Rating: 
Summary: Eight not hard enough
Review: I think one of the most terrible thing we as consumers can do to authors is put the pressure on them to crank out series out as quickly as possible. The eight Stephanie Plum book disappoints on so many levels it hurts - the anticipation of the Ranger-Stephanie going to bed to pay off the debt from the 7th book was a bummer - didn't happen then, but when it did in this book, it wasn't even sensual. We all enjoy a trip to Stivic's Funeral Home with Grandma Mazur, and all we got was a small review of Grandma looking under some poor guys' eyes to see what a nice job Stivic did on him. Stephanie's mother had decided to go to nursing school - no word on her finally getting on her feet. The estrangement with Morelli and Stephanie has no where else to go.
I agree with a lot of folks that it is time to get Janet to write am outline with feedback from her fans and time to make changes and get the zip back - don't get me wrong - a lesser Stephanie Plum book is better than other's better efforts in a heartbeat - but we have seen better, funnier and sexier and really miss that! Maybe Janet can call Patricia Cornwell and talk to her about Kay Scarpetta...
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyed it tremendously... up to the last 1/4.
Review: Such fun to begin a new Stephanie Plum book, especially when I discover that it's not like #7, which was a mere rewrite of its two preceding volumes. The pace is brisk, the humor is terrific (even though the handcuff gag needed to be cut by two times; humor and threes may be a cliche, but it's a true cliche), and though there was yet another person introduced who wanted to be a bounty hunter, there was only one, and most of the others have moved on (thankfully) to other vocations. The over-the-top characters were kept on firm reins, and I'll be forever grateful for that. Love the characters, but I don't love them running pell-mell over everything!The plots kept me absolutely engrossed until almost the end. Then all three plots ended badly. The romance plot that has been building for eight books -- EIGHT BOOKS -- poof! gone in a couple of paragraphs!!! We readers deserved at the very least a page more, Janet. Argh, and not in a funny way. The subplot of the guy with the handcuffs: what? This is how it ends? Without tying into the main plot, without his wife killing him, without Stephanie triumphant? And the main plot: WHAT???? This is how it ends? No. Absolutely unacceptable. Stephanie has been in this dangerous business for what, three years her time? And now she's in a book that has multiple plots that she isn't able to solve any of? The magic of Ms. Plum is that she's a bumbler, yes, but she'll bumble her way to solving things and bringing the bad guys to justice. In this book she has to rely constantly on men to replenish her equipment supplies and to bring the crooks to justice. This is not what I buy a Stephanie Plum book for. Janet, you MUST make Stephanie more adept at her job in at least some small way, or she starts to teeter to the Too Stupid To Live borderline. You MUST have her solve her own problems, even if she bungles her way to do so. I look forward to seeing her a non-Loser in her next book!
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing
Review: I started the series with Seven Up, loved it, then read the rest. Hard Eight was disappointing. It seems rushed, unfinished. It lacks the usual joi de vivre of the previous books. The Ranger affair was badly handled. None of the characters seemed like themselves and the situations often seemed forced. I think a bit more editing and it could have been so good (if the Ranger thing was fixed too!) I hope Nine is a return to form.
Rating: 
Summary: Grrrrrrrrrrr"8" !!
Review: Writing a book series must be terribly difficult, especially after the first few. Expectations can be unrealistically high. So I almost didn't want to begin this book and be disappointed. However, without a doubt, "Hard Eight" is Evanovich's best in the Stephanie Plum series. This character-driven book had me laughing out loud (Lula, Grandma Mazur, Bender et al) and hyperventilating (those delicious Ranger passages). And I will not spoil the will-she-or-won't-she teaser. You'll have to read it yourself to find out:)
Rating:
Summary: better then the first seven
Review: I really enjoyed this book. Stephanie has some really bad days.
She keeps you entertained from the beginning to the end. I laughed out loud at some of the stuff the poor girl gets into. I was glad to see that Lula was back. Janet adds a couple of new characters. I really enjoyed Albert Kloughn. I can't wait for number nine. Janet just keeps getting better and better
Rating: 
Summary: Grow up Stephanie!!
Review: Although I did enjoy this book, and it was a quick read, I am also getting tired of Stephanie's incompetence. If the author is going to pit her against this caliber of bad guy, she is going to have to smarten up. Also, it is getting boring to see how she always has to have either Morelli or Ranger come rescue her when the going gets tough. I think the series would greatly benefit if the author could have Stephanie grow up a bit while keeping the humour and the great supporting characters.
Rating:
Summary: Another good tale, with lots of Lula!
Review: I enjoyed the 8th book in Evanovich's series; thought that the darkening of the plot and the very real threat posed by mobster Abruzzi turned the series in a direction I'd wanted to see. As usual, in my crowd, when I'm the first to finish a new Evanovich, everyone else wants to know - "Who was the sex with?"....and I'm not telling, although it was not as well interwoven with the novel as in the past. I see other reviewers were not that shy, and did divulge! Stephanie and her sister have a new hanger-on, Albert Kloughn (pronounced "clown", naturally), and he supplied some funny moments. I was a little tired of the "no bullets in the gun" element of the plot, and I think Evanovich should realize that this probably wouldn't happen at this stage of Steph's career as a bounty hunter. Good use of Vinnie, Connie & the inevitable Lula in this story - even showing that Lula can experience fear. A nice follow up, maybe not as good as some of the earlier work, but definitely hard to put down!
Rating: 
Summary: this is a romance?
Review: this book [is bad]. it is supposed to be a romantic supense novel. where is the romance in having sex with someone other than the love interest? i was totally disappointed in stephanie's behavior with ranger. i always thought ms. evanovich was an excellent romance writer, but she has totally missed the mark in this book. the mystery portion was okay. the laughs were okay. as a book about a woman who sleeps around it is okay. as a romantic supense novel 2 thumbs down.
Rating:
Summary: Stephanie Plum is a real treat.
Review: I broke down and bought this book in hardback and was not sorry for paying extra. This book was a little more serious than Seven-Up, but it was well placed when the situations became funny. As alway old and new characters played well with the new characters. Her love life has also become more complicated because I think that Stephanie is very enamored of Ranger but also still has feelings for Joe Morelli. Stephanie whatever guy you decide to be with I would love to be with the other. Keep on writing Janet you have a brand new fan to read your books.
Rating:
Summary: Keeps getting better
Review: They just keep getting better. I LOVED this one. The plot was a little darker, the relationships more entangled (Ranger/Morelli) and Grandma Mazur's kickin'! This one had me laughing out loud....even sister Valerie came around! I kept thinking "if that was me in that situation, that's exactly what I would be thinking/doing...." Hurrah for Stephanie! Lets have another one SOON!
| 
