THE BRIDE WORE SIZE 12

In this sequel to Size 12 Is Not Fat (2005), ex–pop star Heather Wells is about to get married, if only she can stop the murderer in the dorm.

Having been bilked out of her teeny-bopper fortune by her mother, and having lost fame to younger musical upstarts, Heather is rebuilding her life at New York College. It is the end of the summer, and Heather is an assistant director at Fischer Hall, organizing the work schedule for the resident advisers and preparing for the incoming freshmen and all their attendant complaints. Meanwhile, she’s planning for a gala wedding, at the Plaza no less, to Cooper Cartwright, a private detective who also happens to be a media heir. Too bad one of the RAs ends up dead. Alcohol poisoning? Asthma? Murder? When the medical examiner confirms foul play, Heather begins investigating (she is a criminology major, after all) but not without the inherent risks—the murderer may want to shut her up too. Perhaps everything can be traced back to Fischer Hall’s newest resident, “Rascally” Prince Rashid of Qalif, whose hard partying ways, menacing bodyguards and penchant for beautiful coeds could bring shame to the king if word got out. Meanwhile, Heather is trying to keep calm in the face of familial discord: In an attempt to heal the rift, Cooper’s sister Nicole invites Heather’s mother to the wedding. Now Heather is furious with both Nicole and her mother, who is hoping to move in with a less-than-forgiving daughter. Cabot, a megastar in the YA market, has written a number of novels for adults, but this feels misconceived—it's light and superficial yet concerns murder and sex. Though 30, Heather behaves like the teenagers she’s in charge of, making this whole concoction feel like an aspirational novel for a 16-year-old.

A flimsy romance tied to a flaccid murder mystery.