Customer Reviews

Pretty Bad (Zebra Contemporary Romance)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Supermodel and hotel heiress Madison Worth has been ostracized when she pelts a fellow model with a cake. Soon the only gig in town is as a spokesperson for an upstate dairy farm helmed by Jack Pleeseman. Jack inherited his mother's half of the dairy farm and has a vision for the future by getting into the gourmet cheese market. He banks on Madison's sex appeal to sell his cheese in an ad campaign. What he doesn't count on is the diva that shows up on his doorstep, spiky heels and all. Fighting their attraction, the two work on the campaign. But Jack's deepening interest and Madison's fears of abandonment might be the death of the relationship until a cherubic little girl enters the scene.

Jump's final "romance with recipes" (say it ain't so - we want more) is such a joy to read that she manages to go out with a big bang. Loaded with mouth watering cheesy recipes (and hysterical preparation instructions), this one is guaranteed to pack on the pounds as well as the smiles. "Pretty Bad" is pretty darned good! Other books in the series (which serve dual functions as cook books) include "The Bride Wore Chocolate" (dessert), "The Devil Served Tortellini" (pasta), "The Angel Craved Lobster" (seafood), and "The Bachelor Preferred Pastry" (muffins and pastries).

"Madison Worth knew she was in trouble the minute the manure hit her Prada heels."

So begins the story of the poor little rich model who has one more chance to prove herself before losing her job forever.

Unfortunately for slightly spoiled Madison, her agent sent her to the middle of nowhere--or it might as well be--a dairy farm in rural Massachusetts. Her new job is to be the spokesmodel for the Cheese Pleese Company. She's all set to quit and head back to New York, except her car broke down. Oh, and she meets the man in charge of the company, deliciously gorgeous Jack Pleeseman.

Madison tries to resist all of it: the wonderful cheese, the fresh country air, the quieter lifestyle, and the hunky boss. Gradually, she loses the New York-sized chip on her shoulder, begins to eat, and does a lot of thinking.

For his part, Jack is faced with local competition on the dairy front, dealing with a curmudgeonly father who resists change like it's mad cow disease, and a great-aunt who talks to Elvis as she works in the kitchen. Oh, and an ex-wife, too.

With plot twists and turns like a country road, with a cow here and a goat there, Madison must do some soul searching and figure out what she wants and what she needs, all before the wine
and cheese festival on Saturday!

This is Shirley Jump's fifth "romance with recipes." The recipes are all real, fully tested in Shirley's own kitchen, with instructions in her inimitable style.

Shirley Jump's romances are really delectable. I prefer her romantic comedies over so many others on the market.

Armchair Interviews says: Give them a try and I'm sure you, too, will find them difficult to put down.

To the point of irritating, forcing the reader to refocus making it a very difficult read. ~Affaire de Coeur

I just finished this one up and I have to say that I was not in the least bit disappointed. Shirley Jump is a favorite "fun" author of mine and I have never been let down by any of her books. I have greatly enjoyed all of her books in the "A Romance with Recipes" line-up that she has created - 'The Bride Who Wore Chocolate', 'The Devil Served Tortellini', 'The Angel Craved Lobster' and 'The Bachelor Preferred Pastry'.
This delicious creation centers around Madison Worth, a model who considers herself no better than just a pretty face. After many let downs and disappointments since childhood, Madison has a very low self esteem and has placed a wall of steel around her heart. One mishap, of tossing a cake into the face of the wrong person, and she is black listed in the modeling community. However, a job being the "face of cheese" has arisen and though Madison cringes at the thought of a dairy farm, she has no other choice. Upon which enters the oh so yummy and hard to resist temptation, known as Jack Pleeseman, the owner of the Cheese Pleese Company - and the one seeking to take the family business to a whole new level. Jack has also placed a steel cage around his heart for everyone, other than his family and his beloved daughter, whom he is seeking full custody, before she is wisked away to another country.
Throughout the story, there are many laughs and many heart warming moments. Will Madison and Jack ever learn to open up and trust their hearts or will Madison go back to the cold and distant world of modeling, leaving Jack behind to fight for his business on his own? This is a story of love, trust and self discovery. Reading it was like curling up in my favorite warm blanket, enveloping and comforting.
Along with this great storyline, there are, of course, the wonderful and yummy recipes. I love how the recipes, themselves, tie in with the upcoming chapters that follow immediately after. What more could one ask for - a perfect story with mouthwatering recipes?! I can't wait for Shirley's upcoming release in December - it is sure to be another winner!

I wanted to like this book, with its delightful recipes and cute characters. But, in the end, it's a bit like whip cream: it's okay, nice, but it's not a meal. The characters were nice, but I ultimately didn't care much about them. It had the happy ending, but it felt a little too pat. She resolved the conflicts too simply, especially the emotional conflicts, in a rushed effort to get to that happy ending. I was left with a 'blah' feeling regarding the entire endeavor. Sorry, Ms. Jump. If I want a recipe, I'll come your way; if I want a romance novel, I'm heading elsewhere. 3 stars for an okay effort and recipes.

Shirley Jump's Pretty Bad is fast-paced, fun, yet emotional read. Don't miss Pretty Bad, the story, the recipes won't let you down.

Pretty Bad
Shirley Jump
reviewer Pamela Ackerson (author Home of the Braves trilogy) Prepare for an emotional seesaw when you read this book. You will find yourself, irritated, laughing, grinning, and holding your breath during the sizzling love scenes.