Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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A Lost Witch

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A Lost Witch
(A Modern Witch #7)
by Debora Geary,
Martha Harmon Pardee (Narrator)

This is the last entry in the Modern Witch series and they go out on a somber but high note. The characters have continued to evolve and become more able to draw me into their world and their lives. The world is the same one I inhabit but seems more because of the magic that is so abundant. The story has moved forward effortlessly from day one and as they have added more characters things have continued to build toward a finale that might not be expected.

The fetching spell seems to have found another witch but it did not work the regular way. This witch has sent a simple message,’ help me’, and that is just what they intend to do. Lauren takes the lead here and finds their errant witch in a mental hospital. The first thing to do is verify that she is actually a witch.

Hannah has been a resident of Chrysalis House for the past 12 years, since she was admitted by her family at age fifteen. She has spells where she sees things that sometimes come true and other times do not, but they always wreck havoc with her mind. When she is offered the chance at a normal life she is willing to do anything.

This was the perfect ending for a sweet series.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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Enslaved

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Enslaved
(Eternal Guardians #5)
by Elisabeth Naughton

The story picks up a couple of weeks after the end book four. Gryphon has been locked away in his room going slowly insane with the call of Atalanta in his head. Mealea has more or less found herself a part of the colony but is plotting on how to get away for their good. Orpheus is still worried about his brother but feels he can get over what happened to him in the Underworld.

Orpheus gets Titus to back him and they take Gryphon to a village where hell hounds have been spotted. Gryphon goes berserk on the hell hounds but does not stop there causing some serious damage to both Nick and Titus before he can be stopped. Nick wants Gryphon out of the colony immediately and Orpheus makes plans to do just that. When Gryphon spots Mealea making her move to leave he follows and forces her to help get him out. Because they see Gryphon forcing Mealea they assume he took her and that she is in danger. It becomes a race between the Argonauts and Nicks people on who will find Gryphon first and whether he will end up dead or saved.

There was some great action in here between the chases, fights, schemers, betrayals, and tween angst. Anyone who has enjoyed the Eternal Guardians will have to read this as another guardian finds his soul mate and wrestles with his dark side.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She was his. For better or worse, for however long they had together. She was his alone.

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Enraptured

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Enraptured
(Eternal Guardians #4)
by Elisabeth Naughton

Orpheus is the bad boy that you cannot help but love. He has done everything to make himself unlovable to others and yet he still has those who can see the good in him. I was totally happy to see his story. This was full of sacrifice, fated love, fated betrayal, and heroics. The language was just right to draw you further and further into the story with appearances by Argonauts and their mates that kept it moving at a steady pace.

Skyla is given an assignment by Athena that she figures will be routine, kill Orpheus, get the Orb and bring it back to Zeus. This is something she has done many times over her 2000 years as a Siren. But after meeting Orpheus she discovers something that Zeus and Athena failed to tell her, and if they did not tell her about this, what else might they be keeping from her.

Orpheus is hunting the sorcerer who sent his brother Gryphon’s soul to Tartarus, and stole the Orb to build his power. When a Siren shows up he knows what to expect but she does not act in the way he thought she would. Because of this he goes after Maelea, the daughter of Zeus and Persephone, which opens up a whole new set of problems.

This was a really good story that I am so glad got told. The Guardians may be the descendants of the gods but they are also men who have to figure out where they fit into the world around them. Everyone should take time for this lesson in mythology.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Not trust. There is none.
Not honesty. Honesty is a farce.
And definitely not love. Love was the greatest ruse of all. Designed to trap and enslave and ultimately destroy.”
― Elisabeth Naughton, Enraptured

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Undone

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Undone
(Vampire Awakenings #5)
by Brenda K. Davies

I have been reading this series since the first book and have loved every one of them. This one literally grabbed me with the first sentence and I could not put it down until I had gotten to the end. I am not even sure what it was about this that had me so captivated but it was something that I want to experience again. The characters were so vivid and alive that I could see what was happening to them every step of the way. The situations were plausible and did not seem so fantastic that they were totally unbelievable. It flowed perfectly and kept you engrossed and sunk into the world that was being built around you.

Abby Byrne has been warned about Brian Foley by her family, saying he is dangerous and a monster. But when they find themselves in trouble and need someone who knows how to kill they call on him. Well this time Abby needs his help and does not want to tell her family what is going on. Her twin sister, Vicky, has gone missing and she needs someone who can help find her without alarming her parents or siblings.

There is another thing between her and Brian that she had hoped to avoid for a few more years if at all possible. The first and only time she had seen him was in a hotel room when she was fifteen and he was saving her and her sister from a killer, that he had led to her family. But after that night she could not get him out of her mind and dreamed about him for years. She really hopes that it doesn’t mean what she fears it might.

This was a story that will be really enjoyed by those who have read the previous stories, especially since you do get to check in with some of the other family members. I highly recommend this series and this book. There is some violence, sex, mutilations, and drug use.

**Tavia Gilbert is a great narrator who continues to bring the characters in these novels to life.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Humans know they face death every day, yet they bravely go out into the world. They smile, laugh, and love all while knowing it could be over in the next instant. We’re immortal and yet they’re a far more resilient species. I mean, how is it possible to live so much while knowing death is the only end they will have?”

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A Caress of Twilight

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A Caress of Twilight
(Merry Gentry #2)
by Laurell K. Hamilton (Goodreads Author),
Laural Merlington (Narrator)



This was a perfect entry in the story as it has progressed so far. The writing continues to develope the characters and bring them more fully into the light. I love this series just as much as I do the Anita Blake series. They are somewhat similar with multiple male characters who are a part of the romantic life of the lone female. But vampires and faeries are two totally different types of mythological creatures.

Meredith and her men return to Los Angeles and all go to work for the Grey detective agency. With the addition of real Sidhe warriors to the company business picks up in a big way. Merry is asked to the scene of a murder by Detective Lucy of the LAPD because she does not think that it is a simple slaying. After seeing what happened though Merry does not know what happened Rhys has seen more and tells Merry what killed them is bad and he knows the spell from a long time ago.

Merry has also been summoned by a Sidhe living in exile who has a request to make of Merry in her capacity as the descendant of fertility goddesses. Merry wants to know why she was exiled from the Seelie Court by Taranis before she agrees to help her since she is already risking her life and that of her men by even being around her. What she learns brings death to a lot of people and them scrambling to find a solution.

Reading it the first time took me away and made me fall completely under the spell of the story. This narrator does the same thing only I feel even more because she really does make it seem even more real. Great book!



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White Trash Zombie Gone Wild

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White Trash Zombie Gone Wild
(White Trash Zombie #5)
by Diana Rowland (Goodreads Author),
Allison McLemore (narrator)



This was of course another fun time with our favorite zombie and her friends. The language and dialogue continue to be perfect for these characters. They have all evolved, especially Angel, and have become more interesting with each subsequent book. I do have a good time when I read these books because I always laugh out loud at some of the things this girl seems to get herself into

Well the zombie movie they made in town is about to premiere and they have decided to make it a big deal that coincides with Fat Tuesday celebrations. Angel at first was not going to participate but when she is invited to be a VIP by one of her co-workers she changes her mind. There is something more going on at the opening that could spell a lot of trouble for the tribe as well. A mockumentary that claims zombies are real and seems to have proof.

Oh, and Angel has managed to get herself hooked on a drug when zombies cannot be. Her addictive personality kicks in and she ends up relying on a drug that was intended for zombies in combat. But when things get to there worse, our little White Trash Zombie comes to the rescue.

Definitely a good one. Enjoy!


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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Angel Seduced

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Angel Seduced
(The Hidden #3)
by Jaime Rush



I started this series with the second book instead of the first but that was not a bad thing. While each book has a similar theme and is apparently happening within the same time frame each is still enough of a self contained story that you do not loose anything if you start off wrong. The story is fun, sexy, and engrossing. The characters are deep with feelings and problems that are universal and make you want to get to know them better. You cannot help but keep reading because the action starts almost immediately and if you stop you might
miss something.

Kye Rivers is a Zensu Deuce, she can tell when someone is having sexual issues with her magick. Kasabian is a Caido (half angel) who craves emotions, even though they hurt him, and works at the bar Kye frequents and works out of. Kasabian is immediately drawn to Kye but knows he should stay away. Kye has developed a method that allows the Caido to feel and have relationships, something that very much interests Kasabian because of a side effect it has.

Kasabian was kidnapped as a child but does not remember anything significant about it. Children are starting to disappear again and when one escapes and turns out to have the same mark on his chest that Kasabian does he goes to Kye for help in remembering. While he did not plan it he finds himself pulled to Kye and she feels the same but neither thinks it a good idea. Hopefully they will live long enough to sort it out.


My rating: 5 of 5 stars



“Do you visit other Muses then?” She gave him a stern look. “And don’t say a word about me being jealous. I’m just…curious.” He gave her a sly smile. “Of course you are. For the record, I haven’t had empty, meaningless sex in a long time. It was easier to not think about that aspect of my life.” Was easier. Her ego was eating up the fact that he was obsessed with her, that she was the one who’d awakened that part of him. Bad ego. Bad, bad ego.”
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Abducted-Part 1

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abducted part 1Abducted Part 1: Through the Looking Glass
(Alien Mate Index .5)
by Evangeline Anderson

 

 

I was pulled into this story right from the beginning. I was happy to see what this new series is going to be like and it looks like another fun trip through space. The characters start out strong and continue to build in the short span of the story. The language is perfect and conveys everything from the emotions to the locale in vivid detail.

Zoe McKinley is living a normal boring life with a mundane job and a boss from hell, but things are about to change. Sarden sees Zoe on the Alien Mate Index (AMI), a type of interstellar mail order brides. He purchases her, which she has no idea about, and has her transported to the space station. Zoe is informed she will never go home and is being traded to some other alien. She will do whatever it takes to get back home. Sarden has plans to keep that from happening.

This was the perfect length to whet my appetite for the new series. I like Zoe, I like Sarden, I even like A.L., this is going to be a fun group. Definitely recommend.

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

 

 

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A Kiss of Shadows

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a kiss of shadowsA Kiss of Shadows

(Merry Gentry #1)
by Laurell K. Hamilton

 

This was my second reading of this book and I am going to go back and read all those that came after. I loved it the first time and this time was just more of the same. The characters are all so individualized that you have something/someone new when they are introduced. The story is outside the norm which makes it perfect the genre that it is being written for. The style and language flow effortlessly off the page keeping you turning, wanting to take in just a little more even when you know you should stop.

Merry Gentry is much more than she has told her boss at the Grey Detective agency. He believes her to be just a human with fey in her ancestry, what he does not know is she is a Princess of faerie a hiding out with him. Meredith Nic Essus has been away from her home for three years because of attempts on her life after the death of her father. She is not a pure fey and that rankles her aunt, the Queen, who allows the attempts on a royal. But things have changed at home and they want her back home. But what exactly do they have planned for her now that she no longer has a death sentence hanging over her head? Merry is homesick enough to go find out.

This is a very nice beginning to a series that is urban fantasy with a bite. It can be very hot in some places but nothing to out there. I think it would be liked by a lot of people. If you have read the Anita Blake series then this one could become another favorite.

 

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Men don’t settle down because of the right woman. They settle down because they are finally ready for it. Whatever woman they’re dating when they get ready is the one they settle down with, not necessarily the best one or the prettiest, just the one who happened to be on hand when the time got to be right. Unromantic, but still true.”
― Laurell K. Hamilton, A Kiss of Shadows

 

 

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Kiss Across Chains

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kiss across chains Kiss Across Chains
(Kiss Across Time #3)
by Tracy Cooper-Posey

 

The story is good and the characters are outstanding. This is another adventure for the threesome who have come together and found that with a simple kiss they can be transported across time, but only within their own personal timeline. The history is always well researched and gives you the feeling that you too have stepped back right along with them. The languages jump back and forth between English, Celtic, and old Norse with the old ones being accurate or not, I am going with they are accurate. There are some spelling and grammatical issues but nothing to serious.

The Queen, Tira, goes to Brody, Veris and Taylor demanding that they give her the secret to time travel. She not only threatens them but their daughter as well. When Brody stands up to her and refuses she makes life very difficult for the death metal rocker by setting him up to be arrested for drug possession. But things get even more intense as he is reminded of a time in his life when he was a slave and not able to live as he wished.

While attempting to get evidence that Brody was set up by jumping into their recent past things go a bit wrong. Brody had thought he had put the horror behind him and he could get them home with no problem, but surprise. They find themselves in Constantinople with Brody in chains, Taylor the wife of a patrician, and Veris across the country. Things could not have gone any worse.

I am totally drawn to the eroticism of the books. The stories are always compelling and keep my interest more than the sex. This is a great way to get a history lesson. I think anyone would like this and I recommend highly.

 

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

 

In Sixth Century Constantinople, the chariot races held such power over the city and its citizens, it influenced the military, politics and religion. The Emperor himself was drawn into the eternal question of whether the Greens (Prásinoi) or Blues (Vénetoi) would win. Chariot races became the source of cheating, bribes, curses, mechanical tampering, gang warfare, street violence and murder until they finally culminated in 532 AD in five days of riots and burning, known as the Nika riots, when the Blues and the Greens worked together in a failed attempt to usurp the emperor himself. Chariot racing fell into decline after the riots, never again to achieve the huge popularity and influence it had held for the centuries since Greece and Rome had pushed it to the fore. But the Nika riots don’t take place until forty-three years after the events in this book.