Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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Annihilate Me

by

18078242

Annihilate Me Vol. 1 (Annihilate Me #1)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a great book which caught me completely off guard. Because of the title I was expecting something a lot steamier than what it ended up being, this was a good thing however. The writing drew you into the plight of the characters and made you want to follow along and find out how their lives would turn out. It held my attention from the beginning to the end and had me wishing there were just a few more hours available so I could finish instead of having to wait for the next day. I was very glad to find that volume 1 was a full novel and not just an introduction or a type of serialization. The characters all have great personalities which only adds to the story itself, you get a chance to know something about them and why they act the way they do in situations. I think the language used is appropriate for the character based on their personalities and the way that they are purported to live and to have been educated.

Jennifer and Lisa have moved from Bangor, Maine to New York after graduating college four months ago. Lisa is a budding writer whose first book on Amazon has done very well, she is self-published, and is currently working on her second book. Jennifer graduated with her MBA in business and is hoping to land her dream job so she does not have to return home, but things are looking a bit dismal. After four months of interviews Jennifer is no closer to a job than when they arrived and her money is starting to run out, she hates that Lisa is more or less having to support them both. She has one more interview coming up and hopes that this will be her break, if not she is going to have to come up with another plan.

When she arrives for her interview the woman interviewing her is less than professional, she wants to know why someone with her qualifications would want a secretarial job and dismisses her without a thought. Jennifer is upset and while trying to hold it together in the elevator meets a man and pours out her dislike for the interviewer to him thinking she will never see him again. To her surprise she gets called back by the hateful woman for an interview with the owner of Wenn Enterprises. She has no idea what is coming but the job is not what she thinks it is and is going to change her life.

This is more than just an erotic story or even a simple romance story. It’s about two people who have been damaged in ways that neither has been able to deal with alone. This story has moments of fun, glamour, sweetness, sorrow, paranoia, and true friendship. It was a nice beginning in the story of two people from different worlds who are going to try to meld those worlds to create something richer for them both. I would highly recommend this!

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Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs

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12702453

Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs (Jane Jameson #1)

by Molly Harper (Goodreads Author), Amanda Ronconi (Narrator)
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was one of those rare laugh out loud, make people stare at you books. I can say without a doubt that I have fallen in love with Jane Jameson and Gabriel Nightingale. The story progressed rapidly from beginning to end with no slow points to make you pause, it was just such fun to follow as it unfolded. The language was perfect and did not make me wonder about what was being talked about and seemed perfectly natural for the characters. The characters themselves are so natural they remind you of people you may have met in your life, that includes the vampires who just seem like anyone else. This is what I think a small town would be like, though I have never lived in one.

Jane Jameson is a librarian who has always loved her job and done it well, then for no reason she no longer is employed. Depressed she heads out to drown her sorrows at a bar and while doing this runs into an interesting man, Gabriel, who actually can talk books and proceeds to drink the hurt away. When she leaves the bar Gabriel walks her to her car and she leaves for home, but unfortunately never makes it there. Three days later she wakes to find that everything in her life has changed and she is in a strange house. Now not only is she unemployed she is a vampire, and lucky for her they have come out of the closet. She is also lucky that her sire is one sexy man.

For Jane however nothing ever goes smoothly. All she wants to do is get on with her new existence but someone seems to have other plans for her. Jane finds herself the target of gossip in the community and the target of a murder investigation only days after being born into the life. She is being stalked by someone who wants her out-of-the-way and she does not know who would want to harm her or those she loves.

I really liked this and Jane in particular, she was sarcastic, pushy, sympathetic and a world of things in between. I listened to this and think it lent more to the story because of the narration of Amanda Ronconi who gave life to the characters in such a wonderful way. If you are looking for a good story, with lively and fun characters then this is the place to go.

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Mistworld

by

19520507

Mistworld (Twilight of the Empire #1)

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
I give this 4.5 stars for a story that was engaging and characters that made me want to root for them. Things start off a little slow but it quickly picks up as each character is introduced and you get a look into their background on Mistworld. The world he has created is at once familiar and then again alien to someone who cannot imagine living in such a place. It’s not easy to create thieves and rogues who are likable people you would not mind hanging out with, but here it is and I love it. The action is broken up in such a way as to give you maximum story as you follow each individual in their own pursuits. The language is perfect and gives more insight into the situation that everyone is in. A taut and well held together story that brings you into a conflict that has raged for generations without being fully resolved.

Mistworld is an outlaw planet, most notably because it’s inhabitants have been labeled as outlaws by the Empire which expects strict loyalty and compliance from its citizens. On this harsh world they have no way to get the technology they need to survive except through the prowess of smugglers who are willing to crash the blockade which has been set by the Empire. The inhabitants have held off the Empire for hundreds of years, but that does not stop the Empire from plotting to attack when conditions are ripe. The only thing holding back the Empire is the psionic shield which is kept in place by the Espers who reside on the planet, but are they really enough.

The women here are as strong as the men and survive on that strength and not just on their need to be taken care of. I liked that these were women who knew how to fend for themselves no matter which side of the law they were on. I would say that I liked Investigator Topaz because was a serious kick-ass female who did what needed to be done and let the rest sort itself out and then you had Cyder who was able to survive in a world that could take down the strongest man.

What you find here is a lot of intrigue, double-dealing, spies, murder, betrayal, and revenge. My type of science fiction with a world in peril and brave settlers and an evil tyrant trying to take it all away. What’s not to like. Give this a read!

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Keep Me Ghosted

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17695088

Keep Me Ghosted (Sophie Rhodes Ghostly Romance #1)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a light and easy read that flew by because the characters were fun and made me want to find out about them. The story was simple and yet still pulled me in with a mystery and ghosts who refused to leave. I read this in the course of a few hours and felt satisfied at the end that everything was as it should be. The characters were well-defined and there was a feeling of seriousness but it had a light touch with a nice romance, even if it happened a bit quickly. Things progressed at a rate that was easy to follow.

Sophie has been looking for job and she has a friend who keeps making things more difficult for her, this friend just happens to be a ghost and her best friend. When she goes to her latest interview the interviewer has a similar friend who does not seem inclined to share him, even with an employee. There is something not quite right about the ghost that has attached itself to Cal, Sophie’s new boss, and she starts to look into it as things start to escalate in the office. Falling for your boss is bad but falling for your boss when he has a psycho ghost is even worse and she needs to find a way to put her to rest before she causes serious harm to someone.

I liked the fact that I there were some serious moments but that there were also moments that gave me a chuckle here and there. Sophie’s ghost friend Marmaduke was a treasure, both a good friend and protector who just wanted Sophie to be happy. You get some light romance, a bit of paranormal activity, some ghostly angst, and mystery. Very enjoyable and most would probably find it so.

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Charred Heart

by

18878146

Charred Heart (Heart of Fire #1)

by Lizzy Ford (Goodreads Author)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this book for free through NetGalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book so much that it almost surprised me. The characters were all what I would have wanted them to be. They acted and reacted to each other and their various situations with such real emotion that I could not help but be drawn to them. The story was logical and heartbreaking in so many ways that sometimes I was not sure how I should react. I loved that! I like a story that gives me a bit of a mystery along with my action and love story, because there was definitely a love story here. Lizzy Ford has given me a hero I can root for an a heroine I can like and admire, she is not a simpering little girl. The only thing I missed was getting to know more about some of the secondary characters, even though they were not a major part of the story I would have liked to have learned more about them.

Chace has been a dragon shifter for a thousand years and just wants to human again. He has lost so many friends over the years that life has become unbearable for him, and the fact that it is due to a curse makes things even worse. Chace does not think before he acts and tends to be arrogant and selfish, but it is partly because he forgets that others may rely on him. This is a man/dragon I would not push away!

Skylar is a slayer, a dragon slayer in particular and has been hunting Chace for a while. When she finally stumbles upon him she can’t understand why she feels drawn to him for more than just the capture. Skylar’s life has been very straight forward until she runs into Chace, then things start to change for her as she starts to question if she is who she thought she was. You cannot help but like a girl with a warped sense of humor that surfaces at the most peculiar times. She is pretty fearless but has a soft side. This girl I could hang with and have a great time.

For twenty years the shifters have been disappearing and no one knew what was happening, their numbers had fallen from the thousands down to a few dozen. Chace is tasked with finding out what is going on in order to get what he wants most, while Skylar is after the last dragon shifter. Both of them are being manipulated, though they are unaware of all that is being done around them. They find each other only to have external forces pull them apart and maybe separate them forever.

With a story full of mysterious shifters, murky slayers, betrayal, lust, magic, and a fathers regret, how could I not want more. This story had the right measure of heat and intrigue to keep me reading well into the night. And know I just need to find out what happens next, because I am hoping for my HEA, or least a continuation of a story that has me.

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A Vampire’s Christmas Wish

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18660543

A Vampire’s Christmas Wish

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a nice short read that was good but made me feel like I was missing something more. There is an introduction that gives you some background on the character but you don’t get to really know him. The story moves along fairly quickly with introduction of more characters who we also do not get to know nearly well enough before everything starts to happen. I think I just wanted more information about who they were before I had to care about what they were going through. But overall it was still an interesting story that held my attention and left me with a smile.

Janus Morano is a master vampire has been looking for the reincarnation of his lost love through time. They had been happy once, and he wishes that it could be the same again. Deidre Helm has had a tragic history and has compounded it with her life choices. When Janus sees her he feels like she could be the one he has sought for so long. Now he must keep her alive long enough for her to remember him and accept who he is.

I liked Janus even though I would have liked to know how he became a vampire and when. He seemed like a vampire who had a big heart and endless love in him. Deirdre on the other hand kind of annoyed me. She runs off with a strange man and then proceeds to act like he kidnapped her or something, a weak and whiny woman, the worst kind. There was also an issue with the fact that words were missing, misused, misplaced, and whole phrases made no sense, which did make for a rough read.

I enjoyed it none the less.

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Bell Hallow

by

7083562

Bell Hollow: The Ghost Hunters’ Files

3.5 stars for this horror/ghost story. The story itself was not particularly scary but it had a feeling of menace running throughout that made it compelling. The establishing chapters which laid out the area and some of the characters was straight forward and flowed well. but when it came into the present time you had to pay very close attention or lose track of where in the timeline you were. I had a good idea of where it was headed once we got to the sixties but I had to read on just in case I was wrong.

There are forty acres or more tucked away near Nashville, TN that has been shunned since the beginning of time because it has been the site of strange smells, unnatural deaths, and an evil aura. Even the local tribes avoided the area, then a trapper shows up in 1750 and decides to build there and the evil gets more active forcing the local medicine man to try to contain it. He does but settlers come and not recognizing the signs awaken it once more.

This is about a family who becomes embroiled in the supernatural through no real fault of their own. Jared accepts a job that will destroy his close-knit family and drive him to brink.

We don’t even meet the ghost hunters until the last several chapters of the book. But that is alright because they are not a major part of the story. The characters were quickly constructed and did not have a great deal of depth but some still managed to stand out. This was a decent read and I enjoyed it but there just seemed to be something missing. I liked the history of the area that was talked about. Read but don’t look to deep.

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White Lion’s Lady

by

18866183

White Lion’s Lady (Warrior #1)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am so not a fan of historical romances but this has changed my mind about the genre, at least where this author is concerned. I may even try others. 🙂 This was a great read with characters I could feel down to my toes and in my heart. The settings were so vivid that I could see them in my mind, which is a wonderful experience when you can become that immersed in a book. This grabbed me and refused to let me put it down without a fight as I moved from chapter to chapter wanting to find out just one more thing before putting it down for the night.

Isabel de Lamere(Izzy) meets the person who will fire her young imagination and heart when she is eight years old and finds herself lost in the forest. To her rescue comes Griffin of Droghallow, a boy who has dreams of someday becoming a great and honorable knight. They are in each others company for only a short time, but for Isabel it is long enough to form an attachment for the foster son of the Earl and to keep something dear to him for ten years in the hope that one day she can return it.

Ten years later and Isabel has had a hard life to contend with, she is the ward of the King and has been given in marriage to a man she has never met. This character is strong, confused, and knows her duty. I liked her because of all those traits but also because she could change and follow more than just the rules she had set for herself. She was also naive, but that was to be expected for the time period, she had been sheltered and really knew nothing of the world. Griffin on the other hand had seen to much of the world and had changed a great deal from that bright-eyed boy. His life took a dark turn and all he wants is to start fresh. When they meet again it is not a sweet reunion but one they will never forget.

This was an exciting story with sword fights, court intrigue, betrayal, romance, and some nice love scenes. It was both heart wrenching and pulse pounding in equal measures. I cried, laughed, and cheered. Great ending, just want I wanted and needed! I cannot wait to read the next in the series.

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Another Year Comes to a Close

by

     2013

This was a year of firsts for me, a year I started doing things I had always said I would not.  It has been an interesting and good year, if my reading list is any indication that is. When this year started I would never have guessed that I would be using any type of social media, other than Facebook, but here I am.  I started a blog when everything in me said don’t do it, what’s the point, you have no idea what you are doing. And it is all true, I have no idea what I am doing and it looks like it, but I don’t care about that because I am finally at least giving myself a voice about something I like. I got on Twitter and though it may not be the most scintillating exchanges I have ever had it once again gives me a place to voice my opinions on my books. Last but not least I joined Goodreads where I have found a lot of people who enjoy reading as much as I do and have given me so many new authors and genres that I had not explored before.  This has been a year of making new friends and doing something I find fun which gives me an outlet for all those thoughts that swirl around my head.

Twitter

Twitter (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It is obvious that I am not a professional reviewer by any means. I think amateur might even be a stretch, but I enjoy it none the less. I loved English classes in school and took as many as I could get away with because they allowed me to read and write more than any others. I have never thought my writing all the great but others told me I did it well. I will never be able to write a novel because I don’t have the imagination to create an entire world and characters who have a life, short short stories are about as much as I could do. But I can put thought to paper in a fairly coherent manner. What I have hoped for here was simply to convey how I felt about the books I have read and whether I think they would be worth the time of others.

Goodreads Avatar

Goodreads Avatar (Photo credit: minifig)

Well, this was just to say Thank You! Thank you to all those who have stopped by and to those who have chosen to follow along as I wend my way through a galaxy of books. Hopefully with time I will get a better understanding of this and give you more to enjoy.

New Year 2014 Pictures & Images

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Shattered Promises

by

17166774

Shattered Promises (Shattered Promises #1)

 

This is 4.5 stars for entertaining even though I was not sure what was going on for the longest time. I loved the characters and the way that they were introduced even though I would have liked to have gotten more information on some. The story was confusing for me but it still managed to maintain a flow that allowed me to follow where it was going and enlighten me along the way. The story is rather complicated and twisty so you really have to pay attention to who you are with and what they are doing.

We meet Gemma Lucas as she finds that emotions are no longer a thing only other people feel. Gemma is a student in her final year of college and has no idea what she is going to do when it ends. But sometimes you shouldn’t temp fate by wondering about such things because you may find out that she has plans you might not agree with. She meets Aisling and Alex Avery in one of her classes and feels an electrical charge when she is around Alex, but does not know what it means, and he seems to be unaware of it however.

When she starts to have strange dreams and waking nightmares Gemma believes that she is going insane, but that is far from the truth. Gemma finds herself being pulled into a world and situations that she would have never believed existed. She also finds herself with emotions that she has never had to contend with, and controlling them proves to be difficult. Does she love Alex or hate him? Can she trust Alex? Should she trust Alex? Lots of questions and few answers but finding out is going to be a heck of a ride.

As I said, I did not always know what was going on but half the fun is trying to figure out who to trust and who not to trust. I am just as baffled as Gemma but can’t wait to see if I have chosen wisely. There are thrills, chills, and paranormals galore.

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