My Initial Reaction...
These books always bring me to tears with laughter and Nice Girls Don't Bite their Neighbors was no exception!
The Narration...
I know you've got to be tired of hearing me say it, but for anyone who hasn't heard me yet I'll say it again. Amanda Ronconi is an incredible narrator. I would (and have) pick up a book just because she's narrating it. She brings the wit and snarkiness of her characters to life perfectly and I always the variety of voices for all the different characters. You can't go wrong with Amanda!
The Characters...
I just adore these characters. I connect with Jane so easily - she's a book worm living the dream, running her own bookstore. *sigh* Oh and did I mention that she's finally marrying her sire - Gabriel? It took me a while to fall for Gabriel but his proposal finally brought me over to his side. He's always been a bit removed from the rest of the group in my opinion, but in this book he finally seems to be part of the drama.
Of course, right in the thick of the drama are Dick Cheney and his wife Andrea. Gah, I love these two! They're like the poster children for opposites attract and every minute with them is hilarious. There are no words for how ridiculous Dick is and Andrea is as witty and smart as Jane, so what's not to love?
I have to admit to being a bit disappointed with how little we see of Jane's best pre-turn friend, Zeb, his wife Jolene, Jane's Aunt Jetti and Mr. Wainwright. These are four of my favorite characters and, while they were still there, they've definitely started moving on and living their own lives. When it mattered most, though, they were all right there in the middle of things and supporting Jane - who seems to have the worst luck of any vampire, ever.
And then there's the two newest additions to the gang - Jane's sister, who I not only love but am so glad to see not fighting with Jane anymore, and Jaime - Jane's "son." Throwing in Jaime was a lot of fun for the story - even if a bit predictable. Dealing with a teenage vampire is about as fun as dealing with a teenage boy - full of hilarious embarrassing moments and food/blood shortages.
The Story...
Jane's life is just so complicated, nothing ever is simple for her. It would help if someone wasn't always trying to kill her. This time, she's trying to plan her wedding (with a period theme! Loved it!) and all the while she and Gabriel keep having near death experiences. The first one earned her the hatred of the entire town and a new son, further complicating (and enriching) the story. The level of mystery is pretty much non-existent, since from pretty early on you know what's up. But that's not the point of these books, in my opinion. The point is watching Jane and the gang trip all over themselves as they try to figure out who's out to get them. Let dumb plans, witty banter, and disastrous fall out ensue. For me, the most epically hilarious moment of Nice Girls Don't Bite their neightbors was when they finally found who was behind it all. It was so ridiculous that I couldn't help but laugh, hysterically - despite being on the bus.
Concluding Sentiments...
This was a very satisfying conclusion to the Jane Jameson series. I laughed so hard I cried, and a couple times, I cried for reals (which was totally unexpected for this series). I'll miss this crazy gang, but I'm really happy with where Molly Harper left us.