Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
The Secret Life of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom

“Julie Kenner’s Demon Hunting Soccer Mom is one of the high water marks in urban fantasy. … this series may be more fun than we deserve!” —Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of ARARAT and RED HANDS

After fourteen years as a stay-at-home mom, Kate Connor has finally rejoined the workforce. But unlike most working moms, Kate can't rearrange her home obligations to fit the needs of her job. Well, not easily, anyway. And not without a few little white lies.

Because the truth is, no one in her family has any clue that she's returned to the job of her youth. Which means no late nights working beside her husband at the kitchen table while the kids watch television. Although, when you think about it, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

Because when your job is fighting demons, taking your work home with you is a really, really bad idea …

342 pages, Paperback

First published May 6, 2006

142 people are currently reading
1189 people want to read

About the author

Julie Kenner

161 books1,241 followers
J. Kenner (aka Julie Kenner) is the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal and International bestselling author of over seventy novels, novellas and short stories in a variety of genres.

Though known primarily for her award-winning and international bestselling erotic romances (including the Stark and Most Wanted series) that have reached as high as #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, JK has been writing full time for over a decade in a variety of genres including paranormal and contemporary romance, “chicklit” suspense, urban fantasy, Victorian-era thrillers (coming soon), and paranormal mommy lit.

Her foray into the latter, Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner, has been consistently in development in Hollywood since prior to publication. Most recently, it has been optioned by Warner Brothers Television for development as series on the CW Network with Alloy Entertainment producing.

JK has been praised by Publishers Weekly as an author with a “flair for dialogue and eccentric characterizations” and by RT Bookclub for having “cornered the market on sinfully attractive, dominant antiheroes and the women who swopn for him.” A three time finalist for Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award, JK took home the first RITA trophy awarded in the category of erotic romance in 2014 for her novel, Claim Me (book 2 of her Stark Trilogy).

Her books have sold well over a million copies and are published in over over twenty countries.

In her previous career as an attorney, JK worked as a clerk on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and practiced primarily civil, entertainment and First Amendment litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California, as well as in Austin, Texas. She currently lives in Central Texas, with her husband, two daughters, and two rather spastic cats.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
881 (26%)
4 stars
1,343 (40%)
3 stars
934 (28%)
2 stars
126 (3%)
1 star
32 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
Profile Image for Tina Loves To Read.
3,443 reviews1 follower
December 20, 2021
I would say this is a Paranormal Mystery, and This is the second book in the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom series. I have also read and review the first book in this series. Kate is the main character, and she is a demon-hunting mom of two kids and in this book there is so much information about her late husband and her daughter's father comes out. I cannot say much about the book without giving away to much. I found this book a fun fast pace read, and it keeps you wanting to keep reading which is what I love in these kind of books. I do feel you need to read the first book before reading this book.
Profile Image for Martin.
327 reviews173 followers
May 3, 2019
A retired Demon Hunter returns to do battle in the spirit world.
Our new hero - Kate Connor whose secret identity is Soccer Mom.


No fringe benefits for Demon Hunters
I don’t get to enjoy any of the perks that might otherwise go along with my demon-hunting career. Like, “Sorry, Officer, I didn’t realize I was speeding. But sometimes we Demon Hunters are in a hurry. Safety of mankind. Fate of the world. Good prevailing over the forces of darkness. You understand.”

You brought Timmy?
We’d brought Timmy with us for three reasons, the first being totally selfish: mommy guilt. Although I’d enrolled Timmy in day care—and although he actually seemed to enjoy it—my guilt level was high enough that I only took him in when absolutely necessary. Like when the Legions of Hell descend on the neighborhood. Or when I need to buy new clothes. Trust me. I’d rather slay fifteen demons with a toddler at my side than take the munchkin shopping for the perfect outfit to wear to one of my husband’s politically motivated, deathly dull cocktail parties.

Family first - just like the Sopranos
My first priority was keeping my family safe. And if that meant killing a few demons along the way, then so much the better.

An obligatory fight scene
I was just starting to turn around when my head was jerked backwards by the force of someone using my ponytail to yank me to me feet.
I screamed in pain, then found myself flying through the air.

I crash-landed in a graveled garden area, my face too close for comfort to a cactus, and the sharp blade of a knife pressed against my throat.

Removing demons from a nice little town in southern California makes for a entertaining story. And after kicking the stuffing out of demons we get to go on shopping sprees for new clothes and ice cream.

Enjoy!



Profile Image for fleegan.
334 reviews33 followers
August 14, 2007
This book was just as good as the first one, however, I must pick on one thing because it's one of those things that COULD SO EASILY BE CORRECTED BEFORE PUBLISHING THAT IT DRIVES ME CRAZY.

It's redundancy...I hate it.

How many times do you think it should take to get the point across that the heroine, Kate, loves her family and wants to protect her family from the demons that she has to hunt? Hmm? How many times do we need the character to get mad and say something like, "Demons? At my daughter's school? NOT ON MY WATCH. THEY BETTER STAY AWAY FROM MY FAMILY. I LOVE MY FAMILY. I'LL DO ANYTHING TO PROTECT THEM. EVEN IF I HAVE TO LIE TO THEM. BLAH BLAH BLAH."

She says this like, three or four times...IN EACH CHAPTER. Does no one proof read for things like that? Or am I an idiot and books are supposed to go throught the Department of the Redundancy Department? Hm? Just me? My own pet peeve? I'm the only one going insane from having to read the same sentence over and over throughout the book?
Okay.

Other than that one little thing, the book was very enjoyable. The way Kate has to juggle her family life around killing demons and keeping it all a secret is hilarious. And the way she deals with missing her first husband (who was murdered) and how she loves her second husband is a really interesting, um...thing? Sorry, I can't think of a word.

Profile Image for Donna.
4,552 reviews165 followers
March 6, 2020
What fun! I enjoyed this one. I needed something light and funny and this fit that bill. I don't gravitate towards "fluffy" books, but they certainly have a place in my reading picks from time to time. This is the second book in the "Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom" series. See, even the series name sounds fun. I will definitely be reading more.

I liked the MC, Kate. She was extremely likable and I could relate to her mommy guilt and wife guilt. The guilt was a little repetitive in this but I didn't even care because this was fun. The audio was exceptional. I highly recommend the audio. So 4 stars.
Profile Image for Heather G Gentle.
334 reviews14 followers
October 4, 2008
Another very cute installment. These books are fun, light and absolutely hysterical. As in the first book-- I think Kate's character is entertaining and likable and has the greatest sarcastic internal dialog.
Will be interested in seeing what exactly Kate tells Allie and what the reaction is:)
I'm looking forward to getting ahold of the next one!
Profile Image for Betty.
223 reviews10 followers
August 14, 2014

CALIFORNIA DEMON
By JULIE KENNER

Berkley
June 2006

Kate Connor, Demon Hunter extraordinaire, was officially out of retirement for fifteen-plus years. She worked for a super-secret arm of the Vatican known as Forz. She and her late husband, Eric, moved to San Diablo, California, the most demon free place on earth because of the Cathedral there, whose mortar is enriched with the bones of Saints.

Recently a demon attacked Kate in her kitchen and she learned that the High Demon Goramesh was in San Diablo and planning a pernicious attack in her city. She was able to thwart this fiend, but now another band of demons is roaming the area with an even more heinous goal. Needless to say, Kate is now out of retirement.

Kate inadvertently finds an ancient book that is identified by Father Ben as The Malevolenaumachia Demonica, a manual capable of calling forth demons that have been bound and chained in Tartarus, the deepest bowels of Hell. These demons are many times more evil and more powerful than Goramesh. The book is safely hidden in the cathedral where demons cannot find it.

Kate is a full time mom to fourteen-year-old daughter, Allie, not quite three-year-old Timmy, and wife to husband Stuart, who is running for County Attorney. She does volunteer work at Coastal Mists Nursing Home, mainly because demons can slip into a comatose, near death body, and affect a "miraculous cure." Only Kate's best friend and neighbor, Laura, knows about Kate's demon hunting business.

Allie is active in school activities this year, and has a major crush on a member of the surf club. Both Kate and Allie are drawn to the school sponsor of the club; something about him reminds them of Eric, who was killed by muggers five years ago. Kate learns some disturbing things about Eric from her mentor at Forz. When the demons launch their attack, it seems nothing can stop them. But when Allie's life is put in danger, Kate becomes a lean-mean-demon killing-machine, and a joy to behold in action!

It's easy to believe that Julie Kenner has tons of fun writing these tongue-in-cheek fantasy thrillers, and the writing gods have truly blessed her with talent and a fertile imagination. CALIFORNIA DEMON has plenty of action along with fantastic humor and a superb plot. The characters are so real that it is conceivable that your own neighbor might secretly be fighting off demons to save the world. This is pure enjoyment from beginning to end.

Betty Cox, Reader To Reader
Profile Image for Xyra.
629 reviews
October 19, 2015
Book two of a great series.

I am really glad that Kate has someone to confide in; and now she has expanded her network again. Maybe not as she would like, but she almost had to know it would happen.

The action starts on page one and travels through to the end at a frantic and frenetic pace. Of one of the new story lines I wonder (as she does) should she have moved on as quickly as she had or did she fail Eric. I have a feeling this will resolve itself throughout the rest of the series. So I'm not too worried about it now.

Kate is a great mom, not a great cook, but a great mom. She puts her loved ones first even when it comes to her demon hunting. In this installment the paths cross a little more than she had wanted. Thankfully her skills and team helped to save almost all involved.

Unfortunately, we haven't seen the end of one of the bad guys. That one is destined to come back in the future.

While reading I had the thought it would be nice if Forza and MIB could join together. MIB has great clean up teams and those great flashy thingies to remove unwanted memories. I don't think she'd use the flashy thingy often, but maybe on those not in on her secrets (with the exception of her family). I kind of think it would be better for her and her family if they did know about her demon hunting. It might make things easier. Tommy would be too young, but the others. Not sure what it would do for Stuart's political career...

The pace is good in these books. I don't think one moved along as quickly as the first. She seemed more distracted this time and not focusing or prioritizing well. I know Kate is not as flighty as she seemed this time around. She is strong, quick thinking, determined, loving, and witty.

Definitely a good read! I look forward to others in this series.



Profile Image for Cherie.
416 reviews22 followers
August 1, 2008
In this follow-up to 2006's Carpe Demon, we return to San Diablo, California, a small quiet suburb outside Los Angeles, where Suburban housewife and Level Four Demon Hunter Kate Conner is on the job. On one hand, she's trying to keep house for her husband, teenage daughter, and toddler son, while on the other, she's hunting down a demon who just took over the body of an old man and escaped the old age home!

But Kate's up against more than she can handle when it turns out that the special guest appearing at the high school surf competition is a Demon himself... and her daughter Allie is right smack in the middle of the action. With the help of her best friend Laura, and what may well be the spirit of her dead husband, Kate takes on the Demon and still manages to get dinner on the table in time. ;)

I enjoyed this 2nd book in the series. Even though I don't particularly relate to the whole housewife/soccer mom mentality, I have several friends who are in that phase of their lives, so I can appreciate it. ;)
Profile Image for Beth.
88 reviews4 followers
September 26, 2008
Just another fun read that made me smile. It's so outlandish, but you have to enjoy a kick butt soccer mom. What I like about Kate Connor though is that she is not obnoxious like Stephanie Plum. I mean, they are both basically humorous, light, "chick lit", but Kate has a degree of class. I genuinely like her. Stephanie Plum is one of those people I'd roll my eyes at... :)
Profile Image for Susan.
237 reviews6 followers
July 15, 2014
Was not expecting to Love this series..But lots of research Involved in the series and The Authors Multitasking Skills incorporating a few genres... All the Author Blurbs are Great!! The UF...Kate's life as a Mom.., While Truly
Demon Hunting... Best of all A very Skilled
Author..

Profile Image for Ptiteaurel.
3,827 reviews58 followers
August 1, 2022
Dans ce nouveau tome, nous retrouvons Kate toujours aux prises de démons qui n'ont pas fini de mettre à mal son quotidien. Cette maman n'a pas dit son dernier mot et de nouvelles révélations risquent bien de dynamiser une intrigue qui prend de plus en plus d'épaisseur.

j'ai passé un bon moment de lecture avec ce nouveau tome qui creuse de plus en plus la notion de démons. Ils sont clairement en quête d'objets pouvant aboutir à un rituel. Le danger sera constamment présent et notre héroïne devra jongler entre des tracas somme toute très anodins et des démons qui ne renonceront pas avant de mener à bien leur dessein. Dans quelques jours, nous aurons sans doute la réponse à nos questions avec la sortie du troisième tome de cette saga diaboliquement délicieuse.

Avis complet à lire sur: https://thelovelyteacheraddictions.bl...
Profile Image for Sheila Burke.
1,250 reviews3 followers
August 31, 2019
Another surprisingly good story from Julie Kenner! We join Kate around six months after the events from the first book, "Carpe Demon", to find she has willingly rejoined Forza. Daughter Allie remains as annoying and selfishly bratty as she's always been, and Timmy is now talking more. "Grandpa" Eddie is still around. We also meet David Long, who is a mystery, and Father Ben is Kate's new Alimentatore. This story was creative, entertaining, and original, and ends nicely. This story was much more predictable than the first book, but still enjoyable. I still hope my library gets the remaining books of this series. Very worth the time to read.
Profile Image for Beth Cato.
Author 131 books694 followers
April 10, 2012
I read the first book in this series (Carpe Demon) in October 2007 as a library loan, and had the next book on my Amazon wish list. I was finally given it a few months ago, and finished reading it today. I feel rather silly waiting this long to get around to it.[return][return]California Demon is just as much fun as its predecessor. Kate Connor, mother of a teenager and a toddler, has a secret. She used to be a demon hunter for a division of the Vatican. She thought she had retired - especially since her beloved husband/fellow Hunter was killed by a mugger five years before - and then a sudden influx of demons convinced her it was time to take up martial arts training and tote around holy water again. It's a good thing she did, too. The demons are back, and this time they want a book that will open a path to Hell itself. As Kate tries to figure out how to stop the forces of Hell, she has to schmooze with the elite for her current-husband's political campaign, keep her toddler son clothed, and figure out why the new teacher at her daughter's school has mannerisms characteristic of her dead husband. Oh, and stay alive.[return][return]It's fluffy fun. No serious reading here. Kate is easy to relate to as a stay-at-home-mother, and can still kick some serious demon keister. I need to continue with this series - and at a faster pace.
Profile Image for Des.
178 reviews6 followers
April 16, 2017
Julie Kenner hit the repetitive mark in this one very, very quickly. Through the first sixty pages or so, I honestly wasn't sure if I wanted to keep toughing through the book, since the parts of her writing style that bothered me in her first book drove me close to insane in this one. Despite the annoying repetition - yes, Kate, we get it, you have mommy guilt, you love your husband. I know. I KNOW - I was actually pretty entertained by this book once the plot really took over. While the big plot twists were really not that surprising or twisty, I was still intrigued enough that I wanted to get to the end, and occasionally wanted to have nothing to do with my coursework and instead keep reading the novel. Since it was a fun, light read, much like Carpe Demon, and I'm always pretty burned out on the more serious stuff by the end of the quarter, California Demon served it's purpose wonderfully. It helped me recharge with something light-hearted and genuinely interesting before I dove back into the thicker stuff for finals week (of course, finishing finals might call for a trip to the library to pick up her third book. But you didn't hear me say that).
Profile Image for Christine Lowe.
624 reviews4 followers
November 24, 2014
California Demon

This book is not great literature but it is 100% fun. Julie Kenner was a wonderfully wild imagination and I am so happy she chooses to share it with the world. I enjoyed the second in the Demon Hunter series just as much as the first.

Kate Connor, the Demon Hunter Mom, is just your average ordinary mom as far as carpool moms go. She has managed to keep the demon hunting thing secret from all but a select few who are also involved in keeping the minons of hell in their place.

The demons are getting stronger and this time they try to involve Kate's 14 year old daughter in their ugly plans. That brings a whole new complication to Kate's work. This may involve sharing her work with Allie her daughter.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fun easy read. There is no gratuitous swearing or blatant sex in this book. That is one reason I gave this book five stars.
Profile Image for Sonia Cristina.
2,271 reviews79 followers
August 13, 2014
This is a fantastic book and it gave me great pleasure reading it! Kate Connor's adventures are funny and interesting. The way she juggles her domestic life with the demon hunting missions is so funny, without seeming non-sense or ridicously.

Now, her daughter, Allie, is on a surf club and the captains of said club appear to be demons. The demons are preparing a new threat to San Diablo, with demons trying to escape from Tartarus. As if that wasn't enough, a new teacher of Allie has the same expressions and manerisms that Eric, Kate's first husband, had and that makes Kate think...

I'm very curious to read the next books and know more. Kate and her family, as well as the other characters, are the kind that get under my skin and they are unforgettabble.

Profile Image for Dharia Scarab.
3,255 reviews8 followers
April 8, 2015

Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Profile Image for Tyff.
200 reviews10 followers
September 17, 2014
I love this series. I'm actually a little sad I'm already on book three cos that means I'm halfway done:( I must say that the reason I'm zipping through them is I'm listening to the audio books. The reader really brings the characters to life and I think eliminates the redundancy people mention because when it is read with emotion it doesn't seem redundant at all. I am already stressing about finding the last two books in Audio cos they aren't available in that format from my library... Great series and I could totally see it as a tv series..
Profile Image for PM.
124 reviews5 followers
November 16, 2012
Can I say I liked this one even more than the first book in the series? I keep telling my husband he has to read this series because it it so funny, but towards the end, I was in tears! What a fun, refreshing book and what lovable and realistic characters. If demons and demon hunters were real, this would be the true story of their life - kids and cooking and husbands, and a world to save somewhere in between.
Profile Image for Metagion.
496 reviews4 followers
August 6, 2016
I'm getting the HUGEST kick out of this series, because it reminds me of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" in a LOT of ways! This is the second book in the series, and it deals a lot with what you would (or wouldn't) do for your kids, your spouse, or your friends if you had to. The last few pages are *unbelieveable* because it's got SO much action that you'll wish your brain was light-speed fast to get to it, but a satisfying end! Can't wait for #3!
Profile Image for Sabine.
602 reviews90 followers
November 15, 2008
I had a slow start with this book. It was too much about how much she loves her family and wants to keep the bad things away from them. She repeats that every other page but at about the middle of the book the story started to catch me. It was very similar to the first book.
A fun and easy read.
Profile Image for Laurie Franco.
482 reviews9 followers
August 22, 2012
Buffy the Vampire Slayer all grown up! Great book, easy read, can't wait to find the first one. I didn't realize it was a series at first. Hope to see many more demon hunting books from Ms. Kenner! Highly recommend this book and I'm sure the first one, Carpe Demon, was just as great.
Profile Image for Melissa Basnight.
681 reviews19 followers
May 19, 2014
I have read just about everything she has written and everyone of her books are fantastic. You never want to put them down. The soccer mom series combines demon hunting and raising a family, but also not letting the family know you are a demon hunter which leads to several funny adventures.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
48 reviews1 follower
May 30, 2014
Enjoyed this just as much as the first. Twists and turns that you as a reader only think you saw coming or figured the book all out. Only to learn you were wrong. I like it when a book keeps me on. Y toes and my brain thinking yet still enjoying the book. Off to number 3.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Carrie.
14 reviews3 followers
July 29, 2011
Awesome yet again. Bravo Julie Kenner.
Profile Image for Holly.
227 reviews18 followers
August 10, 2011
I got into this quickly and enjoyed the easy and fun read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.