Customer Reviews

The Rana Look

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an older entertaining read from Sandra Brown. Rana Ramsey has lived what appears to be a charmed life as a model. It is revealed the difficulties she has had to go though such as being treated like a commodity, watching every once that goes into her mouth, and living as everyone expects instead of how she chooses. When Rana can't take it anymore, she leaves and relocates to Texas. She drastically changes her look by wearing baggy clothes and glasses she doesn't need.

Rana feels at home until the landlords nephew moves in to rehab an injured shoulder. Trent Gamblin feels very comfortable around Rana, and finds himself very attracted to her despite her plain looks.

This is a very typical romance, but a good, quick, light read.

"The Rana Look" by Sandra Brown is one of the author's earlier Loveswept works and one her best. In 211 pages, Ms. Brown gives the reader a story that beauty is not always everything. It's a great read, but it could cost a little less.

Even glossed up and repackaged with the frills, Sandra Brown's reprint of her Loveswept classic remains a timeless simple romance of how runaway model Rana Ramsey has decided to abandon her career and seeks reclusion in a boarding house in Gavleston owned by the affectionate Ms. Ruby. Her nephew - a football quarterback - Trent Gamblin comes to retreat for a period of convalescence before embarking on a summer camp. Trent is intrigued by the prim and proper Ms. Ramsey and wonders why she is hiding behind unflattering apparel. When love strikes, he wonders whether Ms. Ramsey is really the simple girl she proclaims....

Within a laconic 200 pages, Sandra Brown weaves a textured romance with sensual sparks and wispy humour that sizzles with chemistry from Trent and Rana. Yet what makes The Rana Look exceptional is its underlying theme on beauty and inner character which makes it relevant in the times of superficial consumerism. Trent finds himself comfortable with a woman without frills; Rana learns to live for herself rather than being manipulated by her shallow mother. It is ultimately about choices and acceptance of one self.

Detractors may say it is not deeply insightful but be reminded that this is but romance. There are enlightening valuable lessons that are subtly broached in this first-rate romance which is entertaining if you skim on top of the surface; deeply moving if you discern it as more than a romance and look beyond The Rana Look.

I picked this up at the airport recently and read it during a long flight and layover. I didn't know it was a reprint of an older book, though I should have known from the quality!

The story was just "ok." I felt it could have been a lot more interesting. I have a hard time believing that frumpy clothes and sunglasses could hide "the world's most famous supermodel", especially considering how easily recognized most celebrities are in People magazine, even with sunglasses and baseball caps on!

Trent and Rana were interesting characters though, and the story flowed well and was easy to read. The basic idea is that Rana gave up her supermodel career because she was sick of her overbearing mother constantly pushing her in to things she didn't want. She put on the sunglasses and frumpy clothes and became the prudish "Ana" who rented a room from an elderly lady named Ruby. Ruby's nephew Trent came to stay for a few weeks, to heal up his shoulder before returning to his job as a pro football quarterback.

Trent shows interest in Ana, which surprises her since she is supposedly so hideous in her frumpy clothes. They end up falling in love, but having a predictable fallout before making up and living happily ever after.

Overall, I have a hard time giving this book more than 3 stars. I did read it and somewhat enjoy it, but I found the plot and characters a little cliche and unbelieveable. It's a good airplane read though, as it's quick and easy! There are much better romance novels out there, so I only recommend this one in a pinch.

I recently purchased this book and was disappointed that it had to end. I only wish that Sandra Brown can think of a new story line using Rana and Trent as her chracters. It was very sexy and charming and witty all at the same time. Only bad thing about the book was that I want to know if Trent takes his team to the Super Bowl and if Rana does go back to her career,etc. I really hope another contiuation of their life is written up again. You will really love this couple and story line.

My mom has been a fan of the romance genre for many years (Delinsky, Michaels, Adler, et al). Her eyesight failing, I went to the library to pick up some large print books for her, and this happened to be one I chose. She was still unable to read, so I offered to read to her. This stuff just can NOT be read aloud, and certainly not by a middle-aged man to his elderly mother. Whenever we got to one of the "steamy" parts, I'd get the giggles and be unable to continue. Mom had a pretty good chuckle herself. If this story (and its ilk) defines the sort of "romance" that women are looking for in their lives, well...I'm not sure what to say. I have to believe, though, that there must be better stuff available than this.

A very entertaining and quick read. The plot is simple, a successful supermodel (Rana Ramsey) is tired of the "supermodel life" and her overbearing mother and decides that she is going to live, incognito, in a boarding house in Texas. There, with a "not so brilliant" disquise of blue tinted glasses and extremely baggy clothes, she is finding the life she never had...a friend (elderly Ruby), a career (as a clothing designer, Ana R...Rana backwards), a sense of self-worth (people like her for her talent and not her looks) and now a love affair with a HUNKY, recovering from a shoulder injury, football star, Trent. He soon overlooks the ugly swan package and falls in love with the beautiful woman inside. Although, I found that the novel had a few loose ends, it was interesting to see how, why and when Rana (posing as the plain Ana) will reveal her true self to Trent. And the real question becomes, "will they live happily ever after"?

I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this book at my local library and snapped it up quickly. I have become an avid reader of Sandra Brown's book since buying 'The Switch' and have come to love her earlier works as well. As for the 'Rana Look', I once again could not put this book down. It was beautifully written with characters so three dimensional, you can almost feel the pain, the heartache and yes, the intense *heat* that radiated from Rana and Trent. It wasn't only a sensual read, but had very sweet and humurous moments as well. It also dealt with the very sensitive parental/child relationship and its effects in a person's life. Absolutely beautiful. I enjoyed the sexy bantering, the emotional sweetness between Rana and Trent and most of all, the testing of their bond. For a cynic about romance, Sandra Brown has proven once again, she can make me believe.
Also recommended: Breakfast in Bed, Send No Flowers, The Switch, The Silken Web, Adam's Fall, Heaven's Price

After listening to the Audio Book of THE RANA LOOK...
I LOVED IT!!
I laughed so hard & I talked back to the characters!
If you want to be thoroughly entertained & if you are having one of those days when you want some laughter in your day THE RANA LOOK is sure to PLEASE!
I had a great time with the(sweet) HERO TRENT !
Wow what a fun loving wild & keep me laughing type of HUNK!
What a treat to have a great feel good story entwined with Love & laughter well combined!

First let me say that I did enjoy this book. I debated between three and four stars for while, probably more of a three and half but it's got so many five star review, I figured another three wouldn't hurt. It was a fun enjoyable light read. It didn't make you put on your thinking cap, the characters were likable. It a great afternoon of fluff.

But it left me feeling... odd. Maybe it was the overflow of beautiful, famous people, or the 2 dimensional secondary characters. But I think what really got me was the classic Clark Kent/Superman switch-e-roo. Just because this apparently drop dead gorgeous woman puts on a pair of glasses and some frumpy clothes, she's suddenly this hideous beast. She loses all of her feminine appeal. I mean I can understand that it was fairly essential to the story but it just didn't seem believable to me. It just kept making me want to laugh. I mean sure supermodels spend hours working themselves up but the basic building blocks have to be there. You can't hide that kind of thing behind glasses and suddenly be totally upappealing to the opposite sex.

It just reminded me too much of good ol' Clark running in right after Superman left, wearing the "ultimate disguse," a pair of hornrim glasses, and no one putting together the logical conclusion.

Anyway, again enjoyable book but...