Clever funny book, well written. ( )

This was a delightful story, and I found myself laughing out loud at times. I liked the story line and loved the conversations between the two main characters. Jayne Tate just made me laugh, especially when she tries to shop and cook a meal.

Jayne Tate loves her life as a reporter for a newspaper, living in a big city in Oregon and dating a guy who knows nothing about her past. Life is safe for her. But Jayne is told to take her vacation at the newspaper after her father dies and it seems to have affected her writing abilities. Jayne decides to escape to the Amish country in Oregon and work on a free lance piece while on vacation.

Jayne will find herself staying with an Amish family, the Burkholders, and loves the closeness this family has for one another; except for their oldest son, Levi, who has left the Amish church, but works in town as a carpenter. Jayne will get to know and appreciate Levi very much and their banter back and forth was just very refreshing. But Jayne will have to decide if her growing "friendship" with Levi is just because of her research, or because she is falling in love. As the back cover says, "And what's a green tea-drinking, laptop-using, motorcycle-riding reporter to do when a little Plain living starts to change her?".

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Amish country of Oregon. Jayne has 3 friends that were great, she and Levi will have a big impact on Levi's sister Sara, that will lead to book two in this "Plaln & Simple" series which I am looking forward to starting next, called "Simply Sara". This was one of those stories that was hard to put down, because I was enjoying the story so much. There were family issues in both Jayne and Levi's lives that were sad, but I feel it also brought them closer together. Hope you enjoy your stay in Oregon! ( )

Great book by Hillary Manton Lodge - she makes you want to finish the book in all one sitting. She makes her characters seem real and that you would like to be their friends and join them in their adventures or at least in eatting. This is a great sit on the porch and enjoy book. ( )

I think the first two reviewers said most of what I was thinking. In addition, I really would have liked to see what Jayne wrote in the paper. I liked the point of view of an Englisher looking at the Amish and then getting involved. I hope I can find more of this author's books in the future. (Review of April 2012)
I enjoyed this book even more a second time having met the author and having read two of her newer books. Jayne is a likable and real character and I like the way the author writes snappy conversations. (Review of August 2015). ( )

Why can't all Amish fiction be like this? I had a blast reading this book by this talented debut author. Everything that I don't like in Amish fiction never showed up at all. Lodge describes her books as "urban Amish, totally not your mom's Amish". I totally agree with her. While older Amish readers might still enjoy this new series, I think that these books will appeal more to the 20-30 something crowd. At the very least I really felt as if this book was speaking to me.

Jayne is a very interesting character as she visits the Amish to find new life to her career. She's curious about the lifestyle but not in a mocking way. She tries her best to fit in but still takes advantage of the modern life she lives. She's a real spunky character and gets along well with everyone. Romantic relationships are a big part of her story but the way they are played out in the book is very realistic and enjoyable to read. I really liked her relationship with the Burkholder family and how both sides gained new found respect for each other.

What I liked best about this book was the blending of the outside world and the Amish world. This book however does what most Amish book don't do, which is allows the reader to make the choice about which world they want to be part of. Too many times, the Amish are portrayed as a Utopian society where their way of living is how everyone should be living and those who don't are made to feel guilty. Jayne questions many things about the Amish to their face, but without disrespect. She's genuinely curious but not to the point where she wants to switch lifestyles. One question she asked, which I felt was very important, was why can the Amish forgive everyone who does harm (both physical or psychological) but refuses to forgive people who leave the lifestyle. It's a question I've been asking for years.

I was really enthralled by this book and couldn't put it down. The writing is fresh and crisp, totally modern without resorting to random pop culture trivia. Maybe it's because the author is younger than most Amish authors, but like I said I really felt like I could relate to this book. I am around the same age as Jayne and she acted just like how I felt someone my age would act. This is probably one of my favorite new reads of this year and I know I'm going to be excited for when the next book in the series comes out. Even if you don't like Amish fiction, you should still give these books a try. They're definitely not what you think they are going to be. HIGHLY recommended. ( )