Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
The Grand Finale
by
Janet Evanovich (Goodreads Author)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a revised, repackaged novel sure to please her many fans. She writes "high speed comic mayhem" (Detroit Free Press); she's "a blast of fresh air" (Washington Post); "side-splitting funny" (Publishers Weekly) and "a winner" (Glamour). In other words, she's Janet Evanovich.
Berry Knudson had a talent for disaster, but when s...more
Berry Knudson had a talent for disaster, but when s...more
Mass Market Paperback, 246 pages
Published
February 24th 2009
by Harper
(first published 1988)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
This book is not yet featured on Listopia.
Add this book to your favorite list »
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
Bought while waiting for my sister to finish shopping.
Summary:
Girl: [stupid/clumsy/love-burned/focused:] I am stupid and clumsy and love-burned and focused!
Boy: [good-looking/rich/persistent/patient:] I am good-looking and rich and persistent and patient!
Girl: I don't want to fall in love!
Boy: Let's have sex!
Girl: I don't want to have sex!
Boy: Yes you do!
Girl: Okay!
Secondary characters: [crazy/helpful-but-in-an-unhelpful-way/judgmental/analogies:] We are crazy and helpful-in-an-unhelpful-way and...more
Summary:
Girl: [stupid/clumsy/love-burned/focused:] I am stupid and clumsy and love-burned and focused!
Boy: [good-looking/rich/persistent/patient:] I am good-looking and rich and persistent and patient!
Girl: I don't want to fall in love!
Boy: Let's have sex!
Girl: I don't want to have sex!
Boy: Yes you do!
Girl: Okay!
Secondary characters: [crazy/helpful-but-in-an-unhelpful-way/judgmental/analogies:] We are crazy and helpful-in-an-unhelpful-way and...more
view all 5 comments
"The Grand Finale" was not, in my opinion, one of Janet Evanovich's best earlier works. The story never quite gelled and moved entirely too quickly to ring true. It's a G rated romance with lots of quirky humor...maybe just a bit too much.
The story is the tale of a young, divorcee who is struggling to get by with her pizza business while finishing college. Since her first marriage derailed her life plan, she's now determined to stick with her goals without deviation. And none of those goals invo...more
The story is the tale of a young, divorcee who is struggling to get by with her pizza business while finishing college. Since her first marriage derailed her life plan, she's now determined to stick with her goals without deviation. And none of those goals invo...more
I became a fan of Janet Evanovich with the Stephanie Plum novels, and I adore every last one of them (go team Morelli! Lol), so I was ecstatic to hear that Janet had earlier works with the same silliness. It really showed the evolution of writing and gave great insight into a lot of the Plum craziness.
Summary:
Lindonberry Knudson (Berry for short) owns a pizza joint and despite having no money herself, has just taken on three homeless little old ladies. She is also going to school. To say she's a...more
Summary:
Lindonberry Knudson (Berry for short) owns a pizza joint and despite having no money herself, has just taken on three homeless little old ladies. She is also going to school. To say she's a...more
Apr 12, 2011
Jenny Delandro
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
author-janet-evanovich,
lol-funny
i liked the light romance in this book
(view spoiler)...more
(view spoiler)...more
You can see the evolution of Plum in some of Janet's early romances that she wrote for the Loveswept line in the 80s. This one is particularly Plummy with cars getting stolen and smashed, and little old ladies running amuck! It all comes nicely packaged with the trademark Evanovich humor.
If you don't like a little or a lot of silliness in your books, you should stay away from these. There's nothing realistic about these books, just a whole lot of fun and laughter. Plus how can you not love a her...more
If you don't like a little or a lot of silliness in your books, you should stay away from these. There's nothing realistic about these books, just a whole lot of fun and laughter. Plus how can you not love a her...more
If you need a break from all those depressing books with "messages" or the grisly murder mysteries with a gallon of blood on every page and just want a bit of "fluff" to pass a few hours and give you a couple of chuckles then THE GRAND FINALE by Janet Evanovich might be just what the doctor ordered.
No Stephanie Plum in this tale. Instead, this story of a quirky divorcee who owns a pizza joint, attends college, rescues little old ladies living in bus stations and rates an above average in the kl...more
No Stephanie Plum in this tale. Instead, this story of a quirky divorcee who owns a pizza joint, attends college, rescues little old ladies living in bus stations and rates an above average in the kl...more
I'm only giving it two stars because it really doesn't deserve more, but I didn't mind the drawbacks as I was listening to the audiobook (read capably, and probably improved upon quite a bit from the book version, by C.J. Critt) in the car and it was so fluffy that I didn't have to worry about missing a thing while I was merging/parking/wondering what to have for dinner when I got home.
This is one of those "perfect guy meets perfect girl and the author has to come up with things to keep them apa...more
This is one of those "perfect guy meets perfect girl and the author has to come up with things to keep them apa...more
Not a bad little story. It was a quick, easy read with no deep plots or things to think about, which is nice. I laughed out loud quite a few times, which hardly ever happens when I read. The story itself was an interesting one I thought, with cute little twists and turns and funny characters. My main problem is just how fast Berry and Jake fell in love, moved in together, got engaged, etc. It was just unrealistic. I get that Jake is good looking and so she falls in lust with him, but I'm still n...more
In a short amount of time, Berry Knudsen was able to see a half naked man, which caused her to fall out of a tree, land on a large pizza, then she had to watch her own Jeep fly off a cliff, see two different cars get stolen and watch her apartment burn to ash. The next week she was living with Jake Sawyer in his unfurnished Victorian style home with three old ladies, all while she was still trying to run her pizza place, and go back to school. Luckily Jake was a 1st grade teacher and had the pat...more
I bought my copy during a bookstore sale. I´ve noticed this because of the weird cat on the cover so I read the teaser and I LOVE it. The teaser is funny and interesting so I purchased it. This is a quick read and I finished it in one seating.
(view spoiler)...more
(view spoiler)...more
Total disappointment! I've read all of JE re-published short romance stories and enjoyed them all... Until this one. The heroine in this novel was so back and forth with her feelings it was annoying. The whole story was incredible unbelievable. Which is usually the case in these short romances but, usually her stories are so funny and the attraction between the main characters has you falling for them and rooting for their happily ever after. The way the hero acted would have been out right cree...more
Now, before I start, let me put some light upon the character 'Berry Knudson'.She is optimistic, a very kindred spirit, goes out of her way to help people. Also she is loyal, resilient, slightly daffy, kind to old ladies, stubborn, a bit tempered as the book says. In short, she is Miss ‘GOODY TWO-SHOES’.
The story starts with Berry hearing a kitty cry, climbing the tree, rescuing the kitten, seeing an almost naked man and then, finally falling down from a tree. After that all she can see is some...more
The story starts with Berry hearing a kitty cry, climbing the tree, rescuing the kitten, seeing an almost naked man and then, finally falling down from a tree. After that all she can see is some...more
I believe this was a really good book, but not the best book I have ever read. I do not regret reading it, but at points it did not appeal to me as much as other Janet Evanovich books I have read. In this book my favorite character was Jake Sawyer because I really liked his personality. He likes little kids, and he was very creative(portrayed through his inventing skills). I really liked how he was nover very stressed, and he loved to just live in the moment. My favorite part of this book was wh...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Janet Evanovich is well-known for her "Plum" series, but occasionally does a one-off. This is a one-off.
Ever had one of those days where practically everything goes wrong? Well, our heroine, Berry, has one of those lives. In a single evening she falls out of a tree, her car is destroyed and she has to give up a free pizza to an understandably dissatisfied customer. On top of that, she's got three meddling little old ladies living with her in her one-bedroom flat.
Things really take a turn for the...more
Ever had one of those days where practically everything goes wrong? Well, our heroine, Berry, has one of those lives. In a single evening she falls out of a tree, her car is destroyed and she has to give up a free pizza to an understandably dissatisfied customer. On top of that, she's got three meddling little old ladies living with her in her one-bedroom flat.
Things really take a turn for the...more
This is one of those books where I wish I could award 1/2 points. It was a little better than "It was OK" but not fully in the "I liked it" category either.
You can definitely tell this is one of Janet's earlier works. It was a quick and easy read and had a few amusing pieces and parts. But things happened too quickly and there's not really much depth to anyone besides the main character, Berry. It's a fun read but you never really care about anyone in the story. It has a little too much going on...more
You can definitely tell this is one of Janet's earlier works. It was a quick and easy read and had a few amusing pieces and parts. But things happened too quickly and there's not really much depth to anyone besides the main character, Berry. It's a fun read but you never really care about anyone in the story. It has a little too much going on...more
I love most anything by Janet because most of her books are light and fluff filled and The Grand Finale was no exception however I must say after the first chapter this particular story just got to fast for me. I think the romance should have taken a bit longer but then theres always the love at first sight angle...
Berry is a mess. I loved her character so much. She was just a comedy of tragic events waiting to happen and that poor man, Jake happens to get caught right up in the middle of her li...more
Berry is a mess. I loved her character so much. She was just a comedy of tragic events waiting to happen and that poor man, Jake happens to get caught right up in the middle of her li...more
This was the last book in her romance series and I loved them all but this was one of the best of them! A lot of people don't like romance, its to unrealistic or cheesy for them. Janet Evanovich does end her stories happily and they might be a bit cheesy, but I'm reading a book I don't want a big dose of reality here. I want to escape my reality for a minute and that is something she does brilliantly with all her books.
These romances are so funny. The characters are very realistic with problems...more
These romances are so funny. The characters are very realistic with problems...more
Actual Rating: 3.5
Berry's romance with Jake starts off on a crazy start with her trying to deliver a pizza and seeing him partially naked instead. Jake just wants to romance Berry but it's a little hard when she has three little old ladies living in her 1-bedroom apartment with her. When all the women move in with Jake after an apartment fire and a stink bomb, Jake does a little matchmaking of his own.
You can especially see the Plum evolution in this re-released romance novel with stolen cars,...more
Berry's romance with Jake starts off on a crazy start with her trying to deliver a pizza and seeing him partially naked instead. Jake just wants to romance Berry but it's a little hard when she has three little old ladies living in her 1-bedroom apartment with her. When all the women move in with Jake after an apartment fire and a stink bomb, Jake does a little matchmaking of his own.
You can especially see the Plum evolution in this re-released romance novel with stolen cars,...more
This is another one of JE's romance stories that she re-released. I am slowly reading all of them. This one was a fun and humorous romp! I love the characters Berry and Jake, and the odd assortment of people they kind of pick up along the way. Berry has some rotten luck, falling out of tree, losing a few cars and almost burning down her apartment and pizza place. Jake is there, shaking his head at her, along the way. They have chemistry, even outside of his lab!
It is a little bit of fluff, but...more
It is a little bit of fluff, but...more
Cute little bit of fluff. It has all the marks of an Evanovich romance: Cars destoyed and or stolen? Check. Little old ladies? Check. Floppy dog that eats anything? Check. Plucky heroine? Check. Too good to be true sexy man meat? Check.
Sadly the plot on this was rather thin. Berry is our girl in this one and she is so sweet she sends girlscouts into diabetic shock. She is divorced from an icey cold husband who cheated on her but doesn't hate him. She went back to school after the divorce to get...more
Sadly the plot on this was rather thin. Berry is our girl in this one and she is so sweet she sends girlscouts into diabetic shock. She is divorced from an icey cold husband who cheated on her but doesn't hate him. She went back to school after the divorce to get...more
I'm so behind on my target number of books for this year (all Neal Stephenson's fault - write shorter books, man!) that my excuse for reading this is because it was short. That's how desperate to catch up I am.
It's really not my type of book: submissive and scatty (yet intelligent and of course beautiful) female protagonist, handsome, rich, attractive (yet manipulative) male love interest (with an amazing butt, naturally). And every woman's secret dream of filling a Victorian house in the 'burb...more
It's really not my type of book: submissive and scatty (yet intelligent and of course beautiful) female protagonist, handsome, rich, attractive (yet manipulative) male love interest (with an amazing butt, naturally). And every woman's secret dream of filling a Victorian house in the 'burb...more
horrible...just plain horrible. don't waste your time. first, there's hardly a story or any conflict...second, the characters aren't developed AT ALL, there's just random tid bits from their pasts, but nothing goes into detail. last, and worst of all, for a romance this novel was hardly romantic, there weren't even any kissing scenes, like no description whatsoever. It just says like "he kissed her". WHAT? what the hell am I supposed to do with that...HOW did he kiss her dammit...I can do with n...more
I had heard so much about Janet Evanovich and about how funny her books are. So I grabbed this book when I saw it in the library.
I liked the book but not as much as I expected to. And although I smiled a few times I did not find it that funny. Weird considering how much my sister liked the sense of humor in this book.
The good part was that it was a quick, light read. I read it in a single sitting which is very rare these days. That could probably be the reason for the 3 stars.
Sadly I did not con...more
I liked the book but not as much as I expected to. And although I smiled a few times I did not find it that funny. Weird considering how much my sister liked the sense of humor in this book.
The good part was that it was a quick, light read. I read it in a single sitting which is very rare these days. That could probably be the reason for the 3 stars.
Sadly I did not con...more
This was the worst Evanovich book I have read to date. It was the same cheesy romance as the rest of her earlier books. But girl meets guy by spying on him while he is changing. And when she finally sees him naked eventually, he says something along the lines of "See it is more than a few inches." Ewww. The girl's name is Lingdonberry, which is the worst name I have ever heard for a character. There are three random old ladies thrown in, and I am not really even sure where they came from. There...more
I come back to this book every time I need to happy break - a push to chill out. I've lost count how many times I've read it, and it always puts me in a good mood. Berry Knudsen is trying to get her life back on track. She has a plan: finish school, work at her pizza place, get married, etc. But life gets in the way in the form of three really adorable old ladies and Jake Sawyer, who meets Berry and has a plan of his own.
I really love Evanovich's early romance series - they're light, funny and...more
I really love Evanovich's early romance series - they're light, funny and...more
I checked this one out as a downloadable audiobook when I was testing our new service (OneClick Digital) and needed something to practice with. I love Janet Evanovich's books and thought this one sounded like a light, fun thing to listen to in the car on my way home. Well...it is light and fluffy...and utterly, teeth-grindingly idiotic. I listened to the first half hour, and it didn't get any better, so I will not be listening to the rest.
Reading the print version might have been better. At leas...more
Reading the print version might have been better. At leas...more
At this point we all know I love Janet Evanovich. This was again one of her pre-Plum romances. Honestly, I love them the most! They are all somewhat similar, and of course have formulas. But I don't care. They are cute, witty, crazy little circumstances, always with a fun main character, sometimes ditsy, this one (Berri) wasn't, and have a hunk of a man for them, with crazy supporting characters. You can definitely see the development of Stephanie Plum's character and story line, and supporting...more
A very whimical story with a young woman who owns a pizza parlor, a handsome man who is rich, and three crazy senior citizens saved from living on the streets at the railroad. The heroine is delivering pizza at a lonely house when a cat caught in a tree has to be rescued. She climbs into the tree, watches the handsome man undressing through the window and falls out of tree landing on her pizza which she was delivering. He rescues her and takes her home after her old car rolls away and crashes. I...more
It's fluff. The latest release in the JE screwball comedies is readable, entertaining and NOT mentally challenging. Which was just what I was in the mood for when I read it so it worked for me. All the usual elements appear - wacky old ladies [but not Elsie, sad to say:], dogs, hunky heroes with a sense of humor and heroines with a PLAN...
The Grand Finale
Foul Play
Thanksgiving
Manhunt
Love Overboard
Back to the Bedroom
Smitten
Wife for Hire
The Rocky Road to Romance
Naughty Neighbor
The Grand Finale
Foul Play
Thanksgiving
Manhunt
Love Overboard
Back to the Bedroom
Smitten
Wife for Hire
The Rocky Road to Romance
Naughty Neighbor
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Janet Evanovich is the #1 bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum novels, twelve romance novels, the Alexandra Barnaby novels and graphic novels, Wicked Appetite (the first book in the Lizzy and Diesel series,) and How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author.
Also published books under the name Steffie Hall.
More about Janet Evanovich...
Also published books under the name Steffie Hall.
Share This Book
6 trivia questions
More quizzes & trivia...
“Throwing up is not a group activity”
—
3 people liked it
More quotes…
