TLC Book Tours Book Review: The Boy Is Back

About The Boy is Back

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (October 18, 2016)

In this brand-new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a scandal brings a young man back home to the small town, crazy family, and first love he left behind.

Reed Stewart thought he’d left all his small town troubles—including a broken heart—behind when he ditched tiny Bloomville, Indiana, ten years ago to become rich and famous on the professional golf circuit.  Then one tiny post on the Internet causes all of those troubles to return . . . with a vengeance.

Becky Flowers has worked hard to build her successful senior relocation business, but she’s worked even harder to forget Reed Stewart ever existed. She has absolutely no intention of seeing him when he returns—until his family hires her to save his parents.

Now Reed and Becky can’t avoid one another—or the memories of that one fateful night.  And soon everything they thought they knew about themselves (and each other) has been turned upside down, and they—and the entire town of Bloomville—might never be the same, all because The Boy Is Back.

Purchase Links

HarperCollins | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Review: If you want to read a book that will make you feel good, this is one of them. I didn't know it was part of a series until I finished it.

Ah more Meg Cabot to read, and I've read a lot of her books. I mean a lot of them. (I adored the Heather Wells series)

Everything about this book is fun, from the cover to the writing style which is told through emails, texts and journal entries and even newspaper clippings.  Even better are the reviews. Trust me those are hilarious

This takes talent. I ca't imagine trying to make an interesting story based on chats/social media type stuff.

I love the dialogue via text etc between all the characters. Its funny. It makes me feel good and I've read a lot of deep reads lately, that makes something fluffy and fun more so.

Becky and Reed have a history. Something bad went down on prom night and Reed was gone from her life for 10 years. He's back now because his parents are having issues. Lots of issues.

If you want something with substance, the drama part of the story will be lacking. Reed's parents are hoarders and as you learn they are being taken advantage of. Once they mention that someone could be ripping off the Judge and Connie, you instantly know who it is. It is that obvious. For a writer that did great mysteries, that made this a little disappointing.

But don't try to make this book anything more than it is, a light fluffy fun read that is full of laughs.

This was a book I needed and I enjoyed it immensely.

Rating: 5 flowers

About Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her award-winning adult contemporary fiction, she is the author of bestselling young adult fiction, including The Princess Diaries and the Mediator series. More than twenty-five million copies of her novels for children and adults have sold worldwide. Meg lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband.

Find out more about Meg at her website, follow her blog, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

Book Review: Size 12 and Ready To Rock

Author: Meg Cabot
Title: Size 12 and Ready To Rock
Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: July 10, 2012
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

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.

Review: Size 12 and Ready to Rock is a hoot. Heather and her friends and the rest of crew at Fischer Hall aka "The Death Dorm" always make for good reading. If you haven't read any of the Heather Wells Mystery series, I suggest you start soon. This series is one part chick lit and another part mystery.

In this book Heather is trying to keep her relationship with her hunky PI landload/boss/ex boyfriend's brother a secret. Things aren't going well there. They aren't going well in Death Dorm either, because her ex boyfriend's wife has her reality show/contest being filmed at New York College. There are 50 wanna be Diva's moving in.

It doesn't help matters that a member of the production team ends up dead and from there you see a connection to Tania. Tania is a character you don't want to like, but as her back story starts to unfold, you really start to feel sorry for her and even like her. Jordan on the other hand is still a bit of a douche bag and not a smart one, case in point, he thinks Heather's relationship with his brother is incestuous. Erm....yeah.

The book is a little silly at times but that is how this series is. Its fun and lighthearted even when there are dead bodies piling up.

My favorite thing about the books are the lyrics at the beginning of each chapter. I really would like to hear someone singing them. Hey Hallmark, want to make these books into films? Those could be fun.

Meg's writing style is very visual and full of humor. The girls from Tania's Rock Camp her real doozies. There's one preteen that's really a bitch with a capital "B."

This book let you get to know other characters in the series a little better and it introduced a few new characters. I loved the new residence hall  director. she was really a fab character.

I've finally read all the books in the series. I hope The Bride Wore Size 12 isn't the last book in the series, as I've really loved all of them.

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: Big Boned

Author: Meg Cabot
Title: Big Boned
Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: Nov 20, 2007
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

Life is reasonably rosy for plus-size ex-pop star turned Assistant Dormitory Director and sometime sleuth Heather Wells. Her freeloading ex-con dad is finally moving out. She still yearns for her hot landlord, Cooper Cartwright, but her relationship with "rebound beau," vigorous vegan math professor Tad Tocco, is more than satisfactory. Best of all, nobody has died lately in "Death Dorm," the aptly nicknamed student residence that Heather assistant-directs. Of course every silver lining ultimately has some black cloud attached. And when the latest murdered corpse to clutter up her jurisdiction turns out to be her exceedingly unlovable boss, Heather finds herself on the shortlist of prime suspects—along with the rabble-rousing boyfriend of her high-strung student assistant and an indecently handsome young campus minister who's been accused of taking liberties with certain girls' choir members.

With fame beckoning her back into show business (as the star of a new kids' show!) it's a really bad time to get wrapped up in another homicide. Plus Tad's been working himself up to ask her a Big Question, which Heather's not sure she has an answer for . . .

Review: Big Boned is book 3 in the Heather Wells Mystery. This series is so funny. Heather is the administrative assistant in "Death Dorm" aka Fischer Hall. 

 Seriously, how many people can die in one dorm?

As Heather finds out, at least one more. This time it is her new boss, Owen and with a bullet to the head, at close range. Owen wasn't well liked and there are a lot of suspects one is a friend of her grad assistant Sarah, who is fighting with the President for rights for the student workers.

Another murder to deal with and a new boyfriend that she doesn't have much in common with while she's still got the hots for her flatmate, Cooper\ the brother of her ex. Oh and her dad has a strange new job prospect.

This one is a little light on the mystery, but it is no less fun than the other book in the series, and Heather is really just pure fun, and so are all the members of her Dorm/Residence Hall. I love Magda and Pete, and who could not love Tom, her former boss who is acting as her interim boss.

There's also a campus minister that isn't quite as godly as he seems ad some of his actions put him on Heather's suspect list. He ties in with the story on a couple different levels.

This book was a quick easy read. I love the craziness of this series and the fact that all the characters are so lovable. I was also glad to see that Gavin, who has a huge crush on Heather may have found himself a hook up. He's one of the fun students that's bad, but in a good, lovable way.

This series could easily make a cute rom com/mystery flick. If they did, I'd definitely watch it. They consider this an adult novel, but its a clean enough read that some of Meg's older tween readers could enjoy it too.

I have one more book to read in this series to be caught up.

Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: Size 14 Is Not Fat Either

Author: Meg Cabot
Title: Size 14 Is Not Fat Either
Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: Nov 26, 2013
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

Former pop star Heather Wells has settled nicely into her new life as assistant dorm director at New York College—a career that does not require her to drape her size 12 body in embarrassingly skimpy outfits. She can even cope (sort of) with her rocker ex-boyfriend's upcoming nuptials, which the press has dubbed The Celebrity Wedding of the Decade. But she's definitely having a hard time dealing with the situation in the dormitory kitchen—where a cheerleader has lost her head on the first day of the semester. (Actually, her head is accounted for—it's her torso that's AWOL.)

Surrounded by hysterical students—with her ex-con father on her doorstep and her ex-love bombarding her with unwanted phone calls—Heather welcomes the opportunity to play detective . . . again. If it gets her mind off her personal problems—and teams her up again with the gorgeous P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives—it's all good. But the murder trail is leading the average-sized amateur investigator into a shadowy world. And if she doesn't watch her step, Heather will soon be singing her swan song!

Review: The Heather Wells mysteries are the books I go to when I need to read something light and funny.

In Size 14 Is Not Fat Either the murder is a little more grisly. I mean, how often do heads get found in pots in residence halls kitchen. Not often.

The cast of character in this book (and all of the Heather Wells books) will have you rolling in the aisles. You get familiar faces like her ex Jordan Cartright and his brother Cooper, who is her landlord, boss and crush, Magda the cafeteria lady and now her ex con father. Oh and my favorite reoccurring character was Gavin, and he plays a huge part in helping Heather uncover who killed Lindsey.

The whodunit was a little bit easy to figure out, but it was super fun getting there!

Meg Cabot always delivers books that are fast paced and funny. I like to categorize this series as cozy chicklit mysteries.

Nothing is realistic, but everything is hilarious and that's what makes these books so enjoyable. I do recommend reading them in order. (I read the most recent book first, so I had spoilers as I started reading the other books in the series, so that took some of the fun out of them)

I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a light fluffy fun mystery that's geared toward a younger set. (Most cozy mysteries seem to focus of middle aged sleuths, sadly of which I am one)


Rating: 5 flowers

Book Review: Size 12 Is Not Fat

Author: Meg Cabot
Title: Size 12 I Not Fat
Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: Dec 27, 2005
Buy: Amazon

Book Blurb: 

Heather Wells Rocks!

Or, at least, she did. That was before she left the pop-idol life behind after she gained a dress size or two — and lost a boyfriend, a recording contract, and her life savings (when Mom took the money and ran off to Argentina). Now that the glamour and glory days of endless mall appearances are in the past, Heather's perfectly happy with her new size 12 shape (the average for the American woman!) and her new job as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. That is, until the dead body of a female student from Heather's residence hall is discovered at the bottom of an elevator shaft.

The cops and the college president are ready to chalk the death off as an accident, the result of reckless youthful mischief. But Heather knows teenage girls . . . and girls do not elevator surf. Yet no one wants to listen — not the police, her colleagues, or the P.I. who owns the brownstone where she lives — even when more students start turning up dead in equally ordinary and subtly sinister ways. So Heather makes the decision to take on yet another new career: as spunky girl detective!

But her new job comes with few benefits, no cheering crowds, and lots of liabilities, some of them potentially fatal. And nothing ticks off a killer more than a portly ex-pop star who's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong .

Review: I read the most recent installment in the Heather Wells series when it came out in 2013 and I absolutely loved it. I was finally able to go back and start the series from the beginning, and I have to say I loved it just as much.

Heather Wells is a former pop star who is now working as an assistant dorm director at New York College.

What I love about this series is that it mixture of chicklit and cozy mystery. Heather is simply hilarious with her problems that the average woman would never have. (Like the ex-boyfriend that won't go away, even though he's attached to someone else)

The mystery here involves the deaths of two students in the residence hall that could really be passed off as accidents, but something just doesn't seem right about them. With the help of her PI roommate, who is also her ex's brother, they start to find out what really happened to these girls.

If you read the series out of order, like I did, you'll know the answer to the mystery. I read book 5 in 2013. Thankfully, I couldn't remember the outcome as I read this story.

Heather is a fun character. I loved her and weight issues. There's a scene in a dressing room that is hysterical.

Meg Cabot delivers a witty novel that keeps you turning the pages, and laughing the whole time.

Rating: 5 flowers

TLC Book Tours Book Review: Royal Wedding

About Royal Wedding

• Print Length: 448 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (June 2, 2015)

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Princess Diaries series, comes the very first adult installment, which follows Princess Mia and her Prince Charming as they plan their fairy tale wedding—but a few poisoned apples could turn this happily-ever-after into a royal nightmare.

For Princess Mia, the past five years since college graduation have been a whirlwind of activity, what with living in New York City, running her new teen community center, being madly in love, and attending royal engagements. And speaking of engagements. Mia’s gorgeous longtime boyfriend Michael managed to clear both their schedules just long enough for an exotic (and very private) Caribbean island interlude where he popped the question! Of course Mia didn’t need to consult her diary to know that her answer was a royaloui.

But now Mia has a scandal of majestic proportions to contend with: Her grandmother’s leaked “fake” wedding plans to the press that could cause even normally calm Michael to become a runaway groom. Worse, a scheming politico is trying to force Mia’s father from the throne, all because of a royal secret that could leave Genovia without a monarch.  Can Mia prove to everyone—especially herself—that she’s not only ready to wed, but ready to rule as well?

Purchase Links

Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Review: Do you want to read a book that will make you feel good, give you a few laughs and make a few hours fly on by?

If you do, and you like girly books, the kind that get turned into fun chick flick comedies, this is definitely your book.

I love Meg Cabot. I especially love the Heather Cabot series, but I wanted to see how The Princess Diaries character grew up.

Mia is in her mid twenties now, but her character and her friends still feels a bit juvenile, but that didn't stop me from loving it. I think this feeling wouldn't have been there if this novel would have transitioned more into the new adult genre than jumping straight for chicklit.

This was a longer book than I usually read, but the book is so fast paced that the 435 pages fly by. I loved Mia and Michael and all the craziness of her family, especially grandmere, who makes everything a bit crazier for her, though she does bring about enough craziness on her own.

This is actually the 11th book in the Princess Diaries series, and the first directed to an adult audience. I've not read the YA novels but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. I found myself wishing they'd make this one into a movie. I'd love to see Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews reprise their roles.

Totally a fun and lighthearted read!

Rating: 5 flowers

About Meg Cabot

Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her adult contemporary fiction, she is the author of the bestselling young adult fiction series, The Princess Diaries. More than 25 million copies of her novels for children and adults have sold worldwide. Meg lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband.

Find out more about Meg at her website, follow her blog, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

TLC Book Tours Book Review: The Bride Wore Size 12

About The Bride Wore Size 12

• Paperback: 400 pages

• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (September 24, 2013)

Book Blurb: Heather Wells is used to having her cake and eating it too, but this time her cake just might be cooked. Her wedding cake, that is. With her upcoming nuptials to PI Cooper Cartwright only weeks away, Heather’s already stressed. And when a pretty junior turns up dead, Heather’s sure things can’t get worse—until every student in the dorm where she works is a possible suspect, and Heather’s long-lost mother shows up.

Heather has no time for a tearful mother and bride reunion. She has a wedding to pull off and a murder to solve. Instead of wedding bells, she might be hearing wedding bullets, but she’s determined to bring the bad guys to justice if it’s the last thing she does . . . and this time, it just might be.

Review:  AGH!!! Why have I not read this series before now? There are 4 books prior to this, and now I've got to hunt them all down!!!

Why?

Because they are awesome

Heather Wells is a former pop star turned assistant residence hall director and she is just fun.

The book is the 5th in a series, but Cabot like most cozy mystery writers gives you enough to go on that you can jump right into the book and read on. I will tell you, that if you like cozies and chicklit, you'll be squealing and running to the bookstore or library to get the first four books before you are done with this one.

This book is the best of my favorite genres rolled into one.

So many quirky characters and so much drama and even a bit of wedding mayhem. It doesn't get much better than this. Toss in a dead RA and a prince from the middle east who is a real ladies man, and things get a bit tricky.

It seems that it is hard to plan a wedding and solve a murder at the same time. This is a light, fluffy read but satisfying. It is also a mystery that will keep the pages turning.

Meg Cabot had so many things going on, from Heather's mother, the Prince, the murder and all the fallout that results from it, that you don't realize nearly 400 pages have flown by.

If you've not met Heather and Cooper, they'll become you favorite literary couple after you are done. If you have, I'm sure they already are.

This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year!

Rating: 5 flowers

Meg Cabot

About Meg Cabot Meg Cabot was born in Bloomington, Indiana. In addition to her adult contemporary fiction she is the author of the bestselling young adult fiction series, The Princess Diaries. She lives in Key West, FL with her husband. Find out more about Meg at her website, follow her blog, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.