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Plain Fame #1
Plain Fame
Amanda Beiler is on her way home to her small Amish community in Lititz, Pennsylvania from Ohio and, while changing trains in Manhattan, finds herself in the hospital. Unbeknownst to her, her benefactor during her brief stay in New York City is a famous singer which causes too much interest in their relationship from the paparazzi. When he decides to ride back with her to Lititz, the course of both their lives change. Can fame survive among the Amish?
246 pages, Paperback
First published October 19, 2012
322 people are currently reading
1466 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Price
135 books646 followersECPA Christian Fiction Bestseller (June 2014, July 2014)
Amazon Top 100 Author for Books & eBooks (January 2016, September 2013, August 2013, May 2013, April 2013, February 2013, January 2013, December 2012)
-------------------------
The author of over 30 novels, Sarah Price publishes with Realms, an imprint of Charisma House and Waterfall, an imprint of Brilliance Audio.
Her book, An Empty Cup, was #3 on Amazon Top 100 eBooks in January 2016.
Follow her on social media:
Blog:http://www.sarahpriceauthor.com.
Facebook: http://facebook.com/fansofsarahprice.
Instagram: @SarahPriceAuthor
Twitter: @SarahPriceAuthr
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/SarahPrice
FAMILY HERITAGE
During the early 1700s, the Preiss family arrived in America aboard an old sailing vessel called the Patience. The family left Europe, escaping Catholic persecution for their Anabaptist beliefs. Sarah Price comes from a long line of devout Mennonites, including numerous church leaders and ministers throughout the years.
In 1969, Sarah Price was born in Pennsylvania and lived on the land of her ancestors, Johannes Preiss and "King Tammany", otherwise known as Tamanend, a chief of the Lenni Lenape nation in the Delaware Valley.
In the early 1970s, her family moved to Morristown, New Jersey where she still resides with her husband, two children, and assortment of animals.
Ms. Price has advanced degrees in Communication (MA), Marketing (MBA), and Educational Leadership (PhD).
Ms. Price was a former full-time college professor. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, she now writes full-time.
Amazon Top 100 Author for Books & eBooks (January 2016, September 2013, August 2013, May 2013, April 2013, February 2013, January 2013, December 2012)
-------------------------
The author of over 30 novels, Sarah Price publishes with Realms, an imprint of Charisma House and Waterfall, an imprint of Brilliance Audio.
Her book, An Empty Cup, was #3 on Amazon Top 100 eBooks in January 2016.
Follow her on social media:
Blog:http://www.sarahpriceauthor.com.
Facebook: http://facebook.com/fansofsarahprice.
Instagram: @SarahPriceAuthor
Twitter: @SarahPriceAuthr
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/SarahPrice
FAMILY HERITAGE
During the early 1700s, the Preiss family arrived in America aboard an old sailing vessel called the Patience. The family left Europe, escaping Catholic persecution for their Anabaptist beliefs. Sarah Price comes from a long line of devout Mennonites, including numerous church leaders and ministers throughout the years.
In 1969, Sarah Price was born in Pennsylvania and lived on the land of her ancestors, Johannes Preiss and "King Tammany", otherwise known as Tamanend, a chief of the Lenni Lenape nation in the Delaware Valley.
In the early 1970s, her family moved to Morristown, New Jersey where she still resides with her husband, two children, and assortment of animals.
Ms. Price has advanced degrees in Communication (MA), Marketing (MBA), and Educational Leadership (PhD).
Ms. Price was a former full-time college professor. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, she now writes full-time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 167 reviews
August 10, 2020
I liked this a lot - but I liked this the least out of all the Sarah Price Amish books I've read. It seemed so implausible. An Amish woman who is only in New York City on a "layover" gets hit by a limo as she jaywalks to buy a pair of sunglasses. The man in the limo? One of the most famous musicians in the world, Viper. He's a bad boy - but when he looks into Amanda Beiler's eyes as she lays hurt in the street he finds himself wanting to protect her. He becomes enamored with her - staying by her side in the hospital and giving her gifts. He even makes sure her family (who has no phone) is notified. Amanda finds herself getting a little ferhoodled with this strange Englischer but she knows that will do her no good, he's not Amish. Wanting to take a little break from the spotlight he accompanies Amanda back to Pennsylvania and spends a week on her parent's farm helping her father and getting to know the Amish lifestyle. What could possibly go wrong?! Good but... unbelievable. I may continue the series.
October 15, 2015
Amanda Beiler, a young Amish woman, is in New York City, on her way back home to Pennsylvania when she's struck by the limousine of a Cuban-born star, Alejandro Diaz, known to his many fans as "Viper." The accident is just the beginning of a drastic change in both of their lives in Plain Fame by author Sarah Price.
Now, while this sweet novel doesn't end on a cliffhanger, the conclusion is rather open, and I'd wager that one must continue on with the series in order for Amanda and Alejandro's tale to be fully appreciated. Most of the story moves at an easy, unassuming kind of pace, until about the last, gripping fourth of the book, which I most enjoyed.
The writing style isn't very subtle and is somewhat inconsistent and quite redundant in places, giving a good amount of the same details and rehashing the same points in the characters' reasoning throughout the book. Also, Alejandro is referred to as "a singer" but describes his music as "rap," and because "hip-hop" (often synonymous with rap music) and even "pop" (different from rap music) are used to reference his art/career, I didn't get a clear picture of what kind of artist he is.
Still, the novel contains some thought-provoking reflections on faith, and the climax of the story plays out engagingly with a twist a bit different from what I had anticipated. This book has much that will appeal to fans of Amish fiction and should serve as a good hook for the rest of the series.
_________________
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
Now, while this sweet novel doesn't end on a cliffhanger, the conclusion is rather open, and I'd wager that one must continue on with the series in order for Amanda and Alejandro's tale to be fully appreciated. Most of the story moves at an easy, unassuming kind of pace, until about the last, gripping fourth of the book, which I most enjoyed.
The writing style isn't very subtle and is somewhat inconsistent and quite redundant in places, giving a good amount of the same details and rehashing the same points in the characters' reasoning throughout the book. Also, Alejandro is referred to as "a singer" but describes his music as "rap," and because "hip-hop" (often synonymous with rap music) and even "pop" (different from rap music) are used to reference his art/career, I didn't get a clear picture of what kind of artist he is.
Still, the novel contains some thought-provoking reflections on faith, and the climax of the story plays out engagingly with a twist a bit different from what I had anticipated. This book has much that will appeal to fans of Amish fiction and should serve as a good hook for the rest of the series.
_________________
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.
December 31, 2012
This is nice.I enjoyed it. It's a relatively easy read. The plot is strong.
October 25, 2015
This book is the first in a series of books following a Cuban hip-hop star and a young Amish girl whose worlds literally collide, and I suggest that you do not read this novel unless you are intending to read the whole series. That being said, I do not suggest you read the whole series unless:
1. You are fine with a hero whose professes to have faith in God, but whose music contains explicit and immoral lyrics (these are never detailed in the books, but his music is described several times in these terms);
2. You do not mind that the hero repeatedly blasphemes in Spanish;
3. You are fine with a heroine who, despite her Amish upbringing, does not see anything inconsistent with faith in God and writing/performing/singing such music;
4. You don’t mind watching a young Amish girl gradually compromising more and more in order to fit into the hero’s world;
5. You don’t mind that the hero and heroine have a limited understanding of the Bible and experience no spiritual growth;
6. You want a sensual and lustful romance where only one of the main characters believes you should wait until marriage and where you are regularly given glimpses into the bedroom once the characters are married;
7. You don’t mind that the bulk of the series is simply spent trailing our hero and heroine while they meet each other, deal with the paparazzi, perform, pander to their fans, give interviews, and attend awards ceremonies and parties, and so on.
To be fair, much of this is not fully apparent until the second novel in the series, but the first novel is not intended to be a stand-alone, and will not be a satisfying read in itself. Needless to say, I do not recommend this series, but my initial rating of this book (prior to reading the rest of the series) was two-stars, partly because I still harboured some hope that this series would go in the right direction.
I was initially attracted to this series because I thought it had an interesting premise – super-celebrity meets young Amish girl in rather unfortunate circumstances, and an unlikely friendship begins to develop into something more. The two worlds couldn’t be more different. How would it work out? It was not clear from any of the synopses (or this novel) that Alejandro’s lyrics were so immoral and explicit, and as it is marketed as Christian fiction, I had a general expectation that Alejandro’s growing weariness at maintaining his bad-boy image and his fascination with Amanda’s innocence and purity would cause him to reassess his life. In the end I felt that the opposite occurred: Amanda was seduced (in an emotional and spiritual sense) into putting her trust in Alejandro rather than God, and the rest of the series develops along this theme.
We learn early on that Alejandro doesn’t have a rosy past. He learned to survive on the streets of Miami and that came at a price. Part of that price, apparently, is a daughter he provides for, but whom he doesn’t actually know. He explains to Amanda, “Things happen. I take care of them as best I can. I send money. That’s all they want actually.” Amanda then feels a deep sorrow on his behalf at the thought that people only want him for his money. Personally, I was more disappointed that he could be so dismissive of his own child. But then, in this same conversation he explains that he and his mother had little more than each other and their faith in God to take care of them when he was growing up. I know even Christians make mistakes like having a child out of wedlock, but I was little taken aback that he could so casually dismiss his illegitimate daughter in one breath, and talk of his faith in God then next. Nevertheless, I anticipated that Alejandro would have plenty of opportunity to grow in his faith as the novel progressed, and so I read on.
Unfortunately my hopes were never realised. Despite the initial impression that Alejandro was growing weary of his bad-boy image, he is quite casual, even deliberate, in his admission that many of his female fans make their way backstage at his concerts in the hope of an invite back to his hotel room for the night; a hope that is often realised. There is no indication that he sees anything particularly wrong with this, only that he wishes Amanda didn’t have to see him in this light. I also found it a little difficult to believe that such an innocent and pure Amish girl (as we are repeatedly reminded she is) would have continued this conversation for as long as she did, and taken it in the direction she did.
The novel was also unnecessarily sensual in a few places, particularly in light of its intended Christian/Amish romance audience. There is a scene where Amanda and Alejandro dance together with rather a lot of body contact and later in the book, when Alejandro is trying to divert the media’s attention from Amanda and her family, he ‘dances erotically’ with another woman at a nightclub (book’s description, not mine), which includes “a deep kiss that appeared to be full of passion and lust.” Even the kiss Amanda and Alejandro share is on the high end of the sensuality scale for a Christian novel. We are told this is because “Amanda’s inner beauty had a stronger pull on him (Alejandro) than his own moral strength.” I felt it was simply trying to romanticise lust.
**SPOILER**
The final clincher for many Christian readers will be the conclusion of this novel (looking towards the next in the series), which sees Amanda leaving her home to live with Alejandro (no, they do not get married in this book) because she needs to leave her community as a result of the disruptive media attention that has been focused on them. I find it difficult to believe this would have been God’s will in the situation, although considering Amanda never actually sought God’s will in the matter, perhaps this is not surprising.
**END SPOILER**
Probably the most disappointing aspect of this novel was the spiritual references (especially Alejandro’s habit of taking the Lord’s name in vain in Spanish). At one point Alejandro shows Amanda his Santa Barbara medallion (Santa Barbara being the saint who protects him). Being Cuban-born, the Catholicism is not surprising, however when Amanda counters that it is God who protects him, Alejandro replies that even God can use some help from time to time. This didn’t sit well with me, but then Alejandro goes on to say there are many religions in the world and maybe there is more than one way to worship God. Later, during the service at her church, Amanda reflects on this and apparently has a moment of ‘clarity’: Despite his worldly lifestyle, Alejandro is still a child of God. Just as there is more than one way to worship God, perhaps there was more than just one path that led to heaven.
It is possible that the author’s intended meaning was that the Amish way of life isn’t the only expression of Christian faith, and I agree with this, but that is not the way this reads. The Bible is quite clear that the only way to Heaven is to acknowledge our inherent sinfulness and that Christ paid that penalty in full for those who believe. No religion but Christianity teaches this. Just believing that there is ‘a God’ does not mean anything unless you also believe that humans are inherently sinful, and cannot overcome that in their own strength. If you believe IN God, then you believe that anything the Bible designates as sin is just that: sin. And if you believe in God, you believe that sin equals death, both spiritually and, eventually, physically. And if you believe that, then you don’t embrace sin or promote it; you turn away from it, you mourn when you fail, and you come to God for forgiveness and the strength to do better in the future. This is what it means to be a child of God, but it is not what I see lived out in Alejandro’s life.
In light of all of the above, it seems almost irrelevant to mention that I felt the writing itself left something to be desired. Considered independently of the other aspects mentioned above I probably would have given it a three-star rating. There is a lot of telling versus showing, and the point-of-view characters would suddenly switch for a paragraph or a sentence (once even within the sentence!) which could be quite disorienting for the reader. I got tired of having everything explained to me, over and over again, like how the photos that were being taken would soon be posted on social media networks, and how different the Amish and celebrity ways of life are. Alejandro is repeatedly struck by Amanda’s innocence and purity, or her beauty, the clichéd finger brushing gets overused, and so on. The characters spend a lot of time analysing their own and each other’s thoughts and actions, doing day to day stuff, recovering and travelling back to Amanda’s home, and we kind of drift along in the knowledge that we’re going to hit the ‘our worlds are too different’ snag eventually (especially since so much of the story is spent pointing out the differences between the two lifestyles), but other than that there’s not a lot happening until we get around the 65% mark and the media intrudes.
All in all this was a premise with great potential, but a disappointing outcome.
1. You are fine with a hero whose professes to have faith in God, but whose music contains explicit and immoral lyrics (these are never detailed in the books, but his music is described several times in these terms);
2. You do not mind that the hero repeatedly blasphemes in Spanish;
3. You are fine with a heroine who, despite her Amish upbringing, does not see anything inconsistent with faith in God and writing/performing/singing such music;
4. You don’t mind watching a young Amish girl gradually compromising more and more in order to fit into the hero’s world;
5. You don’t mind that the hero and heroine have a limited understanding of the Bible and experience no spiritual growth;
6. You want a sensual and lustful romance where only one of the main characters believes you should wait until marriage and where you are regularly given glimpses into the bedroom once the characters are married;
7. You don’t mind that the bulk of the series is simply spent trailing our hero and heroine while they meet each other, deal with the paparazzi, perform, pander to their fans, give interviews, and attend awards ceremonies and parties, and so on.
To be fair, much of this is not fully apparent until the second novel in the series, but the first novel is not intended to be a stand-alone, and will not be a satisfying read in itself. Needless to say, I do not recommend this series, but my initial rating of this book (prior to reading the rest of the series) was two-stars, partly because I still harboured some hope that this series would go in the right direction.
I was initially attracted to this series because I thought it had an interesting premise – super-celebrity meets young Amish girl in rather unfortunate circumstances, and an unlikely friendship begins to develop into something more. The two worlds couldn’t be more different. How would it work out? It was not clear from any of the synopses (or this novel) that Alejandro’s lyrics were so immoral and explicit, and as it is marketed as Christian fiction, I had a general expectation that Alejandro’s growing weariness at maintaining his bad-boy image and his fascination with Amanda’s innocence and purity would cause him to reassess his life. In the end I felt that the opposite occurred: Amanda was seduced (in an emotional and spiritual sense) into putting her trust in Alejandro rather than God, and the rest of the series develops along this theme.
We learn early on that Alejandro doesn’t have a rosy past. He learned to survive on the streets of Miami and that came at a price. Part of that price, apparently, is a daughter he provides for, but whom he doesn’t actually know. He explains to Amanda, “Things happen. I take care of them as best I can. I send money. That’s all they want actually.” Amanda then feels a deep sorrow on his behalf at the thought that people only want him for his money. Personally, I was more disappointed that he could be so dismissive of his own child. But then, in this same conversation he explains that he and his mother had little more than each other and their faith in God to take care of them when he was growing up. I know even Christians make mistakes like having a child out of wedlock, but I was little taken aback that he could so casually dismiss his illegitimate daughter in one breath, and talk of his faith in God then next. Nevertheless, I anticipated that Alejandro would have plenty of opportunity to grow in his faith as the novel progressed, and so I read on.
Unfortunately my hopes were never realised. Despite the initial impression that Alejandro was growing weary of his bad-boy image, he is quite casual, even deliberate, in his admission that many of his female fans make their way backstage at his concerts in the hope of an invite back to his hotel room for the night; a hope that is often realised. There is no indication that he sees anything particularly wrong with this, only that he wishes Amanda didn’t have to see him in this light. I also found it a little difficult to believe that such an innocent and pure Amish girl (as we are repeatedly reminded she is) would have continued this conversation for as long as she did, and taken it in the direction she did.
The novel was also unnecessarily sensual in a few places, particularly in light of its intended Christian/Amish romance audience. There is a scene where Amanda and Alejandro dance together with rather a lot of body contact and later in the book, when Alejandro is trying to divert the media’s attention from Amanda and her family, he ‘dances erotically’ with another woman at a nightclub (book’s description, not mine), which includes “a deep kiss that appeared to be full of passion and lust.” Even the kiss Amanda and Alejandro share is on the high end of the sensuality scale for a Christian novel. We are told this is because “Amanda’s inner beauty had a stronger pull on him (Alejandro) than his own moral strength.” I felt it was simply trying to romanticise lust.
**SPOILER**
The final clincher for many Christian readers will be the conclusion of this novel (looking towards the next in the series), which sees Amanda leaving her home to live with Alejandro (no, they do not get married in this book) because she needs to leave her community as a result of the disruptive media attention that has been focused on them. I find it difficult to believe this would have been God’s will in the situation, although considering Amanda never actually sought God’s will in the matter, perhaps this is not surprising.
**END SPOILER**
Probably the most disappointing aspect of this novel was the spiritual references (especially Alejandro’s habit of taking the Lord’s name in vain in Spanish). At one point Alejandro shows Amanda his Santa Barbara medallion (Santa Barbara being the saint who protects him). Being Cuban-born, the Catholicism is not surprising, however when Amanda counters that it is God who protects him, Alejandro replies that even God can use some help from time to time. This didn’t sit well with me, but then Alejandro goes on to say there are many religions in the world and maybe there is more than one way to worship God. Later, during the service at her church, Amanda reflects on this and apparently has a moment of ‘clarity’: Despite his worldly lifestyle, Alejandro is still a child of God. Just as there is more than one way to worship God, perhaps there was more than just one path that led to heaven.
It is possible that the author’s intended meaning was that the Amish way of life isn’t the only expression of Christian faith, and I agree with this, but that is not the way this reads. The Bible is quite clear that the only way to Heaven is to acknowledge our inherent sinfulness and that Christ paid that penalty in full for those who believe. No religion but Christianity teaches this. Just believing that there is ‘a God’ does not mean anything unless you also believe that humans are inherently sinful, and cannot overcome that in their own strength. If you believe IN God, then you believe that anything the Bible designates as sin is just that: sin. And if you believe in God, you believe that sin equals death, both spiritually and, eventually, physically. And if you believe that, then you don’t embrace sin or promote it; you turn away from it, you mourn when you fail, and you come to God for forgiveness and the strength to do better in the future. This is what it means to be a child of God, but it is not what I see lived out in Alejandro’s life.
In light of all of the above, it seems almost irrelevant to mention that I felt the writing itself left something to be desired. Considered independently of the other aspects mentioned above I probably would have given it a three-star rating. There is a lot of telling versus showing, and the point-of-view characters would suddenly switch for a paragraph or a sentence (once even within the sentence!) which could be quite disorienting for the reader. I got tired of having everything explained to me, over and over again, like how the photos that were being taken would soon be posted on social media networks, and how different the Amish and celebrity ways of life are. Alejandro is repeatedly struck by Amanda’s innocence and purity, or her beauty, the clichéd finger brushing gets overused, and so on. The characters spend a lot of time analysing their own and each other’s thoughts and actions, doing day to day stuff, recovering and travelling back to Amanda’s home, and we kind of drift along in the knowledge that we’re going to hit the ‘our worlds are too different’ snag eventually (especially since so much of the story is spent pointing out the differences between the two lifestyles), but other than that there’s not a lot happening until we get around the 65% mark and the media intrudes.
All in all this was a premise with great potential, but a disappointing outcome.
March 2, 2016
Oh my, I think I would gladly marry Alejandro myself if I were not already married to a real sweetheart! Alejandro is handsome, sweet, charming, respectful, sexy, and good mannered. Who wouldn't want to marry him? Oh, maybe an Amish young woman? Alejandro is a famous singer and he sings rap. Amanda is a pretty, sweet young Amish woman. When she walks in front of his limousine and his driver hits her, their lives begin a collision course of love. Amanda is hurt seriously and must be hospitalized and Alejandro is so attentive to her. He notifies her parents of her accident as she is in Manhattan and they are far away in Lititz, Pennsylvania. He even volunteers to take her home when she is released from the hospital.
I have been hearing about this series for a good while and everyone has raved about them. I wanted to read them so badly and when I recently discovered the entire series was available on netgalley, I requested to review them all. I have not been disappointed with the first book. I love Amanda and Alejandro. They are both so sweet and both from completely different worlds. He is English and famous. She is Amish and unknown to the world. I can hardly wait to read the second book in the series. To an English girl, Alejandro would be like Prince Charming. But to an Amish girl, there is such division that much confusion is stirred up for both Alejandro and Amanda. What does her family think of him? What will happen to them as feelings of attraction develop and deepen?
Readers will love following this young couple's adventure. I rated this book 5 stars and highly recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I have been hearing about this series for a good while and everyone has raved about them. I wanted to read them so badly and when I recently discovered the entire series was available on netgalley, I requested to review them all. I have not been disappointed with the first book. I love Amanda and Alejandro. They are both so sweet and both from completely different worlds. He is English and famous. She is Amish and unknown to the world. I can hardly wait to read the second book in the series. To an English girl, Alejandro would be like Prince Charming. But to an Amish girl, there is such division that much confusion is stirred up for both Alejandro and Amanda. What does her family think of him? What will happen to them as feelings of attraction develop and deepen?
Readers will love following this young couple's adventure. I rated this book 5 stars and highly recommend it.
I received a free copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
February 21, 2013
Sarah Price gives us a different view into our Amish Fiction novels in “Plain Fame”. This book is the first in Ms. Price’s “An Amish of Lititz” series.
A Mishap on the streets of New York City collides (literally) two unlikely worlds. That of a rock star and an unmarried Amish woman. From there it leads us on a journey that I for one, wouldn’t have imagined. It left me wanting more. More so, that I contacted Ms. Price personally to see if the next in this series, “Plain Change” was complete enough that I may obtain a review copy. Unfortunately, it isn’t quite finished yet but she assured me that it will be soon. So, for now, I will hold in my eagerness to find out if the decisions made by Amanda and Alejandro will be the best ones for everyone involved. Did the accidental meeting of Alejandro ruin Amanda & her family’s life? *sigh*, I am not a patient person so I do wish Ms. Price would hurry up with the next book "Plain Change" !
A Mishap on the streets of New York City collides (literally) two unlikely worlds. That of a rock star and an unmarried Amish woman. From there it leads us on a journey that I for one, wouldn’t have imagined. It left me wanting more. More so, that I contacted Ms. Price personally to see if the next in this series, “Plain Change” was complete enough that I may obtain a review copy. Unfortunately, it isn’t quite finished yet but she assured me that it will be soon. So, for now, I will hold in my eagerness to find out if the decisions made by Amanda and Alejandro will be the best ones for everyone involved. Did the accidental meeting of Alejandro ruin Amanda & her family’s life? *sigh*, I am not a patient person so I do wish Ms. Price would hurry up with the next book "Plain Change" !
October 14, 2015
This is the second Amish novel that I have read by Sarah Price and I can see myself wanting to read many more of her Amish novels. So pleased to have received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What a page turner! I rarely write what a story is about for fear of spoiling for others. I have read several Amish novels, but never a book based around a Celebrity who was one of the main characters. Loved the romance. I was sad over the parent's attitude towards Amanda towards the end, but it's not surprising knowing of religions that do shun their children. Recommended.
What a page turner! I rarely write what a story is about for fear of spoiling for others. I have read several Amish novels, but never a book based around a Celebrity who was one of the main characters. Loved the romance. I was sad over the parent's attitude towards Amanda towards the end, but it's not surprising knowing of religions that do shun their children. Recommended.
September 20, 2018
My thoughts: It is rare for a book to leave me speechless. PLAIN FAME is about the unlikeliest story to ever get written, let along published. I have to give the author kudos for an active imagination, but wow.
Okay, for the more conservative bunch, there is drinking. Use of God's name in vain in Spanish. I am not fluent enough in that language to positively say that is all. I don't know. Alejandro is a playboy, tattooed and dangerous, and not a stranger to one night stands. A few of the scenes were more graphic than I'm comfortable with. Not to mention, he is Catholic and she Amish.....
That aside, I am still confused how exactly she ended up in New York City. She was headed with her sister from Lancaster County Pennsylvania to Holmes County Ohio. Opposite directions from New York City. Her sister stayed on the train (Penn Station in NY which I understand is a subway station -- I may be wrong) She was crossing the street to buy sunglasses and gets hit by a rented limo (which Viper wasn't even driving but it's his fault she was jaywalking....) Anyway. Someone needs to study geography. Either the author, the characters, or the people who made a rule that trains must travel hundreds of miles in the opposite direction then backtrack. I'm not saying the author is wrong on this. I don't know.
If you like Amish themed stories and don't care about the realism factor, this book is for you. I understand Ms. Price is quite a popular author so don't take my word for it. I will not be reviewing the other books in this series though -- PLAIN FAME, Plain Change, Plain Again, Plain Return, Plain Choice and Plain Christmas.
I was given a copy of this book by a friend who liked it as well as I did. (Ahem). All opinions are my own and I was not obligated to write a review. And don't take my word for it. You might love it.
August 7, 2018
This continuing story is very long, spanning six books, each being about 300 pages. I liked the amish/celebrity love story and the characters enough to dive off the edge of this cliffhanger while putting a dent in my Amazon gift card! But....
March 23, 2018
Not bad. learned some interesting facts about Amish people, but a little sappy. the 2nd one may be a little better that I will try later.
May 12, 2014
This book wasn't quite what I expected. I enjoyed the premise of the story as it was very different from all other Amish fiction I've read. Hip Hop star meets Amish girl and a friendship is formed. Said Hip Hop star goes to Amish girl's family farm to get away from the hustle and bustle of his life as "Viper"--the world renowned star. He soon learns that he can't leave his life behind completely and this results in heartache for all involved. The premise of this book reminded me of the movie Pure Country where the country star is tired of all the hoopla and goes off on his own to discover himself again.
Yes, this book had potential. I was really excited as I sat down to read it because as I said it was different from anything else I had read. The book fell a little flat for me though. There needed to be a bit more editing as there were a few misspelled words throughout the book. I also found the writing to be not as fluid as I would have liked. The book for the most part takes place over a one week period. With the book being over 200 pages it seemed as if there was a lot of repetition.
I realize this is the first book in the trilogy and there is more to come in the other to books but I wish this book would have moved along at a bit faster pace. With a bit more editing and depth to the story in this installment this would have been a four or five star read.
Yes, this book had potential. I was really excited as I sat down to read it because as I said it was different from anything else I had read. The book fell a little flat for me though. There needed to be a bit more editing as there were a few misspelled words throughout the book. I also found the writing to be not as fluid as I would have liked. The book for the most part takes place over a one week period. With the book being over 200 pages it seemed as if there was a lot of repetition.
I realize this is the first book in the trilogy and there is more to come in the other to books but I wish this book would have moved along at a bit faster pace. With a bit more editing and depth to the story in this installment this would have been a four or five star read.
February 17, 2013
I really liked this book! From the first page I was hooked. The story, while having a "this could never happen" feeling to it, worked. I was caught up in the emotions and feelings of both Amanda and Alex. The feelings that grew in spite of everything they were doing to try to deny them.
Then the unthinkable happens. Alex, also known as Viper in the music world, tries to do the right thing by taking Amanda home to Pennsylvania after an accident, creates a tabloid monster that just keeps growing and growing despite his best efforts to quiet it down. Amanda has no idea what is happening and finds that Alex is the only one she can turn to who will be able to fix what has happened to her small Amish community.
I loved getting to know these characters and cannot wait for the second book in the Plain Fame Trilogy. This is a book full of emotion, feeling, confusion, doubt and yes, even love. I highly recommend this book!
Then the unthinkable happens. Alex, also known as Viper in the music world, tries to do the right thing by taking Amanda home to Pennsylvania after an accident, creates a tabloid monster that just keeps growing and growing despite his best efforts to quiet it down. Amanda has no idea what is happening and finds that Alex is the only one she can turn to who will be able to fix what has happened to her small Amish community.
I loved getting to know these characters and cannot wait for the second book in the Plain Fame Trilogy. This is a book full of emotion, feeling, confusion, doubt and yes, even love. I highly recommend this book!
February 9, 2017
I won this in a goodreads giveaway. No one asked me to review it, so here we go.
Romance novels aren't normally my cup of tea, but this series is going to have to be an exception to the rule. In fact, I think my birthday present to myself is going to be the rest of the series. I liked it that much.
This book caught my attention early on and kept it throughout. The idea of having our hero and heroine come from two completely opposite worlds, only to find they're not really that far apart in the way they were raised and their core values -- well, that idea was a really good one. I'm looking forward to how Ms. Price is going to have that play out over the series. It will be interesting to see how each one's world changes the other.
So the short story is that I recommend this book very highly. If you love romance novels, this will probably end up being one of your favorite books. If you don't (like me), I think you'll enjoy it anyway. Dive in!
Romance novels aren't normally my cup of tea, but this series is going to have to be an exception to the rule. In fact, I think my birthday present to myself is going to be the rest of the series. I liked it that much.
This book caught my attention early on and kept it throughout. The idea of having our hero and heroine come from two completely opposite worlds, only to find they're not really that far apart in the way they were raised and their core values -- well, that idea was a really good one. I'm looking forward to how Ms. Price is going to have that play out over the series. It will be interesting to see how each one's world changes the other.
So the short story is that I recommend this book very highly. If you love romance novels, this will probably end up being one of your favorite books. If you don't (like me), I think you'll enjoy it anyway. Dive in!
June 22, 2017
I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Actual Rating: 4.15
This was an unexpected read. This was my first book that had themes of the Amish lifestyle. I have to say that this book had me hooked from the first page. This was an intriguing romantic story about a Cuban singer and an Amish woman.
They were great characters. Alejandro "Viper" Diaz is a Cuban singer who is known for his bad boy image. However, in real life, he is a polite gentleman. He is a sexy, confident person and definitely qualifies as boyfriend material.
Amanda is an Amish girl who went to Ohio to see her sister. She is a very sweet and kind girl. I liked their chemistry and their feelings were very genuine. The ending was sad and good. I loved the way that Faith was incorporated into this story. Overall, a great read.
Actual Rating: 4.15
This was an unexpected read. This was my first book that had themes of the Amish lifestyle. I have to say that this book had me hooked from the first page. This was an intriguing romantic story about a Cuban singer and an Amish woman.
They were great characters. Alejandro "Viper" Diaz is a Cuban singer who is known for his bad boy image. However, in real life, he is a polite gentleman. He is a sexy, confident person and definitely qualifies as boyfriend material.
Amanda is an Amish girl who went to Ohio to see her sister. She is a very sweet and kind girl. I liked their chemistry and their feelings were very genuine. The ending was sad and good. I loved the way that Faith was incorporated into this story. Overall, a great read.
April 2, 2014
This was such a wonderful book and I had trouble putting it down.. Amanda Beiler is an Amish girl who's been visiting relatives in Ohio and enroute home,she is in New York and hit by a limo with a famous singer called Viper.. He is concerned for her and visits her in the hospital and makes arrangements to take her home when she's released from the hospital.. While he decides to take a break and spend some time in her Amish community,he,Amanda and her family don't realize how the media will pick up on this.. The story is sweet and fast paced.. I can't wait to read the next book in the series..
June 24, 2017
Amanda meets paparazzi Viper when his limousine hits her crossing the street. What follows is a tale of the reclusive Amish community learning what it means when the world comes to their community. "Viper" thought he was helping by returning her to the family farm instead he brought the public eye. The end is up in the air and you must read the next book to find the ending. Clever trick Sarah Price. The only reason this is not a 5 star is that the story was far fetched in my opinion.
But well written and was entertaining.
I was provided an ecopy of this book in return for my honest review thank you for reading
But well written and was entertaining.
I was provided an ecopy of this book in return for my honest review thank you for reading
February 18, 2013
I enjoyed this book. The contrast between the two main characters is fascinating. The author takes two very different subcultures (hip hop star with his glitz, glamour, but emptiness vs a plain simple Amish girl that has family, love, and peace) and after an initial crash (pun intended), skillfully weaves them into an intriguing mixture that left me wanting to read the next book.
The only negative I have is that the message of true faith in God is somewhat shadowy...I would like to see a clear cut gospel message emerge on the next book.
The only negative I have is that the message of true faith in God is somewhat shadowy...I would like to see a clear cut gospel message emerge on the next book.
May 12, 2013
I won "Plain Fame" from Sarah Price's contest that was held on facebook. An honest review was the only thing asked in return of reading "Plain Fame".
This was my first time reading a book by Sarah Price. I have read a lot of Amish books by different authors and have only found a couple books that I didn't like.
I loved this book because Sarah provides the right amount of details and keeps the readers on their toes. I like reading about different Englishers that come into the Amish community.
This was my first time reading a book by Sarah Price. I have read a lot of Amish books by different authors and have only found a couple books that I didn't like.
I loved this book because Sarah provides the right amount of details and keeps the readers on their toes. I like reading about different Englishers that come into the Amish community.
October 9, 2016
I enjoyed this story. I love reading about the Amish people. However, if I had realised this was part of a series and that the story doesn't finish at the end of the book I wouldn't have read it. I dislike having books ending on cliff hangers. It's just a personal thing and my own fault for not looking into this series more intently.
I really liked Amanda. A lovely character. I loved the part that took place in the Amish community, not so much the bit about Alejandro. I don't read things in this kind of setting normally. Great writing though and the book just flowed along.
I really liked Amanda. A lovely character. I loved the part that took place in the Amish community, not so much the bit about Alejandro. I don't read things in this kind of setting normally. Great writing though and the book just flowed along.
July 29, 2016
My first Sarah Price novel. I think I was more curious in learning about the author's background and how she'd present this genre. PLAIN FAME moves quite slowly--just because every character emotion is detailed--but I thought the characters were good and I enjoyed learning more about the Amish culture. And as it turns out, this is the first in a multi-book series about Alejandro and Amanda, in which their struggles between his "fame" and her "plain religion" continue.
February 26, 2013
This book was so romantic and sweet. I couldn't put it down and I can hardly wait for the second book to come out so I can find out what is going to happen next. Amanda's innocence is precious and I especially love Alejandro's caring and protective nature towards her. A very, very fun read.
December 22, 2012
Great book. Definitely a fresh and different plotline in Amish fiction. The characters are well built, and I could feel their emotions as if they were my own. Can't wait for part 2!!
February 1, 2016
I really liked this storyline. One decision effects your whole life. Now I need to read the rest of this series!
February 7, 2016
Won this here on Goodreads. Sweet story about an Amish woman and a musician and what happens when they are attracted to each other.
June 6, 2017
I won a copy from a giveaway on Goodreads. The author or the people running the giveaway did not pay me for a review and all the thoughts here are my own honest opinion.
Being a reader who has read over 65 Amish books (I think I put all the Amish books I read on Goodreads but I am not sure) they seem to all run together and repeat one another. (I still read them and I still love them). Pain Frame is not one of these cases. It goes beyond the normal format of Amish book. One of the main characters is a famous singer who visits the land of the Amish. Not what I was expecting which made it a fantastic read and a nice change.
The Writing:
The writing style while fun to read was also hard to follow. The book seem to change from deep POV to not so deep POV. It also head-hops from the two main characters without warning. This made it a little annoying. Nonetheless the book was very lighthearted and enjoyable. I often found myself smiling or even laughing (in a good way) with the events that happens in this book.
The book is written in third person in Alejandro Diaz's and Amanda Beiler's POV's.
The Characters:
Alejandro Diaz
Alejandro, also known as the "Viper" by his fans, is a famous singer in need of a break. He is also Cuban born.
Amanda Beiler
Amanda is simple and plain because she is Amish. She wants to help her family on their farm.
Plot:
Amanda is going home after her trip in Ohio. She stops for a moment on her train ride home in New York before she gets hit by a limousine that Alejandro happens to be ridding in.
Concern for Amanda and needing a break Alejandro goes home with her to Lancaster County.
The Biblical Points in the Book:
There was a few biblical points in this book. Some were about relaxing, relating sin, and so on.
There was one part though that I didn't agree on.
Here is a quote from chapter 10 (no spoilers)
"There are many religions in the world, sí? Maybe there is more than one way to worship God."
(note Alejandro said the above)
"You aren't suppose to worship anyone above God," she said.
Later in chapter 12 from Amanda's POV
The path to heaven might be narrow, she thought, as the song said, but she also wondered if Alejandro had been correct. Just as there was more than one way to worship God, perhaps there was more than just one path that led to heaven.
Okay, there is more than one way to worship God. But, the part about there being more than one path to heaven bothers me a little.
But as I said that was the only real problem I had to the Biblical points. The rest I remember, I was agreeable with.
Here's the overview of my review:
What I Liked:
1. The characters.
2. The story was lighthearted and funny at times but still address some important topics. (Some that I did not mention in the review).
3. It is different than other Amish stories.
4. The plot was fantastic and interesting.
What I Didn't Like:
1. The head-hopping (I am okay with changing POV's but I like it to have a fair warning).
2. I didn't agree with some of the biblical points.
Content in Book:
1. Mentions of Alejandro sleeping with other girls. (Only in subtext, plus I thought it was important on how it was mentioned in the story.)
2. Mentions of nightclubs.
3. Alejandro's lifestyle as the famous bad-boy singer "Viper". (Some of his life might be considered as content but is mostly in context.)
Will I Continue With The Other Books In The Series:
Of course! I really enjoyed the overall story. And cliffhanger! I want to know what happened to the characters!
Who I Would Recommend The Book To:
Hard-core Amish readers. New to Amish stories.
Being a reader who has read over 65 Amish books (I think I put all the Amish books I read on Goodreads but I am not sure) they seem to all run together and repeat one another. (I still read them and I still love them). Pain Frame is not one of these cases. It goes beyond the normal format of Amish book. One of the main characters is a famous singer who visits the land of the Amish. Not what I was expecting which made it a fantastic read and a nice change.
The Writing:
The writing style while fun to read was also hard to follow. The book seem to change from deep POV to not so deep POV. It also head-hops from the two main characters without warning. This made it a little annoying. Nonetheless the book was very lighthearted and enjoyable. I often found myself smiling or even laughing (in a good way) with the events that happens in this book.
The book is written in third person in Alejandro Diaz's and Amanda Beiler's POV's.
The Characters:
Alejandro Diaz
Alejandro, also known as the "Viper" by his fans, is a famous singer in need of a break. He is also Cuban born.
Amanda Beiler
Amanda is simple and plain because she is Amish. She wants to help her family on their farm.
Plot:
Amanda is going home after her trip in Ohio. She stops for a moment on her train ride home in New York before she gets hit by a limousine that Alejandro happens to be ridding in.
Concern for Amanda and needing a break Alejandro goes home with her to Lancaster County.
The Biblical Points in the Book:
There was a few biblical points in this book. Some were about relaxing, relating sin, and so on.
There was one part though that I didn't agree on.
Here is a quote from chapter 10 (no spoilers)
"There are many religions in the world, sí? Maybe there is more than one way to worship God."
(note Alejandro said the above)
"You aren't suppose to worship anyone above God," she said.
Later in chapter 12 from Amanda's POV
The path to heaven might be narrow, she thought, as the song said, but she also wondered if Alejandro had been correct. Just as there was more than one way to worship God, perhaps there was more than just one path that led to heaven.
Okay, there is more than one way to worship God. But, the part about there being more than one path to heaven bothers me a little.
But as I said that was the only real problem I had to the Biblical points. The rest I remember, I was agreeable with.
Here's the overview of my review:
What I Liked:
1. The characters.
2. The story was lighthearted and funny at times but still address some important topics. (Some that I did not mention in the review).
3. It is different than other Amish stories.
4. The plot was fantastic and interesting.
What I Didn't Like:
1. The head-hopping (I am okay with changing POV's but I like it to have a fair warning).
2. I didn't agree with some of the biblical points.
Content in Book:
1. Mentions of Alejandro sleeping with other girls. (Only in subtext, plus I thought it was important on how it was mentioned in the story.)
2. Mentions of nightclubs.
3. Alejandro's lifestyle as the famous bad-boy singer "Viper". (Some of his life might be considered as content but is mostly in context.)
Will I Continue With The Other Books In The Series:
Of course! I really enjoyed the overall story. And cliffhanger! I want to know what happened to the characters!
Who I Would Recommend The Book To:
Hard-core Amish readers. New to Amish stories.
August 16, 2020
Different take on an Amish Tale
I haven't read an Amish novel in several years. When I was looking for my next read, this one jumped out at me and I thought the story seemed very different and interesting especially the angle of world famous singer and an Amish girl but throw in he's international and I was hooked.
Last summer I read several novels and the subject matter was very heavy. This summer I decide lighter reads were up my alley. Some would say this novel could be one of those cheesy romances however I didn't find that to be the case whatsoever I found this to be a delightful little read with interesting characters especially Amanda, Alejandro and Elias and Lizzie. The author could have made the parents very unaccepting, but she actually welcomed Alejandro into their world when he cared enough to put Amanda 1st after her accident.I know there is at least 4 or 5 other novels to this is series and I may continue it just to see how it turns out. A nice little read for those looking for something light. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for something a little different with a blossoming romance, of course forbidden because of the different worlds of the main characters. Enjoyable read.
I haven't read an Amish novel in several years. When I was looking for my next read, this one jumped out at me and I thought the story seemed very different and interesting especially the angle of world famous singer and an Amish girl but throw in he's international and I was hooked.
Last summer I read several novels and the subject matter was very heavy. This summer I decide lighter reads were up my alley. Some would say this novel could be one of those cheesy romances however I didn't find that to be the case whatsoever I found this to be a delightful little read with interesting characters especially Amanda, Alejandro and Elias and Lizzie. The author could have made the parents very unaccepting, but she actually welcomed Alejandro into their world when he cared enough to put Amanda 1st after her accident.I know there is at least 4 or 5 other novels to this is series and I may continue it just to see how it turns out. A nice little read for those looking for something light. I would recommend this novel to anyone looking for something a little different with a blossoming romance, of course forbidden because of the different worlds of the main characters. Enjoyable read.
March 17, 2018
Having visited the Amish area in Lancaster, PA many times, I loved this book. The farms really look like those described in this book and their are buggies all over. The Amish don't like to have their picture taken, because they feel like Amanda said, "they stole my image". Alejandro showed great respect for Amanda's family, her beliefs and customs while visiting the farm. Yet, his growing attracting to Amanda sometimes made that very difficult. His decision to leave after the incident in "Intercourse", and their really is a place called by that name, was an attempt to keep all the cameras and reporters away from the farm. Unbeknownst to him, they were camped their anyway and causing such a disturbance to the whole area, which his manager caused and encouraged, caused Alejandro to have to go get Amanda because the Bishop told Amanda that she had to leave. What will happen next will change all of their lives. You will enjoy this b ook.
January 16, 2018
4.5+ Stars!
Sarah Price has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I absolutely loved this Amish/Taboo/Fish-out-of-water romance. This book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but not a shocking one. It simply leads into the next book. A book I'm eager to begin and see where this relationship goes. I also intermittently switched from reading to audio and just like the book, the audio was perfect. I have previously listened to this narrator (Amy McFadden) and she was one of the best I've heard. She does a fantastic job with accents and inflections. Definitely an author and narrator I will continue to follow.
Sarah Price has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I absolutely loved this Amish/Taboo/Fish-out-of-water romance. This book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but not a shocking one. It simply leads into the next book. A book I'm eager to begin and see where this relationship goes. I also intermittently switched from reading to audio and just like the book, the audio was perfect. I have previously listened to this narrator (Amy McFadden) and she was one of the best I've heard. She does a fantastic job with accents and inflections. Definitely an author and narrator I will continue to follow.
September 1, 2019
It was okay. There were a couple of times where the story contradicted itself. The main make character moves from never having known his father and his mother refusing to ever talk about him, to somehow knowing that his father was a decent man who drank too much. If I'm not mistaken, he lived with both his parents before his mother got up the courage to move out. He buys his mother a house but then later he's paying rent on her apartment. It was distracting but not major.
I read the second installment but not being a fan of cliffhangers, I won't be reading any further into the series.
I read the second installment but not being a fan of cliffhangers, I won't be reading any further into the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 27, 2020
I don't read romance novels because it just isn't helpful for my romantic mind... those stories tend to be so far from what true romance looks like and I think they are stumbling blocks to many women.
I do enjoy some of Beverly Lewis books and I thought this would be equal. Not really. I live among these Amish and near Lititz where this book took place. It just wan't real. There was very little true life Amish information.
I listened to this on an audio book and it was well read. I probably would not have finished it if I couldn't just hit play while I cleaned.
I do enjoy some of Beverly Lewis books and I thought this would be equal. Not really. I live among these Amish and near Lititz where this book took place. It just wan't real. There was very little true life Amish information.
I listened to this on an audio book and it was well read. I probably would not have finished it if I couldn't just hit play while I cleaned.
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