Plain Jayne: My Review

Plain Jayne (Plain and Simple) is a little different take on an Amish romance.  Jayne is a newspaper reporter who goes to an Amish community looking for a story.  She meets Levi, a man who was raised Amish but has left the church.  He arranges for her to live with his family for a while.  She gets to know them as people, learns something about their lives and makes friends.  She sees something in their life that she likes.  He however, has chosen to leave the church.

The book is Christian fiction.  Jayne comes back to her faith in the book, and she explains to another character that all you have to do is ask Jesus into your heart and you are saved...

In some ways the book hinted at a depth that wasn't there.  Jayne was estranged from her family, yet we hear very little about why.  Her mother has changed, for the better--but again it is a detail that is dropped and then not developed. The author, Hillary Manton Lodge, makes sure we know that Jayne often takes sleeping pills, but this isn't developed.  Why does she need the pills?  Is she guilty?  Hurting?  Sick?

This book is the first in a series; the second deals with Levi's sister who is probably the third most important character in this book.  I'd love to read a book about Levi's grandmother--she sounds like a lady with real spunk!

Disclosure:  I received a complimentary review copy from Rebecca Seitz at Glass Road Public Relations.  The links above are to Amazon.com and if you purchase after clicking on them, I get a small commission.

Final Grade:  B-