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Karma #1
Karma
People say karma's a...well, you know. Personally, I don't think I'm that bad. It's not like I wanted this job. I wasn't even in my right mind when I accepted the position.
Now, I'm surrounded by crazy coworkers like Lady Luck, who's a bit of a tramp, and Murphy's Law, who's a bumbling oaf. But the worst is Fate. He's got a problem with transfers like myself, and I have to see him constantly. It's unavoidable. We're hunting the same man—my murderer.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 8, 2014
1183 people are currently reading
2823 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 380 reviews
July 7, 2018
Actual rating: 2.5 stars.
➽ Why this book should have been Bloody Shrimping Awesome (BSA™):
The idea behind it is somewhat scrumptious: imagine slightly dying only to be offered a job as Karma herself/itself/whatever. And working with lovely people such asLady Luck, Murphy of the Infamous Law, Danny the Tooth Fairy who likes to play golf with Death the Office Counsellor (he got his degree online, just so you know), Kitty the Cat Lady (no comment), Bert the Leprachaun (monitors clovers and stuff) and Fate the resident douchebag. Because Karma might be a bitch but Fate is most definitely an ass. YUM.
Yep, that's right, this is so glorious even Jean-Claude the Almighty got all groovy and stuff when he first started reading the book. After which things got pretty ugly pretty fast. But that's a story for another time. When not so many innocent ears/eyes/whatever are not listening/reading/whatever.
➽ Why this book was NOT BSA™:
This book is disgustingly light. This book is revoltingly decaf. This book smells nauseatingly liketeen spirit some Abominable Paranormal Chick Lit Type Thingie (APCLTT™). Lots of useless romantic crap and no little story. Which is quite obscene, if you ask me.
See? Even Rose agrees with me on that one. And, frankly, who wouldn't? I mean, this story does feature insta-crush/attraction/whatever. Between twoboring, one-dimensional leads who quite appropriately don't like each other one bit. And are drawn to each other against their better judgement. And spend all their bloody shrimping time bickering about inconsequential stuff . How beautifully refreshing. How delightfully creative. How delectably original. How wonderfully enjoyable. I loved every minute of it, obviously .
Oh, and by the way,our resident special snowflake Karma is 29 but acts like a whiny, fickle, immature teenager. Attagirl. Definitely the kind of chick I want to chop into tiny little pieces snatch away and lock up in my harem before anyone else realizes how yummy-delicious she is and decides to claim her. Forethought is me and stuff. Ha.
» And the moral of this Such Poor Use of Such a Scrumptious Concept Should Be Forbidden by Law and Severely Punished and Stuff Super Crappy Non Review (SPUoSaSCSBFbLaSPaSSCNR™) is:
Also:
You are quite welcome.
➽ Why this book should have been Bloody Shrimping Awesome (BSA™):
The idea behind it is somewhat scrumptious: imagine slightly dying only to be offered a job as Karma herself/itself/whatever. And working with lovely people such as
Yep, that's right, this is so glorious even Jean-Claude the Almighty got all groovy and stuff when he first started reading the book. After which things got pretty ugly pretty fast. But that's a story for another time. When not so many innocent ears/eyes/whatever are not listening/reading/whatever.
➽ Why this book was NOT BSA™:
This book is disgustingly light. This book is revoltingly decaf. This book smells nauseatingly like
See? Even Rose agrees with me on that one. And, frankly, who wouldn't? I mean, this story does feature insta-crush/attraction/whatever. Between two
Oh, and by the way,
» And the moral of this Such Poor Use of Such a Scrumptious Concept Should Be Forbidden by Law and Severely Punished and Stuff Super Crappy Non Review (SPUoSaSCSBFbLaSPaSSCNR™) is:
Also:
You are quite welcome.
August 17, 2017
*** 3 ***
A buddy read with the MacHalos, because we are searching for a good series new to us...
So, the Universe is like a entity which needs to be in balance and in order to keep it that way, "beings", some not human and some Humans who used to be alive (it's complicated), are hired to embody universal concepts who help nudge things in the needed direction. This is how when an accident killed Cam, her just separated from her body spirit was recruited to work for the "Company" as the new Karma. She thinks she will be able to communicate with her loved ones left behind, but the Universe is not having it. So, Kam goes to the office where she meets Luck, Death, Murphy's law, The Jinkses, Faith and the middle manager who gets notes from the Boss. No one is very nice to her, because it appears that Humans are rare in the company and they usually choose to go back into the birthing rotation after the required 30 day trial period.
Karma plans on doing exactly that - do her 30 days and move on, but first she has to do "active duty", which means she needs to act as Karma, but no one seems to plan on training her how to do her job! This is where the gorgeous asshole Alpha Male Faith enters the picture. He is the dude who is going to show her the ropes, but he is to hot to bother and seems to be there just as a distraction... If I was given this little on the job training, I would have sucked at my job... But I might have enjoyed the annoying eye-candy of a beefcake and since he was so worthless as a teacher, I might have tought him a couple of more vigorous exercises 😎.
So, obviously there is attraction, there are situations that go wrong, and there are mysterious others who are after Karma for unknown reason. The premise of the book is original and has a ton of potential, the writing has definite chick-lit feel to it, but the plot is a bit incidental and the characters are quite one dimensional... I want to root for the author to get better at planning her story and give us more debt to the characters, since this is her first book. I am going to continue with the series and hope for growth. It has potential...
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!
A buddy read with the MacHalos, because we are searching for a good series new to us...
So, the Universe is like a entity which needs to be in balance and in order to keep it that way, "beings", some not human and some Humans who used to be alive (it's complicated), are hired to embody universal concepts who help nudge things in the needed direction. This is how when an accident killed Cam, her just separated from her body spirit was recruited to work for the "Company" as the new Karma. She thinks she will be able to communicate with her loved ones left behind, but the Universe is not having it. So, Kam goes to the office where she meets Luck, Death, Murphy's law, The Jinkses, Faith and the middle manager who gets notes from the Boss. No one is very nice to her, because it appears that Humans are rare in the company and they usually choose to go back into the birthing rotation after the required 30 day trial period.
Karma plans on doing exactly that - do her 30 days and move on, but first she has to do "active duty", which means she needs to act as Karma, but no one seems to plan on training her how to do her job! This is where the gorgeous asshole Alpha Male Faith enters the picture. He is the dude who is going to show her the ropes, but he is to hot to bother and seems to be there just as a distraction... If I was given this little on the job training, I would have sucked at my job... But I might have enjoyed the annoying eye-candy of a beefcake and since he was so worthless as a teacher, I might have tought him a couple of more vigorous exercises 😎.
So, obviously there is attraction, there are situations that go wrong, and there are mysterious others who are after Karma for unknown reason. The premise of the book is original and has a ton of potential, the writing has definite chick-lit feel to it, but the plot is a bit incidental and the characters are quite one dimensional... I want to root for the author to get better at planning her story and give us more debt to the characters, since this is her first book. I am going to continue with the series and hope for growth. It has potential...
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and many more wonderful books to come!
December 10, 2014
I'm starting to make a habit of finishing books I know I won't like from the first couple of pages. The trend is worrying because it's wasting time I could have spent doing other, more interesting things and it's making reviews like this one much more common.
The idea behind the story, an anthropomorphised Karma working alongside similar ideas of Fate, Luck, Death, blah blah blah, is not a new one, but could have been something much more intriguing then what is presented here. Instead, what we get is a very shallow, aimless paranormal romance outing that skates on the edge of being boring to the point of unreadability.
Basically, there was very little here to keep me interested. A boring main character who is nothing like she says she is. Apparently, she's a defence lawyer who isn't easy to push over and is intelligent, but shows no sign of either trait throughout the book. In fact, the harder someone else pushed her, the easier she folded, and it required a big strong man to do all the 'investigating' because she was too busy having coffee and narrating about how smart and not a pushover she is.
On the matter of the 'love interest', you know, I'd like to see a story where the man and woman first meet and hate each other... and continue to hate each other. To actually never feel attracted to the other person at all. Yes, hate the silent, cold, split personality guy! Don't use a flimsy excuse to jump into bed with the dude you detest. AND on the topic of the whole sleeping with him, first, there was the implication of rape that she didn't worry about, and then when it came time for the contractual conjugation, it was completely cringe worthy. From the whole 'Cupid made me do it', to the 'I'll pick who I sleep with', 'No you won't because I'm the man', 'Oh, okay' scenario to the actual event itself.
Every character is one dimensional and dull and lifeless. The plot is shallow and vague. It's not even mildly funny. Every intentionally amusing phrase is tired from being wrung through every other paranormal romance out there. There was no subtly at all, every Important Fact TOLD to the main character (and thus the reader) by someone else. All the final revelations about the main character's previous lives was just dumped at the end like a big pile of 'Oops, I'm at the end of the story, how do I let the reader know all the subtle yet important things I haven't blurted out yet?' panic.
I know a lot of people have found, and will continue to find, this story fun and engaging and that's great. Each to their own. If we were all the same, it would be a boring world indeed. However, I must come to the conclusion that books like this will never be my cup of tea. In future, when I start to roll my eyes and sigh during the first chapter of a book, I shall endeavour to put it down and walk away.
The idea behind the story, an anthropomorphised Karma working alongside similar ideas of Fate, Luck, Death, blah blah blah, is not a new one, but could have been something much more intriguing then what is presented here. Instead, what we get is a very shallow, aimless paranormal romance outing that skates on the edge of being boring to the point of unreadability.
Basically, there was very little here to keep me interested. A boring main character who is nothing like she says she is. Apparently, she's a defence lawyer who isn't easy to push over and is intelligent, but shows no sign of either trait throughout the book. In fact, the harder someone else pushed her, the easier she folded, and it required a big strong man to do all the 'investigating' because she was too busy having coffee and narrating about how smart and not a pushover she is.
On the matter of the 'love interest', you know, I'd like to see a story where the man and woman first meet and hate each other... and continue to hate each other. To actually never feel attracted to the other person at all. Yes, hate the silent, cold, split personality guy! Don't use a flimsy excuse to jump into bed with the dude you detest. AND on the topic of the whole sleeping with him, first, there was the implication of rape that she didn't worry about, and then when it came time for the contractual conjugation, it was completely cringe worthy. From the whole 'Cupid made me do it', to the 'I'll pick who I sleep with', 'No you won't because I'm the man', 'Oh, okay' scenario to the actual event itself.
Every character is one dimensional and dull and lifeless. The plot is shallow and vague. It's not even mildly funny. Every intentionally amusing phrase is tired from being wrung through every other paranormal romance out there. There was no subtly at all, every Important Fact TOLD to the main character (and thus the reader) by someone else. All the final revelations about the main character's previous lives was just dumped at the end like a big pile of 'Oops, I'm at the end of the story, how do I let the reader know all the subtle yet important things I haven't blurted out yet?' panic.
I know a lot of people have found, and will continue to find, this story fun and engaging and that's great. Each to their own. If we were all the same, it would be a boring world indeed. However, I must come to the conclusion that books like this will never be my cup of tea. In future, when I start to roll my eyes and sigh during the first chapter of a book, I shall endeavour to put it down and walk away.
Want to read
October 30, 2017Gotta love it when books you wanna read are free! Free on Amazon.co.uk at the time of posting.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/product/B...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/product/B...
September 10, 2020
It's more like 2.5 stars, but I had fun so it's worth rounding up.
I agree with the other MacHalos - a nice light read. It's a cool idea with characters who take on aspects of superstitions and beliefs. They help tweak the lives of humans who are out of balance with the universe's mysterious plan.
The romance dominated the story line more than I prefer, especially given how many other cool aspects/characters the author could have chosen to focus on. Also the MC acts quite immature a lot of the time and while the author attempts to justify this due to the amount of change the MC is going through, it's just gets old fast.
I'm hopeful that the series improves with each book.
I agree with the other MacHalos - a nice light read. It's a cool idea with characters who take on aspects of superstitions and beliefs. They help tweak the lives of humans who are out of balance with the universe's mysterious plan.
The romance dominated the story line more than I prefer, especially given how many other cool aspects/characters the author could have chosen to focus on. Also the MC acts quite immature a lot of the time and while the author attempts to justify this due to the amount of change the MC is going through, it's just gets old fast.
I'm hopeful that the series improves with each book.
May 24, 2018
I liked this a lot more than I thought it would. It was different, fun, and original. I definitely want to pick up book two.
May 17, 2022
Somewhere along the South Carolina coast, right on Highway 17, there is "an unassuming three-story office building" containing the ordinary business and professional offices you would expect. All of them, however, are actually staffed by agents of the building's real owner, Unknown Forces of the Universe (UFU) LLC. Most of these agents sit around most of the time doing nothing, because of the nature of their jobs:
The jobs include Hand of Fate, Lady Luck, Murphy's Law, Karma, Jinxes, several emissaries of death, etc. The boss is the universe, and orders come through a factotum named Harold, whose scenes were fun to read. As the title suggests, the job of Karma is vacant and the universe has sent UFU a Transfer to fill it.
Camilla Fontaine, age 27, a young lawyer working as the local public defender, has just died along with many others in a train crash. Fate and Harold recruit her for the standard 30-day probationary period, at the end of which they promise she will have the option to work as Karma for the next thousand years or pass on into her next life.
She is horrified. Horrified at being dead, at being lost to her fiance Charlie, and at the weird afterlife she feels she was tricked into signing up for. Well, at least, it's only 30 days. She's unimpressed by Harold, feels threatened by Fate who's supervising her, and isn't happy with the very few assignments she gets during that time. But that train crash that killed her was planned by someone who'll get away with it unless Fate, with Karma along, can find the perpetrator and restore universal balance...
This book was fun to read, narrated as it is by Camilla/Karma, who has a whopper of an attitude--talk about heroines who take no crap! After all, she was an ambitious lawyer eager to make a success of her life; no wonder she's so antagonistic to Fate in virtually every chapter right to the end! And of course he arouses her too. That part was nothing new, but the concept and the agents of UFU were delightfully unique, there are plenty of comic moments, and along the way our badass main character learns something about herself.
The universe has a certain balance it maintains, but it will occasionally fall out of balance. This is usually caused by people...who have a sort of natural immunity to the universal forces and need an associate to go in and manually adjust them. If they go too long, they can sometimes throw the system and balance off violently. ...When we don't do a good job, you end up with people like Hitler.The agents sign up for thousand-year terms, many of them for longer, and are of course mostly not human despite their very human appearances, personalities, thoughts, and feelings. Every now and then, though, the universe will fill a vacancy with a "transfer"--a human who has just died will be recruited to UFU instead of passing into their next life. Transfers are generally disliked because they usually don't work out.
The jobs include Hand of Fate, Lady Luck, Murphy's Law, Karma, Jinxes, several emissaries of death, etc. The boss is the universe, and orders come through a factotum named Harold, whose scenes were fun to read. As the title suggests, the job of Karma is vacant and the universe has sent UFU a Transfer to fill it.
Camilla Fontaine, age 27, a young lawyer working as the local public defender, has just died along with many others in a train crash. Fate and Harold recruit her for the standard 30-day probationary period, at the end of which they promise she will have the option to work as Karma for the next thousand years or pass on into her next life.
She is horrified. Horrified at being dead, at being lost to her fiance Charlie, and at the weird afterlife she feels she was tricked into signing up for. Well, at least, it's only 30 days. She's unimpressed by Harold, feels threatened by Fate who's supervising her, and isn't happy with the very few assignments she gets during that time. But that train crash that killed her was planned by someone who'll get away with it unless Fate, with Karma along, can find the perpetrator and restore universal balance...
This book was fun to read, narrated as it is by Camilla/Karma, who has a whopper of an attitude--talk about heroines who take no crap! After all, she was an ambitious lawyer eager to make a success of her life; no wonder she's so antagonistic to Fate in virtually every chapter right to the end! And of course he arouses her too. That part was nothing new, but the concept and the agents of UFU were delightfully unique, there are plenty of comic moments, and along the way our badass main character learns something about herself.
October 16, 2014
Fun read for book club. The writing was clumsy at times, but I really love the characters and twist on idea of Karma and Fate.
July 30, 2014
I really enjoyed this one. Karma and Fate are great together. I also loved all the other characters: Lady Luck, Murphey's Law, Death - who earned an online psychology degree, the Jinxes, Cupid, the Tooth Fairy, Harold - middle management, and the list continues. This book is funny, witty, and original.
The gist of the plot is that Karma (human name Camilla) was murdered. At her murder scene, she is approached and recruited by Harold. She signs on to a one-month trial to work as Karma for the "universe". Her primary goal is to find her killer. And of course along the way she meets a host of cosmic characters.
This series is urban fantasy but has enough sexual tension to sate my romance appetite. Karma and Fate have a hate/I-hate-to-like-you thing going. It's fun to read. And you see the potential in spades.
This book is written well. I had tried to read one of Augustine's earlier series and didn't really enjoy it. But I can tell she's definitely coming into her own now. I really enjoyed the pacing and style here.
I can't wait for book 2!
The gist of the plot is that Karma (human name Camilla) was murdered. At her murder scene, she is approached and recruited by Harold. She signs on to a one-month trial to work as Karma for the "universe". Her primary goal is to find her killer. And of course along the way she meets a host of cosmic characters.
This series is urban fantasy but has enough sexual tension to sate my romance appetite. Karma and Fate have a hate/I-hate-to-like-you thing going. It's fun to read. And you see the potential in spades.
This book is written well. I had tried to read one of Augustine's earlier series and didn't really enjoy it. But I can tell she's definitely coming into her own now. I really enjoyed the pacing and style here.
I can't wait for book 2!
Want to read
November 12, 2017FREE on Amazon today (11/12/2017)!
November 3, 2014
Camilla was a lawyer before she died.
Now, after signing a piece of paper without properly reading it (yes, she knows – but in her defence she was highly traumatised), she is Karma. A personification of the Universe’s sense of justice and comeuppance. And she’s not happy about it, she didn’t want this and she’s hoping that maybe she’ll be able to duck out of it once her trial period is up
In the meantime, she’d like to find her killer – and bring all kinds of Karmic punishment down on him.
Camilla is now Karma, her job is to make sure people get what’s coming to them (which always seems to be bad – at least in the few occasions we saw her do her job before she got sidetracked). She works for an agency full of beings that handle these nitty gritty supernatural forces – including the biggies like fate and luck but even more mundane and slightly weird and esoteric elements. Like one of her colleagues sends out black cat omens, we have 3 kids running around ready to jinx people if they don’t knock on wood. Luck is teamed with Murphy who imposes his infamous law.
Camilla is a reluctant Karma but does draw out several interesting conflicts from it – she has, after all, just died and the grief she shows for her loved ones she has left behind really shows. I really like how well written her clinging to her old life is, her affections, the evolution of her grief and how that relates to the true nature of her relationship as the revelations grow.
Camilla also has some good conflict as Karma – there’s the obvious one, of course, in bringing about wrongdoer’s comeuppance she realises she has to hurt people – even kill them. She is, in effect, the Universe’s assassin. But there’s even the nature of avenging wrongs when perhaps they should be stopping them
While the world is interesting and the concept pretty unique, I do feel the world building is still very unfinished. We have a lot of talk about “the universe” but no real definition of what that is – but I can live with an unknowable force guiding the actions even if those actions make no sense whatsoever. What does bother me more is not really understanding the core of the plot. There’s these shadowy people guided by something else entirely who are doing nefarious things against the firm – and I don’t even have a shred of explanation as to their actual motivations or even what they are or how they can exist. And then there’s another group of secretive supernatural beings who may have been ex-employee’s of the universe’s group and they’re opposing shadowy group 1 – and I don’t know their motivations, how they exist, what they can do… The problem is most of the plot, especially towards the end of the book, relates to how Camilla interacts with these two groups.
I also think, as the first book in a series, it rather missed the opportunity to build on the context and establish both the agency and the characters inside it – we needed to see more of Camilla being Karma, more of Luck and Murphy and the rest doing their thing.
I also have a minor quibble on tone – and it is minor. I can’t decide if this book wants to be fun and a little whacky (and some of Camilla’s fellow co-workers certainly point towards the whacky) or whether it wasn’t to be serious and introspective (because the whackiness doesn’t really last and we spend a lot of time on Camilla’s reasonable grief, loss and her life). Still, the humour is pretty hilarious and it’d be a huge loss if this wasn’t in the book
There are some problematic issues that I can’t swallow as well – firstly Camilla and Fate seem to be running towards a romance and it’s skeevy in the extreme. There’s lots of him being a complete and utter arsehole, bullying her, intimidating her, trying to scary her, even making her colleagues ostracise her at work and generally filling out every abusive checklist – but then we get minute moments of softness or other acts that mean he’s not being cast as a villain – but a rather classic “he’s an arsehole with a heart of gold” melting.
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Now, after signing a piece of paper without properly reading it (yes, she knows – but in her defence she was highly traumatised), she is Karma. A personification of the Universe’s sense of justice and comeuppance. And she’s not happy about it, she didn’t want this and she’s hoping that maybe she’ll be able to duck out of it once her trial period is up
In the meantime, she’d like to find her killer – and bring all kinds of Karmic punishment down on him.
Camilla is now Karma, her job is to make sure people get what’s coming to them (which always seems to be bad – at least in the few occasions we saw her do her job before she got sidetracked). She works for an agency full of beings that handle these nitty gritty supernatural forces – including the biggies like fate and luck but even more mundane and slightly weird and esoteric elements. Like one of her colleagues sends out black cat omens, we have 3 kids running around ready to jinx people if they don’t knock on wood. Luck is teamed with Murphy who imposes his infamous law.
Camilla is a reluctant Karma but does draw out several interesting conflicts from it – she has, after all, just died and the grief she shows for her loved ones she has left behind really shows. I really like how well written her clinging to her old life is, her affections, the evolution of her grief and how that relates to the true nature of her relationship as the revelations grow.
Camilla also has some good conflict as Karma – there’s the obvious one, of course, in bringing about wrongdoer’s comeuppance she realises she has to hurt people – even kill them. She is, in effect, the Universe’s assassin. But there’s even the nature of avenging wrongs when perhaps they should be stopping them
While the world is interesting and the concept pretty unique, I do feel the world building is still very unfinished. We have a lot of talk about “the universe” but no real definition of what that is – but I can live with an unknowable force guiding the actions even if those actions make no sense whatsoever. What does bother me more is not really understanding the core of the plot. There’s these shadowy people guided by something else entirely who are doing nefarious things against the firm – and I don’t even have a shred of explanation as to their actual motivations or even what they are or how they can exist. And then there’s another group of secretive supernatural beings who may have been ex-employee’s of the universe’s group and they’re opposing shadowy group 1 – and I don’t know their motivations, how they exist, what they can do… The problem is most of the plot, especially towards the end of the book, relates to how Camilla interacts with these two groups.
I also think, as the first book in a series, it rather missed the opportunity to build on the context and establish both the agency and the characters inside it – we needed to see more of Camilla being Karma, more of Luck and Murphy and the rest doing their thing.
I also have a minor quibble on tone – and it is minor. I can’t decide if this book wants to be fun and a little whacky (and some of Camilla’s fellow co-workers certainly point towards the whacky) or whether it wasn’t to be serious and introspective (because the whackiness doesn’t really last and we spend a lot of time on Camilla’s reasonable grief, loss and her life). Still, the humour is pretty hilarious and it’d be a huge loss if this wasn’t in the book
There are some problematic issues that I can’t swallow as well – firstly Camilla and Fate seem to be running towards a romance and it’s skeevy in the extreme. There’s lots of him being a complete and utter arsehole, bullying her, intimidating her, trying to scary her, even making her colleagues ostracise her at work and generally filling out every abusive checklist – but then we get minute moments of softness or other acts that mean he’s not being cast as a villain – but a rather classic “he’s an arsehole with a heart of gold” melting.
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August 19, 2017
There are beings who keep the balance in the universe. When Camilla died she was recruited to join them which was rare. Each person has a specific job. Hers is karma.
The idea behind this was pretty cool. For a story where the focus of it is someone who lost everything, it could have been taken more seriously. She was only dead for a week or two and it seemed like she had adjusted fairly well to a life where she was around her old life but couldn't interact with it. It took no time at all for her to get swept up in a new romance. It made her seem heartless that she was able to let go of her life so easily.
It irritated me that Karma was so special. All kinds of people wanted to use her including the universe it seems like hence the memos. Of course she could do stuff that none of the other whatever they are can do.
Fate was an asshole and not the charming sort I like. It was hard to understand why Karma was so into him. His attempts to point out the truth to her were cruel. It was obvious he was using her. Despite him being a dick I'm pretty sure it'll turn out that they're soul mates.
Some things with the world building didn't add up.
I didn't like this as much as the other two series I've read by Donna Augustine. One factor that is the same in all of her books seems to be heroines who argue with their LI a lot. Karma being 27 seemed too old for this level of drama. This was a quick easy read so I'll probably finish out the series just to see where it goes.
Did this remind anyone else of the tv show Dead Like Me? They had similar concepts and were both dealt with in a cheesy way.
The idea behind this was pretty cool. For a story where the focus of it is someone who lost everything, it could have been taken more seriously. She was only dead for a week or two and it seemed like she had adjusted fairly well to a life where she was around her old life but couldn't interact with it. It took no time at all for her to get swept up in a new romance. It made her seem heartless that she was able to let go of her life so easily.
It irritated me that Karma was so special. All kinds of people wanted to use her including the universe it seems like hence the memos. Of course she could do stuff that none of the other whatever they are can do.
Fate was an asshole and not the charming sort I like. It was hard to understand why Karma was so into him. His attempts to point out the truth to her were cruel. It was obvious he was using her. Despite him being a dick I'm pretty sure it'll turn out that they're soul mates.
Some things with the world building didn't add up.
I didn't like this as much as the other two series I've read by Donna Augustine. One factor that is the same in all of her books seems to be heroines who argue with their LI a lot. Karma being 27 seemed too old for this level of drama. This was a quick easy read so I'll probably finish out the series just to see where it goes.
Did this remind anyone else of the tv show Dead Like Me? They had similar concepts and were both dealt with in a cheesy way.
November 21, 2014
Karma is searching for her murderer. How many people can say they were given that opportunity? A lawyer in life, after her death she is given the opportunity to work helping others...or rather bringing down Karma on others. Things don't always turn out quite as she planned, though, and as she learns her new position she must also deal with the hardships of it.
Karma is a great character. She is spirited and tenacious, never backing down from what she believes, all the while grieving for her lost life. During the course of this story we meet a great cast of characters, including (but not limited to) Murphy, Luck, Cupid, Death and of course Fate. Karma and Fate...What can go wrong? There is a lot of tension between the two of them, in a most delicious way.
The pace of the story was great and the plot original and fun. I will be looking for more from this series and this new to me author.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Karma is a great character. She is spirited and tenacious, never backing down from what she believes, all the while grieving for her lost life. During the course of this story we meet a great cast of characters, including (but not limited to) Murphy, Luck, Cupid, Death and of course Fate. Karma and Fate...What can go wrong? There is a lot of tension between the two of them, in a most delicious way.
The pace of the story was great and the plot original and fun. I will be looking for more from this series and this new to me author.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 10, 2014
Tired of all the vamps and weres? Well, even if you aren't, give Karma (yes, that Karma) a read. Camilla ends up working for the universe and trying to keep balance in the world...unfortunately she doesn't want the job, and on top of that none of her co-workers will talk to her. Fate is one sexy beast of a man, but he hates her, which is good because she hates him too, just wishes he wasn't so dang gone handsome.
Love the bullheaded attitude of Karma and the sexually tension filled relationship with Fate. This is a great start to a new urban fantasy with humor (Did you know Death likes to golf?) and suspense. I can't wait to find out more about this unique world.
Love the bullheaded attitude of Karma and the sexually tension filled relationship with Fate. This is a great start to a new urban fantasy with humor (Did you know Death likes to golf?) and suspense. I can't wait to find out more about this unique world.
May 22, 2016
Fun and unique!
February 2, 2018
A review of the full series. Actually give it 4.5 as a whole.
I loved this series and could not put it down. I read all four books in less than two days (it helps that I am sick and currently home, silver linings).
Karma dies and is recruited by an organization that keeps the universe balanced. She is a transfer (was human before she was recruited) so she doesn’t really fit in at the office. But eventually starts making friends with her coworkers. She is trying to find the person who murdered her which opens a whole other can of worms. So the premise is pretty original and interesting.
Karma herself was pretty well developed, likable, and relatable. Fate (the hero) gets developed over the series, little by little. So don’t expect to get to know him very well in this first book. Both of them are very special cookies, so they tend to clash over lots of things. The rest of the characters don’t really get developed much and are more of a background that helps the story move along.
Their relationship starts as lust/hate, moves up to love/hate, then to pretend hate but really actually love, over the series. The insta lust is there but the actual development of the relationship takes all three books and even then doesn’t click into place until the last one (honestly is like pulling teeth with these two). Which means even though they like each other they don’t want to and fight it all the way.
Book one: great introduction to series and characters that had me hooked.
Book two: my least favorite of the three. The bad guys get under Karma’s skin (figuratively speaking) and is not pretty. Still interesting. Still worth the read. But hard to read.
Book three: wrap up of the series. All the little loose ends get tied up. But it does take up to the end of the book to get it done. Meaning that a lot gets revealed in the last few chapters. Careful not to blink or you might miss something important. A useless sort of love triangle is introduced, but not developed much beyond causing some jealousy. A happy ending waits for you.
I loved this series and could not put it down. I read all four books in less than two days (it helps that I am sick and currently home, silver linings).
Karma dies and is recruited by an organization that keeps the universe balanced. She is a transfer (was human before she was recruited) so she doesn’t really fit in at the office. But eventually starts making friends with her coworkers. She is trying to find the person who murdered her which opens a whole other can of worms. So the premise is pretty original and interesting.
Karma herself was pretty well developed, likable, and relatable. Fate (the hero) gets developed over the series, little by little. So don’t expect to get to know him very well in this first book. Both of them are very special cookies, so they tend to clash over lots of things. The rest of the characters don’t really get developed much and are more of a background that helps the story move along.
Their relationship starts as lust/hate, moves up to love/hate, then to pretend hate but really actually love, over the series. The insta lust is there but the actual development of the relationship takes all three books and even then doesn’t click into place until the last one (honestly is like pulling teeth with these two). Which means even though they like each other they don’t want to and fight it all the way.
Book one: great introduction to series and characters that had me hooked.
Book two: my least favorite of the three. The bad guys get under Karma’s skin (figuratively speaking) and is not pretty. Still interesting. Still worth the read. But hard to read.
Book three: wrap up of the series. All the little loose ends get tied up. But it does take up to the end of the book to get it done. Meaning that a lot gets revealed in the last few chapters. Careful not to blink or you might miss something important. A useless sort of love triangle is introduced, but not developed much beyond causing some jealousy. A happy ending waits for you.
July 9, 2014
New Book coming!!!
January 16, 2021
Karma by Donna Augustine
1st book in the Karma series. Paranormal urban fantasy.
Karma, Fate, Murphy, Lady Luck etc are represented by live (ish) people in this story.
Camilla is scripted into the role of Karma after her death. She knows what needs to be done to balance the bad with their due. A version of what goes around, comes around. Karma takes it a step further than she’s instructed when saving a victim but what can they do to her? She’s already dead. She’s got a crush on Fate but can’t quite figure out what his deal is.
Amusing premise with dark tones. Karma is on the path of her killer.
Lots of open questions at the end. Interesting cast characters with Cupid, the Cat Lady and the Jinxes.
I probably will read the next to see where this goes.
3.5 because it’s not quite as complete as I’d like in one book and the ebook needs better editing.
1st book in the Karma series. Paranormal urban fantasy.
Karma, Fate, Murphy, Lady Luck etc are represented by live (ish) people in this story.
Camilla is scripted into the role of Karma after her death. She knows what needs to be done to balance the bad with their due. A version of what goes around, comes around. Karma takes it a step further than she’s instructed when saving a victim but what can they do to her? She’s already dead. She’s got a crush on Fate but can’t quite figure out what his deal is.
Amusing premise with dark tones. Karma is on the path of her killer.
Lots of open questions at the end. Interesting cast characters with Cupid, the Cat Lady and the Jinxes.
I probably will read the next to see where this goes.
3.5 because it’s not quite as complete as I’d like in one book and the ebook needs better editing.
July 19, 2014
This was a surprisingly good read. I look forward to the next book in the Karma series.
September 17, 2015
Ενα διαφορετικό βιβλιο απο αυτά που κυκλοφορούν με πολλούς αντι-ηρωεςγια πρωταγωνιστές . εχει χιούμορ , εχει έρωτα, εχει αγωνία ,εχει καλή πένα ....τι άλλο να θελω....τίποτα.
June 10, 2017
I really liked the concept of Karma, Fate, Luck, and Murphy’s Law being people.
July 10, 2014
KARMA may be a b***h but this first book in the series is a definite winner. Donna has once again written an urban fantasy that is as unique as the characters that populate the book. I was drawn into the story within the first few pages. I’m a sucker for a book with clever dialogue, plenty of action, and badass heroes and heroines.
Camilla’s death is the start of an amazing afterlife. She doesn’t appreciate what she’s signed on for though, once she realizes the full scope of what is going to be expected of her. Then there’s the little problem of the darkly sensual Fate who is supposed to be showing her the ropes on being Karma. She hates him as much as he hates Transfers, which is what she is. Working for the Unknown Forces of the Universe, or UFU, could be interesting if she only knew what she was supposed to do. And it would be nice if the rest of her co-workers at the office would talk to her.
But it’s not all fun and games in the book. Camilla and Fate are in search of the person who murdered her, there are evil forces at work that are a serious threat to the Universe’s balance, and it becomes obvious Camilla has more to hide than you would think possible for a dead person.
Mystery, drama, humor, and unexpected turns all combine to make this book an easy one to encourage people to read. Can’t wait for the next one in the series.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND to anyone 17 and older.
Camilla’s death is the start of an amazing afterlife. She doesn’t appreciate what she’s signed on for though, once she realizes the full scope of what is going to be expected of her. Then there’s the little problem of the darkly sensual Fate who is supposed to be showing her the ropes on being Karma. She hates him as much as he hates Transfers, which is what she is. Working for the Unknown Forces of the Universe, or UFU, could be interesting if she only knew what she was supposed to do. And it would be nice if the rest of her co-workers at the office would talk to her.
But it’s not all fun and games in the book. Camilla and Fate are in search of the person who murdered her, there are evil forces at work that are a serious threat to the Universe’s balance, and it becomes obvious Camilla has more to hide than you would think possible for a dead person.
Mystery, drama, humor, and unexpected turns all combine to make this book an easy one to encourage people to read. Can’t wait for the next one in the series.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND to anyone 17 and older.
July 12, 2014
Awesome book! Great Read.
very unique. a must read.
The best book Augustine has written to date.
Identifying with the characters becomes so natural it's like your there in the moment. Camilla or 'Karma' , is a strong character, intelligent, smartass and witty.
she is stuck with Fate who is the Hot guy in the book. we all need those to read about!
Karma isn't exactly happy she's stuck here doing this job but she made a hasty decision and she has to do what she has to do. being stuck with Fate isn't pleasant for her but it has it's perks.
she is different then her other co-workers, not only because she was human but for many other reasons no one can quite figure out which becomes the mystery to all of us.
The characters in this book just draw you in, that always makes for a good book. it's a page Turner and keeps you wanting more.
I'm not going into a bunch of spoilers , what's the point, read the book.
it will not disappoint. it's unique, I've never read a book like it .
it's witty, charming, heartbreaking at times, like I said unique, and just all around a great read.
I suggest you get yourself a copy and start reading but don't expect to put it down until it says The End.
you won't want to wait for the 2 book in this series to be released . I know I can't . Yes it's that Great!!
very unique. a must read.
The best book Augustine has written to date.
Identifying with the characters becomes so natural it's like your there in the moment. Camilla or 'Karma' , is a strong character, intelligent, smartass and witty.
she is stuck with Fate who is the Hot guy in the book. we all need those to read about!
Karma isn't exactly happy she's stuck here doing this job but she made a hasty decision and she has to do what she has to do. being stuck with Fate isn't pleasant for her but it has it's perks.
she is different then her other co-workers, not only because she was human but for many other reasons no one can quite figure out which becomes the mystery to all of us.
The characters in this book just draw you in, that always makes for a good book. it's a page Turner and keeps you wanting more.
I'm not going into a bunch of spoilers , what's the point, read the book.
it will not disappoint. it's unique, I've never read a book like it .
it's witty, charming, heartbreaking at times, like I said unique, and just all around a great read.
I suggest you get yourself a copy and start reading but don't expect to put it down until it says The End.
you won't want to wait for the 2 book in this series to be released . I know I can't . Yes it's that Great!!
December 28, 2017
Just looking at the wickedly cool cover for Karma by Donna Augustine, I knew I wanted to read it. I was hooked from the very beginning.
She fights Fate tooth and nail. She is a transfer and a problem for him. I love her and her feisty attitude. I don’t blame her for being ticked off, being forced to do a job she didn’t sign up for.
“Don’t break her.” I laughed out loud when I read it.
The fabulous, quirky characters have supernatural agendas, working to keep the world running in the natural order of things. So, come on in and meet, Karma, Lady Luck, Fate, Murphy’s Law, The Jinxes…
In this wildly funny story, the star is a feisty, hard headed girl who thinks she chooses her own path, but does she? Is our destiny already written or do we have free will?
I couldn’t put it down and read it start to finish in one sitting.
Oh no. There isn’t a cliffhanger, but there is no end. I hate that, but I loved the book.
I picked this up as an Amazon freebie.
See more at fundinmental
She fights Fate tooth and nail. She is a transfer and a problem for him. I love her and her feisty attitude. I don’t blame her for being ticked off, being forced to do a job she didn’t sign up for.
“Don’t break her.” I laughed out loud when I read it.
The fabulous, quirky characters have supernatural agendas, working to keep the world running in the natural order of things. So, come on in and meet, Karma, Lady Luck, Fate, Murphy’s Law, The Jinxes…
In this wildly funny story, the star is a feisty, hard headed girl who thinks she chooses her own path, but does she? Is our destiny already written or do we have free will?
I couldn’t put it down and read it start to finish in one sitting.
Oh no. There isn’t a cliffhanger, but there is no end. I hate that, but I loved the book.
I picked this up as an Amazon freebie.
See more at fundinmental
January 5, 2018
Twisted
Turns out Karma isn't a bitch, but she sure is head strong. Her powers of persuasion are uncanny and I don't think it is a power from her job. Even before she died she had strong will. The idea of beings like Santa, Tooth Fairy, and leprechauns running around in an office and getting visions from the Universe is a really cool and Karma's job is one of the tougher ones since dealing out bad Karma isn't very fun.
There are still so many things unanswered by the end of the story. I am really unhappy with Fate. He is the biggest mystery besides Paddy. Their love scene was wonderful but horrible at the same time. You will see why. I don't want to spoil it. Fate continuously asks her if she will leave when her time is up, which is frustrating and he rarely shows kindness to Karma. Still, I hope they get together. Its a bit twisted.
Turns out Karma isn't a bitch, but she sure is head strong. Her powers of persuasion are uncanny and I don't think it is a power from her job. Even before she died she had strong will. The idea of beings like Santa, Tooth Fairy, and leprechauns running around in an office and getting visions from the Universe is a really cool and Karma's job is one of the tougher ones since dealing out bad Karma isn't very fun.
There are still so many things unanswered by the end of the story. I am really unhappy with Fate. He is the biggest mystery besides Paddy. Their love scene was wonderful but horrible at the same time. You will see why. I don't want to spoil it. Fate continuously asks her if she will leave when her time is up, which is frustrating and he rarely shows kindness to Karma. Still, I hope they get together. Its a bit twisted.
March 28, 2017
Typos and be damned, this has been awesome.
I have a pretty interesting job, but I would rip my contract in a heartbeat if I could do/be Karma! :)
I have a pretty interesting job, but I would rip my contract in a heartbeat if I could do/be Karma! :)
November 14, 2018
People say karma's a...well, you know. Personally, I don't think I'm that bad. It's not like I wanted this job. I wasn't even in my right mind when I accepted the position.
Now, I'm surrounded by crazy coworkers like Lady Luck, who's a bit of a tramp, and Murphy's Law, who's a bumbling oaf. But the worst is Fate. He's got a problem with transfers like myself, and I have to see him constantly. It's unavoidable. We're hunting the same man—my murderer
So this book was enjoyable but confusing. I don't feel like the author gives enough information. This may be deliberate to make readers read the following books or maybe she couldn't find a way to explain things without giving too much away. There is a lot going on and very little resolved. Some of the decisions Karma made did not make sense. Still I liked Karma and I like the books concept. As for Fate, well the jury is out on him. He spent way too much time acting like a jerk.
Now, I'm surrounded by crazy coworkers like Lady Luck, who's a bit of a tramp, and Murphy's Law, who's a bumbling oaf. But the worst is Fate. He's got a problem with transfers like myself, and I have to see him constantly. It's unavoidable. We're hunting the same man—my murderer
So this book was enjoyable but confusing. I don't feel like the author gives enough information. This may be deliberate to make readers read the following books or maybe she couldn't find a way to explain things without giving too much away. There is a lot going on and very little resolved. Some of the decisions Karma made did not make sense. Still I liked Karma and I like the books concept. As for Fate, well the jury is out on him. He spent way too much time acting like a jerk.
March 23, 2023
I thought I had read this years ago, before I got Goodreads, and maybe I did but I had zero recollection as I was reading it this time. It took a little bit longer than it usually does (with this author) for me to get into this book but once I did I was in it. There is a lot still to be discovered about what is going on (some I think I have figured out, but some not at all), and of course I enjoy Karma and Fate's interactions a ton. (As is typical, very low steam and romance in the background of the urban fantasy/paranormal plot at play).
3.5 ⭐️
3.5 ⭐️
June 18, 2019
This one was ok - probably 3.5 stars - I rounded up because it was free on Kindle Unlimited. :D
The beginning is sad and morose - it makes sense to be - it sets up the character and it doesn't dwell there longer than absolutely necessary, but it is sad and morose.
Then, we spend a few chapters setting up the world. Again, not longer than necessary, but it is a tedious step.
And, then we get into the story. And, it is confusing. I am still not sure what is going on. :D But, I sure enjoyed the ride. I do feel like there could have been a bit more explanation and story in the last few chapters - everything seemed to rush to a conclusion after all the set up. Which is why I mentioned the set up. All in all, I enjoyed it and look forward to the next one.
The beginning is sad and morose - it makes sense to be - it sets up the character and it doesn't dwell there longer than absolutely necessary, but it is sad and morose.
Then, we spend a few chapters setting up the world. Again, not longer than necessary, but it is a tedious step.
And, then we get into the story. And, it is confusing. I am still not sure what is going on. :D But, I sure enjoyed the ride. I do feel like there could have been a bit more explanation and story in the last few chapters - everything seemed to rush to a conclusion after all the set up. Which is why I mentioned the set up. All in all, I enjoyed it and look forward to the next one.
August 19, 2017
3.5 *
~~~Machalo Buddy Read~~~
This was light, fun, easy to follow. Like an urban fantasy light beer. I'll have another, since it's cold. I'm curious to see where this goes.
~~~Machalo Buddy Read~~~
This was light, fun, easy to follow. Like an urban fantasy light beer. I'll have another, since it's cold. I'm curious to see where this goes.
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