Laugh out loud funny

I love the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evans itch and this is the first time I have read the Barnaby series. These 2 could be sisters. The situations they get themselves into and the way they handle getting out of them is laugh out loud funny! Can't wait to read the next adventure.

1.5 stars

I was listening to this on audio. I still don’t like the narrator CJ Critt but after 4 hrs. the previous day of listening to her, i got used to it. Since i needed something light to listen to at work, i decided to go ahead & do the second one in the alex barnaby series.


I’m a fan of Janet Evanovich. I like the Stephanie Plum series, enjoyed her early romances.
I have been going through her newer series (lizzy & diesel, knight & moon, etc.) which were pretty good.
But this one isn’t good. It’s boring. I didn’t like it.


And it’s also repetitive in the “sexual chemistry/denial” aspect. (ie. The 2 leads attracted to each other, the guy pushing/teasing & the girl putting him off)
Also, the chemistry b/w these 2 characters wasn’t as appealing as in her other stories.

And what was w/all the roaches references??? Yeah…I get it, there were bugs, it’s a city…that’s what happens. IT WASN’T FUNNY!
It was unnecessary to keep mentioning it.




I can see why this series wasn’t continued. It’s subpar compared to her others. And after reading her other books, this one comes off as highly repetitive and unimpressive. The characters aren’t memorable, the chemistry b/w them isn’t as effective as some of her other characters. There’s also only so many oddball character stories w/obvious sexual tension that a person can take.

I was ready for this to be another Stephanie Plum like series. It is, but I guess my tolerance for gross silliness has gone down. After five chapters I just don't care about the characters or story at all. So, I'm giving up.

This one barely reaches three stars. It had a decent plot and the setting (race car driving) was interesting enough, but I just couldn't feel anything for the characters. "Barney," the woman lead is supposed to be a tough, but tender rebel whose spunky style is endearing, but I'm sorry, she seemed one dimensional to me and shallow. And her love interest, a guy named Hooker, was even more thinly portrayed. I could only picture the guy as a plastic cut-out.

The pace is good and as I say the plot has its moments, but I just found it an effort to finish since I did not care what happened.

What can you say about a book that makes you laugh out loud. This isn't a Stephanie Plum novel but the characters are still rollicking. I don't know how she does but even with a high body count the humor still shines through gore and guffaws great combination

I was screaming for them to get together for the entire novel, and I so wish we got more of them as a couple, but I still loved the story. It was filled with adventure (whether believable or not is besides the point) and definitely some cute banter between Barney and Hooker. Loved! Have to go read more of Ms Janet’s books now!

Stephanie plum but with cars. A good fun read though.

I must admit, there were some times that this had me chuckling. Mostly I think because I listened to the first Barney novel by Evanovich as an audio-book and I can still hear the reader's voice in my head as Hooker. "Darlin'!"

The further adventures of BArney and Hooker, once again in trouble and once again in Miami. The details about NASCAR tend to bore me, but I did enjoy some of the interplay amongst characters. Discussions on "the man in the boat" and such were amusing. I did have to wonder sometimes why in the heck folks chose the course of action they did, but hey, it moved the plot along. I liked seeing some of the old characters from the first book appear, and enjoyed poor old Beans.

I've not read more than a book or two in the Stephanie Plum series, but this series appeals to my "reading-Lite" side, for when I want something to read without using much brain power.

These are awesome quick reads! Stolen hauler, murders, several botched kidnappings, illegal use of technology, prune eating St. Bernard, and the best back up ever. Felicia and Rosa are back, and still my faves! This continues the trend of ridiculous fun!

A Series of Catastrophies

Alex Barnaby and her racing partner, Sam Hooker, get involved in a series of catastrophic events when they try to help their friend Gobbles escape a truck storage area. These events involve dead bodies, a kidnapped dog, a innovative microchip, mutiple wrecker vehicles, hitmen, and a jealous rival to name just a few. The reader will be constantly trying to puzzle out how to get the protagonists out of the jams that are of their own making.

If you're looking for a zipless, no deep thought or moral message beach read this is it. The protagonist is a female mechanic turned spotter named Barney who works for a blonde hunky Texan/Nascar driver who's name is Hooker and who's car number is 69. They were dating but then he banged a cocktail waitress or was it a clerk? It doesn't matter the female in question is only an excuse for their to be sexual tension (of a junior high school level as in no kissing, no touching, just concern and involvement with a touch of recrimination) and banter between Barney and Hooker.
A lot of the action takes place in Miami. There's a family of Cubans who happen to have an empty warehouse, a spare room and extra food they're willing to share. There's some way that Barney knows one of the matriarchs of the family but it's kind of unclear what the relationship is.
There's micro-technology, murder (of course, it is Janet Evanovich) kidnappings, thugs and gangsters (there's a difference, one set wears suits) lots of B&E and tons of snarky banter.
Not one of Evanovich's better books but then I did finish it so it wasn't all bad. Now that I have finished it I feel like my brain just ate cotton candy and a caramel apple and followed it up with a box of Krispy Kremes. My next book had better have some meat or I'll end up with a cavity, lol.

Good read. Not as good as the first but still worth the time to read it. Nearing the end there is the laugh out loud humor that I associate with Evanovich’s books. I wish there had been more of it in the rest of the book.