Mini Review: Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich

Sizzling Sixteen
(Stephanie Plum #16)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Release Date: June 22, 2010
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Source: Personal Copy
Review by: Jenn

IT’S DANGEROUS TO OWE MONEY TO A MOBSTER…

Stephanie Plum’s no-good cousin and boss, Vinnie, has been kidnapped over gambling debts – and if there’s no Vinnie, that means she’s out of a job. But until the bonds office closes, she’s got bounty hunting to do.

Can they find Vinnie in time? Will the bonds office be able to raise enough money to cover Vinnie’s debt? And exactly how much fried chicken does a guard-gator named Mr. Jingles eat?

3.5 stars out of 5 stars

It had been years since I'd last read a Stephanie Plum novel. So it was a treat catching up with Stephanie and the gang. Stephanie is still hilariously going after people as a bounty hunter and getting herself in situations that doesn't make any sense. This time, her antics are helped by Lula and Connie in their attempt in finding Vinnie

Like always, Janet Evanovich has me chuckling at the shenanigans she puts Stephanie in and wondering what else can go wrong before she finally puts a case to rest. I'm a little sad I didn't get more Joe Morelli and/or Ranger book time, especially Ranger. Whenever those two come in contact with Stephanie, the tension, both sexual and non-sexual is always off the charts.

Off to book seventeen!

Favorites quotes from Sizzling Sixteen:

“Ranger sent us to check on you," Hal said. "We just got here, and we heard shots."
"Some moron ate my jelly doughnut," Lula said. "So I shot him.” - Janet Evanovich, Sizzling Sixteen

“Are we fighting?" I asked Morelli.
"No. Were discussing."
"Are you sure?"
"Am I yelling?" Morelli asked. "Is my face purple? Are the cords on my neck standing out? Am I waving my arms around?"
"No."
"The were not fighting.” - Janet Evanovich, Sizzling Sixteen

“What time is it?" Lula asked. "I might need a doughnut. Is it doughnut time?"
"I'm thinking about eating healthier," I said. "More vegetables and fewer doughnuts."
"What's that about?"
"I don't know. It just came over me."
"It's a bad idea. What do I look like, Mr. Green Jeans? How would it sound if I said it's vegetable time? People would think I was a nut. Nobody gets a craving for a vegetable. And I'm the one on the diet. What am I gonna do with one carrot or one asparagus? They are not mood enhancers, if you see what I'm saying."
"I see what you're saying, but there aren't any doughnuts between here and Ernie's house."
"I guess I could wait. And maybe you're right about the healthy eating. I'm gonna get a carrot cake doughnut.”- Janet Evanovich, Sizzling Sixteen

Stacking the Shelves (#27)

Stacking the Shelves, which is hosted by Team Tynga's Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This mean you can include books you buy in a physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course, ebooks.

Hi there Swooners,

Today, we're sharing the books we got in the month of October and November.

For review:

90s PLAYLIST by Brighton Walsh, Lorelie Brown, Amy Jo Cousins,
Audra North, Rebecca Grace Allen, and Jennifer Blackwood

ALONE IN THE DARK by Karen Rose
JUST SAY YES by Elizabeth Hayley

RESOLUTION by J.S. Cooper

HOW TO BE BRAVE by E. Katherine Kottaras

WICKED SEXY LIAR by Christina Lauren

SMART GIRL by Rachel Hollis

REBEL BULLY GEEK PARIAH by Erin Jade Lange

LOUD IS HOW I LOVE YOU by Mercy Brown

CALL ME, MAYBE by Ellie Cahill

Books we got for free/bought:

FINDER'S KEEPERS by Stephen King

SHADOW KISS by Richelle Mead

BLOOD PROMISE by Richelle Mead

LAST SACRIFICE by Richelle Mead

TRICKY TWENTY-TWO by Janet Evanovich

NOWHERE BUT HERE by Katie McGarry

MY STAR, MY LOVE by Natasha Boyd

Wow, we may have gone a little overboard this past month. In our defense, we had a Janet Evanovich and Richelle Mead signing we went to and got some interesting books in the mail for review. We have lots of reading ahead of us.

What did you add to your shelves?

Looking Back On Our Week: Janet Evanovich and Richelle Mead Signings

Morning Swooners,

Nahomi and I had an eventful bookish weekend. We had a Janet Evanovich event, Plum Palooza on Saturday and Richelle Mead on Sunday. Both events were in two completely different cities so poor Nahomi spent her weekend in a car, traveling between Orlando and Miami. Such a trooper.

First up, Plum Palooza!

Um....these very good looking gentlemen, *cough* were part of an dance off showcasing the Stephanie Plum two heroes, Joe Morelli and Ranger. 

We played some bingo and heard Janet speak. Plus there was this book cake up made up with all of her New York Times bestsellers books.

Stephanie is called Cupcake by Morelli so it's only logical to have a cupcake there.

As Jenn said I had a pretty busy weekend but it was totally worth it to see both Janet Evanovich and Richelle Mead. It was a relaxed environment at Books and Books in Coral Gables where Richelle spoke about her new books Soundless and The Glittering Court.

This is Richelle talking about her new books.

I went to the signing with my daughter Mia. She was my little helper.

With Richelle Mead as she signed our books!

Last weekend was super busy, but I had so much fun and got to meet two of my favorite authors! I can't wait for the next event... Until then check out our Give Thanks Giveaway which ends next Tuesday.

Favorite Friday (#28) - One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Have a favorite book? Series? One that you've just read or are currently reading? Favorite Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Books and Swoons where we spotlight some of our Favorite Reads. Everyone is welcome to join. Just enter your information on the linky or leave us a comment!

This week pick is: One For The Money by Janet Evanovich.

She’s a product of the “burg,” a blue-collar pocket of Trenton where houses are attached and narrow, cars are American, windows are clean, and (God forbid you should be late) dinner is served at six.

Now Stephanie’s all grown up and out on her own, living five miles from Mom and Dad’s, doing her best to sever the world’s longest umbilical cord. Her mother is a meddler, and her grandmother is a few cans short of a case.

Out of work and out of money, with her Miata repossessed and her refrigerator empty, Stephanie blackmails her bail bondsman cousin, Vinnie, into giving her a try as an apprehension agent. Stephanie knows zilch about the job requirements, but she figures her new pal, fearless bounty hunter Ranger, can teach her what it takes to catch a crook.

Her first assignment: nail Joe Morelli, a former vice cop on the run from a charge of murder one. Morelli is also the irresistible macho pig who took Stephanie’s virginity at age sixteen and then wrote the details on the bathroom wall of Mario’s Sub Shop. There’s still powerful chemistry between these two, so the chase should be interesting.

It could also be extremely dangerous, especially when Stephanie encounters a heavyweight title contender who likes to play rough. Benito Ramirez is known for his brutality to women. At the very least, his obsession with Stephanie complicates her manhunt and brings terror and uncertainty into her life. At the worst, it could lead to murder.

One For The Money is one of the first series Jenn suggested I read, and I absolutely love it. Stephanie is hilarious and gets herself into some really interesting predicaments. Morelli and Ranger are really hot! This book will have you laughing out loud and addicted before you know it.

About the author:

When I was a kid I spent a lot of time in LaLa Land. La la Land is like an out-of-body experience –while your mouth is eating lunch your mind is conversing with Captain Kirk. Sometimes I’d pretend to sing opera. My mother would send me to the grocery store down the street, and off I’d go, caterwauling at the top of my lungs. Before the opera thing I went through a horse stage where I galloped everywhere and made holes in my Aunt Lena’s lawn with my hooves. Aunt Lena was a good egg. She understood that the realities of daily existence were lost in the shadows of my looney imagination.

After graduation from South River High School, I spent four years in the Douglass College art department, honing my ability to wear torn Levis, learning to transfer cerebral excitement to primed canvas. Painting beat the heck out of digging holes in lawns, but it never felt exactly right. It was frustrating at best, excruciating at worst. My audience was too small. Communication was too obscure. I developed a rash from pigment.

Somewhere down the line I started writing stories. The first story was about the pornographic adventures of a fairy who lived in a second rate fairy forest in Pennsylvania. The second story was about …well never mind, you get the picture.

I sent my weird stories out to editors and agents and collected rejection letters in a big cardboard box. When the box was full I burned the whole damn thing, crammed myself into pantyhose and went to work for a temp agency.

Four months into my less than stellar secretarial career, I got a call from an editor offering to buy my last mailed (and heretofore forgotten) manuscript. It was a romance written for the now defunct Second Chance at Love line, and I was paid a staggering $2,000.

With my head reeling from all this money, I plunged into writing romance novels full time, saying good-by, good riddance to pantyhose and office politics. I wrote series romance for the next five years, mostly for Bantam Loveswept. It was a rewarding experience, but after twelve romance novels I ran out of sexual positions and decided to move into the mystery genre. I spent two years retooling –drinking beer with law enforcement types, learning to shoot, practicing cussing. At the end of those years I created Stephanie Plum. I wouldn’t go so far as to say Stephanie is an autobiographical character, but I will admit to knowing where she lives.

In ’95 my husband and I moved to New Hampshire. We bought a big ‘ol house on the side of a hill, not far from Dartmouth College. I have a nice view of the Connecticut River valley from my office window and there’s a couple acres of land around the house.

It’s a good place to write a book … and would be even better if we just had a decent mall. You can take the girl out of Jersey, but you can’t take Jersey out of the girl.

When we moved to New Hampshire we realized there was more to this writing stuff than just writing, so we formed a family business, Evanovich, Inc. My son, Peter, a Dartmouth College graduate, assumed responsibility for everything financial. He’s the guy who pulls his hair out at tax time and cracks his knuckles when the stock market dips. In ’96 my daughter Alex, a film and photography school graduate, came on board and created the website. Alex does it all … the E-mail, the comics, the store, the online advertising and the newsletter. Both Peter and Alex work full-time for Evanovich, Inc. I’m their only client.

My husband, Pete, has his doctorate in mathematics from Rutgers University and now manages all aspects of the business and tries to keep me on time (a thankless, impossible job!) … plus he does a little golfing and skiing.
It turns out I’m a really boring workaholic with no hobbies or special interests. My favorite exercise is shopping and my drug of choice is Cheeze Doodles.

I read comic books and I only watch happy movies. I motivate myself to write by spending my money before I make it. And when I grow up I want to be just like Grandma Mazur.

Author's links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

I hope you can join us in sharing and talking about some of your favorite reads. Book talk always make me happy. 

What are one of your favorite reads?