Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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I’m Dreaming of an Undead Christmas

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19166108

I’m Dreaming of an Undead Christmas (Half-Moon Hollow #2.7)

by Molly Harper (Author), Amanda Ronconi (Narrator)
I am always happy to take a trip to Half Moon Hollow and get a chance to visit with my favorite vampires. Amanda Ronconi does a fabulous job of bringing the denizens of this small southern city to life whether they be male or female. The story is always good and entertaining so that you can find something interesting even in such a short story as this. These are not all characters that I know very well because they are from another set of novels but Jane and friends are present since it is set in the same town.

Gigi Scanlon is coming home from college for the holidays for the first time since her older sister has been turned. Her sister Iris is afraid that she will not be able to control her blood-lust and so has as many vampires as possible on hand. Jane along with her husband Gabriel as well as Dick Cheney and Andrea are on hand for the festivities that Iris has planned to make her sisters Christmas as human friendly as possible.

But Gigi has a lot on her mind because she has been offered a job by the vampire council, she wants to break up with her safe boyfriend, and it seems she is being followed by a very handsome vampire. Any of these things could be a problem but having to tell her sister and over protective father figure is not something she wants to deal with. But the season has a way of making things go better.

As usual a fun read that had me laughing out loud at the antics of these characters. Make sure to hit the last chapter because you will find recipes for some sweet treats of the season. Highly recommend!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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Fangs, Fur & Mistletoe

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16165331

Fangs, Fur and Mistletoe (Mystic Isle #1)

I have always loved a good romance that involves a struggle of some type for the characters to be together. The characters here are so well defined that I immediately had an affinity with them and wanted to know everything about them. I was not drawn into things right from the start but when I was I had a hard time putting it down. The narrative is very straight forward and gives a fairly good look at everyone and everything that is happening on the Island. The story is told with multiple points of view so that you do not get just one side of the story.

CoCo Jeffres is taking a trip to Mystic Isle with her four coven mates in order to get her mojo back after getting out of a bad relationship. Coco is looking for some good sex and validation that she is still a sexy vampiress after Dimitri. CoCo’s friends are an interesting mix, her best friend is Izzy who has a particular dislike of werewolves and expects her friends to follow suit. Grayson West is a werewolf who has gone to Mystic Isle because he is about to go out on another mission and wants to have some female company before he enters the jungle, or desert or wherever he may end up.

Mystic Isle is the place paranormals go to play and have sexual encounters without consequence. CoCo and Grayson run into each other, the last time they saw each other was on a battlefield 100 years ago as enemies. Even as supposed enemies there was something between them that they could not name. When they see each other it all comes back, but they are not sure what it is or what to do about it. Can enemies become lovers?

Okay, once again Christmas is only alluded to in the story and is not an integral part of it. It seems to be more for the use of the mistletoe. I do have to date my self a little bit though because Latham seems very much like Mr. Roarke on Fantasy Island in how he handles his guests. I totally enjoyed this though, a very hot wolf, a sexy vamp, and a setting that made it all the more romantic in the end. I think anyone would enjoy this!

Sex, sand, and sun were the reason she and her four closest coven-mates booked this trip. Well, maybe not sun. The moon would have to do.

 

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A Vampire’s Christmas Carol

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18777598

A Vampire’s Christmas Carol

I am a major fan of the Charles Dickens story and read it and watch every film version I can find each Christmas. This was a perfect retelling with a vampire to rival Scrooge as a bad guy. This was a different type of vampire as well since they would not be considered technically dead, even though they are dead. This follows the original story very closely with the visitation by three guides, in this case a demon, an angel and a panther shifter. They appear for more or less the same reasons that Scrooge was visited by his spirits, in order to make him a better man and save him from himself.

Ben Prescott was an ordinary man until the Christmas Eve he was attacked and turned into what he considered a monster, he became a vampire, and he took the perception of evil to heart. His entire life was altered and he fell into a dark place because of the losses in his life and told himself that the things he did were justified. When he was about to make a mistake that could send him to the underworld for eternity ,Fate in the form of someone who cared, stepped in to give him a second chance at life by giving him a glimpse of what his future could hold if he does not change course.

There was a nice little twist to the story which may or may not be expected but I didn’t see that particular one coming. There is a Marley to start him on his journey, though not Jacob. This is a great addition to the holiday season for lovers of the paranormal.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
She flew back to the little town of Desolate. Headed into the town’s only bar. William and Jamison were already inside, waiting for her. William glanced up at her approach. His lips quirked. “A demon, a shifter, and an angel walk into a bar…” “And all hell breaks loose,” Jamison finished with a laugh.
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Holiday Submission

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22881403

Holiday Submission (Hot Alpha Billionaire)

This is the second book I have read by Marilyn Lakewood and I love the way she writes her scenes. They are so real to life and make me feel like I am a part of the action as it occurs. This is not about the holiday per se but takes place during the Christmas season and adds to the fantasy that is being played out. I was into the story from the first page and stayed glued until the last page.

Caro Anderson has come to England for a short term design job but her friend knows of a service that puts together Doms and subs. Caro has been looking for the Dom who can take her to extremes but who can be trusted as well. She has had some less than good experiences since she started her search but continues to hope that her perfect dominant exists out there. Rhys Devlin has been looking for a submissive with the same appetite he has. He wants to have more than the body of a woman, he also would want her heart. Rhys thinks he may have found his perfect match if only he can get her to safeword before their weekend together comes to a close.

I did not really learn anything deep about either of the characters but I still felt like they were people I would be willing to get to know better. I do have a total fascination for BDSM and the stories, especially good ones, always make me even more interested. I wanted more, the ending was so abrupt and I wanted it to continue for a little longer. That for me is the sign of a good book, when you don’t want it to end because you want to follow the characters further. This has some serious bondage with whips and other tools which might be offensive to some. If you have no problem with hot sex and a dominant male then this is for you. I loved it!

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Why did you start looking for a Dom?” “A vanilla lover couldn’t give me the extremes.” “Yet no Dom has won you. Why?” “I haven’t found a Dom who will give me the extremes, Sir.” “I want the truth, Caro.” “You’re right. I’ve found some extremes, but not the right kind. Not the right Dom.” “Why, Caro? What was missing in them?” “Judgment, honor, gallantry. There’s a huge difference between a consensual sadist in the BDSM lifestyle, and a complete sadist. To me, a male who just likes to hurt things and has no compassion is a complete sadist, and less than a man. A male who consensually torments a woman to heighten lovemaking and bring them pleasure—a man who cares for her—is a true Dom, and the most desirable kind of man.”
― Marilyn Lakewood, Holiday Submission   
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Christmas in July

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22999962

Christmas in July

Contrary to the cover and the title, this book has nothing to do with the holiday. I do have to say that even though it turned out not to really have a holiday theme behind it the story was still good enough to keep me reading until the end, and a very late night. The plot is simple but is set up nicely so that you are not disappointed when it does something expected. The characters are likable even if they are not fully realized as individuals.

Christmas Collins works for a company that does promotions for large corporations. She and her friend seem to be saddled with the majority of bad clients while Odessa has always gotten the best and fewest. When Odessa quits suddenly an opportunity to take over one of her clients in Palm Springs arises and gives Christmas a chance to see how the other half lives. Dylan Du Lac owns the house Christmas is renting and she was told by her boss that he is gay, because of this she acts very carefree while sunbathing nude in the pool when he comes by to check on the house. Dylan invites her to his Christmas in July party because what better person to have there than a girl named Christmas. Things definitely heat up after she attends his party with his friends who know him so well.

I thought both Dylan and Christmas were very cool. He might have been a billionaire but he was down to earth enough to know a great girl when he met her. Christmas may have been knocked down by love a few times but she was willing to keep trying, and sometimes that’s about all you can do. This may not have been a true Christmas story but it did have some of the magic of the season along with the hope the season brings. This could be a nice addition to a holiday read.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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A White Hot Christmas

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18841161

A White Hot Christmas

This was a story that surprised me once I got started reading. I did not jump into it but kind of eased in and found myself liking the characters for being normal, more or less. There was not an instant love connection it took them a few weeks to think they might be in love. There were some problems with things like word usage and some missing information, but nothing that was so bad it took away from the story itself. The characters were complex enough to keep you interested in them and willing to commit to what was going on.

Noel Jamison is a painter who travels the world painting landscapes for clients willing to send her to exotic locations. But the one thing she does to keep her grounded is return home for the holidays each year for an extended stay. On Thanksgiving day her Uncle plans on frying the turkey but decides to so it inside the garage, a fire ensues. Dean Evans is a fire fighter who has recently been transferred to the Mistletoe fire department because of a tragedy in his past that makes it hard for him to work in a larger city. While Noel loves the holidays Dean dislikes them but they both want to avoid relationships at any cost.

Nice tone with just the right bit of heat and holiday spirit. It has a sweet quality while it maintains a bit of edge for those who want a little spice. I think it is a really good holiday story for anyone.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Noel smiled brightly at her second family. They all smiled back. Except new guy. Noel’s smile quickly fell. “I’m sorry, we haven’t met. My name’s Noel.” She stepped forward and held her hand out to the man. She was trying and he just stood there and glared at her with his beautiful blue eyes. Damn those eyes. “Nothing about this is something to smile about, Noel. That group over there laughing? Would they be laughing if this fire jumped to the neighbor’s house? Or their own?” He shook his head and walked away from her. Noel stood, rooted in her spot, dumbfounded. He was intense. And kind of an asshole.
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Hot For Santa

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12858672

Hot for Santa (Hot in the City #5)

I would be hot for Santa too if he was sporting what this one is. This is short but has two characters that I liked and was more than happy to see get a little Merry in their Christmas. There was a limited story line that let you know why and how the couple came to be where they were.  I am always happy with the writing in these stories. I was drawn in and did not stop until it was finished, it ended much to soon because I wanted more on these two.

Amy Finnegan is working as an elf along with her friend Cole Bradshaw who is portraying Santa Claus. Cole is one very sexy Santa and Amy has been fantasizing about him for a month. She was glad when he asked her to do this for charity and has been hoping that something might come of it, but so far nothing. Here it is the last day and she has lost all hope of getting him to notice how she feels. When he invites her over for Christmas Eve to drink eggnog and watch a movie she at first thinks he may be thawing, but then decides not to get her hopes up. What he has in mind will make for a very Merry Christmas for them both.

This was very hot with light Dom/sub play. I say read this if you want a hot Christmas and some gift ideas. 🙂

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“It’s open. Come on in.” Amy sighed. He couldn’t even be bothered to answer the door? It solidified her theory that he saw her only as a friend—a very casual, mi casa es su casa kind of friend. Reaching for the knob, she eased the door inward, surprised to find the lighting so dim when she stepped inside. The first thing she spotted was the fire blazing in the small hearth in his living room—a toasty welcome from the typical Chicago winter dropping snow on the suburbs outside. The second thing she noticed was Cole sprawling comfortably in an easy chair. Wearing nothing but his Santa hat. Amy sucked in her breath, felt dizzy. What the hell…?
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A Very Shitake Christmas

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16122026

A Very Shitake Christmas (Shitake Mystery #1.5)

This was short but pulled me in immediately and had me like the characters and ready to follow them. I always like a book with a strong female character and Mo is definitely strong in her own way. The setting is contemporary and makes it perfect. The language is what you would expect with little quirks to keep it interesting from both the Brits and Americans. The relationships are very real and do not seem forced or rushed but built from the bottom up.

Imogene ‘Mo’ Tuttle had worked as a private detective until she met Ross Grant and would have been fired for trying to protect him. They have since moved in together and she is still out of work while he has been cast in one new movie with another to start after filming ends on this one. To really make things interesting Ross’s father Bertram contacts Mo and tells her he will be coming for Christmas, she of course assumes she has 6 months to prepare, but he celebrates the historical Christmas in June.

Mo gets a cal from her old boss wanting to hire her back, but Mo is not interested in going back full time but is willing to take work as an independent contractor. Her first job is to serve a restraining order on a man who is very good at eluding them. When she gets to close to things he takes revenge in a novel way.

This was a fun read without any big mystery or anything but characters who had plenty of personality. After reading this I have to read the first book in the series since this was 1.5 and find out how things got started.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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A Moonfire Christmas

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20408342

A Moonfire Christmas (Moonfire Saga)

I am not a prude by any stretch of the imagination but I would like to have some idea of what the story is when I read a book. This one started with a sex scene that was not majorly graphic but took me by surprise since I had no idea who the characters were. Other than the fact that it was set at Christmas I don’t see what the point was. I did not get any insight into who the characters were, except to each other, and  I really could have cared less. They hinted at something more with a character and then never followed up on it. The sex was even less than stellar when it seemed to be the main focus.

Jonathon has found his new mate, Tyler, and he is very happy. It is Christmas and Tyler wants to do something special for Jon to show him how much he loves him.

Be aware that this is an m/m story line. Not for everyone, but some may like this even without a plot.

My rating: 2 of 5 stars