Plain Return is the fourth installment of the Plain Fame Series by Sarah Price. It opens just a few weeks after Plain Again which ended with the protagonists, Amanda and Alejandro, reuniting and celebrating the New Year in New York together after being apart for weeks. Amanda's sister, Anna, and Anna's new husband, Jonah, have now taken over in managing the family farm and are able to care for Amanda's father who has been recovering from a stroke. Alejandro, also known as Viper, a famous hip hop artist, is about to embark on his South American tour, and wishes to take Amanda along, not only as a travelling companion, but also to participate in his concerts on the tour.
During the South American tour, Amanda finds it difficult to adapt to Alejandro's life when he is Viper. She is beginning to see how much calculation goes into building Viper's brand, a concept that she has difficulty in initially understanding. Because of her love for Alejandro and his wishes for her to be part of his world, she tries her best to be supportive of his work, even though she is uncomfortable with the revealing clothes, the suggestive dancing, and the female fans who throw themselves at Viper. More tension is introduced between her and Alejandro when his promiscuous past catches up with the present. Isadora, the five year old child he had out of wedlock through a one night stand, enters his life. Her mother is dead, and her grandfather is no longer able to care for her because he is dying. If Alejandro and Amanda do not assume responsibility for her, she will be taken to an orphanage.
How will Amanda's and Alejandro's marriage survive all the stressors that are acting upon it? Will Amanda adapt to things that she is uncomfortable with so that she can support Alejandro when he is Viper? Can she shrug off the attention that Alejandro receives from his more enthusiastic female fans? Can Amanda ignore the paparazzi and gossipy tabloids that present lies about the relationship between her and Alejandro? What will the two of them decide to do with Isadora? What if they both have different ideas on what should be done with Isadora?
I found that there was more mentioned about Amanda's private relationship with God in Plain Return than in previous books in the Plain Fame series. We are told that she spends a lot of time in prayer and devotions with the Lord, especially when she is not able to spend time with Alejandro, which happens much of the time when he is on tour. I can recall more specific prayers that she makes in this novel. However, as in previous novels, we don't really get a chance to read or hear any specific prayers that she may make for guidance from the Lord over important decisions that will have a huge impact on her marriage to Alejandro.
In Plain Return, Amanda has also come to realize that Alejandro may make professions of being Catholic, but has shown very few signs of living a life of spiritual devotion. She also can see that he may be too caught up in the pursuit of material things, with his love of luxury, his eye for every possible business opportunity, and his desire for the protection of Viper's brand. In this novel, Alejandro shows a more cold, calculating and manipulative side of himself. He can still be a charmer and shows his romantic side with Amanda, but the other half of his personality is more evident and present in Plain Return. I had actually expected that this development of Alejandro's personality would surface earlier in the series, but as it is, it has come out in the story arc at this point. Perhaps being on tour doesn't allow him much time to be anything other than the focused businessman who aims for success, a success that allowed him to rise above a life on the streets of Miami. Unfortunately, some of the things that he does and allows bring conflict into his relationship with Amanda.
I would not consider Plain Return to be a standalone novel, because it is a continuation of the story of Amanda and Alejandro which began in Plain Fame and which continued on in Plain Change and Plain Again. Their story is still not yet finished; a fifth novel, Plain Choice, is going to be released at the end of March, 2016.
Disclaimer: I received an e-copy of "Plain Return" by Sarah Price from NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
