Kate Johnson (1)

Time travel, witches, binding an evil witch hunter- what more can you ask for? What would usually happen at the crisis point in a book happens much earlier and I wondered if the book would feel draggy but instead it allowed the relationships to deepen and made the true crisis point play even better. Our MCs have ghosts from their romantic pasts to deal with, and have a wonderful cast of characters. The book breezed along and I loved going for the ride.

Eve Carpenter is having a very bad day, and it is about to get worse. She comes round from a paragliding accident but everything is rather strange. Although she’s still in London, this is a city and a world she hardly recognises. There is just enough that is familiar to be totally confusing. In this world, England is a backward country with a population kept too busy fighting in a civil war to do much else. She is taken captive by a small group of soldiers who take her marching across the show more country with them. The leader, Major Harker, is obnoxious and scruffy, and is convinced Eve is a spy, or perhaps she is just mad. While they apparently speak the same language, they struggle to understand each other – their worlds are so different.

The Untied Kingdom is an unusual combination of genres – a dystopian chicklit novel, as much a war and adventure story as a romance (not just a romance with a war setting). I quickly got caught up in the problems facing Eve and Harker and the other soldiers. The strongly drawn characterisation and lively narrative and dialogue is key to this.

Back in her own world, Eve had a career as a pop star but things went badly wrong and she was down on her luck – her paragliding attempt was part of an appearance on a reality TV show for ex-celebrities. She is opinionated and always willing to argue her corner, even when doing so gets her into trouble. She is willing to learn about the world she has found herself in and she comes to care about Harker, especially, and the others around her. She is brave. Reading this made me think that there aren’t enough adventure stories for women, and with strong heroines. Harker is abrasive and rude, but he works hard to look after the bunch he leads. As the story developed, he grew on me just as he did on Eve.

I was impressed by the balance that Kate Johnson keeps between the different aspects of her novel. She maintains the adventure story even as a romance develops. However, it is not just an exciting romantic adventure story with a straightforward happy ending to come. Like many more literary war stories, the novel is quite critical of war, mostly using Eve’s comments as a way of expressing views. The fighting has had a devastating effect on the lives of the soldiers. Eve doesn’t really understand what the soldiers are fighting for, and Harker never really gives her a satisfactory explanation – does he know himself? The story also shows the effects of war in quite a realistic manner, such as real people being hurt and killed in a very unpleasant way.

Something else I found interesting in this novel was the exploration of an alternate world without the technology we have become so reliant on, where electricity and landline telephones are luxuries which only the super rich can afford and only stronger military powers have equipment like computers.

Thank you to Choc Lit for sending a copy of this original and exciting romantic adventure story to the Bookbag.

Review written for The Bookbag website in 2011 http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/index.php?title=The_Untied_Kingdom_by_Kate_J... show less

I can't help myself. I just love Sophie. She is the most inept professional spy in the universe, but she always seems to manage to come out on top. This is not highbrow literature, but it is a whole lot of fun.

This was an amazing and fun ride! The description states that it’s ‘Encanto’ meets ‘Hocus Pocus’ and that is the most accurate description of this book! It was so fun to read and had me laughing out loud at so many different points. The characters were extremely well-written and once I started the book, I had a hard time putting it down. The story just sucked me in and before I knew it, it was over. But it’s the perfect book to read again and again, especially during the fall and show more Halloween time!

Essie is a young witch with the power to freeze things. But she feels different and out of place from those around her. Even those who have powers like she does. Essie lives in a house with other witches, each with their own special power. Essie just doesn’t feel that hers is as useful as theirs. I do think the other witches have some pretty cool powers. But I think Essie’s power is pretty cool too. I mean, who wouldn’t love being able to instantly chill their wine?!

Josh is a lawyer who has just inherited a mansion that has a mountain of debt. Debt he is determined to take care of by going to the tenants. The only problem? The house is where Essie and the other witches live. And everyone who goes there forgets it exists when they leave and are unable to give directions to where it is. Or that’s the way it’s supposed to go. But somehow, Josh is not only able to find the house, but he’s able to remember it after he leaves too!

In case you haven’t guessed yet, Josh and Essie are meant to be. And the way they came together and their relationship developed was magical. Pun intended! There was so much witty humor and the bond between them grew so naturally. But things aren’t all good as the lives of Essie and the other witches are put in jeopardy by an other worldly monster. So it’s up to Josh and Essie to save the witches and the world!

I am desperately hoping there are going to be more books after this one with all of the same characters. Or at least a sequel to this one. Because I will be all over that! One book was just not enough time with Essie and Josh. show less