I love this series!!!

Such a good book, such a good author. I teared up at the end!

Surprisingly, I’m not sad this series is over. I loved it, but I was getting tired of all the family drama. I postponed starting this book because I didn’t want to hear about the Zoe drama and Kellen drama. Buuut, once I started it I was hooked. I was so happy with the conclusion to this series and I would consider a reread some time. This is the perfect conclusion to a good series!

Ohmylawd, I can't believe that I've finished another one of Jen's series. This was the first book of hers that I ever got on my Kindle {although I am still buying the paperback or hardcover and mailing it to you to get signed, cause you know me - I need all my Jen Calonita books signed lol} BUT ANYWAYYY, I loved it. I loved the entire trilogy, and I know that I'll love whatever you write next, cause that's just the way I am.

reread - 03/2021 - i thought it would be 5 stars, but i think this one felt more like a four star read for me

I netflixed (binge-read) the entire Belle’s series in a couple days. I felt like I was watching a tasty ABC Family series and I just had to know what was going to happen next. This series would actually make an awesome series out there, so I could totally see one of the networks grabbing it up. Since I listened to the books back-to-back, I decided to do reviews for both Winter White and The Grass is Always Greener together. Both books were read by Julia Whelan. Winter White is 9 hours, 35 minutes long. The Grass is Always Greener is 7 hours, 29 minutes long.

Let’s start with Winter White:

Likes:

The most interesting part of this book was seeing what it has to be like for a family in the public eye. Because of Isabelle’s father’s political race, the girls were constantly in the news. It would be awful to have your ever moved photographed and talked about.

I think doing a cotillion would be fun and loved hearing about the silly stunts and learning how to be a proper lady was.

It was fun seeing the relationship between Izzie and Mira grow as they learned more about each other and became sisters.

There was an interesting twist at the end of the story that kept you wanting more.

I know it would be so hard to learn to forgive someone who has lied to you,. The progress between Izzie and her dad was really heartwarming.

Gripes:

Izzie was a little dramatic a few times in the book. I can understand that teenagers are sometimes irrational (we have all been there) but still. I wanted to strangle her a few times!



Now onto The Grass is Always Greener:

Likes:

The story was entertaining and fast-paced. I loved being involved in this girl’s lives and was easily into the story.

The boyfriends were so stinking cute, I was a little jealous of how well they treated the girls. Definitely had a little book crush on Izzie’s boy!

There is always something desirable about a mean girl put into her place. I loved Savanna’s character and how Izzie really stood up for herself.

Izzie really came into her own, grew up and started to take responsibility for herself in this book.

Gripes:

I have gone through loss, it is so tough, but the beginning of the book Izzie is out of school for weeks in bed. I just thought that she was once again being so dramatic, it seemed out of character for the strong Izzie we were initially shown.

As the final book in the series, it really didn’t wow me. It was interesting, but I was not in love with it as much I enjoyed the first two books.

For more reviews visit
A Flurry of Ponderings

The Grass Is Always Greener by Jen Calonita
Grade: B+
Summary: How many secrets can one family keep?

Amid preparations for Emerald Cove's extravagant Founders Day celebration and their own shared sweet sixteen, Isabelle Scott and Mirabelle Monroe are longing to break free from the tight constraints that come with being the daughters of a prominent public figure. When Izzie's estranged aunt, Zoe, breezes into town, the already uneasy family dynamic is turned on its head.

Izzie's finally found her footing in Emerald Cove by leading the Social Butterflies, her school's prestigious club, and she has no interest in getting to know yet another long-lost family member. But Mira, who's on a mission to try new things and make new friends, is drawn to Izzie's artsy aunt. And when Mira meets a handsome, brooding painter, her entire perspective on life begins to shift.

As tensions mount in Emerald Cove, Zoe's laid-back attitude appeals to both girls. But when she offers Izzie the chance of a lifetime, it's time to make a tough decision. What's more important: family or freedom?

The Good: I love how the Monroes and Isabelle feel more like a family in this book. And when Izzie blatantly disobeyed Bill and Maureen, they punished her. At first I was like, "Oh, c'mon!" And then I was like, "Wait a minute...what Izzie did was seriously wrong. Yay for parental discipline!" Character development in this book...Mira didn't grow so much now that I think about it, but she had Belles and Winter White to mature. I think Izzie really grew up in this book. And the conflict with Zoe was good.

The Bad: Brayden is still around, blah. :P And Kylie? Oh my gosh, I do not like that girl. I didn't like Violet's actions in this book, either, for that matter. I kept thinking, "Seriously, girls, GROW UP." I don't feel like my friends and I ever act that catty and immature. (Sometimes we get crazy and goofy immature, but not bratty, toddler-esque immature.) Finally, I'm not sure how I felt about the ending...it didn't give me the right closure, overall, I guess. This was the last book in the Belles series, right? Oh, and a recommendation to all authors - fancy font is a great representation of handwriting, but it should be READABLE. There was a letter from Isabelle's grandmother towards the end of the book, and I really struggled to follow it completely.

The Ugly: Same as the other books. I also didn't find Zoe to be a good role model, and I'm concerned the author excused her actions too much.

Find the full review at: http://bookworm716.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-reviews-belles.html

I love Jen Calonita because her books are simple and sweet and have simple and straight to the point messages. Her books usually go back to friendship, family, love, honesty, trust, and all of that. Its great. I enjoy her books because they are sweet and enjoyable and they are the kind of books that I really liked in junior high and high school...and Jen Calonita has a talent for spinning a nice little YA novel.

While I enjoyed this conclusion to the Belles trilogy, I don't think I liked it as much as I liked the first two books. The characters and writing were as wonderful as ever, but the main plot of the story seemed almost a replica of the second book (a.k.a. The girls are forced to deal with boy problems, fitting in, and being in the spotlight). It felt like I was reading the same book with minimal change other than a couple of new qualities that were introduced, such as the plot line concerning Izzie's aunt. In spite of this lack of change, I still enjoyed the overall story and felt as though everything tied together nicely in the end.