Review of "Sizzling Sixteen" by Janet Evanovich

 Finally, another Stephanie Plum novel! Thank goodness, I needed it. And I must say, I can't wait for her new "Unmentionables" Series to start.. Well, let's dive right into it!
Disclaimer: This book was given to me as a gift for my birthday. I was not given this book, nor any sort of monetary incentive, in exchange for a positive review.

Types: Series, Mystery, Sexy men, Doughnuts, Destruction of cars, Mobsters

About the book: Stephanie Plum is at it again. Vinnie gets himself kidnapped by his bookie's new boss, and Lula, Stephanie, and Connie have to find a way to come up with the cash, or their business, and possibly their lives, are forfeit. So Stephanie has to balance her skip-hunting, which she doesn't do all that well on the best days, with trying to find her cousin, which is near impossible. Complete with her two favorite men, Morelli and Ranger, a few car mishaps, several burning buildings, and plenty of stink bombs, and you have the newest Stephanie Plum installment.

I have to say, I'm much more pleased with this newest Stephanie Plum book, than the last one. "Finger Lickin' Fifteen" felt like a disappointment, but I think "Sizzling Sixteen" got back to the good ol' days of adventure, hijinks, and some actual character development. Stephanie actually questions her job, and shows some growth, something the last few books have been missing. I still hold hope for this series, and I think Evanovich will have to toss down the Ranger or Morelli card soon... Stephanie is going to have to make a move. The fans can't be left with this tension for the rest of the series, however long it continues. I'm sure whatever decision she ultimately makes will make a lot of people mad (Go on, admit it, most people are either Team Ranger or Team Morelli... me? I'm Team Screw Stephanie, Let Me Have Them Both!), but she has to do SOMETHING! And a quick little note... I loved seeing more of Vinnie this time around. We get to see him more as a character, and less as just a footnote in Stephanie Plum History.

I definitely have to give Evanovich some brownie points, the plot of "Sizzling Sixteen" is far superior to "Finger Lickin' Fifteen." The characters actually have something strong to motivate them, they don't feel like they're just going through the motions. Yes, there is still the crazy, random occurances that we love Stephanie Plum for, but there's more. That "more" is what I have felt missing in the past few books, and I'm so glad the author is taking this beloved series in a much better direction. I hope she keeps this up with the new off-branch of the series, featuring Diesel's people.

So, to sum it up, I really enjoyed "Sizzling Sixteen." It was Janet Evanovich's usual romping good read, and I feel like it showed a lot of improvement since the last book. I can't wait to see more of Stephanie's tale, and frankly, I hope some more man-drama is added in the next book. We readers can't handle it being in such a stand still forever!

I'm giving "Sizzling Sixteen" by Janet Evanovich a FOUR out of FIVE. I'm happy with the end result of the book, it had some extremely good, laugh-out-loud moments, but I really wanted Evanovich to step it up even more, and give Stephanie's relationships a good kick in the bum. Hopefully next time!

Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow