Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich

I like Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books. I have read them all and some of them were laugh-out-loud funny. I was certain to recommend them to library patrons who were looking for something light and fun with a little sexiness to it--you know what I mean, you get to go on the date but don't have to stay overnight.

So, that is where I stand on the previous twelve numbers novels. Then this one pops up and I put a hold on it at the library, but I was surprised that there was no number in the title. Previous books all had numbers. When I got the book I saw on the cover a subtitle, "A Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers Novel."

Hmmmmmmm.

Now we are talking here about an author who had made it, big time. She is one of those lucky few who are rich, rich, rich from her words and I would never begrudge her that, but I think she then owes a little respect to her loyal fans as payback. This book is not that good.

First off, it is short, 164 pages to be exact. If I had bought it, which I didn't, it would have cost me $16.95. That is a lot of money when you are guaranteed a huge audience--this book made number one on the New York Times Bestsellers list. If it had been a first book it would not even have made it out of the slush pile in an agents office.

You think I am being harsh? There is a man in this novel who gives people, including himself, rashes. It is never explained how or why, it just happens. A mysterious man, Diesel, shows up to get Stephanie's help as a relationship expert. Huh? And Diesel seems to have some kind of "magical" powers that let him appear and disappear at will, and maybe turn people into toads. There was not a single fully developed character in this novel and if I had not read the previous books in the series, I would have given up in disgust.

The two main men in Stephanie's life have tiny cameo roles in this book so even the sexual tension of her regular novels is pretty much gone, although the author tries to keep it up with the handsome and dimpled Diesel. Sorry, I just didn't buy it. There is a scene where a bunch of woman watch porn, just not good enough, even though Stephanie's grandma is there, and she is usually good for a hoot.

I read this, it was quick, I got it from the library so it didn't cost me anything, it filled in one hole looming in the series, which was to get Stephanie's sister married--but really, this was hardly worth the paper it was printed on. If these in-between novels become the norm, I think Evanovich will lose me as a series reader.