Rating: 
Summary: Ho-Hum
Review: I, like most of you, am a Stephanie Plum fan. I found "Hard Eight" hard to finish. This book did not have the humor, romance, and laughs as her previous titles. I am tired of the Ranger/Morelli ping-pong story and the "Yes, I am a bounty hunter, no, I didn't burn down the funeral home or kill anybody" line. This book did have a few "guffaws" but not like the hot dog poop in the purse, Grandma Mazur and the loaded gun, and the Big Blue Whale. Was Evanovich in a toot to get this one finished?
Rating: 
Summary: More Amusement from Plum
Review: As other reviewers have said, this is a typical Stephanie Plum novel, though her relationships are developing. Finally we see something deeper with Ranger and with Joe. It's a quick light read, that amuses. It left me wanting more!
Rating: 
Summary: Another winner for Janet Evanovich
Review: Starting with her first Stephanie Plum novel, Janet Evanovich had me wanting more. Keeping with that concept, "Hard Eight" picks up where "Seven Up" left off. The story seems so real, for I live in New Jersey and am familiar with the Trenton area.Anyone who likes a drama series with a hint of comedy and mystery on TV, will love this book. Only thing, if you are new to Evanovich, I suggest starting with the first book in the series and reading forward from there.
Rating:
Summary: A Good Effort, But Far From Great
Review: First, let me say I expected to LOVE this book. I accidentally stumbled upon Seven Up a few weeks ago in the grocery store, while looking for something to read to while away a summer afternoon. It was so awesome I read the whole thing in less than a day and went out and bought all seven other books in the series. Loved all of them but Hard Eight. It was decent, but didn't hold a candle to the other books. The attorney wasn't as funny or personable as Grandma and Lulu and, frankly, I hope he does marry Valerie and they move to Alaska and out of the series. Also, like many of the other women readers of Evanovich's series, I'd been waiting for Steph and Ranger to get together. I don't need graphic sexual details, but the sex scene should at least be more than the basic "yeah, they did it at her apartment." I mean, the least he could have done was take her to the bat cave with a blindfold, or Rio, or ANYWHERE but Stephanie's apartment. Grandma Mazur did better with Eddie DeChooch and he couldn't get it up! Knowing what I know, I don't regret buying the book, but it makes me less inclined to plunk down enough of my hard earned cash to buy Nine in hardback form. I'm hoping things will get a little more exciting in the Burg in the upcoming books of this series.
Rating:
Summary: Hate to say it, but I was very disappointed in this book!
Review: I am a HUGE fan of the Stephanie Plum series and I am always anxious for a new book. However, this one was a disappointment to me for several reasons: 1) While I liked the storyline, I found the writing very repetitive and annoying. I don't like the new character, Kloughn, very much. While he is "sweet", he is ANNOYING!
I would have much preferred more Grandma Mazur and Lula escapades, which have always been much funnier. Also, I would have like more FTA's. She focused way too much on Bender. 2) I found the humor was not was it usually is. Usually I laugh out loud at least a few times, this time the humor in the book seemed forced. 3) Stephanie finally has an encounter with Ranger the Hotty and it wasn't anything like I expected it would be! More details or at least HOT EMOTIONS, please! 4) Disappointing that Morelli wasn't in the story much. He usually makes my heart beat faster too! :) 5) Stephanie is even more incompetent than usual, which was getting old. While I found the book enjoyable, it was mediocre at best. I hope for a better one next time!
Rating:
Summary: Is It Just Me, Or Is Stephanie's Ineptitude Growing Old?
Review: Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy this series. I'm just finding the predictability of Stephanie's misadventures to be a little tiresome. You KNOW there will be an exploding car or two. You KNOW that Stephanie will shoot herself in the foot, or lose another dozen pair of handcuffs, or destroy any number of favorite articles of clothing, or be scared out of her wits by some really evil wrongdoer and have to move in with either Morelli or her parents. And the list goes on and on. I wanted to love this book. I wanted to love the last 2-3 entries in the series. They mostly just left me wanting more, and wondering why I'm still reading them. Maybe Janet could take a break from Stephanie Plum and write a book or two about Ranger's exploits in the meantime? Ranger is a fascinating character. Who wouldn't want to know more about the infamous man of mystery? All in all, if you've followed the series, the book is probably worth reading. Just be aware that you've heard most of it before.
Rating: 
Summary: Hard is right...hard to finish.
Review: Okay, so maybe it's not fair for me to judge this book, seeing as how I'm only on page 60-something -- but I'm a huge Stephanie Plum fan, and already "Hard Eight" is a major disappointment. I can hardly believe this latest adventure is written by the same Janet Evanovich whose previous books were so hilarious, irreverent, raunchy, and just plain laugh-out-loud wonderful. This honestly reads like some college student in a mystery writing class who's decided, "Oh, I can do that" -- and can't. The humor (such as it is) is terribly labored (the running gags have officially run out of steam) and the prose is endlessly repetitive, clunky and -- what's most shocking for an Evanovich book -- boooring. If I finish "Hard Eight" it will be in the spirit in which Ms. Evanovich seems to have written it: as a not particularly pleasant chore because she had nothing better to do -- or a publisher's deadline. Only for the most undiscriminating reader.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad at all!
Review: I listened to the cassette version of Hard Eight while driving on my vacation. This is my first Stephanie Plum mystery and I don't often listen to books on cassette; however, my son and I both enjoyed this humorous whodunit. Stephanie tackles a case of a missing child and her mother. Things quickly become exciting when Stephen Soder, the father and ex-husband of the missing duo, is found dead -- on Stephanie's sofa! Exploding cars, hysterical run ins with an unsavory guy with credit card problems, and a memorable cast of characters (including a reformed prostitute and a dweeb lawyer) make this book a winner.
Rating:
Summary: hard eight
Review: This book was long awaited, and bet your dollars I was the first in line to get it. The only disapointment that I have is that now I have such a long wait until number nine. Although I was waiting for grandma to do something crazy she seems to have calmed down Im guessing for a great big blow out. Cant wait until the next. I wish I could find some of Janets older romance novels she wrote in the early days. I hear they are just as good.
Rating:
Summary: Where's the...plot?
Review: I wanted to like this latest Stephanie Plum adventure, but I couldn't. Lots of things happen, but they don't seem to happen for a reason, and in this outing, unlike previous books, Stephanie never figures ANYTHING out herself. Stuff happens to her, but it seems to come out of the blue, and has nothing to do with the plot that just isn't there. Even the funniest moment in the book, when her mother runs over the "rabbit", has little to do with Stephanie and more to do with trying to manufacture some excitement/suspense. As others have noted, the same old car-blowing-up, losing-keys/handcuffs/purse, Grandma Mazur antics, are losing steam, and don't hold up without a plot to carry them. Stephanie didn't accomplish a thing this time: she didn't find Evelyn, but Ranger told her where Evelyn was, Ranger also told her what Abruzzi was after, her mom saved her from the rabbit, and her sister saved her from torture. Even in One for the Money, Stephanie, as a complete novice, figured out most of what was going on and managed to bring Morelli in. Now, with lots of cases under her belt, she should be doing better than this. I was left with a hollow feeling, kind of like when your jelly donut doesn't have any jelly in it. I'll probably buy number nine, but maybe in paperback.
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