Book Review: Mommywood by Tori Spelling

Pages: 237

Genre: Adult/Biography

Pub. Date: April 14, 2009

Source: Borrowed 

My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads says, "Tori Spelling might have grown up with everything a girl could wish for, but these days she’s just another suburban working mom . . . whose toddler regularly recognizes her in the pages of US Weekly. Welcome to Mommywood, where the stars are two feet tall and your neighbors know who you are before you move in. Like most parents, Tori wants her children to have the one thing she didn’t have as a kid—a normal family. On their hit Oxygen reality show, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, the starlet and her husband Dean McDermott regularly wrestle dirty diapers, host the neighborhood block party, and tackle temper tantrums on the red carpet. But when the cameras aren’t rolling, Tori’s still having awkward run-ins with a former 90210 costar at a laser tag birthday party, scooping rogue poo out of the kiddie pool on a resort vacation, and racing to win back her pre-baby body before the media starts calling her fat. For all her suburban fantasies, Tori Spelling is no June Cleaver. With the same down-to-earth wit that made her entertaining memoir sTORI telling a #1 New York Times bestseller, Tori tells the hilarious and humbling stories of life as a mom in the limelight, from learning to be the kind of parent her own mother never was to revealing what it’s like to raise a family while everyone is watching. Mommywood is an irresistible snapshot of celebrity parenthood that you won’t get from the paparazzi."

This book picks up where Tori's first book, sTori Telling leaves off and obviously, this book focuses more on what it's like to be a mom in Hollywood.  It includes Tori's signature wit and humor, especially as she recaps some of her favorite experiences raising kids in the limelight, both good and bad.  It also includes details on her rocky relationship with her mom, Candy Spelling, and her marriage to Dean McDermott.  If you are a fan of her television show, Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood, then you will enjoy getting an extra glimpse into their lives as you read Mommywood.


Tori is one of my favorite celebrities, ever since I fell in love with 90120 as a child.  I am a fan of her mindless reality show and I love her snarky humor.  I find myself relating to a lot of what she has to say about friendship, love, and life even though her life is extremely different than mine.  My favorite parts of the book are when she talks about raising her kids and the funny things she goes through. I was laughing out loud at some of her experiences; they were no doubt hilarious.  And FYI- -while I was reading this, I was suffering from some pretty nasty morning sickness and nausea, so I especially appreciated Mommywood and how light, quick and fun it is.  It was a perfect read for that time in my life.


Although Mommywood isn't as good as sTori Telling, in my opinion, I still enjoyed it and when I needed a laugh, I found one.  Leave it to Tori to be completely candid and share with her readers the good, the bad, and the ugly of being a mother while paparazzi chase you and US Weekly writes about you.  I immediately picked up Uncharted teriTORI from a friend to see what happens next.  So, if you are a fan of Tori Spelling and want something light to read this spring, I recommend her books.  Mommywood is ideal to read by the pool with a cocktail in hand.  

*Buy Mommywood (bargain price!)