Under the Table by Stephanie Evanovich

Under the Table by Stephanie Evanovich
Published by William Morrow ISBN 9780062887580
Hardcover, $26.99, 272 pages

Under the Table is a slight departure from Stephanie Evanovich's first three novels, which featured sports more prominently, and characters that appeared in all three books.

Her new novel, Under the Table, introduces us to Zoey, a young Midwestern woman who separated from her husband and moved to New York City to live with her sister Ruth.

Ruth has a good job and loves to go out at night, flitting from guy to guy. Zoey is trying to get her personal catering business off the ground when she meets Tristan, a shy, wealthy tech guy who appears to lack social skills.

Zoey falls in love with Tristan's state-of-the-art kitchen, and anyone who loves to cook will swoon as well as the description of his kitchen. (And as someone who lives in a moderately small NYC apartment, I definitely had kitchen envy!)

She befriends Tristan and after hearing the story of how he grew up with his grandparents, Zoey vows to help him become a little more hip. She takes him clothes shopping, and they enjoy each other's company.

Tristan, in return, takes Zoey golfing. Now I have to admit that I don't really think of golfing as sexy, but Evanovich is such a terrific writer, she makes a golf outing hot. (I tip my golf cap to her.)

Zoey doesn't want to fall for Tristan as her marriage situation is an issue, and Tristan doesn't want to fall for Zoey for the same reason, but of course they do as the course of love never runs smooth as they say.

I adored Under the Table! Nobody does sassy, sweet and sexy better than Stephanie Evanovich. You want to be friends with her characters, and my favorite one in this book is Phyllis, the truck driver who picks up a hitchhiking Zoey.

I also loved that Tristan was a big reader, and the shout-out to Jackie Collins made me smile. (I got to meet Collins at a book signing, and she was one of the loveliest people I have ever met.)

I always say that you should read Evanovich's books by the pool because there are always a few sex scenes in them that after you read them, you're gonna need to cool off a bit, and Under the Table is no exception. I highly recommend Under the Table, it will take you away for a few hours and boy do we need that nowadays.

New in Paperback- The Santangelos by Jackie Collins

The Santangelos by Jackie Collins
Published by St. Martin's Paperback ISBN 9781250048240
Mass Market Paperback, 624 pages, $9.99

Sadly, the world lost Jackie Collins last year and she will be greatly missed. I had the pleasure of meeting her at a book signing a few years ago and she was such a joy! She spoke about her career and her life and she made you feel like a dear friend as she signed your book.

Her last novel ties up loose ends for her best protagonist, Lucky Santangelo in The Santangelos. I have been reading about Lucky Santangelo and her family, friends and enemies since Chances was published back in 1981.

 Collins is an expert at creating a perfectly blended cocktail of sex, ambition, drugs, alcohol, mayhem and murder, and The Santangelos continues in her winning tradition. She manages to create several storylines that you know are going to intersect at some point and just explode, like cars on a collision course, but getting to that point keeps you turning the pages.

Lucky is still running her fabulous Vegas hotel, and still happily married to filmmaker husband Lennie. They are a great couple, who compliment each other's strengths and balance out each other's weaknesses.

Lucky is waiting for a visit from her beloved father Gino, who has moved to Palm Springs with his new wife. Lucky's son Bobby has just opened up another successful nightclub in Chicago, and 18 year-old daughter Max is in Europe partying and trying to get a modeling career going.

As usual, there are a few bad guys who want to cause problems for Lucky. A Middle Eastern king vows vengeance, holding Lucky responsible for his son's death, and when Bobby is framed for a murder and someone Lucky loves is gunned down, Lucky goes into fifth gear to find out who is targeting her family.

We see several characters pop up here from previous books- former child star Willow Price, mega movie star Billy who once loved young Max, Bobby's business partner M.J., and his girlfriend Assistant District Attorney Denver Jones- among others. I particularly enjoyed the funeral scene when many previous characters made cameo appearances.

You know what you are getting in Jackie Collins' Lucky books- lots of sex scenes, opulent homes, behind-the-scenes Hollywood stories, fabulous clothes, great parties, drugs, really bad guys, violence and loyalty- and that's what makes it so much fun.

Lucky is a terrific character, a strong-willed, ambitious, hard-working, smart woman who loves her family and friends and would do anything for them. And that's a good thing for her family and friends, because they seem to need her help a lot.

The Santangelos is a fabulous book to while away the days under the sun getting your Vitamin D. And even though it's 600 pages, you will tear through it quickly. The good news is that after you finish The Santangelos, you can start with Chances and read the entire Lucky Santangelo canon if you haven't already.

You don't need to have read any of the Lucky series to enjoy this one, Collins gives you enough information in this book that you aren't lost, but those who have read the Lucky books will get an extra level of enjoyment.

(Warning- there are graphic sex scenes in this book. If that is not your thing, don't read this one.)

Jackie Collins's website is here, and you can read an excerpt from The Santangelos there.

I met Jackie Collins  a few years ago at Barnes & Noble