Rating: 
Summary: Pleasantly surprised - a fun escape
Review: I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this book and was sorry when it ended. It is not War and Peace but then it never claimed to be. It was a fun escape. It made me laugh. And what?s wrong with that? We can all use some of that now and again.Too bad some other reviewers only want Ms. Evanovich to write Stephanie Plum novels. I like the Plum series too. But this was different and still a fun read. I liked the pairing of the 2 authors. It felt like Ms. Hughes smoothed out some of Ms. Evanovich's writing flaws. I liked all the characters - especially Muffin.
Rating: 
Summary: Still a middle of the road series but with lots of potential
Review: 'Full Tilt' bears no resemblance to the Stephanie Plum series. The mystery involved is light compared to the Plum series, so understand that from the beginning. Maximillian 'Max' Holt, which we were first introduced to in 'Full House', has grown up in a big way. He is recently divorced from a Las Vegas stripper and wants to visit his sister Deedee. Max has made millions in the computer industry (think Bill Gates kind of wealthy) and has some smaller business interests. Being raised by his uncle Nick (from 'Full House'), he has a thing for small town newspapers (Nick was the owner of a local newspaper). He has become a silent partner in the Beaumont, SC local paper. We find out that Deedee has moved there with her husband, Frank Fontana. Frank is a former professional wrestler who is now running for mayor of Beaumont. Deedee is still the diva but she has a heart now that she has found true love. Upon his arrival, Max meets with Jamie Swift, who took over the paper since her father's death. Jamie and Max are like oil and water. Max is flippant where Jamie is serious. Jamie likes a routine and Max likes adventure. Jamie is set to marry one of the town's biggest catches. He is from 'old' money. Max is convinced that Jamie is making a mistake but doesn't think he can offer her what she wants. Yet, he is the one she turns to when her life is in danger. There is a murderer in the small town and the whole crazy cast of characters are involved. The interactions are good but not very intense. (Remember this story takes place in the south where everything develops slowly.) The best part of the story is Muffin. She is a computer program Max created (with a sexy Marilyn Monroe inspired voice) that is sort of like 'Kit' in Night Rider. The difference is that she can assimilate new information, which leads her take on human characteristics. I have to admit that I was a little unsure about the Muffin idea but by the end, she just became another character. The story was a set up for the next installment. The futuristic aspects lend this to be much more campy than I expected. However, the story was entertaining for what it was'a decent start to a potentially hot romantic romp. The next story should be interesting to see if we get closer to that level.
Rating: 
Summary: FULL TILT is FUN
Review: The second book in the FULL series is heads and shoulders above the first FULL HOUSE. Boy genious Max Holt is now grown and he is the protagonist, but his sister DeeDee (eeuuw!)Holt is going through menopause, which makes her retired wresteler husbands run for mayor even more precarious. The plot quickly thickens and seems to run in a million zany directions. The negative reviews seem to all be from people who expected a new Stephanie Plum series... This is NOT written in first person, and its more of an adventure/romance which is a different genre. The main thing they have in common is the great humor and quirky sidekicks. I think each book in the series is getting better and the most recent one is the best, but I would start with Full Tilt, for a fun light read.
Rating:
Summary: The original Evanovich
Review: I am REALLY looking forward to this book since I enjoyed the original Full House so much. For those of you looking for a light-hearted, even wacky, contemporary romance, check it out. Evanovich is always 5 stars for getting a laugh outta me! For those of you who know Evanovich only through Stephanie Plum, let me give you some history. Janet Evanovich began her career writing contemporaty romances for a line called Loveswept. She was known for her wacky heroines, unforgettable heroes and blunt, sometimes irrascible little ole ladies who almost stole the show. Since I generally prefer light, entertaining reading, I was hooked. I love an author who can make me laugh every time I re-read the book. Searching for more material from Evanovich, I was led to a line called Second Chance Romances and was told that Steffie Hall was her pseudonym. There I found Full House and two other in the same mein. I was thrilled, this was classic Evanovich! Then I realized it had been a year with nothing new in Loveswept from Evanovich. I only read two of their authors so it was easy to keep up with. Tami Hoag was the other and she had moved on to the mainstream big leagues. Then I found out...Evanovich was making the move as well! Yippee! Then I finally found One for the Money. I was a bit worried that in moving to the Mystery genre Evanovich might have lost her touch (Garwood certainly did), but I was pleased to discover that all the classic earmarks were present...and now a whole series for that cast of new great characters! Wow! So be fore-warned: this is not a Stephanie Plum novel, nor is it a "new" spin for Evanovich. Full House is "classic" Evanovich in the literal sense and since it has been so many years since that was first published, it only makes sense that the newer Full Tilt have a time gap...20 years sure seems alot, but what the heck...it's sure to be wacky and fun!
Rating: 
Summary: JE is one of my favorites...but...
Review: ...but this book didn't even sound like the same Janet Evanovich that I'm used to reading. I'm sorry, folks, I don't know what JE was thinking when she stuck on her name on this one. I've never heard of Hughes until I read "Full Tilt", so I don't want to judge this writer either. But this collaboration was almost to the point of utterly rediculous. I know JE is a better writer than this because I have nearly all of her books, some aren't as good as others, but none compare to this one as a stinker. It's almost to the point where if a famous author's name is on a book the reader is expected to buy no matter what is being offered. If JE keeps this up, she's going to lose a lot of her fans. I realize fiction is just that, but come on, cars with talking computers that actually THINK like a human. A fiance that is an attorney, but acts totally DUMB, and the treatment Jamie Swift gave her business partner, Max Holt, was totally unbelievable. I read this book from one end to the other because I kept hoping it would get better. Unfortunately, it didn't.
Rating:
Summary: What was she thinking?
Review: I was so mad after reading this stinker I mailed it back to the publisher. Evanovich must really like her "good friend" Charlotte Hughes if she lent her name to this thing, which can't possibly have much Evanovich writing in it. Insipid, plodding, a compendium of trite -- maybe it's supposed to be some kind of send-up?
Rating:
Summary: Funny and an enjoyable read
Review: I liked this book and the characters. I read Full House and enjoyed that also. I would of liked to not have them jump 20 years ahead, but it was a great easy read. I also like the Stephanie Plum series and just found these different. They are more like Charlotte Hughes than Janet Evanovich. They are a little less intense than Evanovich. I would highly recommend this for a sit by the pool and laugh kind of book.
Rating:
Summary: Adventuresome!
Review: No, this series is not like Stephanie Plum. This is not for Mystery fans, but more Romance fans. The Characters are well developed, but a bit far fetched, and the plots are a bit unbelievable. Even after all this I don't think it is a bad read. The story moves very quickly and is a page turner, it is not like you are getting bored throughout the book. I still am a fan and we will see as the series grows it may get better, there is a lot of room for that. Max and Dee Dee are back from Full House, twenty years later. Dee Dee's Husband, Frankie, is running for mayor and is looking for missing tax dollars. His brother-in-law, Max Holt, comes to town to help him out. Max is helping out one of his sister's friends, Jamie Swift, by investing in her news paper. There is an instant connection there! This was a fun, quick read, and full of adventure!
Rating:
Summary: Just say no...
Review: Although I am merely adding my voice to the chorus of naysayers, I feel compelled to put in my two cents worth about "Full Tilt" and JE's other collaboration with Charlotte Hughes, "Full House". I recently snapped up both of these stinkers at my local bookshop, thrilled at the discovery of another series by one my favourite mystery writers, Janet Evanovich. My disappointment at the end of "Full House" was nothing compared to my utter bewilderment upon completion of "Full Tilt". "Full Tilt" starts off bad and just gets worse. I'm not sure what possessed the two authors to take their creative cues from "Knight Rider" but the reader is similarly faced with the prospect of a temperamental, talking car from the very first page of the novel. It might have worked when I was ten, but it's vaguely insulting at the age of thirty. If possible, the character of Maxmillian (impossibly handsome, dashing, obscenely wealthy, genius level I.Q, blah, blah, blah) is even sillier than the talking car, and the supporting cast of ex-wrestlers, ex-beauty queens, repressed newspaper owners is just as ludicrous. Eccentricity has been piled on eccentricity in the hopes of producing cheap laughs, but where the characters in JE's Stephanie Plum novels have depth and personality, the Full Tilt bunch are caricatures and stereotypes. As a result, the relationship between Max and Jaimie was about as romantic as my annual pap smear. By the end of the novel, I had developed the sinking suspicion that the authors intend to inflict more of this series on us, but unless the next one's called "Full Stop" (or perhaps more accurately, "Stop, For the Love of God!") I plan to save my money. I am not sure why a writer as witty and engaging as Janet Evanovich has decided to take a walk down this particular literary path, but all I can say is that I hope it ends soon.
Rating:
Summary: This was bad, folks
Review: FULL TILT: wasn't worth the trees ruthlessly killed to make the millions of copies of this book. Heck, it wan't even worth it for just my copy. The plot was flimsy, In fact, I couldn't even tell you what it was about. I think it was supposed to be cute and zany, but it was really just confusing. The mistaken-identity-aka-"you lied to me, I'll never trust you again, kiss me you fool" card was used up in the first few pages. After that, I don't have a clue what happened. Something about small town politics, professional wrestlers running for office, and other such nonsense. The editing and sentance structure was downright bad, and the characters couldn't hold my attention for 10 minutes. I ended up skipping to the end. Maybe I'm just not in a contemporary romance mood, but I found FULL TILT to be boring and silly.
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