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My usual habit is to sample everything before I commit to reading. Deanna Chase is one of my very few "just buy it" authors. I've read almost everything she's published and haven't found a clinker in the lot. This book was no exception.

Set in Premonition Pointe, a magical community in a mythical California, Star-Crossed brings back some familiar names and faces to those who've read the Premonition Pointe series. I sank into the story like a warm bath.

The story unfolds nicely as Miss Marion Matched launches her midlife dating service - one that depends on her own magical talents to find the perfect matches. Her plans tumble around her in a cascade of magically induced catastrophes driven by the usual suspects - self-doubt and shadowy actors.

As always, for me at least, it's the characters that pulled me in. From Marion Matched to her found and genetic family to the libido-driven ghost and the ever reliable, ex-mayor, Iris, to Jax - the one-that-got-away boyfriend from Marion's past. Every one of them made me want to keep reading to find out what happened next.

A great opener to what promises to be a magically delicious series.

Highly recommended.

[Transparency: I know Deana online. We share Slack space with some other writers for years. She doesn't know I'm reviewing this book.]

Another series I've read since the beginning. It all started when Constance Campbell tries to escape her ex-husbands by returning to her roots in Creel Creek, Virginia. Hijinks - as they say - ensue.

This volume continues the saga as Constance battles evil - and her own desires - in an effort to make some kind of meaning from the strange turn her life made when she turned 40.

Christine Zane Thomas - and 12 of her friends - kicked off the Paranormal Women's Fiction niche when they each released a book in the same month. All of them different takes on what happens when magic comes at midlife instead of puberty. Some of them are paranormal romance. Many - like this one - are paranormal with a romantic touch. All of them have great stories, wonderful characters, and unique takes on the one simple idea.

Magic isn't just for kids.

If you're a fan of paranormal fantasy but haven't discovered the joys of midlife magic yet, maybe grab a sample of book 1 and see what you think.

Highly recommended.

Some of you will wonder what I'm smoking.

Before you dig into this one, you might want to sample the first book in this series - Bob's Saucer Repair (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TCN8WYB). After that you might really wonder what I'm smoking to have stuck with this series through 30 books.

The answer is the characters. It's always the characters. The setting helps and the adventures are mostly just a lot of fun.

The running gags? Going to the same well a few dozen times per volume? Some raggedy formatting in places? I guess it depends on your threshold. Mine is pretty low and I'll always rank story ahead of technique. Always.

I admit this isn't everybody's cup of tea. You've been warned.

With that out of the way, these stories have heart. So much heart. The various scrapes Bob and Nikki get into - and out of. The aliens they meet along the way. The absolute dedication to personal autonomy Bob demonstrates to everybody, including his bots. His heartfelt concern that he only use his powers for good (although he might not say it that way) keep me coming back for a fresh, heaping helping of homespun humor and out of this world hijinks - even when they happen on Earth.

For me, Jerry Boyd is a comfort read. Nothing too demanding. Nothing too egregious. Some pretty predictable actions and some funny slapstick moments to make me smile.

Your mileage may vary.

Highly recommended

The Fortifier lives in a sub-sub-niche within the litRPG catalog - the Apocalypse Story. In these stories, some powerful entity transforms Earth and all the people, turning the planet into a role-playing game. The powerful entity then sends plagues of strange and powerful creatures to eat the people who can't cope with the New Rules. A key element for survivors is building a base to collect the living, provide a safe haven from which to work, and to begin rebuilding - or at least surviving.

It's a half-twist away from isekai in that everybody gets - in effect - sent to a new and deadly world instead of just one person.

Landtroop's The Fortifier handles the transition from "normal" to "omg, we're all gonna die" pretty handily by ignoring it and starting four days in. I liked that technique. It gets around the "bloody transition and initial shock" phase of the typical story, and jumps into the "I'm not gonna take it any more" phase. It's a lot more interesting way to introduce the character and setting.

I also appreciated that William's main focus is building, rather than fighting. Being more attuned to what his burgeoning community needs and working to attain it rather than a sword and slaughter fest of global proportions made this story much more interesting to me.

Highly Recommended

If you haven't read the first volume, Beware of Chicken, go read it now. You really want the backstory for this and it's probably my favorite read of 2022 out of the nearly 250 novels I read that year.

Caught up? Good.

This story picks up where the first one leaves off and takes you on a magic dragon ride through pretty much all the tropes of Xanxia/Wuxia cultivation novels - except with a lot of warm humor, some endearing characters, an interesting setting, and a slowly unfolding plot.

The thing I really love about this book is the warmth and humility that the characters exhibit to each other. Sure, there are some bad guys and a promise of more to come, but there are also some great set-ups, a few amusing call backs to other popular media, and a lot of just plain fun.

The series offers an effective palate cleanse after dredging through war torn settings with high maintenance characters and high stakes battles. Sit back and visit Fa Ram. Just beware of chicken.

Highly recommended.

As part of my "classic a month" reading goal, I picked something a little shorter than the tomes I tackled in the first quarter. Now I wish this book were a bit longer. I can't imagine what this must read like in the original German but the English translation sings.

In a nutshell, Siddhartha - son of a Brahman, raised on spiritualism - leaves home on the journey of his lifetime. The language feels like a Buddhist sutta - spun out with evocative language, overflowing with symbolism, and carrying lessons for the ages. In this case, all of Siddhartha's ages from callow youth to old man. At every turn he thinks, "At last, this is enlightenment." At each turning, he discovers that one thing still eludes him.

The story swept me along, recognizing myself in so many of his mis-steps and mis-conceptions. I'll be thinking about this book for a very long time.

Highly recommended.

[Note: I read the Project Gutenberg. Credited Translators: Gunther Olesch, Anke Dreher, Amy Coulter, Stefan Langer and Semyon Chaichenets]

Transparency: I know Lisa personally. We've worked together with the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. I count her as a friend. She doesn't know I'm reviewing her book.

I loved this. Paranormal Women's Fiction is my go to these days when I want a fun, challenging, and engaging read. I've been a fan since the original coven of 13 started writing it back in the day. It's blossomed to it's own Thing now and I hope it stays around for a long time.

Wynter Chastain discovers that she's been picked by "Goldie" - an enchanted armband - for a new role in her life. Her kids are grown. Her husband dead but hardly forgotten - the rat! But she has to pick up the pieces of her life and carry on somehow.

Luckily Goldie gives her something to worry about that isn't "How could he have done this to us?"

I ripped through this in a matter of hours, it's that good. Excellent characters, engaging setting. Loved the way the story unfolded one step at a time, each one interesting in itself but building toward a tremendously satisfying conclusion.

Highly recommended.

Remember the name Kellye Garrett. You can thank me later.

In this light-hearted take on the serious business of murder, Dayna Anderson, ex-actress soon to be broke couch-surfer, sees the opportunity to get out of debt and save her parents' home. Just solve the murder, collect the reward.

The catch? Well, she has to solve the murder and phone the LAPD Tip Line to collect her reward.

Oh, and not get killed herself.

Easy peasy.

Garrett's narrative flows like water in a friendly creek, burbling over stones and taking unexpected dips and twists that delight at every turn. Her characters - Dayna, Emme, and Sienna - glimmer on the pages. Dayna's frantic attempts to be the first to phone in the tip, and her relationship with The Voice on the other end, flows through the story, a familiar and appreciated running gag.

You don't need to be S. S. VanDine to appreciate how cleverly this story unfolds, each new clue taking you closer and closer to The Murderer until the last. Garrett demonstrates the art of the 'Who Dunnit' flawlessly.

Highly Recommended.