Samantha Johns

Wow, what a harrowing and hopeful tale. I'm a big fan of Samantha Johns' writing, having loved all 3 books in her "Repentant Demon" trilogy, so I trusted I would find similar high-level plotting, story and character development in Finding Jayda. I was richly rewarded! The writing soars, and the character of Jayda is a winning, well-defined woman we come to relate to, root for and suffer with throughout the novel. Along the way there are great scenes including romance, courtroom drama, and relationship and family drama.

Her journey is a punishing one, and it wasn't long into it before I was wishing miracles upon poor Jayda. The author shows us is many small ways what it is like for a person to live with PTSD and to operate on the survival level while praying for more. I liked it that Jayda struggled because I really related to it, and it made her redemption so emotional. She fell into a shallow relationship without feeling truly connected to that man, but he had a profound impact on her life nonetheless.

Her self awareness and attempt to take care of her self added even more danger to herself. I see her as a heroine, trying hard to rid her life of snakes while finding her spirit and her way to grace and miracles. That's the real "finding" in the title, and it had me cheering loudly, even if I had to gasp and worry here and there along the way. Samantha Johns has done it again!… (mehr)

Jayda Parrish, a middle class young woman from St. Louis decides to finally leave her alcoholic/abusive boyfriend to start a new life. She is desperate to flee and even fakes her own death. Her life is about to change. The police are slowly tracking her down but she does meet some nice people along the way.

As she tries to figure out what to do with her life, where to settle down she finds herself falling in love. Will her life ever be normal? Will she be able to put her past behind her?

A fast past romantic/suspense. Filled with secrets, twist and turns. I loved Jayda and I found myself anticipating the events in her life and wanting her to achieve true happiness. Most of the characters were likable, some were not so desirable. But overall I was left fulfilled by the time I finished Finding Jayda… (mehr)

I loved the first book in this series, and Book 2 was even better. The former-demon Cal has a tough time learning to use his human body and starting his human life, which made for fun reading and also makes you think about how complex we've made the modern world. Fortunately he has lots of help from Abigail, and some of the keen skills he had from a long life as a demon, including a proficiency with language and keen observation skills, now make him incredibly useful in a high-stakes situation. Seeing his character develop is a great exploration in faith as he confronts how to be of value, how to honor his chance at forgiveness and how to make his short time as a human matter. I liked seeing how he was inspired by others who he in turn inspired, and how he pushed himself and ultimately had human emotions bloom.

I also loved the romance that developed between Abigail and Cal, and felt like it contributed to the strength of the book. It's like with Abigail recovering from grief and Cal essentially a newborn, the author created an incubator for their love that acknowledged their faith and allowed them to grow together. I like how the author explored the relationship of marriage in this context.

The end of the story in Book 2 emphasized the action and intrigue and this part was really exciting, making me wonder what is in store for the next book. I loved the character development and plot turns in Book 2, so I'm looking forward to it!… (mehr)

There is nothing better than the feeling of finishing a book your really loved and knowing it's only Book 1 of a series! I'm hooked.

The Demon Calumnius is a smart contemporary romance and exploration about what it means to be human. Demons are among us, and they snare souls for hell. Calumnius is a great character. He's pretty jaded and though he seems to hate humans he's also at core very jealous of the ability that humans have to seek forgiveness, whereas he's a fallen angel never to receive God's forgiveness. He may have met his match in Abigail who would be a triumphant score, but spoils his attempts to corrupt her at every turn. Surely an exotic trip with the man of her dreams will force her to collapse to lust--at least that's Calumnius' hope.

As he hunts and sets traps for her, and as Abigail travels to stay with a family in Iraq, we learn about history, Biblical history, culture and several views of human nature. Watching Abigail's romance with Doug is as intriguing and inspiring for readers as it is for the demon. There's always a sense of mystery and foreboding because of the demon's presence, and that tension makes the book a pageturner. Great plotting and so many interesting details and resonance to the writing, and the scenes all seem real and as though you are right there, riding a camel or in a military plane or talking to an Iraqi family while a demon touches your hand.

The ending sets the stage for a rousing adventure with Calumnius. I can't wait!… (mehr)