Nice Girls Don't Live Forever

This is the third book in what looks to be a trilogy by Harper. I say that because this book definitely felt like a goodbye. It managed to wrap up everyone's stories nicely and if it is the last I see of this character I will be satisfied, if maybe a little disappointed that I won't get to read more of Jane's hijinx.

The story picks up right where Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men left off. Jane, the recently undead ex-librarian and her undead boyfriend/sire Gabriel are traveling through Europe on an extended vacation. Unfortunately, they aren't exactly enjoying themselves. Gabriel is acting funny which makes Jane suspicious. When she less than inadvertently reads one of the mysterious notes Gabriel has been receiving, she becomes convinced that he is having an affair. So, when Zeb calls to tell Jane that her bookstore was broken into, it's the perfect excuse for Jane to test Gabriel by telling him she wants to go home to straighten things out. When he doesn't beg her to stay and practically pushes her out the door, Jane returns to Half Moon Hollow alone and broken hearted. There's no time for wallowing in self pity (okay, maybe a little time) though so Jane rolls up her sleeves and gets to work. The bookstore needs to get up and running, and Zeb and Jolene need her support as their marriage hits another milestone. Jane thinks she has managed to put Gabriel behind her until threatening letters start to arrive written on the same color paper as the letters sent to Gabriel. Can Jane figure out how Gabriel really feels and who is behind the letters before her time runs out?

The Jane Jameson books are a lot of fun, laugh-out-loud fun. While I don't think this installment was quite as funny as the first two, it still had lots of good laughs. Like the first two books, NGDLF is also a character-driven story and Jane continues to grow as a character. The focus this time is all about her circle of relationships and how she interacts or reacts with them. Sometimes, she manages to be proactive, sometimes she just shuts down completely. Since it is most likely the end of the series, the book for the most part goes about wrapping up everyone's loose ends, and there is definitely some fence mending. Fans will be satisfied with everyone's HEA.

If you are looking for a quick, light, very funny read, this series will do nicely. Start with Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs.

2010-088

Nice girls don't live forever is the third book in molly harpers series and all I can say that hasen't been said is that you will be in tears from laughter.

This book starts off with jane and gabriel travelling through europe on a romantic vacation only things arn't going so great.
Gabriel is always away with some sort of meeting and there is always an envelope at the front desk of each hotel (and there are many) that they stay at, and he won't show them to jane.

Jane doesn't want to be the jelous girlfriend type but enough is enough and when she finds parts of one of the letters saying things like"she can never satisfy you like I can" and "love you bloodmate" well that's the final nail in the coffin.

She picks up the phone to tell her best friend zeb that she's comming home and he tell's her that there was a break in at her store but not to worry because andrea and dick are taking care of things. This is all the more reason to leave so she tells gabriel and he says NOTHING!, ok he actually says it's for the best. (ass)

Now jane is hurt and left wondering if gabriel just dumped her (the creep) at least she has a nice homecomming. Zeb is waiting at the airport and he has great news. His blushing werewolf bride jolene is pregnant.
When Jane gets home there are no messages from gabriel so she goes to sleep only to be awaken by her mother, who is now very pro vampire but still very annoying! After catching up with her mom jane decides to check out the dammage at the store and when she arrives andrea and dick are there gitting things ready for the big opening and that's when jane breaks down and wonders what's happened to her happy undead life.

Over the next couple of weeks a lot is happening which leaves little time to think of gabriel, there's the opening of her bookstore, getting ready for zeb and jolene's baby or litter and trying to figure out who is sending her letters telling her to stay away from gabriel or else, plus there's the little bar fight mishap thanks to dick!!
Just before the opening a stranger is camped out on the door step he says he is emery the nephew of mr.wainwright(her old boss and newly ghost boyfriend to her great aunt). Unsure what to do with him jane invites him to stay for the grand opening and the whole time he makes a real pest of himself.
After a sucessful night they are just about to close when gabriel comes strolling in and he looks like crap! He tell's jane how much he missed her but when he moves in for the kiss she steps aside and tells him to leave.
Going home alone jane is determined to make changes in her life. 1. to make her business bloom 2. have a stable relationship with gabriel(hopefully)3. have a better relationship with her sister(but not holding her breath on his one)

Jane is keeping good with things but trouble is brewing with the strange letters as they are getting more threatning and accidents are happening and emery is making things very hard for her but at least gabriel is starting to take things more seriously with her. Now jane must be careful or everything she has ever wanted will crash down on her.

This wasn't the best book of the series but it was still great and leaves me wanting much more. This is the kind of series that would make a great spin off. I can't wait to see what happens next.

2010-30

Jane is supposed to be travelling around the world with her boyfriend Gabriel having the time of their lives. Gabriel starts acting all weird. Having them change hotels frequently, leaving her by herself when they go out, phone calls that he takes to the other room and mysterious letters. Jane finally has enough and goes home. Gabriel does nothing to stop her and says it's for the best. Does his mean that he broke up with her?

A broken hearted Jane returns home and puts her efforts into getting over Gabriel with the opening of her new bookstore and joining the local chamber of commerce. Zeb and Jolene are also expecting twins.

Things seem to be starting to pick up when Jane has a create store re-opening when Gabriel returns to her life. Jane tells him to either explain himself or get out of her life. Gabriel walks chooses to walk away.

Jane starts getting letters from the Jeanine, the same Jeanine that was sending Gabriel the letters in Europe. Jeanine says that Gabriel also sired her and that everything that he says is a lie. After a short lived reunion between Gabriel and Jane. Gabriel finds out that Jeanine is now contacting Jane, and once again walks away. Jane is now at her whit's end. Her heart wants Gabriel, and her head wants a "normal" healthy and mature relationship.

After Jane is attacked Gabriel finally explains that Jeanine is not quite right, no kidding. She is a vampire hypochondriac. Jeanine has been following Gabriel around for year's trying to get him to "complete" the change, that she is only half a vampire. Jeanine's problem is all in her head, but the danger she poses to Jane and all those around Jane is not. One of Jane's closest friends does not survive Jeanine.

Book three is just as laugh out loud funny as the first three. I found that when I finished this book I finally got a sense of the storey came together. It was not until I finished this one that I realised that the books were really like one storey separated into three sections. You really should read all three books to get the full storey arc.

Jane returns from her trip to Europe with Gabriel unsure of where their relationship stands - did he dump her? Were all the mystery notes and phone calls evidence of his cheating? Who the heck is Janine? With more questions than answers Jane returns home unsure of where she stands with Gabriel, and makes plans to create a "Brave New Jane". She throws herself into the launch of her bookstore and develops a steady clientele of human and non-human customers. Dick and Andrea play a larger role in this book as they help Jane with her store and her attempts to get over Gabriel and, of course, Dick helps Jane get into trouble.

Although she and Gabriel are still on the outs Jane starts receiving anonymous letters from a person claiming to be a former lover and warning Jane of Gabriel and warning her to stay away from him. To add to her troubles Mr. Wainwright's estranged nephew shows up and insists on hanging around the bookstore much to everyone's chagrin. There are a couple of side-plots that didn't really go anywhere other than to allow final resolution between characters, but I think that's part of the charm of the series - it's all about the little things. Harper was initially contracted for three books (not sure if this will change) and she provides satisfying conclusions for most of the characters.

I've liked this series more and more with each book to the point where I think I'm in love with Jane. Harper writes with intelligent humour (it's great to see a herione who is smart and humerous rather than the hummour being at the expense of the lead character) and her books are really quite funny. The Nice Girls series is a little closer to general fiction than urban fantasy in my opinion - yes there are vampires, but the plots centre on more traditional themes (we've seen fiendish realtors and conniving mothers - no big bad world ending demon plots here) and centre around Jane's family, friends and the community of Half-moon Hollow. What Nice Girls Don't Live Forever does have is geriatric cat-fights, stun guns and sibling mud wrestling - and really what more can you ask for in a book? 9 out of 10