Everybody Loves Evie

No one does romantic comedy like Beth Ciotta! EVERYBODY LOVES EVIE, the second book in the Chameleon Chronicles after ALL ABOUT EVIE, combines fast-paced action and humor with a bit of mystery and tenderness as Evie and Chameleon come closer to home. An over 40 year old former lounge singer, Evie has turned secret agent in an organization of former con artists stinging cons, Evie is about to start a new life complete with a new job and her new love, Archie. The problem is that Archie is a con artist turned good but a con artist no less. How can Evie know if what they have is real? He knows her like no one else but isn't that part of the con? Her plans turn awry when Milo hires her for Chameleon, against Archie's advice, and develops a crush on Evie. Can she trust Milo when her job placement isn't quite what she imagined? Does she choose the good boy or the bad boy? When her nice prim and proper mother gets a new hairdo and starts primping, Evie knows there is a new man in her life and takes a leave of absence from Chameleon, or so she thinks. Milo and Archie join her and make it a mission complete with roles to play. Will Chameleon find the answers to the mystery and more importantly, will Evie find the answers to the questions of her heart? Beth Ciotta's Evie romances are a major breath of fresh air. Chronicled in first person monologue, with references to legendary film and television drama, EVERYBODY LOVES EVIE breaks all the rules of the chronicle tradition with its delightful offbeat character commentary on events and her involvement in unfolding events. Humorous, zany and just crazy at times, the action goes into the most unexpected places from a senatorial cover-up to Evie's Indiana hometown, from pyramid schemes and fraud to the tender places of the home and heart. Evie is a hilarious yet lovable self-contradiction in herself, describing herself as one quality and then listing the exceptions, all the while endearing herself to the reader with her humorous vision. Beth Ciotta writes some of the funniest lines writing in Evie's voice. When she reveals Evie's most tender thoughts, the reader can't resist loving Evie --- nor can the characters. Beth Ciotta mixes up her characters and their agent roles with humor and romance. Bad boy grifter and Scottish nobility, Archie plays both roles but who is the real Archie? As Evie learns more and more about the fine art of the con game, can she keep the boy and the job, creating for herself a modern fairy tale for a modern woman's passion and her girl's innocent heart? Once burned by her ex-husband, will Evie find a love, sweet and sexy, in this strange grifter turned agent world that might just trump even her childhood fantasies? As Arch and Milo learn more and more about Evie, will they and Chameleon ever be quite the same? EVERYBODY LOVES EVIE is a madcap comedy with a romantic story of the heart. Taking the chance to follow her dreams, Evie discovers her heart. She dares, taking a step into an

After the role of a lifetime as a Chameleon undercover agent in Vegas (see ALL ABOUT EVIE), the boss Milo Beckett hires fortyish character actress Evie Parish because he sees she has the "gift" needed to expose charlatans and grifts. Her bank president brother Christopher calls Evie to tell her the family needs her as their sexagenarian mom is acting strange with dance lessons and cashing in her war bonds worth six grand; especially since she don't need the money; he thinks she has a boyfriend who is hitting on her for cash in a "sweetheart scam". Milo says he is working on a senatorial scenario in nearby Hammond so they can kill two birds with one stone as he will join her in the mommy caper. Arch Reese who enjoyed being Evie's husband in Vegas and the after play follows Milo and Evie to Indiana as he feels protective of the newcomer and besides wants more action with her. In the Hoosier State, the triangle becomes involved with her estrange parents, the dance instructor and the senator and his wife as stings seem everywhere The newest Evie underground caper is a lighthearted romp starring a spirited heroine and an eccentric support cast that seem to come out of Eerie, Indiana. Evie is terrific holding the zany plot together from the demands of the extended family, the senatorial scam, and her own sweetheart issues as she ponders Milo, Arch or both. Fans who appreciate a fun amusing frolic will appreciate Evie proving you can't go home without scamming the locals. Harriet Klausner

I had read "All About Evie" & liked it, but I love this continuation of the story. We learn more about Evie, Arch & Milo. Lots of laughs in this as well. I have a feeling the next book will be about Milo & Nic.