REVIEW: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Title: One For the Money
Author: Janet Evanovich
Year of Publication: 1994
Genre: Mystery
Format: Audiobook
Length: 3 hours
First Line: “There are some men who enter a woman’s life and screw it up forever.”

Summary: Janet Evanovich made her spectacular debut with this witty and critically acclaimed crime novel. Meet Stephanie Plum of Trenton, New Jersey. She’s a rookie bail bondswoman who has the awkward habit of leaping first and looking later when she’s out snagging bail jumpers. It’s not a job for the faint at heart, but it’s tailor-made for Plum. In “One for the Money,” rookie Stephanie Plum may be a bit wet behind the ears, but nobody’s going to take it easy on her; especially her first skip, an ex-cop and murder suspect named Morelli.

Review: I read this one because my mother (and maybe my brother but I’m not sure) are fans of this series. I’ve seen them reading it for decades (I feel like I am somehow dating myself there). So I finally borrowed it from my mom and gave it a try.

I really didn’t like it.

This novel was just such a complete waste of my time. The only good part about it was that it was a light, short, fast-paced read.

I felt like I was reading an episode of The Jersey Shore if it had been set in the early 90s and the Snooki (she’s the only girl from the show I know) was a bounty hunter. Lots of New Jersey Italian lifestyle in this book. Not that there is anything wrong about that. It’s just so cheesy and I dunno, lame and fake. Everyone was described as being a ‘sleazy’ or ‘slum bag’.

The main character, Stephanie, worried over her appearance (oh God spandex shorts), money troubles (when she gets money from a bounty she spends it quickly), and going over to her parents house for dinner because they wanted to set her up with a nice man (which made her come off as some sort of lesbian because she kept going on about how she ‘hated’ men and didn’t ‘like’ men). She became a bounty hunter after losing her steady job (her employee had mob-like ties and was caught — really?) and her cousin had a job opening at his establishment and she only got the job because she bribed him with the knowledge that she knew that he liked to woohoo animals like ducks (really?). See right there, who does that? Who, out of the blue, with no prior needs, wants or experience, decides to become a bounty hunter? Stephanie was like ‘oh this job won’t be so hard’. How dim was she? For the majority of the novel she did not even fire her gun because she did not know or care how to use it. When any sort of minor trouble arose she called on her mentor to come and get her out of the situation. The character of Stephanie Plum rivaled the character of Bella Swan on ‘who sucks more’ as a leading heroine.

The ‘evil’ guy of the novel, Benito Ramirez, was lame. Partly due to Evanovich’s writing (see below). He liked to abuse women (mostly hookers and thin girls), left phone messages, jerked off on your front door (yes, yes that happened) and said the word ‘bitch’ at the end of all his sentences. He wasn’t all the intimidating.

Evanovich’s writing was awful. All the characters sounded the same. I honestly couldn’t tell any of the men apart (really if you had Ramirez and Plum’s on again off again boyfriend Morielli in the same scene, I’d be like astonished and confused because I would just then be realizing they were two characters). The plot was bad too. I think Evanovich was more driven for people to be shocked by ‘oh look what silly Plum did now’ or ‘look what crazy Ramirez did now’ to really bother with anything else.

Worst part: One of my top beefs has to be that Stephanie Plum is on the same level of heroism as Bella Swan of Twilight.

Best part: Fast-paced, light read.

Grade: F

Recommend For: Obviously people do enjoy this novels and the loads of sequels that follow it. There is even a movie based on this novel. Perhaps if you are in the mood for a quirky, Jersey Shore, light, read give it a try. Otherwise, maybe skip it.

Other Books by This Author: Two for the Dough and Three to Get Deadly

Release Day Blitz – Timing is Everything Series by Erika Ashby

Moving Forward (Timing is Everything 1)

Synopsis

Jesika Reynolds’ heart was left broken one year ago when her husband died, leaving her and her son alone in this world. Slowly, she started putting the pieces back together of her life. Knowing that she may never open herself up to love again. That was until the day Derek came into the picture.

Why does this gorgeous stranger seem to care so much, so suddenly?

Derek Jordan’s charm drew her in with an instant connection, and familiarity that helps her feel at ease. Her heart is falling at his feet, but as their relationship grows, so does a secret from both of their pasts that neither saw coming. One by one, the threads slowly start to unravel.

Can their newly sought love stand up against the secrets that life is unlocking to their pasts? Or can they decide together that moving forward and forgetting the past is the only option for them to find true happiness?

**Intended for Mature Audiences**

No Going Back (Timing is Everything #2)

Synopsis

Life isn’t always about fairytales and happily ever-after’s according to Seth Jordan. After having his world shattered and heartbroken beyond repair, he had always sworn off the idea of love. He was perfectly content with continuing his life with worthless one night stands and no strings attached sex. That was until one blue-eyed blonde managed to seep into places he thought were cemented shut.

Like a jack hammer, Mallory Prentice came into Seth’s life and cracked the hard exterior that surrounded his heart. She’s the one woman he was starting to feel might be worth taking a chance on.

But life doesn’t always hand you the easy road. Sometimes you are constantly hit with the bad and have no hope of any good ever showing up.

Will Seth and Mallory realize that ultimately they are the ones who are in control of their life’s outcome? Will they embrace the future and fight for their own happiness, or will they keep lingering in past mistakes and let it keep them apart?

Life is all about forgiveness and second chances. Once you come to that conclusion and just go for it, there is…no going back.

 

In the End (Timing is Everything #3)

Synopsis

*Novella-Prequel to Moving Forward*

Jake Reynolds’ life had always been perfectly mapped out for him as he was growing up. The only time he ever felt like he had any control over it was when he was inside the cage—the same cage that held no for sure outcome. In his twisted mind being inside that ring with his opponent was the most freeing feeling. In that moment alone he was able to let his perfected guard down and be who he wanted to be.

From the outside looking in, everything about Jake’s life looked perfect, but he knew that he wasn’t. His whole life had been set up for him before he was even born, and even though it’s not the life he wanted, he continued living it.

When you have everything you could ever want at your fingertips, why screw it up?

That was his mindset until the night Jesika showed up at his fight. He knew she was different from the get-go. He also knew he didn’t deserve her, but that didn’t mean he didn’t want to try. Jake had skills inside and out of the cage and he was known to always get what he wanted no matter the risk. But was he willing to change who he had always been in order to keep the one that he thought was worth the fight? Will it all be worth it in the end?

Moving Foward / No Going Back / In the End

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Being born an “Army Brat”, Erika Ashby has been residing in Oklahoma the last 10 years finally putting an end to the nomad tendencies she had grown accustomed to. She’s a happily married woman who has 5 kids between her and her husband. She has an insane passion for music and embraces her Inner Groupie any chance she has. It wasn’t until the age of 29 that she realized she also had a hidden passion for reading; before then she claimed to have hated it. Six months after unlocking that deep desire she never knew she held, she turned the key to another chapter of her life which has become the desire to write. And the rest is still history in the making.

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