Pretty Girls

by Tony J. Winn

Radio show host Nora Scott, age 27, is an ugly duckling. Nora has a "face for radio," but at least her fans in Eugene, Oregon love her spunky personality. Of course, if someone says "spunky personality" to Nora one more time, she may punch them in the mouth. 

After a tough week at work, she cheers herself up with a booze-fueled one-night stand. The sex is better than expected, but now the guy wants to date her. He wants to take her to brunch. Brunch! In broad daylight!

He's got some serious competition, though, because there's a sexy rock star prowling around the radio station, and he's got his dark eyes on Nora. They have history. She loved him once, when she was fourteen, but that was before the accident.

Nora must figure out what she really wants, as well as how much she can forgive.

CATEGORY: COMMERCIAL WOMEN'S LITERATURE / COMING OF AGE - with some romance.

*Note - this book was originally released as "Pretty Girls Don't Cry" by Dalya Moon. This new edition contains revised material, with an expanded ending.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Ebooks, Contemporary, Fiction, Rom Com

177 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 27, 2013

Reviews

[Arlena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Tony J. Winn
Published By: T.W.
Age Recommended: Adult
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Book Blog For: GMTA
Rating: 4

Review:

"Pretty Girls Don't Cry" by Tony J. Winn was a sweet women's-chit lit fiction type of novel ..in that it was mainly of Nora's life...good or bad,choices friends...and family(who she stilled lived with). Was this a good read? I found it interesting in that the heroine has a prosthetic foot and for some reason that intrigued me to wonder how this author would put this novel together...in that seeing how 'Nora dealt with her disability and in trying to fine true love. 'Nora's leg had to be amputated due to a accident with her boyfriend Aaron' then on to Bobby, Rex and a few other interesting guys... working for her uncle Don ...at the radio station in Eugene and then finally her move on to Portland. Where will this novel take us?...well, this is where I say you must pick up "Pretty Girls Don't Cry" to see how this author brings us this good read of Nora's life. There is more... we learn about Nora's nose job, and is she really getting back involved with Aaron? As I said, pick up this read. All of the characters were well developed helping present a good read.

You will find "Pretty Girls Don't Cry" was a very good read in how this young woman learns to love herself and most of all being happy with just she was. Would I recommend this read?.....YES!

[iloveladyporn · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started to read this book I felt kind of sorry for Nora. Nora was rather a mix of gosh I don't even know- she was self concenes of her appearance but yet seemed to have a confidences about her just the same. When she hooks up with bobby it becomes very clear that she pushes men away before they could push her away. There are lots of elements going on with the people around Nora and by the end of the book you aren't left wondering about any of them. It's not written out excatly how Nora lost her foot but you get the idea which then made me wonder why her parents blamed Eddie for the accident, I suppose they needed someone to blame and Eddie was older so the shoe fit. Nora's friend Tianne is pretty funny, she makes me want to be friends with her! There is hot steamy sex in this book- not a lot and nothing raunchy. Fabulous ending.

Quotes:

"What's this real friends bullshit? The only people who shouldn't mix are adults and toddlers, trust me."

"You know your way around curly hair."
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[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hated it Hated it Hated it.... seriously first of all this book seemed to switch from a narrator's POV to Nora's POV.... stupid and annoying when reading a book.... pick one or the other. Secondly the book refers to this competition that the Rock star has (and see I don't even remember his name) but she had one night stands and maybe one guy was a few times more than that ... How is that competition... that is a girl sleeping around period. Third we keep hearing of 'the accident' but we like barely really find out what happened until near the end. There is little contact with so called 'rock star' one second she is trying to avoid him and the next she is calling him wanting to go to his house. They loved each other once before.. oh really? because you barely pick up on that. Don't waste money or time on this book.

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really did not enjoy this book at all. Main character Nora has way too many personal issues, such as with her nose and amputated foot-calf-leg-whatever deal, and doesn't really resolve any of those issues. Her friends have issues as well that aren't really resolved either. At least, I didn't think any of the issues were resolved, I didn't see any resolution in my reading. Also, from the very beginning I thought that a romance was GOING to develop, but almost nothing happened with said romance... this book was just bland. Really, really, bland. At least it was a fast read so I didn't waste too much time on it.

[Kirstie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nora is a survivor. Nora doesn't tolerate crap and keeps her heart under lock and key. Commitment is not her thing. After a couple of flings, an obnoxious co worker,concerns for her friend's well being and the contemplation of cosmetic surgery Nora finally snaps and is forced into taking leave. And this is where things start to change...this is where we start to get to know the real Nora.

A wonderful story that tastefully and soul touchingly shares social issues that many readers will connect with. The characters are lovable and relatable. I loved this story and it will have a place in my heart for a very long time.

Beautiful Work Ms Strong!

[Tisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted to like it, but it just never really came together for me. The main character, Nora, was supposedly insecure about her looks due to her big nose and amputated foot. For someone so insecure about her looks, she had no problem propositioning men and falling into bed with them. The plot twists seemed abrupt. I never really related to the characters and they seemed shallow and not well-developed.

Overall, it had good potential, but just didn't hold my interest for very long.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually found this a little harder to get into than some books but once I got a little way in it had me. What I like about Mimi's stories is that they are believable, they're not all fairytales but they show good things can follow bad and getting through the crap life throws at us makes us stronger and more likely to go for what we want; they give us hope :)

[Shana · Rating 1 out of 5]

this was the weirdest book I have ever read. the whole book is about her nose and vaguely about a crush she had at 14. it was SUPER rushed....seemed like the author was only hitting the "high points" in the story and streaming them together. I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be from an English or American standpoint. overall, a total waste of time./

[Aisha Oaktree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full Review listed on Bythebroomstick.blogspot.com


I gave this one a 3.5, because it took getting to the end of the book for it to come together, and even then there were unanswered questions. It meant you had to read ALL the way through. It was actually a pretty good read, she even fit the title in the book without having the main character say it. Which is always a nerdy love of mine.

The novel was actually in the end a good read that showcased the life of Nora who is an amputee, her parents are understandably very protective and they tend to hold Nora's part in her accident over her head. She dreams of a better life and eventually goes after it, yet when given several opportunities shoots them down even AFTER she bitched about not getting the job. O_o We don't learn until the end the full story of Nora's injury, and the part of the young man her parents blame. Nora had a few neurosis that just drove me crazy but I do understand her belief that if she fixed this one part of herself that everything would be okay, I wonder if she realized how that paralleled Kylie's eating disorder???

I do have to say that i almost didn't finish because the main character at first wasn't really likable she whined a bit, was a bit of a bitch and just really didn't share anything that made her a likable character. She has two good friends that we learn she knows very little about. She burns through men because she doesn't want to be rejected which I totally get, her heart already belonged to someone else it always did. I just which she wouldn't have get going on and on about how she's a slut, ummm no sweety your a red blooded female, who knows what she wants, she could have been a little less callous about it, but hey it is what it is.

I liked that once she 'fixed' the problem she moved on and got a better life, even if meant making her parents uncomfortable. She did eventually realize how absorbed she was with herself and becomes a better friend. In the end the book was a great read that made you think about your own obsessions and limitations that you placed on your own life and ideas, so for me it was good, It could have been a little better with letting us know more about the friends and their lives, but I get it, it's Nora's book so Nora's life.

****FTC rules state I must let you that I received a copy of the book from the author or publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.***

[Crystal Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

First Thoughts
After reading the blurb I really wanted to read this book. The heroine has a prosthetic foot and that really intrigued me. I wanted to know how she dealt with her disability, because this was the first time I’ve ever read of a character having this and I wanted to know how she overcame having a prosthetic foot and lived her life.

Thoughts
Pretty Girls Don’t Cry is a story about Nora, radio personality and how she lives her life. She is a 27 year old woman that still lives with her parents. She loves her job, but she feels that she is just pretty enough for radio. She doesn’t like her curly hair, her nose or that she has a prosthetic foot. And because of this she pushes people away, she feel once they figure out that she isn’t perfect or even really pretty they will leave her, so she one ups them and does it first. What I like about Nora is that she is funny, and smart. I found myself laughing out loud at a lot of things she and her friends said.

Nora is getting pursued by two men. One she knows from her pass and another who she has been talking to for months. Aaron is the boy she has known for a while and she is attracted to him but doesn’t know if it’s a good idea to be with him because of their pass. Bobby really seems like the perfect guy. She has fun with him but doesn’t know if he is the right one for her. She has a very difficult decision to make, but before she can make the choice between them she must reevaluate herself, and find out what she really wants in life and who she wants to be.

What I really like about this story was that it wasn’t just a romance. This story was so much more. They had real problems the characters weren’t perfect they were flawed. This story offered some insight on what it’s like to live with a prosthetic foot, and the problems that come with being an adult. I loved they friendship between Nora, Tianne and Kylie. I felt that they had a strong and special bond that grew as new problems surfaced.

Now the one thing I loved about this book, which is how it wasn’t just a romance, I also disliked. If that makes senses. I wanted a little more romance. Not just your average boy meets girl and boom they’re in love. But I felt that the romance was almost none existent only the end. I wanted a little more. Other than that I really enjoyed it and would likely read more from this author.

[Kim Reads (Read Your Writes Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Read Your Writes Book Reviews
www.readyourwrites.blogspot.com

**This review has been amended from it’s original version. Pretty Girls was originally released in the summer of 2012. In February 2013, it was re-released with some changes and an added chapter.**

I received this book from a free reading website. I am so happy that as part of the agreement, I had to read the book (fairly soon) and write a review. If it wasn't for the agreement, I would have purchased the book on my own and then shelved it.

Pretty Girls is not like any book I have read before. It’s a story about a twenty-seven year old woman with self-image problems.

Nora Scott is an only child, who still lives at home with her parents.Up until this point in her life, Nora has done pretty much everything her parents have wanted her to do.She went to college and earned a degree in Marketing. However, she ended up working for her uncle’s radio station. Nora wears a prosthetic foot, because she lost hers in a horrible accident at the age of fourteen. Because of this, she has trouble maintaining relationships with men for more than one night.

Aaron Edward was once a close childhood friend of Nora’s. He’s also part of the reason for the accident, which caused Nora to lose her foot. After the accident, Aaron and his parents moved away. Aaron went on have a nice life, but always felt bad about the accident. He has returned to Eugene, Oregon and immediately knows who Nora is. However, after not seeing Aaron for over ten years, Nora doesn’t recognize him.

The book primarily focuses on Nora and her struggles to spread her wings and actually realize she isn’t the “ugly duckling” she thinks she is.

Pretty Girls doesn’t fall into the genre of books I usually like to read. With that said, once I started reading the book, I hated to put it down. There is romance in the book, but romance isn’t what this book is truly about. It’s about becoming what or who you really want to be and learning to love yourself.

Source: Author

[Kim Reads (Read Your Writes Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed on: http://readyourwrites.blogspot.com

Pretty Girls Don’t Cry is the first book I’ve read by Tony J. Winn. I received the book from a reading website. When I received the book, it came as an email directly from Tony. This is a direct quote from the email, “I appreciate your time. If the book is not grabbing your interest, you're under no expectation or obligation to read or review.” I will say that kind of put me off a little bit. I was actually afraid to read the book, thinking that I wasn’t going to like it and find it hard to read. Tony NEEDS to have more confidence in the work she puts out.

Pretty Girls Don’t Cry is not like any book I have read before. It’s a story about twenty-seven year old with self-image problems.

Nora Scott is the beautiful voice of an afternoon radio show in her hometown of Eugene, Oregon. She’s an only child, who still lives at home with her parents. Up until this point in her life, Nora has done pretty much everything her parents have wanted her to do. She went to college and earned a degree in Marketing. However, she ended up working for her uncle’s radio station.

Nora wears a prosthetic foot, because she lost hers when she was fourteen. Because of this, in my opinion, she has trouble maintaining relationships with men for more than one night.

The book focuses on Nora and her struggles to spread her wings and actually realize she isn’t an “ugly duckling” after all.

I didn’t find the book hard to read at all. In fact once I started reading it, I hated having life interrupting moments. It’s not usually the type of book that I read. I’m more of a contemporary romance reader, with steamy scenes. The scenes in this book are very subtle. But of course, romance isn’t what this book is truly about. It’s about becoming what or who you really want to be. And learning to love yourself and being happy with who you are.

I’m glad that I read the book.

[Atunah · Rating 3 out of 5]

*****Ugh, I just lost everything I typed, gee thanks goodreads. Trying again...........


I received this book from the author after I checked out the blurb. I have a very personal connection to local radio and I don't see this theme in books very often.

I actually ended up reading this one in one sitting last night, even though I only intended to check out a couple of chapters. I have a few library books I need to read that are backed up. But I didn't want to stop once I started and wanted to see where it went and especially how.

I found Nora very likable right off the bat. Flawed yes, but there was just something about her I could relate too.

The scenes at and about the radio station are very well done. The banter between Nora and Stevey on air later in the novel was especially well written. I could almost hear that back and forth in my head.

I wasn't overly enamored about the nose job plot, but I guess it kind of fit. I mean, yes, its shallow, but we are allowed to do shallow things for our self, if they make us feel better. And if we have the money. :)

This is very much a women's fiction with romance. Its Nora's life, her friends, her choices, good and the bad.
Nora was very lovable, even though it took her a while to figure that one out.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty Girls Don't Cry is a novel that stresses values, real life altering problems and how a normal young woman deals with the situations that come her way. She shows the reader many sides of her personality with flashbacks, her actions and how she thinks. She makes decisions, stands up for what she wants and what she believes and makes mistakes along the way. She sounds like someone you might know. The setting is Eugene, Oregon and then she moves to Portland toward the end of the story.

She faces the challenges of losing her foot as a teenager. The emotional scars are far worse than dealing with the physical challenges.

She does not have a positive self-image and thinks her nose with a bump and big size is her problem; she chooses to have plastic surgery and her parents and friends find her choice troubling. She loves how she looks and starts to gain confidence in her self. It is amazing what we females see in the mirror each morning has so much to do with how we feel about our self image, when it is what’s on the inside that counts.

Parts of Pretty Girls Don't Cry are funny, parts are sad, parts are interesting and overall it is an excellent story that I highly recommend.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting read. Not a romance in any classic sense, but more of a coming-of-age tale about a late bloomer. I can relate on several levels, as I started finding myself at 30, and one reason for my delay in accepting myself as I am is my daily struggle with debilitating chronic pain. You do come across many men who see themselves as somewhat heroic for "making the sacrifice" to date a disabled person. In that respect, I have to say this book is dead on. We just want to be seen as and treated like everyone else.

That aside... the whole thing about the nose job felt like it would have been better off assigned to a different novel about a different girl. Not that it didn't fit or felt forced; it didn't; just that it was a whole other arc. In this secondary arc's defense, though, I also have a nose that enters the room before I do. I've come to appreciate it, though. Did you know caricature artists are frustrated by faces with no stand-out features? At least my nose is memorable!

Minus one star for the slightly-distracting secondary arc. Recommended.

[Bokfrnzy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I LOVED the Teddy Bear series so when I came across another title by Mimi Strong I was super excited!
From what I've read from the author I like that her stories are real, and the heroines haven't been your typical perfect Barbie looking girls with perfect skin, perfect hair, perfect eyes, but both extremes can be equally bad. I felt like I was reading a story about a really big nose, the first few mentions about how she hated her nose were a little weird but I carried on because I wanted to see where this thing with "Eddie" lead to. I was SO relieved after she finally got a nose job because she would finally stop talking about the nose but no such luck, then it was about how cute her nose was. I wish I could say something else about the book but the focus on the damn nose was so much that apparently it has taken over my review as well!

I love Mimi's stories and I look forward to reading more from her but this one was a definite flop!

[2sonreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of Nora as she tries to find true love. Nora's leg was amputated a number of years earlier in an accident with her boyfriend Aaron. This led to the demise of the relationship and now their paths cross again at the radio station where Nora works. This plot promises to be a good story but unfortunately, the book was somewhat of a disappointment. Nora and Aaron cross paths early on in the story but Aaron does not play a significant role until nearer to the end of the book. At that point some chapters are titled with the name of the character from whose perspective we are reading. Overall, the story was a relaxing read (descriptions of what it is like to work at a radio station were interesting) but could have been better if the plot had been tightened up. A copy was received for review from LibraryThing Member Giveaway.

[Janez · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a lot of potential, however I really wish that:

a)it didn't end so abruptly
b)it explored the characters further
c)it resolved some of the issues that were presented instead of leaving us hanging in the balance.

I really liked that this novel dealt with a young woman with a disability and the body image issues she goes though. She hates her hair and her nose, and she feels that she might be prettier "if only". This is an issue that many women face, so it was refreshing to see this in a work of fiction.

That said, I never really felt that the story came together until the end, and at that point it just felt like everything was happening all at once. All in all it was a decent read, but it had the potential to be a whole lot better.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3 stars

I'm used to the sexy heat of Mimi's books so this novel, although a captivating teary read, moved along at a slower pace for me. We have Nora's story and her journey through being comfortable in her own skin. Nora is a radio host and has difficulty holding her tongue in her personal relationships. Nora is a dedicated, honest friend that I'd be proud to call one of my friends. The banter with her friends and her co-workers is hilarious! The ending wrapped up quickly and although there's no cliffhanger, with the slow pace of the novel and the quick ending, it definitely left me wanting more. Give this a try!

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Pretty Girls Don’t Cry” is an enjoyable character study. Winn is highly descriptive, yet economical in his prose. The patient, subtle story-telling demonstrates great trust in the reader. Character development is shown through action, not told through narration, allowing one to determine whether the decisions are good or bad, kind or cruel, without narrator intervention. Pacing is quick – sometimes a little too quick. Some subplots could be more fully developed to provide more heft to the story and support to the narrative arcs. Overall, a very pleasing and humorous read.

[Brandy Corona · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty Girls was an easy read, (it only took me a few days) but it was also a superficial easy story line too. I prefer things that are more in depth and have more of an interesting story line. I just felt like this was lacking in some major areas.

I don't doubt Tony's ability to write, I just think that this book didn't have enough 'filling' to keep anyone that interested in what was going on. Most of it was inner dialogue and the main character rambling about her insecurities and her love life. Nora got on my nerves through most of the story to be honest.

[ShoSho · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED it , I felt really close to Nora while she was going through finding herself . and that's exactly what this was about. The romance part was brief but good .I read it in one sitting
I want to recommend it to all but for me there something personal in there so probably not everyone would enjoy it as much as I did. I don't know.
It was a really different kind of book to what I read usually so if you want something different read this book

[Morgan Schell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book thru Library Thing for a review in return. This book wasn't exactly as I was thinking from reading the synopsis. It was much more inner dialogue and rambling than I prefer. It was almost like the budding romance was a side note to the bigger portion which was centered around her unflattering nose, insecurities about this nose, amputations and the disease of anorexia. In all I would rate this book as ok.

[Anny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read some reviews where people comment positively on the sparse writing style of the author; however, I found this sparseness to be quite unsuccessful. There were instances in the character development that were so brief to the point of being obscure. I get that Nora has some insecurities but-golly, who doesn't? Instead of these insecurities making her more endearing, and relatable I found her quite unlike-able. Not the worse thing I've read but sadly I wouldn't recommend.

[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I started to read this I wasn't sure what to think but after a few pages I was happy to read Nora was a young women who worked at her uncles radio show as a presenter and took life as it came she also lost her foot in a accident when she was a teenager she was very self conscious but not about her leg but wanting to be beautiful which she was but never seen it herself this story was about struggles and changes was a very enjoyable read x

[Stacy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was okay. Nora is self conscious of her nose. She has convinced herself that she's not pretty and has a face fit for radio. She decides to get a nose job to fix this. She has very low self esteem yet she has accomplished a lot everyone loves afternoons with Nora. I felt like the characters could have been a little more developed and that the story couldn't had a little more of a plot.

[Suzanne Critelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author and I enjoyed it! I enjoyed seeing the journey Nora makes to feeling more confident about herself and figuring out love. I also loved how her teenage crush sneaks back into her life as well. From the start of the story to the end (which I do love) it is wonderfully written!

[Gloria Herrera for As You Wish Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is lovely. It makes you think about the journey to self confidence, maturity, self reliance, and the true definition of beauty and love. Can we overcome life's challenges and openly forgive and accept true love? Could not put it down!

I was privileged to receive an advance reading copy of this book from the author.

[Joy Whiteside · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable read. It moved along great from beginning to end, keeping you interested from beginning to end. The characters were awesome and you could not help but fall in love with them and the story was very entertaining and enjoyable.

I am really looking forward to reading more from this very entertaining author in the future.

[Dawn (Kat N Hat) · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok, I thought I was getting a romance, but it is more of a chick lit finding a way to be happy with yourself.

The ending was a little rushed to me, not a cliffhanger, but a kind of hey I'm going to be alright and drop it. I think it could have benifited from an epilogue.