Long and Short Reviews

She's Me by Mimi Barbour
The Wild Rose Press Vintage Rose
Historical, Paranormal, Time Travel
Short Story, Spicy
Review by Snapdragon

A spoilt model, Jenna Mc Brade, sits on a bench in 2007, pricks her finger on a rose bush and gets transported back to 1963 England to inhabit the body of chubby Lucy McGillicuddy. As her spiritual roommate, Jenna’s cynicism forces Lucy to adhere to a model’s lifestyle of sparse eating and physical exercise. Lucy’s body changes, becoming svelte and beautiful. Conversely, Lucy's kindhearted, generous spirit leaves a lasting impression on the temperamental fashion plate who exists inside her.

Lucy loves knowledgeable Dr. John, who has plans to help Jenna return to her own body. Jenna’s Business Manager Jake assists and mistakenly shifts into Dr John. Now the four spirits are vying over two bodies. Meanwhile, Jenna realizes an attraction for Jake, who’s very endearing, and she falls madly in love with him. While you giggle over their antics, these four characters will steal your heart.

♥ ♥ ♥

The title, "She's Me," foreshadows the action in this tospy-turvy love story by Mimi Barbour. Our heroine Jenna is one of those deliciously stunning woman who not only are so beautiful the average woman really cannot identify with them, but she also lives a life so removed from the everyday she seems utterly beyond the reach of ordinary reality. All that is about to change, however.

Ms. Borbour's main character has far more character than we might have expected at the beginning. Changes in her circumstances leave her distraught--but unexpectedly strong. She comes to rely on friendships, and--in a completely unexpected way, she finds a person that she can talk to, can share things with, in a way that defies ordinary human relationships. (Cryptic? In commenting on this story, I am really struggling to avoid spoilers!)

Jenna's life turns upside down, although indeed, so will a certain person named Lucy. Jenna's love life almost seems to take a backseat to the other storyline, but there is a love there centers on the who she is, rather than the person she looks like--and puzzling out how that storyline will come together is indeed part of the charm.

The quaint setting is well described--and the 'paranormal event' that ties the setting to the same in another time arrives unexpectedly, and unpredictably. The best part about this story is without doubt, the wonderful array of characters, the importance of certain secondary characters, and the wonderful changes and growth we see and understood, happening almost magically before our eyes. Dialogue is snappy and at times humorous ("Hell's bells, now I can't even cry without getting hassled...") The true selves involved here are unpredictable --and the relationships that drive this story are hysterical. My only complaint is that the title foreshadows one key turning point, instead of surprising us with that, too. Still, I'd recommend you pick up "She's Me," for one surprise after another!