Rating: 
Summary: THE funniest Plum book yet!
Review: I laughed so hard throughout the book ~ loved it. The story was light and very entertaining. The cast was a hoot and it is a fun holiday read for an evening.
Rating: 
Summary: Too short
Review: Love Janet Evanovich AND Stephanie Plum, but it's grossly misleading to call this a new book in the series. One reviewer called it an extended short story, but I wouldn't even qualify it as that.It's too short, has no real plot and doesn't advance anything from previous books. And the whole superhero/seperate dimension thing doesn't belong in this series. I'd rather Evanovich spend her time writing the next real Plum book than wasting time on this.
Rating: 
Summary: No real vision here
Review: Let's face it, Evanovich is not the world's greatest writer. But she has an easy style and decent plotting. In this book, her writing has slipped a notch below her usual standard, and the plot is thin. The first 30 pages or so read like a weak first draft. The book picks up a bit in the middle, but then it coasts for while before ending much too quickly, with too little explained, and with too much left undescribed. Clearly Janet did not care to put her best into this one. Another draft or two, some explanation and complication about 3/4 of the way through (instead of fizzling out), some more inventiveness, and it would have been a winner. Instead, all she's accomplished is to ensure that I'll give her next novel a very careful going over before I buy it (or not).
Rating:
Summary: Too Bad, I Was Really Looking Forward to Some Plum Fun
Review: It's true: this book does feel rushed and does not justify the price or the time it takes to read, which is not much since it is very thin. The plot is ridiculous and insulting to fans of this series. Too bad I paid full price. The next one had better be better than this one or I'm out of here.
Rating: 
Summary: Better read, than heard.
Review: The audio version of this book failed to deliver the ol' Janet Evanovich punch!! Primarily due to the poor read by Lorelei King. Ms King ruined the last two Stephanie novels due to her inability to appropriately portray the characters based on the authors description. I doubt that Stephanie grew up in an upscale Connecticut neighborhood. No expected New Jersey accent, a very poor interpretation of Grandma Mazur, and a terrible read of Ranger and Lula! Bring back Debbie Mazur or Laurie Petty. They got me hooked on Stephanie starting with One for the Money. I found the last three, including Visions of Sugar Plums, extremly dissapointing.
Rating: 
Summary: This is just a tiny taste of Plum goodness.
Review: This is a SHORT novella, not meant to take the place of a real book within the series. It's really just a funny romp through the unexpected and the hilarious with our favorite heroine, Stephanie Plum. I certainly was NOT expecting it to be up to par with the other books in the series and was able to appreciate it as the humorous short diversion that it was intended to be. This story dances around some interesting paranormal ideas in a wacky Christmas wonderland filled with the strange and over-the-top characters that we all expect to find in a Stephanie Plum novel. This is a definite must read for all Plum fans --and provides a needed "fix" until the next novel's release. Why the 4 stars (instead of 5, as every Plum book deserves)? I did NOT pay list price for this book... but the idea that anyone should be spending this much on such a tiny novella is ridiculous. I think it was a poor choice to publish it in this format with such a high price. Had they released it as a small, cheap (but cute) paperback, this book may have provided an opportunity to introduce some new readers (lured by the short length and cheap price) to the off beat and addictive style of the Plum series. Overall, this is a highly recommended book for Plum fans who know this novella is more of a hilarious sidestep FROM the series rather than a stepping stone IN the series.
Rating:
Summary: Good idea, but needs more laughs per page...
Review: Love Janet. Love all the Plum novels. This one is better in the concept than it is between the covers, however. It's ultimately silly, but it did keep my interest. I found it too short on belly laughs, and without Ranger or Bob the Golden Gourmet dog, it seemed a bit hollow. People will perhaps accuse Janet of being too greedy and taking advantage of Plum-addicted fans. I hope that's not true. To those of us who are hooked, a year is a long time to wait for a book we'll devour within 24 hours of purchase or snatching it from the library shelf. I went through that cycle with Dick Francis for 20 years or so, and it hurts. An "interim novella" at year's end that makes a good Christmas present is a fine idea, as long as the quality truly holds up. This initial try is just a tad weak. Better luck next year, Janet. I bought this in hardcover as an early holiday present for my wife, who got the Stephanie Plum habit from me, an old Trenton kid. She enjoyed "Visions" more than I did, so the gift was a success. Both of us are eagerly awaiting number nine in the full-length saga. And this time, don't skimp on the really funny stuff!
Rating:
Summary: Visions of Stephanie Plum at holidat time
Review: The holiday season always brings a slew of new holiday books and even older and familiar titles are prominently displayed at this time of year. While some authors names aren't familiar household names, in recent years, it is apparent that popular authors from other genres are also writing or dashing off holiday novels. In the past couple of years Mary Higgins Clark, John Grisham, Jan Karon have all published books with a holiday theme. And in 2002, David Baldacci's book The Christmas Train, was published in time for the holidays along with Esther's Gift by Jan Karon. And now for those lovers of Stephanie
Plum and her wild and wacky family, Janet Evanovich has joined the ranks of holiday writers with her newest book, Visions of Sugar Plums. Now before I go any further into this review, I must admit I only read one Stephanie Plum book, One for the Money, and found it an OK read. For some reason, I never had the urge to continue with this series. Then recently I read Full House, Evanovihch's recently reissued romance novel and found it rather mediocre. Still, I didn't want to discount Evanovich for future reads and thought that many another go around would have me enjoying Ms. Plum a well liked character so I read Visions of Sugar Plums. And while I wish I could say this book was a worthwhile read or even an enjoyable holiday book it was sadly mediocre in comparison to other holiday books like Skipping Christmas by John Grisham, The Christmas Tree by Julie Salomon, Esther's Gift by Jan Karon or an old favorite A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg. While I found parts of the book laugh out loud funny and some of the characters endearing there just wasn't enough in this book for me to rate it higher or even consider rereading year after year the way I do with some holiday books. Bottom line is if you have enjoyed the character of Stephanie Plum in the past will have to patiently wait for Evanovich's next book featuring this character.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoy for what it is....
Review: I curled up in my local library yesterday afternoon to zip my way through this bit of Christmas spirit, Jersey style. Took me just over an hour...and left me smiling. This little book has 150 or so mighty small and wide-spaced pages, more longish story than full length piece of fiction, pure romp. But an excellent antidote to the Christmas blahs for anyone who loves the Stephanie Plum series.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I've read the rest of Janet Evanovich's books and thought they were great and really liked the character of Stephanie Plum. This last book was a big disappointment. The plot was boring and unbelievable and the book was extremely short. I wouldn't buy it again and I hope future books from Ms. Evanovich are better than this one or I won't be buying/reading any more of her work. Let's hope she hasn't "fizzled" out!
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