Lizzie Nichols is finally getting her life back together. The wedding gown restoration shop she works in is finally doing well – thanks mostly to her own hard work. Though she has recently broken up with her boyfriend, Luke, she is finding that being available isn’t the worst thing imaginable – especially considering that she is starting to see her good friend Chaz in a completely different light. After spending a wonderful night together (in which they just slept – no funny business), their friendship begins to turn into love when someone throws a kink into their newfound happiness. Luke shows up and deposits a three-carat engagement ring on Lizzie’s finger. Lizzie convinces herself that Chaz was a mistake and that Luke is the one that she’s meant to be with, even as Chaz (ironically, also Luke’s best friend) warns her that Luke isn’t serious about the engagement; he’s just afraid of being alone. And Chaz is convinced that Lizzie isn’t happy with Luke, either. Lizzie insists that isn’t the case…but then why does she break out in hives every time she thinks about planning her wedding to Luke?

Queen of Babble Gets Hitched is the third and final book in Meg Cabot’s hit “Queen of Babble” series. Though it doesn’t quite hit the level of the previous two books, it provides a satisfying resolution to the trilogy. The reader leaves confident that Lizzie’s story has been told, though a peek into her life after marriage would be more than welcome!

One element that has always been enjoyable about the Queen of Babble series is the quality of secondary characters. From Lizzie’s Grandma, forever obsessed with Sully from Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, to Ava Geck, a Paris Hilton-type character whose father owns a major department store, the characters in this book are just as humorous as they have ever been. Cabot’s ability to write unique and funny characters who are still relatable is exemplary – most likely, one of the main reasons she is such a phenomenally successful author.

Also, the Lizzie/Chaz relationship seems to come out of left field. Upon consideration, they work well together, but until the suggestions of the previous book and seeing them fleshed out in this one, it really didn’t seem viable. Of course, once it was demonstrated how well they work together, this reader was completely on board. One thing that missing from this book is Shari, Lizzie’s best friend and Chaz’s ex-girlfriend. The absence of her perspective is noticeable, especially since she was such a major player in the first two books.

As always, Lizzie is a wonderful character. Though not always relatable, she is a strong, independent woman who is a great role model. (And let’s face it – she’s also loads of fun to read about, especially when she talks about her Spanx!) Her indecisiveness is sometimes difficult, but at the same time, it is part of the character’s internal debate of what she wants out of her life. In the end, it is a bittersweet finale to the series; the book provides a satisfying conclusion, but readers will be sad to say goodbye to such an appealing character.