Convert XMHTML To Plain Text - Save Into Database

I am trying to read an xml file.It has some xhtml data as node value.I want to convert that to plain text to save into the database.this is an example text:

Her social-climbing stepmother would give anything to have Madelyn Haywood betrothed to a future duke. But believes the brothers Devine to be nothing more than heartless rogues—especially Gabriel, whose rakish reputation precedes him. He is nothing more than a slave to passion, and she will not be conquered by his caresses­—and yet his wicked ways tempt her so. how can i convert this type of text to plain text.I want to get rid of that hexadecimal chars and html tags. I tried this code.But not worked.

Dim sb.Append(schild.InnerText)
Dim sb As
New StringBuilder
Dim sr
As
New StringWriter(sb)
Dim htr
As
New System.Web.UI.HtmlTextWriter(sr)
'c1.RenderControl(htr)
sbAboutbook.AppendLine(line)
Dim lines
As
String() = htr.InnerWriter.ToString().Split(New
String() {vbCr & vbLf}, StringSplitOptions.None)
Dim SbAboutbook
As
New StringBuilder.............