Review: A Karma Girl Christmas (Bigtime #3.5) by Jennifer Estep

Title: A Karma Girl Christmas

Series: Bigtime #3.5

Previous books in this series: Karma Girl (#1) | Hot Mama (#2) | Jinx (#3)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, paranormal, superheroes

Publication date: September 2011

Published by: Jennifer Estep

Source: Purchased ebook

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Synopsis: It's Christmas time in Bigtime, New York, but society reporter Carmen Cole isn't in the mood to celebrate since her husband, Sam, has to go on a business trip and might not make it home for the holiday. But Carmen has plenty to keep her busy, since she moonlights as Karma Girl, a member of the Fearless Five superhero team.

On Christmas Eve, Carmen, as Karma Girl, is assigned to guard toys, clothes, food, and more that are intended for needy children and their families. But an ubervillain also has his eye on the toys and plans to steal and then sell them to the highest bidder. Carmen will have to use all her empathic powers just to stay alive, not to mention make sure Christmas is a happy one for all the kids who are counting on her. It's all in a night's work for a superhero...

Note: This is a 14,000-word story that takes place after the events of Jinx, the third book in the Bigtime series. It can also be read as a stand-alone holiday story.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

So it’s Christmastime and Carmen, aka Karma Girl, is assigned the task of guarding a toy store, because not even the children can have nice things in this world. Not without villains messing things up 😒 The villains in question are Caveman Stan, who is a disgusting misogynist, and The Mintilator. He’s a germaphobe and he makes people wash their hands and floss... WHAT?!

Review: Jinx (Bigtime #3) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Jinx

Series: Bigtime #3

Previous books in this series: Karma Girl (#1) | Hot Mama (#2)

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, paranormal romance, superheroes

Publication date: December 2013 (first published August 2008)

Published by: Jennifer Estep (1st edition by Berkley)

Source: Purchased ebook

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Synopsis: Thanks to her unwanted superpower, fashion designer Bella Bulluci may be the luckiest woman in Bigtime, N.Y. But luck can be good or bad, and it seems like just as many embarrassing things happen to Bella as do positive ones.

Like when a charity event that Bella plans get crashed by Hangman, a deadly ubervillain who's after a prize sapphire that's on display. Hangman almost succeeds in stealing the jewel for his evil ubervillain boss, Prism, but Bella's luck helps her escape with the sapphire—along with some help from the suave and charming Debonair.

Debonair's not an ubervillain, but he's not really a superhero either. Still, Bella can't help but fall for him, despite her personal vow to have as little to do with heroes and villains as possible. But with Hangman and Prism still after the sapphire, Bella's going to need every bit of her luck power just to survive...

My rating: ★★★☆☆

Friends, me and this series are just not getting along. And this is very hard for me to admit because you know I love all things Jennifer Estep 😩 But I have to be honest! My main issue with this series is the instalove. If it wasn’t for that, I feel like I would enjoy it a lot more.

Review: Hot Mama (Bigtime #2) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Hot Mama

Series: Bigtime #2

Previous book in this series: Karma Girl

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, paranormal romance, superheroes

Publication date: January 2014 (First published in November 2007)

Published by: Jennifer Estep (1st edition by Berkley)

Source: Purchased ebook

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Synopsis: Fiona Fine is the hottest fashion designer in Bigtime, N.Y.—literally. That's because she moonlights as Fiera, a superhero with superstrength and volatile, fire-based powers. As Fiera, she's also a member of the Fearless Five, the city's most powerful and popular superhero team.

However, Fiona's been through a lot lately, including the death of her fiancé, who was murdered by an ubervillain. But Fiona is ready to move on with her life, so it seems like good karma when she meets sexy businessman Johnny Bulluci at a friend's wedding.

But Fiona has little time to think of love thanks to Siren and Intelligal—the city's newest ubervillains who crash the wedding and then go on a city-wide crime spree. Fiona doesn’t know exactly what the ubervillains are up to, but if she doesn't figure it out, she's the one who just might go up in flames this time...

My rating: ★★★★☆

Me starting this book came out of nowhere. I read the first book, Karma Girl, last year and I was surprised that I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. And I knew I would continue on with the series, but I didn’t think it would happen now! But I am glad I picked it up because I ended up enjoying it much more than the first book!

Review: Karma Girl (Bigtime #1) by Jennifer Estep

Title: Karma Girl

Series: Bigtime #1

Author: Jennifer Estep

Genre: Adult, paranormal romance, superheroes

Publication date: January 2014 (First published in May 2007)

Published by: Jennifer Estep (1st edition by Berkley)

Source: Purchased ebook

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Synopsis: Investigative reporter Carmen Cole gets the surprise of her life on her wedding day when she discovers that her fiancé and best friend are sleeping together—and that the two of them are her town's resident superhero and ubervillain. Shocked and hurt, Carmen reveals their secret identities and then decides to devote her life to unmasking every superhero and ubervillain who crosses her path.

A series of successful unmaskings lands Carmen a job at The Exposé, one of the biggest newspapers in Bigtime, New York, a city that's full of superheroes and ubervillains. Carmen is in her element—until she gets kidnapped by the Terrible Triad, Bigtime’s most dangerous ubervillain team.

The Triad orders Carmen to uncover the secret identity of Striker, the leader of the Fearless Five, Bigtime's most popular superhero team—or else they’ll drop her in a vat of radioactive goo. With that threat hanging over her, Carmen sets out to unmask Striker, but what she doesn’t count on is falling for the sexy superhero. But with the Terrible Triad lurking around, this is one story that just might be the death of her...

My rating: ★★★☆☆
I love Jennifer Estep’s books! My first introduction to her work was Mythos Academy—I fell immediately in love with it! I read this series nearly 10 years ago, and to this day, it remains one of my favorites series of all time! Next I read Elemental Assassin and Black Blade, both of which I loved. Elemental Assassin is another of my all time favorite series—Gin Blanco is an absolutely incredible character! I even love Crown of Shards, which is saying something because I’m not super into epic fantasies. However, I love superhero stuff so I was very excited to read this, but I’m really sad to report that I didn’t love it as much as I did her other books 😞 I am just so surprised at myself!