What would you do if social media catapulted your child to fame overnight? Probably everything you could to protect their welfare as stardom sets in. That’s exactly what struggling mom of three Faye Martin sets out to do in this novel by Suzanne Redfearn.

Faye is trying her best to make ends meet and be the best parent she can, but when her cheating husband has once again gone AWAL and her children’s welfare is questioned by the school, she grows desperate. Eventually she decides to uproot the family to go live with her mother in LA. And that’s when everything changes in a blink of an eye. While dragging her kids along in search of a job at an outdoor mall, her sassy little four-year-old wanders off and jumps in to dance with a street performer. Her crowd-awing performance ends up on YouTube and she becomes a sensation overnight.

What might seem like the answer to Faye’s financial despair is actually the beginning of a transformational and eye-opening journey of the dark side of fame and fortune.  

Could this novel actually serve as a handbook for “mommagers?” Probably. While you almost know what will unfold next if you tap into your imagination, it’s surprisingly peppered with unexpected twists, turns, mistakes and regrets a mom faces when her daughter is thrust into the Hollywood spotlight. There’s the deadbeat dad who comes back into their lives to grab his share of his daughter’s windfall. The uncertainty of navigating this rapid rise to fame, succumbing to Hollywood scavengers and making one predictable slip up after another are just a few of the missteps that Faye takes on this alluring journey with her daughter.

Still you keep reading for many reasons: First, it’s written by a very talented writer whose experience, research and inspiration are compellingly woven throughout the book. Second, you can’t help but fall in love with the incredibly well developed characters and root for their happiness and a seemingly impossible return to their original family bond.  

As a good read should do, the tension heightens at every turn with Faye striving to do what’s best for all three of her children. But between the dishonesty and manipulation—not to mention the rebelliousness of her oldest daughter—she feels like she keeps taking one step forward and two steps back. While we may not share the same limelight experience, this is a struggle that all mom’s can identify with.