Janet Evanovich - The Rocky Road to Romance (1991)

This is the fourth book in the Elsie Hawkins series and another wacky high-spirited romance from Evanovich.

When WZZZ's usual traffic reporter breaks his leg Daisy Adams, from the station's dog trivia and recipes slot, offers to fill in until he can return to work. Station owner, Steve Crow, would like to turn her down, but it's love at first sight and all he can think of is how to keep Daisy in his life.

This book is part of the Elsie Hawkins series, but like the others, Elsie plays a bit part. In this book she comes in as security guard to protect Daisy from a drug pedler she accidentally caught. In all the books Elsie carries a big gun, is a terrible shot and reminds me a lot of the character Grandma Mazur from the Plum series. I'm qite fond of Elsie and I'd really like an 'Elsie' in my life.

This is another fluffy light romance from Evanovich's early books. It's more for when your mind is tired & just needs a fairy-floss distraction. It's not the kind of book that will have you puzzling over anything or leave you wondering at the end.

Janet Evanovich - Foul Play (1989)

This is one of the first books written by Evanovich and it was re-printed recently, along with a handful of others, that she says disappeared from print as soon as they came out. It's interesting to read an early Evanovich, you can see the character development. There are character names and aspects of personalities that start in these early books and are fleshed out for her Stephanie Plum series.

Amy Klasse is fired from her children's TV show job and replaced by a big breasted woman with a dancing chicken. Incensed, she rampages her way through a supermarket and runs into veterinarian Jake Elliott. Jake takes pity on her and gives Amy a job as his receptionist. Unfortunately, the chicken disappears and Amy is suspect number one in this wacky romantic adventure.

It's an okay book. It's a nice bit of fluff for the end of a tiring day when you just want a light crazy-romance-comedy-adventure with a happy ending.

Janet Evanovich & Charlotte Hughes - Full House (2002)

This is the first book in the Max Holt series. It starts with the genius Max as a teenage boy on his uncle Nick's ranch. Nick is trying to run a Polo school, but Max is busy fighting inequality in society - by blowing things up. Add to the mix Max's much older and very self-involved sister Dee, who is about to enter her fourth marriage, but is crashing at Nick's home until the wedding - and driving him crazy.

So Nick does the only reasonable thing - he tricks the woman he's lusting after, Billie, into taking Dee into her home. It's an avalanche of the usual calamitous high-jinks Evanovich is infamous for until the explosive ending.

The book was okay, but I found Nick's character super-cold. Particularly near the end (SPOILER) where Billie has only been kidnapped for an hour, but he's all ready to sink into despair and assume she's dead. Umm... that's the spirit??! Apart from that it was interesting seeing a teenage Max, he's a fun character.

Janet Evanovich - Sizzling Sixteen (2010)

This is, obviously, the 16th book in the Stephanie Plum series. Evanovich writes fun books. They follow a similar pattern each time - Stephanie, the worst bounty hunter ever, gets into lots of trouble and, with lots of luck plus a little help from Ranger, Lula, Morelli or any other friend who is unlucky enough to come across her path, gets out of it again.

It's why I like the books. They're comfort books where you know what will happen and there are no surprises. Sometimes you just don't want a book to challenge you and make you think. Sometimes you want a book to make you laugh and whisk you away into someone else's life where the problems are on a different scale to normal life and the race to fix them is chaotic, ludicrous and utterly hilarious. My favourite character has to be Grandma Mazur. I'd love to have a nutty bright pink lycra wearing Grandma like her. There's never a dull moment when she's around, especially when she's got her gun. Just keep her away from the roast chicken if you ever want to eat it.

I love the Stephanie Plum books. I've read some bad reviews where people complain that nothing changes - but we don't want change! Stephanie Plum fans love Evanovich's books because she knows what we want and she gives it to us, with a side order of Cluck-in-a-Bucket and a large box of donuts. Oh, that reminds me - don't read these books if you're on a diet. The constant eating in them will break any will you've mustered and have you dining at the nearest donuts shop. Mmmmm, donuts!