Full Blast (Janet Evanovich's Full Series Book 4)

This is a funny book. Just what a reader expects from this writing team.

Jamie is a small town newspaper owner and her silent partner happens to be a very wealthy and very handsome man named Max.
He is an interesting character although a wee bit improbable. But, there is nothing that Max cannot do either with his technical knowledge or his immense wealth. His secretary is a computer program who develops symptoms of a pregnancy out of sympathy for a pregnant woman. As you can see, the story has unusual twists.

The newspaper has started printing personal ads and even in this small town they have been successful. But, there has been a murder. A woman who had checked into some of the ads is found beaten to death in her home. And there is a good possibility that the murder is somehow connected to the personal ads.

There are a number of suspects, and some of them could be men who have ads in the paper. In order to check the ads out, Jamie and Max and a psychic who wants to become an advice columnist start investigating the men.

Destiny, the hopeful advice columnist has a ghost who accompanies her everywhere. Vera is a woman who has known Jamie since she was a child and she feels it is her duty to let Jamie know when she is not doing what should be done. Jamie has a bloodhound who is a big fan of ice cream and has the energy level of an inanimate object. So, there are plenty of interesting characters, whether they are possible murderers or not.

This is a fun read, and anyone who is familiar with Ms Evanovich and Ms Hughes will find just what they seek, humor, an interesting plot and fascinating characters.

Once again Janet Evanovich entertains her readers with a witty story full of fun. She has teamed up with Charlotte Hughes to write the FULL series and the duo continues to produce winning stories that will keep you coming back for the next one.

Jamie and Max once more team up in FULL BLAST to free Beaumont, South Carolina of a villain. For a small town this one sure has more than its share of bad guys. Jamie runs the small newspaper in the town and Max Holt is her silent partner - he's the multi-millionaire hunk that has breezed in and out of Jamie's life for two previous books, or a few months in normal time measuring terms. They both feel fireworks when they are together but until this book those fireworks were always smothered by interruptions.

Jamie decides to add a personal ad section in her newspaper and it unknowingly causes problems. A woman in town is murdered and the chief of police believes it's tied to the personal ads. Jamie calls Max in to help solve the crime... ok so it was an excuse to call Max because she missed him.

Max arrives to save the day and they begin another quest to solve yet another mystery. The mystery isn't much of one as the identity of the villain is obvious from the first appearance. The only difference in this book and the two previous ones is that there are no bullets flying at Jamie nor is she in immediate danger.

The romantic aspects of this book seem to be the focal points. A new lingerie shop is opened in Beaumont by the ex-librarian to the horror of some of the more staid citizens. Also, there is a rumor floating around that the local baker is adding aphrodisiacs to his brownies. It seems as if everyone in Beaumont has their hormones on overdrive and many of these side plots are absolutely hilarious. Even Fleas, Jamie's bloodhound, has a poodle that won't leave the poor thing alone and he has to jump in the bed of the pick-up truck to get away. My favorite was the transformation of Vera, Jamie's assistant editor who has been like a mother to her for years. Vera's beehive hairdo is replaced with a stylish cut, her clothes take on a drastic change to modern attire, and she even gets a pink mustang. Her dating escapades were icing on the cake in this story line.

Max and Jamie finally have some uninterrupted time together (wink, wink) and most of this story has them each trying to figure out the depth of their feelings for each other. It'll be interesting to see what lies ahead for these two with FULL BLOOM - the next book in the series. I'm not sure how much more these two characters can keep the readers entertained and wanting to come back for more - they've done just about everything possible and it would be overkill to continue with them.

Character development is once again excellent. The transformation of Vera into a woman who dates and enjoys life was tremendous. The addition of a psychic was interesting, but Ronnie the spirit who follows her around was priceless. The characters are so vastly different that I wonder if these two authors don't sit down over coffee and come up with outrageous people and see how they would fit in the storyline.

Overall, FULL BLAST is another fun book by Evanovich and Hughes. If you're looking for a mystery that will have your mind working overtime to figure it out, this is not the book for you. But if you're looking for a fun story, with a lot of romance, then pick up a copy soon.

Love is in the humid summer air of small town Beaumont, South Carolina. To the dismay of some town Christians, the town has taken a turn to the wild side--- aphrodisiac brownies, adult birthday cakes, and EXTREMELY publicly displayed lingerie. Jamie Swift, owner of newspaper Beaumont Gazette, has also launched a "Personals Section" in her newspaper.

Jamie has a relationship with sexy millionaire Max Holt... or at least she thinks she does. She hasn't seen or been contacted by him for three weeks, and she's beginning to doubt her loves her. Meanwhile, a psychic named Destiny shows up at the office. Destiny offers to run an advice column for free, but soon she has an upsetting vision. There's been a murder, and it appears to be tied to the paper's "Personals Section".

Max shows up at Jamie's request to help solve the mystery, and Jamie and Destiny are set up on dates with several men in the "Personals Section" in an attempt to get more details on the killer. But while Destiny begins to fall in love with one of the men, Jamie has fallen head over heels for Max all over again, and he eventually confesses his love for her. But the clues haven't led anywhere, and they can't track the suspect down before they strike again.

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Okay, let's admit it. Alot of us have rated alot of the other Evanovich books compared to the Stephanie Plum series. Compared to the SP series, this would hardly be a two star. But based independently, this book isn't all that bad. I laughed occasionally, but this was another book that was hard to put down. I would've been more impressed with this novel if it had more suspense... I mean, it just seemed a tad bit ordinary compared to "Full Tilt" or the others.

If you are completely new to Janet Evanovich, start with this series first. Then you won't be as disappointed with the next JE series you read, which will hopefully be Stephanie Plum!

This description caught my eye yesterday while I was browsing for something to read while enjoying the day at the swimming pool. I could NOT put this book down until it was finished last night.
All the characters in Full Blast are FUN! Destiny Moultrie blows into this small South Carolina town and you can bet that things will never be the same again. See...she's a psychic, who is followed by Ronnie, a spirit trapped between worlds. Eyebrows are raised when Destiny carries on conversations with Ronnie and will have you laughing. Everyone is skeptical at first when she tells of "visions" that women will die, but her visions come to life and it's up to Destiny, Jamie and Max to find the killer before he strikes again.
Full Blast is a perfect combination of comedy, mystery and steam! Once you start reading, you won't be able to stop.

Jamie Swift is ready for her life to return to normal and predictable, but when the personal's section of her newspaper is the only connection in a series of serial killings, Jamie enlists the help of her commitment phobic lover Max, and a shady psychic Divine.

Though Janet Evanovich's name is on the cover of this novel, it is obvious she did not write it. Nothing, except for 3 scenes altogether, had any resemblance to her writing style. The main characters were different in personality to those in the previous book in the series, and they were different from any character Janet has ever written (which indicates that she didn't write this). In the 300 plus pages of this novel, there was only ONE comical scene, and that wasn't all that funny. The only comical character in the novel (Dee Dee) was actually vary stupid and pathetic. If you're a Janet fan, avoid this book because it wasn't written by her. If you're a Charlotte fan, then you might enjoy this novel and it's lack of Janet's writing. Personally, I read Janet Evanovich's novels for the comedy. No one can make me laugh like she does, and for that reason, this novel disappointed me. I wanted a silly comedy, not a semi-serious romance with a small amount of suspense. When it comes to non-comical romantic suspense, there are better books and authors out there.

Janet Evanovich has spoiled her readers with her Stephanie Plum Series in which the madcap bounty hunter never fails to amuse, amaze and entertain the reader. This series seems pale by comparison, starting with the tepid heroine, Jamie Swift, and her too-rich-to-be believable boyfriend, Max Holt. In this 4th. book of the series, Jamie's newspaper has just begun a want-ads section for the romantically-challenged. A murder occurs and a copy of the ads is found near the victim. The police immediately decide that the killer must be one of the men who put an ad in the paper. Jamie feels guilty because the ads were her idea, so she calls in the intrepid Max to help her solve the murder. It's amazing that he has the time to run a multi-million dollar corporation while chasing Jamie around her apartment and helping her put out the paper and solve a mystery. Of course, there is his car computer which talks and hands out advice, as well as a visiting psychic called Destiny, a dog named Fleas and..........are you beginning to get the picture? My advice is to skip this series and go to the Stephanie Plum books which are Vintage Evanovich.

EVERYBODY is featured to full potential in this 4th of the series. Max and Jamie are as cautiously steamy as ever. Poor Muffin suffers symptoms of pregnancy, and Vera gets a lot more action and feature time than in previous episodes. It's a wonderful series. Finally saw Janet E. on TV last night with an ad for her new Stephanie Plum novel. Both series are great entertainment.
One big element in the enjoyment of these audio books is reader Lorelei King. She is the most expressive and comical reader I've ever heard and I've listened to MANY. Her vocal range between Jaime, Max, Vera, DeeDee and her oh-so-faithful Beenee (sp?)are astounding. All characters have a particular vocal distinction of their own.
I commute an hour each way to work and I can't find a better way to spend the time than with ANY Janet Evanovich or Charlotte Hughes book on CD. Passes the time so quickly. Can't wait to get back in the car and continue!!!

It was a cute story. I really like Max and Jamie, they have great chemistry and they both need each other but are afraid to tell each other about their feelings because they might be rejected or they might not feel the same. It is funny in which everything these characters go through and how much trouble they can get into. I still say Muffin is my favorite character!

Full Blast by Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes was released in 2004. It is a fast moving suspense novel. Jamie and Max are two people who make you care for them as the story evolves.fans of Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes will like this the most.

I've generally enjoyed the comic mysteries of Janet Evanovich, featuring bounty hunter Stephanie Plum . . . so when I had the opportunity to listen to FULL BLAST by the author and

Charlotte Hughes, I decided to give it a try . . . this is part of another series involving supposedly zany characters that are involved in what might be called a romantic mystery (a newspaper

editor adds a new personals section, then finds that its readers are getting killed) . . . I felt little for any of the characters, nor did the narration by Lorelei King do very much for me . . . what I liked

best about FULL BLAST actually had nothing to do with the story . . . at the very end, there was a brief interview of Janet Evanovich about how she goes about her daily writing . . . I liked it very much and just wish that it had been longer.

I found this series quite by accident, and it is nothing like the books I usually read. It is light, simple fun. I needed something like this for a break and have thoroughly enjoyed the series. Max, Jamie and of course Muffin are at it again, solving a murder. This series isn't Stephanie Plum and it isn't deep, meaningful literature. But, if you want an afternoon of fun, light reading, then by all means pick up the Full series. Like most series, they are best enjoyed in order.

This time the girl really does get the perfect guy. Hot meaningful sex included. Like in real life experience. I laughed out loud so hard and shed a few tears also. I don't know when I had such a good time and shouted acclaim for an author so soon after finishing a book. Can't wait to read my next Janet Evanovich. I'm so hooked.

This is the fourth book in the FULL series, and like the Stephanie Plum series, you do not need to read the others to enjoy it. Start here (it is the best of the series yet) and then if it suits you, go back and read the other books, starting with Full House.
This book takes place in the south, and combines a sexy humor with a mystery about who is killing the local citizens of Beaumont. It includes Millionaire boy genious Max Holt and Jamey Swift, owner of the local newspaper, as they deal with the sultry weather, and the sizzling effect it is having on all the zany citizens. Dee Dee Fontana, an aging Beauty Queen is having a baby, and Vera the spinster mother-figure starts letting her hair down. A sexy psychic with her red neck ghost adds to the mix, as do a paper full of possible suspects. You will never guess who done it, but this is mostly about fun and sex, and not a heavy duty mystery.
Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes have teamed up on this series and with Full Blast, it is evident that this is a team to be watched! I am looking forward to the continued evolution of this series.

I always enjoy the stories by Janet Evanovich.This is another light hearted murder mystery involving Jamie and Max. Always funny dialogue mixed within the story.I know crime is not supposed to be hilarious,but in this series it is.A good read to curl up with some cold evening and have a few laughs.Just for fun,of course.

Although the plot is somewhat predictable, and certainly not very believable... (why are two city folk solving a murder instead of the police) the story still entertains. It is always fun to follow Evanovich's characters (this time with the obvious assistance of Charlotte Hughes) through their hairbrained trials and tribulations. I listened to this book on CD and thoroughly enjoyed the author interview at the end.

If you are looking for another great, quick read I recommend "The Time Keeper" by Kevin Cropp. Although not as light-hearted as "Full Blast" it is still a gratifying, recommended read.

OK people, get a little imagiation! I'm a highly mature teenager and probably too young to be reading this book, but hey. My mom read it first and i was kinda in need of something to read. I'm the kind of kid who reads somewhere between 3 and 10 books a week. Since all four books were lying around the house and i had nothing better to do, i picked them up. Okay, we get the point, you think it wasn't imaginative, or it was to cliche. I could see that, but the thing about a book isn't to have everything lying right there in front of you, you need to think a little and do what they call "annotating." Look it up. I think that it was smart and funny. Those of you who say that the characters were too predictable, I totally disagree. I could mention a hundred times when they did something unpredictable. And this is not from a kids stand point. If you are still thinking that, reread the first four lines of the review. Although the idea of Muffin, the talking computer is a little off base, she is meant to be the voice of reason in this series. For those of you reviewers who didn't like her, sit back and take a look at the story and try to imagine it without her. And the same goes for those of you who didn't like DeeDee. So, DeeDee is a little dramatic, and a little annoying. Get over it! It is things like DeeDee that make the story line what it is. Well, I'll stop rambling now and let you get back to your lives.

My first Evanovich book was from the "Full Series". And I must say, they all have intrigued me and honestly are'nt the "Plum" stories getting a little played out. This book was refreshing and fast paced. It was nice to read something other than a "bounty hunter" novel. And don't get me wrong, I own all her books. The "Full" series are fun and march to different drummer than her other series. Jamie and Max may not be a Stephanie and Ranger/Morelli, but they know how to heat up a story too. And these novels have some very humorous folks in them as well. Maybe you just have to read all five to get the point. Sometimes this is a way an author shows diversity. Grab one and enjoy! Hey grab them all!

Full Blast has Jamie and Max tracking a serial killer who is finding their victijms in Jamies personal section in the paper. Along the way Jamie hires a physic to work at the paper. This book has a lot more steam than the others.

It was certainly a page turner, I didn't want to put the book down - a compliment to the writers! However, I still felt a little disappointed. I felt Jamie's character was just a tad weak, they could have been built her up more. I couldn't get a clear picture of her in my head, that said - I have not read any other books in the series. Full Blast is too strong of a title, I kept on waiting to be swept away and the book to really take off (more fast paced) but it never happened. Entertaining, but hopefully future books will be stronger.

I've never read any of Janet Evanovich or Charlotte Hughes' other novels... so I really didn't know what to expect when I grabbed this book in an airport to read on a 3 hour flight. I read the book in just over an hour and a half, mostly because the book is full of interesting dialogue and it moves quickly. The chracters were, for the most part, wacky and intriguing and kept my interest.
The basic storyline is, Jamie Swift owns and runs a local newspaper in smalltown Beaumont, South Carolina. She had a relationship with uber hot millionaire businessman Max Holt (I assume in a previous novel), but the two have not seen each other in several weeks. When murders start happening in Beaumont and they appear tied to the personals section of Jamie's newspaper, she calls in Max for help and the two start to heat things up all over again as they try and solve the mystery.
While the book was a fast paced read with interesting characters, it was also chock full of cliches and absurdities. First, how many romance novels have average Jane smalltown girl meeting and falling in love with the uber-millionaire who dates famous models and actresses? I know it's a fun read, but after the 10 millionth time reading it, it gets a little silly. Maybe it's just me, but I'm getting sick of the billionaire heros in romance novels. It IS possible to have a great hero who isn't richer than Bill Gates!
The other MAJOR absurdity of the book is Max's computer, "Muffin." Maybe I found it totally stupid and preposterous because I work in the computer game industry around lots of programmers on a daily basis. Max's computer is basically like David Hasselhoff's car in Knight Rider. Except worse. It has a personality and feelings (um, the computer suffers PMS?!). Come on now. The computer also is having a relationship with another computer at MIT? What the? When I first read about "Muffin" it was a total forehead slapper. If I hadn't been on a plane with nothing else to read, I probably would have thrown down the book in disgust right there.
That said, the story did have it's positive points. While I don't believe in psychics and the like, I did really enjoy the Destiny Moultrie character. She was interesting and funny, especially when talking to her dead friend Ronnie. The main characters were pretty interesting, though the secondary characters really made the book good. Vera was another of my favorite characters, a vivacious old lady who wants to feel young again.
Overall, I think there are much better novels out there. This one wasn't horrible as an airplane or beach read, but I would highly recommend MANY other books over it - specifically anything by Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb.

Another great book from Janet and Charlotte. What a great couple. Meaning Max Holt and Jamie Swift. You'll enjoy reading this book with some of the same old characters, as well as some new. Including a physic. In the end will Jamie and Max get the killer?What will happen between these two? Will they finally fall in love or go their seperate ways. Enjoy a good weekend book. You won't be disappointed.

I've never read any of Janet Evanovich or Charlotte Hughes' other novels... so I really didn't know what to expect when I grabbed this book in an airport to read on a 3 hour flight. I read the book in just over an hour and a half, mostly because the book is full of interesting dialogue and it moves quickly. The chracters were, for the most part, wacky and intriguing and kept my interest.
The basic storyline is, Jamie Swift owns and runs a local newspaper in smalltown Beaumont, South Carolina. She had a relationship with uber hot millionaire businessman Max Holt (I assume in a previous novel), but the two have not seen each other in several weeks. When murders start happening in Beaumont and they appear tied to the personals section of Jamie's newspaper, she calls in Max for help and the two start to heat things up all over again as they try and solve the mystery.
While the book was a fast paced read with interesting characters, it was also chock full of cliches and absurdities. First, how many romance novels have average Jane smalltown girl meeting and falling in love with the uber-millionaire who dates famous models and actresses? I know it's a fun read, but after the 10 millionth time reading it, it gets a little silly. Maybe it's just me, but I'm getting sick of the billionaire heros in romance novels. It IS possible to have a great hero who isn't richer than Bill Gates!
The other MAJOR absurdity of the book is Max's computer, "Muffin." Maybe I found it totally stupid and preposterous because I work in the computer game industry around lots of programmers on a daily basis. Max's computer is basically like David Hasselhoff's car in Knight Rider. Except worse. It has a personality and feelings (um, the computer suffers PMS?!). Come on now. The computer also is having a relationship with another computer at MIT? What the? When I first read about "Muffin" it was a total forehead slapper. If I hadn't been on a plane with nothing else to read, I probably would have thrown down the book in disgust right there.
That said, the story did have it's positive points. While I don't believe in psychics and the like, I did really enjoy the Destiny Moultrie character. She was interesting and funny, especially when talking to her dead friend Ronnie. The main characters were pretty interesting, though the secondary characters really made the book good. Vera was another of my favorite characters, a vivacious old lady who wants to feel young again.
Overall, I think there are much better novels out there. This one wasn't horrible as an airplane or beach read, but I would highly recommend MANY other books over it - specifically anything by Nora Roberts/J.D. Robb.

Another great book from Janet and Charlotte. What a great couple. Meaning Max Holt and Jamie Swift. You'll enjoy reading this book with some of the same old characters, as well as some new. Including a physic. In the end will Jamie and Max get the killer?What will happen between these two? Will they finally fall in love or go their seperate ways. Enjoy a good weekend book. You won't be disappointed.

Full Blast was ok. It was the first book I read from this author so I don't know how it compares to her other books. Kind of typical, rich boyfriend, simple girl. It was a decent read but I doubt I'll make it a point to refer it to anyone either.

I am a big fan of the Stephanie Plum series and was really looking forward to this. This was BAD! The characters try to be as quirky and funny as those in the Plum novels but miss the mark completely. I'm surprised Janet wrote this. I'll stay a fan of the Plum series but will pass on all the Full series. I have no interest in finding out if the characters live another day.

My aunt lent me this book a few years ago, and at first I thought I wouldn't enjoy it but I ended up staying awake til the crack of dawn reading it! Since then I bought the whole series and theyre all very entertaining if youre into the whole murder/mystery/romance/comedy thing :)

I thoroughly disliked the character DeeDee in the first novel, and she makes her comeback in this one.

Tell me, how does a woman go from premenopausal to pregnant??

Also, if I have to read " Eeyeuuw" again, I am throwing this book away.

I have truly enjoyed the whole "Full" series. I purchased the first book, "Full House" on CD when I was looking for something to keep me entertained during a long drive. Now I am hooked and I can't wait for the next one. Max and Jamie compliment each other extremely well. Dee Dee still cracks me up and Beenie is just a hoot. Keep up the great work.

It's hard for me to believe that Janet had anything to do with this, other than her name. This is REALLY bad writing -- nothing like the Plum series. Janet did Charlotte Hughes a big favor by lending her name to it -- that's what I think. The dialogue is very contrived -- a whole different style from the great dialogue in the Plum series. I read the whole book, hoping it'd get better. It never did.

I must say I was very disappointed in this book. While parts of it were well written and witty, the authors never took time to develop the characters. Every other page you turn you ask why is he or she saying that, why are they doing this. The whole book was just too disjointed and not very well organized.

How this got published is beyond me! I didn't find it even mildly interesting. The writing is beyond belief. A sample : "An old four-poster rice bed and matching high-boy, both in cherry greeted them". The bed and the high-boy were definitely more interesting than the other characters! Sorry, even one star rating is overly generous.

I liked the "Full" series novels. The characters either are the same as in the previous novel or they are connected to the characters in previous novels. The entire "Full" series takes place in the same town.