Book Review - Smokin' Seventeen

Stephanie Plum Series, by Janet Evanovich
1. One for the Money      10/18/2007
2. Two for the Dough       11/19/2007
3. Three to get Ready      11/24/2007
4. Four to Score              11/25/2007
5. High Five                    11/26/2007
6. Hot Six                        12/6/2007
7. Seven Up                    3/10/2008
8. Hard Eight                   3/11/2008
9. To the Nines                3/16/2008
10. Visions of Sugar Plums    3/14/2008
11. Ten Big Ones             3/17/2008
12. Eleven on Top              5/2/2008
13. Twelve Sharp             5/12/2008
14. Lean Mean Thirteen   5/13/2008
15. Plum Lovin’               5/14/2008
16. Plum Lucky               5/15/2008
17. Fearles Fourteen       8/18/2008
18. Plum Spooky            TBR
19. Finger Lickin’ Fifteen  9/25/2009
20. Sizzling Sixteen            11/4/2011 * * *
21. Smokin' Seventeen    11/11/2011 * * *

From Goodreads: 
Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum.

Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why the victims have been offed, but what is clear is that Stephanie’s name is on the killer’s list.

Short on time to find evidence proving the killer’s identity, Stephanie faces further complications when her family and friends decide that it’s time for her to choose between her longtime off-again-on-again boyfriend, Trenton cop Joe Morelli, and the bad boy in her life, security expert Ranger. Stephanie’s mom is encouraging Stephanie to dump them both and choose a former high school football star who’s just returned to town. Stephanie’s sidekick, Lula, is encouraging Stephanie to have a red-hot boudoir “bake-off.” And Grandma Bella, Morelli’s old-world grandmother, is encouraging Stephanie to move to a new state when she puts “the eye” on Stephanie.

With a cold-blooded killer after her, a handful of hot men, and a capture list that includes a dancing bear and a senior citizen vampire, Stephanie’s life looks like it’s about to go up in smoke.

My Thoughts:
Smokin' Seventeen was marginally better than Sizzling Sixteen, I felt, but not by much.  I pretty much have the same issues with both novels, and I enjoyed the same things about them.  However, Smokin' Seventeen just "felt" better, slightly more exciting, and a little funnier than the previous book in the series.  The main mystery in this book was just about as obvious as it could possibly be, but the side stories were fun enough that I didn't mind.

I'm giving it 3 stars, same as Sizzing Sixteen, and for the same reasons - it's a fun, light-hearted, easy, breezy read.  Sometimes that's just a good thing!

What're your thoughts?