The Thin Pink Line    by Lauren Baratz-Logsted Order:  USA  Can Red Dress Ink, 2004 (2003) Hardcover, Paperback     Reviewed by Shannon Bigham Jane Taylor, the twenty-nine year old protagonist in The Think Pink Line is pregnant – sort of. Actually, Jane is pretending to be pregnant, and she has her reasons. One, she is hoping to snag an engagement ring and marriage commitment from her handsome, flashy live-in boyfriend, Trevor. Jane considers Trevor one of the 'suspender's set' (which translates into his being in the 'upper echelon' in the career department and easy on the eyes too). While Jane has inadvertently strong-armed Trevor into living in an apartment painted salmon pink (just to prove how much he's willing to acquiesce to her desires, not because she likes the color), he simply has not taken their relationship to the next level. While Jane's ultimate motive is marriage to Trevor, she has another reason to impersonate a pregnant woman. Frankly, she wants the attention that only pregnant women seem to receive. It is safe to say that Jane has 'pregnancy envy.' She really has no desire to become a mother and her biological clock is set on 'snooze' – if it ever rang at all. Jane honestly just wants to live the life of a woman-in-waiting for whom men hold open doors, and people smile gleefully, treating her with kid gloves. So, when her sister Sophia becomes pregnant, Jane concocts her scheme to 'get pregnant' too. She fakes a pregnancy test using a handy pink marker. After showing the results to the slightly befuddled and decidingly unenthusiastic Trevor, Jane's life as a pregnant woman begins. Her co-workers and boss (named 'Dodo') fawn over her and give her more attention than Jane has ever received before. Jane works in the publishing industry and can shove off her slush pile to her boss or coworkers simply because she looks tired or complains of not feeling well. Only Jane's friend, David, knows that her pregnancy is a farce. Clearly, this ploy becomes more complicated as time marches on – one needs to 'look pregnant.' Jane tackles this issue with gusto, utilizing a 'cloth baby' that she swiped from the maternity section of a department store. And she manufactures the name of 'Madame Zora' who serve as Jane's tarot card reading midwife. As the 'due date' rapidly approaches, several turns of event require soul-searching on Jane's part – not to mention that reality will soon slap her in the face when no baby shows up at the end of her nine month 'term.' Though I found it hard to like Jane, I applaud The Thin Pink Line for its unique storyline in the chick lit genre, which tends to have recycled themes. Jane is not an unusual character – she's approaching thirty and wants attention and a husband – but her methods are certainly unique. While her immaturity can be frustrating, Jane is also funny and many scenes in the book caused me to raise my eyebrows and laugh at the same time. I look forward to the sequel, Crossing the Line, to see where Jane's life takes her next. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews