So Not Happening (The Charmed Life, #1)

So Not Happening (The Charmed Life #1)

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4.25 of 5 stars 4.25  ·  rating details  ·  1,114 ratings  ·  147 reviews
New York's social darling just woke up in a nightmare: Oklahoma. Problem is, it's right where God wants her.

Bella Kirkwood had it all: A-list friends at her prestigious private school, Broadway in her backyard, and Daddy's MasterCard in her wallet. Then her father, a plastic surgeon to the stars, decided to trade her mother in for a newer model.

When Bella's mom falls in lo...more
Paperback, 329 pages
Published May 5th 2009 by Thomas Nelson Publishers
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T.V and Book Addict
Rating: 3.6/5
Age R: 13+
Release Date: May 5
Thoughts:
So Not Happening is about 16 year old Bella Kirkwood who's mom gets married to a guy she barely knows, Jacob Ralph Finley. Unfortunately the "fun" doesn't stop there, she is forced to leave her home sweet home in NYC and move to Oklahoma. This is something Bella absolutely hates! She does not want to live in a place where people can't tell the difference between "Payless shoes and Prada." Besides that, she now has two new step brothers, one of w...more
Siobhan Parker
Synopsis: Bella Kirkwood is living it up in New York...until her mother's remarriage forces her to move to a small town and live on a farm with two unruly stepbrothers. In frustration, she vents about her dire situation on a blog...only for it to be discovered by her entire new school, which causes them to despise her. When Bella gets assigned to the school newspaper, she is told to do a story on the school's dumpster; however, while digging through the garbage, she overhears something that soun...more
Brittany
Bella Kirkwood has a big dilemma, her mother has fallen for a man she met on the internet, and now Bella has to pack her bags and move from the big city to a smelly farm. Having to deal with close encounters with cows and a school full of people that don't like her, how will life go on for this fashionable city girl? And how does God's plan fit into all of this?

This is one book I couldn't put down. Seriously. It was entertaining from beginning to end, and hilarious! The book starts out with a pr...more
Siri
Jenny B. Jones is an awesome author, with all (and more) wit and hilarity than Meg Cabot...but, cleaner (BIG bonus) and Christian (DOUBLE bonus ;) And this series is no exception! After So Not Happening when I thought it couldn’t get better, lo and behold! I’m So Sure topped its predecessors ABSOLUTELY AWESOME with ABSOLUTELY AWESOMELY FANTASTIC!I enjoyed I'm So Sure so much I'm probably going to read it again. It had me on the edge of my seat, laughing 'til I was red in the face. XD
An even bett...more
Arya
Bella Kirkwood has been forced (against her will!) to leave her beloved New York and move in with her Mother's Neanderthal of a husband and his two uncivilized sons. Is it any wonder that she is miserable? But then everything changes. Something strange is going on in the small town of Truman, Oklahoma - and in between giving an "extreme makeover" to one of her new friend and alienating the entire student population - she is determined to figure out what it is.

Luke Sullivan is the editor of the...more
Rachael
This can’t be happening. Bella Kirkwood cannot believe she has to trade her A-list friends, her famous daddy’s credit card, and every other perk of NYC for Oklahoma of all places, just because her mother got dumped and apparently fell in love with a factory worker she met on the internet. So it’s goodbye to everything trendy chic and hello to two alternatively dorky and bratty brothers. Difficulty adjusting would be putting Bella’s frame of mind lightly. It doesn’t help that all the students at...more
Jill Williamson
Review by Jill Williamson

Bella Kirkwood’s mother is getting remarried, whether Bella likes it or not. But that’s not the worst thing that could happen to this Manhattan girl. Bella’s new stepfather lives in Truman, Oklahoma, and, since Bella’s dad is going through a selfish phase, she has no choice to move from her fast-paced uptown life to Cow Town, USA.

Bella start out okay, but a harsh venting session about small town life on her old Ask Miss Hillard blog gets the wrong kind of attention: the...more
Holly (2 Kids and Tired)
I don't read many teen books, but this one was a lot of fun.

Bella Kirkwood is a mini little New York socialite. Daddy is a rich, famous plastic surgeon and Bella is spoiled beyond belief. When her father has a mid-life crisis and decides to trade her mother in for new and different models, Bella has her own crisis. To make matters worse, her mother meets a man on the internet and travels to Oklahoma to marry him. Bella not only gains a stepfather who works in a feminine products factory and live...more
Deborah Heal
So Not Happening, by Jenny B. Jones. 5 Stars
Oh, Yes it Is Happening!

Thank you, Jenny B. Jones, for Bella, a realistic, three-dimensional character who also happens to be a great role model. Bella, like real people, has faults, and like real people, she is mostly blind to them. The reader feels a little like God must when we see her fumbling her way through the obstacles of life. For her, a shallow shopaholic, being forced to leave her cushy life in New York for a new one in rural Oklahoma seems...more
Danielle
Review posted here at my blog.

I love the euphoric feeling I get when I read a book by a new-to-me author and love it completely and totally. I think I’ve found a new favorite and can’t wait to gobble up everything else that author has written. Sometimes the book I loved turns out to be a fluke, but other times, as in the case of Jenny B. Jones, my initial reaction was right and I’ve found a new bookish BFF. I loved Save the Date and was thrilled to learn that it was not Jenny’s first work!

So Not...more
Julie Graves
Bella Kirkwood was living the life of luxury. She had her own credit cards, lived in Manhattan, the best boyfriend, in the “in-group” at her all-girls school. That life changes when her mother re-marries and she is forced to move to Truman, Oklahoma.

From the moment she arrives things do not seem to go well. In an effort to unite the family her mother cancels all of her credit cards. She is forced to ride to school with her step-brother in his “hearse”. When she writes some non-flattering things...more
Kristi (Books and Needlepoint)
Bella's life has been turned upside down. In the blink of an eye she has gone from living in NYC with her "plastic surgeon to the stars" father and her charity, fund-raising mom - to living in Truman, Oklahoma. On a farm, no less, with her mom, new step-dad, and two step brothers. The oldest which seems to be going to great lengths to make her life impossible.

To make matters worse, she manages to alienate herself further when she blogs at her old school's website (Hilliard School for Girls) abou...more
Evie
I love this book! At first I thought it was going to annoy me because Bella is rather spoiled in the beginning but Jenny B. Jones played it out so good that after awhile I didn't even think about it. This book was just flat out funny! Seriously this author is hilarious! I was laughing so hard at parts of this book! Even a certain part in the climax, which was really inappropriate on my part probably since it was so intense but jeez it was just so funny! And that leads me to the plot.
I sort of e...more
Laura
Summary: Bella Kirkwood has to leave Manhattan and move to cow town Truman, Oklahoma after her mother, who was dumped by Bella’s father for a younger woman, falls in love with a factory worker. Bella, a true city girl, struggles to fit into life in a small town. When she lands a job for the school newspaper, she isn’t content with writing stories about the recycling at the school. Her nose for news leads uncovers some suspicious information about the football team that could ruin relationships,...more
Cindy
A total upheaval in her world, getting caught bad mouthing her new town, and trying to keep herself in the school paper are just a few of the challenges for the heroine. She really does rise above it and find a freind and purpose in her new home. It was a bit suprising what was going on with her stepdad and how intesnse the search into the football team got. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. 14 and up (for intense situations of teenage stupidity).
***Update: I read the 2nd a...more
Janae
This book was so much better than "There you'll find me", of hers because it seemed that something was missing from the story.
Anyway I really liked how this story changed Bella and she was different because of it. I also liked how she found out that shopping anything plastic isn't important but is kind of shallow and isn't always good. I also really like how funny reading from Bella's perspective was.
Luke wasn't bad either and then at the end when it came out that he was the problem and then whe...more
Kathy
So, I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I’m not sure why. Bella definitely starts out as a total snob. I understood why she was so upset about the move, the new family, the new culture and starting at a new school. I was very frustrated with her Mom, it seemed like she never took the time to see things from Bella’s perspective, and personally rushed into her marriage way too fast. Bella does grow on me throughout the story and is a likable character. The plot was entertaining, although a bi...more
Jennifer AlLee
Meet Bella Kirkwood, Manhattan fashionista teen who finds herself transplanted in Truman, Oklahoma. From the get-go, she's desperate to find a way out of this nightmare her life has become. She's positive her new step-father, Jake, is up to no good. Bella starts to see conspiracies around every corner. But then, when she's sitting in a dumpster (you've got to read the book to find out why) she stumbles on an honest to goodness conspiracy that could rock her school and change her life.

Jenny B. J...more
Princess Bookie
My Thoughts: The first time I saw this was down the book aisle at Wal-mart. It caught my eye. I just knew I had to read it. We meet Bella who is just a normal girl from New York. She likes fashion and is somewhat spoiled. She is forced to move to a country town in Oklahoma because her mom got remarried to some guy she met on the Internet. Bella gets stuck with two stepbrothers, one which is around the same age as she is. We also meet her boyfriend Hunter from New York. I did not like him at all,...more
Heather
Rating C+

Review This book got on my nerves so thoroughly throughout that I had to force myself to keep going, but I persevered and it ended up being... not bad.

The plot started off ridiculously slow, but picked up at the last fifty pages (enough to get me to pick up the next book in the series... I'm such a sucker for a series).

The reason this book was a C+ (slightly above average) was because at times (albeit rarely) the dialogue actually made me laugh out loud. Literally. Not text speak. Liter...more
Felicia
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Kate
Oh how I loved this book! Jenny B. Jones has written a wonderful novel perfectly captured from a city girl's point of view. Bella is such a witty, smart and irresistible character. You will love Bella's hilarious insights on farm life. So Not Happening had me laughing out loud the whole time! The mystery in the book got me hooked and will keep readers turning the pages! For someone who everyone assumes is a "spoiled brat", Bella sure proved them all wrong by ultimately becoming the heroine.

The...more
Tia
I loved this book. At the beginning, it was a little overdone and very cliche. However, once you get into it, this book will blow your mind. Believe me, I will never judge a book by its cover again. I began this book thinking it would be a sappy novel about a city girl moving to the country and finding herself and it was to an extent! But, it also had a mystery aspect to it that I didn't expect. Also, the romance in it was very nice. The chemistry between Luke and Bella was very well written. Th...more
Brianna
This book started out kind of annoying, to be honest. But I do understand the necessity of the constant whining and begging to return to NYC. Bella evolved quite nicely during her stay in Truman, Oklahoma! However, I must admit that the whole Truman Brotherhood story line through me for a loop (but a good loop)! It really added depth to the novel without being predictable, which helped me thoroughly enjoy it!! I'm so glad that Ms. Jones played the 'relationship' aspect regarding Bella. Hunter wa...more
Janna
What do you get when you take Paris Hilton, marry her mom to a small town Oklahoma farmer with a secret regarding spandex, one step brother that is a brilliant, 6 year old, wannabe super hero and another step brother who drives a hearse to school. Mix in some mysterious deaths, some friend issues and the downside of blogging and what do you have? You have Bella Kirkwood, Jenny B. Jones' newest heroine and you have a hit!

I loved this book! I ate it up and can not wait until the next book comes ou...more
Mandy
These books are some of my favorites. They are about this girl named Bella and she is the city New york type of girl but when her mom gets married to another man way out in Oklahoma. She has to leave her dad (her divorced one anyways) Her boyfriend hunter and her best friend mia. Question is will she keep the long distance relationship with hunter or will she fall head over heels with Newspaper editor Luke Sullivan. When Bella considers the newspaper comittee some supicious things seem to be goi...more
Mia
Feb 12, 2012 Mia added it
It turns out that Jared is the leader of the Brotherhood. THe Brotherhood has taken the lives of two football players already. I don't know why he thinks the team has to win every single game. Now Bella is forced to swallow lots of pills and write a sucide note to her mom. Jared says if the pills don't kill her he'll shoot her. He keeps the gun up against her head until she writes the letter and swallows all the pills he gives her. Luckily, Luke comes in just at the right time and Jared turns an...more
Brenda
I stayed up late last night to finish this book, cause the last part got intense! I was thinking I was just reading your typical YA chick-lit, but I was wrong. So Not Happening was the first book I've read by Jenny B. Jones. Sidenote: I can't get past the author's name. I either think of Jenny Jones the talk show host, or Junie B. Jones, the childrens series.

Anyway, the book is about Bella, a teenage girl whose parents are divorced. She lives in and loves New York. Her mom gets remarried, and sh...more
Jessica Epps
After reading the Katie Parker Production series, I knew that I would love anything that Jenny B. Jones wrote and I was satisfied again when I recently read her latest book, So Not Happening. This book has the witty, funny humor that seriously made me laugh out loud but it also had a mystery/dramatic twist to it that I really enjoyed.

Jenny B. Jones writes humorous fiction novels for young adults that are fun and easy to read! It’s great to finally find an author that can write about spiritual j...more
Mikayla
The beginning of this book was torture to go through. it's mainly about this spoiled brat who moves from N.Y. to Oklahoma or whatever. There she writes on her blog about how much she hates it, and then her whole school turns on her. Because of that she has to move out of her art class to the newspaper club, and meets Luke. Together they try to uncover the big secret of the football team. The only reason i gave it an ok rating was because i liked the twist at the end, other than that the main cha...more
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So Not Happening (The Charmed Life, #1)
So Not Happening (Audio CD)
So Not Happening (ebook)
So Not Happening (Library Edition)
So Not Happening (Audio)

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Four-time Carol Award winner Jenny B. Jones writes Christian Fiction romance with equal parts wit, sass, and untamed hilarity. Since writing for both women and teens leaves her with very little free time, she believes in spending her spare hours in meaningful, intellectual pursuits, such as watching E!, going to the movies and inhaling large buckets of popcorn, and writing her name in the dust on...more
More about Jenny B. Jones...
There You'll Find Me Save the Date I'm So Sure (The Charmed Life, #2) So Over My Head (The Charmed Life, #3) Just Between You and Me: A Novel of Losing Fear and Finding God

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“Make me proud today, Robmeister. Keep your hands to yourself and remember rule number one above all things.'

'Don't discuss politics.'

'No, the other one.'

Robbie nods. 'Don't eat glue.' He drops his chin. 'It's my weakness.”
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