11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The *dawgrrl* review, 12 Feb 2003
This review is from: Bubbles Unbound (Paperback)
Recommended as "sort of like Janet Evanovich, but funnier", I read and enjoyed this debut novel about sometime hairdresser [come] journalist, Bubbles Yablonsky.
While Ms. Evanovich's novels tend to focus more on Stephanie Plum's various boyfriends and neglect the mystery, Ms. Strohmeyer's novels pay plenty of attention to the mystery. She weaves a wonderful story and even tosses in some plot twists!
Bubbles Yablonsky is a divorced single mom, living on the "wrong" side of Lehigh, PA (based loosely on Bethlehem, PA). Her husband, "Dan the Man", divorced her to marry up and now lives in a snooty neighborhood with his new wife, though he can't seem to escape the fact that the law firm he works for advertises on cardboard inserts in the telephone book. Her daughter, Jane, is bright and gets along great with Bubbles, though she looks every bit the part of of the rebellious teenager with her Kool-Aid colored hair and black lipstick. Bubbles, armed with a degree in journalism from Two Guys Community College (so-called because it is located in the former Two Guys Department Store) is struggling to make a better life for herself and her daughter. As a freelance reporter for the local newspaper, she gets a call to cover the story of a bridge-jumper and that's where the adventures begin. After covering the possible suicide, Bubbles and AP photog Steve Stiletto take off to rescue Bubbles' mom from jail (long story). The trouble they run into along the way is what really begins the mystery.
Ms. Strohmeyer has interspersed some really neat beauty recipes throughout the story. While some might consider this gimmicky and extraneous, I thought it was cute and I kept trying to figure out which of the beauty treatments mentioned in the story would be in a recipe at the end of the chapter.
Bubbles is perky, fun and bubbly and I will read more of her novels!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Couldn't put it down!, 4 Aug 2003
This review is from: Bubbles Unbound (Paperback)
As a fan of Janet Evanovitch, I purchased this book on a recommendation from Amazon and was so pleased that I had. The situations that Bubbles got herself in had me smiling on the train into work (a very hard feat indeed!). I quickly read the next two books in this series and can't wait for the next. Bubbles' family and friends are all very special characters and as well as wondering what Bubbles will get up to, you also wonder at the antics of this motley crew. I can't wait for the next book to be published.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Humorous Mystery, 10 Nov 2004
This review is from: Bubbles Unbound (Paperback)
A supposed suicide, a dead body in a park and a do-gooder found with alcohol - and so stylist/journalist Bubbles Yablonsky is on the case, until she's kicked off the newspaper. But that won't stop her investigating. A lot of fun (though at times confusing), read in two days. (A)
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