Evanovich went above and beyond when she created Seven Up!This book is filled with missing friends, death, a kidnapped Grandma Mazur and … mud wrestling? Ha!Stephanie Plum and Lula are my heroes. They really make me appreciate the diversity of friendships that I have. Even when my life decides to go a little strange, I can always count on the loved ones in my life to help me giggle.Stephanie: For the better part of my childhood, my professional aspirations were simple-I wanted to be an intergalactic princess. I didn’t care much about ruling hordes of space people. Mostly I wanted to wear the cape and the sexy boots and carry a cool weapon.Mazur does not disappoint in this book! Sharing a mysterious relationship with the bad guy of the book, DeChooch, her family is forced to endure her unusual and mind-blowing facts of her life.“Not that I know of,” Grandma said. “From what I know, Loretta liked her men hot, and Eddie DeChooch couldn’t get it up. I went out with him a couple of times and that thing of his was dead as a doorknob. No matter what I did I couldn’t get nothing to happen.”And if that wasn’t enough…Stephanie’s perfect sister with her perfect life shows up unexpectedly for a shocking family reunion.“I’m never going to get married again,” Valerie said between sobs. “Never, never never. Marriage is the work of the devil. Men are the Antichrist. I’m going to become a lesbian.”In Seven Up, the earth-pulling, heart-tugging sexual tension between Ranger and Stephanie becomes explosive and tingling! I found myself shhing my husband and lifting my book up to hide his view while snapping, “Hold on! This is a good part!!” :0I love Morelli. I do. I think the relationship has grown and it’s very cool. But there is always the part of me that craves the bad boy. The untamable. The totally rockin’ awesome and downright sexy shadow of a man that lurks in my dreams and pulls a reaction from me that I seriously doubt I’d ever admit I don’t especially want to marry a cop. Morelli doesn’t want to marry a bounty hunter. And then there’s Ranger.I mean, what if I spent the night with Ranger? What then? Suppose he was so amazing I got ruined for all other men. Suppose he was better in the sack than Joe. Not that Joe was a slouch in bed. It was just that Joe was mortal, and I wasn’t sure about Ranger.One part of me hopes Morelli pulls through and doesn’t ruin his chances with Stephanie, but the other part crosses my fingers that the feelings between Ranger and Stephanie rip things apart… Mmm.. I look forward to reading the rest of the series just to glide through the special moments of uncomfortable and awkward yumminess that leaves you hanging…wondering if the dreams will ever come true.As always, Lula’s graceful eccentricities leave me breathless with laughter. In this book, Stephanie and Lula become closer and share more intimate moments. It’s very cool to watch friendships blossom. And with Stephanie and Lula’s friendship, you can only anticipate and imagine what will happen next.Lula reset the safety on the gun. “I think I messed my pants,” she said.“Uh-oh,” Lula said. “Are you crying?”“No. I think I inhaled a bug a couple blocks ago.”I definitely recommend this book to anyone that is reading this series in order. Although the book can be understood as a stand-alone, the relationships will leave you oooing if you start at the beginning.Mild sexual contact. Non-descriptive but gruesome violence. As far as age preferences, I would definitely advise to read this book before allowing a young adult to do so. Immature adults should not read this book.Kindle is charging, and the dishes are done! Time to start the next book in the Stephanie Plum series, Hard Eight!Happy reading! <3
I know people really love this series, but I am only finding it ok. I have liked some parts of some books, but overall I'm not in love with them. In this 7th book, it's more of the same. Feed Rex, check the contents of her purse, make up her hair big, ignore the semi-serious relationship with Joe while continuing to lust after Ranger, take Grandma Mazur to a viewing, blah, blah blah. It's a cookie utter, that I actually mind less when I'm listening to than reading. I usually listen to these on audio, but my library system doesn't have this one...Anyway, I think that formula worked for a bit but it's time to change things up a bit. I don't really love Mooner and Dougie as permanent additions to the stories- they don't really add anything to the story except harmless potheads. Nothing seems to bother them, so it's hard to be bothered for them. After the last book, we've had almost too much Grandma Mazur. She's like ice cream. As an occasional treat she's awesome, but if you eat the whole carton she makes you sick. Even Lula seems to need a new thing. And don't get me started on Stephanie's love life. There's Joe Morelli, and I like Joe. After his intro in book one, I looked ahead and hoped he'd be in the rest of the series. I like their relationship when it progresses, but added the tension between her and Ranger seems weird and it's also a little icky. I mean, in the first book she was single and he came to her while she was handcuffed to a shower rod and nothing, then suddenly 4 books later he's all over her? It's weird. And I still say the fact that she thinks it's okay to even kiss Ranger when she's seeing Joe is ridiculous considering she's ready to shoot Joe if he spends time with someone else even when it's purely work related. And she was the one pushing for commitment and then once she got it, she started lusting after Ranger? Ick!I think overall my problem is that no one is moving forward really. Time jumps forward at least a month, sometimes almost 6 months withe every book, but the characters seem to be stuck in the rut of the same old, same old. Her mother takes a step in this book, but other than that... It would be so interesting to see Stephanie actually get better at being a Bounty Hunter. Maybe learn to shoot even if she never does. Maybe use her stun gun once in a while, possibly be prepared and use her pepper spray. Maybe actually fully commit to Joe and start trying to grow up figure out how to be in the relationship and still be herself. Maybe while living with him, still trying to sneak out and handle things.. I don't know what the answers is. All that being said, I'll probably continue the series. I'm back on the audio books and they are great because I can listen to them at the gym and in the car and I have no problem putting them down and it's just as easy to pick them up again. I like CJ Critt, the reader she makes the whole thing interesting as well.
What do You think about Seven Up (2002)?
OK I didn't add reviews to the last several books in this series because I was out of town (stuck in a snowstorm back east)& didn't get to my computer until today. I made two trips to Barnes & Noble while we were back east because I couldn't wait to get more of these books. This series in hilarious!!! Very quick reads too - perfect for passing the time in an airport with nothing else to do. I can't decide who my favorites are yet - either Grandma Mazur or Lulu. They both crack me up. I had several people several times give me strange looks in the airports and on the planes because I would just crack up laughing. My family is now used to it and just shake their head no longer embarrassed. I just started #7 and already have #8 waiting for me when I am done.I have never read a series that is this long and that I am still enjoying and can't wait for the next one.
—Melissa
Latest in the Stephanie Plum mysteries, with all the old familiar good guys, bad guys, family, romantic interest and nemeses in Trenton. This one entails a senior citizen (whom Grandma Mazur has dated and wasn't impressed by his - uh - manly attributes) who is caught in a cigarette smuggling scam and goes on the lam, so Cousin Vinnie puts our plucky hero on the tail of this geezer for skipping court. Well, this old lady ends up with two bullets in her, Ranger and Morelli have a - uh - swordfight, in a symbolic manner...Mooner and Dougie get kidnapped, the Mafia gets involved, especially the nasty wife of one of the members, and Sister Valerie (the Perfect One) is left by her husband and moves back in with Mom and Dad and Grandma. Fun, if a bit grisly in places. A comment on the production: All of the previous ones I've listened to were narrated by C.J. Critt, and this one is by Lorelei King. I don't know anything about her, but she gave a nice, clear reading; her characterizations fairly closely match M. "Critt's, but I'd say I liked Critt's "grandma Mazur" better and King's "Ranger" better (more of a Hispanic accent). Otherwise, the usual fun hikinks in "The Burg." Gotta go, "Hard Eight" awaits at the Library!
—Tim
Stephanie Plum has to pick up Eddie DeChooch, an ancient old man, can't see or hear well and likes to shoot at people. He's into contraband of cigarettes. This old man continually eludes the Bounty Hunters. People are disappearing including Dougie and Mooner. How is this all tied together? Plums "perfect" sister with the "perfect" marriage ends up on her parents doorstep with her children after her "perfect" husband runs off with their babysitter. Valerie decides she is going to become a lesbian. Stephanie announces at her parents dinner table she is engaged to Joe Morelli. She is carted off to look at wedding gowns with mom and sister and things get completely out of control. The sex with Morelli is hot and steamy, until this realization of marriage rears its ugly head. In the meantime, Stephanie asks Ranger to find Doogie and Mooner and catch DeChooch. Rangers price for the job? She has to spend the night, dusk till dawn with him. Morelli and Ranger, poor girl!Bob the dog lives with Morelli now but Stephanie enjoys taking Bob for a walk to do his big business on Joyce's lawn. What better gfit to leave for your number one enemy. And there is always Grandma Mazer who gets kidnapped by DeChooch. Fast paced and crazy. Totally hilarious. I loved it.
—Becky
