Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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Noelle’s Wish

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Noelle’s Wish
(A Christmas Tale #1)
by Nicole Garcia

This started a little slow but picked up pretty quickly and pulled me right along with it. The characters are interesting and well crafted enough that you cannot help but like them. I was even happier that it actually had a lot to do with the season itself and not just a title. There are some issues with grammar, word misuse, and missing words which kind of make you stumble as you are reading.

Noelle Andrews attends the Christmas party given by her employer with her best friend Eve but is not particularly happy about it. Noelle’s mother died during childbirth on Christmas day but had already named her baby and loved her. Noelle’s life after that was less than pleasant until she met Eve and her family who have made her a part of their lives. She wishes for the fairy tale but does not expect to get it.

This is a sweet story about a girl who had nothing and wanted only what she felt she was worth. Sometimes the fairy tale does come true.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I turned to walk out of the room, but he grabbed my arm preventing me from leaving. “There’s no need for you to leave. I enjoyed watching your eyes widen and the expressions you made when you saw all the books. I think you’re beautiful,” he said in a raspy voice.

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Ghost Story

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Ghost Story
(The Dresden Files #13)
by Jim Butcher,
James Marsters (Narrator)

I have been reading the Dresden files for years and still cannot get enough. This is my second time around with this particular title having read it for the first time in 2012. I even watched the short lived television series, which may not have been perfect but was nice for those who wanted to see Harry brought to life. He truly lives in these books however with James Marsters as his voice.

While this may not be the best of the series it still gives us the true feeling of who Harry and his friends are. We have a lot of growth from characters that we have seen in the past for a short time. A lot of the usual characters are only seen sporadically in a limited capacity. I would have liked to get more from Murphy and the Alphas as well as Thomas, though it was nice to have Butters in a more active role. This picks up from the end of book 12 with Harry realizing what has happened.

Harry Dresden once a Warden of the White Council and the only practicing wizard in Chicago finds himself on the other side of the veil. There he is met by several people who he knew in life who inform him that he has to go back and identify his killer or some of his friends will die. In order to communicate he has to go find Mortimer Lindquist who is an ectomancer (?), he can see and speak to ghosts. What Harry does not know is that with his death all the power hungry supernaturals have converged on Chicago and his friends are the only thing standing between them and a nightmare.

Yeah, like I said it may not be the best but a true Harry Dresden fan will still have to read/listen to it. If you have not tried the audible book version I would suggest you do just that, the narration is well worth doing this again.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Naughty Christmas Eve

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Naughty Christmas Eve
(Eve #1)
by Olivia Rigal

I liked this until the end where it just ended abruptly with no further explanation. The characters were three dimensional and had a life that seemed good. The background characters were not well defined in this book but maybe will be later. The only location to get any real description was the courthouse in Paris but the locations were secondary to everything else anyway. The writing was sometimes a bit awkward but smoothed out mostly, except for that ending.

Eve Stevens lives and works in Paris as an attorney. Her main focus had been helping other Americans moving or living there with things like finding homes, or other personal things. She takes a divorce case from a young couple that is simple and amicable, and later finds herself handling divorce cases almost exclusively. She wants to stop and with her vacation to Florida coming up she makes the one she is on her last.

Guillaume De La Landrerie is a Corporate attorney who happens to be in the family court and spots Eve. He is there to help out his ex-wife, though Eve thinks differently, and decides he must get to know the beautiful lawyer. But that will have to wait because he is on his way to Florida on business and so will have to look her up when he returns.

I was totally into the story, though the sex was only luke warm, and could not wait to see where it was heading. Turns out it was heading nowhere because the story just ended, no noticeable cliff hanger or anything, just done. I really hated the ending! I went to try and find the last two books and am not able to find them anywhere at any book seller, so I cannot even finish it. Though I guess I know where it was headed just not who she chose. The sex is responsible however, I am always happy to see condom use when the people have just met.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Willow Brown

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Willow Brown, Christmas Fairy
(The Willow Brown Stories #2.5)
by John Osborne

True rating is 3.5 stars. This was a nice enough story though it also says that there is an erotic component. There is a light sex scene in the book but nothing to worry about if you prefer none. The characters are fairly well presented though they could be more fleshed out. The fairy in this case is kind of different from what I am used to.

Willow Brown is a human sized fairy who also has wings and can fly. Noah Phelps is human and Willows boyfriend. They share a special relationship wherein they have a psychic link and are semi-telepathic. Noah was not with her the previous Christmas and she was very upset with him, this year he will give her more than she could have expected.

A short story that is entertaining but nothing particularly special. I would say for the season it would be a nice diversion on a slow night.

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

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Without You

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Without You
by Adrianne James

This was super short but was more than able to convey its story in an emotional way. I felt very close to the main male character right away. There is not a lot of character development but you still feel that you can relate to them. The language and sentiment of the piece is wonderful.

Logan has gotten a leave from the military in order to go home for Christmas to see the girl who he loves who does not want to be with him because he is in the military. Serenity does not want to be a military wife and would rather lose the love of her life than try.

This is a sweet story that gives you a feeling of Christmas, patriotism, and love. I did not particularly like Serenity even though she was not even in it until the very end. I would still recommend this to anyone looking for a nice holiday story.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was as if this one Christmas was the perfect day to their wonderful families and they could all for one day pretend that they hadn’t a worry in the world.

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Firecracker

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Firecracker
(Last Call #6)
by Moira Rogers

This is the last book in the Last Call series and I am hoping that maybe another will turn up at some time. This short form erotica has worked for me partly because of the use of paranormal characters and a drink that can get them together. While it at first seems that it is about one night stands there is a serious element of romance behind the pairings.

Firecracker: Too hot to handle. Looking for a fireproof lover.

Phoebe Capello is the mythical Phoenix. She is lonely and has been celibate for years because it is almost impossible to find a lover who can handle fire. Jarrett Chance is a stunt driver and a Hell hound who has no problem with fire. He lives danger every day and finds a night with Phoebe to be both thrilling and dangerous.

If you have not tried this series you should definitely give it a look. Kamikaze will get you started and you may not stop until you get here. Enjoy!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Frostbite

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Frostbite
(Last Call #5)
by Moira Rogers

This was another perfect vignette that captured a moment which could only happen in this world. The characters came across perfectly regarding who and what they were. The club has been established though we really do not have a concrete description of the place only pieces. The language changes for each character to show that they are individuals but because they are in the same place there are references that seem to come up all the time. I love the concept of these books.

Frostbite: Looking for a partner immune to supernatural seduction.

Kelsey Almeida has lived a lot of her life in silence, she is a Siren, and her voice can make men do anything she desires. Kelsey has gone to the Last Call to find out someone who will not fall at the first word she speaks.

Cain is a reaper who cannot be swayed by human emotion but does have human needs. He finds the Siren beautiful and knows that because of the ice in his veins her voice cannot move him to obsession like a mortal man.

The perfect couple once again brought together. Recommended just like the others because it is short but very entertaining, not to mention extremely hot!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kelsey was perilously close to melting his frozen soul, and he was too hungry to stop her. God help them both.

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Virgin Daiquiri

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Virgin Daiquiri
(Last Call #4)
by Moira Rogers

It has been a while since I have started reading a series and then just kept going but this is something I want to do. With the start of the next book at the end of each it is easy to move on easily.

Caitlin Carlson has gone to the Last Call to lose her virginity in order to save her life. She comes from a family of black magic users who want increase their power. Leo is a demon who usually does not get involved, but cannot seem to stop himself from taking her upstairs. An unlikely but apparently fated couple.

Definitely recommend!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She’d teased Ben once, telling him that a complimentary drink was a poor consolation prize if you’d come to the bar looking for a night of hot sex, but he’d just laughed. Probably because it almost never happens… please don’t happen now.

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Tequila Sunrise

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Tequila Sunrise
(Last Call #3)
by Moira Rogers

Must start out by saying that I love a good menage story and this is definitely one. I love the characters and that they may have come for it but were still a bit reluctant. The Tequila Sunrise when ordered lets everyone know that you are looking for a dominant, in this case there are two people looking. This is fast and satisfying, for the characters and the reader.

Werewolf Eve and her boyfriend Kieran are at the Last Call to find a dominant for Alpha Eve. Because they do everything together Kieran will be accompanying her to the room and maybe helping in her submission. Zack at first is not interested in the couple but changes his mind when he thinks about what he needs and what it helps him with. Three people all looking for more than just a release.

This was extremely hot!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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The Hypocrisy of the British Royal Family

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This is a departure from what I write about but I had to get my thoughts down before they are scrambled.

I was always a little into the Royal family but never anything very big. Liked to see the weddings and when babies were born I was interested. But in 2016 when the possibility of an American joining the family became real I became much more interested. I had always been into Prince Harry because he appeared to be a real guy not your paper cut out Prince.

Earlier this month that American and her Prince were hounded out of his country by a racist, sexist and xenophobic media, which surprisingly included not only tabloids but their so called main stream media as well. They also seem to have been treated the same way by his family who worked behind the scenes to break his marriage or get them out. How could so many who claimed to love this man turn around and try to end his happiness?

Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex requested that he be allowed to continue his royal duties part time and stop receiving the subsidy that all royals receive from a tax payer fund. They denied his request and essentially told him he had to give up supporting the Queen or keep doing things their way, including putting their lives and reputations into the hands of a media that has done nothing but vilify and hound them for 3 years. He refused to continue being the whipping boy for a media who has so much power they dictate terms to the Royal family, government and the country.

What makes them hypocrites is the fact that when Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge got married he was not only allowed to play at being a regular working guy, he was allowed to be a part time working royal and apparently collect tax payer money at the same time. He and his new wife did not become full time working royals until his little brother found someone to marry. This means that for 6 (six) years he was allowed to represent the Queen and country on an as needed basis. Why? And why was it denied to that little brother?Was it the fact that he was to popular or is it that Game of Thrones is not just a fiction but the way these people think.

This “family” is anything but since they are more than willing to throw their own out when the media or the public as told by the media tell them what to do. How can anyone live a life that’s about nothing more than making headlines for a country that treats you like nothing more than a side show.

Rant over and while the writing may not be eloquent, it is heart felt.