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

Karen Templeton (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Silhouette (August 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0373271662
• ISBN-13: 978-0373271665
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,260,228 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a multi-published romance/women's fiction author for Harlequin/Silhouette and Red Dress Ink who loves to write about real people dealing with the drama (and humor) of everyday life. I've been a voracious reader since I was four, still manage to read a book or two a week despite having five sons and a full-time writing career.

My 'reviews' are more 'recommendations', since I don't post reviews about books that don't ring my chimes. I tend to be drawn to women's fiction and mainstream family drama most often, with some mysteries tossed in for balance. For a book to 'work' for me, I have to find the characters appealing and believeable; the prose must be compelling and well-crafted; and it doesn't hurt if there's a good dollop of humor somewhere along the line.

Fave authors include Jeanne Ray, Terry McMillan, Anne Tyler, Janet Evanovitch, Curtiss Ann Matlock, Marsha Moyers, Marion Keyes, Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Crusie, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable heartwarming story that will make you smile, October 16, 2001

By 

creativedawn (Bullhead City, AZ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plain - Jane Princess (How to Marry a Monarch) (Silhouette Intimate Moments No. 1096) (Intimate Moments, 1096) (Paperback)

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! :)

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Story To Hug to Your Heart, August 25, 2001

By 

Barbara O'Neill - See all my reviews

This review is from: Plain - Jane Princess (How to Marry a Monarch) (Silhouette Intimate Moments No. 1096) (Intimate Moments, 1096) (Paperback)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely memorable! -- Very highly recommended, July 30, 2001

By 

C. Penn "WordWeaving" (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Plain - Jane Princess (How to Marry a Monarch) (Silhouette Intimate Moments No. 1096) (Intimate Moments, 1096) (Paperback)

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.

Karen Templeton begins a new miniseries called How to Marry a Monarch with PLAIN-JANE PRINCESS. A Romantic Times Top Pick, PLAIN-JANE PRINECESS is one of those rare reading delights that allows the characters live and breath with amazing conviction. Given that the hero has five children, this quite a remarkable accomplishment! Templeton not only captures a surly teen attitude with flair, but she also dramatically delivers the youngest child's propensity for falling asleep in strange places. With a beautifully created romance, depth of characterization and a generous dose of humor, PLAIN-JANE PRINCESS comes very highly recommended.