Belles was a fairly fast read. The downfall to the book is that it is dragged out really long in parts that only really need to be a page, and there are other parts where more information could have been added to make it better. It also was really boring in many parts too. It really got exciting about halfway through the book because it was a lot more eventful and much better written. Overall I enjoyed the book even though it was boring in some parts. When Izzie Scott's grandmother becomes too frail to take care of her, she's sent to live with some distant family members in the affluent neighboring town of Emerald Cove. Mira Monroe, Izzie's cousin, is hardly excited about having to babysit a girl from Harborside and a "life-changing secret" hovers beneath the perfect surface of the Monroe family. This was a sweet, if somewhat generic, chick lit offering that will probably appeal to younger impressionable readers seeking an entree into the genre. The contrasts and conflicts between the two towns, as well as the power dynamics of the snobbish Emerald Cave, are portrayed clearly and with plenty of telling details. Izzie and Mira, and their respective love interests, are appealing characters and Calonita's writing is eminently readable. The thing that bothers me about Belles is how utterly formulaic it seems. While I was reading it, I didn't notice anything but a day later, it feels like the author simply picked and chose from a list of personality traits for each character. Secret desire to paint? Check. Talent for swimming? Check. Short temper? Check. Even the villains feel generic--the Queen Bee, the dumb jock boyfriend, the oily campaign manager. It's a shame that the author's engaging writing couldn't have come up with more original inventions.
What do You think about Belles (2012)?
It was really good and I'm excited for reading the following books in the series.
—Shiven
OMG!! I loved it! NOW waiting to read second and third books.
—Nickk
