One For The Money by Janet Evanovich

Goodreads Summary: Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store). Stephanie needs cash–fast–but times are tough, and soon she’s forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family.

Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie’s bail bonding company. She’s got no experience. But that doesn’t matter. Neither does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants to the time Steph hit him with her father’s Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. And now the hot guy is in hot water–wanted for murder.

Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn’t. Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she’ll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight–and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man.

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My Views: Hmm, well, first off thanks to Kimberly @Turning the Pages, whose constant reviews of this series finally made me pick up this book.

And thank you to Melissa, with whom I paired up for a buddy read at a Goodreads Group.

Alright, I started off liking Stephanie despite her histrionics and all the stupid things she does and I hated Joe Morelli, who wouldn’t? So I totally didn’t get Stephanie when she couldn’t hit him nicely but well..

And whom did I love the most? Grandma, of course. Gosh, I love that lady. She got the most laughs from me. Hilarious!

The book is nicely paced, the characters well-written, the plot/mystery is good, what more do you want? Oh, yes, of course, the humor is right there.

And I ended up liking Morelli. 🙂 So well, there, I said it.

I’m not sure why I didn’t love this book (5 stars). Well, this happens when you write a review ages after you read it. I think it was the pace. I miss some action, perhaps should pick up a mystery/thriller next.

P.S. I watched the movie after reading the book and I was hugely disappointed. It doesn’t even reach half the brilliance of the book. 😦

So, am I going to read the series? You bet. But not right away, some time soon.

3.5 stars – Somewhere between ‘I liked it’ and ‘I really liked it’.