Rating: 
Summary: Less than a good romance read!!
Review: I know that many romance readers today cannot wait for the next Janet Evanovich book featuring Stephanie Plum and other characters to be published. But what some of these readers may not realize is that Janet Evanovich began her writing career as an author of romance novels. Now almost 13 years late, Ms. Evanovich, along with another author has reworked one of her earlier books, which she originally wrote under the name Steffi Hall. And after reading this book, I'm left with the burning question why did she bother doing this. From a financial point of view, I guess there were reasons for her doing this. But in my opinion she might have been better off writing another Stephanie Plum novel. As a reader, who at one time couldn't gulp down enough romance titles, I thought Full House was less than an engaging read let alone as a romance novel. I do understand that some romances are light hearted and funny but instead this book at times was downright silly. Of course there was the requisite romance theme of boy meets girl and the happily ever after ending but there seemed little if any reason for these two to fall in love. Then there were also a couple of very quirky characters who included a wrestler, ditsy blond and even Billie's ex- husband which should have spiced up this book but didn't. And finally there was a bit about owning a horse farm and a small mystery. But in the end the book never really seemed more than just words on paper and it just didn't matter. I think what was really lacking for any novel was any real interest in the characters their circumstances or their outcome. I even found that I forced myself to finish this title. From the forward of this book readers learn that Evanovich plans on doing this again in the future. In my opinion, she should consider writing new books and leaving her past books where they most likely belong, in the past.
Rating:
Summary: Janet Evanovich remains a gifted writer
Review: This book would have been pretty ok if an unnecessary and ridiculous action sequence wouldn't have been forced in at the end. I didn't find very much humor in this book which was fine because I really enjoyed the characters, felt like they were given much more depth than the characters in the Stephanie Plum novels, and actually missed them when I was finished with the book. I don't really read romances, because I get so tired of innocent conversations between the characters resulting in internal suspicion, doubt, and questions, but if the book would have stuck with romance I probably would have gone with a 7/10 rating. Maybe if the bad guy would have been developed better he would have worked. He was just too inconsistent. There was new material and new characters added to the original 1980's version of this book? I never read the original, but I believe I know what character and scene was added and unfortunately it didn't get worked into the story well and didn't belong. However, Janet Evanovich remains a gifted writer. 4/10
Rating: 
Summary: --This is a boring dud!--
Review: FULL HOUSE does not deserve the time it takes to read it. It's not worth the money and I feel annoyed that I even paid for it. The story is stupid and has nothing amusing about it or the characters. I purchased it on a whim because while I was in the store someone mentioned to me that the book took place in my area of Virginia. That was a big mistake! Where it took place didn't really make much difference to the sorry plot. Janet Evanovich is trading on her success with the Stephanie Plum books, and this story has nothing redeeming about it. This is the first time in years that I've purchased something without looking it up and reading the Amazon customer reviews. I apologize to my fellow reviewers.
Rating: 
Summary: Pleasant first effort
Review: This is a light and endearing early work by the author of the outrageously funny Stephanie Plum series. It's a bit unfair to compare this book with the Plums. (It's unfair to compare most anything with the Plums.) "Full House" is romantic, sweet natured, and doesn't have what so many romance writers feel is the necessary plot device of having the main characters hate or mistrust each other halfway through the book. No angst. How can you dislike a book that is well written and has a housewife as the romantic lead character? Go Billie! Snag that gorgeous guy with homemade chocolate chip cookie fumes. Who says that being a normal, well-adjusted family isn't a guy magnet? Evanovich teases the reader with the kind of off-the-wall characters she'll use so well in the Plum series. Nick's nephew Max, the teenage bomb-mixing genius, and his gorgeous older sister DeeDee, engaged to a wrester, are just the sorts of characters you expect to explore in an Evanovich book. She does the characters better now, but these are a great offbeat touch to balance Billie's middle-class life. The way Billie and Nick adjust to each other's families is what makes the book fun to read. So read it!
Rating:
Summary: Sugar but no Plum
Review: Apparently Janet Evanovich wrote romances in an earlier incarnation and this is one of them. Macho men aren't supposed to read romances but there's only one new Stephanie Plum a year and my addiction is such that I had to scrape the barrel.
As regrards plot it has the one size fits all plot derived from "Pride and Prejudice". Elizabeth Bennett is played by Billy Pearce, a divorced 38 year old mother of two. Darcy is played by Nicholas Kaharchek,a millionaire newspaper owner and polo horse trainer There are some misunderstandings between them but then in the end you'll never guess what happens.
Are there any traces of the brilliance of the One, Two, Three ...Nine series? Occasionally - there's a good scene of buying a wedding dress with a salesperson whose previous job was IRS auditor. The writing is full of cliches. On one page we have"expert hands" "Thoughts into a tailspin""utterly confused""fresh-scrubbed look""simple nature""put on airs" and a man wonders "What was the power she had over him that made him desire her." I've read that romance writers deliberately stick to stereotyped plots and use cliches so maybe it's not all JE's fault. A lot of people like romances and many art forms use conventional formulas. (And Pride and Prejudice is a great novel.}
It's interesting from the point of view of Evanovichian scholarship and I'd love to know what the input of Charlotte Hughes was and to lay my hands on an unaltered early work.
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the worst book I ever read
Review: I am still amazed I finished this book - just a sickness I guess - I never allow myself to NOT finish a book. What is even more amazing is that this piece of garbage ever got published. It is absolutely HORRIBLE - stupid drivel. STAY AWAY.
Rating:
Summary: This book is such a wallbanger...
Review: I find Billie Pearce to be annoying beyond belief. Endless thoughts that go over the same ground, over and over and over... when at one point she said something like "I'm such a moron," I thought wow, at last some real self-awareness. She decides she loves Nick based on very little - particularly after she realizes that, while pain medication was affecting her resistance, he took advantage of her to foist off his annoying airhead cousin DeeDee on her, when he could just as easily have parked DeeDee in a hotel - and probably one that has French Provincial furniture, to boot - Loudon County is actually relatively close to DC, and it's not like DeeDee was doing anything in particular in Loudon County while she waited for her wedding day to roll around. There were logic leaps and holes, unbelieveable characters, idiot behavior (Billie deciding to jump out of a cake at a bachelor party because all men are pigs, and if her fiance is going to root with the pigs, then she's going to make sure that she's the truffle), quirky characters who are more like fingernails on a blackboard than endearingly cute... et cetera et cetera... Billie is priggish, selfish, self-absorbed, and completely spineless. She lets herself get backed into marrying Nick because she's trying to keep DeeDee from fixing her up - she's only known DeeDee a day or two, but she apparently can't tell her no. When DeeDee tells Raoul rather pointedly that he's not invited to the double wedding (it's family and politicians only, DeeDee says), even though Billie counts Raoul as a friend she just shrugs and says, basically, sorry you can't come. She says she trusts Nick, but then her actions and endless ruminations show that she doesn't trust him at all. Why they love each other is beyond me - Billie's rather like one of my sisters - the one my other sisters and I enjoy talking about when we get together because of all the annoying and stupid things she does. I don't remember Full Tilt being nearly this irritating, and I enjoy most of the Stephanie Plum novels (there was some serious sagging in the middle of the series), but this book just goes to show how a writer can learn and improve. This novel should give hope to anyone that, with a little bit of luck, they, too, could be published.
Rating:
Summary: Early Evanovich with Great Characters
Review: If you're expecting something along the lines of the Stephanie Plum mysteries, this book is not for you. Full House must be viewed on its own. It's not as action-packed as Evanovich's more recent best sellers, although there's some action and a car does in fact get blown to bits. Full House, originally published in 1989 under the pen name Steffie Hall, is obviously the same author we love so much, but in her earlier days. Nick Kaharchek has a playboy reputation, owns a newspaper and a stable, teaching polo as a hobby. He typically enjoys the company of elegant, sophisticated, well-breed women. That is, until he meets Billie Pearce, divorced mother of two, 6th grade teacher, who comes for polo lessons as part of her recent get-into-shape program. Although the attraction is unlikely for them both, it is most definitely mutual. Following this romance is dangerously fun. Full House is witty, with plenty of steamy romance. Although it's a simply story without much depth, it's Janet Evanovich's characters that keep you interested. The characters are extremely vivid, likeable and very memorable. For example, Nick's cousin Deedee, a rich, spoiled, ex-beauty queen, sweet but dim-witted. Nick cons Billie into letting Deedee stay with her for a couple weeks until her wedding to professional wrestler Frankie The Assassin. Also beware of Deedee's 16-year-old brother, Max, a young genius, animal rights activist, who likes to blow things up to get attention. There's also Nick's ex-fiance Sheridan to contend with. And Raoul, the bug-guy who tries to please everyone in the neighborhood, but isn't too good at his job. There's bugs everywhere. Keep yourself from comparing this to Evanovich's latest mysteries and you should enjoy it like I did.
Rating:
Summary: Still very funny.
Review: I read a couple of Stephanie Plum novels. Unlike many of the reviews, I actually find this new series quite good. Of course you know need to treat this as a classic literature, if all you need is a light and funny book, say for a long plane trip, this is the book.
I thought this will be just a romance story. Not only it has the same comical characters (like in the Plum novels), it has more romance but also with some elements of suspense. These will keep you finish the whole book quickly. Give it a try.
Rating: 
Summary: A playboy and a...soccer mom?
Review: Seems like an odd pairing, but Evanovich and Hughes make it work. And if you think the idea of Nick and Billie is odd, wait until you meet the secondary cast. A ditzy fashion diva with a heart of gold, her eccentric brother who likes to blow things up, throw in some wrestlers and a small mystery and you have a page-turning read that is sure to delight!
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