View source for Secrets, Schemes and Sewing Machines by Katy Cannon

{{infobox2
|title=Secrets, Schemes and Sewing Machines
|author=Katy Cannon
|reviewer=Robert James
|genre=Teens
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-1847155146
|pages=368
|publisher=Stripes Publishing
|date=February 2015
|aznuk=1847155146
|aznus=1847155146
|cover=1847155146
|website=http://katycannon.com
|video=
|summary=Another fun contemporary read from Katy Cannon, well-written by her and beautifully published by Stripes. A most enjoyable read!
}}
Note: This is a companion book to [[Love, Lies and Lemon Pies by Katy Cannon]], which I'd definitely recommend reading, but it '''does''' work as a stand-alone and I've avoided spoilers for the earlier book in this review!

Grace is looking forward to being the star in the upcoming school production of Much Ado About Nothing, but after missing the audition, she's relegated to understudy and making costumes in sewing club. Being a costume mistress definitely wasn't the plan, but it may leave her in a position to step into the lead role if needed - and there's a compensation in the form of new boy Connor, who's stage managing and after initially appearing to dislike Grace starts to warm to her. Will Grace get the part and the boy?

It took me longer to warm to Grace than it did to Lottie in the first book, partly because she's not particularly pleasant in that one and starts this with a similar attitude. However she's a great narrator with a stronger voice than Lottie had, and I felt that her character development through the book was really well-handled. I also absolutely loved the chemistry between her and Connor! Speaking of Connor, he's an excellent love interest, who's got good reasons for the way he initially judges Grace, and these play well into the later relationship between the pairing. Cannon's writing style is fun, easy to read, and kept me wanting to find out what would happen next - she's definitely very talented and has created numerous memorable characters I've enjoyed reading about over the course of the two books. (On that topic, I was really glad to see that Grace carried on going to Bake Club and we got to see more of that, and the people who went there who I'd grown to really care for in the first book.)

I think overall I slightly preferred this one to Love, Lies and Lemon Pies, although the subplot with Grace getting to know her newly-discovered sister didn't quite grab me in the same way that Lottie's struggles keeping her mum's secret did in that book. 

Like the first book, it's gorgeously published, with fun sewing projects replacing the recipes in Love, Lies and Lemon Pies - and a wonderful cover which is beautifully designed. 

Definitely recommended to fans of YA contemporary novels!

Books which I've loved with the same fresh, fun feeling as this one include  [[Have a Little Faith by Candy Harper]] and [[Emily Sparkes and the Friendship Fiasco by Ruth Fitzgerald]]. Emily's aimed at a slightly younger readership but has such an incredible voice that older teens will be drawn in as well!

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