Spring Breakup

Since this seems to be the last book in the Aspen Brooks series, I was sad to read it. The plot wasn't as interesting as the previous books and the sluething wasn't upto Aspen Brooks' standards, but overall it was a light fun read.

Aspen Brooks is back and once again in trouble. In the third book in the Aspen Brooks series Aspen and her boyfriend Rand head off to Las Vegas for spring break with their friends Angel and Lucas and the trip seems doomed from the start. Aspen's luck just seems horrible. First, Angel gets plane sick and throws up all over Aspen. If that wasn't bad enough, the airline then loses her luggage which means no clean clothes. After that things just spiral downhill. On their first night in Vegas, Angel gets overly jealous of Lucas' old friend, Emerson, who just happens to be in the Miss Teen Queen Pageant that is being hosted at their hotel. Aspen and Rand manage to get Angel and Lucas out of that disaster but Aspen gets food poisoning from the buffet they went to later. Things couldn't seem to be any worse but then Emerson goes missing. As luck would have it, Emerson was representing Illinois, the same state that Aspen is from. Aspen decides that the only way to find out what happened to Emerson is by taking her place in the Miss Teen Queen Pageant with the help of Emerson's mom, Mona. As Aspen starts digging, she becomes absolutely positive that Emerson didn't just walk away for no reason. The only problem is, she has no proof and the police are not exactly willing to help. So, with the help of her old friends and some new ones, Aspen goes undercover to solve the case. Once again Stephanie Hale has created a wonderful story full of romance, comedy, and, of course, some mystery. I was a little skeptical at first but once I got into the book I couldn't put it down. If you are looking for a quick, fun read this is the book for you. Also, if you are looking for more Aspen, her first two books are, Revenge of the Homecoming Queen and Twisted Sisters.

Spring break in Las Vegas. What could be better? Aspen and her boyfriend, Rand, along with their friends Angel and Lucas, are off to Sin City for some well-deserved R & R. Trouble seems to find Aspen, and after her crazy first semester at college, soaking up rays by the pool is exactly what her hot boyfriend Rand ordered. But fans of Stephanie Hale's novice detective can anticipate that spring break isn't going to turn out the way it was planned. It starts out with Angel getting overly jealous of Lucas. The group runs into one of Lucas's old friends (of course a girl), Emerson, from his 4-H days. Emerson is at the same hotel as the gang representing Illinois in the Miss Teen Queen Pageant. Aspen and Rand are able to divert that disaster, only to have Aspen come down with food poisoning at a cheap seafood buffet. When Aspen has to bow out of their planned trip to the Hoover Dam, she stumbles upon the news that Emerson has gone missing and the pageant can't go on if there aren't representatives from all the states. Well, Aspen gets the clever idea to become the new Illinois entry with the assistance of Emerson's mom. They decide that the best way to discover why Emerson has gone missing is to get behind the scenes. Aspen is positive that the cop on the case, Detective Grant, is incompetent. And Aspen's intuition leads her to believe that the pageant mistress is somehow behind Emerson's disappearance. So Aspen goes undercover, befriending the other contestants to solve Emerson's departure. Through rough patches with her friends, and crazy encounters on the pageant scene, Ms. Hale creates a fun, spontaneous spring break for Aspen and her friends. If you can suspend your belief that any of this could happen the way it's been written, you will find yourself enjoying every bit of the ride. Only Aspen could land herself in such a crazy situation on her vacation! Reviewed by: Jaglvr

During spring break at Comfort Community College Aspen Brooks, her boyfriend Rand Bachrach to go to Vegas; her BFF Angel and Angel's boyfriend Lucas join them. At the hotel the quartet is staying at is also hosting the Miss Teen Queen Pageant. When Miss Illinois vanishes without a trace, Aspen puts away the suntan lotion though she wonders with the heavy lights if she might need the strongest dose with some asbestos to reinforce it to represent her home state at the pageant though she lacks the necessary surgical corrections. Her plan is to go undercover to learn what is going on while she worries about her BFF who apparently broke up with Lucas. Rand is a bit peeved as she has no time for him while working the Strip. The third Aspen Brooks teen character study (see REVENGE of the HOMECOMING QUEEN and TWISTED SISTERS) is an intriguing mix of Miss Congeniality meets Sydney White as the heroine has become a couple thimbles deeper than in her past shallower tales.. The lighthearted frolic is fun especially when Aspen goes undercover as an amateur sleuth. The BFF-BFF's BF battle is a silly distraction of a couple who fail to make the weight. Fans of Our Miss Brooks (sorry Eve Arden - couldn't resist) will appreciate her latest escapades on spring break. Harriet Klausner