Plus One: A Year in the Life of a Hollywood Nobody

By Claire Fordham

Book Overview

Claire is at a crossroads. Married straight out of high school, the now divorced British mom has raised two mostly well-adjusted kids and worked as a journalist. But after a lifetime looking after everyone else she's ready to live a bit. So she says goodbye to England and moves to L.A. to live with her sister, acclaimed singer songwriter Julia Fordham. Claire's first job is to take care of Julia's eccentric dog, Muttley - "a four legged freak of nature." Welcome to Hollywood. What follows is a laugh-out-loud story of a stranger in a very, very strange land. As Julia's "Plus One" - the nameless guest invited to openings and parties - Claire experiences life in the shadow of celebrity where nothing is too surreal. From clairvoyants who get everything wrong, partygoers who are disappointed that Claire and Julia are sisters, not lesbians, Pink Witch parties, legendary icons in the garden, and people whose pets have their own lawyers on a retainer to meeting Hollywood royalty, inventing fantasy boyfriends, playing roadie in exotic locales, falling for the wrong guys and maybe meeting the right man, Claire's on a roller coaster ride in which no dream is too wild, no adventure too outrageous, and no information too personal to divulge over fashionable coffee. And in a town where anything can happen and usually does, Claire might just find everything she ever wanted...if she can survive it. Candid, ribald, and sweetly optimistic, Plus One is a delicious tale of Tinseltown insanity and one woman's journey from Hollywood Nobody to somebody in her own right. This is chic lit at its finest - with the added twist that it's all true.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1499193041
• ISBN13: 9781499193046
• Release Date: November 2016
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 234 Pages
• Weight: 0.61 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

WHAT A FUN READ!

I must say Claire Fordham is quite the clever girl with such a great sense of humor. I loved this book and I look forward to Claire's next one.

Plus One: A Year in the Life of a Hollywood Nobody

What a joy, I loved every moment of this masterpiece. It was hightly amusing, brutally honest and very enlightening. I could hear the writer's voice lifting off the page. I do hope that Claire Fordham pens a sequel, I have to know what happens to Muttley and I have ordered a copy of 'The Sound of Music'.

Claire is definitely no longer in shadow of her sister!

Claire Fordham is the sister of singer/songwriter/vocalgoddess Julia Fordham. Using her married name, Claire Cross, she was a journalist in England for 20-odd years. After the break-up of her marriage, and her kids growing up and moving onto lives of their own, Claire found herself at a loss for the next thing to do in her life, so on Julia's suggestion she moved in with her in California. This book details a year in their lives together. (Claire returned to her maiden name to publish this book, as there's already another Claire Cross out there.) I have to admit that I initially bought this purely because I am a huge fan of Julia's music, and wanted to know the inside gossip on her life. Claire's book has MASSIVELY exceeeded my expectations. The book arrived by post yesterday morning and I started reading it at 7pm - and I read it in one sitting. Claire is a fabulous writer - touching, intriguing, interesting - and incredibly funny. There were sections in this book that had me laughing out loud - Julia's dog Muttley and his bloated stomach being a good example. Julia's life was the thing I wanted to read about to start with - but after just a few pages of reading about Claire, Muttley, the rest of the family, the neighbours, not to mention Claire's desperation to meet and marry George Clooney (her obsession), I was hooked on EVERY single character's life in this book. Claire writes throughout the book about feeling that she is in her sister's shadow, while Julia is the famous singer/songwriter that everyone wants to meet and greet. Claire, how wrong you are. You are equally shining stars. Different stars of different natures, but of equal brightness. I will now be eagerly waiting to see when the next book is published. There WILL be another, Claire, won't there?????? Please, please, pretty-please-with-knobs-on?

Zest for life even when the S___ is on your shoe.

Written from the heart with wit, insight and flair, Claire Fordham's PLUS ONE covering a transformational one year is full of deep love for family and friends, irreverance, acceptance, compassion, zest for life and EXTRAORDINARY HUMOR. This is a hiliarious page-turner with a concise, creative "call it like it is" expression of Life through Claire's decidedly British lens. I am purchasing 3 more books for friends and recommending it to many more.

laugh out loud

I want to be Claire Fordham when I "grow up"! She is a woman after my own heart. She writes as if you are in the room with her and she is sharing her best secrets with you. I loved the inside look at her family and HOWLED at some of the situations. I can't wait for her to write another book. I'm so happy when I find an author that can make me laugh...it is a gift! I want this woman to be my friend! :)