FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED Kimberly Steele wasn't like most women who were six months pregnant. She wore one form fitting pink ensemble after the next with sky-high heels, much to the chagrin of her boss, the sexy attorney Jeremy Preston. What did he care what she wore? All she knew was that she needed to keep her secret about who the baby's daddy really is and where he is now.Jeremy couldn't believe any man would leave a woman as beautiful as Kimberly high and dry just because she was pregnant. He admired Kimberly for her decision to go it alone and keep the baby, versus making a choice that she'd later regret. One of the reasons he couldn't stop himself from being attracted to her.One fateful day it all changed for her when Clive Baxter offered her the chance to become the new spokes model for his latest perfume line, Pretty and Pregnant. Soon Kimberly had to deal with signing a contract and fighting her attraction to Jeremy.
When Madison Johns began writing at the age of forty-four, she never imagined she'd make it onto the USA Today best-selling books list with her first cozy mystery, Armed and Outrageous, as an independent author. Sure, this book is an Amazon bestseller, but USA Today?
Although sleep-deprived from working third shift, she knew if she used what she had learned while caring for senior citizens to good use, it would result in something quite unique. The Agnes Barton Senior Sleuths mystery series has forever changed Madison's life, with each of the books making it onto the Amazon bestseller's list for cozy mystery and humor.
Madison is a member of Sisters In Crime. Madison is now able to do what she loves best and work from home as a full-time writer. She has two children, a black lab, and a hilarious Jackson Chameleon to keep her company while she churns out more Agnes Barton stories with a few others brewing in the pot. Books
Agnes Barton Senior Sleuths Mystery series in order: Armed and Outrageous Grannies, Guns and Ghosts Senior Snoops
Romance Pretty and Pregnant novella Redneck Romance (Published by Tirgearr Publishing)
She is actively involved on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Goodreads. She is always willing to chat it up or give advice, and supports other writers whenever she can.
The novella is a deceptively difficult form to master. One one hand, it requires more character and plot development than a short story. On the other, the narrative arc has to be a lot tighter than you'd find in a full-length novel. A romance novella is especially difficult to pull off because there often isn't enough space for the main characters to be set up as three-dimensional individuals, develop a mutual attraction, negotiate the complications keeping them apart and, finally, come together in a realistic and satisfying conclusion.
Author Madison Johns makes a good start by having her couple already know one another. Kimberly Steele, pregnant and unmarried, works for lawyer Jeremy Preston. In this way, the plot gets a neat jump start. Jeremy's client, the representative for a beauty product company, sees Kim and thinks she'd be a great spokes-model for their new perfume. This is where the plot starts to falter. Out of the blue, this interest makes Jeremy begin to see Kim in a new light and the great love chase begins.
The problem is that instead of developing Jeremy fully and giving us a genuine basis for his attraction to Kim (and the necessary ingredients are there: she's attractive, kind, and a damsel in distress)the author throws in unrealistic complicating factors. First there's Clare, Jeremy's sort-of girlfriend. She's also Jeremy's employee...and also a model. Clare presents some sort of threat that never actually materializes. Yet Jeremy feels it necessary to propose to her to protect Kim. Then there's the false complication of Kim's pregnant-but-unmarried status being a danger to her reputation and that of the cosmetics company. Maybe in 1980. Not today. At the very least, Johns doesn't make the danger real. Either way, Jeremy uses this fear to "trick" Kim into marrying him. Of course, Kim is secretly in love with him. The basis for her feelings is never established. But--BOOM--a happy ending is enjoyed by all. The reader is left shaking her head and wondering how the heck we got from point A to point B.
Johns does a pretty good job with Kim's character. She's funny and likable. I did get a surprise at the end when I found out she couldn't be older than nineteen or twenty. Her language and behavior make her seem older. Her young age also raises more questions about Jeremy's character. He seems in his mid-thirties, but that would make him a little old for Kim. Then again, maybe he isn't that old. These are details the author should have made clear early on.
Again, I think the problem is the novella form rather than the story itself. Johns had a good romantic situation but not enough room to execute it effectively. The result is a full-length romance novel played on fast forward.
Pretty and Pregnant by Madison Johns Kimberly Steele is six months pregnant and enjoys her tight pink clothes and high heeled pink sandals. She lives in a small town with plenty of small town gossips, especially when there is no father for the baby you carry.
Jeremy Preston is a lawyer and Kimberly works for him. He didn't realize how attracted he was to her until she became pregnant. He couldn't quite romance the woman who was his employee, pregnant and while he was dating someone else, could he?
This is a shorter, fast paced story. Between Kimberly and her high heels and her short legged dog named Weenie, it will keep you entertained without taking a long time to read. **Mild language http://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/...
Having read another book by Madison Johns I was excited to hear she had a novella. I was not disappointed. The story was really good. I was sad when it was over. Other than a few minor typo's my only complaint was the length of it. The characters were enjoyable although I will fully admit that her leading man made me wary in the beginning, but again this could have been fleshed out more. In the end I was happy with the story and the characters. Madison Johns has the ability to tell a story with humor and love that makes you yearn for just a bit more. It is worth the 99 cents she charges for it. I give Pretty and Pregnant a solid 4 out of 5 apples!
This was kind of corny, but sweet romance. It did contain two of my favorite things: dachshunds and perfume, which made me happy. If it wasn't about those two things, I may not have ranked the book as high as I did, and it would be downgraded to "okay." There was a lot in the book that seemed improbable, but not so much that it couldn't be enjoyed. Its a short book, and if you're just looking for something that is easy to read and will put a smile on your face, this is a good choice.
I really enjoyed this adorable book and adorable it was. This was an easy book to escape into and I enjoy every minute I spent reading this short story. I hope there will be a sequel because Pretty and Pregnant was simply precious!!!
This story was ok. The wording seemed a bit simplistic to me. I didn't get a great desire to know the characters better. Kimberley comes off as quite an airhead and Jeremy is fickle, proposing to 2 women in one day.