When I began reading my first Stephanie Plumb book [ One for the money ] I didn't know quite what to expect. However I very quickly discovered it was an absolute gem, and as I read more and more of Janet Evanovich's books about the misfit bounty hunter and as the characters evolved and became more and more interesting [ grandma Mazur is something else isn't she; likewise Lulu is one hell of a girl ] they got better and better, and I have now lost count of the times I have cried laughing aloud as I read them.

I'm now up to 'Seven Up' and a devoted 'Stephanie Plumb' fan.

Humour and crime stories may not be everyones cup of tea, but if these categories appeal to you [ and I asume they do, otherwise you would probably not be looking at this review in the first place ] and if you haven't already done so, all I can say is give Spephanie Plumb a go. But if you do, read them in sequence because the characters do evolve from book to book.

1. I wanted this wedding to happen SO BAD
2. Steph picked out a dress...A DRESS!!!
3. Mooner was too much to handle in this book! More often than not, I was DYING everytime he appeared. Get it together Mooner!
4. Eddie DeChooch may just be my favorite FTA so far, how he kept escaping Steph is beyond me, but I loved every bit of it.
5. Bob needs to stick around.
6. He also needs to keep making visits to Joyce's yard. LOL
7. Joe and Steph NEED to be endgame
8. Grandma Mazur is the best character in this entire series. No question.
9. I am adjusting to Lorelei King reading my audiobook, it's a big adjustment for me!
10. Thank GOODNESS I have Hard Eight on hand!

*** 4.35 ***

A buddy read with OhWell at BB&B

This series is hilarious! Hands down, one of the funniest I have ever read, that keep on with the hilarity even 7 books into the series. We are already very well acquainted with Stephanie's family, and the consensus is that everyone needs a grandma Mazur in their life, just for giggles! Stephanie's mom is obviously going through "the change", but is doing anything and everything to deny it. And the poor Mr. Plum is hanging on to sanity by the tips of his toes.... The only thing Mrs. Plum can hold up as an example to all is her sainted normal daughter Valerie, who is happily married to a perfect husband, with two little girls who are perfect little ladies.

Stephanie continues confounding her mother with her chosen profession of a bounty-hunter, and not very good one at that, and keep trying to encourage her to find a new job. A job where no one is getting shot at and she is not known as the mother of a woman who keeps on finding dead bodies. At least there is the engagement (but no ring!!!) and possible impending marriage to Morelli to look foreword to... Imagine everyone's surprise when one evening for supper who but the perfect, perfect Valerie and her little lady girls show up with all of their luggage and no warning.... Oooo, what joy ensues!!!!

Just a little snippet of the joy Valerie brings to this volume:

"I'm not perky . . . I'm cheerful. I am absolutely not crying anymore, ever again. No one likes a Gloomy Gus. I'm going to get on with my life and I'm going to be happy. I'm going to be so goddamn happy Mary Sunshine's going to look like a loser."
Yikes.
"And do you know why I can be happy? I can be happy because I'm well adjusted."
Good thing Valerie moved back to Jersey. We'd fix that."

.... "Of course I'm the bounty hunter type," she said enthusiastically. "I just have to get into the right mind-set." She sat up straighter on my couch and started singing the rubber tree ant song.
"He's got hiiiigh hopes . . . hiiiigh hopes!"
Good thing my gun was in the kitchen, because I had an urge to shoot Valerie. This was taking the cheerful thing way beyond where I wanted to go."...... Yep, they will fix all that perkiness right out of her:):):)

As always, Stephanie is on a hopeless case to catch a bond jumper, an old mob guy with enlarged prostate and vision problems... She has a new car, we all know how this turns out, don't we... And she is still caught up in a struggle of attraction between two perfect alpha males... I am not usually for love triangles, but even the most prudish among us would find it hard to choose between Morelli and Ranger, and I honestly am very happy I am not in that situation... In this case and THIS CASE ONLY, I totally vote for polygamy and a menage:):):)

This is a great addition to the series, but be warned, things go a bit differently in the romance department... Absolute must read for the fans of Stephanie Plum!!!

Now I wish all happy reading and may you find joy in every book!!!

Poor Steph. Her latest absconder is a little old mafioso, mostly blind, mostly deaf and highly depressed. So how does he keep escaping capture?

Meanwhile, things are moving along with Morelli. Stephanie's mom and Grandma Mazur take things in their own hands with dress shopping and reception hall booking. It's hard to focus on a non-existing wedding date with Joe when Ranger keeps showing up being all sexy and stuff.

Also in this one: Stephanie's thus-far-absent sister Valerie returns to the Burg with her girls. Dougie and Mooner get into serious trouble. Bob the Dog poops a lot; mostly on Joyce Barnhardt's lawn. A neverending stream of people break into Steph's apartment and wait on her couch.

Evanovich has a writing style and a formula that works, and she sticks with it. Since I started reading these for comedic value, my pleasure in them has increased greatly. Looking forward to reading Hard Eight soon.

3.5 ⭐️

Once again I enoyed another Stephanie Plum novel. Lots of funny moments that had me smiling and just flat out laughing out loud. Mooner and Grandma Mazur dressed in outfits like a superhero is hilarious to imagine. The introduction of sister Valerie was hilarious, with her path to a new lifestyle-- looking forward to reading more about Valerie in the future.
I was very glad to see the return of Bob the golden retriever (I am a golden owner!). I can sympathize with Stephanie and Joe, my golden does eat almost any and everything and I have gone to the vet and been told my dog too was overweight, it was a battle but we did get his weight back to normal.
I also liked the course of Joe and Stephanie's "engagement" until it changes directions. Interesting to see where Stephanie and Ranger will go from here. All in all another great read. Can't wait to hit the bookstore and purchase the next novel in the series.

Love my Stephanie and her family as she travels the path of respected bounty hunter. I love the characters and each adventure feels fresh as well as familiar. I like how she is written. She is funny, fierce and frisky. Great balance with the support characters and the plot is always exciting.

Always fun! Plus, this one included a few extra 'personal' (for Stephanie) twists and turns....

Something I think a lot of people forget about this series is that it's not supposed to be literary genius. It's supposed to be entertaining, lighthearted, fun. While the basic plot of the books in this series tends to have the same set-up, what changes is the personal relationships. I think the action of the books is more of a means to an end. The characters need something to do so they are hunting down bad guys, and in the process the real story, the story of the character relationships, develops. The characters don't grow dramatically throughout the books, but I think they change in subtle ways and they keep the story interesting. For me, this is a fun series to read and has a couple of great characters that make me smile and keep me reading. If you don't mind the repetetiveness of the plot, I think these are a great series of books to read and a lot of fun. Can't wait to see more of the relationships developing and what will happen next, and I hope it continues to stay interesting.

There are an awful lot of cliffhangers in this series!

Stephanie's life is the usual mess, with her trying to act like she knows what she's doing while trying to do her job, surrounded by a plethora of colorful characters.

The last book ended with Morelli asking her to marry him out of the blue and their story continues here with them being obviously not ready to commit. One of Stephanie's reasons for hesitating is Ranger and her budding confusing feelings about him.

Looking forward to listening to the next audiobook!

Previous book reviews:
✦ Hot Six (Stephanie Plum #6) ~ ★★★★★ (23/12/2012)
✦ High Five (Stephanie Plum #5) ~ ★★★★ (10/04/2012)

I still find this series to be very funny. I like listening to the audio version.

Stephanie Plum does not disappoint. The mystery keeps you hooked while you watch her get into one crazy situation after another. Very entertaining!