Book Reviews of Carpe Demon: Adventures of Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom (Kate Connor, Bk 1)

This book gets good, then it drops off, then it picks back up. Like a rollercoaster ride, just when you think it's boring, it decides to pick up the pace and bring in some action. I figured there would be a lot more Demon Hunting in the book compared to what was there, but it still was interesting enough that it didn't take me a week to read it. As a man would say, "I wish it had more action/explosions/guns in it."

Worth reading if you like paranormal stories. The plot was predictable and the character development was a little on the flat side. It was a cute idea with some likable characters that I felt fell a little short of what it could have been. If Kenner writes a second book with these characters I would read it with the hope that she fleshes out the characters more and puts a little more demon fighting in the story.

The premise of this story is really clever, and the writing is very good. As is the characterization - everyone has a distinct and believable personality and quirks. I really grew attached to some of the characters.

But if you are a stay at home Mom looking for a book to take you away from your day to day duties and tasks, this is not the one. It felt like more focus was spent on Kate's numerous trips to the grocery store than her hunt for the demon. There was more drama over putting her toddler in daycare than there was action and adventure.

Out of the two action scenes the book included, both of them were less than a page long and were over nearly as soon as they started. Each time they ended in an anticlimactic manner that left me wondering how such a creative and gifted writer could fail to come up with something more challenging and engaging.

My expectations for this book were not met. I felt that it moved too slow, and focused too much on exposition and details on her being a stay at home mom rather than the more interesting and engaging portion of her story - the demon hunting.

I will say that the ending, while a tad predictable, was done very well by keeping you guessing just enough.

There is nothing better than a romantic comedy that incorporates the paranormal, and Julie Kenner has penned a jackpot winner with CARPE DEMON. At times laugh-out-loud funny, once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down until I finished the last page-and then I wished it wasn't the end.

Kate Connor, on the surface, appears to be a pretty normal suburban mom. Mother to fourteen-year-old Alison and two-year-old Timmy, wife of Stuart, an assistant county attorney, and all-around chauffeur, nanny, housekeeper, and family pep squad rolled into one. It wasn't always that way, though. Kate was once a Level Four Demon Hunter, although no one knows it. It's the secret of secrets, and for the most part, Kate's pretty happy keeping it that way. Until one day, while shopping with the kids at the local Wal-Mart in San Diablo , California , she spots a demon.

Immediately, all sorts of questions are raised. Why would a demon willingly come to San Diablo? And, in fact, was it a demon at all? And does it have anything at all to do with her?

Sadly, Kate realizes way too soon that she's going to be forced out of demon-hunting retirement. Incorporeal demon Goramesh has come to California with one goal in mind, and it's up to Kate to figure out what he wants, find it before he does, rescue it, and send Goramesh back where he belongs.

Sounds easy, right? Not really, especially when you can't tell anyone what you're doing, including your husband, best friend, or children. Balancing home life has always been tricky enough, but now that there are murderous demons following her around, dodging her every step, life has become even more complicated.

I've heard that some readers have compared this story to a sort of Buffy the Vampire Slayer read, but I didn't get that feeling at all. What I read was a hilarious story of a stay-at-home-mom whose past comes back to bite her on the butt, with the risks being even higher than ever. For anyone who has ever been bored with their life, or has secrets from the past that they just wish would stay there, this book is for you.

Not to mention that it's just an all-around enjoyable story from a very talented author. Pick up a copy of CARPE DEMON today-you won't be disappointed.

"Shows you what would happen if Buffy got married and kept her past a secret. It's a hoot."--Charlaine Harris (from front cover)

At first I thought the book would be predictable for it really is about a "Buffy" turned soccer mom. But it picks up and, although all the clues are given, I was pretty shocked at the ending. Guess I got all wrapped up in the story. Anyway, I hope there is a sequel!

The title pretty much sums it up - but a retired demon hunter is forced out of retirement and must fight demons, while keeping up her suburban lifestyle, and keeping it all a secret from her family. It was a quick read, funny in spots, but a bit predictable. I liked it enough that I will read the next one, but it wasn't a keeper.

Now I know why this book has been on everyone WL and RL. It's a great book. I couldn't put it down. I found myself rooting for Kate just to see how she was going to handle the next thing that came along.

What if Buffy the Vampire Slayer grew up and had to fit demon slaying into her busy schedule of being a wife and mom. Funny premise and a great beginning to a new series. And of course there is an older grandfather figure that just makes you laugh. Gives Stephanie Plums grandmother a run for her money.

This book was simply okay to me.

I liked this book. The style reminded me a little bit of MaryJanice Davidson's, but without all the shallowness of Betsy from the Undead series. I think Mothers will relate to it even more than I did since I've never been either a mom or a "soccer mom" myself. The story itself was fun, not too heavy, with a good mystery to boot. It was hard to put down and the surprise ending snuck up on me.

Though this is the first book I've read by Julie Kenner, another BookCrosser had sent me some others from her Protector (Aphrodite) series, so now I'm looking forward to reading those while waiting for the 2nd book in the Demon series, California Demon: The Secret Life of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom, due to be published June 2006.

I did not read this book to the end. I found it too predictable, and it did not hold my interest.

I was really surprised and pleased with this book! I have to admit that I'm pretty good at figuring out mysteries, but this one kept me on my toes and even things I guessed, I wasn't completely certain of...or they were pulled off in an unexpected way. By the end of the book, I was sweating bullets about how she was going to pull it of and resolve it or if it was going to have a cliff hanger. Thankfully it was done in such a way that I was not only pleased, but looking forward to a second. I can't wait to see what is going to happen next!

Katie is mom to teenaged Allie and two year old tot Timmie. Her first husband has died (darned if I can remember if they stated how), and she has remarried the immediately like-able Stuart. Stay at home Mom by day, and wife to a political up & comer by night, you'd think her day was full enough between getting one child ready for high school, another for preschool, and putting together last minute to do's for a politically inclined husband. She thought so too...until her old life came back via a demon through her kitchen window only minutes before Stuart was set to arrive to finish last minute preparations for their dinner party.

As if this wasn't enough, her current life knows nothing about her old life. Not even her best friend and neighbor Laura (mom to Allie's best friend Mindy). So how does a girl fight demons and keep them from taking over the world, keep it a secret, and not forget when it's your turn for carpool, hosting playdates, or making your loved ones think you're having an affair? Just a couple of the rather challenging dillemas we find Katie in.

This book was an easy read. It was funny and with not much gore. The author uses lots of current references and it is easy to identify with the main character. You will laugh, worry, and kick some butt right along with Kate Connor.

This is a very cute series...I recommend reading them in order, there are 4 total out right now! They will make you laugh out loud!

I liked this book. Something different in the paranormal genre. I'll be lookin for the next book!
****

Fun book - made me think of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, retired, in her 30s.

I thought this was a great fun read. It was a light hearted book. It truly is what Buffy's life would look like if she got married and had children. I found it to be a wonderful summer read and I've ordered the next 3 books in the series.

This is normally the kind of thing I love to read but for some reason I just didn't like it. I kept reading it hoping that it would catch my intrest but it never did.

Absolutely loved this book - a little too perfect relationship with the kids but laughed out loud several times. Highly recommended.

Original and entertaining- this is a popular premise lately (average Jane as part of the supernatural world) so it's a treat to see an author come up with an innovative spin which Julie Kenner accomplishes here.

Fun read! Plenty of plot twists to keep it from being predictable. Julie Kenner's characters are always fun!

I LOVE this series! I don't usually read anything paranormal or fantasy....but this series places the focus more on the woman and her family, and not so much on the demons. It is laugh out loud funy!!!

It's an uneven book; parts are fun and others drag. The ending is too quick after the very long setup. It's a good holiday or airplane read.

I couldn't get into this book. With the exception of the daughter and Father Ben I found all of the characters annoying. Sadly, the most annoying character was Kate, I found her wishy-washy and very insecure in her marriage (I also couldn't see what she sees in the guy). The ending was pretty obvious and I'm sure I spotted a future "surprise" plot development.

Hillarious telling of a retired demon hunter called out of retirement while she tries to keep it all from her suburban family.

What would happen if Buffy the Vampire Slayer got married, moved to the suburbs and became a stay-at-home mom? She'd be a lot like Kate Connor, once a demon/vampire/zombie killer and now "a glorified chauffeur for drill-team practice and Gymboree play dates" in San Diablo, Calif., that's what. But in Kenner's sprightly, fast-paced ode to kick-ass housewives, Kate finds herself battling evil once again. First a demon tries to kill Kate while she's making rigatoni for an important dinner party that her sweet second husband, Stuart, has scheduled—at the last possible minute—to butter up potential allies in his run for county attorney. Kate dispatches the demon handily enough, but she learns that Goramesh, one of the terrible High Demons, has come to town looking for something. Where's he hiding and what does he want? Can she defeat him without exposing her past to Stuart—and without putting two-year-old Timmy in day care? Though Kenner starts off her story by dropping so many brand names the book reads like a how-to manual for product placement, she settles down to the action soon enough, and readers will find spunky Kate hard not to root for in spheres both domestic and demonic.

This book was a quick, easy read. A little on the predictable side for me, but still an ok book.

Fun light entertainment.

Good summer beach reading.

Quick light read. Not as much action as you might think

Kate is just your average soccer mom. Yeah, right.....with a secret demon hunter past! When her daily routine with her 14 year old daughter and 2 year old son is interrupted by the sudden appearance of a demon in Wal-Mart, she finds her past is a lot closer than she thought it would be!
Excellent fun!

So not my usual type of book, but I really enjoyed it! The title alone was worth the price of admission (which, I guess was the $1.42 I spent sending someone else a book to get the credit). I would think Buffy/Angel fans would love it..

This book was kind of slow for me. Other than that it was ok.

A good first book.

I had a lot of trouble getting into this book. I just finished the Twilight series which I loved and as a 30-something stay at home mom of 3 kids I thought that Carpe Demon would be just the book for me. I was wrong. I found it to be boring. I just could not get into it. I tried several times to keep reading but nothing in it was drawing me in.

A quick read that was irresistable, we ordered lunch and dinner out that day...the heroine is so approachable and so refreshingly realistic as both a mom and a bada$$. Loved it! The idea of a past life that intrudes on the present, a past life as a demon hunter of all things is brought out in this tale of life, love, and dealing with diapers and demons.

This book was interesting and written in a light manner. While it was easy to put down, I was eager to pick it up again also. There was comedic relief, action, and attention to detail--particularly through a mother's eyes. When I thought I had figured out the story ending it took a turn I didn't see coming and it made the bookk! I look forward to the next book in the series.

Loved it, great read.

great book-hope it becomes a series.

Very cute story.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer as a stay at home mom. I thought this was a fun, fast paced book.

really enjoyed this book. SuperMom/demon killer... Lots of humor.

If you like Charlaine Harris and Confessions of a Shopaholic, this is your book.

Love it! What happens if Buffy gets married, has kids, and retires to the suburbs ... only to get called out of retirement by a demon-invasion?

Funnny, easy to read, read in one afternoon.

slow in parts but okay read

Funny read. Thought the quote by Charlene Harris what happens when Buffy gets married and keeps her demon hunting skills secret very appropriate.

Fun Quick Read!

Hysterical, engaging, fun

Good book

wonderful book for fellow "Buffy" fans

A cute and funny novel about a soccor mom who finds out she has is a demon hunter.

Surprisingly fun! I wasn't sure about this book based on the title, but I thought it was a nice summer read.

Good main character but obvious plot.

I just couldn't get into this book, which suprised me since I normally like Julie Kenner's writing.

Very enjoyable

Great book! A quick read that keeps you guessing the whole way through. Something that people who like Angel & Buffy the Vmpire Slayer could get into. I really enjoyed this one.

It felt like Buffy grows up...I wanted to like it, but it didn't keep my interest.

Funny and Buffy-esque at the same time.

Fun summer reading. Stayed up late just to finish this one. I hope she'll do a sequel as the characters were great, and the writer has style, mystery, and humor wrapped in a nice package.

Quick. Some funny moments. Easy, entertaining read.

Very cute paranormal mystery, I enjoyed this and look forward to the next.

great book!

Lots of women put their careers aside once the kids come along. Kate Connor, for instance, hasn't hunted a demon in ages.

That must be why she missed the one wandering through the pet food aisle of the San Diablo Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, he managed to catch her attention an hour later-when he crashed into the Connor house, intent on killing her.

Now Kate has to clean up the mess in her kitchen, dispose of a dead demon, and pull together a dinner party that will get her husband elected to County Attorney-all without arousing her family's suspicion. Worse yet, it seems the dead demon didn't come alone...

It's time for Kate Connor to go back to work.

Fun book. I hope this continues as a series

I don't enjoy the female characters in Kenner's books like I do other books. The premise of this book is fantastic, but for some reason her books just don't do it for me.

A fun romp!

quick read. I wanted more from it though. More violence. Story or something.

Great piece of trivia about a housewife whose buried past as a destroyer of demons for the Catholic church comes to claim her when an overlord of Hell makes a bid to conquer the Earth. Fun fun fun.

Cute book about demon-hunting mom. If Buffy grew up and had kids...

A fun read, imagine Buffy the Vampire Slayer retiring, getting married, beoming a soccer mom and not telling her family, until the demons find her.

Retired demon-hunting mom gets called back into duty while trying to keep her secret career from her family and deal with daily family life. This was a good book!

A fun read. As Charlaine Harris said, "Shows you what would happen if Buffy got married and kept her past a secret. It's a hoot."

Absolutely great read!

Hilarious read. I could relate to Kate's character, except for the part about getting rid of demon corpses. ;o)

Enjoyed this one a lot!

A fun book by Julie Kenner! I look forward to the next one in the series.

LOved this story. A little bit predictable but still through some curves that I wasn't expecting. Highly recommended. I think it's one of the best that Kenner has written. She seems to get better the more novels she writes.

carpools, crabgrass, creatures from the depth of hell, suburbia has its problems too... cute take on a mom's old life intruding on the retired domestic front

Kate has to be the busiest mom I have read about yet!! She even has time to cook for her hubby too!!! She has Martha beat by a mile! She can shop, cook, re-learn her training to kill demons, train her daughter and her best friend for "self-defense" and still have time for herself and her best friend!! My kinda friend and mom!

Way to go Kate!!

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