The Pregnant Pause

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Buy on Amazon Buy on BN.com Buy on Bookshop.org
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Sep 09 2023 | Archive Date Sep 02 2023
Nimbus Publishing | Vagrant Press

Talking about this book? Use #ThePregnantPause #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

Just before her thirty-seventh birthday, Rose Ainsworth has her first attack of baby fever. She adores children, especially her sister’s kids, but she’s facing a dilemma. Not only is her husband refusing to commit to becoming a parent, but her friends are drowning in all the joys of mothering. She feels cut off and, worst of all, she’s worried that maybe she isn’t motherhood material.


Described as “a thoughtful, honest and poignant exploration of how motherhood continues to define us as women, and it invites us to recognize that we are our sisters’ keepers” (Charlotte Empey) and an “entertaining and insightful look at baby fever” (Laura Earl), The Pregnant Pause follows Rose on the roller-coaster ride as she journeys through the potential pitfalls and prospects of parenting—a journey that will be familiar to many women as they listen to their biological clock ticking away.

Jane Doucet is a journalist whose articles have appeared in myriad national magazines, including Chatelaine and Canadian Living. In 2017, she self-published her debut novel, The Pregnant Pause, which was shortlisted for a 2018 Whistler Independent Book Award. Jane is thrilled that Vagrant Press has re-released The Pregnant Pause with a fresh new cover. In 2021, Vagrant published Jane’s second novel, Fishnets & Fantasies. Jane’s third novel, Lost & Found in Lunenburg, published in 2023, combines characters from her first two novels. Jane lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with her husband. To learn more about Jane and her books, visit janedoucet.com.

Just before her thirty-seventh birthday, Rose Ainsworth has her first attack of baby fever. She adores children, especially her sister’s kids, but she’s facing a dilemma. Not only is her husband...


Advance Praise

“The Pregnant Pause is a thoughtful, honest and poignant exploration of how motherhood continues to define us as women, and it invites us to recognize that we are our sisters’ keepers.”
–Charlotte Empey, Former editor-in-chief, Canadian Living

“A baby? Maybe—or maybe not. That's the big-stakes question that Jane Doucet explores in this smart and funny true-to-life novel about motherhood postponed (perhaps indefinitely).”
–Ann Douglas, Author, The Mother of All Pregnancy Books

“Jane Doucet's entertaining and insightful look at baby fever is a terrific blend of humour and relatability. If you keep hitting snooze on your biological clock, this needs to be your bedside reading!”
–Laura Earl, radio host and comedian

“The Pregnant Pause is a thoughtful, honest and poignant exploration of how motherhood continues to define us as women, and it invites us to recognize that we are our sisters’ keepers.”
–Charlotte...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781774711606
PRICE $17.95 (USD)
PAGES 222

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (PDF)
Send to Kindle (PDF)
Download (PDF)

Average rating from 5 members


Featured Reviews

I really like how this book was written. The pace felt just right to me and I enjoyed reading about the main character and her thoughts about having a baby or not having one. She was really thinking about it from all angles and I felt her struggles as I read the book. Well done, Jane! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Rose and her husband, Jim, have been married for a few years and living in Toronto. Her 37th birthday is coming up (Jim is a couple years younger) and it seems like everyone around her is having babies. Since she's getting older, she knows she has to make a decision soon about whether she wants kids or not. Jim has made it clear that he doesn't want kids but she's not sure. She loves her sister's three kids and has seen how having kids has changed her friendships once her female friends have had kids. Throughout the story, she waffles back and forth about what the right decision for her and Jim.

This was a cute story and I liked it. The writing is in third person perspective with the focus on Rose. I've always known that I never wanted kids so it was interesting to read Rose's arguments to have or not have kids. The story takes place in Toronto so I knew the neighbourhoods Rose was talking about. I'm originally from Nova Scotia, as is Rose, so I knew the places where she was when she went "home" to visit her sister, Daisy. As a head's up, there is some swearing.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: