Queen of Babble Gets Hitched (Queen of Babble)

The final book of the QoB series finds Lizzie finally getting her proposal from Luke, but unfortunately she has just one small problem. She's already spent the night (without sex) with Chaz, and was planning on dating him. Rushing headfirst into the proposal, Lizzie finds that things aren't as easy as she thought they would be, whether it's at work or at love. Between trying to get over her panic attacks over the idea of marrying Luke or trying to play "My Fair Lady" with a Paris Hilton/Britney Spears-esque heiress, she also has to figure out how to keep the business running.

I've loved the Queen of Babble series ever since I picked up the first book, and from the beginning I knew that Chaz liked Lizzie. It was clear from the get-go, so I was more than willing to embrace the idea of them getting together. I could even see why she would have reasons to pick him over Luke, who is charming... but devoid of any true personality. However, rather than play off the plot idea that Lizzie is with a man who doesn't know her (and whom she in return doesn't really trust enough to reveal herself to him), Cabot decides to (as one reviewer put it) assasinate his character. While I still enjoyed the book immensely (openly giggling at many parts), everyone just seemed incredibly out of character for the majority of the book. Poor Luke got the worst of it, I'm afraid. In fact, the most interesting characters are the ones in the sidelines, such as the socialite heiress Ava & Lizzie's incorrigeable Granny.

Overall? I liked the book, but it just didn't seem to click with the rest of the series. It's good enough to where most people will enjoy it, but many will be scratching their heads wondering what happened to everyone.

4/5

I felt this was the best book in the trilogy. Why? Because there was more depth to it. The secondary characters were great, especially with the addition of Ava Geck, the Paris Hilton prototype who soon becomes one of Lizzie's friends and clients. I loved the other two books, but I felt this one actually had Lizzie faced with some tough decisions, rather than just floating around with her life and just accepting what comes her way. She really had to find out who she was and what she wanted in her life, like what direction she wanted to take her bridal gown business, as well as what to do about her love life. Should she marry Luke because he gives her a huge rock of a ring, has tons of money, and because she's always wanted to get married whether or not she truly loves him? Or should she go with a guy that loves her immensely but doesn't believe in the notion of marriage, that all it is to him is a piece of paper? I understand what one reader said, about assassinating Luke's character. I slightly felt the same way. I felt that Meg Cabot did some twisting to his character to make him not as likeable in the the third book, which didn't fit so much with the decisions Luke had made in the first book. However, she was able to make it work, making Luke more of a guy with no real direction in his life who is not willing to settle down, someone that Lizzie didn't deserve or fit with. Meg Cabot then brings Chaz to the forefront who, in the previous book, is spurned by Lizzie's best friend Shari (who turns out to be interested in girls). You can't help but feel sorry for Chaz, but this paves the way for Chaz and Lizzie in realizing their true feelings for each other. Meg Cabot does a great job at making sparks fly. Chaz knows a great deal about who Lizzie is and loves her for her. He's there for her. And Lizzie has these same realizations about Chaz. She's known him forever and loves his quirks. When comparing Luke to Chaz, Luke only loves the idea of Lizzie, but doesn't really know her and only wants to be with her so he doesn't end up alone. You soon feel yourself rooting for Chaz and Lizzie, even though the past two books have centered on Luke and Lizzie. The chemistry of Chaz and Lizzie was intriguing and sweet, a reason I couldn't put this book down. This is a book where Lizzie is forced to grow up and fight for what she wants. It's not easy, but in the end, she's rewarded for following her dreams and her heart.

After listen to the first two Queen of Babble books on audio, I couldn't wait to read the third installment. I wasn't disappointed.

Very light, fun, "summer" reading - I couldn't put it down! I like happy endings!

Lizzie Nichols is finally getting her life back together. The wedding gown restoration shop she works in is finally doing well - thanks mostly to her own hard work. Though she has recently broken up with her boyfriend, Luke, she is finding that being available isn't the worst thing imaginable - especially considering that she is starting to see her good friend Chaz in a completely different light. After spending a wonderful night together (in which they just slept - no funny business), their friendship begins to turn into love when someone throws a kink into their newfound happiness. Luke shows up and deposits a three-carat engagement ring on Lizzie's finger. Lizzie convinces herself that Chaz was a mistake and that Luke is the one that she's meant to be with, even as Chaz (ironically, also Luke's best friend) warns her that Luke isn't serious about the engagement; he's just afraid of being alone. And Chaz is convinced that Lizzie isn't happy with Luke, either. Lizzie insists that isn't the case...but then why does she break out in hives every time she thinks about planning her wedding to Luke?

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched is the third and final book in Meg Cabot's hit "Queen of Babble" series. Though it doesn't quite hit the level of the previous two books, it provides a satisfying resolution to the trilogy. The reader leaves confident that Lizzie's story has been told, though a peek into her life after marriage would be more than welcome!

One element that has always been enjoyable about the Queen of Babble series is the quality of secondary characters. From Lizzie's Grandma, forever obsessed with Sully from Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, to Ava Geck, a Paris Hilton-type character whose father owns a major department store, the characters in this book are just as humorous as they have ever been. Cabot's ability to write unique and funny characters who are still relatable is exemplary - most likely, one of the main reasons she is such a phenomenally successful author.

Also, the Lizzie/Chaz relationship seems to come out of left field. Upon consideration, they work well together, but until the suggestions of the previous book and seeing them fleshed out in this one, it really didn't seem viable. Of course, once it was demonstrated how well they work together, this reader was completely on board. One thing that missing from this book is Shari, Lizzie's best friend and Chaz's ex-girlfriend. The absence of her perspective is noticeable, especially since she was such a major player in the first two books.

As always, Lizzie is a wonderful character. Though not always relatable, she is a strong, independent woman who is a great role model. (And let's face it - she's also loads of fun to read about, especially when she talks about her Spanx!) Her indecisiveness is sometimes difficult, but at the same time, it is part of the character's internal debate of what she wants out of her life. In the end, it is a bittersweet finale to the series; the book provides a satisfying conclusion, but readers will be sad to say goodbye to such an appealing character.