I really don't like this author's writing style, but I like the characters in this series. I've seen some of the movies that have been made from Meg Cabot's books and I have to say they are definitely better than the books, which is weird. At first I thought maybe she was British and I just didn't 'get' her writing style. That's not the case. She's an American. She uses far too many dashes in her writing -- something I'm not really too keen on to begin with ever since I decided when I was in college I'd major in English and then Broadcasting -- to make me happy.

Isn't that hard to read? Why separate the sentence like that??!! That whole "to make me happy" thing to finish the sentence ... grrrr ... by the time I read all that was between the dashes I have forgotten how the sentence even started!

I read the second book in the series (Size 14 Isn't Fat Either) before I read this one. I'm not sure if I'll read the third Heather Wells Mystery or not. Depends on how desperate I get, probably. ( )

A lot of chick lit I really love: not this. I found the writing poor, the characters and conversations irritating. I read about 100 humourless, dull pages before throwing it aside. ( )

It was a little breezy, but a fun read. ( )

This was more like a 3.5 because it was very, very silly, but I was in a low mood and it cheered me up, so it gets another 1/2 star. The protagonist often verged on too much, but every time it reached that point, Cabot managed to dial it back. ( )

One of the commenters on my updates nailed it perfectly for why I really didn't care for this book. The character of Heather is not likable really in this one for me. We find out that the main reason she decides to take the job she does is to go to school (for free) to get a degree to make her more appealing to a man. And she's trying to prove how smart and capable she is to get this same man to fall in love with her like she is with him (this is her ex's brother). We also don't find out much about her backstory and instead choose to focus on her crush on her ex's brother and her justifying everything that she eats by saying size 12 is not fat. I mean that line must have been said almost 100 times during the course of this book.

I now recall why I could not get through this book the first time my friend gave this to me as a gift. The book does not do a good job of developing secondary characters besides Cooper (her ex's brother and P.I.) and the why behind the murders was pretty awful. And I have to say that Heather drove me nuts because her investigation skills were hilariously bad.

Heather is an ex-teen singing sensation who is now broke living with Cooper (her ex's brother) and working as an assistant dorm director at a college in New York. We find out slowly (seriously) that Heather is broke because her mom ran off with her money, that her label dropped her when she insisted on singing her own songs, and that her ex fiancee who is currently part of a boy band or former boy band (I could not keep that one straight) is still trying to force a continuation of their relationship. Between this and the murder mystery aspect it was just too much for the first book in the series.

The writing got old quick. Heather's constant comments about being a size 12 is not fat was headache inducing after a while. That and her describing Cooper, his leather jacket, what someone else looked like and her thinking if they were either too thin or her size. Apparently size 10s don't exist in this world or size 8s either. You are either a size 0, too skinny, or 12.

The flow of the book was terrible. We either have Heather investigating (quotes) obsessing about Cooper, obsessing about her ex, obsessing about her size, or trying to hide from her past in this one.

The setting of New York actually worked in this one very well. I got a good sense of where Heather lived and the dorm.

The ending was a bit of a mess actually. The reveal behind who dun it was all kinds of gross, and honestly I was thinking it may be this person due to process of elimination anyway.

I read this for the Twelve Tasks of the Festive Season: Task the Fourth: The Gift Card. ( )

I recently learned that this series is not just chick lit, it’s murder mystery chick lit about a former pop singer now working as an assistant director for a college dorm. (Talk about misleading covers!) When a student is found dead, Heather is convinced that it wasn’t an accident but murder.

At times Heather reminded me of Mia from The Princess Diaries, which I found fascinating and frustrating: they both live in New York; they’re somewhat famous; they feel judged for their appearance (albeit for different reasons); they’re generally optimistic and warm hearted; and there are similarities in how they think and express themselves. Similarities in tone, if not content. I can’t actually remember if Mia was ever blasé about being late, but it’s the sort of opinion which would be understandable, and maybe even endearing, coming from a teenager but is irritating from a woman of nearly thirty with a full-time job.

Anyway, Heather is kind and humorous, I liked the setting, and the mystery had enough twists to satisfy me. I read the next book. ( )

This was a good summer read. I will continue reading the rest if the serious. ( )

Easy, fun read. I finished it in about 2 days. I enjoy Meg Cabot's writing when you want something girly and light hearted. ( )

Meg Cabot, of Princess Diaries fame, isn't quite as good an author for adults, but this mystery is still a fun read. I liked the premise on this - a former pop princess works as a dorm supervisor after her career tanks and her mother absconds with all her money. When someone starts shoving students down the elevator shaft, our heroine investigates, a la Nancy Drew. ( )

A lot of chick lit I really love: not this. I found the writing poor, the characters and conversations irritating. I read about 100 humourless, dull pages before throwing it aside. ( )

If you can ignore the fact that deaths at a university *residence hall* would not prompt a full-on investigation by the authorities, the stupidity of said authorities including a private investigator named Cooper (Heather's landlord and biggest crush ever!) who doesn't seem as bright and competent as Heather's inner thoughts would lead you to believe, and the character flaws Heather herself has despite being 28 and the only character to catch on that those aforementioned deaths were actually murders, this book is a light and easy read.

If you were able to get through the above sentence, Heather's run-on thoughts are sure to be a delight. :)

Reading from Heather's perspective was, at times, enjoyable, and her scattered thoughts add more fun to the storyline. However, if there was a drinking game for how many times the words "you know," "umm," and "not dorm...residence hall" were included, I'd be trashed before chapter 4. If Meg Cabot could pretend her readers are reading the book in one sitting and don't need the repetitive details ingrained in their minds, I'm sure we'd all feel a little better about ourselves. Heather also seemed inconsistent in situations. In the beginning of the book, she is bold enough to stand up for her pant size to a random stranger, but other interactions present her as lacking self-confidence.

The mystery was interesting. Not complex but certainly could catch the reader off guard when the murderer is revealed. But even after the big reveal, we are treated with this seemingly never-ending monologue of murderous motivations and dumb blonde jokes, almost as if to say, "Who wouldn't want to die after being subjected to this?" Details revealed are just unrealistic enough to make you wonder how it all should even make sense, but then you remember this is a world where cops don't care about deaths at a um, you know, residence hall.

Overall, I would only recommend this book if you're looking for a short and fluffy read, and you promise not to think too much.
( )

Meg does it again! She has this uncanny ability to make you want to be best friends with every main character she creates. This was a fantastic read full of mystery, suspense and a whole lot of humor. I loved, loved, loved the narration of the main character Heather Wells and really wish I could take her out to lunch sometime! I'm not usually the type of reader who enjoys mystery novels, because I always seem to figure them out. I figured out this one, but it was just such a fun read that I really didn't care.

This is a must read! Perfect for the beach or any other lazy day you have coming up! ( )

This is the first book in the Heather Wells series! A very fun and entertaining read! The whole series is good. ( )

Heather is a little goofy but very likable and surprisingly astute for a girl who doesn't seem particularly sharp. But the whole appearances are deceiving is all over this story. ( )

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 . . .

An enjoyable read - quick, fun and light. ( )

An enjoyable read. Part cozy mystery; part romantic comedy. The blurb here at goodreads site is accurate. The story itself is really carried by some memorable, likable characters. Some very funny moments. Will be pursuing the series to see what happens with them (not a big mystery fan myself). ( )

I love Meg Cabot's books and I love mysteries, so what could be better than a mystery written by Meg Cabot? It wasn't awful, but let's just say I hope the next in the series is an improvement. ( )

Though it started out slow it really came together at the end. ( )

When I signed up for the librarything.com secret santa, I added about 50 books to my wishlist. It's typical that the person who got my name ignored it completely.

This was one of the books I received and all I could think of when I received it was "The Princess" - movies with Julie Andrews and I was prepared to hate the book. To my surprise, I enjoyed it. It wasn't quite 5 stars but it was better that 4 stars just because it took me away for a few hours and gave me a heroine that lives in the real world (now, but not in her past). I highly recommend it for those of us who need a chick-fic read every now and then. ( )

Most chick lit authors are not at all to my liking, but I do love most books by Meg Cabot. This one has the advantage of being a mystery, as well as having less of a romantic plotline/love story than the others. It's more mystery than chick lit. On the other hand, it is less witty/clever than the others. This series is definitely not towards the top of her oeuvre (Ha, yes I did just refer to Cabot's work as her "oeuvre"). I'm rereading the series, though, because she wrote a fourth book, and it's been a very long time since I read these. And, you know, a good stretch of escapist reading is a great thing, every now and again. ( )

Cute. Harmless. ( )

This is not a book I would have picked for myself but I was surprised with it. A very happy surprise as I enjoyed this book and the characters. It is a fun & cozy mystery.

Heather Wells, 28,was a was a celebrated rock star. She grew up, put on a little weight, and wanted to write her own songs, so the record label dropped her. She started work as an assistant residence hall director for New York College. Where young girls are being found at the bottom of the elevator shaft after supposedly elevator surfing. Heather doesn't believe that is what happened and begins to investigate.

Heather has a HOT landlord, Cooper, who is also the older brother of her ex.

Look forward to reading more in the same series. ( )

Well, I'm not sure what I was expecting when I picked up this book seeing as how I just threw it in my basket and didn't bother to read the back.

Three months later, I finally wanted some light, easy reading to palette cleanse after a doozy of a read and chose this. It was simple, easy and very, very mildly humorous.

Main character, Heather, is a has-been former mall-touring pop-star whose mega-famous singer fiancee cheated on her with the latest babe on his father's record label. He gave her the boot and she moved in with his devastatingly handsome Private Investigator brother, Cooper. She takes up a job at a local college as an assistant to the dorm director, or something obscure like that. Then one day, a girl is found dead at the bottom of an elevator shaft and it is quickly attributed to a popular movement called "elevator surfing".

Only girls don't elevator surf." So Heather launches and unsubstantiated investigation of her own and nearly gets killed herself. A few more girls die, a few connections are made and Heather turns out to be right..

I got really tired of the whole "Size 12 is not fat" portion of the book because it didn't really seem to have too much to do with the book but I could see why some girls may really soak it up. Her constantly repeated line of, "Size 12 is not fat, it's the size of the average American" was really aggravating. While I do not think size 12 is necessarily fat (as I am that size-ish), what is "average" does not dictate was is or is not "fat". Your BMI does.

Anyways, overall, this book was easy to read and required no brain power which was exactly what I needed. I still enjoyed the book to certain extents and found some parts to be fairly funny. ( )

Heather is a former teen pop star, but things went bad and she had to find a real job. She is now 28 and working at a dorm – oops, residence hall - at New York College. When a girl turns up dead at the bottom of the elevator shaft in the dorm, the police rule it an accident from elevator surfing. Heather thinks otherwise and sets out to find out what really happened to that girl.

I really liked this. It's a chick-lit/cozy mystery mix. I felt like I could identify with Heather (not the former teen pop star part!), and I really liked her. If I didn't have other books I'd already planned to read right now, I'd love to just dive into Size 14 is Not Fat, Either. Found the author's note at the end very interesting – to see how much was taken from her own life. It's written in a simple writing style, but it's chick lit. It was a fast, really fun read for me! ( )