Fearless Fourteen - Rated 
Disappointing! I am a great fan of Stephanie Plumb, but this was almost too silly to be funny. Not enough Joe or Ranger!
I volunteer to take care of Rex - Rated
When I was young(er) and foolish, I wouldn't even consider buying a used book. Now that I'm acquiring the wisdom of age and the price of food and gas is escalating, virtually all the books I purchase are second-hand. And FEARLESS FOURTEEN is the poster example of why not to waste good money on a pristine, new copy.
Reading any newest release in the Stephanie Plum series is like eating at the Golden Arches; you always know what you're going to get. But even McDonald's has been known to make radical changes (like offering politically correct healthful salads - to my mind, Yuk!, but that's just me). Author Janet Evanovich apparently doesn't know the meaning of the word "constructive change" and, in the case of this installment, has even lost the concept of "quality". Granted, she must be under enormous pressure from her publisher to keep churning out the Plum adventures, but it could be argued that she just slopped this one out any old way to meet a deadline. It may be time for JE to move on. I know that I am; WHATEVER FIFTEEN won't make it onto my Wish List, new or used, for any price. Free, maybe.
Here, we have the usual regulars of Stephanie, Ranger, Morelli, Lula and Grandma Mazur supplemented by the this-show-only guest cast of eccentric characters. But it didn't really hit me how absurdly silly this recipe has gotten until Zook and Mooner began blasting people with their home-made potato cannon. Moreover, the ending was absolutely flat. And, as has been mentioned by at least one other reviewer, where did the two amputated toes come from?
Plum's career as an accident-prone nabber of bail skippers and her dysfunctional love life only have appeal against a contrasting backdrop of relative normality, even if it's Trenton, NJ normality. But when the context and supporting props of her adventure become as ridiculously slapstick as Stephanie herself, she gets lost in it.
At one point in FEARLESS FOURTEEN, Stephanie asks Morelli to promise to take care of Rex, her pet hamster, should anything happen to her. Oh, please, put a merciful end to Plum now and I'll volunteer to take care of Rex forever.
Another Page Turner - Rated 
Yet another Plum book that I really enjoyed. I ended up reading it in one night as I enjoyed it so much.
Lacking sexual tension and grandmas antics! - Rated 
I was disappointed with this book as it lacked along the sexual tension of the love triangle and the grandma's mad antic's which I have come to enjoy and look forward to within all these books.
The addition of a couple new charactors added a new dimension to the book although they didn't realy grab me.
Saying this I will still look forward to the next Stephanie Plum novel and if a Stephanie Plum fan it is still a must book to have.
Lacking fizz but won't give up... - Rated 
Unlike some other reviewers I won't stop reading the series because number fourteen didn't measure up to many of the past volumes. This latest volume is still fun - just not outstanding. To me the writing lacked fizz and felt a bit contrived and forced. It's hard to define what's missing from Fearless Fourteen - perhaps the romantic tension with Ranger and Morelli? For me it has never been the over-the-top humour of Grandma or Lulu that made me laugh. It's the more subtle touches like Plum lusting over Morelli's Wal-mart bunny boxers. Anyway, if you've enjoyed past Plum books then read this, though I wouldn't suggest forking out for a hardback unless money is no object in your life. And if you're new to the series then it's best to start with an earlier volume (at least they're numbered so it's easy to know the order!).
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