Review – Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men (Jane Jameson, Book 2) by Molly Harper (4/5 stars)

This is the second book in the Jane Jameson trilogy (the third book is Nice Girls Don’t Live Forever).  It was a great installment in the series, although I didn’t like it quite as much as the first book.

Jane has gotten roped in to being the Maid of Honor at Zeb and Jolene’s wedding and is stuck playing sympathetic ear to their problems with the future werewolf in-laws.  Meanwhile Gabriel, supposedly in love forever with Jane, keeps disappearing on business out of town and won’t tell Jane what it’s about.  As if that’s not bad enough Jane’s grandmother is planning marriage to the guy she brought as a date to her last husband’s funeral; and there is something seriously off about grandma’s new flame.

I didn’t like this book as much as the previous book because the story line is pretty scattered.  Jane bounces between dealing with money problems, Gabriel’s absence, Zeb’s problems with Jolene’s family, Jolene’s problems with Zeb’s mother, and her grandma’s strange boyfriend.   It is kind of unfocused.  Most of the issues are dealt with and wrapped up by the end of the book, but the plot wasn’t as tight as the first book.

I still enjoyed all the crazy characters and their hilarious antics.  I enjoy the intelligent and witty banter between the characters.  It was nice getting to know Dick better and getting to learn more about Jane’s employer at the occult book shop.

There were a few things that bothered me some.  We don’t see a ton of Gabriel and his relationship with Jane doesn’t progress much from where it was in the first book.  Then there are the women in Jane’s family.  Where they were pretty funny in the first book, in this book Jane’s evil female relatives just got to be a bit much for me.  We do see a little tenderness added to the character of Jane’s mother, but Jane’s sister and grandmother are evil and vile creatures that I got sick of reading about.  Hopefully Harper either spends less time with these characters in the third book, or gives them a bit…more…well character.

Overall this was a fun and witty read and I enjoyed it.  I thought the plot wandered around more than it should of and I missed Gabriel.  I also am sick of Jane’s evil female relatives.  I am really looking forward to the third book though, to see how all of the Gabriel issues are resolved.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– The 100+ Book Reading Challenge
– Summer Romance Reading Challenge