Plain Change, by Sarah Price, is the immediate sequel to Plain Fame. It is the second in the Plain Fame Series, which also includes Plain Again, Plain Return, and Plain Choice. Plain Change picks up right after Plain Fame leaves off. Alejandro (Viper) Diaz, the famous hip hop singer, has swept Amanda Beiler away from her family's farm in Lancaster after she made an appeal to him for help in dealing with the paparazzi that had been stalking her. Amanda believes that she had no choice but to leave everything that she knows and to go with him, since she had been commanded to leave her Amish community by her bishop. She also realizes that no other Amish community would welcome her because of the unwanted attention from the paparazzi which would follow her wherever she may go. She is apprehensive of her future, but Alejandro says to her, "You will change. And you will live." (Location 109 on Kindle.)
Amanda does change and live in the rest of the novel, but not without feeling conflicted about the process at times. Her Amish upbringing and her personal preferences sometimes make the transition into Alejandro's world difficult, for example, in the clothes that she must now wear, in flying on a plane (something that was forbidden by her bishop), in using a cell phone so that Alejandro and his staff can keep tabs on her, and in interacting with the people in Alejandro's life. Besides describing the changes that Amanda is currently making in her life, the novel contains flashbacks from her Amish life that provide contrasts to the experiences that she is presently facing.
Alejandro's plan for Amanda is to take her with him while he is on his concert/publicity tour. They will present themselves as a couple and give the paparazzi what it wants until it moves onto more interesting subjects. In the meantime, Amanda will have time to decide what she really wants; does she wish to return to her Amish world, or will she stay outside in the Englische world? Alejandro promises Amanda that he will not dishonor her in a way that will make her unacceptable should she decide to return home to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. However, he makes it clear to her that the world will not believe that their relationship is innocent, and that he will not try to convince them otherwise (Locations 751, 759 Kindle). As Amanda is drawn more into Alejandro's life, she finds herself acknowledging that her reasons for joining him are not solely for altruistic reasons in sparing her family and community the attentions of the paparazzi; she admits to herself that she is falling in love with him.
I have mixed feelings about Alejandro. He is a romantic who knows just what to say and do to make Amanda feel special when she feels insecure and he knows how to comfort her when she feels afraid or troubled. However, I'm not impressed that he would allow the world to continue to think that he and Amanda have a less than innocent relationship. We are not really told if Amanda is comfortable with what people think about this.
SPOILER ALERT
Another thing that Alejandro did that bothered me was that he initiated sharing a bed with Amanda while he was touring. She started voicing her discomfort about it, saying that it wasn't right, but he pushed her objections aside and kept her there with him, even though he didn't have sex with her. It bothered me, in my opinion, that she began to rationalize the situation away, by comparing what Alejandro initiated to the Amish practice of bundling, where a young courting couple would spend the night together with a board separating them. Since I'm not Amish, I'm not well acquainted with the practice of bundling, but I would guess that both participants have to come to an agreement to try it out. However, Amanda voiced her objection, albeit, a bit weakly, and Alejandro did what he wanted anyways, without respecting her wishes. What kind of love is that? Anyways, by the time the leg of the tour is done, and they are ready to return to his home in Miami, he has primed her for what he really wants: for them to share his room (and more). What will Amanda do? You'll have to read the book for yourself to find out.
SPOILER OVER
Throughout the novel, we can see that God and faith are very important to Amanda, and that she is struggling to separate which aspects of her Amish faith are cultural and which are more universal in nature for all believing Christians. However, with Alejandro, his faith doesn't seem to be a practical one. He acknowledges that God is the One Who got him to the place where he is in his life today, and he prays with his entourage before concerts, but when it comes to living his life in a way that completely honors God...well, Alejandro doesn't seem to be quite there yet. He is attracted to Amanda's purity and also to the fact that she does not want to use him for her personal gain. Since he likely doesn't have a full comprehension of what it truly means to not dishonor Amanda, I would have to say that he is trying his best to not dishonor her according to his own perception.
Plain Change is not just about the changes that Amanda is making in her life in the Englische world. Alejandro is also challenged to make changes in his life, simply from knowing Amanda and in growing to love her. I would not consider Plain Change to be a stand alone novel. Much of the background story to how Amanda ended up joining Alejandro is detailed in the first book, Plain Fame, and Plain Change ends in a cliff hanger which finds Amanda and Alejandro separated from each other in spite of their love. I have enough interest invested now in this couple to want to find out what happens to them, in their romance, and in their walks with the Lord.
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of Plain Change from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
