Puddin' (Dumplin', #2)

by Julie Murphy

[Sam@WLABB]

What happened when the resident mean girl was forced to work with one of the kindest, sweetest misfits in town? They formed an unlikely friendship, which had its ups and downs, but was mostly heartwarming.

•Pro: EVERYone loved Millie when she made her appearance in Dumplin', and I am happy to report, that she was more than capable of carrying a book on her own. Her positive outlook and zeal for the little things was contagious, and she was just so genuine. Millie's life was not without obstacles or struggles, but she would try to work through them, and use the power of positive thinking to make her dreams come to fruition. What's not to love?

•Pro: Callie was so flawed and the polar opposite of Millie. While many thought she had it all, she was actually battling her insecurities of fitting in and her identity issues due to being half white and half Mexican. These things made me sympathetic towards Callie, and I am always happy when a character experiences the amount of growth that Callie did.

•Pro: Redemption arcs are a favorite of mine. I am all about the idea that we can mess up, pay the price, and then try to redeem ourselves. Forgiveness really is a virtue, and although it may be hard to forgive some people, I am glad that grace is a gift that is out there, and I was happy with how it worked out for Callie.

•Pro: This friendship was mutually beneficial to Callie and Millie. Each gained so much by nurturing this relationship, and I really loved that it was not one sided.

•Pro: Murphy always gives us these adorable romances. The romances are not the main focus of this story, but they are there, off to the side, and I really enjoyed each little peek we got at these fabulous couples.

•Pro: The strengths of this book were the female friendships. I adored being with the members of the sleepover club, and seeing their bond grow stronger and stronger. Most of all, I loved seeing women supporting women.

•Pro: Me and endings are a thing, and this book had a great one. I am all about the feel-good, and Murphy delivered.

Overall: A great girl-power book, filled with friendship, romance, and humor, which left me swimming in happy feels.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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