Plain Jane: A Novel of Jane Seymour

Book Description

With a plain face, Jane Seymour has no suitors and few hopes. Then she is granted a position at court as maid of honor to Queen Catherine. There, Henry VIII ignores his aging wife, showering favor on the dark beauty Anne Boleyn, soon to be his new queen. But he tires of stubborn Anne, and his wandering eye falls on plain Jane. Although she cares for Henry, she must not let herself be swept away by his attentions. For she intends to win not only his heart but also the greatest prize of all-the crown.

Customer Reviews:

Inaccurate and badly researched.......2007-08-11

Lets begin with the one inaccuracy that really bugged me. To write a novel on Jane Seymour one should research this lady's family as best as possible. Not that many facts remain on the Seymour family.... BUT: The author puts in the story of Edward Seymour's first wife, Catherine Fillol, having an affair with his father, Sir John Seymour. Did the author's stop reading there? Edward banished his wife into a convent, disinherited her two sons and as soon as Catherine was dead he married Anne Stanhope. (Before the eye of the king fell on Jane!) This important fact is nowhere to be found in this book, Edward and Catherine remain married till Jane's death in 1537. And it goes on and on. Another thing that bugged me was Anne Boleyn's supposed "beauty" that the author is using ad nauseam to explain why the king wanted her. In fact back then Anne was not considered beautiful. Her dark hair, slender body and dark skin was against the beauty ideal of the fair, blue eyed buxom girl that was favoured back then. The king adored Anne for her wit, her elegance, her graceful bearing.....nothing of which is mentioned here. The Jane of this book is an annoying, whiny and arrogant fool who was no "better" than Anne Boleyn, in fact she was worse in my opinion. For her an innocent woman had to die, an innocent girl lost her mother and several innocent men died. So much for sweet and gentle Jane. Big disappointment.

Great book, interesting insights.......2007-03-21

I enjoyed all of the books in this series, but especially this one on Jane Seymour. She is one of the least understood Queens, and I enjoyed Laurien Gardner's interpretation.

A close look at Queen Jane, Great Harry's third wife........2006-09-24

Of late I've been reading a fictional series of books based around the six wives of England's King Henry VIII, he of the very many wives and mistresses. The topic of these six unfortunate ladies has always been popular with both writers and readers, and nearly every time that a book or film is published about them, the response is usually good.

Now a collection of writers, working under the psuedynom of "Laurien Gardner," have written about the first three wives: Catherine of Aragon, a Spanish Princess; Anne Boleyn, who would face execution, and Jane Seymour, a rival and contemporary of Anne Boleyn. With Plain Jane, the center role is now taken by Jane, one of Henry's lesser known wives.

Jane Seymour, as we see in the opening, is the eldest daughter of a minor landholding family, deep in England's Savernake Forest. With her two brothers, Edward and Tom, she's a bit of a tomboy at the age of nine, mad for horseback riding, but a chance bit of eavesdropping of her parents' conversation reveals a shattering truth to Jane. Despite her goodness and fair colouring, she is hopelessly pain and unremarkable, and very unlikely to find a suitable husband. For Jane, it's a crippling blow to her self worth and image.

Sadly, it seems that the prophecy is going to be true as well, when a possible suitor appears in the shy, softspoken William Dormer, whose family spurns Jane as being not at all suitable. Stung, Jane takes the chance of entering Queen Catherine's household as a lady-in-waiting. But there is plenty of intrigue there as well -- Queen Catherine has only managed a single living child, a daughter, for the king, who only desires that a son succeed him as king.

And King Henry's attention has fallen on one of the queen's ladies, the darkly beautiful Anne Boleyn, with her French ways and bold ways. Anne has been stringing the king along for a while, refusing to give in as other women have done, and angling to be his wife rather than his mistress. Jane is devoted to Queen Catherine, and views Anne as a scheming, conniving woman. But even through all this, she does get a bit of notice from the King.

We get to see the rise and fall of Queen Anne, and Jane's own role in the story. Jane is reluctant to accept the king's advances, accepting a miniature portrait of the king, but not a gift of money and a letter. Instead, she takes the exact same route that Anne Boleyn did, refusing to be a mistress, but taking a stand that the king is too glorious a suitor, and that she is too meek and humble for him.

It's exactly the sort of thing designed to attract a king who is tired of a shrewish wife, and hungry for a son after Queen Anne only manages a daughter, Elizabeth. With bewildering speed, Anne is charged with adultery and treason, and Jane is first engaged to the King and then Queen Jane. But will her fate be any different than Catherine or Anne? And it seems that King Henry is still a bit in love with Anne, leaving Jane questioning her own judgement.

It's an interesting novel, full of self-reflection on Jane's part, and taking a different turn than the previous two works. The author has taken time to explore the actual reality and truth of Jane Seymour, and her very short reign as Henry's consort. She did manage to give the king a child, but died of complications from the birth. Henry was devastated, and he would always maintain that Jane was his 'entirely beloved' wife, and his favorite. Out of all of his women, it is only Jane that would share his tomb at Windsor Castle.

My biggest drawback to the book was that Jane's level of self-pity is very high in this book. She continually frets over her looks, and over and over the author has Jane mulling over for the upteenth time if she will ever find someone to love, or care for her. It's fine the first couple of times, but the same thing is dragged up over and over again. The surviving portraits of Jane show a woman who isn't pretty in a conventional sense, but the eyes are rather attractive and very intelligent. Think rather of a woman of good mind and sense, who is prim and proper, with a taste for very rich clothing and splendour and who is very aware of who she is.

Unlike the previous books, the only extra addition to the book is an author note, that gives a bit of the background of the Seymour family, and notes on what changes the author took with history. I was hoping that there would at least be the listing of the next title in the series.

I do recommend that those intent on reading the series space some time between the three books -- one problem that I had with reading this one, and the one about Anne Boleyn, was that it was all a bit of a retread. Much of the interaction between the three queens is covered in the previous novels, and I was left very much with the feeling that I had been through all of this before. But the writing style is energetic and lively, and the narrative is interesting enough to keep my attention engaged. Too, by using Jane as the voice of the novel, there is very little of the sidetracking that the previous two books in the series suffers from, and instead the image of a shy, self-conscious woman is shown, who finds herself becoming the most powerful woman in the land, but at a terrible cost to herself, is given to the reader.

It's certainly worth taking in, and the only thing that was truly disappointing about this is that the name of the actual writer of the book is never given. A pity, as I would be interested in seeing more of this writer's work in the future.

Overall, four stars for a well-done exploration of one of history's forgotten women.

An easy, entertaining read.......2006-08-30

I have read so many books, historical accounts, biography and fiction, about King Henry 8th and his marriages but it is usually Anne Boleyn who gets all the attention. It was so refreshing to read more about gentle Jane, the woman who was Queen for such a short time. She was the only one of his wives who gave Henry what he ultimately wanted, and needed so badly, a son and heir for England. She then died shortly afterwards, never fully recovering from the princes birth, and slips thorugh the fingers of history almost as a side note.This books tells her story.

The book is pretty historically accurate, but not dry. The author uses her imagination a great deal to place what she thinks must have been going through Jaynes head. Its enough of the romance between her and King Henry to keep you entertained but its not a romance novel. Its an easy read that gives a glimpse inside of the heart and head of a young girl who was used as a pawn for the ambitions of her famliy who gave birth to a king.
I loved it!

A Good Entry in the Series.......2006-08-09

Plain Jane is the story of Jane Seymour, third queen of England's Henry the Eighth. Gardner takes us from the time of Jane's childhood through the birth of Henry's heir, Edward, and the death of Jane. Covering such a span of time, Gardner gives us a good overview of Jane's sweet personality and how she was the antithesis of her predecessor, Anne Boleyn.

Unlike the previous two books in the series, the story of Jane is not told from an outside observer's point of view, but from Jane's. Overhearing at a young age how plain she is, Jane takes this message to heart and does not expect to make a grand marriage or even play any part in court intrigue. It is because of this plainness, however, that she catches the eye of King Henry, who sees in her a good, kind heart and the perfect queen consort. Gardner sticks closely to the known facts of Jane's life, and gives us a fairly well-rounded view of her attraction both to and for Henry.

The biggest complaint I had with the book is the fact that the author felt the need to continually point out just how plain Jane looked. If it was mentioned once, it had to have been mentioned at least 100 times, and that doesn't include the title. Okay, we get it---Jane was plain! But obviously there was more to the woman than just her looks because she ensnared the love and devotion of a king. A lighter touch as far as describing Jane's physical looks would have gone much farther in helping to explain why the king felt such an attraction to her.

Overall this is a good novel of historical fiction, and with a good editor, it would have been great.

Average customer rating:

zzzzzzzz.... again
A "heroine" to hate and a confusing tale
OK Read
Boring Jane
didn't like it!

Plain Jane
Fern Michaels
Manufacturer: Kensington
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0821769278

Amazon.com

New York Times bestselling author Fern Michaels dishes up the fantasy of every awkward, spotty, nerdy young woman who dreams of one day becoming a beautiful swan. Jane Lewis's life is perfect. Isn't it? No longer the overweight, frumpy, painfully shy girl she once was, Jane has it made with a thriving psychiatric practice, a popular radio call-in show, and now the attentions of the hottest boy in high school who has since grown into one seriously seductive man. So what's wrong? Jane is haunted, unable to forget one horrific night in college when she was powerless to protect her friend. And now it appears that Jane's home is haunted, too--for real. Perennial favorite Fern Michaels takes readers for quite a ride with Plain Jane, a suspenseful romance featuring a retired police dog you can't help but love, a couple of crusty crime writers with no need for Viagra, a supportive and oh-so-sexy love interest, and a restless spirit with a need to put the past to rights. A winning combination indeed! --Alison Trinkle

Customer Reviews:

zzzzzzzz.... again.......2007-06-22

Having read and reread all of my old Judith McNaught and Teresa Medeiros books to death, I decided to step out and try and find a new author to like. Alas, Fern Michaels seems to be cut from the same cloth as every other formula writer out there.

Here is what I did not like about the book: a. the characters were oddly one dimensional. You never really get to know why they feel like they do. b. The dialog was choppy and the conversations often did not even make sense. Plus, Michaels has the habit of saying her characters names over and over. ("How are you, Jane?" asked Trixie. "Trixie, I'm doing great. Thanks for asking, Trixie." responded Jane. ARRRRG!) Pet peeve. c. Even for a romance, it was SO unrealistic (at one point, Jane has a patient go stay with her godparents because of her fragile state. Apparently, she also completely divulges the patients traumatic past. Doctor-patient confidentiality, what??)

Here is what I did like about the book: It had dogs in it.

In conclusion, save your money. Just reread your old favorites.

A "heroine" to hate and a confusing tale.......2006-09-02

This was my first Fern Michaels book. I was looking for a new author. But I HATED this book.

First, the author's writting style is clunky, for lack of a better word. I can't explain it, but the conversations all seem somewhat rushed and disjointed. I'm not sure which is the main story, the heroines search for the rapists or her romance. Then there are the subplots, the dogs and the ghosts.

Second, the heroine, Jane... you want to like her but as the book progresses you like her less and less and less. Her godparents bemoan the "hard knocks" she has had through life and ask themselves when she is going to get a break. WHAT???? In the first place, Jane never got raped during the attack she wallows over for years, just called a few names. The latter apparently enough to keep an intelligent, wealthy and successful woman from going to the police. Jane has a better life than most of us could even imagine. She has a PhD, a thriving and lucrative business and is a minor celebrity in her area. She has godparents who are more supportive to her than most biological parents. Plus they are major writing celebrities and have oodles of money to burn on trivialities, all of which they have bequethed to Jane. Jane also apparently has money to burn, as she is able to purchase and fully furnish a house for a ghost; not to mention throw away a career many people would spend their lives building. On top of that, she has a wonderful and supportive boyfriend who is understanding even though she is a major jerk to him on several occasions and acts like a wacko most of the rest of the time. Despite all the wonderful things in her life, she wallows constantly in self-pity, bitterness and hatred.

Third, the characters are hardly believable. Jane is a doctor and lacks a basic understanding of why medical professionals have to maintain a professional distance and not get personally involved with all their patients problems. She acts so immature at times I wonder how she ever managed to get through medical school or deal with psychatric patients. Her godmother's "tough love" is way out of bounds. At one point the godmother chews the boyfriend a new one simply because he doesn't want to let Jane wallow is self-pity, something the godmother attacks Jane for later on. On top of that, the godmother's obcession with the retired police dog goes beyond believability. The actions of the animals are unbelievable too. They are way to understanding of human speech and all that stuff. It is ridiculous.

Finally, the ghost and rapists story lines were ridiculous. Jane invites 7 attackers to her home and nothing happens whatsoever. So anticlimatic, then the author just stops giving any care to the story and doesn't even wrap it up. It was so unsatisfying. Instead, the story drags on with Jane's idiocy and you begin to wonder if she in fact should be a psychiatric patient. The ghost stories were ridiculous too and told me that this writer could not be taken seriously. I wonder where her editors and publishers were. With some help, this could have been a decent novel. Too bad.

OK Read.......2006-06-06

I actually ended up liking this book more than I thought I would. I really enjoyed the dog interaction. I must say, though, the book definitely fell short in at least one area...Jane finally found the guys resonsible for the crime, which the majority of the book leads up to, but then their punishment wasn't discussed in detail. Overall,I enjoyed the book, and would recommend it.

Boring Jane.......2005-08-15

Plain "Jane" is a psychiatrist and so is her would-be-boyfriend Mike. When a troubled patient shows up at her clinic requesting treatment, it dredges up a long-dead trauma from Jane's own past. Can Jane overcome the trauma of her past experience to find happiness with Mike?

While at first I enjoyed Plain Jane, I quickly grew bored with some of the 'over the top' elements in this novel. Dogs are heavily featured in this book. Don't get me wrong- I love dogs, but do I really need to know where Olive is staying every chapter? And whats the deal about the vegetarian dog? The author states Olive is "vegetarian" but then goes on to discuss the dog eating pig ears. Last I heard Pig Ears were meat. What gives?

And then there are the ghosts. Jane's house is haunted by a ghost named Billy. Jane and Billy have conversations together while she sleeps. The weird thing is, this is a fairly minor subplot. Its like the author wanted to include a ghost but didn't want to risk offending people, so she kept the ghost in the background. This made the plot really weak. I won't even go there about the crazy godmother with the police car, siren, and surplus pot baggies.

Overall, this would've been a decent novel if Michaels' had ditched the weak romance, and focused on either the dog plot or the ghost plot. In the end, I found Plain Jane to be weak and ineffectual, 2 Stars.

didn't like it!.......2004-06-07

This book was really hokey. The author has an odd way of writing that feels very disjointed to me. Also, I didn't like the way that both the rape victims in the story were treated by their significant others. Neither man could supposedly deal with the rape and left them. I am sure this happens sometimes, but I feel it did a diservice to men. Most men do NOT leave their spouse when they are raped or blame their spouse for the rape.

Average customer rating:

The best book I've read all year
Art Saves?
Interesting, but not substansial
Good but not great debut for the Minx line
A Trip Down Memory Lane

The Plain Janes (Minx)
Cecil Castellucci
Manufacturer: Minx
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1401211151

Book Description

Noted young adult novelist Cecil Castellucci and artistJim Rugg launch MINX with THE PLAIN JANES, a storyabout four girls named Jane who sit at the reject table at lunch.When transfer student Jane is forced to move from the confines of MetroCity to Suburbia, she thinks her life is over.But there in the lunch roomat the reject table she finds her tribe: three other girls named Jane. MainJane encourages them to form a secret art gang and paint the townP.L.A.I.N. -- People Loving Art In Neighborhoods.But can art attacksreally save the hell that is high school?

Customer Reviews:

The best book I've read all year.......2007-10-09

After terrorism strikes Metro City, Jane's parents move the family to the suburbs, but Jane can't seem to make friends with the few people who interest her. Eventually she enlists these "losers" in a bold guerilla art project that could bring to life both the conformist suburban town and Jane's own adrift self. This moving graphic novel layers meanings into both the drawings and the text, and, like Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl (Readers Circle), celebrates art, creative nonconformity, and risk-taking.

Art Saves?.......2007-08-31

Art saves and art heals are the themes of The Plain Janes a graphic novel created in the MINX imprint, a new line of graphic novels that uses the popular media to tell stories that traditionally would be done in written format.

Jane was walking the streets of New York when a bomb went off near her. Her parents freak out and move the family to the suburbs to protect their darling Jane. But Jane wants to stay in the city so she can keep visiting her comatose friend, a man she calls John Doe. He has been in a coma since the day of the bombing. She visits him in the hospital and has taken up sketching to honor him, since he was carrying and dropped a sketchbook that day. For whatever reason, she takes a major interest in him and feels devastated that she won't be able to continue her frequent visits.

Now she is trying to start a new life. Interestingly enough, she is determined NOT to be in the popular crowd. Instead, she finds paradise in the reject lunch table, at which sits three girls named Jane: a drama geek, a jock, and a whiz kid. Our main Jane doggedly finds ways to connect with these girls until they call her a friend. She wants to use art as therapy for her sadness. During the accident, she found a small dandelion, a thing of beauty that made a different to her in the moment. Now she wants to be a living incarnation of that dandelion, a thing of beauty in the middle of chaos. She and the Janes start an underground group that installs art in the middle of the night. The art is treated maliciously, as if it was gang graffiti instead of whimsically fun. What type of projects do they create? They hang bottles from a tree that give people instructions like sing, play sports, or give someone a hug. They put bubbles in the city fountain. And my personal favorite, they spread stuffed animals over the lawn of an animal shelter.

Her home life conflicts continue, due to her mother, who is convinced she will die if she leaves the suburbs. Her midnight trysts with the Janes are the one shining light in her life.

I like how Jane became friends with the other Janes. She just went after them, trying the activities they liked in order to get close to them. I like how she resisted becoming a popular kid. The concept of this story was very intriguing. But the ending was weak and disappointing. There was no closure, although I don't think there will be sequel. And Jane lets a good friend take a hit for her and tries little to correct the mistake. It felt like a huge buildup with little payoff. Still, the Plain Janes will be enjoyed by girls that long to rail against the system.

Interesting, but not substansial.......2007-07-26

First off, I'll give you a little disclaimer. I'm a 21 year old male, so this book really wasn't written for me at all, but as a writer and fan of comics, I decided to give it a try.

The story is interesting, but Castellucci has a bit of a problem with dialog. The characters really sound like they were written, not how they would talk. It all just has a bit of an exposition feel to it the entire way through.

Rugg's art is effective here, but not all that impressive. It doesn't detract from the story being told, but I also thought it didn't really enhance it

Now, onto the characters. This is where I had the biggest problem with things. The main character of Jane is pretty well nuanced and rounded, but every other character in the book is just a stereotypical cardboard cutout of a cliched character type. The police officer is always screaming, the gay male character is always being so incredibly effeminate it's off-putting, the drama crazed Jane is constantly speaking as if here words were pulled directly from Shakespeare. This is an OK template to build a character off of, but absolutely nobody acts like this in real life. I could understand the use of character types like this in a book designed for children, but I would think that teenagers would desire something a little more dynamic

One other criticism here, and this just really smacks of a first time comic book writer. How in the world does Jane get a phone that automatically picks up and broadcasts in speakerphone without any input from the user? This is absolutely ridiculous, and I really think that it's a very visible crutch that Castellucci uses more than once in the story

All in all though, despite all of my critiques, I mildly enjoyed the book...it's not nearly the worst thing I've ever read, but it just didn't resonate for me. I would like to see what Castellucci can do in the future, but she's going to have to improve over her debut.

Good but not great debut for the Minx line.......2007-05-23

This is the first book from the new Minx line of DC Comics.

As a debut, it is something fairly promising for the line. The previews in the back give me the feeling that much better stuff is coming up as well.

As a comic, the story works and the art is clean and coherent. While the story works, it is far from perfect, there is something missing from most of the story elements. By the standards of other graphic novels, this serves as a breath of fresh air (and hopefully the DC association will get some superhero comic readers to check it out). The author, on her first graphic novel, has an excellent sense of the comic medium, better then some of the higher profile talent that the Big Two have hired.

This gets a recommend from me. If you have the extra time and money then its a good thing to read over an hour or so. But I wouldn't go to the ends of the Earth to hunt it down.

A Trip Down Memory Lane.......2007-05-20

I'm a 27-year-old male, but I could relate to the characters in The Plain Janes. I could especially relate to the protagonist, Jane. Or should I say Main Jane?

Art was an outlet of expression, an outlet of relaxation, for me during high school. Seeing the Janes create art everywhere, as an escapsim from the world, was very interesting. I wish I would have thought of that.

I want to commend the creators of this graphic novel. It was 45-minute read that was better than any television show I saw this week and well worth my money.

Pick up this book if you're interested in fun literature -- and be glad to be P.L.A.I.N.

The Playboy & Plain Jane (Dynasties: The Barones)

Average customer rating:

:0)
This book is HOT
Good, solid start for this new series.
Launching the "Dynasties: The Barones"
A wonderful, sensual, tender reading experience

The Playboy & Plain Jane (Dynasties: The Barones)
Leanne Banks
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0373764839

Customer Reviews:

:0).......2006-06-24

LOVED IT
a great nanny story it was one of those that i think when read read it and after a couple of months just looking at the cover you'll remember how great it was its not a forgetable story....
you won't be disappointed

This book is HOT.......2003-04-19

Handsome Nicholas Barone is a wealthy playboy. On Valentines Day two years ago he overheard the woman he intended to propose to tell a friend she was going to marry Nick for his money. Since then, Nick has vowed not to give his heart again and has only had superficial relationships with beautiful, shallow women. Out of the blue, Nick discovers he has a daughter, Molly, by the woman who broke his heart. Determined to be a good father, Nick hires Gail Fenton as Mollyýs nanny. Gail is not glamorous, she wears little makeup and likes to spend her time playing volleyball. Gail feels men have always considered her ýone of the guysý. Gail proves to be wonderful with Molly and she also has a soothing affect on Nick. Gail develops a crush on Nick but feels she to much of a "plain Jane" for him to ever be attracted to her so she sets out to make herself over. It's not long before she starts dating which drives Nick crazy. It's not long before Nick sees Gail as anything but one of the guys and their relationship really sizzles. This book is HOT.

Good, solid start for this new series........2003-03-26

Back Cover description: Boston hunk Nicholas Barone could hardly believe one-year-old Molly was his daughter. The sexy businessman was committed only to his extended Italian family, to their businessýBaronessa Gelatiýand to short-term relationships with gorgeous socialites. Then one pint sized female turned his priorities upside down.
Enter Gail Fenton, nanny extraordinaire. Within days she had a cranky Molly smiling; within a few sleepless nights, she had a frustrated Nicholas fantasizing. Bewitched by a virgin. Vexed by the girl next door. Man-about-town Nicholas was in serious trouble, for unlike his former lovers, who wanted only his money or his name, Gail wanted his heart.

Good cast of characters. The whole family seems likable and this series is going to have 11 more books. Gail is a good, strong female lead. Nicholas is sexy, and nice. He has commitment problems but does realize where his love is. I just wish the author would have used something other than a car accident to bring them together.

Launching the "Dynasties: The Barones".......2003-02-24

The Valentine Day curse strikes CEO Nicholas Barone hard, first when he learns of his fiancé's mercenary nature, and again a year later when she dies, leaving him the father. Deprived of the first year of his daughter's life, Nicholas vows to be an excellent father, but he needs help. Molly's cranky response to her new environment has taken its toll on his parents and on himself.

A degree in computers seems an odd qualification for a nanny, but Gail Fenton's gift for peek-a-boo soon convinces Nicholas he has found the right woman for his daughter. Gail knows she's nothing like the beautiful, sleek women Nicholas usually dates, but soon she finds herself hoping she can prove herself to be as right for the father as she is the daughter.

Readers who treasured the "Dynasties: The Connelly's" continuity in 2002, will love the return to the family theme with "Dynasties: The Barones" in 2003. With lighthearted levity and sizzling chemistry, author Leanne Banks presents a mismatched hero and heroine that discover more than superficial passion. As a nanny myself, I always find great amusement when authors successfully combine spegetti-os and nursery rhymes with the complexities that draw hearts together. Banks' treatment is remarkably skillful with the eccentricities that make characters dazzle. In addition, Banks gracefully introduces a remarkable cast of characters readers will look forward to meeting in their own stories.

A wonderful, sensual, tender reading experience.......2003-02-03

I love this book! Leanne Banks is one of my favorite authors and I read this book in one sitting. I couldn't put it down.

Gail Fenton is a computer geek turned nanny. She loves kids and when her company downsizes she decides to try her hand at her first love. Caring for children. Little does she realize what a turn her life will take.

Nicholas Barone is driven, handsome, and lonely. He is also an unexpected father. One year old Molly, comes to live with him after her mother, his almost fiancee, dies in an accident. Nicholas didn't know that Molly existed until then. Suddenly his life is turned upside down. Molly cries constantly and Nicholas is at his wits end. He needs help! Enter nanny Gail.

In just a few days, Gail quiets Molly and slowly gets Molly and Nicholas together in ways that delighted this reader. She soothes their hurts and hearts in ways Nicholas never imagined.

I fell in love with Nicholas and Molly and wanted to be Gail. That says a lot. For any book to take me away from my own loving family and put me in its pages is a delight and a blessing. This book was wonderfully sensual, tender and sexy at the same time. Bravo, Ms. Banks. I can't wait for your next book or the next book in the Dynasties: The Barones series. Thank you for a wonderful book

TENTING ON THE PLAINS OR General Custer in Kansas and Texas
Average customer rating:

Can not say enough GOOD about this book!

TENTING ON THE PLAINS OR General Custer in Kansas and Texas
Elizabeth, Bacon Custer
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 080612668X

Book Description

From the time of her husband's death at the Battle of the Little Big Horn until her own death fifty-seven years later, at the age of ninety, Mrs. George Armstrong Custer devoted herself to defending or embellishing her husband's reputation. This account, the second in Elizabeth's trilogy of her life with the General, focuses on the period immediately following the Civil War, when the Custers were stationed in Louisiana, Texas, and Kansas. She portrays the aftermath of the Civil War in Texas and life in Kansas while her husband took part in General Winfield Hancock's 1867 expedition against the Indians between the Arkansas and Platte rivers. Throughout, she provides detailed descriptions of an army officer's home life on the frontier during this major period of Indian unrest. This edition, an abridgment of the original 1887 edition, with an Introduction by Jane R. Stewart and a Foreword by Shirley A. Leckie, brings together in a single volume one of the most significant documents of the Old West, here made accessible to a new generation of readers.

Customer Reviews:

Can not say enough GOOD about this book!.......2005-06-20

I can not say enough good about this book.....for think of it more as what Little House on the Prairie should have been if it was interesting....and what Tom Sawyer and Hunk Finn would have been if Mark Twain was a good writer.

I consider this a fabulous work, because it is first hand history of the wife of General Custer in the year after the Civil War. It is the excitement of times on a broad scale and the narrow joy of a married couple coping with life.
It honestly is a conversation between Libby, the reader with literal colorful commentary by her black maid, Eliza.
You will read how black history really was and not what is written now.

You get to see women in all their supposed helplessness at times, but when a tragedy strikes time and again their real courage and strength comes out.

I have yet to read anything from Libby whether it is her personal letters...to the absolutely heart wrenching account of the day she found out her family was slaughtered at the Little Big Horn which did not show one of the most charming and delightful personas ever to imprint upon the written word.
So as Mrs. Dockter, my 5th grade teacher always read to us after noon recess....if you have children or grandchildren....read to them...and if you have grown children get them this book as it impressed me enough to recommend it.

This book should be required in every school as a reading assignment along with Dickens and Irving.

Plain - Jane Princess (How to Marry a Monarch) (Silhouette Intimate Moments No. 1096) (Intimate Moments, 1096)

Average customer rating:

This was great!
Enjoyable heartwarming story that will make you smile
A Story To Hug to Your Heart
Karen's Plain Jane Princess is far from plain!
Absolutely memorable! -- Very highly recommended

Plain - Jane Princess (How to Marry a Monarch) (Silhouette Intimate Moments No. 1096) (Intimate Moments, 1096)
Karen Templeton
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Anything For His Children (Families Are Forever) (Silhouette Intimate Moments, 978)

ASIN: 0373271662

Customer Reviews:

This was great!.......2001-11-05

This book really spoke to me. I loved it!

Enjoyable heartwarming story that will make you smile.......2001-10-17

Princess Sophie is such a fun & loving person you'll laugh at some of things she does in order to live as a normal person. You'll be cheering for Steven and Princess Sophie to figure out a way to make things work. This story is well written and makes you believe the characters are real people. I didn't want the story to end! I highly recommend this book! This is a book you'll want to keep in your romance book collection to read over & over! Enjoy! :)

A Story To Hug to Your Heart.......2001-08-25

All Princess Sophie of Carpathia wanted was some time living like a normal person before she returned to her country, married the man who'd proposed (but whom she didn't love) and resumed her duties as one of the royal family. Well, she got her wish and landed smack dab in the middle of Steve Koleski's life. Steve, electrician (and darned good photographer) and guardian of his best friend's 5 kids doesn't know who the woman with the strange hair and clothes is, but he does know that after running through a handful of housekeepers in a matter of weeks, he wasn't about to look a gift in the mouth. So, when Sophie (now aka Lisa Stone) offers her service for two weeks, he hesitates but not for long. A person would have to be blind not to see the rapport she had with kids. So, Steve gets his housekeeper and Lisa gets her two-week in the real world. Little did either know that both would get the lesson of a lifetime in the game of love or that along the way both would learn what is really important in life-and sometimes it's not what we think it is. Sophie must decide whether or not to accept the proposal of a man she likes but doesn't love and Steve must make the painful decision over whether to pursue his dream of photography or stay and take over the family business. I read the book during a time when a medical problem had me wanting a comfort read, and Plain-Jane Princess gave me exactly what I needed. I loved the hero, Steve and the banter between him and Sophie/Lisa is priceless at times. The author's knack for internal dialogue is amazing, especially for Steve. *His* dialogue, both external and internal had me laughing many times throughout the book. He's an honest, caring man with a wicked sense of humor (much comes through in internal dialogue, which for me in a lot of cases is much funnier). Plain-Jane Princess more than deserved its 4½ Top Pick Rating from Romantic Times Magazine. If this book isn't nominated for awards, there is no justice in this world. Ms. Templeton, you've outdone yourself. Thank you for giving readers a story that will stay with them long after the last page is read.

Karen's Plain Jane Princess is far from plain!.......2001-08-25

Steve Koleski, bachelor electrician, guardian angel to five young orphans, closet photographer and all around hunk, is not having an easy time, to say the least. He goes through housekeepers like water through a sieve and is dealing with the legal and emotional upheaval of trying to keep his inherited, unstable family together. When fate brings Lisa Stone into their lives, Steve is ready to drop to his knees in thanks and relief -- until he finds out his new housekeeper can't even cook. Who is he to question this turn of events when he and the children thrive in this woman's loving care? Princess Sophie of Carpathia, aka Lisa Stone, is on the run -- from her life. For at least two weeks she is determined to live the life of a so-called ordinary person before returning to her duties and responsibilities back in Carpathia. Sophie doesn't consider the fact that she will fall hard for Steve and his beloved children. How long can she keep her secret from them? As long as she dares. PLAIN-JANE PRINCESS is anything but plain! Ms. Templeton's inimitable style shines in her creation of larger-than-life characters that talk TO the reader by way of both sparkling dialogue and inner musings. In this return to the small town of Spruce Lake, Michigan, we are treated to visits with old friends and introductions to new ones. The intriguing ending hints at Sophie's brother, Prince Alek's, story, and I can't wait to see where that leads. I'm hoping Ms. Templeton also has a story in the works for Steve's sister, Mala. I highly recommend PLAIN-JANE PRINCESS as a must-read in a new series called How To Marry a Monarch. An all around delightful, enchanting and poignant tale, this story showcases Ms. Templeton's talent as an arresting storyteller whose star is on a fast rise to the top.

Absolutely memorable! -- Very highly recommended.......2001-07-30

The life of a princess might be glamorous, but it doesn't allow for the need to connect to others -- the need to touch and to be touched. At twenty-nine, Princess Sophie of Carpathia contemplates a marriage of convenience as she finds a way to escape duty for two weeks. With a tawdry make over -- this plain princess dresses in startlingly blue contacts, tacky shoes, too much perfume and heavy pancake cosmetics -- Sophie walks right past her bodyguard to climb into a taxi and return to a happy site of her youth in the United States.

Sophie immediately meets Steven Koleski, the godfather and now inheritor of five children. She can't offer him forever, but she does offer him two weeks when his housekeeper flees the house, leaving him at risk of being forced to surrender the children to foster care. With ten years of experience working with traumatized children and an orphan herself, Sophie knows what those children are going through, and knows she can help. For the first time in her life, she has an opportunity to really make a difference in someone else's life.

Steven lost his wife when he refused to place his five godchildren in foster care. She wasn't prepared for the insanity of raising someone else's damaged children. He wasn't prepared to give them up. Four housekeepers later, he's desperate, and accepts Sophie's offer despite the fact he knows nothing about her. Something about Sophie inspires his trust, and allows him to connect on a deeper level than where she comes from. And soon he finds himself wishing she didn't insist upon returning her mysterious past.

Book Description

The Great Plains are as rich and integral a part of American literature as they are of the North American landscape. In this volume the stories, poems, and essays that have described, celebrated, and defined the region evoke the world of the American prairie from the first recorded days of Native history to the realities of life on a present-day reservation, from the arrival of European explorers to the experience of early settlers, from the splendor of the vast and rolling grasslands to the devastation of the Dust Bowl. Several essays look to the future and explore changes that would embolden the people of the Plains to continue to call home this place they have learned to value in spite of its persistent challenges.

The infinite variety of the Great Plains landscape and its people unfolds in works by writers as diverse as Willa Cather, Loren Eiseley, Louise Erdrich (Ojibwe), Diane Glancy (Cherokee), Langston Hughes, Wes Jackson, Garrison Keillor, William Least Heat-Moon, Kathleen Norris, Wright Morris, Francis Parkman, O. E. Rölvaag, Mari Sandoz, William Stafford, Mark Twain, Douglas Unger, James Welch (Blackfeet), and Canadians Sharon Butala and Sinclair Ross. From tribal histories to the impressions of travelers today, from tales of isolation and nature’s furious storms to accounts of efforts to build communities, from flights of fancy to nuanced observations of the ecology of the grasslands, this comprehensive volume provides a history of the intricate relationships of land and people in the Great Plains.

Customer Reviews:

Great anthology capturing the Great Plains experience.......2006-02-09

This hefty (700+ pages) anthology, far-reaching in scope and viewpoint, attempts to reflect "the historical and contemporary experience of life on the Great Plains." It includes many different types of writings (short stories, memoir excerpts, essays, tribal accounts) from scores of different writers (Mark Twain, Maria Sandoz, Hamlin Garland, Garrison Keillor, Wright Morris, Louise Erdrich, to name only a few). The book's sections are organized around specific themes:

1) The lay of the land and natural history;
2) Natives and newcomers: these include Indian accounts of the first Europeans and early explorer impressions (Louis & Clark, Stephen Long, etc.);
3) Arriving and settling in: reflections of the first white settlers and the creating of communities.

Each passage is fully introduced by the editors in terms of its message and social/historical significance. The anthology provides a comprehensive overview of the Great Plains as a section of North America (Canada included) remarkable for its special, in some ways even unique, life offerings it gave to those who came in contact with it. Excellent for use in college survey courses dealing with the Plains, it's also an interesting book for anyone wanting to gleam insights on the region from a wide array of perspectives.

Brings you back.......2003-12-23

This is a great collection of stories. I have been reading it cover to cover and enjoy every story. Many of the stories are so well written that I can feel the wind and hear the meadowlarks that I remember from my childhood growing up near Wichita. I would recommend it for every Great Plains native and maybe for those who don't understand why anyone would want to live "out there."

Fern Michaels Collection 3: Listen to Your Heart, What You Wish For, and Plain Jane

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Fern Michaels Collection 3: Listen to Your Heart, What You Wish For, and Plain Jane
Fern Michaels
Manufacturer: Brilliance Audio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

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Red Lily (In the Garden)
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ASIN: 1597370444
Release Date: 2005-07-25

Book Description

Listen to Your Heart (Narrator: Joyce Bean, Director: Sandra Burr, Engineer: Melissa Coates): With her parents gone, her twin sister, Kitty, about to be married, and no hint of Mr. Right on the horizon, Josie Dupre is lonesome. Luckily, she has her booming New Orleans catering business, and her fluffy white dog, Rosie, to keep her company. Then, a jumbo-sized Boxer destroys Josie's flowering windowboxes, and in the process, brazenly captures petite Rosie's undying devotion. Josie finds herself an unwilling chaperone - and doing her best to avoid Zip's owner, the irritatingly appealing Paul Brouillette.

What You Wish For (Narrator: Laural Merlington, Director: Laura Grafton, Engineer: Jill Sovis): If her abusive husband had not tried to kill her and her beloved dog, Helen Ward might never have left her million dollar home and run far away. When she meets college professor Sam Tolliver, she begins to believe fairy tales do come true. But the past is catching up with Helen - and her fear is growing. Soon, she'll have to face the biggest decision of her life.

Plain Jane (Narrator: Laural Merlington, Director: Sandra Burr, Engineer: Jill Sovis): Back in college, plain Jane Lewis would have given anything to be like homecoming queen Connie Bryan. Today, a lovely and confident Dr. Jane Lewis has a thriving psychotherapy practice, her own radio talk show, a beautiful old Louisiana mansion, and her affectionate, nutty dog, Olive, to keep her company. But Jane has never forgotten Michael Sorenson, the boy she had admired from afar in college. She's also never forgotten the brutal, unsolved attack that ended Connie Bryan's life - and that haunts her still.

Plain Jane & Doctor Dad (Dynasties: The Connellys) (Desire, 1436)

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From Back Cover
book description
Good Start to a New Series

Plain Jane & Doctor Dad (Dynasties: The Connellys) (Desire, 1436)
Kate Little
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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And The Winner Gets...Married! (Dynasties: The Connellys) (Silhouette Desire, No. 1442)
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The Royal & The Runaway Bride (Dynasties: The Connellys) (Silhouette Desire, No. 1448)
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His E-Mail Order Wife (Dynasties: The Connellys) (Silhouette Desire, 1454)

ASIN: 0373764367

Customer Reviews:

From Back Cover.......2005-05-10

For the sake of the baby...

Maura Chambers needed help with her unborn baby. Doug Connelly wanted to make up for a friend's bad judgement. Not the best reasons for marriage, but enough to make Maura and Doug say "I do."

It was to be a marriage of convenience, to get Maura through a difficult time. But how, then, could she explain the hungry look in Doug's amber eyes, the longing she felt during their nights together? The handsome doctor's hands made her feel nothing like a plain Jane nurse but rather like a wanton, wanted woman. Everything was within reach- a husband, a family. Until she discovered Doug's little secret...

[5th in Dynasties: The Connellys series]

book description.......2003-10-09

For the sake of the baby... Maura Chambers needed help with her unborn baby. Doug Connelly wanted to make up for a friend's bad judgement. Not the best reasons for marriage, but enough to make Maura and Doug say "I do." It was to be a marriage of convenience, to get Maura through a difficult time. But how, then, could she explain the hungry look in Doug's amber eyes, the longing she felt during their nights together? The handsome doctor's hands made her feel nothing like a plain Jane nurse but rather like a wanton, wanted woman. Everything was within reach- a husband, a family. Until she discovered Doug's little secret..

Good Start to a New Series.......2003-01-15

I enjoyed this book. The characters were not as totally developed as I would have liked, but as the set up book for a new series, it does a good job. I'm looking forward to the coming books on the Barone family.

Plain Jane's Prince Charming (Silhouette Romance)

Average customer rating:

Modern Day Fairy Tale (4.5 stars)

Plain Jane's Prince Charming (Silhouette Romance)
Melissa McClone
Manufacturer: Silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0373198388

Customer Reviews:

Modern Day Fairy Tale (4.5 stars).......2007-02-16

Book Description: For waitress Jane Dawson happily-ever-afters only happen in fairy tales.... So when she approaches sexy millionaire Chase Ryder she's thrilled he'll sponsor her charity. Of course, there's no chance Chase will be interested in a girl like her!

Chase has always dated women like him, focused and controlled. But Jane's passion to help others is like a breath of fresh air. Can Chase let down his guard? Because Jane's a woman in a million and deserves her very own happy ending....

---This is a quick pleasant modern-day take on an old fairy tale for Harlequin Romance fans.

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