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Heather Wells #5
The Bride Wore Size 12
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.
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.
392 pages, Paperback
First published September 24, 2013
356 people are currently reading
7724 people want to read
About the author
Meg Cabot
267 books35.3k followersLibrarian note: AKA Jenny Carroll (1-800-Where-R-You series), AKA Patricia Cabot (historical romance novels).
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 979 reviews
October 1, 2013
It’s always sad when series end—not just the ones with the absolute set number of books, but even the ones that could go on for a while. The flipside being that of course, you don’t want the series to limp on forever until you want it to end out of mercy, but still. (*cough*Sookie Stackhouse *cough*) But it’s still sad because you don’t want these characters to go away and even if it’s the proper send-off, it’s still…I want more.
Moreso here because this is my second time that I’ve said goodbye to Heather and company. Big Boned does actually serve as a nice little wrap-up to the first three books, and the constant pushing back of …Ready to Rock did lead me to think that this was going to be a trilogy and I was fine with it. And then we got the fourth book last year, and then this is the grand finale with a big wedding and everything.
(I have to say that I really love the title The Bride Wore Size 12 over the original title, Size 12 is the New Black. The finalized title is so much more film-noir-esque.)
This is, in my opinion, the best of all Meg Cabot’s series. The Heather books are so very much Meg’s style, but there’s this underlying maturity with a slight edge of cynicism which really works. It also falls away from the atypical chick lit tropes, and that is a major plus in my book. Aside from the first book, there’s no handwringing over misconstrued encounters with other women (and even then, there’s an in-character reason for it at that point). In regards to this book, with a lot of other chick lit series that involves the main couple getting married, the plot is mainly all about the jitters and the bridal breakdowns and the best friend pep talks and “omg can we really do this?” (And which Cabot herself did in Queen of Babble Gets Hitched to some point.) Here, the wedding stuff is not only almost done, but Heather is just not dealing with that shit on top of everything else that’s going on in her life. I really like that there’s barely any focus on the wedding, aside as a running gag involving Heather missing her appointments. The only thing that’s important to the wedding that does play a major role is the reappearance of Heather’s mother and Heather dealing with her.
And the great thing about this all is Heather and Cooper’s relationship. In the last two books, you’ve really seen how much they love each other and how comfortable they are in this relationship, and it’s a fairly mature relationship in that there is no handwringing and misconstrued encounters to throw issues in their way. I love their relationship; I love their banter together (“When I get home, I’ll give you another injection.” “If I recall correctly, I gave you the injection.”), I really love the fact that they have sex all the damn time and enjoy it. They are fantastic together, and just ugh I love them.
Also with the last two books, I’ve really enjoyed the mysteries in both. They’re not mind-blowingly brilliant, but they’re cleverly set up that you can see the through line on the reread. In here, we know that something’s up with Prince Rashid, and that it’s not that big of a conclusion to think that even if he’s not directly involved with the main murder, his people have something to do with it. (I did kinda partially call the reveal with Ameera; my guess wasn’t as thorough as what it ended up being, but I was on the right track with it.) I really liked how much the plot hinges on dormitory code of conduct rules that pays off the reveal of suspect and the reason behind the murder really well. (A little over the top, much like the other murderers in this series, but again, it’s standard in this for overreacting murderers.)
(I’m really trying not to make comparisons with the other chick lit-murder mystery that I just read but this? THIS IS HOW YOU DO THE TWIST. It’s set up to make you think that Rashid is the driving force behind the murder of RA Jasmine, and then the reveal of the actual murder does make sense and you can see how things fit together. It not only makes sense, but it’s set up fairly subtly within the plot.)
I should also be said that there is a lot of the character growth since the first book. You see how Heather does grow throughout the books and accepts what her life’s become and finds happiness. For example, Jordan—it took me the entire book to realize that Jordan, who’s one of my favorite characters, wasn’t in the book. And this book doesn’t need Jordan, because Heather’s found her closure with him and Tania and he doesn’t need to be in it beyond the off-hand mention at the end during the wedding. (That, and Jordan’s been largely replaced by his sisters, Jessica and Nicole. Who I like, but they’re not as hilarious as Jordan.) I really like that Heather’s personal plot is her having to confront the last thread from her pop star life with her mother’s return, and even then, Heather’s still not comfortable with having her mom in her life and that you can see that it’ll be a while before they truly reconcile. And Heather really is a fantastic character. You see that she really loves her job and cares about the kids in her dorm, but she manages to balance her cynicism with her optimism, and despite having people mention that Heather’s gotten so used to all the deaths in the past year has ‘hardened’ her. But Heather acting nonchalant is shown as an act she puts on and inside, she’s torn up about Jasmine’s death.
Other things I love about this book: I love that the plot focuses on intra-college politics, and that this is the second book in the series wherein the murder does play a role in regards to that. Even with Fischer Hall’s rivalry with Wasser Hall and Simon Hague. (Which I can’t read Simon Hague now without mentally thinking of STEVE. CARLSBURG. Because that’s who Simon Hague is for Heather Wells. Oh, Welcome to Night Vale has eaten my brain.) A major part with the Rashid angle is that his father’s donation is such a big part of what’s going on with the college. And again, from the last book: can I have a redo of college and have Heather and Lisa Wu as my dorm directors? Because they’re awesome.
I also love that Cabot is on the mark about a lot of the arbitrary points she makes. Her characters do tend to slip into “statistical recitation of something I read on the Internet,” but that’s how her characters generally are. This opens with Heather very politely calling a ‘well-meaning’ mother out on slut-shaming. I really love that Heather is forced to get a gun, and while she does ultimately use it in the end, she very clearly states that she doesn’t like it and it might be okay for other women but not for her, thanks. (Oh please tell me the pink-clad woman Heather relates about seeing at the firing range is a take that to Sarah Palin. It’s an obvious cheap shot, but it’s so good.)
(And okay, the one all of us long-time Meg Cabot fans are probably the most happy about: LIZZIE! Lizzie Nichols is Heather’s dressmaker and I sealclapped when she popped up. )
As I said in the beginning, this is Meg Cabot’s best series so far. The first four books did have issues but they’re fairly solid fun reads, and The Bride Wore Size 12 definitely ends on an absolute high note. It’s also one of her mature series, not just because of the massive amounts of sex that Heather has (remember, first book has Heather and Jordan going at it on Cooper’s hallway runner, plus the best callback in the third book), but also in how it deals with harder topics like sexual harassment, domestic abuse, and personal responsibility; it’s not perfect, but in comparison to more popular series, it’s handled very admirable. In fact, for Cabot’s younger fans moving on to her adult series, this is the one I’d recommend them to start with for those exact reasons. And they’re fun.
As happy as I am to see Heather and Cooper go off into the sunset, I am sad that this is the end for them. I really loved this series, and I really love this book. This is the series that I do recommend all the time to people, and with very good reasons apart from the fact that I’m a huge fan of Meg Cabot’s. If you haven’t read the others before, definitely do, and if you’re unsure about this volume, it’s a definite read.
Moreso here because this is my second time that I’ve said goodbye to Heather and company. Big Boned does actually serve as a nice little wrap-up to the first three books, and the constant pushing back of …Ready to Rock did lead me to think that this was going to be a trilogy and I was fine with it. And then we got the fourth book last year, and then this is the grand finale with a big wedding and everything.
(I have to say that I really love the title The Bride Wore Size 12 over the original title, Size 12 is the New Black. The finalized title is so much more film-noir-esque.)
This is, in my opinion, the best of all Meg Cabot’s series. The Heather books are so very much Meg’s style, but there’s this underlying maturity with a slight edge of cynicism which really works. It also falls away from the atypical chick lit tropes, and that is a major plus in my book. Aside from the first book, there’s no handwringing over misconstrued encounters with other women (and even then, there’s an in-character reason for it at that point). In regards to this book, with a lot of other chick lit series that involves the main couple getting married, the plot is mainly all about the jitters and the bridal breakdowns and the best friend pep talks and “omg can we really do this?” (And which Cabot herself did in Queen of Babble Gets Hitched to some point.) Here, the wedding stuff is not only almost done, but Heather is just not dealing with that shit on top of everything else that’s going on in her life. I really like that there’s barely any focus on the wedding, aside as a running gag involving Heather missing her appointments. The only thing that’s important to the wedding that does play a major role is the reappearance of Heather’s mother and Heather dealing with her.
And the great thing about this all is Heather and Cooper’s relationship. In the last two books, you’ve really seen how much they love each other and how comfortable they are in this relationship, and it’s a fairly mature relationship in that there is no handwringing and misconstrued encounters to throw issues in their way. I love their relationship; I love their banter together (“When I get home, I’ll give you another injection.” “If I recall correctly, I gave you the injection.”), I really love the fact that they have sex all the damn time and enjoy it. They are fantastic together, and just ugh I love them.
Also with the last two books, I’ve really enjoyed the mysteries in both. They’re not mind-blowingly brilliant, but they’re cleverly set up that you can see the through line on the reread. In here, we know that something’s up with Prince Rashid, and that it’s not that big of a conclusion to think that even if he’s not directly involved with the main murder, his people have something to do with it. (I did kinda partially call the reveal with Ameera; my guess wasn’t as thorough as what it ended up being, but I was on the right track with it.) I really liked how much the plot hinges on dormitory code of conduct rules that pays off the reveal of suspect and the reason behind the murder really well. (A little over the top, much like the other murderers in this series, but again, it’s standard in this for overreacting murderers.)
(I’m really trying not to make comparisons with the other chick lit-murder mystery that I just read but this? THIS IS HOW YOU DO THE TWIST. It’s set up to make you think that Rashid is the driving force behind the murder of RA Jasmine, and then the reveal of the actual murder does make sense and you can see how things fit together. It not only makes sense, but it’s set up fairly subtly within the plot.)
I should also be said that there is a lot of the character growth since the first book. You see how Heather does grow throughout the books and accepts what her life’s become and finds happiness. For example, Jordan—it took me the entire book to realize that Jordan, who’s one of my favorite characters, wasn’t in the book. And this book doesn’t need Jordan, because Heather’s found her closure with him and Tania and he doesn’t need to be in it beyond the off-hand mention at the end during the wedding. (That, and Jordan’s been largely replaced by his sisters, Jessica and Nicole. Who I like, but they’re not as hilarious as Jordan.) I really like that Heather’s personal plot is her having to confront the last thread from her pop star life with her mother’s return, and even then, Heather’s still not comfortable with having her mom in her life and that you can see that it’ll be a while before they truly reconcile. And Heather really is a fantastic character. You see that she really loves her job and cares about the kids in her dorm, but she manages to balance her cynicism with her optimism, and despite having people mention that Heather’s gotten so used to all the deaths in the past year has ‘hardened’ her. But Heather acting nonchalant is shown as an act she puts on and inside, she’s torn up about Jasmine’s death.
Other things I love about this book: I love that the plot focuses on intra-college politics, and that this is the second book in the series wherein the murder does play a role in regards to that. Even with Fischer Hall’s rivalry with Wasser Hall and Simon Hague. (Which I can’t read Simon Hague now without mentally thinking of STEVE. CARLSBURG. Because that’s who Simon Hague is for Heather Wells. Oh, Welcome to Night Vale has eaten my brain.) A major part with the Rashid angle is that his father’s donation is such a big part of what’s going on with the college. And again, from the last book: can I have a redo of college and have Heather and Lisa Wu as my dorm directors? Because they’re awesome.
I also love that Cabot is on the mark about a lot of the arbitrary points she makes. Her characters do tend to slip into “statistical recitation of something I read on the Internet,” but that’s how her characters generally are. This opens with Heather very politely calling a ‘well-meaning’ mother out on slut-shaming. I really love that Heather is forced to get a gun, and while she does ultimately use it in the end, she very clearly states that she doesn’t like it and it might be okay for other women but not for her, thanks. (Oh please tell me the pink-clad woman Heather relates about seeing at the firing range is a take that to Sarah Palin. It’s an obvious cheap shot, but it’s so good.)
(And okay, the one all of us long-time Meg Cabot fans are probably the most happy about: LIZZIE! Lizzie Nichols is Heather’s dressmaker and I sealclapped when she popped up. )
As I said in the beginning, this is Meg Cabot’s best series so far. The first four books did have issues but they’re fairly solid fun reads, and The Bride Wore Size 12 definitely ends on an absolute high note. It’s also one of her mature series, not just because of the massive amounts of sex that Heather has (remember, first book has Heather and Jordan going at it on Cooper’s hallway runner, plus the best callback in the third book), but also in how it deals with harder topics like sexual harassment, domestic abuse, and personal responsibility; it’s not perfect, but in comparison to more popular series, it’s handled very admirable. In fact, for Cabot’s younger fans moving on to her adult series, this is the one I’d recommend them to start with for those exact reasons. And they’re fun.
As happy as I am to see Heather and Cooper go off into the sunset, I am sad that this is the end for them. I really loved this series, and I really love this book. This is the series that I do recommend all the time to people, and with very good reasons apart from the fact that I’m a huge fan of Meg Cabot’s. If you haven’t read the others before, definitely do, and if you’re unsure about this volume, it’s a definite read.
December 31, 2016
This was definitely my favorite of the entire series and I am SO bummed that it's over now! Heather and Cooper are adorable and I am going to miss them terribly. Here's hoping Meg decides to delve back into this world again soon bc I need moreeee
July 25, 2018
3.5/5
I was a little underwhelmed by this conclusion. I still love these books, but I kind of wanted more. I really love Heather and I wish there were more books in the series. I would definitely say books 1&2 are the strongest, but I still enjoyed all the books.
I was a little underwhelmed by this conclusion. I still love these books, but I kind of wanted more. I really love Heather and I wish there were more books in the series. I would definitely say books 1&2 are the strongest, but I still enjoyed all the books.
June 5, 2020
Yes!!! Pēkšņi šis bija pieejams manā iecienītajā audiogrāmtu aplikācijā! Burvīgs noslēgums bruvīgai it-kā-detektīvu sērijai par Heteri Velsu. Kaut gan pieķēru sevi reizēm iespurdzamies (braucot autobusā tas šķiet tikai palīdz ievērot 2 m distanci, ja ķiķini tāpat vien, bez redzama iemesla, tā ka tas šajā gadījumā ir papildus bonuss), jāsaka, ka saprotu, kāpēc ši ir pēdējā - nav vajadzības izstiept šo pārāk garu, jo skaidrs, ka arvien vairāk notikumi sāk atkārtoties. Viens ir skaidrs, ka nāves kopuškās (ai, piedodiet, studentu rezidencē) noteikti nevajag ievākties!
September 22, 2013
The Bride Wore Size 12 is one of the reasons I love Meg Cabot so much. Her witty writing had me involved with the story from the very beginning, Meg has a great knack of making characters appear so realistic and real and she weaves the best romance and mystery in a story that you could ever ask for. When I first started the Heather Wells series I remember not being the biggest fan. Don’t get me wrong I adored the book, but I didn’t have a calendar made up and counting down the days until the next release. This didn’t happen until the third book. I was really actually feeling really gutted when it was announced that the third book would be the final book. What would I do without fun loving Heather around? But I didn’t have to despair for too long as two more books were announced and let me just say these were the best books in the series. They were actually that good that they had me rethinking my favourite series by Meg Cabot (Queen of Babble was at the top) I honestly don’t know how Meg does it, it’s like each time I come back to this fantastic series I fall in love even more with these fantastic characters all over again.
If you were expecting The Bride Wore Size 12 to be devoid from any drama with Heather’s wedding just around the corner then you couldn’t be more wrong. Heather’s entire wedding was put to the side once again for another murder investigation at Fischer Hall. Things were a lot different this time though as His Highness crown Prince Rashid Ashraf bin Zayed Faisal who preferred to be called Shiraz was also a resident of these halls. There was top level security lurking around where ever he went. And instead they had the bureau of Diplomatic security controlling the murder investigation because of threats being made to the prince!
It was great seeing the mystery behind the murder unravel slowly as the story progressed. One of the best things about this series is that not once have I ever been able to guess the true identity of the killer or his/her motive behind the killings. So it’s always a great surprise when Heather makes this discovery. Once again Heather had been warned by Cooper to not get involved in the case, but maybe it’s her mothering nature for these students (despite not having her own great role model) that Heather has always felt the need to take care of these students. And actually this time around, she actually found herself getting involved through no fault of her own.
Heather has come a long way since the Heather we were introduced to in 2005, she still finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation every single time but she has as many of her colleagues pointed out become a hardened character, which I truly appreciate. Ever since her success and fame people took too much advantage of her, but with unexpected visitors turning up in this book, Heather excelled in finally standing her ground. Heather is definitely one of the best MC’s that you could ever ask for, she’s witty, fun, always has the back of those closest to her covered and is renown to bring you a darn good time. I was actually very close to tears at having to say goodbye to such a fantastic character.
Of course The Bride wore Size 12 couldn’t be complete without the wonderful secondary characters. These characters have played such an integral role to this entire series that I don’t actually consider them to be secondary characters. They have participated in illegal activities when Heather needed them to, saved her in moments of need and have gone on to demonstrate what friends should exactly be like. Cooper as always stole a piece of my heart, if you all think you’ve met the best fictional crush then sorry ladies you haven’t met Cooper yet. Again he showed his love for Heather had no bounds, his scary threats to anyone who harmed Heather in anyway made me love him even more. Honestly his every appearance brought a huge smile to my face. And I couldn’t go without mentioning Gavin, Magda, Lisa, Julio, Detective Canavan, Hal, Pete and so many others who truly made this book a gem of a read.
The Heather Wells series has been a huge part of my life since 2005, with this series finally coming to an end it feels like the end of an era. Meg Cabot has truly created an unforgettable series which I’m sure will hold a special place in my heart and on my book shelf for a very long time.
On a side note, I don’t want to winge, but a special part of this book was actually ruined for me because somebody on Goodreads didn’t use the spoiler tags when discussing it and so it came up on my feed when I was scrolling through. I love Goodreads, but I love reading more and specially reading without being anything spoiled for me. So please in future please use spoiler tags.
If you were expecting The Bride Wore Size 12 to be devoid from any drama with Heather’s wedding just around the corner then you couldn’t be more wrong. Heather’s entire wedding was put to the side once again for another murder investigation at Fischer Hall. Things were a lot different this time though as His Highness crown Prince Rashid Ashraf bin Zayed Faisal who preferred to be called Shiraz was also a resident of these halls. There was top level security lurking around where ever he went. And instead they had the bureau of Diplomatic security controlling the murder investigation because of threats being made to the prince!
It was great seeing the mystery behind the murder unravel slowly as the story progressed. One of the best things about this series is that not once have I ever been able to guess the true identity of the killer or his/her motive behind the killings. So it’s always a great surprise when Heather makes this discovery. Once again Heather had been warned by Cooper to not get involved in the case, but maybe it’s her mothering nature for these students (despite not having her own great role model) that Heather has always felt the need to take care of these students. And actually this time around, she actually found herself getting involved through no fault of her own.
Heather has come a long way since the Heather we were introduced to in 2005, she still finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation every single time but she has as many of her colleagues pointed out become a hardened character, which I truly appreciate. Ever since her success and fame people took too much advantage of her, but with unexpected visitors turning up in this book, Heather excelled in finally standing her ground. Heather is definitely one of the best MC’s that you could ever ask for, she’s witty, fun, always has the back of those closest to her covered and is renown to bring you a darn good time. I was actually very close to tears at having to say goodbye to such a fantastic character.
Of course The Bride wore Size 12 couldn’t be complete without the wonderful secondary characters. These characters have played such an integral role to this entire series that I don’t actually consider them to be secondary characters. They have participated in illegal activities when Heather needed them to, saved her in moments of need and have gone on to demonstrate what friends should exactly be like. Cooper as always stole a piece of my heart, if you all think you’ve met the best fictional crush then sorry ladies you haven’t met Cooper yet. Again he showed his love for Heather had no bounds, his scary threats to anyone who harmed Heather in anyway made me love him even more. Honestly his every appearance brought a huge smile to my face. And I couldn’t go without mentioning Gavin, Magda, Lisa, Julio, Detective Canavan, Hal, Pete and so many others who truly made this book a gem of a read.
The Heather Wells series has been a huge part of my life since 2005, with this series finally coming to an end it feels like the end of an era. Meg Cabot has truly created an unforgettable series which I’m sure will hold a special place in my heart and on my book shelf for a very long time.
On a side note, I don’t want to winge, but a special part of this book was actually ruined for me because somebody on Goodreads didn’t use the spoiler tags when discussing it and so it came up on my feed when I was scrolling through. I love Goodreads, but I love reading more and specially reading without being anything spoiled for me. So please in future please use spoiler tags.
February 23, 2021
https://headoverbooks.home.blog/
What it is about
Heather and Cooper are getting married but first Heather has to deal with the royalty at the residence hall and the new homicide that was committed.
POV- first person from Heather
HEA/HFN- yes
Funny parts- yes
Sad parts- some
Love triangle- no
Insta-love- no
Cheating- no
Super insecure character- no
Trigger warning- murder
Realistic scale- 1/5
Pick this up if
You want cute and fun cozy mystery. You like romances in your cozies. You like a lot of red herrings. You like compelling mysteries. You like a quirky cast of characters. You want a plus sized heroine.
Don’t pick this up if
You don’t like long series. You haven’t read the first books in the series. You don’t like main characters who read young. You hate it when everything is resolved too easily.
Pages- 392
Audiobook- 10h 33m
Narrators- Sandy Rustin
BUY THE BOOKS IN THE HEATHER WELLS MYSTERY BOOKS HERE
Size 12 Is Not Fat
Size 14 Is Not Fat Either
Big Boned
Size 12 and Ready to Rock
The Bride Wore Size 12
I get asked how I read so many books. This is how I do it:
Kindle Unlimited (definitely worth it for romance readers)
Audible (2 free audiobooks for your first month); I have the Audible Premium Plus with 2 credits a month
Prime membership allows me to get new books at my doorstep fast (get the first month free). I have Prime Student which comes with a 6 month free trial.
Scribd
I also had Audible Escape but it got cancelled :(
But Audible Plus is supposed to have a lot of books across all genres
The perfect gifts for a loved one
Audible gift membership
Prime gift membership
(paid links)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 6, 2013
I have enjoyed this series since the first moment we met Heather in Fischer Hall. I looked forward to see how she and Cooper were going to ride of into the sunset at the end of the series. And while I enjoyed this story (because really, you can't have a final book without a death at Death Dorm), I missed some of the characters that we have grown to love. No Jordan, her dad was missing, very little Magda and not enough Gavin. These are characters who have always been a core to each book, so I was a bit bummed that was saw little to none of them.
I wished for more from Cooper. When he was in a scene, he stole it. For a man who was of few words for the better part of 4 books, his mouth was spew ing all sorts of things at Heather..especially his love for her.
It was a fun read, like the other books, but I wanted a bit more for the end. More of Heather and Cooper planning the rest of their lives and maybe a bit more of just what family life is going to be like at the Cartwright's come the holidays.
I wished for more from Cooper. When he was in a scene, he stole it. For a man who was of few words for the better part of 4 books, his mouth was spew ing all sorts of things at Heather..especially his love for her.
It was a fun read, like the other books, but I wanted a bit more for the end. More of Heather and Cooper planning the rest of their lives and maybe a bit more of just what family life is going to be like at the Cartwright's come the holidays.
November 3, 2013
2.5 stars -- for the most part, I enjoyed this light & entertaining mystery, but I almost gave up in disgust at two points: at the very beginning, due to Heather's derisive attitude toward the (very reasonable) belief that it's inappropriate for a teenager to have a different sex partner every night; and in the middle, when two characters deliver pro-choice sermons to a woman who has just discovered she's pregnant. It wasn't so much the fact that the characters held these views that bothered me -- it was the presumption that every reasonable person would share them.
March 13, 2017
Heather Wells is always on the ball, isn't she!
Ah well, as usual in this series this book is no exception! Light, funny, entertaining!
There's no deep thinking, but it's not an empty head's read either. There's a bit of balance.
You do catch yourself thinking about real things: like, what do extremely successful people do when success does a big nose dive?... how do you carry about your daily business if you used to be on top of the world once but had to come down?... yep, it all depend on the person.
And Heather Wells is down to earth, your average girl, which makes it easy to relate to her and her adventurous life.
The only downside to this book is that I honestly expected much more action, big surprises and one or more shocking twists, which didn't really happen.
But it was a fun read, nevertheless.
Ah well, as usual in this series this book is no exception! Light, funny, entertaining!
There's no deep thinking, but it's not an empty head's read either. There's a bit of balance.
You do catch yourself thinking about real things: like, what do extremely successful people do when success does a big nose dive?... how do you carry about your daily business if you used to be on top of the world once but had to come down?... yep, it all depend on the person.
And Heather Wells is down to earth, your average girl, which makes it easy to relate to her and her adventurous life.
The only downside to this book is that I honestly expected much more action, big surprises and one or more shocking twists, which didn't really happen.
But it was a fun read, nevertheless.
October 8, 2013
Read more of my reviews at Nick's Book Blog.
Ah Heather Wells! I had such a fun time with you, Cooper and the gang at Fischer Hall. I can't even tell you guys how much I just adore this cozy mystery series. I've been following it for years now and to finally have it end was quite the happy-sad experience.
Heather has grown so much throughout this series. She started off as a ditzy, naive girl in the first book, but she was so much more mature in The Bride Wore Size 12. She has lost her impulsive nature and has grown into a sensible woman who thought before making a decision. I've always loved Heather, but I think I might have loved her even more in this book. Of course, no matter how sensible Heather was, there was always murders occuring around her. She wouldn't be Heather Wells without them! The secondary characters in The Bride Wore Size 12 were also a blast. I was so excited to be reunited with the gang at Fischer Hall, who have become characters that I cherish throughout the series. Gavin and Magda have always been my favorite and I was glad that they hadn't lost their charm in this book. Gavin was still his flirtatious old self, trying to get Heather to break her engagement to be with him and Magda was still the crazy old lady who told ridiculous stories that made me laugh out loud. Cooper, Heather's fiancee, was so much more swoon-worthy in The Bride Wore Size 12. The P.I stole my heart in the first book and he continued to do so in this one. His protective and supportive nature of Heather made him so endearing. Yes, I loved him with every fiber of my being. There was also new character additions who added entertainment to the story who made me really enjoy the book even more.
The mystery in The Bride Wore Size 12 started when Jasmine, an RA, dies under mysterious conditions. Usually when it comes to this series, I'm quick to correctly guess who the murderer was, but not in this final installment. I had my guess on who it was, but eventually, it turned out I was wrong and that pleased me very much because there's nothing more that I enjoy than being wrong about a murder mystery. Despite the Heather Wells series being a cozy mystery series, it's not the mystery itself that appealed to me the most ; it has always been Heather's interactions with the other characters. As always, Meg Cabot nailed it with the relationships that existed between the different characters. The dialogues were not only realistic, but also very funny. My favorite relationship has always been the romantic one between Heather and Cooper. I will admit that that I would have hoped to have a bit more scenes between the two of them in this one since it is the final book, but the end scene pretty much made up for everything because I loved it so much. What I've always loved about their relationship was how supportive and understanding they were of each other. In this one especially, Cooper really showed how deep his love for her was when an unexpected person from Heather's past arrived and nearly emotionally destroyed her. As always, Meg Cabot's writing was fun and effortless to read. I'm really going to miss these characters because Meg somehow made me emotionally attached to them.
All in all, The Bride Wore Size 12 was a fantastic conclusion to one of my favorite series ever. If you're looking for something light, funny and with a dash of mystery and romance, I won't hesitate to recommend the Heather Wells series at all.
Ah Heather Wells! I had such a fun time with you, Cooper and the gang at Fischer Hall. I can't even tell you guys how much I just adore this cozy mystery series. I've been following it for years now and to finally have it end was quite the happy-sad experience.
Heather has grown so much throughout this series. She started off as a ditzy, naive girl in the first book, but she was so much more mature in The Bride Wore Size 12. She has lost her impulsive nature and has grown into a sensible woman who thought before making a decision. I've always loved Heather, but I think I might have loved her even more in this book. Of course, no matter how sensible Heather was, there was always murders occuring around her. She wouldn't be Heather Wells without them! The secondary characters in The Bride Wore Size 12 were also a blast. I was so excited to be reunited with the gang at Fischer Hall, who have become characters that I cherish throughout the series. Gavin and Magda have always been my favorite and I was glad that they hadn't lost their charm in this book. Gavin was still his flirtatious old self, trying to get Heather to break her engagement to be with him and Magda was still the crazy old lady who told ridiculous stories that made me laugh out loud. Cooper, Heather's fiancee, was so much more swoon-worthy in The Bride Wore Size 12. The P.I stole my heart in the first book and he continued to do so in this one. His protective and supportive nature of Heather made him so endearing. Yes, I loved him with every fiber of my being. There was also new character additions who added entertainment to the story who made me really enjoy the book even more.
The mystery in The Bride Wore Size 12 started when Jasmine, an RA, dies under mysterious conditions. Usually when it comes to this series, I'm quick to correctly guess who the murderer was, but not in this final installment. I had my guess on who it was, but eventually, it turned out I was wrong and that pleased me very much because there's nothing more that I enjoy than being wrong about a murder mystery. Despite the Heather Wells series being a cozy mystery series, it's not the mystery itself that appealed to me the most ; it has always been Heather's interactions with the other characters. As always, Meg Cabot nailed it with the relationships that existed between the different characters. The dialogues were not only realistic, but also very funny. My favorite relationship has always been the romantic one between Heather and Cooper. I will admit that that I would have hoped to have a bit more scenes between the two of them in this one since it is the final book, but the end scene pretty much made up for everything because I loved it so much. What I've always loved about their relationship was how supportive and understanding they were of each other. In this one especially, Cooper really showed how deep his love for her was when an unexpected person from Heather's past arrived and nearly emotionally destroyed her. As always, Meg Cabot's writing was fun and effortless to read. I'm really going to miss these characters because Meg somehow made me emotionally attached to them.
All in all, The Bride Wore Size 12 was a fantastic conclusion to one of my favorite series ever. If you're looking for something light, funny and with a dash of mystery and romance, I won't hesitate to recommend the Heather Wells series at all.
July 2, 2020
I am sooo sad that there will be no more books of Heather Wells! I have really enjoyed the series.
October 30, 2020
2020 reread thoughts:
There are things about this book that are surprisingly thoughtful and unique, and there are aspects that are cringe-inducing seven years from its release. I've always called Meg Cabot novels time capsules, because they're soaked in the attitudes of the time.
I loved this back in 2013, and I still really enjoyed the book overall, but looking at as a series ender and the way it's aged, I can't rate more than a 3 on here. And I would rec only if you enjoy Meg Cabot's style and are prepared for the time capsule attitudes. That said, there's so much nostalgia here for me (I read and loved MC as a teen, though this specific book obviously I didn't read then), so I'm very into these, but I acknowledge the flaws.
Original review from 2013:
Meg Cabot is, in fact, my most-read author, just narrowly edging out Janet Evanovich for that honor. I have a soft spot for sassy women and hilarious books, okay? I tell you about my vast store of Meg Cabot knowledge so that you’ll understand that when I say that the Heather Wells series is among her best books, you’ll know that I have some idea what I’m talking about. The Bride Wore Size 12 fits in with the rest of the series perfectly, full of murders, laughs and the colorful cast of characters I’ve come to know and love.
Read the full review at A Reader of Fictions
There are things about this book that are surprisingly thoughtful and unique, and there are aspects that are cringe-inducing seven years from its release. I've always called Meg Cabot novels time capsules, because they're soaked in the attitudes of the time.
I loved this back in 2013, and I still really enjoyed the book overall, but looking at as a series ender and the way it's aged, I can't rate more than a 3 on here. And I would rec only if you enjoy Meg Cabot's style and are prepared for the time capsule attitudes. That said, there's so much nostalgia here for me (I read and loved MC as a teen, though this specific book obviously I didn't read then), so I'm very into these, but I acknowledge the flaws.
Original review from 2013:
Meg Cabot is, in fact, my most-read author, just narrowly edging out Janet Evanovich for that honor. I have a soft spot for sassy women and hilarious books, okay? I tell you about my vast store of Meg Cabot knowledge so that you’ll understand that when I say that the Heather Wells series is among her best books, you’ll know that I have some idea what I’m talking about. The Bride Wore Size 12 fits in with the rest of the series perfectly, full of murders, laughs and the colorful cast of characters I’ve come to know and love.
Read the full review at A Reader of Fictions
May 20, 2019
Heather Wells finally gets her happily ever after, but not before going through another ordeal at work.
With her wedding coming up and the new semester approaching, Heather has no time for anything to go wrong. The Very Important Resident, aka a very wealthy prince that has moved into Heather's dorm is not making things any easier, either, but everything becomes infinitely worse when a girl is found dead in her dorm room.
Heather can't help but conduct her own investigation into the girl's death that .
Heather's involvement puts her in danger once again, but she has learned a lot through her past experiences and in the end she manages to .
An engaging, fast paced story with a well deserved, long-time-coming happy ending for Heather and Cooper.
Previous book reviews:
✦ Size 12 and Ready to Rock (Heather Wells, #4) ~ ★★★ (04/10/2017)
✦ Big Boned (Heather Wells, #3) ~ ★★★★ (19/06/2017)
✦ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either (Heather Wells, #2) ~ ★★★★ (19/06/2017)
✦ Size 12 Is Not Fat (Heather Wells, #1) ~ ★★★★ (18/06/2017)
With her wedding coming up and the new semester approaching, Heather has no time for anything to go wrong. The Very Important Resident, aka a very wealthy prince that has moved into Heather's dorm is not making things any easier, either, but everything becomes infinitely worse when a girl is found dead in her dorm room.
Heather can't help but conduct her own investigation into the girl's death that .
Heather's involvement puts her in danger once again, but she has learned a lot through her past experiences and in the end she manages to .
An engaging, fast paced story with a well deserved, long-time-coming happy ending for Heather and Cooper.
Previous book reviews:
✦ Size 12 and Ready to Rock (Heather Wells, #4) ~ ★★★ (04/10/2017)
✦ Big Boned (Heather Wells, #3) ~ ★★★★ (19/06/2017)
✦ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either (Heather Wells, #2) ~ ★★★★ (19/06/2017)
✦ Size 12 Is Not Fat (Heather Wells, #1) ~ ★★★★ (18/06/2017)
October 23, 2015
4.5+ This is a sad day for me! I finished the 5th and I guess final book in this series--please, please it's not too late for more since last one just came out 2 1/2 years ago AND there's still plenty that can happen in Heather Wells world, esp. if she finished that Criminal Justice degree and get paid for solving murders! I don't even know what it is about this series, but I pretty much loved all of them and this was probably the best (maybe) but my 2nd favorite since I think the 1st was the best b/c it was all new to me. Really my only complaint about this series that is just funny, easy, guilty pleasure reading, is the titles--which aren't necessarily bad titles alone, but they don't do the individual books or entire series justice b/c besides the fun, laughs, juice crushes, crazy co-ed, family drama, etc. there is always a very good murder mystery to with it!
It's a new semester and Heather has her fingers crossed that there is no drama or murders this semester and needs things to go smoother b/c she has a wedding coming up in just over a month! It is busy and hectic b/c Fischer Hall is no longer the dreaded "Death Dorm" but the most wanted Residence Hall not only b/c Tania and Jordan's reality show being filmed there this past summer (see book #4 in the series--Size 12 and Ready to Rock) but they have a new VIR (very impt residence), Prince Rashid. Well, of course, things go crazy fast at work as well as with pre-wedding drama and family issues in both Heather and Cooper's family! Again, PLEASE don't let this series end!
It's a new semester and Heather has her fingers crossed that there is no drama or murders this semester and needs things to go smoother b/c she has a wedding coming up in just over a month! It is busy and hectic b/c Fischer Hall is no longer the dreaded "Death Dorm" but the most wanted Residence Hall not only b/c Tania and Jordan's reality show being filmed there this past summer (see book #4 in the series--Size 12 and Ready to Rock) but they have a new VIR (very impt residence), Prince Rashid. Well, of course, things go crazy fast at work as well as with pre-wedding drama and family issues in both Heather and Cooper's family! Again, PLEASE don't let this series end!
November 16, 2015
Hoje dei adeus para mais uma série da Meg Cabot (Bem, pelo menos, até o momento... Vai que sai outro livro! Eu não duvido de mais nada hoje em dia. XD). Sem sombra de dúvidas, "Os Mistérios de Heather Wells" é a minha série adulta favorita da autora, e fico feliz em poder ver o quanto ela estava inspirada na finalização da história, e sem sombra de dúvidas, foi uma das tramas mais recheadas da protagonista.
Mesmo tendo o casamento da Heather como título, o foco da narrativa é totalmente no mistério que assola mais uma vez o bendito do Conjunto Residencial Fisher - que sim, não foi tão bizarro quanto dos primeiros, mas enxerguei uma leve crítica da Meg à conhecida geração "todos são estrelas vencedoras" que sugiu nos anos 90 nos EUA (e devo dizer, se já não tenho paciência com a juventude mimada daqui, imagine a de lá!). Fiquei imensamente feliz em não descobrir quem era o assassino até o momento da revelação, e confesso: Brotou uma lágrima na cena do casamento. Enfim, gargalhei alto com o livro, e fico feliz em ver que uma das minhas séries favoritas teve uma finalização a altura da história.
Bem, por enquanto. Rs
Mesmo tendo o casamento da Heather como título, o foco da narrativa é totalmente no mistério que assola mais uma vez o bendito do Conjunto Residencial Fisher - que sim, não foi tão bizarro quanto dos primeiros, mas enxerguei uma leve crítica da Meg à conhecida geração "todos são estrelas vencedoras" que sugiu nos anos 90 nos EUA (e devo dizer, se já não tenho paciência com a juventude mimada daqui, imagine a de lá!). Fiquei imensamente feliz em não descobrir quem era o assassino até o momento da revelação, e confesso: Brotou uma lágrima na cena do casamento. Enfim, gargalhei alto com o livro, e fico feliz em ver que uma das minhas séries favoritas teve uma finalização a altura da história.
Bem, por enquanto. Rs
June 23, 2015
This book was a pleasant surprise. I was expecting humorous fluff, but there was actually something more than that. There was a mystery to solve. This is not the first book in the Heather Wells series. But I plan on reading more.
I enjoyed the humor. The characters and their dialog reflected this. This part felt well written. It didn't feel overwrought. I also liked the characters. So 4 stars.
I enjoyed the humor. The characters and their dialog reflected this. This part felt well written. It didn't feel overwrought. I also liked the characters. So 4 stars.
September 6, 2013
This is book #5 of the Heather Wells Mystery Series by Meg Cabot.
Yes, Meg Cabot, who wrote The Princess Diaries and a slew of other YA titles.
But this book is far from YA. While some of the characters are older teens, our heroine and narrator is Heather Wells, a formerly famous teen pop star who lost her boy band lead boyfriend, career, family, and money all at the same time. Heather, now in her late 20s, is determined to go back to school to pursue a criminal justice degree, but, being broke, she's had to take a job as an assistant residence hall director and another doing the accounting of her ex's big brother, who's a private investigator (and Heather's longtime crush).
In this book, Heather has to deal with the fallout of another murder in her residence hall, as well as the demands of one VIR--Very Important Resident, all the while trying to prepare for her upcoming wedding. We get to meet her mom, and that allows us to see a deeper side of Heather's personality than we'd seen before. This fleshes her out a bit as a character who, after four books, readers feel they know pretty well.
If you haven't read the first four books, and you think you'd enjoy a humorous mystery set in NYC, with a lot of laughs and a relatable, realistic heroine, then I'd go to your local library and pick up Size 12 is Not Fat, Size 14 is Not Fat Either, Big Boned, and Size 12 and Ready to Rock. They're all fast paced, short reads that will hold the interest of someone who enjoys humorous mystery stories and strong, funny female leads. Don't be put off by the titles; the books aren't a whinefest about being chubby. As Cabot notes in her first book, size 12 is the average American woman's size. And Heather is a real, down to earth, average woman put into extraordinary circumstances. Though murder is certainly a serious topic, the tone of the book is light and amusing. If you're looking for something just a little more grown up than "New Adult," read these books.
The Bride Wore Size 12 goes on sale September 24th.
Yes, Meg Cabot, who wrote The Princess Diaries and a slew of other YA titles.
But this book is far from YA. While some of the characters are older teens, our heroine and narrator is Heather Wells, a formerly famous teen pop star who lost her boy band lead boyfriend, career, family, and money all at the same time. Heather, now in her late 20s, is determined to go back to school to pursue a criminal justice degree, but, being broke, she's had to take a job as an assistant residence hall director and another doing the accounting of her ex's big brother, who's a private investigator (and Heather's longtime crush).
In this book, Heather has to deal with the fallout of another murder in her residence hall, as well as the demands of one VIR--Very Important Resident, all the while trying to prepare for her upcoming wedding. We get to meet her mom, and that allows us to see a deeper side of Heather's personality than we'd seen before. This fleshes her out a bit as a character who, after four books, readers feel they know pretty well.
If you haven't read the first four books, and you think you'd enjoy a humorous mystery set in NYC, with a lot of laughs and a relatable, realistic heroine, then I'd go to your local library and pick up Size 12 is Not Fat, Size 14 is Not Fat Either, Big Boned, and Size 12 and Ready to Rock. They're all fast paced, short reads that will hold the interest of someone who enjoys humorous mystery stories and strong, funny female leads. Don't be put off by the titles; the books aren't a whinefest about being chubby. As Cabot notes in her first book, size 12 is the average American woman's size. And Heather is a real, down to earth, average woman put into extraordinary circumstances. Though murder is certainly a serious topic, the tone of the book is light and amusing. If you're looking for something just a little more grown up than "New Adult," read these books.
The Bride Wore Size 12 goes on sale September 24th.
September 22, 2013
First time readers of this series may want to think twice before starting with this book. Ms Cabot does a wonderful job with giving us back-story and theoretically you could start here with no problems, but what fun would that be?
There has been some discussion that this might be the last Heather Welles book, but frankly, I don’t think so. At least I hope not! The last line in the book, when Cooper says to Heather after she asks him, “What do we do now?” “Now?” Cooper looks back at me with a joyous grin. “Now we live happily ever after.” can be taken several ways. I am choosing the path that says they will still live and work at what they both love and keep on solving nasty murders.
This book did tie many loose ends up and Heather resolved a lot of her past conflicts with her parents. It was not perfect and these resolutions could have taken up a bit more of the book than it did, but I’m satisfied.
This book is written with Ms Cabot’s usual expertise and flair. We have wonderful and complex characters, a timely story, realistic dialogue and a murder that had me thinking everyone but the one who actually did it – did it!
The book starts with Cooper and Heather counting down the days until their wedding. At the same time Heather is getting Fischer Hall ready for Freshman Orientation and some students, including a “Very Important Resident” are getting settled in early. Unfortunately, this year Heather classes haven’t even started before a murder occurs.
While this series isn’t perfect, it *is* solid and I am very glad that I picked up the very first books ages ago and have kept up with it! I think you will be happy to read this intriguing, funny and realistic semi-cozy mystery series too. *ARC SUPPLIED BY PUBLISHER*
There has been some discussion that this might be the last Heather Welles book, but frankly, I don’t think so. At least I hope not! The last line in the book, when Cooper says to Heather after she asks him, “What do we do now?” “Now?” Cooper looks back at me with a joyous grin. “Now we live happily ever after.” can be taken several ways. I am choosing the path that says they will still live and work at what they both love and keep on solving nasty murders.
This book did tie many loose ends up and Heather resolved a lot of her past conflicts with her parents. It was not perfect and these resolutions could have taken up a bit more of the book than it did, but I’m satisfied.
This book is written with Ms Cabot’s usual expertise and flair. We have wonderful and complex characters, a timely story, realistic dialogue and a murder that had me thinking everyone but the one who actually did it – did it!
The book starts with Cooper and Heather counting down the days until their wedding. At the same time Heather is getting Fischer Hall ready for Freshman Orientation and some students, including a “Very Important Resident” are getting settled in early. Unfortunately, this year Heather classes haven’t even started before a murder occurs.
While this series isn’t perfect, it *is* solid and I am very glad that I picked up the very first books ages ago and have kept up with it! I think you will be happy to read this intriguing, funny and realistic semi-cozy mystery series too. *ARC SUPPLIED BY PUBLISHER*
March 18, 2015
The Bride Wore Size 12
The Characters
Heather Wells
Cooper Cartwright
and a whole host of family, friends, co-workers, police and students.
The Story
I had realized I’d missed Heather so much until I read this book. She’s on my top 10 list of female characters. I’m going to miss her so.
Things are crazy as usual inDeath Dorm Fischer Hall. Heather is preparing for her wedding, finding out who killed her RA and dealing with the huge shock that her mother is back in town, like a boss. She is unflappable. Sure she may be a “shitkicker” but she always comes out smelling like a rose.
This was a great continuation and end of a series. I’ve loved every book
The Random Thoughts
Read With Me: The Bride Wore Size 12
4 Stars
The Characters
Heather Wells
Cooper Cartwright
and a whole host of family, friends, co-workers, police and students.
The Story
I had realized I’d missed Heather so much until I read this book. She’s on my top 10 list of female characters. I’m going to miss her so.
Things are crazy as usual in
This was a great continuation and end of a series. I’ve loved every book
The Random Thoughts
Read With Me: The Bride Wore Size 12
4 Stars
November 27, 2017
What a great ending to a really fun series!
..and now I'm sad because it's over. It's really over. I have no idea what I'm going to do now that I have no more Heather and Cooper. I'm so happy that they finally get married in this book. They are so freaking adorable and I was rooting for them since the first book. I hope to find a love like that. I wish there was another book, just so I could see how their married life is playing out. But I will accept that this was the last book.
Overall, I'm really happy that I found this series and read all of it this month. I seriously fell back in love with Meg Cabot and I can't wait to read more of her books. I'm going to miss all of these characters so much and now I need to go cry a little and eat some chocolate so I can move onto another book.
..and now I'm sad because it's over. It's really over. I have no idea what I'm going to do now that I have no more Heather and Cooper. I'm so happy that they finally get married in this book. They are so freaking adorable and I was rooting for them since the first book. I hope to find a love like that. I wish there was another book, just so I could see how their married life is playing out. But I will accept that this was the last book.
Overall, I'm really happy that I found this series and read all of it this month. I seriously fell back in love with Meg Cabot and I can't wait to read more of her books. I'm going to miss all of these characters so much and now I need to go cry a little and eat some chocolate so I can move onto another book.
August 24, 2020
aumentei um pouquinho a nota pois, apesar de ser um livro meio previsível, esse final me deixou nostálgica. a série está longe de ser perfeita, na minha opinião, mas acabei esse último livro sorrindo :)
November 24, 2020
UGH why do these have to end???? Seriously, Meg Cabot, if you EVER want to write some more I would be more than appreciative. This book might have been my favorite of this series that has really developed a special place in my heart. I’m really going to miss it!
July 24, 2023
ok i’m sad to say goodbye to the series but MAN. the mystery was not mystery-ing. yay for the wedding tho
May 28, 2017
3.5 stars. Really enjoyed this book. Very relatable main character. Heather Wells is fun, sassy & strong Great way to end a series, marrying Cooper. Makes me want to go back & read the series
April 28, 2016
After I started to read this book, I realised that it's #5 of a series about Heather Wells. But that was ok as every part deals with an independent case.
After a few chapters, however, it became more and more obvious to me that I'm glad to just read this one part. Otherwise I would be really pissed off to read about so many deaths coincidentally occurring in this one dorm where Heather works. (I already had similar series in the past and it was awful - unfortunately I'm just really bad at ending series as there's always this tiny gleam of hope: mayyyyybe the next part will be better? Nope. It won't.)
But, to get back to the point, I only read this one part, so this case was alright.
Not alright, however, was Heather Wells. She has this really annoying way of thinking, speaking - and simply being.
The way she talks is a bit like those stupid teenies I have to endure on the train to work every day. I mean, in general, most dialogues sound like she's talking to highly retarded people.
It was so awkward to read sometimes that I wanted to shower my eyes with acid.
At some point someone said something like: "This student is a bit messy." And Heather immediately jumps to defend that (non-attendant) student and justify his behavior. Well, Wells, don't you think you're overacting at this point? Calm down, horse. It wasn't even an offense. Just an observation.
Generally, I also have to point out that everyone was calm about the death of the one student. I can understand that Heather is this badass pro after her previous 4 cases. But all students in this dorm are just like: nah, whatever. I expected a least some excitement as they're presumably not confronted with dead people every day. But well. Doesn't seem to be too shocking to rich kids.
And when you think it can only get better, you're so wrong. OF COURSE does a maniac killer, threatening a hostage with a knife, lack of anything better to do than boasting with some "impressive" facts he learned in his studies. Yo Bro, sure.
Then there was Heather's brilliant action during "the grand finale".
"I could wait for the psychologist and the police's negotiator - (professionals) that are about to arrive any second."
OR
"I could just take my gun and shoot that guy." (What gun? Aah yes, that very gun you mentioned to coincidentally have in your purse today for 647377283 times...)
GUESS her choice! Grrrrr.
Aside from this awful style of writing, probably mixed with a not too advantageous translation into German, the overall solving of this criminal case itself was quite okay. It had some unexpected turns and the outcome wasn't too obvious.
Oh, P. S.: Nobody cares that you neither read nor saw "the Hobbit", Heather. Nobody.
After a few chapters, however, it became more and more obvious to me that I'm glad to just read this one part. Otherwise I would be really pissed off to read about so many deaths coincidentally occurring in this one dorm where Heather works. (I already had similar series in the past and it was awful - unfortunately I'm just really bad at ending series as there's always this tiny gleam of hope: mayyyyybe the next part will be better? Nope. It won't.)
But, to get back to the point, I only read this one part, so this case was alright.
Not alright, however, was Heather Wells. She has this really annoying way of thinking, speaking - and simply being.
The way she talks is a bit like those stupid teenies I have to endure on the train to work every day. I mean, in general, most dialogues sound like she's talking to highly retarded people.
It was so awkward to read sometimes that I wanted to shower my eyes with acid.
At some point someone said something like: "This student is a bit messy." And Heather immediately jumps to defend that (non-attendant) student and justify his behavior. Well, Wells, don't you think you're overacting at this point? Calm down, horse. It wasn't even an offense. Just an observation.
Generally, I also have to point out that everyone was calm about the death of the one student. I can understand that Heather is this badass pro after her previous 4 cases. But all students in this dorm are just like: nah, whatever. I expected a least some excitement as they're presumably not confronted with dead people every day. But well. Doesn't seem to be too shocking to rich kids.
And when you think it can only get better, you're so wrong. OF COURSE does a maniac killer, threatening a hostage with a knife, lack of anything better to do than boasting with some "impressive" facts he learned in his studies. Yo Bro, sure.
Then there was Heather's brilliant action during "the grand finale".
"I could wait for the psychologist and the police's negotiator - (professionals) that are about to arrive any second."
OR
"I could just take my gun and shoot that guy." (What gun? Aah yes, that very gun you mentioned to coincidentally have in your purse today for 647377283 times...)
GUESS her choice! Grrrrr.
Aside from this awful style of writing, probably mixed with a not too advantageous translation into German, the overall solving of this criminal case itself was quite okay. It had some unexpected turns and the outcome wasn't too obvious.
Oh, P. S.: Nobody cares that you neither read nor saw "the Hobbit", Heather. Nobody.
September 15, 2015
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!
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!
November 29, 2013
This is, I think, the last book in the Heather Wells series. I have really enjoyed this series. They are a light, fast, enjoyable read. Nothing heavy or thought provoking, just fun. I will say that this last one, while it kept me engaged, was not as solid as the others. It is check in week at "Death Dorm" and of course...there is another death. Her wedding is one month away and her long lost mother finally returns to "set things right".
I know the point of the book is the murder/mystery part but this time the solution felt even more far fetched than all the others combined. Yes, there is a little bit of suspended belief required, but this was stretching it, even for me.
As for her mother's return...that felt forced and the final resolution was kind of like "what? that's it?" after the build up from the previous books I expected/hoped for a little more drama and this was very anticlimactic.
At the end of the day, this was a fun read over a holiday, where I could enjoy the book but didn't have to pay super close attention to it. A satisfying conclusion to the series, if underwhelming.
I know the point of the book is the murder/mystery part but this time the solution felt even more far fetched than all the others combined. Yes, there is a little bit of suspended belief required, but this was stretching it, even for me.
As for her mother's return...that felt forced and the final resolution was kind of like "what? that's it?" after the build up from the previous books I expected/hoped for a little more drama and this was very anticlimactic.
At the end of the day, this was a fun read over a holiday, where I could enjoy the book but didn't have to pay super close attention to it. A satisfying conclusion to the series, if underwhelming.
November 2, 2013
3.5. Rounding up to 4 stars just because I really like the relationship between Heather and Cooper. Didn't care about the case(s) this book but let's be honest, we are on book 5. I haven't cared about the cases since book 1 or 2. Just give me happy!Heather and Coop and I"m okay with everyone else (and on that front, this book delivered in SPADES. <3)
Also, on a side note,
Also, on a side note,
Want to read
May 23, 2013AHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I FORGOT ALL ABOUT THERE BEING A FIFTH BOOK COMING OUT!!!!!!!
....and yes, OF COURSE I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
edit:
Why would they change the title? Size 12 Is the New Black had a much better ring to it (pun intended lol) and it sort of went along with the the title of the other books in the series too. Oh well :/
I just hope this ending is satisfactory!
....and yes, OF COURSE I CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
edit:
Why would they change the title? Size 12 Is the New Black had a much better ring to it (pun intended lol) and it sort of went along with the the title of the other books in the series too. Oh well :/
I just hope this ending is satisfactory!
October 21, 2013
This was just as satisfying as I expect from the series. Lots of great character interactions, interesting side characters, and Heather finally confronts the mother who abandoned her and stole all her money. The mystery is a little weak, but the rest of the story definitely makes up for it. And Heather and Cooper are married! Lots of fun all around.
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