Review: Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins

Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins

Miss Mayhem, the second book in the Rebel Belle series by Rachel Hawkins, picks up a few weeks after the Cotillion at the end of the first book. Bee is still missing and David, Ryan and Harper are still trying to figure out how to manage life around their new roles. With David super Oracle now, Harper is constantly worrying about what that much power will do to him, and takes steps to protect him from himself.

Harper thinks she knows what to do, using David's powers for small visions to help out the people in her life seems like the best option for all of them. But what happens when an Ephor shows up, threatening to shatter all of her carefully laid plans? Mayhem, of course.

The Good
David always deserves a spot in the good column of things, even if there were times in this book where you wanted to whack him over the head.

The Bad
This book suffered a little bit from sophomore syndrome. The stakes weren't nearly as high for this book, and it was mostly filled with the characters being angsty all of the time. The problem with series that end the first book with the main couple together, the second book is guaranteed to throw as many wrenches into their relationship as possible, and Miss Mayhem didn't stray from that formula. Not to mention, Harper was much less sassy and awesome in this book. Also, this book felt anti-climactic. Everything happened too easily, and there was no real danger in the book, unlike the first which was brimming with action and danger.

Thoughts
I will admit to being a little disappointed with this second installment. Part of it might have to do with unreasonably high expectations after how wonderful the first book was. Another part is that it was too short and lacked content. It felt like every other page, someone was angsting about a romantic relationship. But still, it's always fun to get in a good David and Harper fix, and this world is still one that is really enjoyable. Plus, after the way the book ends, it will be interesting to see exactly what trouble our characters can muck into now.