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Notorious Nineteen by Janet Evanovich Review

Notorious Nineteen is the 19th novel  in the Stephanie Plum series by Evanovich and the 23rd book overall in the series. I was first introduced to the thought of reading Stephanie Plum when my Nook suggested it. And then the trailer for One for the Money starring Katherine Heigl hit my airwaves. I love me a good Katherine Heigl movie, so I decided to buckle down and read the first book. I read it in one sitting, before I knew it was 11 at night and I had 30 pages left in the book. Weird right? I'm almost never that fully engrossed in a book, but Evanovich had me hooked.

The main character of the series is Stephanie Plum, a 30 something year old former lingerie buyer, turned bounty hunter. She's also a walking disaster. If its bad and it can happen its probably either already happened to Stephanie or it will happen to her. Especially cars blowing up, I don't know who's insuring this girl, but I'm pretty sure that even Flo at Progressive would show this chick the door. So she works for her sleazeball cousin, has a hamster named Rex, a former ho' for a best friend and two utterly irresistible guys banging down her door. (Seriously I would never be able to chose between Ranger and Morelli).

Plum has had everything happen to her. She's been kidnapped, held hostage, married, stuffed in a trunk, had a tank crush her car, tazed, and shot in the butt. I'd say she's bulletproof, but the last part of the previous statement kind of nullifies that theory. The reason I love her so much is not only is she ageless and has two hot boyfriends, but she's also normal. She loves donuts, her mother drives her nuts about not being married, and she's just trying to make the best of her life.

In this installment in the series, Stephanie is searching for an embezzling con man who stole from a Trenton assisted living facility. We also see her moonlighting for Ranger and Rangeman Security. This time she is playing maid of honor to a girl whose future husband served with Ranger in the military. You've got the usual cast of characters in this one. Crazy Grandma Mazur, Lula and her ridiculous outfits, Morelli, Ranger, and an appearance from little person and former temporary roommate Randy Briggs.

As Stephanie chases the skip who escaped from a hospital without a trace and tries not to get herself killed from the crazy man hunting Ranger and his ex-Army buddy, the usual hi-jinx ensues. Her car gets blown up within the first chapter, she lusts after Ranger while trying to be committed to Morelli, Grandma Mazur is crazy as always, and her hamster Rex sleeps through and is unfazed by both explosions that take place in her apartment.

Her snooping and trying to make a buck gets a madman blown up in her apartment, Morelli and Briggs stuffed in a walk in freezer, and a Hawaiian Tiki just trying to get home. When her skip turns up dead Stephanie hires Simon Diggery (a former skip we were introduced to previously) and he digs up Cubbin, straps him to Stephanie's car and she turns him in for a body receipt at Trenton PD headquarters.

I want to start off by saying I'm a huge fan of this series. I live for when the next book comes out and for about a month straight this year all I did was read Stephanie Plum. That being said, this was not under any way shape or form my favorite in the series. I wasn't a fan of this book. Usually I fly through these books in about 4 sittings, but this one took me about 4 days to read. The story was a little confusing, the moonlighting side story with Ranger wasn't my favorite, she's had better side stories.

I can't put my finger on what I didn't love about this book, because I was so utterly excited to read it, that I think I'm overlooking my distaste for it. And I hate to even say it because I love Evanovich and her style of writing. Like I said I'm a huge fan of this series, just not this installment. I give it 3 stars just because I love reading about her life so much, and quotes from Lula. Sorry Cupcake love you and I love your boyfriends, but I feel you can do better. 

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