Visions of Sugar Plums

Rating:
Summary: Genius
Review: I loved this book. It opened up a new world of thought for me and my family. People at work passed this book to me and I haven't been able to put it down since. I absolutely loved it! Recently I have also stumbled upon another great read, it is called Dreams: Gateway to the True Self. The author is new and imaginative, wonderful, and exuberant. I simply adore his new book.

Rating:
Summary: wonderful christmas story
Review: This is yet another wonderful addition to the stephanie plum series. this story takes place during the four days before christmas, stephanie has no tree, no presents and no christmas spirit. Then diesel shows up, the superhero with the special ability to open locks, and drive cool cars. He assists Stephanie on the hunt for Sandy Claus, who is an old toy maker that skipped his court date and also has special powers. The book takes on a bit of an x-men type feel, but it is short and sweet. Morelli shows up every once in a while, Lula goes christmas shopping, and Randy the little person plays an elf. Its fun, lighthearted and will put you into the christmas spirit, or at least make you start christmas shopping now. :)

Rating:
Summary: "One odd Christmas from the 'Sugar Plum Princess !'
Review: First let me say I am a huge fan of this author, but, I found this book to be a bit much even for 'Stef Plum' to deal with, my goodness, Stef is only one person (spank me very much!). I thought the story was too busy and I had trouble trying to keep up with everything that was going on and (only) four days before the big one. JE is certainly capable of a better holiday story than this write...that being said, "Visions Of Sugars Plums," will still attract a lot of readers simply because Ms. Evanovich happens to be one of the top draws in the literary circle of friends.

Rating:
Summary: Stephanie meets the x-men, and then they go away. The end.
Review: My gripe with this book is not entirely with the story - I'm a huge Stephanie Plum fan - or with the writing, really. It that, if an author and her publisher are going to put out what amounts to a long-ish short story and price it like a full hardcover novel, it had better be the best darn work the writer has ever done. Alas, it's not. This novella is fun and quick (I finished it in just over an hour), and is quite funny throughout. I'm actually starting to like Valerie, and the story does provide some much-needed character development for Stephanie's mom. I also liked the glimpse of what Stephanie's life looks like when she's not really embroiled in a case. But the plot (such as it is) is too contrived even for a Plum novel, and is wrapped up off-screen (so to speak), with no involvment by Stephanie and no explanation afterwards. Stephanie is on the trail of a strange FTA when Diesel, an even stranger man, shows up at her place. Turns out the FTA, Sandy Claws, has some kind of super powers, and another, evil, guy with super powers is after him. Diesel has been sent to protect Sandy Claws. There's no explanation of what, exactly, is so bad about the evil guy, why he's after Claws, who Diesel represents, what Claws' powers are, and why anybody should care. Would it have killed the people responsible for this story to add 10 more pages in there, just to provide some framework for the plot? I've been collecting the Plum books in hardback, but I don't think I'll be including future holiday novellas in that collection. I just can't justify spending [$$] on an hour's worth of fluff.

Rating:
Summary: Not Quite Full Circle
Review: As an avid Evanovich reader (I've read all the Plums
at least once), I have very high expectations for her
books. Visions of Sugarplums had the great laughs I've
come to look forward to, but the story line was quite a
bit weaker than in any of the other Plums. I did not feel
that the story ever came full circle. There seemed to be
something missing. This is a great read to get you in the
holiday spirit and it packs a lot of laughs for such a short
book, but it was only good enough to tide me over until
her next book comes out next summer. I think it could have
been a much stronger book if the story line had been a little
better--I like the elements of magic in the story--its just
too abrupt. Definitely worth reading, but not quite enough for
satisfying my craving.

Rating:
Summary: Funny, but overpriced
Review: Stephanie's having a hard time working up some holiday spirit, and it doesn't help when a stranger mysteriously appears in her apartment and her unmarried sister discovers she's pregnant. Add in the continuing adventures of Grandma Mazur, a paint thief who's skipped bail, and a few rampaging elves and she's ready to run. It's a great Christmas romp, Plum style.
If you're not a fan, you'll want to start with one of the other books, since a lot of characters appear in this book with very little introduction, and you might be a bit confused about who exactly these dysfunctional people are.
My only real complaint is that at 14$, it's a bit pricy for what you get.

Rating:
Summary: It's a cute long short story
Review: Get ready to suspend belief and enter the crazed world of Stephanie Plum and family. This time beings of another 'type' join the world of the Burg along with a pregnant sister Valerie, the nervous father-to-be, Grandma's new studmuffin, and the rest of the usual cast. There's not much of a story and this book requires a lot of suspension of reality, but if you are a Plum fan, don't miss it. The mystery definitely takes a back seat to the humor and a sense of holiday mischief.

Rating:
Summary: Highly disappointing
Review: As an avid Stephanie Plum fan since the publication of book one I was eagerly awaiting the publication of this book. I snatched it off the shelf the day it came out and read it that night. Highly disappointed is an understatement. This book fell far below the standards that one has come to expect of Stephanie Plum. The premise for the book was stupid and all the supernatural balony left one feeling cheated and used by the author. It did not belong in a Plum novel. This is an example of the author trading on the good name of her favorite heroine in order to make sales.

Rating:
Summary: Visions of Sugarplums
Review: Cute Christmastime story. Not as good as her previous Stephanie Plum stories. I really missed Ranger in this book and there was not enough of Joe Morelli/Ranger storyline.

Rating:
Summary: Seasonal Plum
Review: People always give too much of the story away to prospective book buyers in these reviews, so I'll just say that I enjoyed this short -Christmas- Stephanie Plum book. Very different from the others in this series. I look forward to seeing the characters continue and develope as they were, after Christmas in the Burg.