Sizzing? Not so much.

[cold_queen_5]

I finished Sizzling Sixteen, by Janet Evanovich last night...

In this tepid Stephanie Plum adventure from Evanovich (Finger Lickin' Fifteen, etc.), a personal case distracts the Trenton, N.J., bondswoman from tracking the usual group of eccentric skips--the kidnapping of her cousin, Vinnie, who's being held for ransom in the high six figures. As

Comments

[blueeyelinerx]

Yeah, i have been feeling the same way for a while. I'll definitely give it a shot, there's normally a scene that makes me laugh, but it's definitely getting old how absolutely inept she is. Something needs to change to update the series for sure

[cold_queen_5]

Damn book made me so...frustrated. It's like, I love the characters. LOVE them. But if I wanted to read about them it the same situations, doing the same things, over and over I'd REREAD the books I already have. I don't want to be spending money just to feel deja vu.

[5amontuesday]

I agree with you. I'm all for Ranger/Stephanie and think it's a shame she's killing the series by having Stephanie always end up back with Morelli, whose behavior just gets more and more abusive and juvenile. I'm also pissed that JE admittedly writes the excerpts and jacket copy to suck in the Ranger fans, but then slaps them with the "yeah right, like that would ever happen" ending. Have you noticed the jacket copy insinuates Vinnie will be staying at Ranger's apartment? That never happened in the book, and when I emailed her publisher asking about it, I got a snooty response that said the jacket copy was only a POSSIBILITY of what COULD HAPPEN in a book, not a summary of what was GOING TO happen in the book. Say what? Does that make any sense to you because it left me scratching my head. Either way, what it comes down to is this: I'm not spending any more money on a book wherein the "hero" spends all of his time tearing down the "heroine" and the "heroine" spends 90% of her time talking about how he's right and she's an idiot

[cold_queen_5]

I do remember that on the jacket! I actually, up until Vinnie was found at Joyce's, THOUGHT he was with Ranger and Ranger just hadn't told Stephanie

[5amontuesday]

Stephanie's problems are all about inflection. One of the men in her life doesn't want to marry HER, and the other doesn't want to MARRY her. JE has hinted he might change his mind if she would give him a reason to. And yet... it's the same song and dance over and over and over again. Who cares what happens in the books if they always end at the same place? It's like going to Disneyworld and seeing only the parking lot.

For what it's worth, I think JE is as bored and frustrated as we all are. I don't think she's out of ideas, but I do think she has a hard time making them work with Morelli in the picture, which is why the books are laden with fart jokes and monkeys lately.

[cold_queen_5]

I love what you just said about inflection, because that is EXACTLY it. One of the things that kills me about the books is that JE always writes Stephanie as knowing exactly how Ranger would be in a relationship with her, the things he would and wouldn't do and whatnot...but Stephanie can't know that. She's never BEEN in a relationship with Ranger.

I hope JE is as frustrated as we are. I just want some EVOLUTION. Something to CHANGE. I hope she does take a chance and moves in a new direction, or any direction at all. I do really enjoy her writing, and she's one of few writers who can make me laugh out loud. I'm just not gonna laugh at the same jokes over and over.

[comeon_eileen]

I cannot speak to this series, as I haven't read it (though it is on my list since you'd rec'd it...) but I must say, all around your journal is very aesthetically pleasing right now. The colors are very nice. And I think I'm love with your header (you should make me a header...! Do it! Do it!).