A friend recommended this series to me. Great, light reading. Hairdresser Bubbles Jablonsky solves crimes. (Think Stephanie Plum) ( )

Synopsis: Bubbles Yablonsky is a hairdresser with a smart mouth and a love of spandex clothing. Her divorce decree allowed her to take all the college classes she wanted to; unfortunately she was a dismal student until it came to journalism. Her passion for writing news articles led her to hunt for information about a ten year old murder and put herself in harm's way.
Review: Written in much the same style as mysteries by Evanovich, this was a nicely written tale. The characters are sympathetic and the situations are believable, for the most part. This book was fun to read and kept the actual perpetrator of the crime a secret until the last couple of chapters. ( )

This was a lot of fun and very much along the lines of Janet Evanovich. I can see why they are friends. I love a book that can make me laugh out-loud while I'm reading it. ;) ( )

Bubbles Yablonsky is a gum-snapping bottle blond, heavy on the make-up, skimpy on the clothes (tube tops/hot pants, HIGH heels), amply endowed in the right places hairdresser in Lehigh PA. The shop, Sandi's House of Beauty, is experiencing a downturn in clientele, which translates to a downturn in tips, which in turn translates into not enough money to pay the bills or feed her pre-teen daughter. Bubbles' ex-husband Dan (now he calls himself Chip) the attorney, was ordered by the divorce court to pay for Bubbles' higher education since her salary had funded his law-school education.

Therefore Bubbles decides to go back to school to increase her earning potential. Nine years later, she has attended and FAILED every course offered by the local community, except for Journalism...her last chance to make something of herself. She aces the course, and sets out to become a crack reporter. Her adventures are at times hilarious, at times a bit over the top, but the story is entertaining enough and comes to an expected ending.

This series has been compared to Janet Evanovitch's Stephanie Plum series. Meah......maybe......but these characters aren't doing it for me. Bubbles is too much of a caricature - sort of Flo (from Mel's Dinner) meets Stephanie. Bubble's mother Lulu is definitely no Grandma Mazur (on whom she seems to be modeled). The other characters, particularly the males, are wooden and lacking in any kind of appeal. The supposed love/lust interest "Stilleto", wouldn't even make it on the cover of a pulp romance. Chèli did allow as how this particular one, the first in the series, isn't as good as the rest, so I gave it 3 stars, and may try another sometime in the future to see if Bubbles is more than a pretty illusion floating through the air. Until then mark it for a perfect beach read, airy, light, bubbly, and as empty as that iced tea you just gulped down. ( )

Another recommendation and it turned out to be a good one, say?Bubbles is a single mother hairdresser from steel town Lehigh, Pennsylvania. In trying to better herself, she becomes a part-time newspaper reporter. While reporting one story, she stumbles upon a blockbuster murder.I'm definitely going to read the rest of the Bubbles series! ( )