Review : Size 12 And Ready To Rock by Meg Cabot

Summary (from Goodreads)

Summer break . . . and the livin' ain't easy!

Just because the students at New York College have flown the coop doesn't mean assistant residence hall director Heather Wells can relax. Fischer Hall is busier than ever, filled with squealing thirteen- and fourteen-year-old girls attending the first ever Tania Trace Teen Rock Camp, hosted by pop sensation Tania Trace herself—who just happens to be newly married to Heather's ex-boyfriend, heartthrob Jordan Cartwright. But the real headache begins when the producer of a reality TV show starring Tania winds up dead . . . and it's clear that the star was the intended victim.

Grant Cartwright, head of Cartwright Records, wants to keep his daughter-in-law (and his highest-earning performer) alive. So he hires his oldest son, black sheep of the family and private investigator Cooper Cartwright—who just happens to be Heather's new fiancÉ. Heather should leave the detecting to Cooper. But with a dorm full of hysterical mini-divas-in-training, she can't help but get involved. And after Tania shares a really shocking secret with her, this reality suddenly becomes more dangerously real than anyone ever anticipated.

Personal Thoughts

The Heather Wells series is one of the funnest and funniest one that I have read from Meg Cabot. The series has murder, mystery, romance and funny moments ! Who wouldn't love it ? When I saw that there would be another book in the series, I was so excited I couldn't wait to get a copy for myself. Then, I saw that it was available on Edelweiss and I almost died out of happiness. I waited 5 years for the release of this book, so you can understand my excitement!

It's currently summer break at New York College and Heather Wells, the assistant dorm director should be relaxing and having fun. But things are never easy for Heather. Ficsher Hall is bustling with fifty excited tween girls participating in Tania Trace Teen Rock Camp. Then, the producer of the show winds up dead and Heather comes to the conclusion that Tania Trace, her ex-boyfriend's wife, is the target. Along with Cooper, her new secret fiance, she must try to protect Tania at all costs, but that's not going to be easy.

One thing I love in the Heather Wells series is the fantastic and absolutely hilarious cast. I love their dynamics since it's so much fun to read about. Meg Cabot stayed true to herself in this installment as well and I loved the new relationships that were being formed. I, especially, enjoyed Heather's growing friendship with Tania. Cooper and Heather's relationship was also moving forward at a slow pace. They were learning to trust each other and it was so cute how protective they were of each other. Heather was her usual crazy self but you can see that she has grown a lot more mature from the previous books. That woman was so funny I found myself snorting several times. She's so witty and fun that you can't help but love her. Honestly, I'd love to have a friend who's as insane as her. Moreover, I appreciated the fact that previous secondary characters were so much more well-developed. For instance, in the first three books, Tania and Jordan were mostly in the side-lines, but in Size 12 and Ready To Rock, the reader learns a lot more on their personalities and mind-sets. There are also several new characters that were introduced and I think Meg Cabot did a great job at really crafting them and making them well fleshed-out. Overall, the characters in Size 12 and Ready To Rock were a definite fun bunch !

The element of mystery that was present in the previous books was missing in this one, since early on the reader is informed about who the criminal is. I've always thought that the fun part in reading a mystery/murder book is slowly figuring out, using the hints scattered throughout the book, the identity of the culprit, so I was a little sad that I couldn't do that with this book. Nevertheless, I did enjoy Heather's adventures. In my opinion, Size 12 and Ready To Rock was mostly about the interactions between the characters. The way the reality show was portrayed sounded very realistic and I enjoyed learning more about what happens behind the scenes in such scenes. Meg Cabot has a really lovable writing style. Her books always manage to draw me in due to her quirky sense of humor. This book was no exception. She's a wonderful and really funny writer and you can't help but adore her books. 

 As an installment in a series, Size 12 and Ready To Rock lived up to my expectations. With it's delightful cast, hilarious situations and interesting plot line, the book will leave you in a very cheerful mood. If you're looking for a cozy mystery with a great set of characters, then I definitely recommend this series!

No one can do cozy mystery better than Meg Cabot !

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5

Writing : 4/5

Big Thanks To Williams Morrow for an ARC of Size 12 and Ready To Rock.