Kate Connor used to be a demon hunter: Now she's a stay-at-home mom, a "glorified chauffeur for pep squad practice and Gymboree play dates." But wh...
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Aug 21, 2008
Micki
rated it: 
Lois McMaster Bujold has a theory of genre, where mysteries are "fantasies of justice", romances are "fantasies of love" and SFF are "fantasies of politics." I think vampire-hunting books are definitely in the "fantasy of justice" category, and I just don't go for that genre. It seems kind of childish to be constantly searching for justice, because ultimately, justice is what we make it. The world isn't fair.
Anyway, this is a Catholic demon hun More...
Anyway, this is a Catholic demon hun More...
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May 03, 2008
Jennifer
rated it: 
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-aro More...
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-aro More...
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Jul 10, 2008
Michael
rated it: 
Melissa and I listened to this as an audiobook on a couple of long car trips and thoroughly enjoyed it. A fun, goofy, what-if story about a woman who retired from demon hunting long ago to become, well, a soccer mom. Trouble is, demons start to show up in her suburb and she's the only one who can get to the bottom of it and protect her family and, oh, yeah...the entire human race. If you want something relatively light and entertaining, this is it. If you get the audiobook like we did, notic
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Dec 30, 2008
Julie
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I've really enjoyed reading this series. It gets only 4 stars due to a bit of language I'd rather wasn't in there.
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Apr 22, 2009
Ann
rated it:
I loved the sarcasm & mom humor in this book. Quick & fun read. I'll definitely keep on....
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Jan 14, 2011
While I was mildly amused by the crappy title and demon-hunting soccer mom bit, I wasn't prepared for the onslaught of SAPPINESS that the bloody woman put the reader through: \Oh I love my husband sooooo much, he's sooooo sweet. Aww he's so adorable, he loves me even though I'm a failed domestic goddess and I am hiding a dead demon in the pantry. Love, love, love him!!\"^^^^Permission to *blergh*^^^^Then there's the whole \"I miss my dead husband sooooo much\" and I don't even wan
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Mar 20, 2009
Anna
rated it:
I was walking by the shelves when I spotted this book again. I remember when it came out, and I thought it sounded like a fun read. But being a librarian, I always have so much that I want to read that many things that look interesting are quite often forgotten about. So I picked it up last week and read it, and it was great! Funny, and kick-ass, and mysterious. Kate is a mom to a 14-year-old girl and a 2-year-old boy. She has a husband who is gearing up to run for County Attorney, and she is tr
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Jan 02, 2012
PM
rated it:
Need a break from gut-wrenching drama and perfect, svelte heroines, but don't want to stray from the comfort of paranormal romance? The adventures of 30-something mom Kate Conner may be just the ticket.
I came upon this series quite by accident. I needed an audio book and picked up Demons are Forever at the library, thinking it was a stand-alone book, rather than a series. Listening to it in my car, I laughed out loud chapter after chapter, until I had only 1 disk left and KNEW th More...
I came upon this series quite by accident. I needed an audio book and picked up Demons are Forever at the library, thinking it was a stand-alone book, rather than a series. Listening to it in my car, I laughed out loud chapter after chapter, until I had only 1 disk left and KNEW th More...
Nov 10, 2011
***Dave
rated it:
(Original review Feb 2007)
Overall 3/5
Story 3/5
Re-Readability 3/5
Characters 2/5
Imagine if Buffy the Vampire Slayer retired, settled down, married, had kids, and became a soccer mom — then was suddenly faced with a resurgence of demonic activity in Sunnydale, and had to fight the baddies while throwing dinner parties for her husband, getting the kids to school, and keeping it all a secret? Well, you don’t have to imagine very hard, because Kenner basically ligh More...
Overall 3/5
Story 3/5
Re-Readability 3/5
Characters 2/5
Imagine if Buffy the Vampire Slayer retired, settled down, married, had kids, and became a soccer mom — then was suddenly faced with a resurgence of demonic activity in Sunnydale, and had to fight the baddies while throwing dinner parties for her husband, getting the kids to school, and keeping it all a secret? Well, you don’t have to imagine very hard, because Kenner basically ligh More...
May 02, 2011
Ratkin
rated it:
This was one of those 'my Borders is closing, and paperbacks are down to $1.50 each, so why not?' purchases. I had seen the book before, but just never worked up enough interest to shell out full price. This made a good compromise.
The verdict? It was okay. No great, not awful, not have-to-run-out-for-the-sequel, not have-to-avoid-the-sequel. Okay.
The concept is fine. Main character Kate Connor is a retired demon hunter who is know the mom of a teen-aged daughte More...
Apr 30, 2011
Richard
rated it:
The Book Report: Retired demon hunter, remarried widow, and mother of a teen and a toddler Kate Conner is forced out of her 'burbsy life by The Call of Duty: San Diablo, her hitherto peaceful adopted hometown, has attracted the attention of major baddie demon Goramesh, who wants something that he can't get because it's hidden within the sacred ground of the town's amazingly well-protected cathedral. Goramesh has targeted Our Heroine because she, as a Hunter, must be neutralized, thinks Kate's Va
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Feb 27, 2010
Jess
rated it:
This was a nice funny book.. I put it on my PNR shelf, but I'm not sure if that's really what it is. Kate Connor is a retired hunter, she used to hunt demons, vampires, things that went bump in the night. Nowadays, she is a stay at home mom with two children and occasional chauffeur. She is now remarried to Stuart, her first husband Eric was also a hunter and he died. Kate hasn't exactly been keeping up with her hunter abilities, there's no reason for it since the town she moved to is demon free
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Feb 01, 2009
Erin
rated it:
Imagine Buffy the Vampire Slayer grew up and got out of the stalking-and-staking game. She met a nice guy, settled down in suburbia and had a couple of kids. And then one day, the former-slayer-turned-soccer-mom spots a demon in her home-town Walmart.
That's the premise posed by Carpe Demon, the first of Julie Kenner's Adventures of a Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series. To avoid copyright infringement, Kenner's heroine, Kate Connor, is a Hunter, NOT a Slayer and her advisor/mentor is her More...
That's the premise posed by Carpe Demon, the first of Julie Kenner's Adventures of a Demon Hunting Soccer Mom series. To avoid copyright infringement, Kenner's heroine, Kate Connor, is a Hunter, NOT a Slayer and her advisor/mentor is her More...
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Jan 09, 2012
Anoolka
rated it:
1.5
I had some hopes for this. It has an interesting and funny premise. But it was a struggle and in the end I didn't finish this. The humor wasn't all that funny to me.
The whole soccer mom thing doesn't resonate with me - I was kinda curious about it and how it would be presented, I'm from a culture where everyone works and then goes back home and does all those chores, no staying at home. So being a mom is not a job title to me. I couldn't relate.
There's too much emphasis on More...
I had some hopes for this. It has an interesting and funny premise. But it was a struggle and in the end I didn't finish this. The humor wasn't all that funny to me.
The whole soccer mom thing doesn't resonate with me - I was kinda curious about it and how it would be presented, I'm from a culture where everyone works and then goes back home and does all those chores, no staying at home. So being a mom is not a job title to me. I couldn't relate.
There's too much emphasis on More...
Oct 25, 2008
Kathleen
rated it:
This was a fun book, but I had a hard time with the idea of her lying to her family about what was going on. I realize that they would have problems believing her, but it still bothered me.
It was cleverly done, though, and the characters were believable and interesting. The author had the magic well worked out, and that was good. I might even read the next book.
It was cleverly done, though, and the characters were believable and interesting. The author had the magic well worked out, and that was good. I might even read the next book.
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Aug 11, 2009
Jim
rated it:
It was an OK, fun read, but I'm not in a rush to get another. The busy soccer mom - demon hunter thing was cute & amusing - once. The next book could go either way, but I doubt it will get much better. The base she has to work from seems a bit too static. The writing was mildly amusing, but never made me chuckle out loud. Not bad, but I could easily put it down.
The characters were pretty well done & interesting. She certainly has the whole suburban house wife thing down well fr More...
The characters were pretty well done & interesting. She certainly has the whole suburban house wife thing down well fr More...
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Jan 12, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
My mom loaned me this book a couple of years ago, paraphrasing a blurb on the cover about it being Buffy gone soccer mom. It is about an unconventional demon hunter, a suburbs mom juggling apocalypse and carpool, but it's missing the snap and pop that accompanied Buffy.
It's not a bad read, but it is a shut your brain off read. If you're thinking about it, the plot points are basically painted for you in neon--even though the main character doesn't put them together until the climax More...
It's not a bad read, but it is a shut your brain off read. If you're thinking about it, the plot points are basically painted for you in neon--even though the main character doesn't put them together until the climax More...
Dec 20, 2010
DMS
rated it:
Not my cup of tea. The concept is really appealing. What if Buffy grew up and started a normal life? And by "Buffy," I mean your average ass-kicking young girl from urban fantasy, not actually Buffy Summers. The execution is somewhat lacking in that the narrative pretty much feeds you every plot twist in advance. You don't have to worry about missing any of the sarcasm because it tends to be followed by, "that was sarcasm in case you missed it."
It didn't help tha More...
It didn't help tha More...
Oct 08, 2010
Sheri S.
rated it:
As if a Stay-At-Home Mom doesn't have enough to do, try also being a retired Demon-Hunter! Can you imagine putting together a last minute dinner party for your politically ambitious husband, taking care of a teenage girl and a 2-year old toddler and then being forced out of retirement when you end up having to dispose of the carcass of the demon you had to kill after he crashed into your kitchen window between letting the bottles of wine breathe and placing the appetizers into the oven!! Welcome
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Jul 05, 2010
Angela
rated it:
It was an enjoyable book -- an easy read. I did get annoyed that Kate kept mentioning that she was a HUNTER of DEMONS...like we would forget...or that she was a MOM. I am not so keen on the book to seek out the rest in the series, but if they came my way, I would probably read them. Sci-Fi/Fantasy Fluff
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Jun 14, 2011
Steven
rated it:
There is beach reading, which is pretty light, inconsequential. Then there is light beach reading, which is nothing more than fluff. And then there is Carpe Demon. Julie Kenner as written a book that is so full of fluff that I’m surprised it didn’t just float off to nowhere, its eventual destination. Yes there are moments of fun, then there are boring, unbelievable, action scenes, and there are even double crosses that can be seen miles away. There is a portrayal of suburban housewives tha
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Nov 05, 2009
Shelley
rated it:
The premise of this book is: Kate is a stay-at-home mom who is also a retired demon hunter (like a more religious Buffy), who has to return to her old hunting ways when demons infiltrate her town. I got the book-on-cd from the library, and listened to it while laying in bed with a common cold. It was pretty good for that purpose. The main conflict is less Kate v. Demons and more about Kate fighting the demons without her family finding out that she's a hunter. Also, Kate struggles a lot with
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Sep 01, 2009
Tamora
rated it:
A cute story of a very conventional stay-at-home mom who is a retired Demon Hunter. It's only when a demon sails through her front window that she discovers she's been called back to duty after 17 years. She also discovers she is out of shape, out of practice, and the Church has no back ups. After a certain amount of whining, Kate does what most mothers learn to do: she improvises, recruiting her best friend and their teenaged daughters for help as she tries to decide who is friend, who is fo
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Apr 03, 2009
Tory
rated it:
It was silly, easy and light... I didn't hate it, even though the narration repeated itself far, far too often and the author used stupid words like 'snarfed' over and over. There were moments when she was trying far too hard to be funny/clever/cute/whatever... but still. I didn't hate it.
I have a hard time seriously bitching about this kind of book, because one knows exactly what they are in for when one picks it up. It's not surprising that it's not the best written book, it's More...
I have a hard time seriously bitching about this kind of book, because one knows exactly what they are in for when one picks it up. It's not surprising that it's not the best written book, it's More...
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Jul 31, 2011
I was surprised that I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I liked how the author sometimes acknowledged the reader as if not to take herself too seriously. It is a little stretch of the imagination to think that ex-demon hunter now soccer mom Kate would still retain her demon hunting skills after being retired so long, especially since it is such a physical job (apparently not too demanding in the spiritual dept like you might think) and she is Mom to a 2 year old and a teenager. And
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Nov 06, 2010
Karen
rated it:
I read this book because I started a book that became very depressing and sad and I wasn't in the mood so I went in search of something that was pure mindless entertainment. Carpe Demon was just that. I had a lot of fun reading this book because it made me laugh and forget anything unpleasant. I can't say that is was great or even good literature, but it did take me away and I did enjoy it.
The book is about a retired demon hunter who is now a wife and mom. Due to unforeseen circu More...
The book is about a retired demon hunter who is now a wife and mom. Due to unforeseen circu More...
Aug 16, 2011
Tammy
rated it:
My Thoughts:
Lately I don't veer very far from Young Adult but sometimes a book catches my attention and I have to check it out. I won this little jewel in a contest some time ago and finally plucked it from my towering TBR pile. The clever title had me cracking up right away-looking for a few light hearted laughs I read the first few pages.
HOOKED!
This is how I picture Buffy the vampire slayer in her later years. A busy mom with too many irons in the fire. Reluctantly fighting a More...
Lately I don't veer very far from Young Adult but sometimes a book catches my attention and I have to check it out. I won this little jewel in a contest some time ago and finally plucked it from my towering TBR pile. The clever title had me cracking up right away-looking for a few light hearted laughs I read the first few pages.
HOOKED!
This is how I picture Buffy the vampire slayer in her later years. A busy mom with too many irons in the fire. Reluctantly fighting a More...
Feb 10, 2012
Not badly written but not my thing and did not hold my interest. Not starring because do not want to slam what other readers might find a perfectly good read; but, the demon/paranormal portion very miniscule.
So basically a soccer mom tale including riding along with main character on stuff like picking up milk, finding a daycare, dealing with merged family. Not sure why another reviewer called it "romantic comedy" as current husband a bit on the cardboard side and except More...
So basically a soccer mom tale including riding along with main character on stuff like picking up milk, finding a daycare, dealing with merged family. Not sure why another reviewer called it "romantic comedy" as current husband a bit on the cardboard side and except More...
Mar 23, 2011
Shazza
rated it:
This was a very humorous story. As a mystery (as there were some hunting out clues bits), it could've been a bit more mysterious. Kate, our heroine, is a retired demon hunter, with a teenager and a toddler, and a husband who is trying to become a politico. When a demon stalks Kate back to her home, and crashes through the bay window, she realizes something's up. It's not until she's able to contact the Vatican and her old mentor that she finds out a major demon has come into her town, and is
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