Last Plum I'll ever readJune 19, 2008 16 out of 20 found this review helpful
My wife hooked me on this series several years ago, with To The Nines. I have been a fan ever since. The triangle really doesn't interest me that much,(although I really don't get the part of Morelli being a "catch")but I'm a sucker for the comedy that Evanovich writes and I once thought Stephanie was a pretty spunky lady. I was terribly disappointed with this book. Not only was it not funny, it was down right boring. I couldn't follow the plot, and I gave up reading around the 5th chapter. The worst part of the whole book was the portrayal of the characters. Stephanie is boring, Joe is boring, hell even Grandma is boring. If this what the rest of the series holds, then this was it for me.
Hot Time!! Summer in TrentonJune 19, 2008 5 out of 12 found this review helpful
Old fans and new readers can't go wrong with this summer's Laugh Out Loud Plum adventure from the uniquely gifted Janet Evanovich who shines brightly this year with all our favorite characters and some brand new zany ones. God Bless Helen Plum and her ever-expanding dining room table where there's always room for one more as Stephanie opens her heart wider than ever. Fearless Fourteen takes us back to Burg with its extended families where every body watches out for each other and has a blast doing it!!!
What a disappointmentJune 19, 2008 14 out of 18 found this review helpful
Can't believe I am writing this review as Ms. Evanovich has been my favorite author for many years now, but sadly, that has ended with this book. I wasn't even able to finish it due to complete lack of interest. The story lines are rehashed, the action and adventure are missing completely, and the characters that I have grown to love are lifeless and pathetic.
I wish I had heeded the reviews before investing time or money on this fiasco, but I didn't. I was not in love with 13, but stayed with the series because I had to know where she was going to take the characters and how everything would end up. Unfortunately, I got my answer with this book... they are going nowhere which has caused me to not care how the series ends. At least I will save some money as I won't be buying the next two books.
Do yourself a favor and wait for the book at the library before you decide to buy or even continue with the series.
The Long Wait if OverJune 19, 2008 10 out of 18 found this review helpful
Fearless Fourteen is finally here and I love it to pieces!! I dont know what books all those 1 star reviewers were reading, but I give this one 5 bright stars. Its got everything Plum fans wait for every year. Hysterical laughter, Stephanie better than ever, Joe sexy as hell, Bob in disguise, Mooner on a mission, Costanza and Big Dog to Grandma's rescue. This years addition to our favorite summers series is a must read.
Fun and More Fun!June 19, 2008 13 out of 27 found this review helpful
I think Fearless Fourteen is classic Janet. Sure, Janet uses a couple "moments" or "lines" that were used in previous books, but that pales in comparison to all that was wonderful about this book.
1) Stephanie THINKS in this book. I loved how many times she sat down and put herself in the antagonist's shoes, and tried to figure out who he was or what he'd do next in order to solve the mystery of his identity and figure out how to get Loretta back. This book wasn't a series of pratfall jokes where Steph continually rolled in garbage (although those were still used sparingly to great comic effect), but a showcase of Steph's mystery solving skills more like the early books. And she and Joe worked very well together. While he was working the gang killings, he trusted Steph to handle the Loretta situation and she did so very well. And then there was the Shazam! Woo Hoo!! Janet gave us a lot of warmth, sexy banter, teamwork, and fun with Joe and Steph.
2) Stephanie did a lot of growing in this book and it was time. Whether it was inner musings with herself or through conversations with Rex, we saw genuine emotion from Steph when she was scared, frustrated, re-evaluating who she was.
3) There's actually a mystery. In the majority of the past books, you know who the villain is. I liked the change that we don't know until the very end who the antagonist is in this story. Something to guess at while we were reading, figuring it out along with Steph. That's what a "mystery" is.
4) Ranger lost a lot of his creepiness factor. There were some minor flirting comments, nothing serious, and that left him time for the dry, witty "straight man" humor I first enjoyed in the early books. Almost any time he opened his mouth to say something about Brenda I laughed.
5) The lack of the triangle was a huge positive. Mainly because "triangle" is a misnomer. All three parties have to be aware the relationship involves three people to be a triangle, otherwise it's cheating. JE said recently that Steph is human, and absolutely she's going to notice Ranger is a good looking guy. But in Fearless Fourteen she never does anything in response to those thoughts (and there are only a couple of them besides), and even though Ranger verbally flirts, he didn't make any physical moves either. Leaving page time for the mystery and the humor.
6) As to the humor, I loved Carl the monkey. Mooner was great, better than before. The "Star Fleet" potato cannon members were a hoot. Grandma Mazur was hilarious. Brenda was funny, and her interactions with Ranger were some of the funniest in the book. Same when she was with Joe. Zook was a great character and I hope we see him again. I laughed out loud throughout the book and the last time I can remember doing that with a Plum was TTN. But Fearless Fourteen took the characters back to the early books, then added in some new friends, and it all worked wonderfully.
