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How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True

Sarah Strohmeyer (Goodreads Author)

3.69 · Rating details · 2,267 ratings · 350 reviews

From Sarah Strohmeyer, author of Smart Girls Get What They Want, comes this romantic comedy about one girl's summer job from hell. Think The Devil Wears Prada set in Disney World.

When cousins Zoe and Jess land summer internships at the Fairyland Kingdom theme park, they are sure they've hit the jackpot. With perks like hot Abercrombie-like Prince Charmings and a chance to ...more

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Paperback, 320 pages

Published April 23rd 2013 by Balzer + Bray

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Lists with This Book

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer

The Truth About Happily Ever After by Karole Cozzo

YA Books set in Amusement Parks

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Best 2013/2014 YA Books

86 books — 140 voters

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Jan 04, 2016 Fafa's Book Corner rated it liked it

Review posted on Fafa's Book Corner !

Beware spoilers ahead!

Last year I had read the authors book Smart Girls Get What They Want and fell in love with the story and the characters! I was quite happy to see that How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True was in my library. While I didn't like it as much I was hoping to I still enjoyed it!

The book begins with a prologue. Zoe is walking the Queen's dog Tinker Bell. Tink has managed to run off and Zoe is attempting to find her. Zoe crosses into a fo ...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Mitch rated it liked it

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True is a lot of fun, but I can't help but compare this with Sarah Strohmeyer's young adult debut, Smart Girls Get What They Want. There's a similar structure to both her books, a deceptively light plot hides a surprising amount of character development and ultimately the kind of message my sister always gets behind, but for a few reasons I think Zoe is a step down from Smart Girls. Not that Zoe isn't good, I just think Smart Girls is better.

That isn’t to sa How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True is a lot of fun, but I can't help but compare this with Sarah Strohmeyer's young adult debut, Smart Girls Get What They Want. There's a similar structure to both her books, a deceptively light plot hides a surprising amount of character development and ultimately the kind of message my sister always gets behind, but for a few reasons I think Zoe is a step down from Smart Girls. Not that Zoe isn't good, I just think Smart Girls is better.

That isn’t to say How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True’s completely without its advantages. Zoe really is a lot of fun to read about (I daresay even more so than Gigi, Bea, and Neerja) - come to think of it, silly fun really wasn’t the objective of Smart Girls or its plot, whatever fun to be had was just there as an added bonus when Strohmeyer saw fit to include it, whereas it really seems Strohmeyer went out of her way this time with the witty humor to emphasize just how oddly quirky Zoe’s summer internship as the assistant to the manager of a Disney World style resort really is. Whether it’s the obnoxious boss, the whimsical workplace, or the... interesting coworkers playing the various fairytale characters, Strohmeyer’s light, breezy writing is even better this time around and totally works like a charm. And as someone who’s had more than my share of... memorable experiences as an intern, I absolutely approve.

My problem, though, is that when it’s finally time to get serious, when Strohmeyer finally gets to the message behind the (much fluffier) plot, Zoe doesn’t really cut it, not like Smart Girls did. For one, Zoe’s boss, the Queen, well I get she’s supposed to be this Devil Wears Prada type boss character who’s not only ridiculously demanding but also cold? or aloof? on the outside, but with a surprisingly big heart on the inside once you more than superficially impress her, but I think she needed a little bit more character development for that to have worked. As it is, there’s a plot twist that functions as the ‘Surprise! This is how the Queen really is!’ type moment, but for me at least it’s really not a good surprise, more like a ‘Umm sure’ to the weird people surprising you kind of surprise. If you get my drift. No offense.

But for how crazy the plot turned out, I gotta hand it to Strohmeyer, she definitely excels at creating completely likeable characters. It’s easy to miss Zoe’s character arc about dealing with the death of her mom among the everyday craziness of Fairlyland Kingdom, or even the nominal plot about the competition over the Dream and Do grant cash prize and how the Queen’s imagined dangers threaten Zoe’s chances of winning it, but again, this wouldn’t be a Strohmeyer book if there wasn’t some serious, really good character development hidden in all of the light fluff just waiting to hit with the full force of unexpectedly awesome character development perfectly camouflaged amongst a whole lot of hilarity.

Anyway, I still liked Zoe, it's a good book, I guess I just wanted to see a little more, besides just being sillier (in a good way mostly, except for the surprise I mentioned earlier). But for people who enjoyed this and haven’t read Smart Girls Get What They Want, I totally recommend it. And for people who might not have enjoyed How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True as much, I recommend Smart Girls anyway because I do think it’s better. ...more

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Apr 16, 2015 Emily (Obsessed Reader) rated it it was amazing

4.5 stars
So I will start off by saying that the events of this book are pretty unrealistic & the whole story may be too perfectly wrapped up for some people...but I freaking adored it. I laughed so many times while reading this, and I became way more emotionally invested in it than I expected to. There was not one single moment where I was bored or wanting the book to end. This was honestly one of the cutest things I've ever read, and it made me so happy. The whole story taking place at a Disney ...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Melanie rated it liked it

Shelves: e-arc, contemporary, books-i-own, me-likes-you, mystery, swoony-guys, could-have-been-so-much-better, romance, young-adult

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

3.5 stars
Thank you HarperTeen for sending this copy in exchange for review. No compensation was taken to alter of change this review.

'"What do you think I've been doing? I've been blinking so much, my eyelids have biceps."'

My initial reactions upon hearing about this book was... 'yeah that title is way too freakin long to remember.'
Initial reactions upon receiving the ARC, 'holy crud there's gonna be a lot of copying and pasting in this review. I serio ...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Wendy Darling marked it as to-read

Recommended to Wendy Darling by: ExLibris_Kate

Shelves: harpercollins, realistic-fiction, 2013-publication, april

Princess-themed amusement park?! I have to check this out.

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Jan 13, 2013 Jessie (Ageless Pages Reviews) rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary-fiction, reviewed, ya-fiction, arc, 2013-reads, edelweiss-arc, gives-good-banter, reviews-2013, bubblegum-book

Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

Fun, funny, and charming, How Zoe Made Her Dreams... is a book of so much fluff, it might just float off a bookshelf. It's a fast and entertaining read, full of surprisingly developed characters, but unfortunately How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True is just not on the same level as Smart Girls Get What They Want. I liked it, but it just didn't have the same impact as Strohmeyer's first. Zoe struggles with some serious issues, and I might have tea Read This Review & More Like It On My Blog!

Fun, funny, and charming, How Zoe Made Her Dreams... is a book of so much fluff, it might just float off a bookshelf. It's a fast and entertaining read, full of surprisingly developed characters, but unfortunately How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True is just not on the same level as Smart Girls Get What They Want. I liked it, but it just didn't have the same impact as Strohmeyer's first. Zoe struggles with some serious issues, and I might have teared up once or twice when she confronts her issues, but the emotional pulls are few and far between. For ninety percent of the story, this is a fluffy piece, with a silly plot, operated by characters that are pretty generic, if certainly likeable.

Fans of the author's other books, and epecially Smart Girls Get What They Want will find similarities between the novels, but Zoe ultimately ends up a pale copy of its predecessor. I don't mean to knock the author's newest because I was certainly entertained while reading, but anyone who has read Smart Girls before trying this will find it just not quite as good. A lot of my issues stem from the plot and the setting - the competition among the Princes and Princesses for the grant money comes across as frivolous, and often laughable. It's charming and amusing, but never really sells the competition as a serious plot device. As a result, all the drama and suspicions set up around the Dream & Do failed to make me care about its ultimate winner.

Strohmeyer can certainly write a credible teenage voice, however. Zoe, through all her present struggles and past heartaches, comes across as authentic and consistently real teen girl. Her voice is strong and likeable, and the author's style works well for a silly but fun read. Zoe's relationship with her cousin is another strong point; the two girls have a real bond and love another. It's all too rare to find such real, strong friendships between teen girls in YA, but so far, in each novel, Strohmeyer has taken the time to build such remarkable and meaningful friendships for her female characters. For that alone, this novel is a winner. I wish Zoe had more female friends, maybe made during her time at Fairyland?, but I will not take her relationship with Jess for granted.

For a novel of such fluff, it's heartening how well characterized Zoe (and her love interest) are shown to be. While I loved Gigi, I do think Zoe ends up being the more rounded and dimensional main character. Zoe has a lot of facets to her personality, and amazingly, who she likes doesn't define her or her actions during the novel. The romance might not be as endearing as I thought Gigi's was in Smart Girls, but I have to admit I was rooting for the two kids before the end of the novel. It's a light read, and the love interest is pretty great, but I wasn't overtly involved. I just wanted more substance and depth to the plot. If I'd had that, How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True could have easily been a four-star read.

If you're looking for a charming fluff read, this is a perfect fit. A "done in one day" read, Strohmeyer's capability for writing YA is evident and lends itself well here in her second YA offering. An amusing plot with a couple twists en route make for a fun few hours spent in the company of this cast of Princes and Princesses and furries. How Zoe Made Her Dreams... may not be the best book of 2013, but it's a great diversion for a few hours of pure fluff. ...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Marie rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, ebook, review-book, read-in-2013, edelweiss

This review was originally posted on my blog, Ramblings of a Daydreamer. You can find it, and many more reviews at the blog.

I read several of Sarah Strohmeyer’s books before I became a book blogger. While I haven’t yet read her YA debut, Smart Girls Get What They Want, I jumped at the chance to read How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True when it became available on Edelweiss. There are some authors who shouldn’t make the jump from adult to YA, but let me tell you: Ms Strohmeyer is not one of This review was originally posted on my blog, Ramblings of a Daydreamer. You can find it, and many more reviews at the blog.

I read several of Sarah Strohmeyer’s books before I became a book blogger. While I haven’t yet read her YA debut, Smart Girls Get What They Want, I jumped at the chance to read How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True when it became available on Edelweiss. There are some authors who shouldn’t make the jump from adult to YA, but let me tell you: Ms Strohmeyer is not one of them. How Zoe Made her Dreams (Mostly) Come True was a funny, engaging story with a unique concept, great characters, and a positive message.

Zoe was the kind of girl you’d want as your friend - loyal, selfless, and she’d stick up for you no matter what. Her cousin Jess was a great secondary character. Unlike a lot of YA where the best friends end up betraying each other in some way or not standing up for each other, Jess had Zoe’s back, and that was really nice to see.

The setting of this book was part of what made it so unique. Zoe and Jess spend the summer at Fairyland Kingdom, giving the reader a chance to see the inside workings of a theme park, from the people who clearly take their jobs too seriously to the ones who are just getting through the day. Zoe had to face a lot of challenges, and I liked that even in a setting that most people wouldn’t relate to, Zoe remains relatable and her reactions and strength make her a character you can’t help but like.

Zoe and Jess weren’t the only great characters. There were a ton of secondary characters who were really well fleshed out, from the ones who made you angry to the ones you couldn’t help but fall for to the ones who provided comedic relief. A favourite of mine was definitely the Queen - she was so ridiculous and her requests were so nonsensical, I found myself laughing out loud at a lot of the things she said and did.

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True was more than just a light, funny read. It was surprising, refreshing, full of unexpected twists, and even a mystery that added just the right amount of tension to the plot. It’s sure to please fans of contemporary young adult, especially those who enjoy modern day Cinderella stories. ...more

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Mar 22, 2013 Dayla rated it it was amazing

Shelves: addicting, favourite-authors, good-character-development, beautiful-writing, sassy, coming-of-age, great-writing, arc, fucking-amazing, edelweiss

Review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7

I received a copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

I absolutely adored Sarah Strohmeyer's How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True. Strohmeyer's new young adult contemporary novel is funny, touching, romantic, and as whimsical as the Fairyland Kingdom theme park the novel is set in.

Zoe, the protagonist, is a teenaged girl who has a very close relationship with her happy go-lucky cousin, Jess. Her growth as a character isn't made ...more

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Apr 06, 2013 nick (the infinite limits of love) rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc

You know those books that leave you all warm and fuzzy after you finish reading them? Well, that's exactly what How Zoe Made Her Dreams Come True (Mostly) is. It was so freaking cute that by the time I was done reading it, I was left with a grin.

Zoe was a main character who was very easy to root for. She's kind, generous and lovable. Her bubbly personality makes the reader want to befriend her. She was also the kind of person who thought about others before thinking about herself, completely sel You know those books that leave you all warm and fuzzy after you finish reading them? Well, that's exactly what How Zoe Made Her Dreams Come True (Mostly) is. It was so freaking cute that by the time I was done reading it, I was left with a grin.

Zoe was a main character who was very easy to root for. She's kind, generous and lovable. Her bubbly personality makes the reader want to befriend her. She was also the kind of person who thought about others before thinking about herself, completely selfless. I loved being inside her head because she was a likable main character. Her relationship with her cousin Jess was one of my favorite elements in this story. These girls shared a bond stronger than friendship. I loved the scenes they were in together. Jess was going through a hard phase and even though Zoe had just lost her mother, she didn't wallow in self-pity, but instead she tried her best to cheer her dejected cousin. Now that's exactly what friendship is. The love interest, Ian, was an absolute cutie. I wanted him all for myself. He was the sweet guy that I love in my YA books. Plus, Ian was always making me smile with his dialogues! Who am I kidding? His very presence cheered me up! The Queen, Zoe's new boss, was a funny but ridiculous woman. Nevertheless, all the characters in this book were an absolute delight and I loved being immersed in their world.

The pivot point of this book for me was the romance. I've already gushed about my love for Ian. He and Zoe made a perfect couple. Although this book was fairly short, their romance never felt like instant love. Instead, it grows from a friendship into something more. You guys, the romance was so cute! It gave me butterflies! Zoe and Ian were very much complimentary with their similar personalities. As a reader, I could totally sense the love and respect that these two had for each other. There was also a slight mystery in the book, which consists of the main story line. But, behind that mystery was actually a message that the author attempts to send. If you want to find out what the message is, then go ahead and read the book because I'm not going to spoil things for you! This is my first Sarah Strohmeyer book, but after reading How Zoe Made Her Dreams Come True (Mostly), I'm convinced that this isn't the last book from her that I'm going to read.

If you're going through a reading slump or are looking for something light and cute to read after reading some dark heavy books, then How Zoe Made Her Dreams Come True (Mostly) is the perfect book for you! Cute, charming and delightful, this book will leave you with a silly grin on the face! ...more

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May 08, 2013 Mei rated it really liked it

Recommended to Mei by: Martha

Shelves: young-adult, on-reader, finished-must-own, contemporary-realistic, chick-lit, standalones, 2015

"I'd learned that getting most of what you wish for in life is often as good as getting it all."

What's not to like in How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True? It's a story set in Fairyland, a princess-themed amusement park. Every summer, the park hires interns to take part of the roles of different characters, ranging from the royals, the princesses and princes, to the animals and ordinary characters. And Zoe and her cousin and bestfriend, Jess, are hired! Jess badly wants to be a princess so she can up the chances of winning the Dream and Do grant, a $25000 award which can cover Jess's tuition of going to drama school. But only those who attended summer camps since they were young can be royals. Jess is a Red Riding Hood, while Zoe is a lady-in-waiting for the 'Queen', the park's boss.

Although Zoe's mother has just died from an illness , the book managed not to dwell too much on her grief or family life but more on how she just manages to survive running errands for the Queen. She's very strict and makes ridiculous requests for Zoe in the middle of the night, using SAT-vocabulary words in casual conversations. (She's extremely funny, too!) Even wanting her as absurd as to remove something from her eye so she can go to sleep or fetch a sleeping potion near the park's borders. I kept looking forward to her dialogues and requests! If you don't take it too seriously, you'll enjoy her ridiculousness. Hahaha!

Everything about this book is warm, fuzzy, light and funny, which is perfect after reading a tearjerker. We all get the gist of how an amusement park is ran and how all the workers do their jobs. It was nice to see because you'd want to experience working in one, too! The atmosphere of the book was definitely felt and I love how they all want the kids and families to enjoy their stay, even wanting the two Cinderellas to look alike so the children won't be confused, or how the Wolf should be scary so they'll warn Red Riding Hood. It was refreshing and entertaining to read about! It was a concept not all books explore.

Even though everything is predictable or might be too perfect to be realistic, the fun never wavered because it was just a book made to be entertaining. Zoe and Jess were lovable characters and their friendship and bond was unbreakable and inseparable. Even though were rumors about Zoe doing something bad to Jess, Jess knew who to believe and stood up for her. Zoe needed the money, too, to cover up her mom's medical bills, but she wanted Jess to have it instead, even thinking of ways so she can be a candidate of the grant. What I liked the most about Zoe was she never forgot what Jess did for her during her dark days. It never slipped from her mind all the comfort Jess offered.

The romance was way more fun! I can't help swooning over Ian Davidson's dialogues. He makes the corniest puns but was still rather sweet, caring, adorable and selfless to and for Zoe. That instant crush on her and the way he wanted to grab her attention was evident, it was lovable! Their relationship didn't begin in an instant love and Strohmeyer built their friendship first.

This time, in the broad light of day, I was unable to hide my blush, and Ian must have noticed, because he smiled and said, “So there’s hope.”

“For what?”

He shrugged, his long legs taking lengthy strides. “We’ll see.”

“You’re weird, you know that?” I was careful to keep my head down out of fear that if I looked into his eyes, I might give myself away.

After reading this, I felt like I wanted to read more books on amusement parks! The ending was perfect, everyone from the Queen, Andy, RJ and the other romances formed in this book was perfect. (view spoiler)but nevertheless, this was such a fun book. Highly recommended and definitely going for a reread. Sarah Strohmeyer is now my favorite. ...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Katie rated it really liked it

What I Liked

Just about everything. Honestly, this book is insanely cute and funny and basically the perfect summer read. Everything was spot-on, from the quirky humor to the sweet romance.

My favorite part of the book was definitely "The Queen," Zoe's high-maintenance boss. She cracked me up, with her drama and claiming that she hasn't eaten sugar in 20 years (when she has it in her tea every morning). She has so many hilarious lines! She's kind of like Meryl Streep's character in The Devil Wears ...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Sophie Riggsby / allthingsequilateral rated it it was amazing

Shelves: adorable-quotient-is-high

*Review published on Page Turners Blog on 6/1/13*
*actually 4.5 stars*

Okay confession time, I read this story right after we came back from our Disneyland vacation. Our family is hugely obsessed with anything Disney and while we had an amazing time, we did run into one grumpy Disneyland cast member. And it did make me think, how can they keep up that level of happy pretense during their 9-hour shifts? Well, Sarah answered that and more in her perfect-summer-read story, How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mo ...more

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Jan 10, 2013 ExLibris_Kate rated it really liked it

3.5 Stars

I was intrigued when I heard that this book takes place behind the scenes at a princess themed amusement park. I have always thought that working at one of these places would be a total nightmare and the in and out of costume drama that occurs at Fairlyland definitely provided some twists and turns to this story. While the idea that a park would be staffed almost exclusively by high schoolers is a bit far fetched, it did not take away from my enjoyment of this story at all. There were s ...more

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May 15, 2013 Mehsi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-plus-twinkling-stars, romance, warning-english-books, young-adult, away-laughing-on-a-fast-camel

Reread 2021: So I decided it was high time to re-read this one! And boy I am glad I did, because this was so much fun, and because it has been almost 8 years after, I didn't remember a lot of details so a lot of things were fresh and new again and I just love love that. Zoe was a great character and I did feel sorry for her that she had to be an intern/assistant to the evil Queen. I loved the apt name of the dog: Tinkerbell given what that dog does. Haha. I loved the romance. I loved the mystery ...more

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Jan 17, 2018 Amy Lou rated it really liked it

~4.5 stars
Honestly, I did NOT have high expectations for this book. It’s a cutesy romance, it has a somewhat embarrassing cover, 3 stars tops. BUT NO. It’s cute, absolutely, but I loved all of the other elements as well. Along with the adorable romance (which doesn’t actually even come into play for about half of the book), the characters are developed, relationships are explored, and there’s a DRAMATIC contest with CRAZY drama kids. For 25 grand. Fun, right? Not to mention, a fabulous ending, w ...more

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Sep 27, 2017 Jennifer Girard rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own, read-in-2017, 5-stars

This book was everything I wanted! A theme park, many Disney references (*the mouse*) a small mystery and some drama! I wasn't expecting that and I'm so happy it wasn't only a romance! The romance part is actually only a small part of the book! ...more

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Jan 12, 2013 Heather rated it it was ok

Shelves: april-2013

*This is an ARC review*

I have heard really great things about Sarah Strohmeyer's YA release Smart Girls Get What They Want, so I was excited to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of her latest book How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True. It looked like it would be a funny contemporary YA read, in other words, the kind of book I LOVE.

Unfortunately, while there were some funny moments in "Zoe", it turned out to be a book that wasn't for me. I think that there will be other readers wh *This is an ARC review*

I have heard really great things about Sarah Strohmeyer's YA release Smart Girls Get What They Want, so I was excited to get the opportunity to read an advance copy of her latest book How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True. It looked like it would be a funny contemporary YA read, in other words, the kind of book I LOVE.

Unfortunately, while there were some funny moments in "Zoe", it turned out to be a book that wasn't for me. I think that there will be other readers who will enjoy this book, but I had a hard time getting through it. Before I relay why I felt this way, I will say that the one thing this book has going for it is it's unique premise. The book tells the story of best friends and cousins Zoe and Jess who have landed a summer job at Fairyland, New Jersey's favorite amusement park. This is a pretty big honor because hundreds of teens from across the country apply for a spot and only a handful are chosen. Not only does it look great on college applications and pay, a position at Fairyland means that you will be entered for a chance to win $25,000 in cash towards a college scholarship, something that both Zoe and Jess would love to get their hands on. And Zoe has a special tie to this place, because some of her fondest memories as a child were visiting with her mom who passed away from cancer a couple of years earlier.

Working at Fairyland is kind of like summer theater camp, it's got all kinds of drama going on, both in front of and behind the scenes. And many of the kids who got the job don't mind resorting to backhanded tactics to secure one of the two scholarships.

Zoe and Jess are not those type of people. In fact, Zoe is really hoping that Jess wins the scholarship because her family has fallen on hard times financially. Zoe is forever grateful to Jess who really stood by her when her mom got sick. Zoe could use the money too, her mom's medical bills are taking a toll on her own family's finances, but she really want Jess to get it. She even goes so far as doing the best job she can so she can try and win the favor of the "Queen" of Fairyland, hoping to convince her to select Jess.

Ah, the Queen. Well, she's a real character. And Zoe was handpicked by her to be her personal assitant (read SLAVE) for the summer. Much of the book is spent detailing the ridiculous lengths Zoe is forced to go to to make the Queen happy. Everyone compares her to Miranda Priestly, the fashion magazine editor from the book The Devil Wears Prada, but in my opinion, the comparison is weak. Miranda was a fully fleshed character that you absolutely loved to hate. An ice queen with the hint of a soft interior. The Queen in "Zoe" is rather two dimensional and so silly that she almost felt cartoonish to me.

In fact, the whole book felt rather silly and cartoonish. I read a lot of YA you guys, and never has a book made me feel as OLD as Zoe did. It's very light and fluffy, which I can handle, but for some reason this book just had me grumbling "I'm too old to be reading this."

Zoe's character is not so bad, although I found the lengths that she would go to to get Jess that scholarship to be pretty unrealistic. Waking up at the crack of dawn to walk Queenie's pampered pooch? Being at the Queen's beck and call at all hours of the day or night? Being forced to track the weight of all the "princesses" and deliver the news that they have been fired because they are 5 lbs overweight? Let's set aside the fact that I would have lasted, oh, about 10 minutes had I been in that position, what about the fact that she was doing all of this for someone else? I mean at least in The Devil Wears Prada, Andy puts up with Miranda's crap because she NEEDS the job, it's her last resort. Call me cynical but I just do not see a teenage girl breaking her back all summer for the slim chance that she can get on her boss' good side long enough to talk her into givng her best friend $25,000 in scholarship money.

In addition, the ending of "Zoe" felt WAY too convenient. There is a bit of a mystery written in and the way it all pans out just kind of made me roll my eyes. It tied up way too easily for all the parties involved.

So, in the end, I really wanted to like this book. And while the premise was kind of cool, it was just too fluffy, too sugary, too silly and too CUTE for me. Call me jaded. Call me old. But if you are looking for a cute summer read with a fun cast of characters and some great romance I'd recommend The Trouble with Flirting by Claire LaZebnik instead. It's got a theater camp setting with over the top characters that are actually really well developed, layered and complex AND fun to read. Or give "Zoe" a shot. Just because it's not my cup of tea doesn't mean it won't be yours. ...more

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Jul 22, 2013 Quinn rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya

2.5 Stars

Review originally posted on Quinn's Book Nook

There are certain books that I read not really expecting them to be very realistic all the time. Certain romances and fluffy books are like that. Take The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, for example. Do I really think a young teen girl from the U.S. is a princess? No, of course not, but it’s a lot of fun, and I don’t really mind. I went into How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer with that mentality – that not everythin 2.5 Stars

Review originally posted on Quinn's Book Nook

There are certain books that I read not really expecting them to be very realistic all the time. Certain romances and fluffy books are like that. Take The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, for example. Do I really think a young teen girl from the U.S. is a princess? No, of course not, but it’s a lot of fun, and I don’t really mind. I went into How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True by Sarah Strohmeyer with that mentality – that not everything was going to be realistic, but that it would be a fun story and that the characters were going to be awesome. Unfortunately, there was a little too much unbelievability in this one for me to really enjoy.

There were definitely some things that I really did like about How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True. I loved the strong friendship and loyalty between the protagonist Zoe and her cousin Jess. Books with strong female friendships are always a good thing, in my opinion. The setting – sort of a smaller scale Disney World – was another plus. I love the whole idea of being a cast member at Fairyland, and being assigned a fairytale character to portray. I even really got a kick out of The Queen, the head of Fairyland. She sort of reminded me of a nice, and more peculiar Meryl Streep from The Devil Wears Prada. I laughed (and totally identified) with The Queens obsession and determination to treat her dog, Tinker Bell (a bichon frise like my dog Daphne!), like a baby, and I loved that above all else The Queen valued loyalty to Fairyland. She is a little nuts, that’s for sure, but it was ever so entertaining.

However, there were some aspects of How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True that really put a damper on things, and ultimately affected how much I liked this book negatively. Zoe was so careless about things throughout the whole book. She kept making all these stupid mistakes (like talking about rule breaking in a shared bathroom where people can over hear) that I found hard to believe that a real person would do. I also thought that Zoe had her loyalties to certain fellow employees backward. I can’t explain without spoilers, but it kind of ticked me off. Another big part that was just too unbelievable for me was the “twist” ending. In a way, I thought something like that was going to happen, but even so I still just rolled my eyes. It was too much for me.

I feel like How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True is like a Disney Channel movie – but maybe not the awesome ones (like High School Musical!), but the mediocre ones. If you like contemporary, light reads, and you have a fascination with a Disney-like park, then you might like this. However I wouldn’t have high expectations. ...more

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Apr 15, 2013 Lauren rated it it was ok

2.5 stars

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (mostly) Come True is like an ABC Family Cinderella movie in book form. You know, A Cinderella Story, Another Cinderella Story, A Singing Cinderella Story, A Dancing Cinderella story (I will shamelessly admit that I have seen all of those movies). This book is a Fairytale Theme Park Cinderella Story, complete with real princes and princesses (yes even a Cinderella!). How Zoe Made Her Dreams (mostly) Come True is similar to those over the top, addicting ridiculous 2.5 stars

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (mostly) Come True is like an ABC Family Cinderella movie in book form. You know, A Cinderella Story, Another Cinderella Story, A Singing Cinderella Story, A Dancing Cinderella story (I will shamelessly admit that I have seen all of those movies). This book is a Fairytale Theme Park Cinderella Story, complete with real princes and princesses (yes even a Cinderella!). How Zoe Made Her Dreams (mostly) Come True is similar to those over the top, addicting ridiculous movies, only the story is harder to digest in book form than movie. Probably because I didn't have all those colorful moving pictures to distract me from the fact that this book is not even remotely plausible.

In fact, the more I thought about this book the more I realized that it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Besides the fact that the theme park violates tons of child safety and labor laws, the plot is utterly silly and filled with massive holes. It stretched my suspension-of-disbelief-for-a-contemporary-book abilities to the max. Even so, the story did amuse me, it wasn't stressful and I laughed in several places. I was also fairly surprised by the end, even if that end made the story all the more over the top.

The romance in How Zoe Made Her Dreams (mostly) Come True was cute and triangle free. I did like Zoe's love interest, and the sweet relationship he developed with Zoe. I also did not mind being in Zoe's head. She really tried to do the right things, and I appreciated the efforts she made to grow up and face some experiences from her past. But it was hard to take those parts of the story seriously amidst the rest of the zany fairyland plot. Several of the supporting characters were fun and didn't always do what was expected, which was also a plus. I enjoyed Zoe's supportive cousin Jess, and a few others who became more intriguing as the story went along.

As a retelling of the Cinderella story, How Zoe Made Her Dreams (mostly) Come True has the appropriate elements - an evil stepmother (boss), concealed identities, sabotage, glass slippers, costumes, dances and a prince charming, of course. I liked that the fairytale elements were remixed and the story wasn't always predictable. However, the book was also more confusing at times than it needed to be, and the silliness and my extensive efforts to suspend my disbelief overrode some of the fun of reading it. If How Zoe Made Her Dreams (mostly) Come True was turned into a movie, I would definitely watch it. In book form, it is not quite as charming (pun intended).

Love Triangle Factor: Mild
Cliffhanger Scale: Standalone

FInd this and other reviews on my blog Love is not a triangle ...more

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Jan 13, 2013 Riya rated it it was amazing

Shelves: arc

** An advance reader copy was provided by the publisher (thank you!)**

I love how Zoe made her dreams (mostly) come true, but y'all, I'm an even bigger fan of how Strohmeyer made my dreams (ALL) come true with this delightfully witty, cute, romantic read! I knew I was in for a sugarful delight, because after reading Smart Girls Get What They Want a few months ago, I was completely hooked. Sarah, you can release a book called 'brusselsprouts' and I'll be first in line.

This book had everything goin ** An advance reader copy was provided by the publisher (thank you!)**

I love how Zoe made her dreams (mostly) come true, but y'all, I'm an even bigger fan of how Strohmeyer made my dreams (ALL) come true with this delightfully witty, cute, romantic read! I knew I was in for a sugarful delight, because after reading Smart Girls Get What They Want a few months ago, I was completely hooked. Sarah, you can release a book called 'brusselsprouts' and I'll be first in line.

This book had everything going for it. From the sweet, likable characters, to the ending (which I'm still reeling from), to the cute, realistic romance. Zoe was a sweetie patootie. I can't believe how positive and upbeat she was even after her mother had just died. If I was in her shoes, I'd be crying at the words 'home-made cookies'. At first, I wasn't really sure which guy I was supposed to be rooting for, because, come on, they were all super charming, but once I figured it out I felt pretty darn stupid, because it was actually quite obvious. I really want me a dose of that Prince Charming Cologne!

Even the Queen, the bossy, annoying, self-righteous step mother, grew on me! I was fully prepared to hate her guts, but I ended up laughing rather than hating on her. She reminded me of an overgrown toddler on Toddlers and Tiaras- but in the best, most pain-stakingly hilarious way possible.

What I especially liked about this book, apart from like, everything, was the fairytale theme! I'm a ginormous sucker for fairytale retellings, so this was perfecto. Guys, it's nothing like the original Cinderella story, so if you go in expecting clichés and for it to stick to the storyline, you'll be surprised and maybe a tad disappointed. But I actually really enjoyed how different and quirky it was compared to all the other retellings out there.

Being a Contemporary/High-School novel I was not at all expecting a twist in the end. But BOY did Strohmeyer get me, hook, line and all. This is one of the rare times a Contemporary novel has managed to shock me, and I have to say, I really enjoyed the whole knocking my socks off. It was... eye-opening, and definitely ego-lowering.

A scrumptious, candied read that whisked me off my feet and transported me to a whimsical land of non-stop laughter, romance, and fairy-tale magic, all the while maintaining an air of heartfelt authenticity. ...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Lisa (lifeinlit) rated it really liked it

Find this review and others at Lost in Literature!

Fairy tales aren't always all giggles and glitter. Not when there's a naughty prince on the loose, breaking rules and causing havoc. Zoe just wants to help her cousin/BFF win the coveted prize, the Dream & Do grant, but with all of these obsticles will she be able to accomplish what she dreams of?

Zoe was instantly likeable to me. She was awkward and fidgety and clueless at times, though she succeeded in getting the job done! Then we have super qu Find this review and others at Lost in Literature!

Fairy tales aren't always all giggles and glitter. Not when there's a naughty prince on the loose, breaking rules and causing havoc. Zoe just wants to help her cousin/BFF win the coveted prize, the Dream & Do grant, but with all of these obsticles will she be able to accomplish what she dreams of?

Zoe was instantly likeable to me. She was awkward and fidgety and clueless at times, though she succeeded in getting the job done! Then we have super quiet and shy Jess... yet that girl was tough as nails when she had to be. The other characters were equally wonderful, all unique in their own way. A wonderful cast to tell an adorable story. I don't want to go into specifics on the characters, as it will give away too much of the story. But trust me, you will fall for the awesome ones and hate the horrible ones just as much as I did. ;)

What stood out to me the most in the story was the friendship between cousins Zoe and Jess. Even when times got tough and other feuding cast members accused Zoe of the unthinkable, including alterior motives against her BFF Jess, she saw right through the lies and stood effortlessly by her friend until the bitter end. Friends like that are hard to find. Jess and Zoe had been through a lot in the past, and their remarkable friendship stood strong through it all.

This story was cute and bubbly, had a bit of a romance brewing, yet included a fun mystery aspect as well. I found the hunt with Zoe for the true culprit quite entertaining. And I can't forget to mention the horribly evil Queen and equally evil pooch, Tinker Bell. The story wouldn't have been complete without these horrible characters to make Zoe's internship that much harder to handle.

Strohmeyer is a new author to me, and after this read I will definitely be looking into her other books. As the description says, this is most definitely The Devil Wears Prada set in Disney World. Perfect comparison. Drama-ridden, cut-throat interns all in a fairy tale setting. Can't go wrong! :)

* A copy was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013-new-book-release, around-the-world-arc-tours, february-2013, 2013-must-read

HOLY ZOE is all I have to say! Man this book was so hilarious that I had a pain in the side of my stomach from laughing so hard. I had tears running down my cheeks and my son asked me if I was okay. Man I needed a refreshing funny read after I read some serious books. This one book is a MUST READ because poor Zoe she thinks she is getting one thing and she ends up getting another and it is so dam funny because it was like watching Jane By Design the TV show only the boss was one piece of work.

Zo ...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Farrah rated it it was amazing

This review also appears on my blog at http://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspo...

SO sweet and cute! I loved this book! It was the perfect light romance that just had me smiling.

I loved the idea behind this book. It was a lovely idea that was perfectly executed.

Zoe was a wonderful character. She was very likable and easy to relate to. She has a very humorous, yet realistic, view of things. Her comments about the situations she was caught up in had me laughing out loud. Honestly, there is nothing ...more

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Jun 20, 2015 d. rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2015-reads, owned

This book was A++++

I wasn't expecting this at all!!

I've had this book in my kindle for ages and never read it; I don't know why but I kinda thought that I probably would not enjoy it... well, I was DEAD WRONG!!

These are my kind of books, which not everything is about a girl and boy's unheatly relatioship.

This book was about loyalty, it was about friendship and what are we willing to do for our family and people we care about.

The conclusion was WOW™ (quoting the book).

I actually was surprised be ...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Hallie marked it as to-read

Adding based on Mitch's review and Strohmeyer's reply (msg 3). Will keep for a time when I need fluffy + good character development. ...more

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Feb 28, 2016 Audrey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Reread and loved it no less😌

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May 11, 2019 Dorina rated it liked it

What a fun read! I read it in one sitting. Story takes place in a fairy tale theme park in NJ. The characters are student interns who are hoping to get a cash prize at the end of their time. Combine tens with life and it will take you back to high school. A fun and easy read for teens and adults alike.

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Jan 12, 2013 Celeste_pewter rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Anyone

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The two-second recap: With her second YA book, Sarah Strohmeyer proves that she's just as masterful as writing YA, as she is at writing adult fiction. How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly!) Come True is a fun, quirky story that I highly recommend to both teenage and adult readers.

***

Full review:

So. I tend to read a lot of YA these days, both good and bad. While all of the books I read do resonate with me at some level, not all of them make me want to go out and buy a billion copies for friends and f ...more

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Feb 22, 2013 Andrea at Reading Lark rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-stars, young-adult, arc, contemporary, kindle, read-in-2013, edelweiss

*4.5 Rating
Review Posted on Reading Lark 3/21/13: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2013/...

I adored Sarah Strohmeyer's YA debut, Smart Girls Get What They Want, so I was eager to get my hands on this one. I was expecting an interesting premise, strong female characters, a healthy dash of romance, and some wit. Strohmeyer delivered! If you're looking for a sweet, clean summer romance - this is the book for you.

Zoe is still reeling from the death of her mother, but she decides to pack away her grie *4.5 Rating
Review Posted on Reading Lark 3/21/13: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2013/...

I adored Sarah Strohmeyer's YA debut, Smart Girls Get What They Want, so I was eager to get my hands on this one. I was expecting an interesting premise, strong female characters, a healthy dash of romance, and some wit. Strohmeyer delivered! If you're looking for a sweet, clean summer romance - this is the book for you.

Zoe is still reeling from the death of her mother, but she decides to pack away her grief for a summer working as an intern at fairy tale inspired theme park. Her best friend and cousin, Jess, will be along for the summer and the two girls plan to have fun in the sun. It also doesn't hurt that $25,000 is on the line to the intern who does the best work over the summer and exhibits the best "WOW" characteristics. This felt almost like a summer camp novel and my mind immediately went to others that I have read about camps or summer internships. In true Strohmeyer style, this novel isn't a repeat of the same plots that I have read before AND I dare you to not fall in love with these characters. Zoe, in particular, is one who I would have loved the befriend at that age. I also have to admit, I wish that I could have had an experience like Zoe's when I was a teenager. It seemed like such a fun way to spend a summer.

Zoe isn't perfect - she has her flaws like everyone else - but she has a good heart. She is intensely loyal, intelligent, and always gives 110%. In fact, she is a great inspirational character, and not just for adults. In her shoes, I don't know that I could have worked with the Queen and tried to help people behind the scenes. Not once did she worry about herself. She truly wanted everyone else to be treated fairly and get the rewards. It's not often that you see such a selfless character in YA fiction. It was refreshing and endearing. Strohmeyer does a fantastic job of writing strong female voices and Zoe is no exception.

Furthermore, I loved the romance in this one. My lips are sealed, but I promise it's sweet and light. It's that perfect dose of cotton candy perfection that I crave when the days start getting warmer. It conjures up the memories of summer love and stolen kisses.

The setting makes this novel. I loved the theme park/summer camp/boarding school vibe. It's always interesting to me to observe characters in a setting other than their home. I find that they interact in different ways than I would expect. The lack of parental authority also causes some characters to change in drastic ways and show their true colors. The structure of the park was also interesting and allowed for a lot of behind the scenes drama. It makes me wonder how much of that type of behavior goes on behind the scenes in real life. I don't think I'll be able to look at Cinderella, Prince Charming, or any of the other characters in the same way after reading this book. My mind will be too caught up in what happens when they switch our of their costumes and don their true selves.

Zoe and her dreams were the perfect thing to put me in the mood for summer. She is definitely worthy of a spot on your TBR list. This was good, clean summer fun.

One Last Gripe: I rated this a 4.5 instead of 5 because it felt disloyal to the Smart Girls not to do so. I loved this novel, but it took me a few chapters to get into it. Smart Girls, on the other hand, hooked me from the first chapter.

My Favorite Thing About This Book: The plot - it felt familiar and unique all at once

First Sentence: The day after we finished our junior year at Bridgewater-Raritan High, Jess and I hopped into her dad's 1998 Honda Bobmobile and hightailed it down the Garden State to Fairyland with the windows open and our hair flying, Springsteen blaring at full volume.

Favorite Character: Zoe

Least Favorite Character: One of the Prince Charmings who shall remain nameless ...more

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Jan 14, 2013 Kaede rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantastic-characters, i-love-a-guy-in-this-book, kick-ass-heroines, contemporary, fluffy-fun, judge-a-book-by-its-cover, made-me-laugh, netgalley-arcs-edelweiss, cute-as-a-kitten, standalone

How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True came extremely surprising, introducing a cast of characters that I fell in love with.

While I've never read Strohmeyer's Smart Girls Get What They Want, I have heard enough praise for it, and for Strohmeyer is general, that I was fairly confident going into How Zoe Made Her Dreams (Mostly) Come True that it'd be a book I'd enjoy.

And enjoyed I did - and so much more.

When cousins Zoe and Jess are accepted as summer interns at a Fairyland themed park, th ...more

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About Sarah Strohmeyer

Sarah Strohmeyer

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Sarah Strohmeyer is the award-winning, nationally bestselling author of 18 novels for young adults and adults, including the Bubbles Yablonsky mystery series, SMART GIRLS GET WHAT THEY WANT and THE CINDERELLA PACT, which became the Lifetime Movie, LYING TO BE PERFECT.
Her first mystery, BUBBLES UNBOUND, won the Agatha Award and Romantic TImes Award for Best First Mystery. THE SLEEPING BEAUTY PROPOS ...more

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“If we were allowed to go online here, I'd tell you to search Wikipedia for chickens plus cannibals so that you could verify."
"Wikipedia's your source?" That was laughable. "Oh, please. The poultry industry probably paid big money to get chicken cannibals on there. It's an urban myth."
...
"Why would the poultry industry spread a myth that chickens were cannibals?” — 6 likes

“He bowed deeply before me and slipped to one knee, taking my hand in his and gazing with the perfect Fairyland combination of princely adoration and chaste love. Andy actually applauded, and even my own heart skipped a head - which Ian must have felt because he squeezed my fingers gently.
"Am I forgiven, dearest?" he asked again, batting his eyelashes.
I mouthed, In your dreams! ” — 4 likes

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