Double Book Review: Rebel Belle (#1) and Miss Mayhem (#2), by Rachel Hawkins

Review by: Rebecca Schweitzer

“Shouldn't I get to fly? Or at the very least, shoot laser beams out of my eyes? Feeling like a complete moron, I stood up and focused as hard as I could on my closet door. No matter how hard I stared, no laser beams. I even tried muttering “laser” under my breath, but nothing. That done, I gave a few experimental hops, trying to see if I could levitate even for a second. When that didn't work either, I briefly considered trying to jump out the window, but then I remembered Mom's expression when she'd found me in the pool. So no laser, no flying, but superstrength and the ability to kick some major ass. That was something.”

Synopsis:

Harper Price runs her school. She's the student body president, homecoming queen, head cheerleader and every other important position available. After a lipgloss crisis, she finds herself in possession of mysterious super powers that seem to be forcing her to protect her nemesis since kindergarten, student newspaper editor, David Stark. Harper is used to balancing a few different tasks, but with cotillion coming up and her boyfriend feeling neglected already, Harper's new super strength isn't feeling like such a strong point.

Imagine Buffy the Vampire the Slayer as a southern belle instead of a valley girl. That's about what you get with Harper Price. In fact, Harper herself wonders where her “Giles” is when she figures out she's now some sort of super hero called a Paladin. Rebel Belle, the first book in the series, crashes into Harper's new and confusing life. It's a fun ride with plenty of action and a side of romantic tension. Harper may be the model student, but she's not always the best as making perfect decisions, which makes her all the more compelling.

Once things go sideways in the first book, Miss Mayhem shows us how Harper and crew will move forward. Miss Mayhem doesn't have the same spark as Rebel Belle, but the characters carry it through. The second installment also gives us deeper look into the lore behind Paladins and those they must protect. It all seems like a supreme set up for the third book, Lady Renegades, which is slated to release some time in 2016.

Even though the second book fell into a little lull, the characters and concept established in the first are enough to carry the story. I'm excited to see where Rachel Hawkins takes us in the third installment of the story. For the series so far, 4 out of 5 stars. For the individual books, Rebel Belle earns 4 out of 5 stars while Miss Mayhem comes in at 3 out of 5 stars. 

*Disclosure: I received copies of these books for reviewing purposes. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

{Purchase Rebel Belle here}
{Purchase Miss Mayhem here}
{Pre-order Lady Renegades here - out on 4/12/16}

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About the reviewer:
Rebecca Eve Schweitzer is a social media manager, freelance writer and editor, word nerd and fashion blogger. You can read more of her writing at FashionMeFabulous.com or follow her on Twitter @becccaeve.