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Vicarage Bench #1
She's Me
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.
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.
76 pages, Nook
First published January 1, 2007
About the author
Mimi Barbour
285 books699 followersMimi is an incredibly busy NYT and USA Today award-winning, best-selling author who has nine series to her credit, as well as over 45 books and numerous multi-author box collections.
Mimi lives on the East coast of Vancouver Island with her pup, Charli, and writes her various romances with tongue in cheek and a mad glint in her eye.
She’s been known to say: “If I can steal a booklover’s attention away from their every-day grind, absorb them into a fantasy love story, and make them care about the ending, then I’ve done my job.”
**1st place prize of the 2015 - Chanticleer Reviews - Clue Awards. Special Agent Francesca
**A TOUCH OF PASSION, has just become the 2016 WINNER of The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Awards.
Mimi lives on the East coast of Vancouver Island with her pup, Charli, and writes her various romances with tongue in cheek and a mad glint in her eye.
She’s been known to say: “If I can steal a booklover’s attention away from their every-day grind, absorb them into a fantasy love story, and make them care about the ending, then I’ve done my job.”
**1st place prize of the 2015 - Chanticleer Reviews - Clue Awards. Special Agent Francesca
**A TOUCH OF PASSION, has just become the 2016 WINNER of The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Awards.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 11, 2019
A quirky fun and short, time travelling novel.
Jenna gets transported back in time to the 60’s into Lucy’s body, which is nothing like Jenna’s top model body. Here ensues their story of helping each other to eventually sort out this disaster. Add some love and you have romance too.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Jenna gets transported back in time to the 60’s into Lucy’s body, which is nothing like Jenna’s top model body. Here ensues their story of helping each other to eventually sort out this disaster. Add some love and you have romance too.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
July 18, 2019
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
This is a real fun romance.
Well written with great characters and a bit of time travel.
A really good holiday read.
This is a real fun romance.
Well written with great characters and a bit of time travel.
A really good holiday read.
May 23, 2012
I had every intention of reading this all the way through, in spite of my misgivings about the beginning. It's a 76 page novella and I figured I should have no difficulty reading the whole thing.
But here I am, at 30% and I'm just done.
The dialogue is wooden, the characters are unbelievable and in Jenna's case completely shallow and unlikable. At 30% we are randomly introduced to Jake, and given no reason to understand how he knows Jenna and why he cares.
It was probably the dialogue that got me more than anything. It didn't flow naturally, and Jenna (an American) uses British slang and often uses very rigid, proper turns of phrase that I have trouble believing a 25 year old model would ever use.
Also, considering she's trapped in someone's body in 1963 I have a lot of trouble believing that her first order of business would be fixing Lucy's skin care system.
Overall, as a self-pub, the grammatical edits were spot on. It needed more dialogue tagging especially with Lucy/Jenna's internal dialogue which left me totally lost at points. Definitely would have benefited from professional editing to cut back on overwritten descriptions and help the story flow better.
But here I am, at 30% and I'm just done.
The dialogue is wooden, the characters are unbelievable and in Jenna's case completely shallow and unlikable. At 30% we are randomly introduced to Jake, and given no reason to understand how he knows Jenna and why he cares.
It was probably the dialogue that got me more than anything. It didn't flow naturally, and Jenna (an American) uses British slang and often uses very rigid, proper turns of phrase that I have trouble believing a 25 year old model would ever use.
Also, considering she's trapped in someone's body in 1963 I have a lot of trouble believing that her first order of business would be fixing Lucy's skin care system.
Overall, as a self-pub, the grammatical edits were spot on. It needed more dialogue tagging especially with Lucy/Jenna's internal dialogue which left me totally lost at points. Definitely would have benefited from professional editing to cut back on overwritten descriptions and help the story flow better.
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March 12, 2019I rcvd this from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review, I'm not leaving a rating because I can't, this novella isn't for me at all, I need more out of it.
I can't rate this. I love time travel books, but these needed so much more of a rewrite. I need more world building, more character building, more back story, more in between story, and more future story.
I couldn't connect with the characters at all, was constantly getting them confused, I didn't care about any of it, and wasn't invested at all, I almost DNF it a bunch of times but pushed through just so I could, and even now, a day after I read it, it's fading and I will look at this review when I see it in my year in review and not remember the story at all.
I can't rate this. I love time travel books, but these needed so much more of a rewrite. I need more world building, more character building, more back story, more in between story, and more future story.
I couldn't connect with the characters at all, was constantly getting them confused, I didn't care about any of it, and wasn't invested at all, I almost DNF it a bunch of times but pushed through just so I could, and even now, a day after I read it, it's fading and I will look at this review when I see it in my year in review and not remember the story at all.
March 17, 2019
She's Me by Mimi Barbour. The Vicarage Bench Series. Sarna Publishing, 2012, 2019.
This 55 p. story involving time travel from the 2000s back to 1960s has a slight twist: there are two characters in two bodies, all four aware of each other.
Readers not very fussy about the little things – for example, reference to psychology as a medical field - may enjoy this book. I finished it.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of She’s Me via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This 55 p. story involving time travel from the 2000s back to 1960s has a slight twist: there are two characters in two bodies, all four aware of each other.
Readers not very fussy about the little things – for example, reference to psychology as a medical field - may enjoy this book. I finished it.
Disclosure: I received a review copy of She’s Me via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 23, 2012
An interesting and unique time travel concept in this story had me quite hooked from the beginning. The idea that it could happen to anyone makes the reader think. The characters are quite complicated and are opposites which help to bring the humor and irony to a dramatic height. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series!
March 23, 2019
This was a cute short story.
The writing was OK with no apparent editorial issues, which I always appreciate. The premise was really interesting with the co-habitants rather than a full switch. The one thing that was somewhat confusing was that the characters voices were a bit too alike. A modern day american sounds different than an English small town girl in the 1960's. Or at least that was what I thought. To me there was not much of a difference.
Still it was an enjoyable read that I wished was a bit longer and more fleshed out..
This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.
The writing was OK with no apparent editorial issues, which I always appreciate. The premise was really interesting with the co-habitants rather than a full switch. The one thing that was somewhat confusing was that the characters voices were a bit too alike. A modern day american sounds different than an English small town girl in the 1960's. Or at least that was what I thought. To me there was not much of a difference.
Still it was an enjoyable read that I wished was a bit longer and more fleshed out..
This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.
April 12, 2019
This was a mostly sweet story about one woman's spirit, an American modern day fashion model. In England for some fashion shoots, and after pricking her finger on a rose thorn, she suddenly inhabits the body of a woman from 1963.
Problems begin immediately when the fashion model, who is a first class bitch, derides the 1963 woman who overweight, extremely shy, and has no life outside of the library where she works.
In present day, the model looks to be in a coma. No one can understand what's wrong or what happened to her.
In 1963, the two women begin to work together. Plans are formed.
The story isn't long, but it is cute, and I enjoyed it very much.
Problems begin immediately when the fashion model, who is a first class bitch, derides the 1963 woman who overweight, extremely shy, and has no life outside of the library where she works.
In present day, the model looks to be in a coma. No one can understand what's wrong or what happened to her.
In 1963, the two women begin to work together. Plans are formed.
The story isn't long, but it is cute, and I enjoyed it very much.
August 9, 2019
This is a light hearted body swap romance - and not just between Janna the modern, self centred model and Lucy the 60s frumpy Cinderella librarian, the men folk swap too. I enjoyed the fact that although Janna had kindness to learn from the librarian, she also had something to teach Lucy about self confidence and about respecting her body enough to treat it well and believe in herself. A light hearted, fun read.
December 13, 2019
This is a light hearted body swap romance - and not just between Janna the modern, self centred model and Lucy the 60s frumpy Cinderella librarian, the men folk swap too. I enjoyed the fact that although Janna had kindness to learn from the librarian, she also had something to teach Lucy about self confidence and about respecting her body enough to treat it well and believe in herself. A light hearted, fun read.
March 11, 2019
Time travel at the best with a prick she is someone else.The lesson one can learn from someone else. Even to matters of the heart. The author always gives us enjoyable, amusing stories as this is and the series.
March 17, 2019
She’s Me is a short, witty, time travel romance. I enjoyed the story and the characters and look forward to reading more.
July 28, 2020
I'm sorry I stopped reading this story at chapter 3 because it didn't grab my interest.
December 1, 2018
Jenna McBride is a world-famous, much in demand supermodel. She has a beautiful face, a marvelously thin and toned body and the personality of a run-over rattlesnake.
While she may have been born a beautiful child, she is, as a young adult, still beautiful because she takes good care of her face, her hair and her skin. She has that marvelously thin body, not because of drugs or anorexia, but because of a healthy, low-calorie diet and specifically targeted physical exercises. And she has the vicious personality as self-protection against a world, a world that includes her parents and social companions, which sees her only as a sex object and a bankroll.
Then, one fateful day, after finishing a photo shoot in the English countryside, Jenna pricks her finger on a rose's thorn just as she sits down on a bench in front of an old vicarage. And, just like that, Jenna’s body slips into a coma and her spirit is transported back 43 years to 1963. She finds herself on that same bench, but that’s all she recognizes.
Jenna’s spirit is now trapped in the body of a young woman who is the complete antithesis of herself – plump, homely and painfully shy. It seems Lucy McGillicuddy pricked her finger on a rose's thorn by the same vicarage bench at the very same time as Jenna, just decades apart in time. Now, two spirits must learn to live together and thrive together until they can find a way for Jenna to return to her own time.
Mimi Barbour presents a marvelous set-up for a time-travel fantasy and subsequent double romance. But she tries to execute it in only 55 pages. That is simply not enough space to transition cleanly and clearly from an initial diagnosis of multiple personality disorder by the doctors treating Lucy to an acceptance by those same doctors that both Jenna and time travel are real. And it is not enough space to adequately deal with either the return of the spirits to their own time or with the double romance that occurs while Jenna and Lucy are entwined.
Thus, scene transitions are often sloppy and confusing. Several pivotal conversations are truncated, leaving a feeling of “what just happened here?” And, in the denouement, an action that Lucy doesn’t take is definitely dramatic in terms of creating tension but does not jibe with the final scene.
Quite frankly, if the author had just used another 30 pages for some fine-tuning and some fleshing out, this story would have been a five-star read.
While she may have been born a beautiful child, she is, as a young adult, still beautiful because she takes good care of her face, her hair and her skin. She has that marvelously thin body, not because of drugs or anorexia, but because of a healthy, low-calorie diet and specifically targeted physical exercises. And she has the vicious personality as self-protection against a world, a world that includes her parents and social companions, which sees her only as a sex object and a bankroll.
Then, one fateful day, after finishing a photo shoot in the English countryside, Jenna pricks her finger on a rose's thorn just as she sits down on a bench in front of an old vicarage. And, just like that, Jenna’s body slips into a coma and her spirit is transported back 43 years to 1963. She finds herself on that same bench, but that’s all she recognizes.
Jenna’s spirit is now trapped in the body of a young woman who is the complete antithesis of herself – plump, homely and painfully shy. It seems Lucy McGillicuddy pricked her finger on a rose's thorn by the same vicarage bench at the very same time as Jenna, just decades apart in time. Now, two spirits must learn to live together and thrive together until they can find a way for Jenna to return to her own time.
Mimi Barbour presents a marvelous set-up for a time-travel fantasy and subsequent double romance. But she tries to execute it in only 55 pages. That is simply not enough space to transition cleanly and clearly from an initial diagnosis of multiple personality disorder by the doctors treating Lucy to an acceptance by those same doctors that both Jenna and time travel are real. And it is not enough space to adequately deal with either the return of the spirits to their own time or with the double romance that occurs while Jenna and Lucy are entwined.
Thus, scene transitions are often sloppy and confusing. Several pivotal conversations are truncated, leaving a feeling of “what just happened here?” And, in the denouement, an action that Lucy doesn’t take is definitely dramatic in terms of creating tension but does not jibe with the final scene.
Quite frankly, if the author had just used another 30 pages for some fine-tuning and some fleshing out, this story would have been a five-star read.
March 30, 2011
Fallen Angel Reviews
Although top model Jenna looks beautiful, her personality leaves much to be desired. The thin woman is spoiled, self centered, and verbally abusive to everyone around her. That is about to change. While admiring the roses in an English vicarage, Jenna pricks her finger and travels back in time to 1963. There, she's no longer classically beautiful, she's no longer thin, and she has to think of someone else constantly. She's sharing the body of frumpy, overweight Lucy. Lucy isn't too pleased about the situation either. The nasty Jenna forces her to exercise, go clothes shopping, and talk to the handsome Doctor John.
Doctor John doesn't know why the normally sweet and shy Lucy is claiming to be a vulgar taking model from the future. He does know he loves her and wants her to get better. Seeing the tenderness between Lucy and Doctor John makes Jenna think of Jake, her agent. She longs to return to her own time and tell him she loves him.
She's Me is less a romance and more a story of transformation. Lucy, with Jenna as her style coach, discovers her confidence and sense of self. In return, some of Lucy's lovable charm rubs off on the tough talking Jenna. The woman needs it. Even the gentle Jenna is difficult to like. That is what makes her so unique and so real. The switch back gets a bit complicated, distracting from the wonderful inner journey. She's Me is delightfully deep read.
Reviewed by: Kimber
Although top model Jenna looks beautiful, her personality leaves much to be desired. The thin woman is spoiled, self centered, and verbally abusive to everyone around her. That is about to change. While admiring the roses in an English vicarage, Jenna pricks her finger and travels back in time to 1963. There, she's no longer classically beautiful, she's no longer thin, and she has to think of someone else constantly. She's sharing the body of frumpy, overweight Lucy. Lucy isn't too pleased about the situation either. The nasty Jenna forces her to exercise, go clothes shopping, and talk to the handsome Doctor John.
Doctor John doesn't know why the normally sweet and shy Lucy is claiming to be a vulgar taking model from the future. He does know he loves her and wants her to get better. Seeing the tenderness between Lucy and Doctor John makes Jenna think of Jake, her agent. She longs to return to her own time and tell him she loves him.
She's Me is less a romance and more a story of transformation. Lucy, with Jenna as her style coach, discovers her confidence and sense of self. In return, some of Lucy's lovable charm rubs off on the tough talking Jenna. The woman needs it. Even the gentle Jenna is difficult to like. That is what makes her so unique and so real. The switch back gets a bit complicated, distracting from the wonderful inner journey. She's Me is delightfully deep read.
Reviewed by: Kimber
March 21, 2012
Jenna is a super model who needs no one to tell her she is beautiful, she knows it. She is in a small town in England where she just finished a photo shoot and decided to take a few more days to relax.
She decides to go sit on the bench that is outside the vicarage. As she is sitting she pricks her finger on a thorn of the rose bush and winds up traveling back in time to the year 1963, into the plump body of Lucy McGillicudy, while her body is stuck in the future.
John Norman is the new town doctor who is the first person Jenna meets in Lucy's body. He tries to help her get back to her home and introduces her to his psychologist friend Dr. Andrews.
Meanwhile Jenna's assistant Marnie and her agent, Jake are trying to find out why the Jenna of the future is in a coma with no explanations of why it happened. Waiting for her to come out of it and explain to them what happen.
Join Jenna and Lucy as John and Dr. Andrews try to figure out what happen so they can get Jenna back to her time in the future or if it's even possible.
She decides to go sit on the bench that is outside the vicarage. As she is sitting she pricks her finger on a thorn of the rose bush and winds up traveling back in time to the year 1963, into the plump body of Lucy McGillicudy, while her body is stuck in the future.
John Norman is the new town doctor who is the first person Jenna meets in Lucy's body. He tries to help her get back to her home and introduces her to his psychologist friend Dr. Andrews.
Meanwhile Jenna's assistant Marnie and her agent, Jake are trying to find out why the Jenna of the future is in a coma with no explanations of why it happened. Waiting for her to come out of it and explain to them what happen.
Join Jenna and Lucy as John and Dr. Andrews try to figure out what happen so they can get Jenna back to her time in the future or if it's even possible.
May 17, 2011
If you like a light, fun ready you might want to try Mimi Barbour`s Vicarage Bench series. I`ve just finished She`s Me which is a time travel para-normal in which a high-fashion model and bitch is transported back in time into the body of a much nicer, if bit frumpy person who`s in love with the village doctor who initially has to decide she`s not delusional and then with the help of a psychologist find a way to get Jenna, the super model back to present time and Lucy McGillicuddy to stay where she is. By the end of the book Jenna`s a much nicer person and Lucy McGillicuddy has gone from having a crush from afar on the good dr to actually having the start of a relationship while losing weight and developing a sense of style from Jenna. Having a super model in your body can do that to you.
It`s a fun read and I think you`d enjoy it.
July 26, 2012
First be aware this is written by a UK author so some words are spelled differently rather than misspelled as you might first think. Having said that, the story itself is cute but the sex did take me by surprise so I wouldn't give this to my 13 year old grand-daughter to read because of that part. If the sex had been toned down I think she would have enjoyed this book too. I started to wonder if I was going to be confused as to who was doing what but the author pulled that off very well in the story so it was enjoyable to read and it made you want to read more to find out what happens next.
February 14, 2014
This short book was a fun, easy read. The tone reminded me of the old school Harlequin romance novels my mom used to read. The concept of two spirits being trapped in one body, with a time travel element, was very unique. The characters could have used a little more development, so I could be more emotionally invested, or more time allowed to see how the changes in the people affected really evolved, but I think that would require this to be more novel-length for that to happen. All in all, I enjoyed this.
July 3, 2011
This is such an engaging book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Great narrative, prose flows faultlessly. The dialogue is credible. Strong character in Jenna contrasting with the gentle Lucy, then there's the gorgeous Jake and the calm sophistication of John, the doctor. Clever twists in the plot that surprises and keeps the reader fully focussed. Wanted to read more and am now searching for Mimi's other works.
May 24, 2011
This is a great story that is perfect for an afternoon read! I enjoyed the banter between Jenna and Lucy and the love stories were entertwinned nicely. In many ways I wish this was a full length novel as just as I was getting to know the characters, their stories were over. I am looking forward to reading more of Ms. Barbour's work, particularly her newest piece as I believe it's full length novel.
July 30, 2012
Interesting idea, really thought I would give this one a go and step out of my comfort zone. Nope, I prefer my horror over books like this. I just could not get into this main character. I did not care for her. I did not like her. I really wanted to like this book and try something new. It just not seem like the right fit for me.
September 1, 2016
I love it! Another treasure I found via Ereader News Today. The writing is not as polished as those made by popular authors but the premise more than made up for it IMO. It's time travel with body possession. I guess a little background as to why that vicarage bench enables time travel could have been included. But I'm not that picky :P I want to read the other novels from the series!
May 13, 2012
I did like the originality of the story, but I didn't care enough about the characters, especially Jenna.
January 12, 2013
I think the plot could be good but it epwas too short and the writing needed some polish. I hope the sequels are better if I get to read them
May 6, 2013
Cute, likeable novella. I don't think I would read others in the series, but I am interested in what causes the switches.
July 3, 2016
Its a good book if you are looking for a little romance and a short story.
March 28, 2019
This is a quick read and everything happens so fast you'd enjoy the characters and time travel, however, I do wish that there was more detail or should I say a backstory that builds up on the whole essence of time travel.
Nonetheless, it's an engaging read. Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.
Nonetheless, it's an engaging read. Thank you Netgalley for the eARC.
May 31, 2019
She's me by Mimi Barbour.
An absolutely fantastic read with great characters. I loved the story and the characters. Especially how Jenna was with Lucy. Can't wait to read more from this author. I loved the ending too 5*.
An absolutely fantastic read with great characters. I loved the story and the characters. Especially how Jenna was with Lucy. Can't wait to read more from this author. I loved the ending too 5*.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews