com

bn100 said...

looking forward to all the flowers

bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

Linda Kish said...

I like the end of the rainy season and flowers in bloom.

I am a GFC follower

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

BRN2SHOP9 said...

I love sitting out in the sun!

Lisamarie said...

The thing I look forward/Favorite to most in Spring is Baseball.
My son has played since he was 3 1/2 and now he's in his Freshmen year of college so really looking forward to this next part of his journey as he continues to play a sport he loves.


tropicalsunlover05(at)yahoo(dot)com

StereoQueenBee said...

Spring means maple syrup season. My bf has started helping out my Dad making it and it has been a great bonding experience for them.

queenofcrunk@gmail.com

Erica said...

Except for the crazy allergies I love spring. The flowers, the trees the sunlight ... Ahhhhh. Now I think I need a spring vacation!

wordywon at gmail dot com

Literary Chanteuse said...

I can't wait to do some more outdoor things with the kids and finish some projects around the outside of the house.

Margaret
singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com

Mrs Mommy Booknerd said...

I miss seeing anything other than SNOW!

Mrsmommybooknerdsbookreviews at gmail dot com

MzKara said...

Awaiting spring and longer days and warmer weather!

Melissa said...

Thanks to Coliloquy for sharing the e-book with our winners.

Thanks to everyone for participating and making us look forward to spring.

Random.org chose the winners from all entries with contact info (one entry per person).

Congrats to Lauren McCormick, Linda Kish and StereoQueenBee!