Winter White by Jen Calonita

Title: Winter White (Belles #2)

Author: Jen Calonita

Publisher: Poppy

Release Date: October 9, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Isabelle Scott and Mirabelle Monroe are still reeling from the revelation that they share more than just the roof over their heads. The media has pounced on their story and the girls are caught up in a flurry of talk-show appearances and newspaper interviews. They've put on a happy public face, but someone is leaking their true feelings to the press, and while it seems like the world is watching their every move, at least they have each other.

But with cotillion right around the corner, Izzie and Mira have barely had time to process their newfound sisterhood. Mira has dreamed of making her debut in a gorgeous white gown forever--now, if only she could find an escort. Izzie, meanwhile, is still struggling to find her place in Emerald Cove and it's seeming ever more impossible with EC mean-girls, young and old, doing their best to keep her down. As cotillion preparations heat up, though, there are dance steps to learn, manners to perfect…and secret initiations to complete? As if sophomore year wasn't hard enough!

It's time for the gowns to go on and the gloves to come off.

***CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK!***

When I read Jen Calonita's Belles earlier this year it took me by surprise and I loved it, so I was really looking forward to reading the sequel, Winter White. Just like with the first book, I was sucked right in to the story and I loved every page of it.

Izzie and Mira are still adjusting to the fact that they are actually sisters and not distant cousins like they thought. But surprisingly, amidst all the chaos in their lives, they discover that if nothing else, they can count on each other. But things become more complicated with cotillion right around the corner. Mira couldn't be more excited, but Izzie isn't so sure she's cut out for cotillion. Add to that the stress of potential boyfriends and their family's dirty laundry being aired out int eh media and it would be enough for anyone to go crazy over. But once again, there might be more going on than either Mira or Izzie can imagine.

I don't know what it was about the story in Jen Calonita's Winter White, but it just completely sucked me in. But based on what happened when I first read Belles, I kinda knew this was going to happen, so I made sure I had plenty of time on my hands before picking up Winter White. The great thing about the story in these books it that while reading, the story feels light and fun, But then when you look a little deeper, you realize there's a lot more going on in the story. But even with that deeper side, it doesn't feel like that story weighs you down at all. And once again, the ending left me with lots of questions that just need to be answered, though many of the ones from the previous book were answered. So you can bet that I'm eagerly awaiting the third book in this awesome contemporary series.

I loved getting to know Izzie and Mira better in this second book. For whatever reason, I feel like I can relate more to Izzie than to Mira though it probably has to do with interests more than anything. But Mira did surprise me this time around. She definitely did some growing, and I absolutely loved seeing her come into her own and realize that she was so much more than she had previously given herself credit for. And with Izzie, I really enjoyed seeing her make the Emerald Cover world her own, not by assimilating, but by bringing her own background and ideas to the table and not being afraid to stand up for what she believes in. As for the other characters, Brayden kind of exasperated me at times but I was happy to see him step up. Similarly I loved that Hayden wasn't afraid to tell his sisters off when he didn't agree with what they were doing. They are definitely great at balancing out the two girls.

Winter White was exactly what I hoped it would be. All the questions I had after having read the first book were answered, though that ending definitely left me with some more questions. April can't come soon enough so I can read the third book, The Grass Is Always Greener.

For more information on the book, be sure to check out the HBG website. 

Waiting on Wednesday (57)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where book bloggers devote a post to an upcoming release they are particularly looking forward to reading.

THIS WEEK'S PICK:

WINTER WHITE BY JEN CALONITA

Isabelle Scott and Mirabelle Monroe are still reeling from the revelation that they share more than just the roof over their heads. The media has pounced on their story and the girls are caught up in a flurry of talk-show appearances and newspaper interviews. They's put on a happy public face, but someone is leaking their true feelings to the press, and while it seems like the world is watching their every move, at east they have each other.

But with cotillion season right around the corner, Izzie and Mira have barely had time to process their newfound sisterhood. mira has dreamed of making her debut in a gorgeous white gown forever--now, if only she could find an escort. Izzie, meanwhile, is still struggling to find her place in Emerald Cove and it's seeming ever more impossible with EC mean-girls, young and old, doing their best to keep her down. As cotillion preparations heat up, though, there are dance steps to learn, manners to perfect…and secret initiations to complete? As if sophomore year wasn't hard enough.

It's time for the gowns to go on and the gloves to come off.

I really enjoyed reading Belles (my review), the first book in this series, when it came out in April and found myself getting really attached to the characters. As such, I'm really looking forward to finding out what happens next to them in Winter White. October can't come soon enough!

Winter White by Jen Calonita will be published October 9, 2012 by Poppy.

Belles by Jen Calonita

Title: Belles (Belles #1)

Author: Jen Calonita

Publisher: Poppy

Release Date: April 10, 2012

Source: ARC from Publisher

Buy the Book: Amazon / Book Depository

Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social wrier sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she's ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn't go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn't thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates' Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls' lives forever.

Before I started reading Belles I had seen it floating around the blogosphere, but I hadn't read any reviews. So I didn't really know what to expect going in, but this book took me completely by surprised. It was a fantastic read and one that I didn't expect to love as much as I did.

Isabelle Scott was perfectly happy living with her grandmother in Harborside and working as a lifeguard on the beach. But when her grandmother's condition worsens quickly, Izzie is forced to move in with an aunt and uncle she has never met. Izzie's world is turned upside down and she doesn't know how seh's supposed to fit in to the glamorous world of Emerald Cove. And things aren't made any easier by Izzie's cousin Mirabelle and her friends. Both girls don't like that the other is now a part of her life and work together. And then there are all the secrets, one of which will change their lives forever.

Like I said, going into Belles I didn't really know what to expect and the book ended up taking me completely by surprise. I had originally decided to pick up the book because of the approaching release date, but then I got completely dragged into the story. There was just something about the way Jen Calonita wrote the story in Belles that made it so I couldn't put the book down. The story itself was told in the third person, alternating between Izzie's and Mira's perspectives. I think that is what made the book so addicting because I just wanted to know what the other girl was up to.

The story revolved around both Isabelle and Mirabelle and I felt like I really got to know both girls really well because of the way the story was told. With Izzie it was always more or less obvious why she did the things she did but with Mira it wasn't quite as obvious. Having part of the story told from her perspective really helped me understand her better and see that she wasn't a bad person at heart, she just had bad people around her. At the end of the day both girls had their reasons for doing what they did and, considering the situation they were thrown into, it was all kind of understandable. And you now, the boys weren't too bad either. The only thing was that I kept getting Hayden and Brayden confused because of the similar names.

Belles was a fantastic read and the perfect contemporary book. I absolutely loved what Jen Calonita did with these characters and this story. I can't wait for more of both in Winter White, coming this fall.