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Once I started reading Can’t Buy Me Love, I realized that it was completely different from what I was expecting.  From the cover shot, I thought that this would be a light, flirty romance with a lot of humor.  It wasn’t.  Is that a bad thing?  Nope!  This is a sizzling love story about two very flawed people who are desperately looking for a place to fit in and find the happiness denied to them.  Both have been molded and shaped by their unhappy pasts, and they are both still haunted by mistakes they have made in their attempt to find meaning and acceptance.  Luc was abused by his demanding father, and even his status as a star hockey player can’t dim the disappointment that eats at him because of his father’s lack of regard for him.  Tara is running from her painful past, from the nightmare of being used by her mother’s boyfriends and by the terrible decisions that she has made before touching down at Crooked Creek ranch.  Both of them have huge dreams for the future, but they don’t trust enough in themselves to believe that they’ll eventually find some inner peace of mind.  I loved both Luc and Tara, and hoped that they would overcome their hang-ups long enough to find each other.

When we are first introduced to Tara, she is working for Luc’s terminally ill father, Lyle.  Lyle has concocted a sure-fire scheme to get Luc back to the family’s Texas ranch – he has announced that he and the much younger Tara are engaged and will soon be wed.  While Luc doesn’t give a fig about Lyle’s millions, his half-sister, Victoria, does.  Reeling from the revelation that her husband was running a Ponzi scheme, and still shocked by his suicide, penniless Victoria has only one thought in mind – saving her inheritance from Tara’s greedy clutches.  Once the flock re-converges at the ranch, all of their ugly childhood memories start crawling out of the woodwork, leaving them raw and on edge.  To make matters worse for Luc, he has been warned by his doctor to quit hockey while he still has a functioning brain.  One more concussion and more than his career will be over.

I loved Luc  and Tara and their struggle to put their pasts into perspective.  Luc has been running from his father’s disapproval since

My daughter has been a little obsessed with peacocks after reading Three Hens and a Peacock last month so I tracked down a few more peacock tales (hee hee) at our local library. Peet and Polacco are both master storytellers/illustrators and these two peacock books did not disappoint. Both stories are on the longish side, and they are probably best for children that don't have limited attention spans.


The Spooky Tail of Prewitt Peacock by Bill Peet. Houghton Mifflin (1973); ISBN 0395154944; 32 pages
Book Source: Copy from public library

"My tail has gone wild!" exclaimed Prewitt. "It's turned into a green-eyed monster! What a terrible tail! But then, after all," he sighed, "I grew it, so I suppose I'll just have to get used to it."

Prewitt the peacock is anything but proud. His pathetic, scraggly tail with only two eyespots is nothing to boast about. Even worse, one day his tail goes wild and turns into a "green-eyed monster." The two eyespots grow larger, fierce eyebrows and a mouth appear and two of the feathers look like scary arms. The other peacocks don't like the look of his new, spooky tail and tell him to leave or get rid of his monstrous feathers. However, Prewitt's weakness becomes his strength as his unique tail becomes a useful weapon in a dangerous jungle.

Tsk-tsk! I'm ashamed to admit this is the first book written by Bill Peet we've read, but let me tell you, it certainly won't be the last. Peet's story is funny and memorable plus it also teaches a valuable lesson, the importance of being who you are by maintaining your individuality despite oppression. The illustrations are spot-on and full of expression (and a monstrous face). You can't help but feel sad for poor Prewitt and cheer when he triumphs.

Related Link: Bill Peet Website


Just Plain Fancy by Patricia Polacco. Bantam Doubleday Dell (1990); ISBN 9780553058840; 32 pages
Book Source: Copy from public library

"What are we going to do?" Ruth asked. "Fancy is too fancy to be Amish!"

While a peacock plays a big role in this book, the main focus is on Amish life. Two Amish sisters, Naomi and Ruth, find an unusual egg in the field outside their home. Longing to own something fancy, Naomi gently takes the "fa