Meg Cabot has written a number of great series for children, young adults, and adults. My personal favorite is the Heather Wells series, featuring a former pop princess whose mother ran off with her money and who caught now-ex-boyfriend (and boy band heartthrob) Jordan Cartwright cheating. Heather is taking ownership of her life by working as an assistant residence hall director at New York College in exchange for tuition and a small salary. For free rent, she does administrative work for private investigator Cooper Cartwright, brother to her ex-boyfriend, friend, and most recently secret fiancé.

Heather is spending her summer taking Psych 101 and overseeing a small staff of misfit students who are keeping things running while Fischer Hall, aka the Death Dorm, is being renovated. She can handle the unexpected, including unauthorized paintball wars, a painting crew made up of the troubled basketball team, and even the filming of a reality show featuring Jordan and his pregnant girlfriend Tania Trace. All she hopes for is that the Death Dorm doesn't live up to its name...no more grisly murders! Heather's hopes are dashed when the producer of the show is murdered in what appears to be an attempt on Tania's life. To feel safe, Tania insists that the first "Tania Trace Teen Rock Camp" be moved to Fischer Hall. Soon, Heather finds herself helping to protect Tania, playing den mother to a bunch of spoiled teens and their moms, and trying to figure out the identity of the murderer. Lucky for her, hot PI Cooper is by her side the whole way.

SIZE 12 AND READY TO ROCK is funny, exciting, and charming; everything I have come to expect from the Heather Wells series. Heather is smart, confident, and sure of herself without taking herself too seriously. She has a snarky edge that makes me laugh and wish we could hang out. Cooper is sexy and supportive while dealing with some of his own family issues. One thing I love about series is having the chance to see how relationships develop over time, in this case Heather and Cooper are sorting out what it means to be engaged (even in secret). The supporting characters are entertaining and complex, each with his/her own quirks and issues. The tone is more humorous than suspenseful but that doesn't detract from the threat posed by the killer. Heather doesn't seek out danger but she more than holds her own when it finds her.