Books like Smokin' Seventeen

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich reads as humorous, lighthearted. These 12 books share its genome — matched by how they actually read, not just their shelf label.

What Smokin' Seventeen is like to read

A breezy, banter-heavy mystery-romp where the murder plot shares equal billing with a screwball love-triangle and family antics. Fast, funny, and light on real menace. Best for: readers who want a quick, comic cozy-thriller with romantic-comedy chaos.

To the Nines

Janet Evanovich · 2003

A breezy, wisecracking bounty-hunter caper that races from Jersey to Vegas, mixing family-comedy chaos with genuine menace from a pack of killer 'hunters.

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Bad monkey

Carl Hiaasen · 2013

A darkly comic romp through the Florida Keys and Bahamas, full of absurd characters and a wry, satirical eye on crime and corruption; reads fast and colorful rather than tense.

mildly eeriecomplete storydeep cut

Not fade away

Laurence Shames · 2003

Both explore crime

The Scared Stiff

Donald E. Westlake · 2013

A financially desperate couple's insurance fraud plot curdles into escalating deadly complications, told with Westlake's trademark blend of nervy tension and dark comedy.

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Motor Mouth

Janet Evanovich · 2006

A breezy, fast-moving comic mystery-romance road trip through NASCAR country, full of banter, quirky sidekicks, and a big dopey dog, prioritizing fun over suspense.

guaranteed HEAmildly eeriedeep cut

A Coyote's in the House

Elmore Leonard · 2004

A breezy animal-adventure tale where a spoiled celebrity dog's orderly world collides with a scrappy coyote's street smarts, delivering Leonard's trademark snappy dialogue in a kid

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Undead and unemployed

MaryJanice Davidson · 2004

Both explore relationships & humor

RULES FOR THE SUMMER

Meghan Quinn · 2025

A breezy, banter-driven summer rom-com that leans on forced-proximity charm and small-town chaos more than emotional heft.

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Grosso guaio a New York

Elisabetta Dami · 2007

A bright, breezy middle-grade mystery-adventure with the Thea Sisters chasing an arsonist through New York while cheering on a marathon — friendship-forward, low-stakes-feeling despite the threat, and briskly plotted.

mildly eerieyounger readerscomplete story

The Stupidest Angel

Christopher Moore · 2004

A darkly comic, absurdist zombie romp through a California town on Christmas Eve, driven by Moore's trademark wry voice and escalating chaos—expect exuberant hijinks laced with gore and whimsy rather than genuine dread.

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