Visions of Sugar Plums

Stephanie Plum #8.5

by Janet Evanovich

In this story, Stephanie Plum has bigger problems than the usual thugs, thieves and hoodlums - this time, there's someone in her apartment who just won't leave. We - and Stephanie - meet a character as mysterious as Ranger and as sexy as Morelli.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Chick Lit, Romance, Christmas, Audiobook

82 pages, Paperback

First published November 5, 2002

About the author

Janet Evanovich is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series, the Lizzy and Diesel series, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and Trouble Maker graphic novel, and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author, as well as the Fox and O'Hare series with co-author Lee Goldberg.

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review
3+ out of 5 stars to Visions of Sugar Plums, the first cross-over book between Stephanie Plum and Diesel, written in 2002 by Janet Evanovich. As part of a marketing approach to launching a new series, this book places Stephanie in a most unusual place right around Christmastime. As she's trying to get her life on track, a man materializes in her apartment. She can't figure out how he got in and starts wondering if he's a vision or a ghost. It's Diesel... a very hot man... just what she needs, a third one in her life... and he desperately needs her help. Convinced she's losing her mind, Stephanie tries to ignore him but ultimately realizes the only way to lose him, is to help him find the toy maker who has disappeared right before Christmas. Suddenly, she freaks out when she thinks he means Santa Claus! A very cute story, full of the normal charm in Evanovich's books... it's a good laugh. Don't take it too seriously and enjoy these in between books for exactly what they are - humor, romance and a bit of mystery!

About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wanted a reread of a Christmas happy to me book.



Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Jilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, fun, short. Also, angry elves.

It was Lorraine in her nightie and Mo in his cap.
They'd just settled their brains for a long winter's nap in front of the television.
When out in the lot there arose such a clatter,
they sprang from their recliners to see what was the matter.
Away to the window they flew like a flash,
tore open the blinds and threw up the sash.
And what to their wondering eyes should appear,
but Stephanie Plum and yet another of her cars burning front to rear.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars for Visions of Sugar Plums: Stephanie Plum, Book 8.5 (audiobook) by Janet Evanovich read by Lorelei King.

It’s days before Christmas and Stephanie has fugitives to apprehend and she still needs to start her Christmas shopping. Diesel pops into her life to give her some help but he may be more of a distraction. There are elves to track down and her sister has a surprise to announce, but can Stephanie get ready for Christmas?

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a Christmas Stephanie Plum book that introduces the character of Diesel. Diesel pops into Stephanie's kitchen one morning 4 days before Christmas. Stephanie has no clue who he is, where he came from, or why he is there. Diesel dosen't know where he is or why. Diesel decides to go with the flow and starts to follow Stephanie around as she tries to find FTA, Sandy Claws. Needless to say Stephanie looses another car and finds the Spirit of Christmas. It was a fun, fast, holiday book.

[Fangirl Musings · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading the first few pages in the book, at the onset I was pretty sure I was going to enjoy this book. After reading the first chapter, I knew I'd hate it!

Not only did the story seem excessivly rushed, with countless scenes being skimmed over with no detail whatsoever, but the charaters alone were basic and uninteresting. The plot alone was horrible, with a somehow supernatural dude popping into the main character, Stephenie's, life without an explanation whatsoever. The supernatural aspects of the book were not explained at all, to any degree, and the entire status of the relationship between Steph and Desiel (the male lead in the novel) was ignored throughout the book, even to the end. The ending of the novel was entirely rushed, probably more so than the entire book as a whole.

The only brightspot to the book was the occasionally comical sarcastic thoughts and dialogue expressed by the main character. Even this bright spot was few-and-far between, so I can say quiet easily I did NOT enjoy this book, at all

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute!

Reread April 2018—I am a huge fan of Stephanie and all their zany antics. This is the story that introduces Diesel and the magical world of people with special talents. In this book we have Steph searching for Sandy Claws. He’s a toy maker and is hiring little people to work in his factory. Is he really Santa? Hmm.🤔
Cute story and an excellent addition to my Christmas read list. 🎅🏻

[Erth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read, Stephanie Plum's adventures really make me laugh, the other characters are so funny. I have just about got all the books in the series. If you like a good laugh with a bit of romance chucked in then I highly recommend them.

[Christopher Febles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ho-ho-ho! No, I’m not talking about Lula’s former profession. I’m talking about a holiday-themed Steph adventure. And my latest attempt to finish the whole Plum canon.

It’s a short one, and it feels that way. Diesel makes his first appearance in the most deus ex machina way I’ve seen so far. He gets kinda zapped, no lie, into Steph’s apartment. I’ve kinda backed into the Diesel chronicles, reading the most recent and getting to the first only now. He’s not Morelli or Ranger (in that order; come at me, Team Ranger!), but he does bring some literal magic to the series.



That said, I don’t remember him having those superhuman abilities to transport himself or sidestep locks in either Plum Spooky or Game On: Tempting Twenty-Eight. Then, Steph’s skip and another mysterious character had some electricity. It was a little surprising.

Also, her skip is “Sandy Claws”? Sure, it’s a riff on a real name, but eh…it felt a little gimmicky. And the Christmas stuff felt…rushed. The mystery was OK: not the most compelling thing ever. But I’d been warned: it’s a novella, and holiday-themed, so I just went with it. And yes, she blows up a car and eats too much. Lula’s there, and I loved the family-oriented ending.

Not my favorite, but what the heck. I love Steph, and I’ll read her no matter what shark she jumps.



And Merry Christmas, Trenton!

[Vanessa]

I guess there’s a reason I don’t read Christmas novels.

I greatly enjoy Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, but this novella —which takes place between books eight and nine—about a hawt Christmas angel (or whatever he is) and a bail-jumping toy maker was far too silly and self-consciously whimsical for me to get very far.

Stephanie, I’ll be back with Tasty Kakes when the holidays are over.

[Tracy · Rating 1 out of 5]

OMG I can not read any more of these books. I am totally done. Reading these books is like watching a terrible sitcom with a laugh track that says "you should be laughing now"...but I'm not. These books are trite, cliched and just plain uninteresting. I don't have any idea why Diesel was dropped into the story with a silly "supernatural" element and honestly, how many times can we hear about the hamster in his hamster wheel and how Stephanie's car blew up yet again. I know lots of people love these books, but for me, they are just awful and I wish I could get my money back.

[✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Karen ⊰✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephanie is out looking for Sandy Claws as he has jumped bail and she needs to bring him in so that she has some money to buy Christmas presents and pay the rent. A guy called Diesel suddenly turns up in her apartment and he is also looking for Sandy, who it turns out runs a toy factory full of short people. Add in a grandmother that has a new "stud muffin" and we have a book full of lots of laughs, holiday cheer, and just general good fun.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun holiday romp with Stephanie

[Kourtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got impatient waiting for the next Stephanie Plum book to come out so I thought I would go back and read one of the books released in between. Normally I like these books because they make me laugh, they are quick reads and the characters are well developed. This book made me laugh and was a quick read; however, it felt rushed and not fully developed. All of a sudden it just ended. It also involved a character that is in some of her later novels but the events that happened in this book are never mentioned again. As though we would forget those 200 pages ever happened. If you enjoy the Plum books you should read it but do not have high expectations.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the Stephanie Plum books, but this book just doesn't seem to fit in the series. It is funny, of course, but it doesn't feel like Stephanie Plum. Ranger and Vinnie aren't in this book, and Morelli and Lula only get a handful of pages apiece. Stephanie spends most of the book in the company of Diesel, a supernatural superhero who flirts with her and chases superpowered supernatural villains. I don't think the supernatural elements fit too well with the Plum novels, either, and it isn't even a "Christmas" miracle story, since Diesel is a year-round magic guy. I read the book and enjoyed it for what it was, but the whole time I was telling myself that once this between-the-numbers book was over, I could pretend it never happened. Unfortunately, at the end, we learn that one of Valerie's kids will grow up to be a supernatural superpowered superhero, too, so now I suppose that for the rest of the series, whether this book's events are mentioned or not, I will have a constant reminder anyway. Sheesh!

If this is the only Plum book you've ever read, you'll probably like it. I think it's nice on its own; it just doesn't mesh with the rest of the series.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've kind of given up on this series, but this one was a book challenge read. This Christmas edition to the series was a short novella. Overall, I liked the characters, but that is never my problem with this series. I like Stephanie Plum and the others. They are funny and personable. I just struggle with their constant stagnation. No one grows. No one progresses. Every new book is filled with the same antics. Some funny. Some not. To me, it feels formulaic. So 3 stars.

[Tiffany PSquared · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's very hard for me to dislike a Stephanie Plum book. Evanovich would have to do something pretty drastic to make me hate it. This book was no different.
This is Stephanie's first run-in with Diesel (from the Lizzy & Diesel series) and it proves to be an exciting and electrifying meeting from beginning to end.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining reading

Another very will written Stephanie Plum novel. I would recommend any Miss Plum novel or series. Enjoy reading 2020

i read again in 2024 it was great.

[Tara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, this book review is mostly tainted by the person that read the book since I listen to this series on audio.

I'll start with the story. It was an ok story although the addition of a supernatural element was more than a little strange in what has been a reality-ish based series for the 8 previous books. And the addition of yet another man that's attracted to Stephanie is becoming ridiculous. I mean every hot man that enters the series becomes a potential love interest. Doesn't she ever have men that she thinks are hot that don't want to sleep with her too? I think it will be interesting to see how much of this book will continue into the regular series.

My biggest was with the narration. It's like changing an actor mid-series. Like the two Becky's on Roseanne. Sarah Chalke is a great actor but she wasn't Becky. That's how I felt about Lorelei King. I've listened to 7 books read by CJ Critt, so her characterizations are familiar. Her Joe, her Lula, even her Stephanie were different, but not bad. But Kloughn and Grandma Mazur were the worst. They were so different it was jarring.

On to book 9. There's an option for CJ Critt or Lorelei King for the next 2 books, and I'm hanging on desperately to Critt.

[Paula Ratcliffe · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the holiday season coming I thought I would jump in and read some holiday books, and what better way to head to Trenton NJ with our fearless lucky bounty hunter Stephanie Plum who is down on the Christmas spirit trying to hunt Sandy Claws, she also meets Diesel who winds up in her kitchen. Diesels job is to catch Mr. Ring who is out to hurt Sandy.

This was full of so much humor with a child thinking she's a horse and is Stephanie's neice, to Grandma Mauzer missing her teeth. They spend time trying to get to Sandy but have to battle an evil group of crazy elves. And yet again another Stephanie car bites the dust.

I love this series it's hilarious, funny and makes you laugh out loud!

[Darla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun holiday read with a bit of magic in Stephanie's life. Enjoyed it in the spirit it was written and did not expect it have a plot that was just like the others in the series.

[Katherine "Kj" Joslin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, I didn’t love it and can’t wait to get back to the main series.

[Nick V. Reys · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being an avid Fantasy reader, my forays into other genres are quite sparse, but when I step away from my beaten path, I highly enjoy what I’m reading for I’m even more picky than is the case when reading fantasy. One of my all-time favourite non-fantasy series has to be the Stephanie Plum-series by Janet Evanovich. Throughout the past years, I steadily worked myself through the first half of the series. Most of the novels were highly enjoyable, one or two fell a bit flat. The latter group can welcome another member, however, cause Visions Of Sugar Plums wasn’t really my cup of tea.

This book is a Plum Holiday novella, the Christmas one this time around, but for Stephanie it’s all but Christmas. Things are going wrong all over the place and to top things off, there’s a strange man in her apartment. That man turns out to be Diesel, the male lead in this novel and he is some kind of supernatural being. Together they try to save Christmas, or something like that.
Note how vague my summary of this book is? That is because this book was vague. Like in all Plum-novels, there is some mystery, this time it’s got something to do with elves. Normally, I would have liked this, but the supernatural twist made it all weird. Clearly, I’ve got nothing against the supernatural, but for eight books, this world was one without magic. When you suddenly introduce these kind of things, you get me confused, even though your main character is confused as well. In some way or another, the whole addition of the supernatural felt really contrived and it didn’t really feel like it belonged it this world. Which it doesn’t, really, or at least that is my opinion. When it is used to get out of a situation that would be certain death otherwise, you lost me completely. It doesn’t help that nothing is explained, at all.
Remember how I described Diesel as a supernatural ‘being’? Well, I don’t know what he is. Witch, troll, powerful human,… I just don’t know and that’s the problem here. Some kind of magic is added to the world Stephanie lives in, but you never get an explanation as to why it is there, apparently all of a sudden.
The ending is also very abrupt. It is a novella, so it is way shorter than a regular Plum-novel, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to work your way towards the ending, as a writer. Here, it was just rushed and when I got there, I was so disappointed. This wasn’t what I wanted it to be, at all.

I’ve read in some other reviews that the events in this novella aren’t touched upon in the other books, which probably is a good thing. I am pro pretending this never existed in the first place. Mind, it wasn’t terrible, but it was clearly below every Stephanie Plum she’s ever written. I’ve got the other Between the numbers – Plum Lovin’, Lucky and Spooky – but I have slightly higher hopes for those seeing as they are regular Plum-sized. Still, I think that Janet Evanovich does non-supernatural best.

[Natasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, the last third of the book was hillarious. I was laughing out so loud, I was afraid the guests in the next room would think I've gone nuts. Luckily I was listening the audio book from my laptop and not on my headphones how I usually listen to them.

This is my first encounter with Janet Evanovich work and this series. I kind of jumped in the middle, but I chose this book because it was the shortest, a bit less than 200 pages and 3 hours of audio book.

I have no idea if all of her books are so funny but if they are, I'm definitely in! Especially since I have the audio books and I plan on listening to them. Nothing can replace the great narrator who read the book and imitated all those voices. Boy, was that funny.

I liked the scene best when Stephanie's granny lost her teeth and the way she talked and she had a date! Wanted to call police if they didn't show up...finally they were found in a stuffed toy dinosaur where the grandkid put the teeth so it couold 'eat' better...but she also painted the all teeth with flowers, rainbows and stuff-of course with permanent marker...the granny just put them back inside happy to finally talk again normally and ready for her date LOL she wasn't worried because all those old people can't see a thing anyway :))) I can't describe it too sound funny as it was fun listening to it, but if you want a good laugh, then this is a book for you!

[Brooke ♥booklife4life♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basic Info

Format: Audio
Pages/Length: n/a
Genre: Mystery

At A Glance

Love Triangle/Insta Love/Obsession?: No
Cliff Hanger: eh
Triggers: n/a
Rating: 3 Stars

Score Sheet
All out of ten

Cover: 7
Plot: 6
Characters: 8
World Building: 7
Flow: 6
Series Congruity: n/a
Writing: 7
Ending: 7

Total: 6

In Dept

Best Part: Little back story
Worst Part: Too short for me.
Thoughts Had: Santa!; creepyyyy.

Conclusion

Continuing the Series: maybe.
Recommending: yes

Short Review: This was a nice little short story to add to Stephanie Plum series. I was cracking up over the elfs thou and every time she said Clause my kid went nuts. The creepy dude in her apartment would have made me pee my pants, but not Plum since that stuff always happens to her! It's hard for me to review novellas since there isn't much to them. I liked it thou :D

Misc.

Book Boyfriend: Diesel
Best Friend Material: Stephanie!

Review in GIF Form:

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's five days before Christmas and Stephanie, the world's worst bounty hunter, has been tasked with apprehending Sandy Claws. Hunting down a toymaker just before the holidays isn't much fun but she needs the bounty he'll earn her so that she can afford to celebrate Christmas. As of right now she doesn't have any decorations, she's relying on her parents for dinner and she hasn't bought a single present so the situation is getting critical.

Visions of Sugar Plums is all the fun of a Stephanie Plum novel sprinkled with a whole lot of Christmas magic. I'd forgotten how much I love the Between the Numbers novels, Diesel is a great addition to the series and I love the mysterious vibe he gives off with the way he seems to appear and disappear at will. Throw in shopping with Lula, Grandma Mazur's new stud muffin, Valerie's surprise, a couple of appearances by Morelli and some elves starting a riot and you're in for a treat.

This book is slightly shorter than the main novels in the series but it's perfect reading for this time of year and it's pretty much guaranteed to put a smile on your face. It's definitely put me in the mood to dig out the Christmas decorations and put up the tree so perhaps I should have waited until december to read it :o)

[Anastasia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich is the first Stephanie Plum Between the Numbers book and follows book 8. It is nearly Christmas and bounty hunter, Stephanie Plum is after a toymaker Sandy Claws. This book introduces us to a mysterious character Diesel who has certain special abilities including being able to open all locks. A fun, quick read with a few supernatural elements, although not up to the standard of the usual Stephanie Plum novels.

[Shelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

The bookmark was pulled in a fit of rage when a character named Sandy Claws was introduced. I should have known better considering Christmas is the worst holiday, but I have an unhealthy amount of self hatred.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is really silly...but I still liked it.

It's very Christmassy with plenty of Grandma Mazur, a bit of Morelli and some Lula bits to keep me happy.

Recommended for Stephanie Plum fans but it is a bit ridiculous (I mean more ridiculous than usual haha!).