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GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: The Baby Planner by Josie Brown @josiebrownca @gallery_books

By

  Description

The Nanny Diaries meets The Wedding Planner in this smart, dishy novel from the author of Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives—featuring a woman who runs San Francisco’s premier baby planning company and the mommies-to-be who seek out her services. Katie Johnson may make her living consulting with new moms on the latest greatest baby gadgets no parent should be without, or which mommy meet-ups are the most socially desirable, or whether melon truly is the new black, but the success of her marriage to her husband, Alex, depends on controlling her own urges toward motherhood.
He’s adamant that they stay childless. Sure, Katie understands that he’s upset over the fact that his out-of-town ex-wife rarely lets him see their ten-year-old son, Peter. But living vicariously through her anxious clients and her twin sisters’ precocious children only makes Katie resent his stance more deeply.
While helping a new client—Seth Harris, a high tech entrepreneur who must raise Sadie, his newborn daughter, as a single parent after the tragic death of his wife in childbirth—maneuver the bittersweet journey from mourning husband and reticent father to loving dad, Katie’s own ideals about love, marriage, and motherhood are put to the test as she learns ones very important lesson about family:  How we nurture is the true nature of love.

About the Author

Josie Brown is the author of four novels: The Baby Planner; Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives; Impossibly Tongue-Tied; and True Hollywood Lies. 

She is also co-author, along with her husband, Martin Brown, of Marriage Confidential: 102 Honest Answers to the Questions Every Husband Wants to Ask, and Every Wife Wants to Know; as well as The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Finding Mr. Right.
Her celebrity interviews and relationship articles have been featured in Redbook and Complete Woman magazines, as well as AOL, Yahoo, AskMen.com, Divorce360.com, and SingleMindedWomen.com, where she is the Relationships Channel editor. She lives in Marin County, California with Martin and two children.

Details

  • Paperback: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Gallery; Original edition (April 5, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 9781439197127
  • ISBN-13: 978-1439197127

SOURCE:  PUBLISHER

MY THOUGHTS
ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT

Katie Johnson starts a new career as a “baby planner” or momcierge after losing her job as a tester for product safety.  Her husband, Alex, has promised her that they would discuss having their own child when he makes partner at his financial firm.  Alex is reluctant to have his own children after losing his son in a nasty divorce.  He puts Katie off and then tells her he has no intention of ever fathering another child again, so Katie does a few things that she won’t be proud of in the morning.

As Katie starts to build friendships through her new business, she learns more and more about herself and what really makes her happy.  Her twin sisters are both parents and soon-to-be parents of two kids each and their parental happiness starts to really drag her down even though she loves them to pieces.  After some devastating news about her father’s health and a conversational slip, she learns that something that changes her whole perspective on life and sends her on a quest.  There are several major twists and turns that makes Katie realize that she has more than she ever expected.

I could not put this book down once I started and I was so engaged in Katie’s world that I really wanted to hurt Alex physically since he was so darn right evil. I found the whole story very believable even though there are a few points that probably would never happen to the same person all at once.  This is the perfect book for spring since it will put you in a good mood and get you distracted from the horrible weather everyone has been experiencing lately.  If you like Sophie Kinsella, Sarah Pekkenan or Melissa Senate, you will love Josie Brown’s writing. 

 WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THIS BOOK?
Contest is open to anyone over 13 years old with a US mailing address (no PO Boxes)
Contest ends on 4.21.11 Winner will be chosen by Random.org on 4.22.11
Winner will have 48 hours to respond to email or a new winner will be chosen.
Only one winner per household address. 
This giveaway is sponsored by Gallery Books and ONE copy will be available.

You can gain additional entries by commenting on Josie’s guest post HERE
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Comments

  5. I like all of the authors you compared her to, will definitely have to check her out.
    Daily entry 4/8. Thanks!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

  22. JULIA — JHolden955

    An email has been sent to the lucky person named above (first part of their email address in case my note ends up in spam). The winner(s) has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

    Thanks to all who entered.

    PLEASE CHECK YOUR SPAM FOR THE EMAIL FROM BOOKHOUNDS @ HOTMAIL REQUESTING YOUR MAILING ADDRESS!