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Queen of Babble #1
Queen of Babble
Lizzie Nichols has a problem, and it isn't that she's blowing her college graduation money on a trip to visit her long-distance boyfriend Andy in London.
She just can't keep anything to herself, including her indignation at finding out her beloved boyfriend wasn't completely faithful to her during their separation. She's now out on the streets with no money and a non-changeable airline ticket home for exactly a month away.
Fortunately, Lizzie's best friend, Shari, comes to the rescue. She's spending the summer in the South of France catering weddings in a romantic sixteenth century chateau, and she's able to sort Lizzie out with a job. One glimpse of the gorgeous Chateau Mirac, not to mention the equally gorgeous son of the owner, and Lizzie is hooked.
She just can't keep anything to herself, including her indignation at finding out her beloved boyfriend wasn't completely faithful to her during their separation. She's now out on the streets with no money and a non-changeable airline ticket home for exactly a month away.
Fortunately, Lizzie's best friend, Shari, comes to the rescue. She's spending the summer in the South of France catering weddings in a romantic sixteenth century chateau, and she's able to sort Lizzie out with a job. One glimpse of the gorgeous Chateau Mirac, not to mention the equally gorgeous son of the owner, and Lizzie is hooked.
272 pages, Paperback
First published May 23, 2006
499 people are currently reading
48151 people want to read
About the author
Meg Cabot
269 books35.4k followersLibrarian note: AKA Jenny Carroll (1-800-Where-R-You series), AKA Patricia Cabot (historical romance novels).
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, during the Chinese astrological year of the Fire Horse, a notoriously unlucky sign. Fortunately she grew up in Bloomington, Indiana, where few people were aware of the stigma of being a fire horse -- at least until Meg became a teenager, when she flunked freshman Algebra twice, then decided to cut her own bangs. After six years as an undergrad at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York City (in the middle of a sanitation worker strike) to pursue a career as an illustrator, at which she failed miserably, forcing her to turn to her favorite hobby--writing novels--for emotional succor. She worked various jobs to pay the rent, including a decade-long stint as the assistant manager of a 700 bed freshmen dormitory at NYU, a position she still occasionally misses.
She is now the author of nearly fifty books for both adults and teens, selling fifteen million copies worldwide, many of which have been #1 New York Times bestsellers, most notably The Princess Diaries series, which is currently being published in over 38 countries, and was made into two hit movies by Disney. In addition, Meg wrote the Mediator and 1-800-Where-R-You? series (on which the television series, Missing, was based), two All-American Girl books, Teen Idol, Avalon High, How to Be Popular, Pants on Fire, Jinx, a series of novels written entirely in email format (Boy Next Door, Boy Meets Girl, and Every Boy's Got One), a mystery series (Size 12 Is Not Fat/ Size 14 Is Not Fat Either/Big Boned), and a chick-lit series called Queen of Babble.
Meg is now writing a new children's series called Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls. Her new paranormal series, Abandon, debuts in Summer of 2011.
Meg currently divides her time between Key West, Indiana, and New York City with a primary cat (one-eyed Henrietta), various back-up cats, and her husband, who doesn't know he married a fire horse. Please don't tell him.
Series:
* Airhead
* The Princess Diaries
* Mediator
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March 22, 2017Ah, Meg Cabot. Author of the famous Princess Diaries.
Which is presumably why they automatically put Queen of Babble in the children's section at my local library.
Aaaand this is me, aged 9, finding that detailed sex scene:
Completely unrelated and random fun fact about me: I can pinpoint the exact moment my childhood ended.
Which is presumably why they automatically put Queen of Babble in the children's section at my local library.
Aaaand this is me, aged 9, finding that detailed sex scene:
Completely unrelated and random fun fact about me: I can pinpoint the exact moment my childhood ended.
March 19, 2008
This is chick-lit at its worst. Predictable, and annoying, the protagonist makes you want to throw her off of a moving train. She speaks like my 15 year old niece, perhaps worst. I found it somewhat hard to believe that someone like the leading male in the book would find a vapid, self absorbed, over the top and nosey woman interesting.
The author tries to convey that the characters quirky but annoying disposition as somehow endearing; unfortunately it doesn't work. It's to my understanding that the author wrote another series that was very popular that went on be a successful movie, which I've seen; essentially, a film for adolescents.
Although spiced with a steamy love romp, the book didn't really have enough texture or complexity for me to enjoy it. What should have been an enjoyable and quick read turned and into an annoying page turner.
Not recommended for most; save your time, and spend it on reading a better quality chick-lit or romance novel.
The author tries to convey that the characters quirky but annoying disposition as somehow endearing; unfortunately it doesn't work. It's to my understanding that the author wrote another series that was very popular that went on be a successful movie, which I've seen; essentially, a film for adolescents.
Although spiced with a steamy love romp, the book didn't really have enough texture or complexity for me to enjoy it. What should have been an enjoyable and quick read turned and into an annoying page turner.
Not recommended for most; save your time, and spend it on reading a better quality chick-lit or romance novel.
July 29, 2008
Once again, after reading a string of heavier novels, I was ready for something light and fluffy. Yay for literary cotton candy, and a good "chick lit" book can always be counted on.
Without having read the first one, I added all three Queen of Babble books to my list, figuring I'm neurotic enough to want to read the whole series. With the first one, we are introduced to Lizzie, a young twenty-something who is one thesis short of graduating college and a continent away from the man she loves...and incidentally has only known for three months, most of which has been long distance.
Similar to most young heroines in this genre, Lizzie throws caution to the wind and gives in to the fantasies in her head about the great summer in Europe she's to spend with the love of her life. Like the general plots of this genre, things don't always go according to plan, in this case because of Lizzie's habit of opening her mouth and inserting her foot on a regular basis. When this habit reveals to her the kind of guy her boyfriend really is, she heads to France where her best friend is working at winery via a train where she spills all to the handsome guy she ends up sitting next to.
Then...you guessed it...hilarity ensues.
All sarcasm aside, the book is actually pretty funny and fun to read if you can sort of forget the fact that you've probably read it before. But it's the formulaic plots that make certain Hollywood movies so fun and "Queen of Babble" reads just like one of these poppy chick flicks. Yes...I'm a fan.
Through the first novel in Meg Cabot's Queen of Babble series, we get a taste of the nasty girlfriend of the guy our heroine falls in love, the humor of the best friend side character and dysfunctional family members of the heroine, and the "coming of age" aspect of Lizzie developing as the pages turn. I'm not going to overfluff and say that Lizzie's a "wonderfully delightful" character (especially because I'm sure I'm going way over my cliche limit), because even though she's likable, she had her annoying moments as well. But I laughed quite a bit, did the girly sigh at some of the more romantic parts, and pretty much enjoyed a book that didn't make me think about what was going on...just let me sit back and enjoy the show.
Without having read the first one, I added all three Queen of Babble books to my list, figuring I'm neurotic enough to want to read the whole series. With the first one, we are introduced to Lizzie, a young twenty-something who is one thesis short of graduating college and a continent away from the man she loves...and incidentally has only known for three months, most of which has been long distance.
Similar to most young heroines in this genre, Lizzie throws caution to the wind and gives in to the fantasies in her head about the great summer in Europe she's to spend with the love of her life. Like the general plots of this genre, things don't always go according to plan, in this case because of Lizzie's habit of opening her mouth and inserting her foot on a regular basis. When this habit reveals to her the kind of guy her boyfriend really is, she heads to France where her best friend is working at winery via a train where she spills all to the handsome guy she ends up sitting next to.
Then...you guessed it...hilarity ensues.
All sarcasm aside, the book is actually pretty funny and fun to read if you can sort of forget the fact that you've probably read it before. But it's the formulaic plots that make certain Hollywood movies so fun and "Queen of Babble" reads just like one of these poppy chick flicks. Yes...I'm a fan.
Through the first novel in Meg Cabot's Queen of Babble series, we get a taste of the nasty girlfriend of the guy our heroine falls in love, the humor of the best friend side character and dysfunctional family members of the heroine, and the "coming of age" aspect of Lizzie developing as the pages turn. I'm not going to overfluff and say that Lizzie's a "wonderfully delightful" character (especially because I'm sure I'm going way over my cliche limit), because even though she's likable, she had her annoying moments as well. But I laughed quite a bit, did the girly sigh at some of the more romantic parts, and pretty much enjoyed a book that didn't make me think about what was going on...just let me sit back and enjoy the show.
June 2, 2025
2.5/5
-Adult
-Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction
-A girl decides to go on vacation with her English boyfriend to London, but upon the arrival she realizes how super questionable the guy really is, and therefore decides to leave him and go to a castle in France with her friends to spend a few days while helping to organize a wedding, and she meets some… interesting people and man, does she deal with a lot of stuff, basically.
-It's a very quick and easy read. I've been in a light reading slump recently, but when I did pick up the book, it honestly felt like the pages simply flew by. In a good way. It's a great read to pass the time, lol.
-I have a strange relationship with the main character. Because she's an insufferable, loud, hypocritical mf who genuinely doesn't stop for a second to think things through until the whole result of her mess-up comes to light.
- The other characters seemed so... meh to me lol, I don't think I managed to empathize with anyone because they were all so dramatic and somehow childish too, ngl.
- There's romance, but... oh come on, it's something that emerges within like 4 days. Be for real, girly. I know love has no time or date but… seriously?
- Trilogy, but I’ve seen a few reviews of the mess-ups that happen in the other 2 books and I think I’d rather be delusional and stay with this ending.
- I’ll say it again. 4 days. And I didn't even feel that much chemistry. The connection is really forced, y’all. Sure, it’s a bit sweet but… eh, still super meh.
- On top of that, there are some really... bad jokes. The conflicts are super forced along with their resolutions, and let's not even get into the topic of the “typical mean girl who gets between the main character and the love interest.” Daaaamn it.
-“There will be no more British guys. Unless they are members of the royal family, of course.” 🤣Haha, so funny!!! (Keep dreaming, girl.)
-Plot: 3/5
-Characters: 2.5/5
-Adult
-Chick Lit, Romance, Fiction
-A girl decides to go on vacation with her English boyfriend to London, but upon the arrival she realizes how super questionable the guy really is, and therefore decides to leave him and go to a castle in France with her friends to spend a few days while helping to organize a wedding, and she meets some… interesting people and man, does she deal with a lot of stuff, basically.
-It's a very quick and easy read. I've been in a light reading slump recently, but when I did pick up the book, it honestly felt like the pages simply flew by. In a good way. It's a great read to pass the time, lol.
-I have a strange relationship with the main character. Because she's an insufferable, loud, hypocritical mf who genuinely doesn't stop for a second to think things through until the whole result of her mess-up comes to light.
- The other characters seemed so... meh to me lol, I don't think I managed to empathize with anyone because they were all so dramatic and somehow childish too, ngl.
- There's romance, but... oh come on, it's something that emerges within like 4 days. Be for real, girly. I know love has no time or date but… seriously?
- Trilogy, but I’ve seen a few reviews of the mess-ups that happen in the other 2 books and I think I’d rather be delusional and stay with this ending.
- I’ll say it again. 4 days. And I didn't even feel that much chemistry. The connection is really forced, y’all. Sure, it’s a bit sweet but… eh, still super meh.
- On top of that, there are some really... bad jokes. The conflicts are super forced along with their resolutions, and let's not even get into the topic of the “typical mean girl who gets between the main character and the love interest.” Daaaamn it.
-“There will be no more British guys. Unless they are members of the royal family, of course.” 🤣Haha, so funny!!! (Keep dreaming, girl.)
-Plot: 3/5
-Characters: 2.5/5
November 27, 2019
Re-read 7/29/15: 2.5 out of 5 stars. Cute, but nothing special. I feel like I remember this being so much better. Oh well.
February 10, 2011
Lizzie Nichols is a blabber-mouth. But that's not her biggest problem. If I was her, I'd be more focused on the fact that I was a self-absorbed, boyfriend-stealing, shallow, mindless, sorry excuse for a woman. After meeting a guy for 24 hours, this idiot declares that she's in love with him AND THEN proceeds to move in with him, to another country of course, after only "knowing" him for three months. I put quotations around knowing because after the initial 24 hours, the contact she had with this guy was only through e-mail. The fact that she leaves a mere day after she has arrived because the guy isn't what he seemed to be (you mean in the oh, I don't know, 24 hours you've actually had a real conversation with him? Color me shocked.) is neither here nor there because she then continues to be an idiot throughout the entire summer.
Case in point. Another mere 24 hours after leaving the love of her life, she then falls in love with another guy after, you got it, knowing him for 24 hours. She just lurves him. And that's all she thinks about. This chick is pathetic. All she bitches about is a guy. All the time. The guy might be moving to Paris and she thinks "Oh that's a whole ocean away from me". Dude, you've known him for two days, did you really envision this grand "I will love you forever" scenario? Then she complains about the guy's girlfriend being mean to her, saying "I don't know what I ever did to her?" Well, gee, I don't know, maybe you've been blabbing everything she told you out to people she wouldn't want you to or maybe it's the fact that you've been FLIRTING with her BOYFRIEND in a not-so-subtle way. Hell, if it was me, I wouldn't have been manipulative, I would've pounded Lizzie Nichols into the ground (pathetic chicks tend to bring out violent tendencies in me with the whole "backtracking the feminist movement about fifty years" thing). Seriously, this chick was like Bella with a better fashion sense.
And another thing, the whole blabbermouth thing is not cute. In the slightest. Sure, on some people it's endearing (five year olds, honest-to-God-good-bitchy people), but on Lizzie Nichols it wasn't. It just made her sound like an idiot. One who can't keep a secret for the life of her. She was also nosy. She needed to mind her own damn business more than half the time. Annoying.
The only reason I gave Queen of Babble two stars instead of one is because I really liked the supporting characters. Shari was actually smart (which means Meg Cabot can write a smart female, but chose not to in regards to Lizzie, which is baffling) and Chaz was just adorable. I also really liked Agnes. So, two stars for great supporting characters and for being a quick page-turner. Too bad the main character was annoying and a disgrace to strong women everywhere (I call her Bella-lite).
Case in point. Another mere 24 hours after leaving the love of her life, she then falls in love with another guy after, you got it, knowing him for 24 hours. She just lurves him. And that's all she thinks about. This chick is pathetic. All she bitches about is a guy. All the time. The guy might be moving to Paris and she thinks "Oh that's a whole ocean away from me". Dude, you've known him for two days, did you really envision this grand "I will love you forever" scenario? Then she complains about the guy's girlfriend being mean to her, saying "I don't know what I ever did to her?" Well, gee, I don't know, maybe you've been blabbing everything she told you out to people she wouldn't want you to or maybe it's the fact that you've been FLIRTING with her BOYFRIEND in a not-so-subtle way. Hell, if it was me, I wouldn't have been manipulative, I would've pounded Lizzie Nichols into the ground (pathetic chicks tend to bring out violent tendencies in me with the whole "backtracking the feminist movement about fifty years" thing). Seriously, this chick was like Bella with a better fashion sense.
And another thing, the whole blabbermouth thing is not cute. In the slightest. Sure, on some people it's endearing (five year olds, honest-to-God-good-bitchy people), but on Lizzie Nichols it wasn't. It just made her sound like an idiot. One who can't keep a secret for the life of her. She was also nosy. She needed to mind her own damn business more than half the time. Annoying.
The only reason I gave Queen of Babble two stars instead of one is because I really liked the supporting characters. Shari was actually smart (which means Meg Cabot can write a smart female, but chose not to in regards to Lizzie, which is baffling) and Chaz was just adorable. I also really liked Agnes. So, two stars for great supporting characters and for being a quick page-turner. Too bad the main character was annoying and a disgrace to strong women everywhere (I call her Bella-lite).
November 26, 2022
DID NOT FINISH - ZERO stars
The one thing I cannot stand is a female character that is so immature and clueless as to be just too stupid to live. I quit on page 44 …. 43½ pages longer than I should have read, but I was determined to give it a fair shot. After all, Cabot does start with a quotation from William Shakespeare … promising. But then she begins the novel this way:
I can’t believe this. I can’t believe I don’t remember what he looks like! How can I not remember what he looks like? I mean, his tongue has been in my mouth. How could I forget what someone whose tongue has been in my mouth looks like?
It’s torture just to type it for a quote!
The thing that really gets me about books like this, and characters like Lizzie Nichols, is that there are legions of girls and young women reading these kind of books and thinking this is cute, sexy, endearing behavior. It isn’t. They should read Anne of Green Gables or Little Women instead.
The one thing I cannot stand is a female character that is so immature and clueless as to be just too stupid to live. I quit on page 44 …. 43½ pages longer than I should have read, but I was determined to give it a fair shot. After all, Cabot does start with a quotation from William Shakespeare … promising. But then she begins the novel this way:
I can’t believe this. I can’t believe I don’t remember what he looks like! How can I not remember what he looks like? I mean, his tongue has been in my mouth. How could I forget what someone whose tongue has been in my mouth looks like?
It’s torture just to type it for a quote!
The thing that really gets me about books like this, and characters like Lizzie Nichols, is that there are legions of girls and young women reading these kind of books and thinking this is cute, sexy, endearing behavior. It isn’t. They should read Anne of Green Gables or Little Women instead.
January 7, 2018
Ugh... where should I begin... this was HORRIBLE. I liked Meg Cabot as a teen - I found the Princess Diaries nice and some of her other books tolerable. Now this makes me think: were those as bad and shallow as this? If so, I must have been an airhead as a teen... I cannot see why people over 14 would find appeal in this one (unless they only care about romance and nothing else).
Let's see:
- the thesis parts... ugh. I mean, they are fine to show how "sassy" the main character is... but no thesis looks like this. I really don't want to believe that anywhere in a world such a thesis would get a pass. If I handed in something like this, the university would have handed it back to me and told me to change the style, the tone and the vocabulary immediately.
- I HATE it when the "oh, the main character is a fashion expert" trope is mostly used for main character to get a free pass to diss other people's fashions and talk disgustingly about them... also, I hated this elitism that "someone whois not fashionable or does not care about fashion is stupid but someone who buys brand name stuff is also stupid... the only person who could dress nicely is ME-ME-ME-ME-ME-ME".
(also, I am not triggered by this, but I think a lot of people would think this book also feel offended for Lizzie's cultural appropriation in this one)
- I laughed at the fact Meg Cabot wanted to shove the "Lizzie's smart!!!!" thing down our throats just because she did not sleep with a high-school jock and became a teen mom. Lizzie was one of the stupidest characters I have ever seen. Even my more babble-ey friends would not blurt out stuff like that she did sometimes (especially when it was not something she blurted out on the spot but she went up to the certain person to tall on purpose). Also, some of her inner dialogue was SO cringeworthily stupid. When I started to read the book, I was confused, because "ummmm... how is a 14-year-old let by her parents to have a long-distane boyfriend and to let her meet him at an airport alone?... uhmmm.... she is at least 22? Oh." I also did not understand how someone can be this knowledgeable about fashion and eras without knowing shit about history. How come we should see someone as smart who associated Jane Austen more with the movie adaptations than her books and grading books solely based on how much they talked about clothes in them? Let alone not knowing you have to make a thesis to graduate? (btw: my biggest questions: does that REALLY happen in the US that you get an empty booklet for graduation ceremony if you did not write a thesis or did not complete your courses? In my country, it is told to you upfront and you are not going to take part in the cerempny or get anything...) That is common knowledge! Plus, how she did not see the red flags with this Andrew guy (no, I'm not talking about the "omg, he wears an ugly jacket and he does not drive a car" sort of ditzy girl bullshit).
- the main villain was really this "teenage girls' wishful thinking" villain with no depth. Of course it was a beautiful (but definitely fake-breasted) boxed blonde Manolo Blahnik-wearing rich bitch who only dated the rich guy for his estate... also, how come someone gets so much power over their spouse only after 6 months of dating? Yeah, totally believable.
- the fat shaming in this book was disgusting... it seems like people think it is totally fine for someone who used to be fat (but not tooo fat, omg) diss others for their weight and make snarky comments about their eating habits
- the "plot twist" with the big miscommunication in the end of the book was so half-assed and such a cop-out
- why do people think it is nice / romantic to end a romance book with a sex scene (especially after their first kiss)? Is it only me who would like to see more just pure romance in the end to get a feeling they really love each other?
- this whole "I am in love with you" thing only after about 3 days of knowing each other
- and one of the bigger ones in the end: Lizzie was such a cliché character. She was a typical chick lit main heroine... "oh, let's make her have flaws but nothing too bad... oh, make her talk too much and be klutzy! So I don't have to make her character more complex, as that is too much work!". Plus, I don't know where people get that these type of people are "endearing"... uhm, no, unless you look like a supermodel. Most guys could not even be in the same room for more than 10 minutes with such a gossipy babbler...
Let's see:
- the thesis parts... ugh. I mean, they are fine to show how "sassy" the main character is... but no thesis looks like this. I really don't want to believe that anywhere in a world such a thesis would get a pass. If I handed in something like this, the university would have handed it back to me and told me to change the style, the tone and the vocabulary immediately.
- I HATE it when the "oh, the main character is a fashion expert" trope is mostly used for main character to get a free pass to diss other people's fashions and talk disgustingly about them... also, I hated this elitism that "someone whois not fashionable or does not care about fashion is stupid but someone who buys brand name stuff is also stupid... the only person who could dress nicely is ME-ME-ME-ME-ME-ME".
(also, I am not triggered by this, but I think a lot of people would think this book also feel offended for Lizzie's cultural appropriation in this one)
- I laughed at the fact Meg Cabot wanted to shove the "Lizzie's smart!!!!" thing down our throats just because she did not sleep with a high-school jock and became a teen mom. Lizzie was one of the stupidest characters I have ever seen. Even my more babble-ey friends would not blurt out stuff like that she did sometimes (especially when it was not something she blurted out on the spot but she went up to the certain person to tall on purpose). Also, some of her inner dialogue was SO cringeworthily stupid. When I started to read the book, I was confused, because "ummmm... how is a 14-year-old let by her parents to have a long-distane boyfriend and to let her meet him at an airport alone?... uhmmm.... she is at least 22? Oh." I also did not understand how someone can be this knowledgeable about fashion and eras without knowing shit about history. How come we should see someone as smart who associated Jane Austen more with the movie adaptations than her books and grading books solely based on how much they talked about clothes in them? Let alone not knowing you have to make a thesis to graduate? (btw: my biggest questions: does that REALLY happen in the US that you get an empty booklet for graduation ceremony if you did not write a thesis or did not complete your courses? In my country, it is told to you upfront and you are not going to take part in the cerempny or get anything...) That is common knowledge! Plus, how she did not see the red flags with this Andrew guy (no, I'm not talking about the "omg, he wears an ugly jacket and he does not drive a car" sort of ditzy girl bullshit).
- the main villain was really this "teenage girls' wishful thinking" villain with no depth. Of course it was a beautiful (but definitely fake-breasted) boxed blonde Manolo Blahnik-wearing rich bitch who only dated the rich guy for his estate... also, how come someone gets so much power over their spouse only after 6 months of dating? Yeah, totally believable.
- the fat shaming in this book was disgusting... it seems like people think it is totally fine for someone who used to be fat (but not tooo fat, omg) diss others for their weight and make snarky comments about their eating habits
- the "plot twist" with the big miscommunication in the end of the book was so half-assed and such a cop-out
- why do people think it is nice / romantic to end a romance book with a sex scene (especially after their first kiss)? Is it only me who would like to see more just pure romance in the end to get a feeling they really love each other?
- this whole "I am in love with you" thing only after about 3 days of knowing each other
- and one of the bigger ones in the end: Lizzie was such a cliché character. She was a typical chick lit main heroine... "oh, let's make her have flaws but nothing too bad... oh, make her talk too much and be klutzy! So I don't have to make her character more complex, as that is too much work!". Plus, I don't know where people get that these type of people are "endearing"... uhm, no, unless you look like a supermodel. Most guys could not even be in the same room for more than 10 minutes with such a gossipy babbler...
June 28, 2011
I've been reading a lot of books lately and I haven't written a review for any of them! I decided to start writing one for Queen of Babble because this is seriously in my chick-lit top list right now. I love it.
Some may find this novel superficial, unrealistic and way too predictable, and you know, maybe it kind of is but that doesn't mean it's less fun.
I read this book after reading a lot of "depressing books" and wooow, it seriously was an amazing choice. I just couldn't put it down. It's the perfect book for the summer if you're looking for something light, fun and happy. Sometimes you just need to read some brainless stuff to put you in a good mood and this novel is succesful in achieving it.
The secondary characters make the entire series, they're all amazing and so particular, and well I just could not love Lizzie even if she sometimes comes across as a little inmature, she's flawed and that's what makes me like her more.
I like to add how I kind of like to see this book as a stand-alone for the other two, but don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I loved them less! I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say a lot, just that you'll understand what I mean when you read the other two and you're going to be extremely surprised.
I've been recommending this book a looot, so give this a chance, it's always nice to dream a little! :P
Some may find this novel superficial, unrealistic and way too predictable, and you know, maybe it kind of is but that doesn't mean it's less fun.
I read this book after reading a lot of "depressing books" and wooow, it seriously was an amazing choice. I just couldn't put it down. It's the perfect book for the summer if you're looking for something light, fun and happy. Sometimes you just need to read some brainless stuff to put you in a good mood and this novel is succesful in achieving it.
The secondary characters make the entire series, they're all amazing and so particular, and well I just could not love Lizzie even if she sometimes comes across as a little inmature, she's flawed and that's what makes me like her more.
I like to add how I kind of like to see this book as a stand-alone for the other two, but don't get me wrong, that doesn't mean I loved them less! I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say a lot, just that you'll understand what I mean when you read the other two and you're going to be extremely surprised.
I've been recommending this book a looot, so give this a chance, it's always nice to dream a little! :P
January 10, 2008
This is a mindless read. The main character, Lizzie, has just graduated college with a degree that is pretty much useless. She has no idea what she'll do with the rest of her life, and she is completely wrapped up in Andrew, a boy she spent one evening with. She flies to England to spend the summer with him, which is where the real story picks up. Lizzie is a superficial and annoying character, making it difficult to keep reading at times, but there are a few funny bits throughout the story. In a way, Lizzie reminds me of "Rachel" from Friends in the first season - superficial, whiny, and dumb to the ways of the world - but she speaks like a middle-schooler. Not meant for the literary geniuses of the world!
March 15, 2016
Basic Info
Format: Audio
Pages/Length: 5hrs and 41mins.
Genre: Chick lit
At A Glance
Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: Slight Triangle.
Cliff Hanger: no
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 3 Stars
Score Sheet
All out of ten
Cover: 8
Plot: 7
Characters: 7
World Building: 6
Flow: 7
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 7
Ending: 7
Total: 7
In Dept
Best Part: B's never win.
Worst Part: Dumb girls.
Thoughts Had: really!; wow what a bit*h; Diet coke!!!!
Conclusion
Continuing the Series: yes
Recommending: eh
Short Review: Okay i am going to write a book where the girl runs off to paris by her self and gets KILLED! i'm over this whole lets just run off to paris and get on trains and just be okay. NO. secondly, you seriously didn't know your boyfriends living situation before you flow over the OCEAN to see him. nor his job! *sigh* some times "love" truly blinds some people.
Misc.
Book Boyfriend: oh i can't remember his name :(
Best Friend Material: the MC even thou she is the babble queen!
Review in GIF Form:
September 5, 2018
I thought I would dislike the protagonist because she shoots her mouth off at every opportunity, based on the title, but in actuality, she just has a tendency to open mouth and insert foot. I'm guilty of that myself at times, so I could identify with her plight. I did think what was essentially her trans-Atlantic booty call was a bit ridiculous, but it worked out in the end. There was a lot of room for character growth and Lizzie really shined as she worked to figure out what she wanted to do with her life. I ended up kinda spoiling myself for the second book because I thought that's the one I had already downloaded from the library, but it turns out it was the third book. Oops. Oh, well...it does seem like things get even more interesting, though. =)
August 31, 2018
I have definitely needed this book and I am happy I have read it now.
Funny, enjoyable, chick-lit romance.
Yes, full of ideas known from other books of this genre (I haven't found any original/new idea), but still I don't mind. I have a nice time.
[Nonetheless, I am not interested in reading the next parts of the series. But Meg Cabot's books stay on my shelf to-read in the times of need ;-).]
Funny, enjoyable, chick-lit romance.
Yes, full of ideas known from other books of this genre (I haven't found any original/new idea), but still I don't mind. I have a nice time.
[Nonetheless, I am not interested in reading the next parts of the series. But Meg Cabot's books stay on my shelf to-read in the times of need ;-).]
November 9, 2023
An incredibly cheesy chick-lit book 😅 I read this because I am doing an A-Z book challenge without using “The”s in the title, so I needed this one for Q. Lizzie the main character is naive and I didn’t really care for her much. I enjoyed the beginning of the book better when she was working through her relationship. The second half of the book was too unrealistic and comical in an absurd way. Not a series I would continue on with or recommend.
April 22, 2020
2nd time reading and I give it 3 stars
I'm not sure what it was that made me give this book 4 stars the first time I read it but that wasn't the rating I gave it this time around. The book was cute and I had a good chuckle over some of the parts but for the most part the MC, Lizzie Nichols, was not only one of the most annoying characters I have ever read, she was also immature in the fact she couldn't keep her mouth shut. I think it was supposed to make her endearing to readers but for me it was just another reason she annoyed me. She asked Luke to keep her secrets and yet she told his mother one of his secrets. She thought she was "helping" him but really it made Luke mad and for a very good reason. Lizzie's character was supposed to be quirky and weird and she was but it seems a lot of characters now days all dress oddly. They either pick outlandish colors and prints or they dress in vintage style clothes that make them stand out. It makes the popular girls look down their noses at the way they chose to dress (everyone should be able to dress how they want without the judgement but a lot of books dress their MC's in this way). I also loved that the story was set in Europe and the descriptions of the vineyard Lizzie was staying at made me wish I was there. It was described so well that I could picture it perfectly.
I gave the book 3 stars because while Lizzie annoyed me the story was really cute and I had to remember how it ended. I had forgotten all of the book. I liked it enough to want to read more in the series. I did think that while Lizzie was annoying in some aspects she had some redeeming qualities too. Plus I have to see if book 2 lets us know if she and Luke keep up the romance.
I do recommend this book but just be warned that the character Lizzie can and most likely will get on your nerves. I can't wait to see if the move on to New York or if they stay in France at his father's vineyard.
I got this book as a recommend from this site and I have to say I rarely read the reviews on a book as I like to form my own opinions. I made the big mistake of reading the reviews and had I listened to some of them I never would have continued reading this book. I'm glad I continued on and read it because I ended up really loving this book. It was such a fast easy reading book with some really funny things in it. I will never again read reviews until I have already read the book because my opinion is very different from many. I thought the character Lizzie, in this book was funny and annoying but so fun to follow. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes light hearted reading material. I will agree with some of the opinions, it is a total chick book.
I'm not sure what it was that made me give this book 4 stars the first time I read it but that wasn't the rating I gave it this time around. The book was cute and I had a good chuckle over some of the parts but for the most part the MC, Lizzie Nichols, was not only one of the most annoying characters I have ever read, she was also immature in the fact she couldn't keep her mouth shut. I think it was supposed to make her endearing to readers but for me it was just another reason she annoyed me. She asked Luke to keep her secrets and yet she told his mother one of his secrets. She thought she was "helping" him but really it made Luke mad and for a very good reason. Lizzie's character was supposed to be quirky and weird and she was but it seems a lot of characters now days all dress oddly. They either pick outlandish colors and prints or they dress in vintage style clothes that make them stand out. It makes the popular girls look down their noses at the way they chose to dress (everyone should be able to dress how they want without the judgement but a lot of books dress their MC's in this way). I also loved that the story was set in Europe and the descriptions of the vineyard Lizzie was staying at made me wish I was there. It was described so well that I could picture it perfectly.
I gave the book 3 stars because while Lizzie annoyed me the story was really cute and I had to remember how it ended. I had forgotten all of the book. I liked it enough to want to read more in the series. I did think that while Lizzie was annoying in some aspects she had some redeeming qualities too. Plus I have to see if book 2 lets us know if she and Luke keep up the romance.
I do recommend this book but just be warned that the character Lizzie can and most likely will get on your nerves. I can't wait to see if the move on to New York or if they stay in France at his father's vineyard.
I got this book as a recommend from this site and I have to say I rarely read the reviews on a book as I like to form my own opinions. I made the big mistake of reading the reviews and had I listened to some of them I never would have continued reading this book. I'm glad I continued on and read it because I ended up really loving this book. It was such a fast easy reading book with some really funny things in it. I will never again read reviews until I have already read the book because my opinion is very different from many. I thought the character Lizzie, in this book was funny and annoying but so fun to follow. I would recomend this book to anyone who likes light hearted reading material. I will agree with some of the opinions, it is a total chick book.
January 6, 2018
I am pretty sure I have had this book on my TBR for like ever, maybe 2 years-ish? I just like the cover and title and I thought it was going to be a cute romance book where I'd fall in love with the main character and everything. Yeah, that didn't happen at all. From the first page I was really annoyed with Lizzie. I didn't care about where she was going, where her friends were going, or who the hell Andrew was. I just didn't like anything about this book at all.
Then there's Luke, oh sweet naive Luke. He deserved better. Like if Lizzie wasn't an annoying twat and whining about such nonsense all the time then I would've cared about their relationship. I mean, I'm happy for her that she isn't with Andrew because he was 100% horrible.
I can't decide if this book is worse than the last book I read from The Princess Diaries series.
I don't even want to think about who is worse: Mia or Lizzie.
I wish I would have liked Queen of Babble. I wish it was written in a completely different way with likable characters. I have no idea if I will continue this series or not. I have no idea what to do with my life right now. I need wine.
September 11, 2016
When I first started this book, I was very annoyed with the main character / narrator of the book. She was so pathetic and needy and her thoughts were very annoying. I almost put the book aside and gave up on it completely. It took a good 20% of the book before she had a single realistic thought. When she finally does what you were waiting for that first 20%, she starts to slowly grow as a character.
The plot twists weren't really twists at all and you pretty much knew what was going to happen the whole time. There were a couple of subplot themes that you knew something would happen, but not exactly what that something was. Then, when the "twist" occurred, you'd think, "Yup, just what I'd expect." The biggest surprise to me was that this was not a YA read. I don't know why I thought it was, maybe it was the voice of the narrator, which seemed pretty immature.
There were a couple of funny parts, but not enough for me to call this a really humorous book. Overall, the book ended up being an ok read. It was not very original, but after that first 20%, it was good enough.
The plot twists weren't really twists at all and you pretty much knew what was going to happen the whole time. There were a couple of subplot themes that you knew something would happen, but not exactly what that something was. Then, when the "twist" occurred, you'd think, "Yup, just what I'd expect." The biggest surprise to me was that this was not a YA read. I don't know why I thought it was, maybe it was the voice of the narrator, which seemed pretty immature.
There were a couple of funny parts, but not enough for me to call this a really humorous book. Overall, the book ended up being an ok read. It was not very original, but after that first 20%, it was good enough.
March 24, 2018
3.75 stars!
September 16, 2009
Queen of Babble is the first in the Queen of Babble trilogy starring Lizzie Nichols. When we meet her she’s just about to fly to London to be with her long-distance boyfriend Andrew. Trouble is, he hasn’t been totally honest with Lizzie and she ends up with nowhere to go. Her friend Shari offers her the chance to stay at Chateau Mirac where Shari and her boyfriend Chaz are working for the summer. Whilst on her way to France she meets Jean-Luc (Luke – another one!)… could Lizzie be falling for him?
I have never read a Meg Cabot book before but know she’s the author of The Princess Diaries (which I’ve seen the film of starring Anne Hathaway)! However I saw Queen of Babble and loved the sound of it and decided to give it a read. I wasn’t disappointed.
I loved Lizzie – she speaks before she thinks, like me, and she was just hilarious. I loved how when she arrived in London she was worried a homeless person was staring at her so went to the Meet Your Party booth and had the attendant call out for Andrew. Trouble was, he was the person staring at her. Funny moments like that were really well done and were laugh-out-loud.
The book was mainly about Lizzie and was written in the first-person to help that so we only got to know Lizzie’s friends through her – which is no bad thing. I liked Shari, Lizzie’s best friend, and liked how she and Chaz were with each other, they seemed so comfortable in each others company. Luke (or Jean-Luc) was also a really great character and I loved how his and Lizzie’s friendship started on the train and then Lizzie’s shock when she learnt who he actually was. Again, another comedy moment!
Another stand-out character for me was Lizzie’s Grandma – she was only in the first few pages but I LOVED her! She spoke her mind – worse than Lizzie! – and was hilariously funny.
I didn’t like Andrew, obviously, and couldn’t stand Dominique but that’s how they were meant to be portrayed – we were meant to dislike them!
The writing was great and there were only a few errors I noticed. That, and the fact Shari is referred to as Sheryl on the blurb on the back was all that was wrong with it. And to be honest, I generally ignore small errors or just correct the sentence myself and re-read it!
The book was realy enjoyable, highly amusing and Meg Cabot has another fan in me. I’ll be looking for the two sequels now to follow Lizzie on more of her adventures!
Rating: 5/5
I have never read a Meg Cabot book before but know she’s the author of The Princess Diaries (which I’ve seen the film of starring Anne Hathaway)! However I saw Queen of Babble and loved the sound of it and decided to give it a read. I wasn’t disappointed.
I loved Lizzie – she speaks before she thinks, like me, and she was just hilarious. I loved how when she arrived in London she was worried a homeless person was staring at her so went to the Meet Your Party booth and had the attendant call out for Andrew. Trouble was, he was the person staring at her. Funny moments like that were really well done and were laugh-out-loud.
The book was mainly about Lizzie and was written in the first-person to help that so we only got to know Lizzie’s friends through her – which is no bad thing. I liked Shari, Lizzie’s best friend, and liked how she and Chaz were with each other, they seemed so comfortable in each others company. Luke (or Jean-Luc) was also a really great character and I loved how his and Lizzie’s friendship started on the train and then Lizzie’s shock when she learnt who he actually was. Again, another comedy moment!
Another stand-out character for me was Lizzie’s Grandma – she was only in the first few pages but I LOVED her! She spoke her mind – worse than Lizzie! – and was hilariously funny.
I didn’t like Andrew, obviously, and couldn’t stand Dominique but that’s how they were meant to be portrayed – we were meant to dislike them!
The writing was great and there were only a few errors I noticed. That, and the fact Shari is referred to as Sheryl on the blurb on the back was all that was wrong with it. And to be honest, I generally ignore small errors or just correct the sentence myself and re-read it!
The book was realy enjoyable, highly amusing and Meg Cabot has another fan in me. I’ll be looking for the two sequels now to follow Lizzie on more of her adventures!
Rating: 5/5
May 2, 2018
2.5 stars
Though I had more tolerance for this now than I did when I initially tried to read it, probably about fifteen years ago, I'm still not particularly impressed with Queen of Babble.
The opening is painful. Lizzie's very difficult for me to sympathize with in the opening chapters. She's arriving in London to stay with her boyfriend for the summer, a boy she barely dated and has only kissed before the term ended and he went home to England. In fact, they don't even recognize each other at the airport (she's lost thirty pounds and he's wearing a weird jacket and cut his hair). He lied to her about his living arrangements too, it turns out. Still, though, she's imagining being married to him, until she discovers he's trying to collect the dole while having employment. Defrauding the government is apparently the one thing that can cause Lizzie to take off her rose-colored glasses.
The book does improve a bit when Lizzie goes to France to stay with friends, leaving the shitty boyfriend behind. My favorite parts of the book were actually the snippets of Lizzie's thesis on the history of fashion, which show that she does have intelligence and wit, something the actual novel rarely showed.
Queen of Babble's also full of stereotypes, like the bridezilla and the love interest's bitchy, fake-boobed, greedy girlfriend. Though I do like Luke, it's hard to see what he saw in either of these girls. I don't come to Meg Cabot's books expecting a ton of nuance and depth, but usually here heroines are charmingly flawed, but Lizzie mostly comes off as annoyingly flawed.
I'm going to give the second book a chance because when Cabot's good she's great, and Lizzie's characterization was improving a bit towards the end. Actually, JK I just spoiled myself on the next two books because I had the feeling this was a bad idea, and omg I don't want to stay on this train.
Though I had more tolerance for this now than I did when I initially tried to read it, probably about fifteen years ago, I'm still not particularly impressed with Queen of Babble.
The opening is painful. Lizzie's very difficult for me to sympathize with in the opening chapters. She's arriving in London to stay with her boyfriend for the summer, a boy she barely dated and has only kissed before the term ended and he went home to England. In fact, they don't even recognize each other at the airport (she's lost thirty pounds and he's wearing a weird jacket and cut his hair). He lied to her about his living arrangements too, it turns out. Still, though, she's imagining being married to him, until she discovers he's trying to collect the dole while having employment. Defrauding the government is apparently the one thing that can cause Lizzie to take off her rose-colored glasses.
The book does improve a bit when Lizzie goes to France to stay with friends, leaving the shitty boyfriend behind. My favorite parts of the book were actually the snippets of Lizzie's thesis on the history of fashion, which show that she does have intelligence and wit, something the actual novel rarely showed.
Queen of Babble's also full of stereotypes, like the bridezilla and the love interest's bitchy, fake-boobed, greedy girlfriend. Though I do like Luke, it's hard to see what he saw in either of these girls. I don't come to Meg Cabot's books expecting a ton of nuance and depth, but usually here heroines are charmingly flawed, but Lizzie mostly comes off as annoyingly flawed.
I'm going to give the second book a chance because when Cabot's good she's great, and Lizzie's characterization was improving a bit towards the end. Actually, JK I just spoiled myself on the next two books because I had the feeling this was a bad idea, and omg I don't want to stay on this train.
July 4, 2011
I picked this book up for variety, since it has been sitting on my office table for the longest time, and it's been a while since I read a chicklit novel. The verdict? It was a light, okay read - nothing exceptional (where chicklit is concerned), nothing bad, either.
Queen of Babble is the story of Lizzie Nichols, a (non-)graduate of History of Fashion who lives with her parents at Ann Arbor, Michigan, who flies all the way to London, England, to spend time with her British boyfriend, Andrew. While there, she discovers more things about her boyfriend than she bargained for, forcing her to cross the channel to France, where her best friend, Shari, and her boyfriend, Chaz, are spending the summer helping out with the weddings being held at Chateau Mirac, owned by Chaz' best friend's family, the de Villiers. Luke, the handsome son of the owners, happens to be there, too, and, well, as in all chicklit novels, I guess we all pretty much know with whom Lizzie ends up at the end of the book.
Predictable, yes. Very much. There hasn't been an instance when I predicted what was going to happen, and I turned out to be wrong. However, the predictability was actually - forgive me - predictable, so I wasn't really disappointed. I also expected that it would follow some sort of formula: you know, cute heroine, hunky love interest, the latter's bitchy girlfriend, loyal bestfriend, etc. True enough, all those characters were present here. But I was just looking for a fun, easy read, and this book is just that, perfectly.
Cute book, I'd say. But I'm going to think really hard before I read its sequel. :)
Queen of Babble is the story of Lizzie Nichols, a (non-)graduate of History of Fashion who lives with her parents at Ann Arbor, Michigan, who flies all the way to London, England, to spend time with her British boyfriend, Andrew. While there, she discovers more things about her boyfriend than she bargained for, forcing her to cross the channel to France, where her best friend, Shari, and her boyfriend, Chaz, are spending the summer helping out with the weddings being held at Chateau Mirac, owned by Chaz' best friend's family, the de Villiers. Luke, the handsome son of the owners, happens to be there, too, and, well, as in all chicklit novels, I guess we all pretty much know with whom Lizzie ends up at the end of the book.
Predictable, yes. Very much. There hasn't been an instance when I predicted what was going to happen, and I turned out to be wrong. However, the predictability was actually - forgive me - predictable, so I wasn't really disappointed. I also expected that it would follow some sort of formula: you know, cute heroine, hunky love interest, the latter's bitchy girlfriend, loyal bestfriend, etc. True enough, all those characters were present here. But I was just looking for a fun, easy read, and this book is just that, perfectly.
Cute book, I'd say. But I'm going to think really hard before I read its sequel. :)
February 25, 2013
3.5 stars, actually.
This book was okay. If you are looking for a light and fluffy read this will do, but I have to say I would recommend the Heather Wells series over this one. This series is very similar to that one, in my opinion, but it doesn't have the fun mystery of Heather Wells books to keep it interesting. It is also very similar to the Shopoholic books by Sophie Kinsella. Basically this book is not very original, and if you are a chick-lit lover, like myself, you may find yourself thinking you have read most of this story 100 times before.
Our main character, Lizzie, just about finished college, and decides to go to England to be with her boyfriend of a few months named Andrew. They barely know each other, but Lizzie has concocted a fairytale ending for them in her mind. When she gets to England she gets a few surprises, and a few awkward moments. I did like Lizzie. She wasn't quite as ditzy as the normal chick lit woman, but she had her moments. She just couldn't shut her mouth, which is the point of the story. There were a few humorous moments too, but I still feel this book may end up being not very memorable.
Very predictable, sometimes cheesy...quick, fun read, anyway.
April 25, 2012
There are some books that should bbe taken seriously and then there are some meant to simply entertain, this belongs to the latter.
This is no Jane Austen but it has the right amount of comedy without the heroine acting like she has brain cell shortage and it isn't too high brow either for it to be snobby. The first part made me cringe because I was crossing my fingers that Lizzie won't fall for Loser Andy and thank god she didn't put our sex to shame! Yes she thought she was in love but when things stopped adding up she bolted like she's supposed to do and for that I am proud of Lizzie.
Luke is so dreamy and understated, he's rich, successful, pays attention and listens! Everything most of us want in a man! I've had a lot of train rides how come I haven't snagged me a Luke! This is why I stay away from these kinds of books because it feeds my psyche absurd fantasies that's not good for me. Sigh! LOL
If you enjoyed SKinsella's shopaholic and Bridget Jones Diary then I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this too.
This is no Jane Austen but it has the right amount of comedy without the heroine acting like she has brain cell shortage and it isn't too high brow either for it to be snobby. The first part made me cringe because I was crossing my fingers that Lizzie won't fall for Loser Andy and thank god she didn't put our sex to shame! Yes she thought she was in love but when things stopped adding up she bolted like she's supposed to do and for that I am proud of Lizzie.
Luke is so dreamy and understated, he's rich, successful, pays attention and listens! Everything most of us want in a man! I've had a lot of train rides how come I haven't snagged me a Luke! This is why I stay away from these kinds of books because it feeds my psyche absurd fantasies that's not good for me. Sigh! LOL
If you enjoyed SKinsella's shopaholic and Bridget Jones Diary then I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this too.
February 4, 2012
How disappointing that I bought the sequel to this along with this book. I really expected a Bridget Jones-like, silly quirky good time. Which this story tries to be, but it goes too far. No one is as stupid and innocent as this woman. Even really stupid people realize that if you have a long-distance relationship, and the guy invites you to stay with him (in England) and it turns out he lives with his parents, and "oh yeah" the only bed he has for you is a rigged mattress in the laundry room.....even stupid people would get that it is not a redeemable situation. But this character goes on and on trying to justify the situation and it's just so eye-rollingly TIRESOME.
September 12, 2018
This was one of those light fun reads. Not a heavy book but a fun one that was more mindless than what I usually read. Lizzie was likable enough but she was kind of annoying and seemed a little immature for being in her 20s and almost done with college. She is in one of those annoying long distance relationships and swears she loves him but she has really only been with him a couple months (sweetie you have no idea). Lizzie is the girl who just seems to “fall in love” with everyone and it is annoying. Flirting with other people’s boyfriends. It’s annoy and she looks shallow and immature. The writing overall was good but not the best storyline to me. MC too annoying.
February 24, 2022
I really like the author Meg Cabot, and this book was okay. I liked the story, and the places where the book took place. The characters seemed nice, but I couldn’t really relate to the book or any of the characters. I’m glad I read it, but I wouldn’t read it again.
May 30, 2020
Wtf was this book. Aside from the opening scene where Lizzie didn't recognize Andy, I didn't find anything funny. This book was completely horrible. The tone was so young. It reminded me of the author's YA series, The Princess Diaries since it was so immature. I don't mind the immature writing in The Princess Diaries since the books are supposed to be the journals of a 14 year-old girl, but Lizzie is supposed to be a college graduate! Why is she so dumb and silly??? I can enjoy silly main characters (I genuinely love Confessions of a Shopaholic) but Lizzie was particularly awful. She never thought things through, only had frivolous thoughts, and was borderline sexist.
The characters were also awful. Dominique was a stock character of the "evil girlfriend" and had zero personality aside from being horrible. Luke had zero personality aside from being attractive (and was somehow in love with Lizzie despite only knowing her for a weekend). Plus, he totally would have cheated on his girlfriend multiple times throughout the book if he hadn't been interrupted. This boy dares share his name with Luke Brandon (from Confessions of a Shopaholic) when he can't even hold a candle in his direction.
Lizzie's friends were also stock characters and only acted as the plot needed them to. I mean, why on earth was Shani so angry at Lizzie for not graduating??? It just doesn't make much sense.
Also, this book literally ends with a musical number. Wtf.
This review is trash (though not as trashy as this book) but I don't have anymore energy to waste on this dumpster fire of a novel, so I'm not editing this.
The characters were also awful. Dominique was a stock character of the "evil girlfriend" and had zero personality aside from being horrible. Luke had zero personality aside from being attractive (and was somehow in love with Lizzie despite only knowing her for a weekend). Plus, he totally would have cheated on his girlfriend multiple times throughout the book if he hadn't been interrupted. This boy dares share his name with Luke Brandon (from Confessions of a Shopaholic) when he can't even hold a candle in his direction.
Lizzie's friends were also stock characters and only acted as the plot needed them to. I mean, why on earth was Shani so angry at Lizzie for not graduating??? It just doesn't make much sense.
Also, this book literally ends with a musical number. Wtf.
This review is trash (though not as trashy as this book) but I don't have anymore energy to waste on this dumpster fire of a novel, so I'm not editing this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 26, 2025
2.2 stars (Kindle). WHEW. I made it through! I realize Meg Cabot is a beloved author by many, but this story was unbearable. Well, at least the protagonist was. The story could have been charming if dear Lizzie wasn't so deplorable.
February 7, 2008
At least Lizzie Nichols knows she has a big mouth. They don't call her the Lizzie Broadcasting System (LBS) for nothing. A fashion history major, Lizzie is a girl after my own heart. Obsessed with vintage frocks, legendary designers and carbs, she is the kind of girl that you can't help but to love.
After graduating from college (if you don't count that senior thesis that she still has to complete) Lizzie decides to head to London to spend the summer with her fabulous boyfriend Andrew. In the three months that they have been dating Lizzie knows that Andrew is the man for her. That is until the first 24 hours of her trip reveals the truth about her "soul mate". He's a habitual liar and gambler who also failed to mention that he still lives with his parents. Well, that's enough to send Lizzie running across the Channel . . . literally.
Making a quick decision to head to France, she decides to spend the rest of her summer with her best friend Shari and her boyfriend Chaz at a quaint and magical vineyard called Mirac. En route, she becomes friendly with Jean-Luc "Luke" de Villiers, a gorgeous and kind, stranger who she feels the need to vent ALL (and I do mean ALL) of her problems to. Upon departing the train at her stop, she discovers that Luke is actually the host of the chateau Mirac ... and now, he knows more about her than he needs to. As Lizzie falls for Luke -- despite his cunning girlfriend and zany family -- she learns about true love in the most romantic country of all.
QUEEN OF BABBLE is sure to have you a bit frustrated with our heroine but fascinated by her nonetheless. Fans of Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) in the "Shopaholic" cycle will definitely enjoy this series as well.
After graduating from college (if you don't count that senior thesis that she still has to complete) Lizzie decides to head to London to spend the summer with her fabulous boyfriend Andrew. In the three months that they have been dating Lizzie knows that Andrew is the man for her. That is until the first 24 hours of her trip reveals the truth about her "soul mate". He's a habitual liar and gambler who also failed to mention that he still lives with his parents. Well, that's enough to send Lizzie running across the Channel . . . literally.
Making a quick decision to head to France, she decides to spend the rest of her summer with her best friend Shari and her boyfriend Chaz at a quaint and magical vineyard called Mirac. En route, she becomes friendly with Jean-Luc "Luke" de Villiers, a gorgeous and kind, stranger who she feels the need to vent ALL (and I do mean ALL) of her problems to. Upon departing the train at her stop, she discovers that Luke is actually the host of the chateau Mirac ... and now, he knows more about her than he needs to. As Lizzie falls for Luke -- despite his cunning girlfriend and zany family -- she learns about true love in the most romantic country of all.
QUEEN OF BABBLE is sure to have you a bit frustrated with our heroine but fascinated by her nonetheless. Fans of Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) in the "Shopaholic" cycle will definitely enjoy this series as well.
July 8, 2009
So, this book is tripe. It plays into every negative and counter-productive stereotype about what women think and want, and on top of it, the main character is a moron. I understand we can't all be reading great works of literature all the time, and we all need a way to blow off steam occasionally, but seriously, this is so bad I couldn't even enjoy it on a superficial beach-read level. And some of the fashion history facts? Just plain wrong. I only read it because my friend was getting rid of a pile of books when she moved, and I wanted to give them a home. This book doesn't deserve a home. I was going to burn it, to prevent it from going out into the world and tainting the minds of others, but my sister found out, and decided to take it to sell it at a resale shop. I tried to convince her it wasn't worth the $2.50 she'd gain to spread that kind of poison, but I couldn't. I feel so ashamed. I'm sorry, womanity. I've failed you.
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