75:120 Jinx by Jennifer Estep

The 3rd book in the Bigtime series.  Bella Belluci is staunchly anti-superhero/ubervillian despite having her own version of a superpower where she can influence 'luck' although unfortunately for her, it's usually bad luck finding it's way to her although it's never serious.  Having patched up her grandfather, father, and brother who has all moonlighted as Johnny Angel, waited up to make sure they returned home safely, and getting the phone call telling her of her father's demise after he messed with a couple of ubervillians, she is over all of them.  Of course, it just goes to figure that she ends up in the middle of a battle between Debonair and Hangman over the largest sapphire in town.  Next thing she knows, she is back at Debonair's Lair of Seduction and despite her most practical and reasoned self, she is falling for the masked man.  She knows it can never work, that she can't live with that kind of uncertainty in her life, but she every time she tries to break it off something, her 'luck' maybe, thrusts them back together again.  Can she overlook his extracurricular activities to have a happily ever after?

Again, these books are basically fluff and just a nice, easy way to pass some time while at the kids' activities and again, I have issues with the constant repetitive inner monologues and these were worse because all she does is berate herself about her figure/weight/eating.  Seriously?!  Because women don't do that crap to themselves enough, let's make sure that we can't escape it even in books that are full of fluff.  I'm glad she found someone who appreciated her the way she is but considering in the drawing on the cover, she is a size 4, maybe, that's not really any improvement.  She is also constantly berating her lack of artistic skill as 'just a hobby'.  Please, I get that it's common place for women to think like this but we need to think better of ourselves and I don't think making characters this way is healthy especially in something that it supposed to be light and fun.

Page count: 324p/18,667p ytd/199,705p lifetime

73:120 Pax Demonica by Julie Kenner

The 6th book in the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series.  Kate has decided to take Allie and go back to her roots in Rome to the society that took her in when she was orphaned now that her marriage to Stuart is on the rocks and he has taken their son and left.  Out of nowhere, as they are getting read to leave, Stuart returns and tells her that he and Timmy want to go with her and learn more about her previous life and be a family again.  Now Kate is trying to work on her relationship with Stuart and play tourist instead of just visiting Forza to show Allie around.  This is made all the more difficult because demons are coming out of the woodwork around her either looking for something they think she has or threatening her to take care of the "key" when she doesn't even know what it is.  As they delve further into this mysterious key, it looks like it's real end of the world kind of stuff and they need to figure it out fast if they want anyone to be able to see tomorrow.

It was nice going back into this world but it seemed like Kate's snarky mode was definitely turned down for this one which I missed.  I was also hoping to get more about her life before we met her in this series and there wasn't a whole lot of that in this which was a little disappointing but overall, a fun little bubblegum read.

Page count: 258p/17,889p ytd/198,927p lifetime

60:120 Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep

Carmen Cole has dedicated the last several years of her life to unmasking the superheros and ubervillians that have cropped up all over the country when at last, she is hired by one of Bigtime's major newspaper to do the same for their superhero team, Fearless Five.  After unmasking the first of the FF, Tornado, who then goes on to commit suicide Carmen loses her passion for her task and is relegated to the society fashion pages until the night that she is kidnapped by the ubervillians of the town and threatened with dire things if she doesn't unmask Striker, the leader of the Fearless Five, within 30 days.  Now she must try to unmask those that hate her above all others which becomes extremely ironic when Striker starts following her around and protecting her.  What other choice does she have if she wants to survive?

This story is cheese central with the majority of secret identities screamed at you from miles away and no real major plot twists.  This is a bubblegum book, no two ways about it, but it's a fun campy read perfect for when you just want to stop dealing with everything else getting thrown at you and escape.  The one surprising thing for me is that while there is some inner-monologing it is not nearly as repetitive as what we get in the Elemental Assassin series which says this author can write with less of that.  Oh, how I wish she would figure that out soon because that is my biggest beef with that series.

Page count: 360p/15,019p ytd/196,057p lifetime

49:120 The Demon You Know by Julie Kenner

A short story set in the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom universe, between books 4 and 5.  Allie has started training to be a demon hunter like her mom and considering her bad choice in dates lately, Kate has agreed.  They are having the normal teenage head-butting thing going as well so it's been a challenge but Kate is trying to loosen up so let's Allie off to the mall with her friends and from there she has a sleepover planned at another friend's house.  Little does she know that Allie's friends have plans to sneak off to a major party at a local playboy's mansion and little do they know just why they have been invited to this party....

Apparently a 6th book is being released this year after several years hiatus so this is a tease to get people back in the universe.  It's a simple story and if you don't know the backstory it's a little hard to get into so definitely not a good introduction to the series but since I read all the books a few years ago, it was nice to dip back into that world.  I'm very curious as to where it's going to go after the last book when it appeared that Kate and her husband were heading for splitsville.  The stories are bubblegum, fun without a lot of substance but as a soccer mom, there are so many ways I can relate to Kate (except the whole demon thing, that just happens when the youngest hasn't eaten lately).  I'm looking forward to the new installment.

Page count: 22p/11,889p ytd/192,927p lifetime (numbers shifted as I went through and found some errors)