Top Secret Twenty-One discussion

a contest should be run on who Stephanie to pick, joe or ranger and the guy with the most votes will be in next book

Joe

i'm partial to Ranger :)

Karen wrote: "a contest should be run on who Stephanie to pick, joe or ranger and the guy with the most votes will be in next book"

Great idea...I vote Ranger.

I keep going back to Ranger. He seems to make Stephanie's temperature go up more than Joe.

Cindy wrote: "I keep going back to Ranger. He seems to make Stephanie's temperature go up more than Joe."

Plus, he lets her be her. Also, Joe just seems to use her for his piece on the side. A perfect example is in the last book where he has a game day and everyone seems to be invited but Stephanie. Joe really does not bring her into any aspect of his life, except his bed. I think Ranger and Stephanie could do a great job of blending their lives (if she starts having some common sense).

I like both Morelli and Ranger. I look at it this way… Morelli is Burg & Stephanie is Burg. Ranger is mysterious & exciting. Stephanie likes her job because it’s exciting, something new every day. Stephanie amuses both Morelli & Ranger but Joe has a silly side in spite of his unsettling job. Ranger is too serious. Thus I think Ranger needs Stephanie more. She can make him smile & even laugh out loud. She makes life fun. He needs that. We all need that sense of fun to make us bother to get up in the mornings. Ranger already loves her for who she is, all he needs to do is realize how much he needs her.

I like both Joe and Ranger, However I believe Ranger loves and needs Stephanie he just doesn't know yet
that he wants to keep her.

Why can't Stephanie have both of them? Morelli as her lover and Ranger as her friend. Yeah, Ranger is hot, but he's eye-candy. (Okay, their relationship is a lot more complex than that.) The temperature in 21 was just right; Stephanie doesn't come off as some sort of slut, but we still get plenty of action. (In our culture, when men sleep around, it's macho. When women do, they're sluts. Hey, I didn't make the rules!) Evanovich got it just right in 21. My vote is try to keep the same balance in 22.

There is a third choice...Stephanie really seemed to warm up to Diesel in the off-number books. And his talents could be quite useful!

Ranger is exciting and mysterious. I like Joe and Ranger, but right now, Ranger gets my vote!

I think Joe is her destiny. He was her first and she's wanted him forever. Ranger is the sexy guy that gets the juices flowing. I think he will always be Stephanie's friend but Joe is the one for Stephanie. I did like the way Joe, Ranger and Stephanie interacted in 21. I wasn't as angry when the book was over. In the last four of five books I was feeling very frustrated with Stephanie because she seems to play with both guys but she won't make a commitment. In 21 she went to Joe's when she needed a place and she called him her kind of boyfriend. That's something.

Babe.

Ranger

Linda wrote: "Babe."

Good :)

Joe all the way. First, I see no reason to connect with anyone with a one word vocabulary. Second, I think Ranger is only interested in the chase and in annoying Joe. However, the series would not be the same without the tension.

Ranger. He needs her as much as she needs him. He told her in this book that if his life was different he would marry her basically. She got excited and almost giddy about just the thought which with Joe that would have sent her running. He also made a move on her and she stopped him because he wouldn't commit to her. If she was truly in love with Joe she wouldn't have asked if hints have changed or not.

I love Ranger for Stephanie. As many other people said, he really loves her in a way that I don't think we see out of Morelli. I think Morelli loves her, but in a comfortable we've-known-each-other-forever kind of way, and that one day he's not going to be able to tolerate her job and lifestyle and want her to change (the way he did in earlier books, but seems to have back off of in more recent ones). Morelli also doesn't demand commitment from her. Ranger accepts her for how she is and doesn't expect her to change.

In terms of JE finishing the love triangle, I've often thought about these points: 1) if she chose Ranger, there would be no more Morelli. I honestly think if Ranger presented himself as a full-on relationship option to Stephanie, she would go. Plus, there's no way Ranger would tolerate sharing her with Joe. He made that clear back several books ago and I have no doubt he'd make it clear again. 2)Stephanie doesn't seem capable of leaving Ranger alone to be fully committed to Morelli. And frankly, if Morelli really wanted her badly enough (for more than just sex), I think he'd put his foot down and say that if he couldn't have her all to himself, then he was done.

Ranger all the way. He loves her and she makes his life fun. He has lots of people around but only Stephanie has gotten up close and personal with him. So for him she's a keeper. Besides Morelli's mother nor grandma, Bella likes Stephanie, he isn't going against either or them to marry her. Not to mention he doesn't like her job and there were times throughout most of the books, Moreilli pushed her to Ranger and told him to take care of her. If he was in love, he wouldn't in trust his woman with somebody else. Last, Ranger always finds her when she is in trouble and does what it takes to get her back. That's love, Babe!!

Ranger, for three reasons:
Morelli's Mother and Grandmother aren't accepting of Stephanie and we all know that spells trouble for a marriage or a relationship.
Ranger lets her be herself and loves her just as she is. That is hard to come by.
Morelli has become so annoyed with Stephanie that he has taken 'breaks' from their relationship while Ranger always is there for her. Whether she needs a friend, a job, help with a take-down, a car, a place to stay, or rescuing, Ranger is there and does not criticize or censure her. He just wants her to be happy and ok. That spells love to me.

I don't think within the binary, which is the question at hand. I think Stephanie should enjoy love, in all it's many flavors, and continue on. If, she chooses to have a family she still does NOT have to choose marriage. Life, without marriage, can be glorious! Continue on Stephanie Plum.

Lela wrote: "I don't think within the binary, which is the question at hand. I think Stephanie should enjoy love, in all it's many flavors, and continue on. If, she chooses to have a family she still does NOT..."

Exactly! I don't get why people feel like she needs to 'settle down'. She can choose a guy and still be independent and single. Choosing doesn't have to mean marriage.

Exactly, Brittany. Also, NOT choosing and just Loving is an option as well.

Ranger!!!!!! Joe is great but she doesn't really trust him.