Meg Cabot - The Bride Wore Size 12

Meg Cabot has been one of my favourite authors since I was a kid but I always preferred her weirder books; I read the first Princess Diaries book but I just didn't connect with it as well as I did with the Missing or Mediator series.  Even now I prefer her unusual books, including the Heather Wells series.  While I've been disappointed by Cabot's attempts at vampires and myths on this blog, I really love this series because yet again, I have a soft spot for the main character's love interest.  My friends are probably right; tall dark, and sarcastic are my type.

The Bride Wore Size 12 is the fifth book in the Heather Wells series by Meg Cabot.  The Heather Wells series follows a young woman of the same name who used to be a pop star in her teens but she was fired because she wanted to sing songs she wrote herself.  The series starts when Heather gets a job as a residence house coordinator and then discovers that some of the girls in the residence house are being murdered so Heather takes it upon herself to investigate the murders and finds the murderer, putting herself in danger only to be saved by her landlord/crush/ex-boyfriend's brother, Cooper.  This format continues throughout the series with Heather discovering a crime and becoming involved in the investigation despite Cooper's protests and while she helps solve the crime, she puts herself in danger and Cooper saves her in some way.  Every time she and Cooper are thrust together through the series because of Heather's actions, their relationship becomes more intimate - culminating in them becoming a couple and eventually getting engaged which leads to the latest book.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Cabot fans; cosy crime fans

Favourite Characters: Cooper - has always been my favourite character

Favourite Part: I don't know how bad until Cooper looks down at me, smiles crookedly[...], and says "Sure, I'll take a lemonade, Jess.  And sorry I didn't call, honey.  I was a little tied up."
He giggles.  Cooper, who never giggles.
"But Heather," I hear Nicole protest.  "You told me Cooper did call-"
"Shut up, Nicole," I snap.  Her eyes widen with hurt feelings, but I'm not in the mood to apologise.  I'm too busy checking her brother's wrists for rope burns, thinking he must literally have been tied up to be giggling at his own joke. - Page 271-2

Good Points: Funny and warm as usual; Heather's character development; Heather and Cooper; lots of colourful characters

Bad Points: Old secondary characters weren't as prominent like in other books

The Bride Wore Size 12 begins just as Heather is getting ready to go to work for the first week of the year at the campus; she and Cooper are engaged and getting their wedding planned with the assistance of a busy wedding planner.  As usual, Heather has to handle the parents on campus during the week of the new school year who want their children to be the highest priority, especially this year as a Kaleigh - a new student - as her mother constantly complains at Heather about Kaleigh's new roommate as well as the resident assistant on her daughter's floor, Jasmine.  When Heather sends Sarah to check on Kaleigh's roommate and Jasmine, Sarah then calls her to tell her that she has found Jasmine dead in her room - once again, the curse of the Death Dorm lives on; while calming Sarah and the residents down that have discovered this horrible incident, the police are called and an investigation ensues which Heather becomes tangled up in.  On top of the death, there is a VIP resident in the dorm which is causing more issues as well as for the staff as there is a lot of pressure and attention on them, especially Lisa.

The Bride Wore Size 12 was wonderfully funny as usual and has a warm, happy feeling about it (despite the death) that is normal for Cabot which I am thrilled about because that is what I love about her writing and her books.  After reading the Insatiable and Abandon series, I have been reluctant to read another Cabot book but now I'm glad I've done so because this is one of my new favourite books.  I highly recommend this series if you want to see Cabot's true writing style because I feel she excels in this particular series; I can't vouch for The Princess Diaries series because I only read one when I was a teenager but I can say this one is wonderful.

Over the course of the series, Heather has grown and her character development is one of my favourite points about this book as well as the series.  She has gone from being obsessed about her body image because of her previous experiences with her ex-boyfriend and his family to being able to be happy about her image through the help of her friends; she now has a job she loves she made friends because of her job and since she has started to accept herself, she's had the confidence to admit she has feelings for Cooper, her ex's brother and her landlord, who has loved her for years.  She has finally gotten over her past and this is wonderful to see because it could inspire others to do what Heather has if they have body issues - learn to accept themselves with the help of others.  I would have said Heather was my favourite character as well as Cooper but I thought talking about the same thing twice seemed redundant; however, she is a wonderful protagonist because she draws other characters to her due to her friendly personality, yet there is a spark about her that gives her an edge so others know not to mess with her too much which makes her relatable.

I adore Heather and Cooper's relationship, whether it was as friends or as lovers, because their interactions, their back and forth, is always funny for me, even when one of them is angry at the other for doing something reckless (which makes it even better).  I think this is a relationship I'd like to have someday because Cooper wants to protect Heather at the cost of his own safety yet doesn't rush to her side all of the time because he knows she can handle herself; however, should she need him, he's there for her which is lovely.  The man would move mountains for her and I hope someday someone loves me like that.

The Bride Wore Size 12 and the Heather Wells series is full of colourful characters who are completely wonderful in their own way; Gavin, Magda, Cooper's friends and sisters for example.  They're all different and hold some significance to Heather's story and it is amazing that no one really was left out over the course of the series.  The characters have shaped the series and make it one of my favourite and while I am annoyed new characters outshone old ones this time around, I love them all the same.

Ever since the beginning of the series, Cooper has been my favourite character and I am loyal to the end unless they're dead or done something heinous as I've said previously because he's always made me laugh as he tries to stay calm about everything, failing miserably most of the time, which then leads to him making stupid jokes.  From the beginning he's been there for Heather, even when she was sleeping with her ex (his brother) again, and will do anything for her just so that she's safe; it's this unconditional love that he has for her that bowls me over.  He may be a fantasy but he's my ideal man and I think that is what Cabot intended.

Unlike other books in the Heather Wells series, the secondary characters, such as Heather's dad and Detective Quinn, weren't present as much while new characters, Heather's mum for example, were much more prominent.  While I understand that Heather's mum has a key role in Heather's backstory, excluding other characters we have come to love - Heather's dad has always been one of my favourite characters since his arrival - is disappointing.  Even though it brought conflict and chaos to the story, new secondary characters seemed unnecessary and I could have done without it because Cooper could have got himself into trouble without Heather's mum being brought in.

I don't know how bad until Cooper looks down at me, smiles crookedly[...], and says "Sure, I'll take a lemonade, Jess.  And sorry I didn't call, honey.  I was a little tied up."
He giggles.  Cooper, who never giggles.
"But Heather," I hear Nicole protest.  "You told me Cooper did call-"
"Shut up, Nicole," I snap.  Her eyes widen with hurt feelings, but I'm not in the mood to apologise.  I'm too busy checking her brother's wrists for rope burns, thinking he must literally have been tied up to be giggling at his own joke. - Page 271-2

When we see Cooper's silly side, probably because he's hopped up on some kind of painkiller or he's trying to lighten the mood because he is hurt so it panics Heather, I always love it as it makes me laugh because this is how I'd be if I'm hurt, I'd make a stupid joke just to ensure no one worries, which they inevitably do anyway.  This part really summed up how much Heather cares for Cooper and vice versa in my opinion because he is willing to get beaten to a pulp for her while she will ensure that even though he will get hurt and there's nothing she can do about it, she will care for him.  It's not very often that we see Heather snap because it's not in her nature but I liked how she silenced Cooper's irritating sister, who had interfered with the wedding invites as well which is a whole other story, as I would have yelled at her long beforehand because she was getting on my nerves before this point and Cooper wasn't even present; Heather snapping made her character disappear at least for a little bit and I am forever grateful.

I loved The Bride Wore Size 12 because it was warm and funny just like other Meg Cabot books I've read previously, though not some recent ones, and I've missed that so I'm glad I read this one.  I have always adored Heather and Cooper's relationship, whether it was as friends or more, because of the back and forth they have throughout the series which I think helped Heather's character development over the series as they become closer as she has come to accept herself for who she is which Cooper has done since the beginning.  Though I loved how, along with Heather and Copper, there are a number of colourful characters that are always present in Heather Wells books, some of the characters that have been in previous books such as Heather's dad weren't featured as much in comparison to new characters which was just frustrating because the secondary characters always lighten the mood for me, especially Gavin who works with Heather as he always makes me smile and so does her dad.  Though with the angle Cabot went with this story, Heather's mum seemed pointless in the end because everything that happened because of her character was just glossed over.  This is by far one of my favourite book series and I'm glad Cabot has continued it until Heather and Cooper married because it could have been less satisfying as a reader otherwise and while there is no intention at the moment to continue, I do hope she does because Heather and co. are some of my favourite characters and I could do with more Cooper in my life.

I have no idea if there is going to a continuation of this series but if there is to be another, this is what I believe would happen.

Predictions

1. Heather and Cooper adopt a young child or Heather is pregnant which shocks them all

2. Heather inadvertently becomes involved in another murder as always with working at the Death Dorm

3. Heather makes a great "aunt" to Lisa's baby

Other Books by Meg Cabot