Summer Readin' Pick #2: How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

where I feature my favourite summer reads!
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Publication date: 23rd April 2013

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Links: Amazon, Goodreads

Source: Bought

Stars: 4/5

My first pick for the summer was Attachments by Rainbow Rowell. It's time to feature my second pick: How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer!

I wouldn't have pounced on this book and finished it in a day if it weren't for Elena @ Novel Sounds whose review made me psyched to read the book! Reasons why it's the perfect summer read:

•  It's set in Fairyland Kingdom, a Disney Land of sorts, where Zoe and her cousin Jess are interning for the summer! Since it's a theme park, the interns get assigned to don the roles of various fairy tale characters.
•  involves the "Queen", the boss from HELL whom the protagonist, Zoe is assigned to serve. Oh yes, it's part Devil Wears Prada.
•  also has the employees competing against each other for the Dream & Do Grant... a grant that Zoe's cousin, Jess, desperately needs if she has any hopes of going to a good college; given her family's financial situation. The cutthroat competition adds an ultra fun element to the plot and there's also a twist in the end that I felt was very Willy Wonka!

Why wouldn't you want to spend your summer reliving the juicy behind-the-scene exploits of the interns in Fairyland Kingdom? Especially since it involves a rogue Prince whom Zoe runs into in a Forbidden Territory (who leaves a swathe of cloth behind), the Queen aka The Boss From Hell demanding answers, a runaway Cinderella and a really hot Puss 'n Boots! There's also touching, almost fairytale-esque backstory and an ending that left me teary eyed and satisfied!

I could see how Zoe got attached to Fairyland despite its annoying rules like a ban on TV watching. I got attached to Fairyland Kingdom just by reading about it. It seemed like a great place to spend the summer... even with the quirky rules and the Queen's tyranny. Zoe was someone I instantly warmed up to and I loved watching her have her cousin Jess's back, put the pieces of the mini-Fairytale mystery together and uncover the identity of her rogue Prince Charming. 

Strohmeyer's writing is incredibly wholesome and fully brings the characters of this story alive! I loved that most of the times, the interns had the additional pseudo identity of the characters they played in Fairyland... it made the story even more intensely amusing and appealed to my love for fairy tales! This is an incredibly cutesy, light and charming book with lovable characters and a lot of heart. Despite the manipulativeness and bitchiness amongst interns that would be a part of any competitive setting I also loved that there was a good deal of selflessness, loyalty, love, truly genuine friendships and a deserved Happily Ever After!

Summer Readin' Pick #1: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

© On Books!

The best way to beat the heat: curling up with a laid back summer read! My picks for the summer are usually cutesy and a little predictable but this year I also got to catch up with some really wholesome and entertaining books that have been in my to-read list since forever! I figured I'd do a separate post for each of the books I loved reading this summer and that's where my new feature, Summer Readin'! comes in.

Publication date: 14th April 2011

Publisher: Dutton Adult

Links: Amazon, Goodreads,
The Book Depository

Stars: 5/5

Source: Bought

My first pick: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell which I read after Eleanor & Park by the same author. Given that Attachments is centered around a whole different demographic and had the whole rom-com movie vibe, it couldn't be more different from Eleanor & Park. I didn't think it would be possible but here's the thing- I loved it even more than E&P. 

The protagonist, Lincoln, has way too many college degrees but hasn't really gotten anywhere with it. He's still living with his mom, nursing a heartbreak and hasn't a real clue about how to move forward. And what more, he gets a job in a newspaper office where he gets paid to monitor people's work email and in the process, falls for Beth whom he hasn't even seen before. All he knows about her are from the emails he reads that land in his security filter; banter between Beth and her best friend Jennifer that's far from work-related. 

Set when the whole Y2K speculation was happening with the cutest movie and pop culture references, I adored this book. I loved that Beth was a movie reviewer by profession and was someone you'd want to be friends with. I could see why Lincoln was instantly attracted to her- just by reading her email. She's the kind of witty entertaining character with real quirks that's usually the fun sidekick, so I really really liked that she was the girl Lincoln fell for! There's even this part when she says she sounds soo much better on paper than in person and I could totally relate to that!

As for Lincoln, he was a steadfast, solid person I would've rooted for right in the beginning. We were privy of almost every aspect of his world- from his mom who means well but is probably too overprotective, his sister and his Dungeons and Dragons friends. When he wrangled with the ethics and dilemma he faced over reading someone else's email (even if that was his job), it was completely realistic. What I loved most was that we also got to see him through Beth's eyes in her emails! And it's funny how a fresh perspective can really bring out characteristics that you take for granted in someone.

Another thing about the book that had me positively squealing was that it handled the concept of love BEFORE first sight in the most believable and breathtaking way! Even the most unromantic person is bound to be taken in by the heart stopping sweetness of the way they fall for each other. 

Attachments was fresh, funny, smart and incredibly gripping! I adored this book from start to finish. I loved how it was wholesome yet light at the same time and grounded yet swoony! It had the elements that are present in practically every rom-com movie I'm crazy about. And at the end of it, I think that's what Attachments felt like to me: a rom-com with the depth and breadth of a book!