Janet Evanovich’s “Stephanie Plum” series is now nineteen books long, not counting spin-off series. A while ago, I reviewed the first of the series “One for the Money.” The books was hilarious and quirky, so I kept reading.

Eighteen books later, I have just finished “Explosive Eighteen.” I blew through it as I do with most books I read, but this time I realized something. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I had read eighteen of these books and the same problems were still going on. Stephanie is still trying to decide between Joseph Morelli and Ranger, Vinnie is still a weasel, Stephanie almost quits every time and Lulu still wears far too much spandex.

While the books are entertaining and make me laugh until I cry, I think it’s time for Stephanie to make some decisions. You can only drag out a love triangle for so long. The great thing about the series is that anyone can jump into the middle and like the books. You will still laugh, but I can guarantee you’ll laugh harder if you’ve read them all.

While “Explosive Eighteen” does go into some more depth with a suspenseful Hawaii trip no one will talk about, I still need Stephanie Plum to get a move on it and choose Morelli.

What can I say?  I get attached to fictional characters.

The same plotlines are getting old, and the love triangle has gone from intriguing to frustrating and dull. While the books are still funny and function as a go-to quick read for me, Evanovich needs to put her foot on the gas and accelerate the story, hopefully giving readers of the next couple books something new to digest.