Smokin’ Seventeen

I liked it, but I didn’t like it. I guess I got tired of exploding cars, grappling with suspects, and the same old thing. I got kind of tired of Stephanie’s incompetence, after seventeen books, she doesn’t get much better at apprehending skips. How does she stay slim when she eats donuts, cakes and fried chicken? I’d like to learn her secret. I’m not sure why she has two men attracted to her? What does Joe see in her, and Ranger? I was kind of glad that she got together with Ranger again, since it had been so long, but it seemed in bad taste to be with Joe on back to back nights. It might have meant more if she hadn’t been with Joe for a long time, but they seemed to be an item again.

I like the humor, but it seems to be kind of repetitive of all her other books.

So, I’ve been reading these books in order for several years. It used to be that I impatiently waited for the next installment to be released, but then I started getting kind of frustrated that the same old things seem to happen in every book. The breaks I took became more extended and I began purchasing the next book that I was up to in the series only when it became available at a cheap rate. That’s how I’ve been rolling with these for a few years now.

I love an escape from the hum-drum of reality in my fiction stories, so I have no problem accepting books for what they are. So Stephanie eats like crazy and never gains weight (and never exercises). Some women are blessed enough that they have killer metabolisms and can do this. Creative license. Moving on.

The antics in these stories are most always the same. Poor Ranger continues to loan Stephanie expensive cars only to have them firebombed, crushed, or trashed in some other way. This gag has gotten old and is no longer enjoyable. It was funny in the beginning of the series, but it has gotten stale.

One of my major beefs with this book is the continuing love triangle between Stephanie, Morelli, and Ranger. I am a Ranger girl all the way, so I would love to see Stephanie become involved in a relationship with him. I think that would make for some interesting story lines. Because of the vordo, she has sex with Ranger multiple times in this book, which was quite a surprise (she usually shies away from him despite his hotness). The problem? She’s also hooking up with Morelli and even briefly contemplated having sex with Dave. So, Stephanie went totally into slut mode in this book. Not cool.

I keep hoping Ms. Evanovich will have Stephanie make a decision and stick with one man (preferably Ranger). I’ll be starting Book 18 shortly, so I’ll find out if it looks like she’s made any changes yet. Because I have a nostalgic soft spot for these books, I will probably continue buying them just to find out what happens and to see if any real changes ever take place. I won’t be paying full price for them, though.

In every book someone is out to kill Stephanie Plum, and no exception here. But here, there are three. An FTA she catches and brings in wants to run her down with her car the same way the FTA did to her own husband. The deranged brother of a man Stephanie shot and killed early in her bounty hunting career plans to kill her for his revenge. And a serial killer is killing people and dumping their bodies with notes attached that say “for Stephanie.” In the meantime Stephanie’s love life shifts into high gear as things continue to steam with both Morelli and Ranger, while Stephanie’s mom starts to push an old high school classmate at her. Every book seems to get funnier and funnier, a great break from books that are always so serious.

Not my favorite Stephanie book…at all. This was a let down and something I wish I could get my money back from. I may have to stop reading this series. I didn’t enjoy Stephanie being a slut with Joe and Ranger, back to back nights. Kind of a shame for the whole series. The bear was a bit ridiculous too. Such a pity for the series to go to crap in this book.

The title of this review should just about sum up this book for you. This is my first review of the Plum series. I have read 1-10, 17 and am currently on 18. Please do not assume that just because I am now reading 18 that this was good. I’m reading 18 because I’m close to ending the series and just want it to be done. Being a fan of the earlier books, I had to know how it “ends” (even though 19 is not an ending)…

*spoiler alert*

Anyway, the problem with this book is that it reveals the criminal almost immediately….and you read through the whole book wondering how Stephanie is so dumb that she hasn’t figured out who it is, and yet you the reader with no bounty hunting/cop skills have already figured it out. Maybe Janet wrote it so we would know, but…How stupid is that, it just makes reading the book torturous.

Another issue I Take with this book (and the reason that I skipped books 11-16) is because I’m tired of reading the same stuff..all the time. I take the same issue with this series that it seems everyone else is. I’m tired of Stephanie being an idiot. ANY person doing the same job for years would get better at it…However Stephanie is no better in Smokin Seventeen than she was in One for the Money.

The writing is lacking and the books are no longer funny. I hate to give such a terrible review because I really used to love these books….but I assumed the characters would grow. (none of them have) My favorite book of the series is To the Nines….and compared to that this book on a scale of 1-10 is a 2.

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