Fun listen! The characters are really great and it's fun to listen to the story. Will def be reading more of the series. ( )

There is not one part of this book that you don't already know from reading the description. It is Buffy bitching about wanting a normal life at her very whiniest. I regret the time wasted reading it. ( )

Fifteen years ago, demon hunter Kate Connor set aside her holy water and ninja skills in favor of diapers and minivans, but a new threat has pulled her out of retirement. This novel is silly and sweet and I quite enjoyed it, except for the demon voices on the audiobook, which are creepy as heck. It's not a good book, but it's fun. One thing that I don't quite get: what do they do with all of the bodies? ( )

There is not one part of this book that you don't already know from reading the description. It is Buffy bitching about wanting a normal life at her very whiniest. I regret the time wasted reading it. ( )

Decent quick read. It was interesting to see how the main character attempts to segregate her current life with her past & present demon hunting. Try as she might, the demon hunting encroachment interfering in her personal life will be a losing battle as the series moves forward I bet. Good character development and a strong plot and storyline. The marital relationship conversations could be improved upon but overall a good 1st in series book. Also had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook. The narrator did a great job with giving each character their own voice - only a couple of mess ups when the dialogue between characters was short. ( )

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 for one morning encounter that was apparently so out of the norm for their romance she started suspecting him--nothing really romantic. I am kinda suspicious that at one time was a regular fiction book that added some paranormal stuff to get published. And if it wanted to be romance or comedy or chick-lit or women's fiction -- it just should have. At my advanced middle age, a bit hard to accept that a woman who retired at least 15 years ago and never worked out since was immediately back in shape.

Dealing with teenagers and toddlers rang true; unfortunately, seen enough in real life to not be interested in reading so much of it in a fiction book I picked it up thinking that while likely silly would have some paranormal, comedy, romance type of plots that would hold up to being in a series I was hearing so much about. *ack* who wants to read carpool scheduling difficulties?

Fun! ( )

Fun! ( )

Finally! I feel like I've climbed a mountain reading this book. Though the plot seems interesting it took forever to get there. ( )

Katie is a suburban housewife. She has a 14 year old daughter and a 2 year old son and a husband who loves her dearly – and she spends her life holding her family together. It’s hard work, but she meets each days challenges (more of less) successfully.

She even manages her husband’s political ambitions, being called upon to host elaborate dinner and cocktail parties (often at ridiculously short notice); very essential to get all the proper endorsements. And, of course, she and her daughter are still dealing with the ongoing grief of losing her first husband that has never quite gone away. It’s an involved life.

And then the demons show up. Once, she worked with the Vatican, she was a demon hunter, a trained killer, lethal fighter who sought out the demonic and slew it, banishing it from the world. But she’s retired and hasn’t fought in over a decade – she certainly never thought she’d have to fight in San Diablo, which she had chosen for its lack of demons.

Now she has demons threatening her family and, worse of all, a higher demon that is seeking to destroy the whole city and she’s the only hunter spare. No matter how rusty her skills, how frustrating the investigation or how difficult it is to schedule demon slaying in between play dates, Katie has to step up.

One thing I love about this book is how much it makes it clear that being a stay-at-home mother is not, in any way, laziness or easiness. Societally we have a strong level of contempt for “women’s work” and a woman who doesn’t work but stays at home with the kids is often regarded as being lazy or somehow failing. Indeed, housework and childcare about both labour that is highly devalued and disrespected despite how essential it is. Katie spends her life bouncing from appointment to appointment – ferrying children about their lives, caring for her toddler who constantly demands her attention, cooking, cleaning, advising and observing her daughter, dealing with the sudden parties her ambitious-politician husband keeps throwing at her. And she alternates this with constant guilt and pressure that is so often understated – is she the perfect politician’s wife? Is she the perfect hostess? She put the baby down in front of the television, is that bad parenting? Did she tell Allie the right thing? It’s a really good representation of the pressure she’s under.

Then throw in demon hunting and she’s well and truly snowed under – the constant battle to fit in all she has to do in her normal life and still do what’s necessary to stop Goramesh is really well portrayed and pretty uncommon in the genre. Usually, an Urban Fantasy protagonist is able to dedicate their full lives to the mystical drama du jour. If they’re overwhelmed it’s because the mystical drama requires a lot of work, or they have several mystical dramas at once. It’s rare for it to actually be their own home lives that intrude on their supernatural lives.

The problem I have is that, while it’s a wonderfully unique concept, I’m not sure the story reached the same level. I enjoyed it, it was fun and fluffy and carried those important messages about motherhood, but it was also a little rambly. Part of that served extremely well to cover Katie being both out of her depth with the research and the sheer amount of work she had to do as both a mother and a hunter – she was hassled, she could rarely focus on one task, she had far too many demands on her time. This was great thematically, but storywise, it constantly felt like we were being pulled off on tangents and not advancing the real plot very quickly.

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If your a fan of Buffy or any other vampire series, this book is fun! Its a "real" look at a fantasy world. What would a demon hunter do if they retired and then got drawn back into the life?
I thought the character was real enough to be you or I. It was serious and funny with a mix of good and bad.
I recommend it if you want a fun read with a little mystical thrown in. ( )

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 Vatican handler. She is sent a new handler, whose arrival in her home coincides with a demon attack and a cocktail party in aid of her new husband's political ambitions...and the handler happens to be showing signs of demonhood hisownself....

Hijinks ensue, Good (or Catholicism, anyway) triumphs over Evil, and middle-aged mama Kate unretires because, as TV has taught us, once a _target for demons, always a _target for demons.

My Review: Many points off for homophobia p15, "...realized {her son} had been completely mesmerized by four gyrating Australian men. If he were fifteen, I'd worry. At twenty-five months, I figured we were okay." That might be funny to the author's straight-mommy readership, but it shouldn't be. Having a gay son is grounds to worry? Really? And why is that, exactly?

Many points off for assuming the world is Catholic in multiple places around the text. Many points off for out-and-out lifting the structure of her demon-world and its fighters from "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." And lastly, a minor deduction for the main character's use and abuse of a long-suffering, and I do mean suffering, best friend. Why that lady puts up with this self-involved fool is beyond me.

I started this book with very high hopes. I lost most of them on p15, as mentioned above. Then it was down to "finish or abandon?" debate...the only reason I review the book is that, in the end, I did finish it, and the ending was reasonably not-sucky. Go ahead and read it if you're an insensitive straight-supremacist man-hater. You'll laugh your socks off. ( )

Listened to this book well over a year ago, I think. It was an entertaining story and I like the characters this author created. I enjoyed the 2nd book better though. And I look forward to listening to the next installment in the series. ( )

Kenner has a wonderfully sarcastic, funny tone throughout the book. The protagonist is a mother of two who kills neighborhood demons. There are four books in the series, thus far. Each book has a major demon to battle, and throughout the four books, the protagonist struggles to solve her first husband's mysterious murder. Fast, hilarious read, and I highly recommend, even to those who don't normally read from the fantasy genre. ( )

Finally got around to reading this series. If I didn't have the next three books on my tbr shelf, I wouldn't have bothered picking them up. It was very repetitive, whingy and rather annoying at times. But I like the idea behind it, a little bit of mystery. Though to be honest, I guessed from the start who it was. ( )

Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom pretty much sums it up! Kenner's characters are well developed and personable. Refreshingly original storyline.

Two minute review for "Carpe Demon" by Julie Kenner

Wow, I never want to be a soccer mom. It is not the demon hunting that would kill me. It is the constant stresses of motherhood; Juggling a million errand, soothing everyone elses hurts, trying to read the mind of your teenager, keeping up with your frenetic two year old and being your husbands caregiver that would kill. The woman did not have two seconds to herself. Kate Connor is a great demon hunter but an even greater mom. Good book, very fast read. ( )

My first thought while reading this is that I miss Buffy. Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains one of my favorite television shows ever. Carpe Demon initially caught my eye because someone prefaced their description of the book by stating that it was as if Buffy had grown up and gotten married. That one sentence was enough for me, and I was not wrong.

As you can imagine when discussing a book about a retired demon hunter who now happens to be a mother, the book is meant to be what it is: light, carefree, fun and yet suspenseful. Ms. Kenner makes women everywhere thankful that we do not have to add "hunt demons" to our own to-do lists, and yet, we sympathize with Kate as she struggles to find balance in her shifting world. I personally adore how Ms. Kenner shows motherhood - the constant worry offset by doing the best we can to keep sanity at bay, the very unglamorous aspects of motherhood, and the occasional use of television as a babysitter. Mothers everywhere can relate, even if we do not have murderous demons jumping out at us when we least expect them.

There was a surprisingly strong religious note to the book. In hindsight, demons and faith tend to go together, but in my experience, most authors do not include demons and a strong faith in God together in the same book. I wonder why that is, now that I think about it, for I did not find the discussion a turn-off. For, if you understand that demons are metaphors for the world's evils, then Ms. Kenner is just enforcing the need for faith.

Carpe Demon is a quick read, one I thoroughly enjoyed. I found myself chuckling at Kate's plight but completely understanding her need to protect her family and friends. Mothers everywhere do the same thing each and every day, just not against high demons or hell hounds. In Kate, Ms. Kenner has a character to which most mothers can relate. I, for one, am definitely interested in reading the sequel. And if I happen to reminisce about Buffy, then so much the better! ( )

This was a really fun read! I enjoyed it tremendously! ( )

Books that feature moms who kick ass are always entertaining. Juggling home life, a toddler and a teen and managing to keep the demonic forces in check, Kate Connor is surprisingly inspirational. Carpe Demon has proved how light and fun suburban urban fantasy can be. I am definitely interested in what happens to the demon hunting soccer mom next. ( )

As Charlaine Harris puts it this "shows you what would happen if Buffy got married and kept her past a secret" It's a lot of fun and the main character is quite witty.

I enjoyed the read. ( )

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. ( )

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 from what I could tell. I got the sarcasm when her 2 year old 'helped' her clean up, but she wrote that it was sarcastic. Redundant & typical of the book. The plot was neither original nor particularly imaginative. Figuring out who the bad guy was & how the book would end was easy. It was just a matter of waiting around for her to go the long way round the block to get there. ( )

Kate thought she was out of the demon hunting life until demons start showing up in her quaint suburban town. How can she get rid of the demons with out her family discovering the truth about her past? ( )

http://girlsjustreading.blogspot.com/2009/02/jenns-review-carpe-demon.html ( )