Jenn's Review: The Heist

Blurb:  FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is known for her fierce dedication and discipline on the job, chasing down the world’s most wanted criminals and putting them behind bars. Her boss thinks she is tenacious and ambitious; her friends think she is tough, stubborn, and maybe even a bit obsessed. And while Kate has made quite a name for herself for the past five years the only name she’s cared about is Nicolas Fox—an international crook she wants in more ways than one.              
 
Audacious, handsome, and dangerously charming, Nicolas Fox is a natural con man, notorious for running elaborate scams on very high-profile people. At first he did it for the money. Now he does it for the thrill. He knows that the FBI has been hot on his trail—particularly Kate O’Hare, who has been watching his every move. For Nick, there’s no greater rush than being pursued by a beautiful woman . . . even one who aims to lock him up. But just when it seems that Nicolas Fox has been captured for good, he pulls off his greatest con of all: He convinces the FBI to offer him a job, working side by side with Special Agent Kate O’Hare.
 
Problem is, teaming up to stop a corrupt investment banker who’s hiding on a private island in Indonesia is going to test O’Hare’s patience and Fox’s skill. Not to mention the skills of their ragtag team made up of flamboyant actors, wanted wheelmen, and Kate’s dad. High-speed chases, pirates, and Toblerone bars are all in a day’s work . . . if O’Hare and Fox don’t kill each other first.

Review:  Do you remember reading your first Stephanie Plum?  I was drawn in by the characters and I had a sense that it was a series I would love.  While I have since fallen out of love with Stephanie and friends (somewhere around book 13) I was hoping to find that immediate connection here... and I just never did.  It's not that I don't like Nick and Kate, I do, they're fun ...but they are a little two dimensional.

Of the two, Nick is my favorite.  He's unflappable and brilliant, not to mention good looking and charming.  If his scheme isn't working, it's okay, because he has contingency plans for his contingency plans, or better yet, he'll just wing it.  He's Neal Caffrey (White Collar) and Nathan Ford (Leverage) rolled into one.  Kate is... Gracie Hart (Miss Congeniality) meets Stephanie Plum and I'm not sure why.  She goes from not trusting Nick at all to happily giving him free reign.   Honestly, if I hadn't read the short prequel novella, Pros and Cons, I don't know if I would have been interested in her at all.  As it is, I want to like her I just don't understand her.  Kate's dad is awesome.  And I love the eclectic team they assemble, although we only truly get to know one or two of them well.  I hope they return for further adventures.

Janet Evanovich's snark and humor is there but it looses some of it's punch when you aren't connected  to the characters.  The story unfolds much like a script and, never having read Lee Goldberg but having seen his shows, I am guessing that's his influence.

Now about the heist:  I love a good con but what makes any con successful in literature or film is conning the audience.  In The Heist we are with Kate and Nick from beginning to end, and while not everything goes according to plan, there are no real surprises for the reader.  Perhaps that's the plan for the plot all along but it made it seem a little flat to me.

It sounds like I have a ton of complaints, but it was a fun read.  I happily would have read it cover to cover in one sitting.  It's just that I had such high expectations for this series and it fell short of the mark.  (I was expecting a grown up Heist Society.)  The potential for this writing team is huge and they have lain solid ground work with the first book.  I expect this series to get bigger and better from here on out.

Final Take:  3.75/5

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Movie Review: One for the Money

Summary:  Katherine Heigl stars as Stephanie Plum in this broad comedy, based on the best-selling novel from Janet Evanovich. Stephanie Plum (Katherine Heigl) is a bright, attractive, confident woman whose entire life has just taken a sudden turn — in the wrong direction. Newly divorced and recently laid off, the only work she can scrape up is a dead-end job at her sleazy cousin's bail bond office. But when her first big assignment involves tracking down an on-the-lam ex-flame (Jason O'Mara), this tough-as-nails lady bounty hunter will be redefining the meaning of hot pursuit in this thrill-packed action comedy. ~amazon.com


Review:  I was a huge fan of the Stephanie Plum series up until book 12, then I was done. I felt like it was just going in circles. So when we heard they were going to do a movie based on One for the Money , we here at GJR were skeptical. I mean for me it would be a better tv show. We were even more shocked when they cast Katherine Heigl as Stephanie. Definitely not our choice.

Now given that statement, Ms. Heigel didn't do a bad job as Stephanie. I would have been more happy if they would have made Steph just a bit more chunky. She always complaining about needing to lose the last 10-20 lbs. Jason O'Mara did a great job as Joe Morelli but I wasn't sold on Daniel Sunjata as Ranger. I still think that Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock, would have been perfect for this role. It's ok because given that Í'm a "cupcake" it's probably better that it wasn't Dwayne or I might be a "babe" convert.

Since I read the book many years ago, I think it is pretty close to the plot. I think that those in supporting roles were perfect, even Sherri Shepard as Lula was clever casting. Debbie Reynolds was a hoot as Grandma Mazar.

Overall it was an entertaining movie and if you haven't read the book you'd probably enjoy it slightly more than I did. I don't think it made enough money to do any of the other books, which again is why it would have been better to do on cable.

Final Take: 3.25/5

Movie News: One for the Money

Ta-da! The new movie poster of Katherine Heigel as Stephanie Plum is out for the movie adaptation of Janet Evanovich's One for the Money. I always thought Stephanie to not be so svelte but of course this is Hollywood and why stick to the book?!

Now, if you follow our blog you know that we aren't too excited for Katherine Heigel to play Stephanie Plum. And I, Julie, typically like her but she's not whom I pictured. I am intrigued by the rest of the cast though. I can't believe that Debbie Reynolds is playing Grandma Mazur!

According to IMDB.com it is set to be released on January 27, 2012.

I barely have time to see movies in theaters these days, so more than likely I'll wait until it's on pay-per-view.

What do you guys think? Yay, nay, or waiting to see?

Jenn's Review: Finger Lickin' Fifteen

Summary: RECIPE FOR DISASTER - Celebrity chef Stanley Chipotle comes to Trenton to participate in a barbecue cook-off and loses his head—literally.

THROW IN SOME SPICE - Bail bonds office worker Lula is witness to the crime, and the only one she’ll talk to is Trenton cop Joe Morelli.

PUMP UP THE HEAT - The reward for capturing Chipotle’s killers: One million dollars.

STIR THE POT - Lula recruits bounty hunter Stephanie Plum to help her find the killers and collect the moolah.

ADD A SECRET INGREDIENT - Stephanie’s Grandma Mazure. Enough said.

BRING TO A BOIL - Stephanie’s working overtime tracking felons for the bonds office at night and snooping for security expert Carlos Manoso, aka Ranger, during the day. Can she hunt down two killers, a traitor, and five skips, keep her grandmother out of the sauce, and solve Ranger’s problems and not jump his bones?

WARNING - Habanero hot. So good you’ll want seconds.

Review: There are mixed reviews of this book floating around out there which is why it took a year for this book to find itself on top of my To Be Read pile. Was I blown away by it? No, but frankly, I wasn't expecting to be. I picked it up for a nice light read with a good dose of humor, and that's exactly what I got.

I know Julie is sick or Stephanie never being able to make up her mind when it comes to the men in her life, but it doesn't bother me all that much. I think it's because I am not that invested in Stephanie as a character anymore. She's just a caricature. This wasn't always the case and I'm wondering when it happened (Was it the horrid 'between-the-numbers' books that divested my interest? I know it happened somewhere around book 12...) The series has certainly devolved a little, but not to the point of disaster.

All in all, there was nothing new in this book (cars exploded, shots were fired, Stephanie got covered in goop, FTA's were captured... eventually), but it was a good time visiting old friends, even if they are all crazy. I was laughing out loud at several points (Lula getting stuck out the window of an SUV being top on the list). It is a great summer read, as long as your not hoping for any romantic resolution...

3.5/5

Movie News: One for the Money Casting II

So, Morelli and Ranger have been cast.
Per EW.com: "Jason O’Mara, the star of ABC’s Life on Mars, has been cast as Joe Morelli in Lionsgate’s big-screen adaptation of One For the Money, the first novel in Janet Evanovich’s bestselling Stephanie Plum series, Variety reports. He joins Katherine Heigl, who’s set to play Plum, a newly-divorced, recently laid-off 30-year-old in New Jersey who becomes a bounty hunter. Her first assignment is bringing in Morelli, a former vice cop now wanted for murder. The two have a history — Stephanie lost her virginity to him in high school — so look for sparks to fly in more ways than one. Rescue Me‘s Daniel Sunjata has also been cast as Ranger, the veteran bounty hunter who’ll show her the ropes.

Stephanie Plum fans, do you approve? Evanovich once told EW, “If you want to cry, you’re not going to like my books. If you want a really good plot, you’re not going to like my plots. My books have pizza and cussing and sexy guys.” I therefore accept O’Mara and Sunjata.

I also think they’ve proven they have the right delivery for a comic crime thriller."

Well, O'Mara isn't Jeffrey Donovan but that's ok, IMHO. I did watch him in Life on Mars and he can play a cop, plus he's pretty witty. He is pretty sexy as well.

I remember Daniel Sunjata from The Ghost of Girlfriends Past and thought he was pretty sexy in that movie. Is he Ranger sexy? TBD but he can more than likely pull it off. Lisa thinks he's too girly. LOL

What do GJR readers think?

Movie News: One For the Money Casting

As you know, the 3 of us here are/were pretty big Stephanie Plum fans. It's been announced who will be playing Stephanie in the upcoming theatrical release of One For the Money....Katherine Heigl. Now, I like her, I do, but do I think she's right for Stephanie...Um NO!! I think this is where the 3 of us agree. It's not that I think she's flat out the wrong choice, I mean they could have gone with Britney Spears Ya'll but I think there are better suited actresses for the role.

Jenn thinks that Zooey Deschanel or Caroline Dhavernas (Wonderfalls: Fox TV show) are good picks. I tend to agree with her.

I think that Sandra Bullock was a shoo-in for the part but maybe she's 1) too old (don't get me started on this) or 2) Stephanie is a little to close to Gracie Lou Freebush from Miss Congeniality. I also think Jennifer Garner would have made a great Stephanie, but she's probably too tall. Before her untimely death I actually think Brittany Murphy would have been a good Stephanie.

Who would you like to see as Stephanie? What are your thoughts about Ms. Heigl. Of course this leads to who should play Morelli and Ranger?

My votes:

Morelli = Jeffrey Donovan (YUM!!)
Ranger = Dwayne Johnson aka The ROCK (Double YUM!!)

Random Musings

I have made a decision...I'm done with Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, which mean I'm done with Ms. Evanovich since I don't read any of her other books. I think the divorce has been coming for a while but I realized today that I haven't read book 15 and I don't feel like I'm missing anything.

Someone will just have to tell me when the last book is written so I can find out if Stephanie ended up with Morelli or Ranger. I'm on Team Morelli.

With so many authors out there who has the time to waste on characters you just don't care about anymore.

Anyone else divorcing an author?

Jenn's Review: Plum Spooky

Summary: Turn on all the lights and check under your bed. Things are about to get spooky in Trenton, New Jersey. According to legend, the Jersey Devil prowls the Pine Barrens and soars above the treetops in the dark of night. As eerie as this might seem, there are things in the Barrens that are even more frightening and dangerous. And there are monkeys. Lots of monkeys. Wulf Grimoire is a world wanderer and an opportunist who can kill without remorse and disappear like smoke. He’s chosen Martin Munch, boy genius, as his new business partner, and he’s chosen the Barrens as his new playground. Munch received his doctorate degree in quantum physics when he was twenty-two. He’s now twenty-four, and while his brain is large, his body hasn’t made it out of the boys’ department at Macy’s. Anyone who says good things come in small packages hasn’t met Munch. Wulf Grimoire is looking for world domination. Martin Munch would be happy if he could just get a woman naked and tied to a tree. Bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has Munch on her most-wanted list for failure to appear in court. Plum is the all-American girl stuck in an uncomfortable job, succeeding on luck and tenacity. Usually she gets her man. This time she gets a monkey. She also gets a big guy named Diesel. Diesel pops in and out of Plum’s life like birthday cake – delicious to look at and taste, not especially healthy as a steady diet, gone by the end of the week if not sooner. He’s an über bounty hunter with special skills when it comes to tracking men and pleasing women. He’s after Grimoire, and now he’s also after Munch. And if truth were told, he wouldn’t mind setting Stephanie Plum in his crosshairs. Diesel and Plum hunt down Munch and Grimoire, following them into the Barrens, surviving cranberry bogs, the Jersey Devil, a hair-raising experience, sand in their underwear, and, of course . . . monkeys.

Review: I don't generally review the "Between-the-Numbers" adventures of Stephanie Plum for our site, because, well, they tend to be a whole lot of fluff. However I make mention of this one because this is the first full length Janet Evanovich Between-the-Numbers (BTN) Novel, so it would seem to command more attention. If you dislike the BTN books, this is really more of the same, just longer. If you need a Plum fix while waiting for Finger Lickin' Fifteen to be released on Jun 23 ('09), this is a good dose of Stephanie.

If you've never read the Stephanie Plum series, all three of us highly recommend it; start at the beginning. We just think you can skip the BTN books. This one was definitely NOT a must read, but a good summer beach book.

2.5/5.0

Jenn's Review: Nothing But Trouble

Summary: PJ Sugar knows three things for sure:

After traveling the country for ten years hoping to shake free from the trail of disaster that’s become her life, she needs a fresh start.

The last person she wants to see when she heads home for her sister’s wedding is Boone—her former flame and the reason she left town.

Her best friend’s husband absolutely did not commit the first murder Kellogg, Minnesota, has seen in more than a decade.

What PJ doesn’t know is that when she starts digging for evidence, she’ll uncover much more than she bargained for—a deadly conspiracy, a knack for investigation, and maybe, just maybe, that fresh start she’s been longing for.

Review: I received this as a LibraryThing Early Review. In all fairness to all parties, and as you can plainly see above, there is no reference to the fact that Susan May Warren is a Christian Lit author in the LibraryThing blurb. If there had been, I never would have requested to review the book. Not that I have anything against Christianity or any other religion, for that matter, (I just don't like points of view, religious or political, being forced on me) and I'm certainly not here to spark a religious debate. However a review is only as strong as the reviewer's point of view, so here goes.


The phrase "That was before I was Christian," is tossed around in this novel by several characters in an attempt to excuse everything from Grand Larceny to refusing to date someone. This type of blanket moral escapism infuriates me. Being Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, etc. makes you who you are, but it doesn't automatically make you a better person. It doesn't excuse past wrongs and it doesn't preclude a person from making mistakes in the future. There is no celestial delete key. PJ also credits surrendering to Jesus with her dumb-luck in solving the case and nearly getting herself, her nephew, and her friends killed in the process. Actually the only times that PJ turns to prayer in the book are in passing and it seems purely self-serving. I could have looked beyond all of it if it didn't seem so forced into the story. It almost feels like the author went back and added it as an afterthought.

Religion aside, neither the plot nor the characters have much depth. I had a hard time finding likable character. PJ's mother is supposed to be a hard woman with soft heart but she's so flat as a character that it just comes off as inconsistent writing. Her sister is too busy creating her own perfect career and marriage to pay any heed to her attention starved toddler; she just uses PJ. Boone, her high school sweetheart, wants her back but won't trust her and completely dismisses her opinions. PJ herself seems to be a 10¢ knock off of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, with none of the humor or charm. She has a bad-girl reputation she didn't earn and is really just a drifter who ran from her problems and never grew up.

The plot is far fetched, at best. (Who goes to a shooting range on a date?!? Oh, wait, it was just a rather obvious plot device.) In the end, PJ is hired by a detective agency, but for the life of me, I don't know why. (At least with Stephanie Plum, the fact that she still has a job makes sense; Vinnie is (blackmailed) family and Ranger finds her amusing.) And PJ's country club privileges are restored... because that's what's important, right?

If you're looking for a Christian Stephanie Plum with no personality, this is the book for you.

Final Take: 1/5

Julie's Review: Fearless Fourteen

Summary:

Personal vendettas, hidden treasure, and a monkey named Carl will send bounty hunter Stephanie Plum on her most explosive adventure yet.

The Crime: Armed robbery to the tune of nine million dollars ~ Dom Rizzi robbed a bank, stashed the money and did the time. His family couldn't be more proud. He always was the smart one.

The Cousin: Joe Morelli ~ Joe Morelli, Dom Rizzi and Dom's sister Loretta are cousins. Morelli is a cop, Rizzi robs banks, and Loretta is a single mother waiting tables at the firehouse. The all American family.

The Complications:
Murder, kidnapping, destruction of personal property, and acid reflux ~ Less than a week after Dom's release from prison, Joe Morelli has shadowy figures breaking into his house and dying in his basement. He's getting threatening messages, Loretta is kidnapped, and Dom is missing.

The Catastrophe: Moonman ~ Morelli hires Walter "Mooner" Dunphy, stoner and "inventor" turned crime-fighter to protect his house. Morelli can't afford a lot on a cop's salary, and Mooner will work for potatoes.

The Cupcake: Stephanie Plum ~ Stephanie and Morelli have a long-standing relationship that involves sex, affection and driving each other nuts. She's a bond enforcement agent with more luck than talent, and she's involved in this bank-robbery-gone-bad disaster from day one.

The Crisis: A favor for Ranger ~ Security expert Carlos Manoso, street name Ranger, has a job for Stephanie that will involve night-work. Morelli has his own ideas regarding Stephanie's evening activities.

The Conclusion: Only the fearless should read fourteen ~ Thrills, chills and possible incontinence may result.

Review: Yes, I admit it, I was truly ready to throw in the towel on Stephanie Plum but I'm happy to say that my faith has been restored in this series that I have enjoyed incredibly over the last few years. This a much needed improvement over Lean Mean Thirteen. I even think that Stephanie is growing up a bit! I really enjoyed the cast of characters here. I thought that Brenda, just Brenda, was a hoot. I kind of pictured a slightly more worn Cher for some reason. I grew fond of Zook and felt sorry for him. It seemed to me like he used the video games to escape his life. I also liked how Stephanie treated Zook intelligently and not like a little kid. I'd like to see him back in another book in the future. Mooner and Gary also added some comic relief to the book. Grandma Mazur was interesting and hilarious as usual but her subplots always are a bit on the outrageous side. I don't know any Grandma's like her and I think that's why I find her pretty freaking hilarious.

I'm not quite sure what to think of the subplot involving Lula and Tank. While it is funny it is also something that should be wrapped up soon, in my opinion.

I liked the crime this time and how Stephanie wasn't a total idiot when it came to figuring the case out. She actually used her brain instead of dumb luck this time. I know some people will scream about the lack of Ranger in the book; while I can appreciate his hotness, I much prefer Morelli for stability and hotness (I now picture Jeffrey Donovan(Burn Notice)as Morelli) and long-term commitment. I understand while Ms. Evanovich drags it out but honestly the "pancaking" of Stephanie's feelings for each of them drives me a little batty.

All in all, this book brought me back into the fold for Stephanie Plum and gang. It's a good thing because I was ready to stop reading. Now, I'm looking forward to book 15.

Final Take: 4.5/5

Related: Jenn's Review: Fearless Fourteen

Jenn's Review: Fearless Fourteen

Summary:

Personal vendettas, hidden treasure, and a monkey named Carl will send bounty hunter Stephanie Plum on her most explosive adventure yet.

The Crime:
Armed robbery to the tune of nine million dollars ~ Dom Rizzi robbed a bank, stashed the money and did the time. His family couldn't be more proud. He always was the smart one.

The Cousin:
Joe Morelli ~ Joe Morelli, Dom Rizzi and Dom's sister Loretta are cousins. Morelli is a cop, Rizzi robs banks, and Loretta is a single mother waiting tables at the firehouse. The all American family.

The Complications:
Murder, kidnapping, destruction of personal property, and acid reflux ~ Less than a week after Dom's release from prison, Joe Morelli has shadowy figures breaking into his house and dying in his basement. He's getting threatening messages, Loretta is kidnapped, and Dom is missing.

The Catastrophe:
Moonman ~ Morelli hires Walter "Mooner" Dunphy, stoner and "inventor" turned crime-fighter to protect his house. Morelli can't afford a lot on a cop's salary, and Mooner will work for potatoes.

The Cupcake:
Stephanie Plum ~ Stephanie and Morelli have a long-standing relationship that involves sex, affection and driving each other nuts. She's a bond enforcement agent with more luck than talent, and she's involved in this bank-robbery-gone-bad disaster from day one.

The Crisis:
A favor for Ranger ~ Security expert Carlos Manoso, street name Ranger, has a job for Stephanie that will involve night-work. Morelli has his own ideas regarding Stephanie's evening activities.

The Conclusion:
Only the fearless should read fourteen ~ Thrills, chills and possible incontinence may result.

Review: I was ready to revisit Stephanie and so instead of buzzing through this book in a day, I took my time and savored it. After Lean Mean Thirteen, I was a little leery of the sillies that seemed to be attacking Stephanie. Not so with Fourteen. I really felt this was a more mature Stephanie. There was a great blend of Grandma and Mooner with just a splash of family dinner. There was Ranger and a whole lot of Morelli. I usually don't look at the reviews on Amazon before writing my own, but I skimmed them when I was looking over the summary and I was surprised to see so many mixed reviews. There are a lot of disappointed 'Babes' out there, apparently, but I am not one of them. It was nice to see both Joe and Stephanie have grown up a little... Steph's no longer running and he's no longer trying to control. In fact Joe actually seems to have accepted Stephanie as being a half-way decent investigator, because he's starting to give her assignments. Morelli worried about her without strong arming. How refreshing.

Yes, Grandma Mazur as a hardcore gamer was silly, but not so unusual for Grandma. It was a good dose of Grandma without being too much. For me, Evanovich struck a good balance with the silly and the serious. I really enjoyed this one and thank you to my fellow bloggers for turning me on to the series back when. I can say without trepidation, "You'll like this one better, Julie."

Plumtastic!?!

The new Stephanie Plum book is due out June 17th, Fearless Fourteen, and I must say I'm looking forward to it. I still have Plum Lucky on my 'to read' pile even though I'm not a huge fan of the "Between the Numbers" books. (They always seem a little whimsical and silly, but still a good dose of Stephanie while waiting for the next Number Book.)

I know Julie is getting a little frustrated with Stephanie. She's ready for her to grow up and move on with her life... I'm not sure I'm ready for that though. Although, I am waiting for one of the men in her life to grow up.

What are your thoughts? Oh, and be sure to mention whether you are you a Babe or a Cupcake...

Julie's Review: Lean Mean Thirteen

Summary:
In her rollicking 13th Stephanie Plum adventure (after Twelve Sharp), bestseller Evanovich is in top, quirky form. Plucky, bumbling New Jersey bounty hunter Plum is reunited with her two-timing lawyer ex-husband, Dickie Orr, while doing a favor for the mysterious, sexy Ranger. But when Dickie disappears from his house leaving behind only bloodstains and bullet holes, Plum becomes the prime suspect in his alleged murder. Determined to clear her name, Plum and her on-again off-again Trenton cop boyfriend, the irresistible Joe Morelli, uncover Dickie's ties to a shady group of men involved in everything from money laundering to drug running. And when Dickie's jilted business partners decide Stephanie holds the key to the $40 million they believe Dickie stole from them, she's in for a wild ride. With the author's usual cast of eccentric side characters—everything from a taxidermist with a penchant for bombs to a grave-robbing tax man—Evanovich proves once again that Stephanie Plum and her entourage are here to stay.

Review:
First off you must know that I'm a "Cupcake", while I believe that being a "Babe" might be fun for a while the mystery of Ranger would wear out it's welcome. Which is why as much as I love this series, I'm ready for Steph to make a decision between Joe Morelli and Carlos Manoso AKA Ranger. I love the banter between Stephanie and Ranger and the heat it generates but there is something that pulls her to Morelli more than Ranger.

I enjoyed the adventure as usual in the book. I enjoyed how Ms. Evanovich brought in Stephanie's first and slimy ex-husband Dickie Orr and her ultimate nemesis Joyce Bernhardt, it made for good comedy. The adventures in the series are never complex but more to show how much trouble Stephanie can get herself into without even really trying.

The supporting cast in the book is always what makes it for me. Grandma Mazur, Lula, Mr and Mrs. Plum. They are the glue that holds this series together; since at times Stephanie can get on my nerves, you need a strong supporting cast.

This wasn't the best book out of the series but it was entertaining enough to make me wonder what happens in the next book. Note to Janet: MORE MORELLI!!!

Final Take: 3.8/5