Book Info:

Classification: Mystery (SERIES)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Publisher:St. Martin’s Press
Copyright: 2007

Review #1

Reviewer: Gayle
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments:Stephanie Plum is back in this “between the numbers” short novel that is so brief in length, it is just a tease.  Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching and Stephanie finds herself having to aid a match maker complete her tasks before she will allow Stephanie to take her in on her bond violation. There is no one quite like Stephanie and Evanovich should focus on the entertaining, laugh-out-loud characters in her Plum books instead of wasting time writing her other, sappier romance stories that have hit the shelves of late.

Review #2

Reviewer: Mariah
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: 3 ½.  An entertaining novelette along the lines of “Visions of Sugar Plums” with a holiday theme and a supernatural element.  Stephanie Plum is called upon by Diesel to handle five case files for the “Cupid” of Valentine’s Day, a woman named Annie Hart whom Stephanie wants to apprehend for skipping out on bail for armed robbery.  I dislike it extremely when fiction or mystery writers jump genres within an otherwise straightforward book or series, although I have no problem with urban fantasy that actually admits to being such from the get-go.  So my first inclination as I started reading was to rate the book as a 2.  However, my own laughter as the outlandish plot proceeded convinced me to bump the rating up a notch—I certainly liked the book.  Stephanie meets some very interesting characters, along with regular entertainers such as Grandma Mazur and Lula.  Steph’s sister Valerie’s love life is also impacted in this story, as it was in “Visions,” which might be a bit puzzling if you skip ahead to the next “official” full-length story without reading this one.  The book packs a lot of fun in a slim volume, but some people may prefer to get it out of the library or wait for paperback instead of paying hardcover price due to its thin size.

Review #3

Reviewer: Nancy
Book Rating:
Reviewer Comments: The second in the Evanovich Diesel sub-series, this short-story sold as novel is about as good as Visions Of Sugar Plums (the first). Although it's mildly amusing, Evanovich risks alienating her fans by asking them to spend money on something that would be better as a part of a collection of short pieces. Cute, but who cares?