Review - Fearless Fourteen

Title: Fearless Fourteen
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date: 2008
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B
Sensuality: Subtle
Book Disclosure: I borrowed an audio copy from my library

Fearless Fourteen is part of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum bounty hunter series. In this book Stephanie is looking for a missing woman. This woman is possibly tied to a bank robbery that happened 20 years ago. Stephanie finds herself the temporary guardian of a teenage boy. She also helps Ranger with a body guard assignment for a famous aging singer.

This review is going to be short and sweet. If you have read other Stephanie Plum books, number fourteen is just more of the same. There is not really anything more I can say about this series having read and reviewed the other thirteen books. Stephanie is with Joe, but can't commit. Hijinx and trouble are still the norm for Stephanie and her crime fighting team. Although, no cars blow up in this book, Stephanie does manage to dye herself blue. This series is great if you want an escape.

Review - Lean Mean Thirteen

Title: Lean Mean Thirteen
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date: 2007
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Subtle
Book Disclosure: I listened to this book on audio from a copy I obtained from my library. I also have a strips copy in by TBR pile.

Lean Mean Thirteen is the thirteenth book in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie Plum is a Bounty Hunter. This time she and the gang are involved with a missing person case. It just so happens, that Stephanie's ex-husband Dickie Orr has gone missing and it looks like foul play is involved. The Jersey police suspect Stephanie might have something to do with it since she was the last person seen with him and she beat him up and threatened his life. Both Ranger and Joe are helping to protect Stephanie as the real bad guys start targeting her.

Mostly this review is going to focus on the fact that I listened to this book, rather than read it. I have to say that I absolutely adored the narrator (at this moment her name has slipped my mind). I just loved her interpretation of Lula and Grandma Mazur, favorite characters of mine in the series. When she would talk as Lula it sounded just like I pictured she would sound. The attitude and comedic timing of the lines was awesome. Of course, let's not forget the star of the show Stephanie. I also liked the way she did Stephanie's voice too. It was really fun to listen to.

I felt like Janet Evanovich got back into the groove with Lean Mean Thirteen. The last two books felt more serious and less comedic than her earlier books and I thought with this one she went back to her old writing style. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think I will be looking forward to listening to the rest of this series as audio books instead of reading them. If you are looking for a book to listen to on audio, look no further. This one was fun!

Review - Wicked Appetite

Title: Wicked Appetite
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date: September 2010
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: B
Sensuality: Subtle
Book Disclosure: I borrowed a copy from the library.

Wicked Appetite is the first in a new series by Janet Evanovich. Some readers might be familiar with her character Diesel who appeared in the Stephanie Plum series, the Plum books between the numbers. Diesel a man of mystery heads to Salem Massachusetts to find a woman Lizzie who will help him locate magical objects. But Diesel is not the only person looking for these magical objects, his cousin Wulf is also looking for the objects and doesn’t have good intention in his use of them. Trouble seems to follow Lizzy and Diesel has his hands full protecting her.

Wicked Appetite has a very similar vibe to the Stephanie Plum series. Lizzie narrates the story from first person point of view. Her life starts to get crazy when Diesel walks into the bakery. She becomes the reluctant owner of a one eyed cat, a monkey Carl and she can't seem to dodge a hunky, mystery man. Even her best friend starts thinking she is a witch and tries to cast spells. Of course these spells go awry.

I think that if you are a fan of the Stephanie Plum books then you will like her new series. As far as the romance goes there is no love triangle in this series. Diesel and Lizzie are attracted to each other, but there is a complication that will make a relationship difficult. I foresee this complication as a way for Evanovich to draw out the romance in this series, which could potentially be a problem for romance fans. However, I am willing to give this series another a try, after all the writing is fast paced and funny.

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Review - Twelve Sharp

Title: Twelve Sharp
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date: 2006
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Subtle
Book Disclosure: I recieved a free copy from a friend.

Twelve Sharp is part of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum mystery series. For those of you who are not familiar with this series, Stephanie is a bounty hunter who doesn't go looking for trouble but trouble always seems to find her. Somehow through dumb luck and zany hilarity Stephanie always manages to get the bad guy. In Twelve Sharp Stephanie gets quite a shock when Ranger's wife shows up on her doorstep. Ranger is a man of mystery. He is a bounty hunter and owns his own security business. Stephanie is quite shocked to learn that Ranger has a wife. The situation escalates when Ranger's daughter is kidnapped and Stephanie teams up with Ranger to get her back.

Twelve Sharp is another fun ride with Stephanie and her gang of crazy sidekicks. More is at stake in this book when Ranger's daughter is kidnapped. The tension is ratcheted up a notch from previous books. It's still funny and the characters are still doing crazy things, but more is at stake. As for the romance, I think things get a little bit clearer as for which man is right for Stephanie. Stephanie will eventually have to make a decision but she clearly isn't ready. I think the choice is obvious, but I know there is plenty of debate over Joe vs. Ranger.

Review - Eleven on Top

Title: Eleven on Top
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date: 2005
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B
Sensuality: Subtle
Book Disclosure: I received a new copy from my friend who works for Barnes and Noble. This is one of those books where they rip of the cover and throw it away.

Eleven on Top is the eleventh book in the Stephanie Plum series. If you aren't familiar with this series (Seriously? Have you been living under a rock?) Stephanie is a bounty hunter - a very bad bounty hunter who is always in trouble, but fortunately has uncanny good luck. She can't decide between the two men in her life, Joe a cop and Ranger a fellow bounty hunter and owner of RangeMan security. In this installment Stephanie is fed up with being a bounty hunter. She quits her job but is having trouble finding a new one. She gets fired from three different jobs before Ranger hires her.

This series is a comfort to me. The characters are like old friends I enjoy visiting for a little bit. I know exactly what I'll get when reading these books, a good mystery with a lot of hilarity and high jinks. Eleven on Top was just what I needed to perk up my reading enthusiasm.

This wasn't my favorite in the series, mainly because I am wondering why Stephanie can't choose between Joe and Ranger. The choice is obvious to me. Why it isn't to her is beyond me. I already know that I have a handful of more books to read and from what I hear Stephanie still hasn't come to a decision. I think the books are entertaining and fun and I am glad that I still have more books to look forward too. I would not recommend reading these books back-to-back, though because they might seem overly formulaic. One a month is about as close as I can recommend.

This book can be purchased in print or kindle format from Amazon.

Review - Hard Eight and To the Nines

Title: Hard Eight
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date:
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Warm

My dear sweet friend Dana, who works at a Barnes & Noble in southern Florida was kind enough to send me a box of books. In it were several of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. Seeing as I have been in a reading slump these past few weeks, Stephanie and the gang were looking rather darn appealing. Evanovich has a great thing going with this series and it was fun reading about Stephanie's penchent for finding herself in the midst of trouble.

This time Stephanie is looking for Evelyn Sodor who has run off with her little girl. Evelyn's Grandmother and her ex-husband are looking for her. Stephanie suspects there is more going on than meets the eye when she runs into Eddie Abruzzi, who all but threatens her to mind her own business. Of course Stephanie is never one to shy away from a case.


****************************SPOILERS********************************


Stephanie and Joe are on a break in this story and Ranger calls in his marker. I'll tell you straight up, I am a Joe girl, myself. It is obvious to me that Joe and Stephanie love each other even though they can't seem to work out their differences. So when Ranger called in his marker and Stephanie and he had sex, I was actually surprised. For some reason I didn't think that they would ever do it. Then, to top it all off after all the sexual tension and leading up to the big event - it was so uneventful. I mean it was like wham, bam... see ya, Babe. I was expecting there to be fireworks and well... maybe a few more details than I was given in the bedroom. I mean, jeez - three's a crowd? I guess it didn't seem in keeping with the way the rest of the books flowed. But I do think it was necessary for Stephanie to explore her interest in Ranger, otherwise wouldn't she always wonder? Plus, THEY WERE ON A BREAK (I am channeling Ross from Friends).




Title: To the Nines
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date:
Genre: Mystery
Rating: A
Sensuality: Warm

In To the Nines Stephanie is investigating a missing man, Samuel Singh who is in America on a temporary visa. Stephanie quickly discovers that there is fowl play involved and she becomes a target in a sociopaths game of murder. Ranger and Joe team up to protect Stephanie from this creep. Meanwhile the case takes Stephanie and Lula to the Vegas strip and more mayhem and hi jinks ensue.

Aside from Four to Score, which had my favorite secondary character, the cross dresser Sally Sweet, I think To the Nines is her best yet. The mystery part of the book was very tight and extremely well executed. I figured out who the killer was, but the suspension was still gripping. There was an urgency to Stephanie's situation and I felt like something bad could really happen.

The laughs were just a good, if not better. Lula has some shining moments in this book. She was dieting to be "supermodel thin" and there were some hilarious scenes with her and a pork chop, or her and a rotisserie chicken. There is also a really fun scene when she is in Vegas at a Wayne Newton concert. It is really priceless. As I was reading it, I couldn't help but laugh out loud at some of the antics.

Review - Hot Six and Seven Up

Title: Hot Six
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date: 2000
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Kisses

Hot Six is book six of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum bounty hunter series. In this book Stephanie teams up with vice-cop/boyfriend Joe to find Ranger. Ranger was Stephanie's mentor when she first started her bounty hunter job. Now she is trying to find him and clear his name because he is the number one murder suspect in the death of a local gun runner. Stephanie has more problems than just finding Ranger, though. Her Grandmother has moved in with her and if that's not enough, she has a couple of goons following her around.

After the huge cliff-hanger that ended book five, thank God book six was already published and I could start reading it right away. I don't know how fans would have lasted a year between books. I would have been so mad if I would have had to wait. Anyway, on the review. Basically, this one is more of the same from Stephanie and the gang. This time readers are introduced to Mooner and Dougie, two stoners who went to school with Stephanie. She also gets stuck with Bob, the dog. There were some pretty funny scenes involving Bob. Grandma was in rare form too. I have to say, Hot Six was another solid read.




Title: Seven Up
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date: 2001
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B
Sensuality: Kisses

Seven Up starts about a month after Hot Six ended. Stephanie is on the case to bring Eddie DeChooch in after he skipped bail for trafficking stolen cigarettes. Eddie turns out to not be such an easy catch. He keeps just one step ahead of her, even though he's her Grandmother's age. He a crazy old coot and Stephanie is getting tired of him shooting at her. Dougie and Mooner go missing and Stephanie knows that something else is going on. Valerie, Stephanie's sister come to the Burg for a visit.

I am beginning to see a pattern developing. Each book in the series has a self contained mystery. A new character or two to add to the zany chaos that always surrounds Stephanie and then the book ends at a big cliff-hanger regarding Stephanie's love life. While I do enjoy the silliness and crazy antics of Stephanie and the gang, it might not be such a good idea to read four of the books back to back. Grandma and Bob, the dog are still cracking me up. There were some pretty funny parts in this book, typical of Evanovich's style. Stephanie's relationship with Ranger and Joe is starting to get complicated and I can see why fans want some sort of closure. Now it looks like it is going to get messy and again the book ended on a big cliff-hanger. I am going to wait at least a week before I start on book eight.

Review - Four to Score and High Five

Title: Four to Score
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date: 1998
Genre: Mystery
Rating: A
Sensuality: Hot

Four to Score is the fourth book in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum bounty hunter series. Stephanie is looking for a local waitress who skipped out on her court appearance after stealing her boyfriends car. It seems like a simple apprehension, yet people start losing body parts and things get ugly. Stephanie has a crazy killer after her and moves in with Joe Morelli after her apartment gets blown up. Life is never dull with Stephanie, Grandma Mazure and ex-hooker Lula on the case.

Yay!!! Stephanie and Joe finally move forward with their relationship. Whoohoo!! I think Four to Score is the best book so far in the series. Stephanie has a new member on her wacky team Sally Sweet, a cross-dressing puzzle solver. He is a laugh a minute. He might just be my favorite character yet. Ranger was fairly quiet in this book. He only had one appearance when he calls in a favor from Stephanie. The mystery was all over the place this time and there were several different threats coming in all different directions. I don't know how realistic this series is... gun-toting grandma's and all, but it sure is entertaining.




Title: High Five
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date: 1999
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Kisses

High Five is book five in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum bounty hunter series. Stephanie has bills to pay, but no one seems to be jumping their bonds. She decides to diversify and goes to work for Ranger. Also, her Uncle Fred is missing and her Aunt and Mother want her to try and find him. Stephanine and Joe are at a standoff. Joe doesn't want to get married and Stephanie knows that what a man can get for free, he won't be paying for.

High Five is more of the same kooky, crazy, never a dull moment shenanigans. I don't know how Stephanie manages to get in the scrapes she does, but it happens all the same. All of these antics are highly entertaining, yet extremely unbelievable. That doesn't really bother me, because this book is a great big escape. And even as unbelievable as the happenings in this book are, the characters are richly drawn. Every last one of them. I was disappointed that Sally Sweet wasn't in this book, but we get to meet Bunchy the bookie and Randy Briggs, a little person. Ranger steps up to the plate and let's Stephanie know he is more than interested in her, but the ball is in her court. When this book ended, I wanted to scream. The mystery was wrapped up, but her personal life was not and it ended in a HUGE cliff-hanger. Thank God, I don't have to wait a year to read Hot Six!

I am loving these books!

Review - Three To Get Deadly

Title: Three To Get Deadly
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date: 1997
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B
Sensuality: Kisses

Three to Get Deadly is the third book in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum Bounty Hunter series. Stephanie is to bring in Uncle Mo, who skipped out on his court hearing after he was arrested for carrying a concealed weapon. In New Jersey, there is an unwritten law that some rules are meant to be broken. Most citizens think that carrying a concealed weapon is a stupid law and are outraged about the fact that their "Saintly" Uncle Mo was even arrested. Mo has been around since the late 1950s when he opened up his ice cream/candy shop. When Stephanie goes to apprehend Mo she discovers that he is missing. Things aren't adding up and she is on the case.

Three to Get Deadly is basically more of the same from books one and two of the series. The same quirky characters are present and Stephanie still has a nose for trouble. Lulu, the former prostitute from book one is now a bounty hunter in training and tags along with Stephanie for this case. Lula adds a lot of silliness to the story but it's a little over the top for me.

So far, it's the third book in the series and things are progressing very slowly between Stephanie and Joe. I am waiting for their relationship to move forward. The mystery is more main course of the book and the romance just a side dish. I, however wish it was the other way around. I am hanging in there though, because I enjoy the storytelling. It is very entertaining and fun.

One quibble though, how is it humanly possible for Stephanie, who only weighs 125 pounds, to eat the amount of food she does and weigh that little? In one scene, she orders a double cheeseburger, fries and and a chocolate milkshake, only to eat a couple of cream filled donuts a couple of hours later. At this rate Stephanie should be weighing in at 230 pounds. What kind of world is she living in and why can't I exist in it too!

Series Sunday - Stephanie Plum

This series isn't exactly straight romance, but I have enjoyed it none the less and there is some romance to it. At my library they shelve it in the mystery section. Stephanie, the heroine of the books, is a bounty hunter. Each book has self contained mystery to it, but Stephanie's social life progresses over the course of the series. I think each book could be read on their own, but the whole reading experience would be enhanced if the books were read in order.

This series is very popular in mainstream and has made the New York Times best seller list several times. It is told in the first person and Stephanie has a very fun outlook on life and is outrageously funny. So far I have only read the first two books in this extensive series, but I have enjoyed both very much. I have heard complaints from some readers about the unresolved love triangle between Stephanie and her two men, Ranger and Joe. I will have to see for myself what all the fuss is about. I might update this later as I make progress in the series. Until then, I'll have to reserve judgement and just enjoy the ride.

*UPDATE* I have made it to the ninth book so far and I am very much enjoying this series. I even have my mom reading it! So far my two favorite books would be Four to Score because of Sally Sweet the cross-dressing transvestite and To the Nines when Lula and Stephanie travel to Las Vegas.

Series Reading Order:
1. One for the Money
2. Two for the Dough
3. Three To Get Deadly
4. Four To Score
5. High Five
6. Hot Six
7. Seven Up
8. Hard Eight
9. Visions of Sugar Plums
10. To the Nines
11. Ten Big Ones
12. Eleven on Top
13. Twelve Sharp
14. Plum Lovin'
15. Lean Mean Thirteen
16. Plum Lucky
17. Fearless Fourteen
18. Plum Spooky
19. Finger Lickin' Fifteen (releases July 09)

Review - Two for the Dough

Title: Two for the Dough
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date: 1996
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Kisses

Two for the Dough is book two of the Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie is a bounty hunter for her cousin Vinnie. She teams up with Joe Morelli, a local vice cop to bring in Kenny Mancuso. Kenny shot his friend Moogy Bues in the knee and had the poor luck to do it in front of an off duty cop. Stephanie thinks this will be an easy job. Unfortunately, things turn complicated rather quickly. Caskets are missing, body parts start turning up and the more Stephanie learns about Kenny the more she wants to stay as far away from him as possible.

Two for the Dough is a quick, easy read and Stephanie is a fun character to ride along with. This case has her working closely with Joe Morelli. Stephanie is still uncertain what her feelings towards Joe are. The reader can tell that Joe and Stephanie are starting to care about each other. She is still attracted to him, but doesn't want to get involved with him for fear of getting hurt. She basically avoids dealing with these feelings and focuses on her job.

Stephanie is still new to the bounty hunter world and continually makes mistakes, but she is the type to learn from them. There are plenty of high-jinks and silly antics to keep the pages turning. Stephanie's jeep gets stolen and her Granny gives her a 1950s something Buick that is practically a character all on its own. Stephanie's Granny plays a significant role in this book as well and she sure is a hoot. Readers will either love her or hate her. I happened to love it.

Review - One for the Money

Title: One for the Money
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publishing Date: 1994
Genre: Mystery
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Kisses

One for the Money is the first book in Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. Stephanie is a 30 year old divorcee who has lost her job as a lingerie buyer for the department store, E.E. Martin. She has been out of work for six months and is down to her last penny. Her car has just been repossessed and she needs a job fast. Her cousin Vinnie owns a bail bonding company and Stephanie takes the Morelli case. If she can land Joe Morelli she will get $10,000. There are a few complications, though. For one thing Joe is a vice-cop wanted for murder. The other is that Joe and Stephanie have quite a history together and none of it favorable. So Stephanie is off on an adventure of a lifetime and hopes that she has what it takes to be a successful bounty hunter. Her livelihood depends on it.

One for the Money is a fast, action packed read. There is lots of humor, plenty of suspense and a hint of romance. Stephanie narrates the book in first person and she is a riot. She is a Jersey girl and it comes across the pages loud and clear. She has big frizzy hair and wears spandex. I got the biggest kick out her. She has so many one-liners and zingers, plus her descriptions of people and things are right on target. I laughed out loud repeatedly while reading this book.

One thing I laughed about is Stephanie’s clothing choices. Now, I don’t know if this was intentional or not by Ms. Evanovich, but Stephanie has terrible outdated taste in clothing. She wears a lot of spandex, Reeboks with big socks and over sized tee shirts that hang off one shoulder. Now, is it just me or does this scream Flashdance? This book was published in 1994, so I wasn’t sure what the reason was for the outdated clothing. Anyway, I just had to mention it.

The mystery was good. I will say this aspect of the book was more gruesome than I was expecting. Stephanie really gets into some trouble and gets hurt more than once. Someone even dies and it surprised me. I wasn’t expecting such heavy material for such a light book. All in all, I really enjoyed the book and read it in one day. I will definitely be sticking with this series.

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Review - Hot Stuff

Title: Hot Stuff
Author: Janet Evanovich and Leanne Banks
Publishing Date: April 2007
Genre: Contemporary
Rating: B+
Sensuality: Sweet

Cate Madigan is used to constantly having her loving Irish Catholic family setting her up with random men for dates. She is the youngest in her family and the only unmarried one. She might be used to it, but she hates it. The dates have never lived up to her expectations. She is twenty-six and a student trying to get her teaching degree. She figures if she can handle four brothers, then a classroom of 8 year olds should be a piece of cake. When Cate is not in school she is tending bar at a local pub. Recently she noticed a cute patron Kellen McBride. He hits on her and it is hard for her to resist his charm. Cate finds herself in a bit of a tight spot when her transvestite roommate leaves town and sends her a guard dog. Strange phone calls and all sorts of antics ensue.

This is a really cute, light fluffy story. It is just what a reader needs after reading a draining emotional book. It’s a very quick read with fun characters. Cate is so sweet and charming you can’t help but like her. Kellen is your typical male, but he easily worms his way into your heart. Cate’s friends such as Julie and Shannon add fodder to this fun heartwarming story. Julie especially livens it up with tales from the “deep south”. I was cracking up at some of these stories.

This is short, cute read, and I don’t really have anything else to add. It was just what the doctor ordered after having read a very dark disturbing novel. I would definitely recommend this when you are between books and don’t want anything to heavy, but just want to pass the time. It flows very nicely, with a lively cast of characters sure to charm the most crusty of hearts.

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