Frosted Kisses

I first encountered Heather Hepler in middle school. There was a biannual book fair that took place, and I picked up the book The Cupcake Queen. I love to bake, and I love to read, so the title instantly drew me in. In all my middle school innocence, this was my favorite love story, for it was not cliche nor overwhelmingly perfect. The characters mimicked people in my own life, and I read the book at least three times.

Throughout middle school, I collected as many books by Heather Hepler as possible. To this day, I love her style of writing, and her love stories never fail to disappoint when I want a pick-me-up for my singleness. However, The Cupcake Queen has always remained my favorite of her books.

When I saw the sequel to The Cupcake Queen in Barnes&Noble, I immediately placed it at the top of my Christmas list. My mother, as usual, did not disappoint, and I found Frosted Kisses under the tree on Christmas morning.

I sat down to read the book, slightly nervous. It has been nearly four years since I graduated middle school, and I feared the magic of The Cupcake Queen would not affect me as it did my younger self.

Frosted Kisses did not disappoint. Although The Cupcake Queen will remain my favorite book by Heather Hepler, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this sequel. As always, the voice of Penny, the main character, rang strong and true as she tackled bullies, family troubles, and, of course, the cute boy.

What is most refreshing about Heather Hepler's writing is her ability to develop a love story that complements the main characters, rather than consuming them. I have a hard time falling in love, and I hope that when I do, my relationship will add to my life, rather than consume it. As an independent person, I thrive when I have freedom, and so far, I have been unable to find a relationship that grants me this freedom.

Penny and Marcus, the token couple of these books, do not fall in perfect love immediately, or ever. Hepler incorporates many bumps in the road, making the story seem more like real life, less like fiction. I hope that when I finally find a healthy relationship, it is just like this. In a world consumed by editing and the pursuit of perfection, I want a relationship that is more real than it is perfect.

This concludes the December book challenge I participated in, reading books by only female authors. Unfortunately, due to finals, performances of The Nutcracker, and Christmas festivities, I did not have as much time to read as I would have liked, If you missed the two other books I read, check out these posts:
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

I promise I usually read more - my Goodreads account is proof of that!