Review Detail

I went into Belles by Jen Calonita expecting it to be a light, cheesy book that had been done a few times before, but still expecting to enjoy it. I mean, I read her other series and while I enjoyed it, there wasn’t much to it. But guys, colour me wrong – I didn’t just enjoy Belles, I loved it. Belles was so much more than what I expected.

Sure, Belles definitely had its fair share of light and cheesy moments – I was giggling like a madwomen, but I could not put it down! There was a bucketload of scandal and drama, and not to mention a huge secret or two that was being kept throughout the story. It was somewhat spoiled for me on the back cover the ARC, but I think they’ve changed it for the finished copy and it’ll be interesting to see what everyone thinks when they don’t know it’s coming.

I loved Izzie and essentially every single character in Belles. Her cousin, Mira, ended up playing a slightly different role than I pegged her for, which was a nice twist. And Brayden. Loved me some Brayden. I thought each character in Belles had a personality that stood out from each of the other characters, although the aunt and uncle ended up feeling a little flat in some parts. Hopefully we’ll get a bit more personality from them in the second book.

Yup, I said second book! Belles is a trilogy, I believe, and although I kind of wonder how the story is going to be extended, I’m genuinely excited to read more of Izzie’s world. And that’s a bit rare for me lately.

Overall, I loved Belles by Jen Calonita. It was fun and light and exactly what I expected, but also so much more. Belles had a good amount of depth to it without being overwhelming, as well as some well-developed characters. Check Belles out if you’re looking for a great contemporary.

Review originally posted on my blog http://hobbitsies.net/2012/04/belles-by-jen-calonita/