Plain Jayne by Laura Drewry
Contemporary Romance
Released: April 8, 2014
Loveswept

Reviewed by Mandi

I don’t mind reading books where the hero or heroine has lost a spouse. What I do mind is when the dead spouse is disrespected or just plain dumped on. There are a lot of factors that come into play, but I for one do believe a hero or heroine can fall in love again after their spouse dies, even when they truly loved the deceased person. The deceased person does not have to be bitchy, or have some other fault that makes it ‘easier’ for the reader to fall for the new love.

Plain Jayne opens four years after Nick’s wife died. Her name was Abby and apparently she was gorgeous, yet always suspicious of Nick’s best friend Jayne. It wasn’t just Abby who was suspicious, many believed Nick and Jayne’s feelings were more than just friend feelings, although they both deny that. Jayne attends Abby’s funeral, but is thrown out by Nick after his mother makes a huge scene about Jayne being there. Jayne leaves town and doesn’t speak to Nick for four years, but now Jayne’s grandmother has passed away and she was left her bookstore with an apartment above it. Jayne was estranged from her grandmother, but still finds it surprising that the bookstore and apartment are in horrible, unlivable shape. So – Nick offers a room in his house for Jayne to crash (they have made up their feud when the book starts) and Jayne moves in temporarily.

“Before that you refused to stay with me because you thought Abby hated you.”

“She did!” The growl sounded again, slower, longer. “There was no way she would’ve let me stay with you and there was no way in hell I’d even ask.”

“Well, you’re not asking, and Abby’s not here to put up a fight, is she?”

I found Jayne very unlikable for many reasons. First, let me mention a theme throughout this book – and that is Jayne is ‘plain’ and every other woman that has been with Nick is perfect and gorgeous in Jayne’s eyes. Yes, I know it’s the title but it still got old.

I thought I’d spend the book upset by how Abby was portrayed, but she was off page quickly. What really annoyed me and frustrated me was Nick’s girlfriend Lisa, who he is dating when the book starts. Lisa herself I liked, but the problem is – Nick doesn’t break up with Lisa until the 78% mark in this book. Let me repeat – the hero is dating someone who is not the heroine, until the 78% mark of this book. Not only that, but I couldn’t stand the way Jayne acted with Lisa. First she can’t remember Lisa’s name and starts calling her Linda or ‘LindaLisa’ or other variations. It was annoying and disrespectful. She calls Lisa ‘Linda’ 31 times in this book.

It wasn’t until LindaLisa sat down that Jayne realized what she’d seen. LindaLisa was wearing a dress. No, not just a dress. A pink dress, summery and sleeveless with wide straps over her shoulders and an oversized decorative button pinned to her neckline. It was cute and girly and completely out of place here.

Again, Lisa is perfect in Jayne’s eyes.

Did she ever have an ugly day? Did she even own sweats? Her dark waves were pinned up in a soft pile at the back of her head, and her makeup looked…well…like it wasn’t even there. Dressed in slim tan capris, a fuchsia off-the-shoulder chiffon blouse, and the cutest cork wedge sandals Jayne had ever seen, Lisa obviously wasn’t there to help haul boxes down the stairs.

“Hey.” Jayne forced a smile she sure as hell didn’t feel and stuff her phone in the back pocked of her Tyvek suit.

Seriously, Jayne needed to give it a break. OR – if she is this jealous that she is this petty with Lisa’s appearance, than tell Nick how you feel! Instead, this goes on the entire book and it made me uncomfortable. Even Nick gets in on the Lisa shaming.

He didn’t even try to stop the chuckle that worked its way out. For as often as she smirked at him, Jayne deserved every single one of those creases around her eyes. Lisa would never let her creases show like that, and she sure as hell would never let him see her without her hair styled or without makeup on.

There was no denying Lisa always looked great. She was like one of those houses the hospital lotteries were always giving away, made up so perfectly you couldn’t help but want it. Jayne on the other hand…well, Jayne wasn’t anything like a shiny new house

She was home.

I don’t want to read a romance where the hero and heroine fall in love while the entire time the hero is committed to someone else. And to make things more frustrating when Nick finally breaks it off with Lisa (who of course isn’t’ even angry – she encourages Nick to follow his heart *ugh*) Nick and Jayne don’t realize they love each other.

I love courtship and sexual tension in romance books. This book doesn’t have any sex and I honestly didn’t notice until later. But what I did notice is how awkward courtship and sexual tension is for hundreds of pages when one of the people is in relationship with someone else. It’s not fun to read about.

Rating: C-

Goodreads l Author Website

Kindle l Nook