Deep fried Drop Dead Gorgeous meets Pretty Little Liars, PRETTY PERFECT is a southern comedy full of beauty pageant drama, laugh-out-loud shenanigans and enough whodunit to keep readers guessing. Author JoAnna Illingworth lives in Spring Hill with her husband and two boys.
What inspired you to set the story in a small town like Friendly, Tennessee?
I loved the idea of creating a charming small town filled with hilarious personalities just like the southern characters I’ve known all my life.
What drew you to explore the themes of perfection, pressure and identity through the lens of a beauty pageant?
I wanted to stretch the stereotype of the perfect pageant girl. The main character, June, is dealing with pressure from her entire community to be pretty and perfect at any cost. When it all explodes in her face, she’s forced to confront who she is without the glamorous exterior.
The mix of suspense, small-town drama, and romance gives the story a unique energy. How did you balance the mystery elements with June’s personal growth and budding love story?
Pretty Perfect is a comedy first, so the real trick was keeping the mystery lighthearted while also suspenseful enough to keep readers guessing.
If readers take away one message from Pretty Perfect, what do you hope it will be?
Perfection is an illusion.