Takedown Twenty

My goal is to read 100 books by the end of 2013.  I just finished book 88.

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich
Book 20 of the Stephanie Plum mystery series (not counting the novellas)

Summary:
More Stephanie Plum shenanigans.
If you're a reader of the series you already know the basics.  If you've never read the series, what the heck are you doing trying to jump to number 20?

My Opinion:
Knowing my dwindling enthusiasm for this series, a friend asked if I was planning to read this book.  My response: "Yes, I commit to series to the bitter end".

Now that I've read it, I can confirm what I knew going in...I'm bitter.  Oh so bitter.

I guess I should say *spoiler alert* but to me these aren't spoilers because NOTHING happened that would surprise anyone that's read this series.
- Although she comes thisclose to choosing (and c'mon, we all know who she's going to end up with anyway), she doesn't.
- A car is destroyed.
- Granny is inappropriate.
- There's a random animal subplot.
- Everything implausibly wraps up in the end through no talent or skill on Stephanie's part.

Normally negative reviews are very hard for me to write but I had no trouble with this one.  The author is an established writer who will end up on the bestseller list no matter what she churns out...it's time to stop phoning it in and wrap this series up already.

Quote from the Book:
"I'd been saving the champagne for a special occasion, and it seemed like seeing a giraffe running down the street qualified."