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Welcome To Midlife Magic #1
Susan, You're The Chosen One
Starting over isn’t easy when your whole world is a pile of rubble and everyone thinks you’re insane.
One moment, Susan Moore had the perfect life—a handsome husband, a fabulous career, wonderful friends, and a gorgeous home in Nob Hill, San Francisco.
The next minute, it was all gone. And Susan found herself in a straitjacket, locked in a padded room.
An optimist at heart, Susan’s clawing her way back, rebuilding her life brick by brick—not an easy feat when you’re over the hill and it feels like the whole city hates you.
But when a group of ridiculously gorgeous models in Fae cosplay barge into her tiny apartment and declare her to be the chosen one, Susan decides to play along. She’s off to save the world.
Except they’re not in cosplay.
Either Susan has really, truly gone insane this time… or all this magic is real.
Susan, You're The Chosen one is book one in the fun, fast-paced and thrilling new paranormal women's fiction series Welcome To Midlife Magic, by bestselling urban fantasy author Lauretta Hignett.
One moment, Susan Moore had the perfect life—a handsome husband, a fabulous career, wonderful friends, and a gorgeous home in Nob Hill, San Francisco.
The next minute, it was all gone. And Susan found herself in a straitjacket, locked in a padded room.
An optimist at heart, Susan’s clawing her way back, rebuilding her life brick by brick—not an easy feat when you’re over the hill and it feels like the whole city hates you.
But when a group of ridiculously gorgeous models in Fae cosplay barge into her tiny apartment and declare her to be the chosen one, Susan decides to play along. She’s off to save the world.
Except they’re not in cosplay.
Either Susan has really, truly gone insane this time… or all this magic is real.
Susan, You're The Chosen one is book one in the fun, fast-paced and thrilling new paranormal women's fiction series Welcome To Midlife Magic, by bestselling urban fantasy author Lauretta Hignett.
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2024
1,098 people are currently reading
3,363 people want to read
About the author
Lauretta Hignett
46 books382 followersA raving fangirl for all things paranormal, supernatural, supernormal and fantastical, Lauretta writes fun Urban Fantasy, PNR and Superhero adventures with a dash of sweet romance and humour.
She's a massive fan of Young and New Adult fiction, loves a plot twist, hates cliffhangers, and always keeps her readers on their toes.
When she's not writing, Lauretta enjoys fad diets, sunshine, her two little children, weird craft projects and massive amounts of dark chocolate
She's a massive fan of Young and New Adult fiction, loves a plot twist, hates cliffhangers, and always keeps her readers on their toes.
When she's not writing, Lauretta enjoys fad diets, sunshine, her two little children, weird craft projects and massive amounts of dark chocolate
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
May 2, 2024
Susan, you’re the HILARIOUS one
This is my favorite quote:
“As you were, gentlemen,” I said silkily, walking over to the coffee machine. I didn’t care if it wasn’t real; my hands greedily caressed the grinder, stroking up and down the frother in a way that was probably obscene. I didn’t care. I’d been living on freeze-dried instant for too long.
If I didn’t love the story before this part, I adored it from this point on. Anyone who loves good coffee this much is automatically my bestie.
Lauretta Hignett’s superpower is writing characters that are both down-to-earth realistic and who are incredibly funny. She hits it out of the ballpark with Susan.
Poor Susan has had to start her life over from the bottom again. From high-powered exec to lowly supervisor at a call center, her fall from grace was a big one, and the reason for it is slowly revealed as we start to wonder if she has as good of a grip on her sanity as she thinks.
At the same time, Susan convinces us that maybe sanity is overrated, and maybe the best medicine is just indulging your crazy and running with it. Which might be an excellent way to deal with menopause, I’m just sayin.
Ahem. Where was I? Oh yeah. You will like this story if you like fast-paced urban fantasy with supernatural characters who may or may not be handsome fae princes, one snarky unicorn with two horns, a sea hag who makes Ursula look like Mary Poppins, and the ex-husband from hell who may or may not be human … If you like a side of snark with your humor, and don’t mind guffawing out loud in the middle of the night when you have to finish just one more chapter … And if you’ve ever lost everything, or felt like you’d lost everything, and had to start over. This book is for you — reader, you are the chosen one!
This is my favorite quote:
“As you were, gentlemen,” I said silkily, walking over to the coffee machine. I didn’t care if it wasn’t real; my hands greedily caressed the grinder, stroking up and down the frother in a way that was probably obscene. I didn’t care. I’d been living on freeze-dried instant for too long.
If I didn’t love the story before this part, I adored it from this point on. Anyone who loves good coffee this much is automatically my bestie.
Lauretta Hignett’s superpower is writing characters that are both down-to-earth realistic and who are incredibly funny. She hits it out of the ballpark with Susan.
Poor Susan has had to start her life over from the bottom again. From high-powered exec to lowly supervisor at a call center, her fall from grace was a big one, and the reason for it is slowly revealed as we start to wonder if she has as good of a grip on her sanity as she thinks.
At the same time, Susan convinces us that maybe sanity is overrated, and maybe the best medicine is just indulging your crazy and running with it. Which might be an excellent way to deal with menopause, I’m just sayin.
Ahem. Where was I? Oh yeah. You will like this story if you like fast-paced urban fantasy with supernatural characters who may or may not be handsome fae princes, one snarky unicorn with two horns, a sea hag who makes Ursula look like Mary Poppins, and the ex-husband from hell who may or may not be human … If you like a side of snark with your humor, and don’t mind guffawing out loud in the middle of the night when you have to finish just one more chapter … And if you’ve ever lost everything, or felt like you’d lost everything, and had to start over. This book is for you — reader, you are the chosen one!
July 2, 2024
Read for SPFBOX as part of team Fantasy Book Critic
7/10
As the title might suggest, Susan, You’re the Chosen One, book 1 in the Welcome to Midlife Magic series, is not your typical urban fantasy fare. This tongue-in-cheek spin on the genre is a hysterically funny yet surprisingly moving adventure that will instantly boost your dopamine levels and soothe your soul.
After a recent fall from grace due to sudden mental illness issues and violent psychotic breaks, Susan Moore is not exactly thriving. So when a group of ridiculously handsome models in Fae cosplay come knocking at her door and declare her the Chosen One, she just decides to play along and accept this latest wild hallucination for what it is. But as she goes off to save the world, she soon starts to doubt if she has truly gone insane this time, or if she has never been crazy at all.
Now, I certainly wasn’t intending to devour this book in one day, but that is exactly what ended up happening. Hignett just has an effortlessly engaging and highly amusing writing style, and I was immediately intrigued by this refreshing spin on the paranormal fantasy genre. I mean, when you give me a 40-year-old no-nonsense woman as the protagonist, and then add some dangerously handsome brooding Fae, a sentient house, a sassy unicorn (or, excuse me, a *duo*corn), and plenty of paranormal hijinx into the mix, how could that not be a recipe for success?!
Right from the very first page, Susan just proved to be an incredibly fun and compelling protagonist to follow, and I loved being introduced to the paranormal world through her eyes. Though she is generally quite sensible and rational, the fact that she assumes everything to be a hallucination gives her a level of reckless boldness that makes her interactions with anything paranormal just wildly amusing.
There really is no denying that the plot of Susan, You’re the Chosen One is a bit batshit crazy, but I quite enjoyed that it just didn’t take itself too seriously. At some points I did find myself rolling my eyes at the hyperfixation on everyone’s (ridiculously attractive) physical appearances and the toxic antagonism between all the women who were viciously insulting each other left and right, even if it may have been done in an almost satirical way to poke fun at the cliches of the genre. But still, generally the silly humour was just irresistibly amusing, and I couldn’t stop myself from snorting out loud multiple times.
Moreover, between all the shits and giggles, there are deeper emotional layers woven into Susan’s (back)story that gave this book a level of depth and nuance that I wasn’t anticipating. Themes of anxiety, toxic relationships, gaslighting, mental illness, menopause, infertility, and female rage are handled with surprising care and power, which is exactly why this paranormal romp stands out from the crowd for me.
With roughly 20 books in her connected universe already under her belt, Hignett is no newbie to the craft, and it definitely shows. There’s a surprising amount of world building packed into this short novel, and the story just moves along at a dangerously addictive speed. At times I do think the character work suffered a bit from the fast pacing, especially in the sense that the entire cast of supporting characters just felt a bit one-dimensional and paled in comparison to Susan’s vibrancy. Though with the enticing way this first instalment left off, I have a feeling we will get to see more development for them in the sequels, which I couldn’t be more excited for.
And you better bet I will be continuing the Welcome to Midlife Magic series, if only so I can see more of Cecil the sassy duocorn and his hysterical antics, what an icon! Susan, You’re The Chosen One is one of those delightful palate cleansers that still has a lot of substance, making it the perfect weekend read to just snuggle up with and let yourself get totally lost in.
7/10
As the title might suggest, Susan, You’re the Chosen One, book 1 in the Welcome to Midlife Magic series, is not your typical urban fantasy fare. This tongue-in-cheek spin on the genre is a hysterically funny yet surprisingly moving adventure that will instantly boost your dopamine levels and soothe your soul.
After a recent fall from grace due to sudden mental illness issues and violent psychotic breaks, Susan Moore is not exactly thriving. So when a group of ridiculously handsome models in Fae cosplay come knocking at her door and declare her the Chosen One, she just decides to play along and accept this latest wild hallucination for what it is. But as she goes off to save the world, she soon starts to doubt if she has truly gone insane this time, or if she has never been crazy at all.
Now, I certainly wasn’t intending to devour this book in one day, but that is exactly what ended up happening. Hignett just has an effortlessly engaging and highly amusing writing style, and I was immediately intrigued by this refreshing spin on the paranormal fantasy genre. I mean, when you give me a 40-year-old no-nonsense woman as the protagonist, and then add some dangerously handsome brooding Fae, a sentient house, a sassy unicorn (or, excuse me, a *duo*corn), and plenty of paranormal hijinx into the mix, how could that not be a recipe for success?!
Right from the very first page, Susan just proved to be an incredibly fun and compelling protagonist to follow, and I loved being introduced to the paranormal world through her eyes. Though she is generally quite sensible and rational, the fact that she assumes everything to be a hallucination gives her a level of reckless boldness that makes her interactions with anything paranormal just wildly amusing.
There really is no denying that the plot of Susan, You’re the Chosen One is a bit batshit crazy, but I quite enjoyed that it just didn’t take itself too seriously. At some points I did find myself rolling my eyes at the hyperfixation on everyone’s (ridiculously attractive) physical appearances and the toxic antagonism between all the women who were viciously insulting each other left and right, even if it may have been done in an almost satirical way to poke fun at the cliches of the genre. But still, generally the silly humour was just irresistibly amusing, and I couldn’t stop myself from snorting out loud multiple times.
Moreover, between all the shits and giggles, there are deeper emotional layers woven into Susan’s (back)story that gave this book a level of depth and nuance that I wasn’t anticipating. Themes of anxiety, toxic relationships, gaslighting, mental illness, menopause, infertility, and female rage are handled with surprising care and power, which is exactly why this paranormal romp stands out from the crowd for me.
With roughly 20 books in her connected universe already under her belt, Hignett is no newbie to the craft, and it definitely shows. There’s a surprising amount of world building packed into this short novel, and the story just moves along at a dangerously addictive speed. At times I do think the character work suffered a bit from the fast pacing, especially in the sense that the entire cast of supporting characters just felt a bit one-dimensional and paled in comparison to Susan’s vibrancy. Though with the enticing way this first instalment left off, I have a feeling we will get to see more development for them in the sequels, which I couldn’t be more excited for.
And you better bet I will be continuing the Welcome to Midlife Magic series, if only so I can see more of Cecil the sassy duocorn and his hysterical antics, what an icon! Susan, You’re The Chosen One is one of those delightful palate cleansers that still has a lot of substance, making it the perfect weekend read to just snuggle up with and let yourself get totally lost in.
April 30, 2024
LOL start to a great new series
I love Lauretta Hignett novels; her books are always in the laugh out loud category, plus violence and mayhem.
This is a must read…
Susan embarks on an adventure of a lifetime and finds her true self. I love all the characters, and even though we don’t have Dwayne, we have CECIL!
I received this ARC to read and review. 😊
I love Lauretta Hignett novels; her books are always in the laugh out loud category, plus violence and mayhem.
This is a must read…
Susan embarks on an adventure of a lifetime and finds her true self. I love all the characters, and even though we don’t have Dwayne, we have CECIL!
I received this ARC to read and review. 😊
April 22, 2024
I've been reading practically nothing but Lauretta Hignett since I first saw the title "Oops I Ate a Vengeance Demon". (Side note: I started with that series first, and it was fine, but if you like to read things chronologically, read her Imogen Gray series first, then move on to Foils and Fury, in which the "Oops" book is first.)
When I saw the author is starting a Paranormal Women's Fiction (PWF) series where the protagonist is a woman in her 40s just discovering the paranormal world, I was HERE FOR IT and requested to be on her ARC team. So I received an advance review copy (ARC) for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I'm also buying this book because I love this author and this new world she has concocted!
I was delighted the whole way through. As you can see from the book's description, Susan spent some time in a mental hospital and is dealing with repercussions of the incident that started it, financially, socially, and mentally. When the "models in Fae cosplay" show up, she doesn't just decide to play along, she leans into what she thinks are her hallucinations. It is fun and hilarious!
The whole book spoke to me on so many levels: dealing with mental illness, being midlife (although I'm a bit older than that now), and experiencing infertility and the feelings that will linger for the rest of one's life. Susan and her ex-husband tried a little late in life but didn't have a child, just like my husband and me. While that subject is kinda hard for me to read, it just endeared Susan to me more.
Whether you're considering this book because you've read other books by this author, you like the name "Susan, You're the Chosen One," the fabulous cover made you curious, you like the PWF genre, or for whatever reason, I hope you do take the chance and read it. There's so much to love in this book. Cecil on his own is worth the price of admission!
When I saw the author is starting a Paranormal Women's Fiction (PWF) series where the protagonist is a woman in her 40s just discovering the paranormal world, I was HERE FOR IT and requested to be on her ARC team. So I received an advance review copy (ARC) for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I'm also buying this book because I love this author and this new world she has concocted!
I was delighted the whole way through. As you can see from the book's description, Susan spent some time in a mental hospital and is dealing with repercussions of the incident that started it, financially, socially, and mentally. When the "models in Fae cosplay" show up, she doesn't just decide to play along, she leans into what she thinks are her hallucinations. It is fun and hilarious!
The whole book spoke to me on so many levels: dealing with mental illness, being midlife (although I'm a bit older than that now), and experiencing infertility and the feelings that will linger for the rest of one's life. Susan and her ex-husband tried a little late in life but didn't have a child, just like my husband and me. While that subject is kinda hard for me to read, it just endeared Susan to me more.
Whether you're considering this book because you've read other books by this author, you like the name "Susan, You're the Chosen One," the fabulous cover made you curious, you like the PWF genre, or for whatever reason, I hope you do take the chance and read it. There's so much to love in this book. Cecil on his own is worth the price of admission!
July 27, 2024
I read this for the title, thinking it was rather ridiculous.
Imagine being so gaslit by your husband that you have wild hallucinations, destroy part of your home, nearly kill him with bricks (so he says), get arrested, and end up in a mental institution. Meanwhile, he's taken all your money, house, possessions, and shacked up with one of his young interns. And, she's having his baby.
I thought my ex was bad enough. Haha
But then some fae cosplayers show up. Only...they aren't actually cosplayers and they say,"You are the Chosen One, Susan."
Chosen for what? More psychosis? Maybe you should call your therapist.
Imagine being so gaslit by your husband that you have wild hallucinations, destroy part of your home, nearly kill him with bricks (so he says), get arrested, and end up in a mental institution. Meanwhile, he's taken all your money, house, possessions, and shacked up with one of his young interns. And, she's having his baby.
I thought my ex was bad enough. Haha
But then some fae cosplayers show up. Only...they aren't actually cosplayers and they say,"You are the Chosen One, Susan."
Chosen for what? More psychosis? Maybe you should call your therapist.
June 15, 2024
Oh I absolutely adore Susan! Lauretta has a way of creating characters that you instantly want to be friends with. Imogen, Sandy, Pru, Chloe, and now Susan are all amazingly written and loveable characters that I miss when the book ends. The storyline was a roller coaster of emotions, I was laughing out loud one minute and tearing up the next. Cecil is adorably extra and insane and I can’t wait for the next book. Highly recommended, I loved this book!
May 3, 2024
I dont have the words...
I love Ms Hignetts books, so of course I grabbed her new series starter. Wow! So funny, my family are giving me 'those' looks. Again. But as I've come to expect from this author, amidst the humor and fantasy, a poignant thread of truth and irony. Our Susan maybe going through a challenging menopause, the circumstances may seem extreme, however it reflects the way women of a 'certain age' who are 'going through the change' are treated. Like ticking time bombs at best, or candidates for pastel walled mental health facilities at worst. People talk at us, yes, I'm one of those who need to be talked to in soothing voices, as if we're slightly feeble toddlers. My company policy is that women going through menopause have to have regular chats with their managers to make sure our mental health is ok. Sounds good. But my manager is about 8 (I may be exaggerating slightly), and what if that manager was male? The indignity and stupidity of pathologizing a perfectly natural process... Well, the author captures this so well. I was cheering Susan on all the way. The scene with the sea hag...well, I had to read it aloud to my family. My mother got it, my kids may well be looking to see if they can find one of Susan's doctors to up my meds...
I've read, or tried to read other midlife magic authors, but this is the first of that genre that I can really identify with. Mostly I find books based on this age group don't seem to get it. Femaleness doesn't end with menopause, our lives aren't over because our periods stop, we don't need to be handled or managed any differently than anyone else. Susan gets it.. she's living it.she is a calm, capable woman, even if she has to remind herself of that every so often.
I am struggling to wait for the next book in the series. Please hurry up!
At least I can console myself with a visit to Sandy and Magda, just picked up the foils box set x
I love Ms Hignetts books, so of course I grabbed her new series starter. Wow! So funny, my family are giving me 'those' looks. Again. But as I've come to expect from this author, amidst the humor and fantasy, a poignant thread of truth and irony. Our Susan maybe going through a challenging menopause, the circumstances may seem extreme, however it reflects the way women of a 'certain age' who are 'going through the change' are treated. Like ticking time bombs at best, or candidates for pastel walled mental health facilities at worst. People talk at us, yes, I'm one of those who need to be talked to in soothing voices, as if we're slightly feeble toddlers. My company policy is that women going through menopause have to have regular chats with their managers to make sure our mental health is ok. Sounds good. But my manager is about 8 (I may be exaggerating slightly), and what if that manager was male? The indignity and stupidity of pathologizing a perfectly natural process... Well, the author captures this so well. I was cheering Susan on all the way. The scene with the sea hag...well, I had to read it aloud to my family. My mother got it, my kids may well be looking to see if they can find one of Susan's doctors to up my meds...
I've read, or tried to read other midlife magic authors, but this is the first of that genre that I can really identify with. Mostly I find books based on this age group don't seem to get it. Femaleness doesn't end with menopause, our lives aren't over because our periods stop, we don't need to be handled or managed any differently than anyone else. Susan gets it.. she's living it.she is a calm, capable woman, even if she has to remind herself of that every so often.
I am struggling to wait for the next book in the series. Please hurry up!
At least I can console myself with a visit to Sandy and Magda, just picked up the foils box set x
December 16, 2024
This is a fun, fast paranormal women's read. I really like the FMC. She might be a little slow on the uptake sometimes, but you have to remember that she was gaslit into thinking she's crazy, so that's not unfair. She doesn't trust herself, and doesn't trust what she sees. The background is actually really sad, though the book doesn't dwell on it very much - Susan is a tough woman who finds humor in life despite being royally fucked over.
I hope that once she finds her footing in actual reality - hers, I mean: she's a supernatural, with magic and the ability to see through glamours... NOT a crazy person - she whips the asses of everyone who screwed her previously. Honestly, if they don't end up either dead, broken with literally nothing left to their name, or in jail at the end, I'm going to be super pissed, because don't give me an amazing FMC who got utterly fucked over and abused, give her superpowers, and NOT have her get her own back. You can take your "the best revenge is living well" tripe - that only enables abusers to continue with no consequences - and stuff it up your butt. I want to see people pay for what they've done. I have to live with bad guys getting away with no consequences in the real world, I am certainly NOT living with it in my fantasy.
But that's a tangent, because none of that is relevant in this first book - poor Susan is just starting to figure things out and get her feet under her. And she's doing amazing.
Already partway through book 2...!
I hope that once she finds her footing in actual reality - hers, I mean: she's a supernatural, with magic and the ability to see through glamours... NOT a crazy person - she whips the asses of everyone who screwed her previously. Honestly, if they don't end up either dead, broken with literally nothing left to their name, or in jail at the end, I'm going to be super pissed, because don't give me an amazing FMC who got utterly fucked over and abused, give her superpowers, and NOT have her get her own back. You can take your "the best revenge is living well" tripe - that only enables abusers to continue with no consequences - and stuff it up your butt. I want to see people pay for what they've done. I have to live with bad guys getting away with no consequences in the real world, I am certainly NOT living with it in my fantasy.
But that's a tangent, because none of that is relevant in this first book - poor Susan is just starting to figure things out and get her feet under her. And she's doing amazing.
Already partway through book 2...!
October 20, 2024
I think I wouldn't like Susan in real life.
February 11, 2025
200+ pages and nothing really happened, we did not need to dedicate so much page time to her house and Susan being bullied by insignificant side characters. Susan also feels more like a reskinned 20 something than a 40 year old woman to me for how clueless she acts and her general mannerisms.
February 5, 2025
I 1000% need “This meeting could have been an email. This email could have been a cage fight.” Cross stitched and hung on my cubicle wall
September 7, 2024
Dumb
I don't read picture books. At least, not since my daughter was three. I wanted this to be gods it it was horrible
I don't read picture books. At least, not since my daughter was three. I wanted this to be gods it it was horrible
January 6, 2025
Once again this author takes a rather pulp fiction premise/genre and does something so readable with it. Susan is eminently relatable, even when she’s fighting with a fae warrior prince against an evil- if misunderstood- Ursula inspired monster. Modern fiction at its most fun with great tones of confronting the patriarchy and handsome heroes that allow you to beat your own demons and find your power- gotta love a Perimenopausal heroine zooming along in a self aware fugue but filled with lots to root for…
Read
August 28, 2024DNF at 7%. By this point, the author had used the same bland descriptors of how hot the fae were several times. The FMC then referred to herself as someone with paranoid schizophrenia and ODD. The first is no longer a diagnosis (no more subtypes), and ODD cannot be diagnosed/does not apply past the age of 18. After that, I was not invested in continuing at all. I like the Blood and Magic series, so I was surprised to be turned off so quickly in this book.
March 26, 2025
While I definitely find the title brilliant, the book made me cringe a few times. The second half was much more enjoyable to me, it surely had its nice and funny moments. But I still don’t know if the lectures about patriarchy, misogyny and other sensitive modern topics were there as part of the MC’s character or just the author’s style. Like, I’d rather decide for myself whether the character is a misogynistic entitled white male asshole than have the author tell me this directly.
July 3, 2024
Not bad .. But not at full price
For a fanfic novella of pre-crone empowerment it is a fine piece of work with some very engaging vingettes/scenes. As a full forged novel ... Too haphazard and reliant on deus ex for me. On the whole I would recommend with a tonne of caveats and not at full price
For a fanfic novella of pre-crone empowerment it is a fine piece of work with some very engaging vingettes/scenes. As a full forged novel ... Too haphazard and reliant on deus ex for me. On the whole I would recommend with a tonne of caveats and not at full price
September 6, 2024
Okay. I admit that I chose to read this because the title just tickled my fancy. I wasn’t expecting much because most urban fantasy is a bit rubbish. My expectations were low, but I wanted fluff, and fluff I got.
I will say that I did finish all four books, and my full review will be in the fourth one.
I will say that I did finish all four books, and my full review will be in the fourth one.
September 7, 2024
It's satire and it's not a shitty story and I love satire.
September 21, 2024
A surprisingly engaging and funny read
October 10, 2024
A fun reading experience which was not serious in the slightest and just what I needed
October 13, 2024
Okay, but the best part of the book was still the title, so I rounded up from a 2.5!
September 3, 2024
It was interesting and the story was progressing quite well as Susan realised and started to understand her situation. then bang the author decided to hurriedly draw it to a climax and bang the end. Editor at fault here I think should have told the author to properly rewrite the last theee chapters and not try to compensate with an epilogue.
December 19, 2024
I was highly entertained by this fantasy book!
March 27, 2025
I really enjoyed this book as it’s relatable and not about some 20 y/o FMC. If you remember the show Quantum Leap, then this book is for you. I will probably continue the series as I need to know if it’s a very slow burn and Susan gets her HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2024
Things I liked:
- Susan. She's in her mid-forties (goddamn, a fmc near to my age, how can I not love that?), a workaholic and pretty funny. Her ex is a piece of shit who gaslit her and got her committed to an asylum for two years, which kind of fucking sucks. The way that she maneuvers through corporate America is both impressive and kind of disgusting (management and managers are generally fuckheads), but I also kind of love how she uses these business skills to get a handle on the whole magic thing. I find her reactions to being the "chosen" realistic, especially given her circumstances. Overall she's good people and I enjoy the character.
- Cecil is funny as hell. It's hard not to love a funny asshole character, especially when he's an extremely short unicorn with two horns. He's both the comic relief of the series and also the friend that tells you the whole truth, all while being a lovable dickhead.
- Cress is a psycho, but also somehow lovable? Her solution to nearly everything is to either beat or stab the shit out of someone. She has the biggest personality when it comes to the whole fae contingent and it's hard not to at least find her fun as hell. Much more fun than Donovan, who only really shows any personality when he's dealing with her.
- The fantasy races/setting are nicely laid out via a reference to human clothing, and just generally interspersed in the text in a natural sort of way. You've got a little bit of everything there: fae, centaurs, vampires, berserkers, succubi and even new variants creations like banwyn (or new to me, at least).
Things that were okay:
- The mmc Donovan is kinda dickish at first, though his attitude isn't unreasonable. There's not a whole lot more to him though, he's just very attractive and kind of there to be the main love interest. Eryk and Nate are also okay, though they're both just kind of around and don't have extremely strong personalities or anything.
This book is a nice change of pace in the whole fantasy genre, especially for older ladies who can appreciate some older female characters in novels.
- Susan. She's in her mid-forties (goddamn, a fmc near to my age, how can I not love that?), a workaholic and pretty funny. Her ex is a piece of shit who gaslit her and got her committed to an asylum for two years, which kind of fucking sucks. The way that she maneuvers through corporate America is both impressive and kind of disgusting (management and managers are generally fuckheads), but I also kind of love how she uses these business skills to get a handle on the whole magic thing. I find her reactions to being the "chosen" realistic, especially given her circumstances. Overall she's good people and I enjoy the character.
- Cecil is funny as hell. It's hard not to love a funny asshole character, especially when he's an extremely short unicorn with two horns. He's both the comic relief of the series and also the friend that tells you the whole truth, all while being a lovable dickhead.
- Cress is a psycho, but also somehow lovable? Her solution to nearly everything is to either beat or stab the shit out of someone. She has the biggest personality when it comes to the whole fae contingent and it's hard not to at least find her fun as hell. Much more fun than Donovan, who only really shows any personality when he's dealing with her.
- The fantasy races/setting are nicely laid out via a reference to human clothing, and just generally interspersed in the text in a natural sort of way. You've got a little bit of everything there: fae, centaurs, vampires, berserkers, succubi and even new variants creations like banwyn (or new to me, at least).
Things that were okay:
- The mmc Donovan is kinda dickish at first, though his attitude isn't unreasonable. There's not a whole lot more to him though, he's just very attractive and kind of there to be the main love interest. Eryk and Nate are also okay, though they're both just kind of around and don't have extremely strong personalities or anything.
This book is a nice change of pace in the whole fantasy genre, especially for older ladies who can appreciate some older female characters in novels.
September 10, 2024
This was a lot of fun for a cheap and cheerful romp.
I really like Susan. She's a bit of a Mary Sue at times but her voice is so much fun to read. I love that she's a middle aged, confiden career woman playing the role mostly teens play in this kind of story. It's honestly refreshing.
One star taken off for the terrible photoshopped pictures at the front that almost made me put this book down. As well as the over-the-top use of adjectives like "demure" and "sexy".
I really like Susan. She's a bit of a Mary Sue at times but her voice is so much fun to read. I love that she's a middle aged, confiden career woman playing the role mostly teens play in this kind of story. It's honestly refreshing.
One star taken off for the terrible photoshopped pictures at the front that almost made me put this book down. As well as the over-the-top use of adjectives like "demure" and "sexy".
November 4, 2024
This series was fun. I started hesitantly with Book 1, and rolled through all 4 in a weekend.
April 23, 2024
Between the chortling, the amusement and the giggles, I found the perfect book to clean my palette and to sooth my soul. You know how sometimes you need a book to entertain you, to carry you on it's shoulders with all the feel good vibes? Well, THIS book did exactly that for me! Don't get me wrong, there IS substance to the book, a great plot, an awesome pacing and a very serious undertone. Susan is trying to pick up the pieces after being booted by her husband but suffers from major anxiety and "episode's". So when she's confronted by four gorgeous people in some sort of armour that would do Lord of the Rings proud, she naturally assumes she's having an "episode". But these "hallucinations" won't abate.... Heck, I'D think I was hallucinating if my door disappeared or if a horse suddenly appeared by my bed and started TALKING to me! So Susan goes with it, in what she thinks is her mind playing tricks on her. And as the author alluded to an "episode" Susan had in her "former life" with her husband, that whet my taste buds to find out WHAT! And when I did, a primal growl exploded from my lips! Like, NOT ON DUDE!!! Huh, to know WHAT that is, yep, read this book!
So, what happens when you discover you're NOT having an episode, you're NOT hallucinating? You DO have the blood of every creature in every realm in your blood? That the buck stops with you to prevent a cataclysmic disaster? Well heck! Fun and shenanigans is what! Drawing on her expertise as a former banking mogul, Susan applies it to every situation, and guess what? It flipping works! Whoever or whatever she's facing, she applies her calm logic, her reasoning. I loved Susan, her fall from society and financial security are so dire but she doesn't allow herself to wallow in self pity, nope, she's all set to claw her way up the corporate ladder, chanting her daily mantra. Except... yeah, except! With all these revelations or hallucinations hitting her, her purpose is clear, only not as she had assumed. Her easy go manner is infectious, her NICENESS is infectious, she genuinely cares and her ability to process and solve puzzles is impressive. I got so on board with her character, extremely fun and likeable, I empathised with her entire situation. See, THIS author captures the essence of each character to perfection, so much so that they feel like long time friends. It was SO COOL to see Susan evolving, to see her face her past, to see the penny drop. And WHAT a penny!
What effortless writing! What delightful prose! I honestly felt as though I was in a theatre watching a Shakespeare comedy! What a unique voice the MC has! What different indifferent characters! Well ONE is....but even his indifference has substance. They ALL have substance! I loved their voices, I loved their conviction, I loved the puzzle falling into place, revealing a story of that opened up like a beautiful flower. Enticing, engrossing, magnificent storytelling, beautiful characters, a story of resilience and self realisation on a monumental scale, THIS is a book I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!
So, what happens when you discover you're NOT having an episode, you're NOT hallucinating? You DO have the blood of every creature in every realm in your blood? That the buck stops with you to prevent a cataclysmic disaster? Well heck! Fun and shenanigans is what! Drawing on her expertise as a former banking mogul, Susan applies it to every situation, and guess what? It flipping works! Whoever or whatever she's facing, she applies her calm logic, her reasoning. I loved Susan, her fall from society and financial security are so dire but she doesn't allow herself to wallow in self pity, nope, she's all set to claw her way up the corporate ladder, chanting her daily mantra. Except... yeah, except! With all these revelations or hallucinations hitting her, her purpose is clear, only not as she had assumed. Her easy go manner is infectious, her NICENESS is infectious, she genuinely cares and her ability to process and solve puzzles is impressive. I got so on board with her character, extremely fun and likeable, I empathised with her entire situation. See, THIS author captures the essence of each character to perfection, so much so that they feel like long time friends. It was SO COOL to see Susan evolving, to see her face her past, to see the penny drop. And WHAT a penny!
What effortless writing! What delightful prose! I honestly felt as though I was in a theatre watching a Shakespeare comedy! What a unique voice the MC has! What different indifferent characters! Well ONE is....but even his indifference has substance. They ALL have substance! I loved their voices, I loved their conviction, I loved the puzzle falling into place, revealing a story of that opened up like a beautiful flower. Enticing, engrossing, magnificent storytelling, beautiful characters, a story of resilience and self realisation on a monumental scale, THIS is a book I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!
January 6, 2025
I should have DNFed and returned this book as soon as we were given full colour images of all the "hot elf cosplayers", and especially when Susan started immediately thirsting over Bad Boy "I'm a prince but I have no social skills and rudely communicate in barked orders and growls" Donovan's physique, even though she's still deeply grieving the loss of her old life and ex-husband. I knew then it wasn't for me, and yet it was promising a light-hearted comedy romp, so I let myself be coaxed in to continuing despite knowing that's nearly always a terrible idea.
My problem (which will not be everyone's problem) is that I'm simply not interested in the "hotness" of fictional characters. Descriptions of chiseled pecs, tight butts, and the biggest boobs to ever bounce, leave me unmoved, and I actively dislike emotionally stunted arsehole love interests, so there really wasn't much here for me to enjoy. I'm burnt out on romance and all books picking from the same shopping list of tropes these days. I crave more complex social relationships than lust at first sight and platonic friendships not predicated on the other character being gay (I will happily take more gay characters, but this "men and women can't be friends" BS that is still prevalent in writing needed to stop 2 decades ago).
I wish this had been more tightly focused on the wacky adventure of a corporate manager dealing with her sudden magical awakening instead of setting up a very predictable "happily ever after" path to follow over what is likely Way Too Many Books. It never felt like Susan was on the adventure, or even necessarily the main character despite her centering in the narrative, she's just the Magical MacGuffin the fae begrudgingly need to drag around to complete their quest. She has no agency in this story, she makes no decisions of her own - even insisting on going to work is her on auto-pilot, she just does what she's told without any explanation and hopes everything will go well.
There were a few funny lines, but overall it was deeply boring paint-by-numbers fluff fiction with characters that could have been interesting but weren't due to their one dimensional personalities and lack of page time. Using what is essentially medical malpractice and gaslighting of real world mental health conditions as incidental background set-up was also not cool. We're way past an "oops, my bad" level of societal ignorance for excusing and perpetuating this kind of lazy stereotyping.
My problem (which will not be everyone's problem) is that I'm simply not interested in the "hotness" of fictional characters. Descriptions of chiseled pecs, tight butts, and the biggest boobs to ever bounce, leave me unmoved, and I actively dislike emotionally stunted arsehole love interests, so there really wasn't much here for me to enjoy. I'm burnt out on romance and all books picking from the same shopping list of tropes these days. I crave more complex social relationships than lust at first sight and platonic friendships not predicated on the other character being gay (I will happily take more gay characters, but this "men and women can't be friends" BS that is still prevalent in writing needed to stop 2 decades ago).
I wish this had been more tightly focused on the wacky adventure of a corporate manager dealing with her sudden magical awakening instead of setting up a very predictable "happily ever after" path to follow over what is likely Way Too Many Books. It never felt like Susan was on the adventure, or even necessarily the main character despite her centering in the narrative, she's just the Magical MacGuffin the fae begrudgingly need to drag around to complete their quest. She has no agency in this story, she makes no decisions of her own - even insisting on going to work is her on auto-pilot, she just does what she's told without any explanation and hopes everything will go well.
There were a few funny lines, but overall it was deeply boring paint-by-numbers fluff fiction with characters that could have been interesting but weren't due to their one dimensional personalities and lack of page time. Using what is essentially medical malpractice and gaslighting of real world mental health conditions as incidental background set-up was also not cool. We're way past an "oops, my bad" level of societal ignorance for excusing and perpetuating this kind of lazy stereotyping.
May 5, 2024
YOU’VE BEEN PREORDERED, BOOK TWO.
Finished the book in less than a day! It's fun, a little silly, and pretty light as far as "you have to save the world, oh chosen one" books go. I can tell it didn't trigger any anxiety because I didn't rip up my fingers while reading it, which I've been doing with darned near every other book I've taken on this week. Hence needing a break from my normal fare, which helped me stumble upon this gem. Actually found it because I follow the cover artist and him posting for this series made an immediate impact.
As far as romance goes (which is what I usually read.), she's realized she's falling for one of the guys at the end, but there have been flashes of all the other characters looking at her with appreciation. I have a strong suspicion that despite that, this is spiceless and likely not polyamorous, either (I would be mega down from them all getting together though, because we all know Cress is bae, and Erik and Nate seem like such sweet guys just waiting to be loved more). Seems more like ‘normal’ urban fantasy, and I'd be shocked if there was anything beyond a kiss outside of a closed door, if even that. This is my first book from this author, though, so I don’t know what their norm is.
Sadly, book 1 is the only one presently out, but I preordered 2 for when it comes out at the end of May. Definitely recommend it, and looking forward to reading them all as they come out. Will be nice brain soothers for between the more epic, super intense, super spicy polyamorous romances I tend to exist on. And as that is my normal genre, I’m here to say that I in no way found this to be unsatisfying. If you’ve also gone a little too deep down the smut hole and need some good fun to bring you back to reality (despite all the magic!) then I highly encourage you to dig into Susan’s story. Can’t wait to see her triumph over more than just her jerk wad ex and his groupies.
Finished the book in less than a day! It's fun, a little silly, and pretty light as far as "you have to save the world, oh chosen one" books go. I can tell it didn't trigger any anxiety because I didn't rip up my fingers while reading it, which I've been doing with darned near every other book I've taken on this week. Hence needing a break from my normal fare, which helped me stumble upon this gem. Actually found it because I follow the cover artist and him posting for this series made an immediate impact.
As far as romance goes (which is what I usually read.), she's realized she's falling for one of the guys at the end, but there have been flashes of all the other characters looking at her with appreciation. I have a strong suspicion that despite that, this is spiceless and likely not polyamorous, either (I would be mega down from them all getting together though, because we all know Cress is bae, and Erik and Nate seem like such sweet guys just waiting to be loved more). Seems more like ‘normal’ urban fantasy, and I'd be shocked if there was anything beyond a kiss outside of a closed door, if even that. This is my first book from this author, though, so I don’t know what their norm is.
Sadly, book 1 is the only one presently out, but I preordered 2 for when it comes out at the end of May. Definitely recommend it, and looking forward to reading them all as they come out. Will be nice brain soothers for between the more epic, super intense, super spicy polyamorous romances I tend to exist on. And as that is my normal genre, I’m here to say that I in no way found this to be unsatisfying. If you’ve also gone a little too deep down the smut hole and need some good fun to bring you back to reality (despite all the magic!) then I highly encourage you to dig into Susan’s story. Can’t wait to see her triumph over more than just her jerk wad ex and his groupies.
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