In the 14th installment of thi series, Janet has out done herself, bringing laughter in so many places, and so many ways. Her quirky characters almost make me want to visit Trenton to see if there are really people like this out there. Her humor, and the inclusion of a monkey, just shows how far she has come, and what a joy it is to read her writings, and the continuing adventures of Stephanie Plum.
From the break in at Joe's, to Grandma shooting people to keep them out of his house, this book is well worth the read.

If you want a serious mystery, the Plum series is not for you. If Stephanie becomes more mature, successful and maternal, she won't be funny. That is what the books are. The story lines are interesting, the people are hilarious and loveable. They are all extremes of the people in our own lives or would like in our lives. The best thing is, I have never made it through a book without laughing out loud and have never closed a book at the end without a smile on my face. In Fearless Fourteen, the potato gun episode alone is worth the price of the book. So what if you don't know who the toes belonged to. There are so many serious books out there. So many sad, depressing stories. There aren't many that leave you happy. If you want serious, read someone else for a while. If you want to feel better, read Evanovich.

The seller didn't mention it was a large print book at a bigger than normal size. It doesn't quiet fit in with my collection.

I reserved this book at my local library and was told I'd have to wait months to get it. As luck would have it, I was out of town the week it came in, and was put at the bottom of the list, only to be told I'd have to wait three more months. Amazon had such a great price on the book, I didn't have to wait. I guess Janet Evanovich is more people's guilty pleasure than I thought.

feel about the characters I've come to love and know in the first 12 books?? How is it that authors who run series characters do not know when they've lost the ability to create a good read? And how is that the publishers keep printing these pieces of garbage? I, for one, no longer purchase/read the likes of David Patterson, Patricia Cornwell and now I'm afraid I'll be adding JE to that category. What a waste of a forest of trees....

I don't feel the need to repeat most of the one- and two-star reviews except to say DITTO and I feel sad....

I know a lot of people gave Fearless Fourteen a bad review, but I thought it was just great! Another fun installment in the life of Stephanie Plum and her crazy friends. I love all of the Plum series and am currently in the process of reading the series again. I can't wait until June for #15...luckily I'll get my Evanovich fix in January with the arrival of Plum Spooky.

I have read the entire Plum series and was looking forward to this one. Not as interesting as the past 13 but still a good read.

I HAD THOROUGHLY ENJOYED READING THE FIRST TWELVE BOOKS OF THE STEPHANIE PLUM SERIES. NUMBER THIRTEEN WAS SO-SO, BUT THIS ONE WAS ACTUALLY SO BORING IT WAS PAINFUL TO FINISH. ALL THE CHARACTERS WERE FLAT. THERE WAS NO SIZZLE AND VERY FEW LAUGHS. I HOPE BETTER THINGS ARE TO COME...

if you have been around teenagers and their world at all you will love Plum 14. The language the ideas the strange characters made for an enjoyable read. For those who didn't like it... come on... you don't buy Stephanee Plum books for substance. Tons of the usual laughs in this book

The time has come for JE to take a break from that Stephanie Plum books. I have been a fan since the first book and I can tell you that reading the last three books including FF has been a chore. In fact, I returned FF to the library without finishing it because imo the whole plot was boring and out-dated.

I also hate the way Lulu has been written in the last two books. She is becoming almost bitter and hateful instead of the free-spirit she once was. And her relationship with Tank is just embarrassing on all accounts.

And as much I did like the fact that cars, empty guns and Rex were not mentioned as much. This Stephanie had absolutely no real depth or passion. I am not sure if JE can write Stephanie as a complex and balanced character but that is what is needed if she expects Stephanie to grow as a character.

Also as much as fans want Stephanie to pick a side imo that won't ever work and nor should she. As long as Stephanie continues as a bounty hunter she needs the balance of both men. However, the problem I have is that Joe has now become so damn dull and it almost seems that he should be with Stephanie because his character is non-existent without her. IMO JE should also write Joe and Ranger as individual characters and tie Stephanie into their story line's. This will flesh out their characters and also give Stephanie more depth. Because Joe going to work and wanting to have sex every other page has lost its appeal to many readers. And as a Ranger fan, I think it would be a lot more exciting if he did in fact meet someone "real" and allow Stephanie to deal with her real feelings for him. Instead of acting like since she can't decide if she wants to marry Joe she is mess around with Ranger instead.

Either way something has to give or else this series will no longer be known for its freshness but a way for JE to retire early.

I have read every book in this series and had to force myself to finish this one and #13. Janet's books started out being both suspensful and laugh-out-loud funny, but these two had boring and silly story lines with very rushed and abrupt endings. Half-way through this book I really didn't care what the outcome was. I hope that future reviews fare better for additional books in this series, but for now I think I must take a break from reading them. Thank goodness I checked #14 out from the library and didn't actually pay for it!

I liked this book and am glad I read it, it's just not as good as the rest of the Stephanie Plum books. I'm looking forward to 15!

It is amazing that Janet manages to produce a book every year with fresh
appeal.The beginning is like going home to old friends and I noticed I was smiling at the end.
What more can you ask from a book?

I am a BIG fan of the author. My entire family reads and RE READS the Stephanie Plum series. We talk about a movie and who would play who. My 85 year old Mom screams with laughter reading about Gramma Mazur until Fearless Fourteen. My teen said it was boring. It took two weeks to finish it whereas she usually reads them in a few days. Me, I never finished it. I put it down and that was it. It was totally boring.

This to me is what happens when an author pounds out a book each year..she / he loses their creativity and enthusiasm.

I think it's time for a new series for me..any recs please?

Stephanie Plum, a bounty hunter with a gun phobia, finds her life turned upside down when she finds herself babysitting a strange boy named Zuke, and playing bodyguard for aging singer Brenda. Brenda has a stalker who seems obsessed with her. Lula decides marriage is in the future for her and her hunky beau Tank. After a source reveals money may be buried in Morelli's basement all heck breaks loose. Can Steph save the day?

I listened to the audio edition of Fearless Fourteen, and found it difficult to get into. The story picks up after the introduction of the Brenda character, but some of the humor falls flat, particularly the teen kid Zuke who was difficult to like at first. I was surprised that I didn't enjoy Steph's interaction as much with Morelli and Ranger, but I think the love triangle has lost a lot of steam for me. She's dating Morelli, but is sort of semi-flirty with Ranger? Meh, I'm getting bored with that. I did enjoy seeing grandmother, Mooner, and Lula.

This was mindless, silly humor, but no great work of fiction. 3 stars.

I enjoy reading Janet Evanovich. It was especially nice to get the book at a reduced price. The book was in good condition.
Thanks,
catmiller

Not my favorite of this series. It just felt too familiar. I still really enjoy the Stephanie Plum Novels, but I'm ready for Janet to shake things up a little.

Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 14)

My daughter and I have been hooked on the Stephanie Plum novels. I have not read Fearless Fourteen yet and will try to get into it soon. I have read all of the previous books and once I get into them there is no putting them down. Janet Evanovich has a way with the characters in this series that are laugh out loud funny. They will also keep you on the edge of your seat.

Fearless Fourteen is every bit as funny as the last book. It's brilliant over the top fun and the love triangle with Morelli and Ranger is now nearing breaking point. When will Stephanie make up her mind for good?
There's lots more fun in here for fans of the rest of the series and I'm now looking forward to reading the next one.
Good fun.

OK, I won't beat the plot to death, although I have to admit I don't think "14" will be my favorite. My complaint is with the LOUSY packaging of my UNabridged CDs.

Am I the only one that listens to books in the dark? If not, these are all but impossible to use, and I wouldn't suggest you try to change CDs while driving or whatever. Some of the "pages" in the cardboard book have 2 slots, and the slots are loose enough that 2 CDs can easily fit into them. This makes a mess trying to change CDs without turning on the light, and I frequently gave up and did so. If I turn the "book" upside down--52 card (or 7 disk) pick up. Turn it sideways, 7 disk pick up again. Maybe my "book" missed a trip through the glue machine, but gimme a break!! I got so sick and tired of picking up the scattered disks that I usually listened to the same one again (or turned on the light). This has NEVER been a problem before, not even with the 2 "book" sets with a boatload of CDs, like Harry Potter; I have developed ways of dealing with them, if the CDs will stay in place and are given their own pages. Especially with only 7 CDs, I fail to see the need to scrimp on space to such a degree.

How about a better package for "15," huh??!!

This series is my absolute favorite "relax and read". Such great characters and always makes me laugh- perhaps after 14 there are just so many high expectations that fans get overly critical. Every person I recommend this just adores Stephanie Plum. Keep em coming Evanovich- but hey can you throw us a bone and get Stephanie to pick Ranger?

This is more of the same--our fearless protaganist haplessly makes her way through life with sexy guys on standby.
If you liked it before, you'll like it now; it's a nice "twinkie" story (light on substance but fun to eat...I mean, read).

Excellent book. It was nice to learn about Joe's family. It was nice that Ranger took a back seat in this book. Sometimes the conflict over the 2 men gets long. She needs to pick Joe and move on.

I waited to get this installment of the Stephanie Plum series because I thought the last one was abysmal, so I was afraid this one wouldn't be any better, and I must admit that I liked it better than I thought I would. I still have my main criticism of her last couple of books, and that is that the characters Stephanie, Ranger, and Morelli don't evolve. Specifically the love triangle - she needs to make a choice. I don't know why they allow her to lead them around by the nose. That goes against everything we have ever known about Ranger and Morelli. At this point, I don't think she deserves to be with either of them. Hopefully this series will wrap with the next book.

Brenda's side story was an interesting twist, and that brought some humor. Her character was over the top, but what do you expect from an aging diva? We also got to see a lighter side of Ranger with him in something other than his commando gear. Although he didn't play a huge role in this book, it was nice to get a glimpse of something a little different.

Some old favorites provided many light moments. Mooner is always good for comic relief, and always has something priceless to say. One thing we really appreciate is that he stays the same. It is expected. Grandma Mazur was pretty much absent from this story, and I like her. It was a shame she wasn't used much in this book. She has had me crying in the past from laughing so hard.

I couldn't even make it halfway through this book. I'm so sick of Stephanie Plum making the same mistakes over and over again. I feel like I've read this book six times already. If you're going to read Janet Evanovich I would not recommend reading her Plum Series.

This #14 by Evanovich is not to be missed. It's a blast! Sometimes it takes me 3 or 4 times of reading to get to the next sentence, I'll be laughing so hard.

Although not as funny as some of Janet's earlier books, I laughed my butt off!! I am hoping to see more of Ranger in future books, I mean seriously, Morelli has GOT to go! At least for a while, Ranger is to hot to ignore forever! Definately a must read for anyone who hasn't tried this author yet!

So ... did a ghost writer pen this novel? I could barely tell it was a Stephanie Plum story. Where's all the GREAT descriptions and the hilarious situational comedy? I usually laugh out loud at Ms. Evanovich's books, more than once, sometimes laughing til I cry.
It appeared as though someone else broke into her house and wrote the story.

And yes, although Morelli is "ok", sorry but I'm a Ranger fan. Why should Stephanie end up like her mother? Why should she turn out to be just some cop's wife in Trenton, taking care of a passel of kids? Obviously she's more than that. I disagree that Ranger is not a "keeper", that's silly. Any man is a keeper when the woman warrants it, inspires it ... and Stephanie does.

But it looks like Ms. Evanovich has Morelli firmly in mind for her heroine, which I think is predictable and stale. I'll be thinking twice before buying Fifteen.

Thanks for reading.

It's enough already, please hang it up. I've said that though for the past four books. Evanovich has taken what was a clever, funny series and ruined it completely. It's no longer funny, it's predictable and unoriginal.

For the sake of your loyal readers, and there are obviously thousands upon thousands, please inject some true effort into the next book or two and have it finish on top.

I have read all your Stephanie Plum books, enjoyed them all, but Fearless Fourteen is your best so far. These books are so entertaining but with this one, I laughed all the way through it. Please keep writing books about Stephanie Plum and her wacky friends and family.

Fearless Fourteen (Stephanie Plum, No. 14)
This series of books offers great adventure and fun lovin'. Janet Evanovich has given these characters great personalities and fun storylines. This review is by my wife. She has read every book in this series and loves them.

I was pleasantly surprised with Fearless Fourteen. I was bumming after the last one and approached JE's latest with some fear and trepidation. There are the same over-the-top situations and characters (I confess I DID find Brenda annoying, but I likely was supposed to) but the humor was not lost at the expense of the ridiculous. And other than Brenda, I really liked the new characters, especially Zook and Mooner. I have a teenage son and I may know Zook. Many Zooks, in fact. And anyone who gets a hoot out of the Leo character from That 70's Show can't help but love Mooner. He's cast in the same mold and even if lifted whole, that's cool man.

After finishing, I started reading the reviews here and began to rethink myself but decided that was not fair. As I closed the book, I realized I had genuinely enjoyed it. In thinking about the reviews though, especially comments that Stephanie is not growing and the characters are not developing, it occurred to me this whole book probably occupies about a week in book time. On JE's website, there's a comment that I'm possibly taking out of context, but in response to a question about age, the answer is the characters are the same age they always are. Years are not passing for these characters; how much growth could there be? Yet there was some. Stephanie does not want to bring in a skip with a camera crew riding along because she knows she and Lula are much more Lucy and Ethel than Cagney and Lacey. And once Stephanie is committed to carrying out an action for the police, we see Morelli exhibiting frustration at events he cannot control. Now, I confess I had to suspend disbelief when Morelli made tomato sauce from scratch the day before it was needed but it totally made me want him even more.

Ranger's part was much less than in the past, but that's ok with this Cupcake girl. According to the website, JE has two more books on her current contract. In thinking about this one as a step toward a possible end, I know who I want her to end up with. It occurs to me in this one, we are faced with the potential Zook is more than a cousin to Morelli and Stephanie thinks about how she would feel about that. Hmmm, she's considering parenthood. Geez, I can't believe I'm about to recommend unplanned parenthood, but for these two characters, surrounded by this supporting cast, the potential is delicious.

I have read all fourteen books in the Plum series. These are fun entertainment reading, not dark, deep, and heady.......if you want to laugh out loud, and I did "several times", you will love Evanovich's Fearless Fourteen. I am eagerly awaiting number fifteen.
Good stuff.

I was very disappointed with this book. The last few books, as a matter of fact, but this one hit me the hardest. I think I have read too many good authors this summer(ex. Stephanie Meyer, Charlaine Harris, Rachel Gibson), then chose to follow up with this one out of loyality to J.E. There really has been no development in any of the characters except that now they have cell phones and are more tech savy. I miss the romantic tension that was there between Stephanie and Ranger as well as Morelli and Stephanie. They are like an old married couple without the spice that Morelli and Steph once had. Most of the book is reiterating the previous books' information, so I am able to read this in about 3 hours. Janet, you could do so much better...

What has happened to the characters that I used to love? Stephanie was endearing because she never got too cocky and her insecurities made her likable. Now apparently she has two hot men at her beck and call. Morelli as a neutered house husband? Yuk - so not sexy. Ranger is more Batman than human. To be fair it's not just this book - the series has been going downhill for me for the last several books. Seems like Janet is just churning them out at yearly intervals for the paycheck. Kind of get the vibe that she doesn't even like these characters anymore. Mediocre at best.

I never thought I would be writing a non positive review for a Stephanie Plum novel but I fear I have to on this one. It was ok but not nearly as good as the previous plums. It felt processed no new growth for her characters maybe Evanovich is just to busy I would rather see one novel a year if that is what it takes to get a good one. Don't read this as your first Evanovich/Plum novel it will not provide a good refeletion of her Plum work.

I read all 13 books while I was pregnant last year and fell in love with Janet Evanovich. I even visited the website regularly to see what was coming. I waited and waited for this book... finally I got it last week from my neighbor and began to read. I fell asleep after several pages and that was the story every night. I only got half way through and decided to call it quits. I turned the book back to the library and asked my neighbor how it ended! I'm so sad but it was very flat, repetitious and the characters, while staying in character, were just blah. I guess this is the end for me... I need to find another novel that will make me laugh out loud again...

Fearless Fourteen is as much fun as the previous Stephanie Plum books. I enjoy listening them on my compute to and from work. It's a great stress release. Can't wait til book 15.

I can't get enough of Stephanie Plum and her assorted cast of quirky characters. These books are laugh-out-loud (and believe, I've done that) funny with interesting stories underneath.

I've stuck with Stephanie Plum through think and thin, but this is the end. I'm just glad I took it out of the library rather than paying $28. Other reviewers have said it all, the verve's not there, so I'll stick to the low points: formulaic pablum and at least one misleading bit.

"...and we all piled into Lula's Firebird. Lula drove north on 206, past Rider College, to a neighborhood of modest homes." Well Rider College, actually University since 1994, is in Lawrenceville, NJ, a goodly piece from the Burg, and there are no such neighborhoods. Immediately north of Lawrenceville is Princeton. Apparently J.E.'s forgetting her NJ geography up there in New Hampshire. Shame on St. Martin's press, too, for letting that slip through.

So, J.E's jumped the shark, and Terry Pratchett has been diagnosed with early stage Alzheimers (this is a MUCH bigger tragedy in every way). The future looks grim for laugh-out-loud funny reading.

While #14 isn't the best in the series and was perhaps not as deftly crafted, it's got some good laughs and has a good story. Though Evanovich consistently delights, it's unrealistic to expect every work to be a masterpiece. While I wait patiently for the next installment, I'll re-read my personal favorites and hope that the Joe-Steph-Ranger triangle heats up again in #15.

Stephanie and her friends keep me laughing. I stayed up all night laughing at the book. My husband even started the series!

As I was reading this one I noticed myself giggling. Not because of the content of the story but because I began to realize this novel sounded like a Dick and Jane book. See Stephanie run. See Ranger run. See Stehpanie and Ranger run. I've never noticed before in any of the other novels how simplistic the writing style was. I'm a fifth grade reading teacher and I felt this book would have been to much of an easy read for my fifth graders.

Then I noticed that the story line was NOT memorable. I can remember previous novels with such ease (Stephanie wrestling the naked midget, Grandma opening the closed casket, or even the exploding cars). This novel had nothing "special" about it. There was nothing new or exciting. The characters sounded flat and boring. I felt like I was watching a soap opera with bad actors compared to a movie with Oscar winnning actors. I use to enjoy Stephanie having to fight over who she wanted more between her two men, but now I feel there isn't even a choice. Morielie is obviously the choice and everytime she lets Ranger kiss her brings down my repect for Evanovich for letting her character loose "character." At this point, I'm not sure if I want to read any more Plum novels.

The second disc was the same as the first so do not know if I heard the whole book or not otherwise was OK.

If you want mystery, fun, adventure, and the occasional sexual escapade, this is the book for you.

Some people just spend too much time whining because the book isn't high art.

Get off your high horses. Evanovich is hilarious. You are just jealous.

I am still a huge fan of the series and will read them as she makes them but this book was a huge letdown.

It is not easy to make me laugh out loud but this book did it more than once. Fun!

This book seemed a repeat of the last book, which indicated to me that Janet has no more Stephanie stories to tell. Thirteen and Fourteen seemed as if she'd picked three minor plots for each out of a jar of possible subplots, and then tried to connect them instead of starting off with one big, absorbing plot and working from there.

She's got the characters down cold. They're the reason to buy the book. For the most part they're wonderful and LOL.

Even the text this time tells us that bounty hunters abound in the media these days, and it's certainly become true (though Stephanie was one of the first and certainly the most original!). The concept of Steph as a bounty hunter is not as exciting these days as it once was -- especially since JE's had everyone in the books try their own hands at the job, which imho was a huge mistake each time it happened. I even give points off for Lula after she stuck around with the job.

But if JE's burned out on Stephanie (as it seems she is), why not take the next two installments and wrap up the series with gusto? We could see relationships and skill sets improve... and what kind of different situations would THAT get us into? I think readers would LOVE to see this! And it might inspire JE in other directions, who knows?

Wrap up the series, JE. Let Stephanie go out in style instead of fizzling away to nothing.

It begins as many of these do with Stephanie Plum out on a bond recovery. This time it is Loretta, suicidal, and in her pajamas in her kitchen while Stephanie tries to convince her everything is going to be okay. Loretta wanted a Tom Collins as she was thirsty so she held up a liquor store. She made bail and missed her court appearance and now has to leave her home and go back to jail. They negotiate and finally she surrenders and goes semi-willingly to jail. Now, Stephanie has to take care of her teenage son, Mario.

Mario looks way too much like Joe Morelli for Stephanie and just about everyone involved. Sure, Loretta, her brother, Dom, and Joe are all cousins so that could explain it. Or, it could be the fact that according to Dom, Joe years ago got way too close to Loretta and fathered Mario. Dom hates Joe for many reasons and being the father of Mario is just one of them. He wants Joe Morelli dead. Of course, things just get more complicated from there. Stephanie ends up doing body guard work for Ranger while Joe tries to figure out where the money is from a long ago bank robbery that Dom was a part of and Joe Morelli has made the money hunt more complicated without trying to do so. And Lulu is working an agenda all her own with her usual results.

So, there are some good ideas here. But, this latest novel is a rather dull read even by the standards of the last several novels in this series. Something is missing and it is not easy to explain what exactly is missing from the book. It could be the fact that the rest of Stephanie's family is accounted for, but missing in action for almost the entire novel. There is only one dinner scene with the family in this novel and dinner scenes always provided a lot of humor earlier in the series. It could be that while her car is graffiti painted, Stephanie's car doesn't suffer a fiery death as we all expect in book after book. It could be that the spark between Ranger and Stephanie is dim in this one and the spark between Joe and Stephanie seems to have been snuffed out. Not that there are romantic comments and flirtatious teasing, but there is little passion involved among any of the parties.

It could be a host of things. I don't know what it is. I do know that for this reader there were only a couple of amusing moments and one laugh out loud one. The rest of the time the pages turned, the story flowed, but, it never came alive or moved me one way or another. Instead, it seemed lifeless and just a book used to crank out another notch on the series hamster wheel.

While die hard fans may love it, those new to the series are advised to skip this one.


Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2008

Because of all the negative reviews posted here, I decided to get on the "wait" line at my local library for this book. After reading the thirteen books that proceeded it, I fully expected to be a few chapters, throw the book across the room and curse Janet Evanovich for ruining the book I look forward to every summer.

Then something unexpected happened. I laughed outloud. And then it happened again. I found myself unable to put this book down. It was thoroughly enjoyable and the Stephanie we have all come to know and love.

Several people have given a synopsis of the book, so I will not repeat what they had to say. I will point out a few things that have been mentioned over and over as flaws in the book. The first of these is the allegation that Joe may have slept with his cousin. The cousin involved is a very distant relative (like a third cousin) and the allegation is by a crazy person. Secondly, people did not believe Lula as a Bridezilla. Seriously, would Lula be anything else but a bridezilla?

The supporting characters are as wacky as ever. My only complaint is not enough Grandma Mazur, but there is never enough Grandma Mazur for me. Janet should write a whole book with Grandma Mazur as the lead character.

Don't let the bad reviews scare you! This is an enjoyable book!