Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

Wicked Appetite (Lizzy and Diesel, #1)

by Janet Evanovich

Meet brand-new heroine Elizabeth Tucker: Marblehead resident, bakery worker, unlucky in love...and descendant of witches.

Life is pleasantly predictable for Lizzy, until a tall, black-haired, dark eyed man shows up. His name is Gerwulf Grimoire, also known as Wulf. And he wants what Lizzy has: knowledge. Almost simultaneously comes another man, a different man, but this one just as dangerous. His name is Diesel. And he wants several things Lizzy has, only one of them being knowledge.

Unbeknownst to Lizzy, she has the ability to find 'empowered objects'. A collection of stones that represent the seven deadly sins have made their way to Marblehead. If the stones are grouped together, they have the power to unleash hell on earth. Wulf wants them. Diesel wants to stop him. And Lizzy is the key to all of it.

Can Lizzy stay one step ahead of two men who both want her...both body and soul?

Reviewed by ibeforem on

3 of 5 stars

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I’ve put off reading this series despite my love for Janet Evanovich mostly because of the supernatural twist. Sometimes I’m just not in the mood for a combo of supernatural and absurd. I already knew it was a spinoff of the Stephanie Plum series, so the writing style and tone were not a surprise. Plus, Janet Evanovich’s books all kinda read the same.

To my surprise, I enjoyed this! Basically, there are 3 types of people — Normal, Unmentionable, and Questionable. Normal people are, well, normal. Unmentionable people have some sort of magical power, though they may not realize it themselves. And Questionable people seem to have some sort of power, but it’s not defined. And what are these powers used for? To find and control/take care of some magic stones. Each of the 7 stones induces the characteristics of one of the deadly sins in whomever has it. The more stones a person has, the more powerful they are.

Diesel, who is introduced in the Stephanie Plum books, is an Unmentionable. Turns out, cupcake baker Lizzy is too, and he enlists her help in tracking down the stones, in particular the stone representing gluttony. True to Evanovich/Plum form, there are a host of zany characters they encounter along the way. And a monkey.

As I said, I enjoyed it, but it’s not her strongest work. On the good side you find the slow-burning relationship between Lizzy and Diesel, Lizzy’s supporting cast, and Lizzy’s cat. On the bad side, you find the monkey. I really, really, really, could do without the monkey. He’s just straight-up absurdity. He serves no purpose. There’s plenty of funny in this book without the damned monkey.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 31 March, 2017: Finished reading
  • 31 March, 2017: Reviewed