Stalking Not Required (Chaotic Paranormals)

I truly enjoy discovering new authors and was happy when Corina Bair reached out to see if I’d be interested in reading “Stalking Not Required” before its release! I do want to apologize that this review is being posted a little later than I had hoped, as I’ve had a lot happen in my personal life recently that kind of threw off my reading schedule. Anyway, I really enjoyed “Stalking Not Required” and thought it was a wonderful introduction to Corina’s work! The following are my thoughts about the book. The story follows two main characters: Ro, a happy-go-lucky demon; and Lor, a discontent star-chaser. Ro, despite being a demon who has tendencies to light things on fire and steal random objects of unimportance, is desperately trying to be a good person. However, when seeing Lor for the first time, a new urge surfaces: his inner demon is determined to stalk this mysterious silver-haired woman. Lor is trying her best to keep her identity a secret, because star-chasers are known to be taken advantage of as stardust is a valuable commodity. However, Lor doesn’t make the best decisions and winds up working for a man doing just the thing she was trying to avoid. Long story short, Lor gets into a bit of trouble and Ro wants nothing more than to protect her, which winds up getting himself in even bigger trouble! Lor has to figure out whether Ro is worth saving by giving up her secret, or whether saving herself and keeping her secret is the better choice. To figure out what she…

I’ve never read this author before but the cover caught my attention and then the blurb sold it. The cover really is amazing. Thankfully I really enjoyed the writing and story as well. I adore an MMC who is unapologetically head over heels for the FMC, and that is definitely true for Ro. Once he lays eyes on Alorra, no one else exists and he’s all in. The fact that he’s a demon in therapy because he wants to be a good person just makes him all the more endearing. He loves fun clothes and bright colors, and he’s sunshine personified, which makes badass Lor and her all-black clothes and attitude a perfect fit. I loved her character as well. She’s tough yet kind, hurt by abandonment and reluctant to trust and love, yet gives moments of vulnerability even when it’s hard. And who can blame her for giving in to Relentless Ro, lol. All the scenes with Kahlo the cat were adorable (and fun). A grumpy cat deciding to move in with a grumpy, reluctant human is a great plot line, honestly. Although I don’t have many thoughts on queernormative worlds, I did enjoy reading a book with two bi (maybe pan, never specified) characters get together without their sexuality being an issue or a big plot point because it doesn't need to be. It's just normal. My only complaint is that the ending of the external plot wasn’t very satisfying. It felt left kinda open, and I don’t think it was on purpose. Other than that I really enjoyed it and would recommend it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stalking -Not- Required was chaotic, hilarious, unhinged, weirdly wholesome, and somehow one of the most entertaining paranormal romances I’ve read in a long time. This book felt like tossing gasoline onto a romcom and then watching it explode into sparks, banter, obsession, and emotional damage 🔥😌 Ro completely stole the show for me. A fire demon in therapy trying very hard to control his impulses… except one of those impulses happens to be stalking the silver-haired woman who walked into his bar one night? Immediate perfection. He’s chaotic sunshine energy wrapped in red flags and emotional vulnerability, and I loved every second of it. The fact that he’s fully aware that his behavior is insane somehow made it even funnier. And Lor? Absolute black cat queen. She’s guarded, grumpy, independent, and carrying so much loneliness beneath the surface that watching Ro slowly bulldoze his way into her life was both hilarious and surprisingly emotional. Their dynamic worked SO well. The banter was sharp, the chemistry was ridiculous, and the tension had me kicking my feet like a Victorian woman seeing an ankle for the first time. What really surprised me was how much heart this story had underneath all the chaos. Yes, it’s funny. Yes, Ro is deeply unwell in the most lovable way possible. But there’s also genuine emotional depth about healing, trust, self-worth, and finding someone who chooses you fully despite all your messiness. Also… Khalo the cat deserves a…

I received an ARC. I recently completed reading Stalking Not Required, book two in The Chaotic Paranormals book series by Corina Bair. This is surprisingly a novel that doesn't exactly have a catalyst for change. Instead, it's more about the growth of two people learning to love, learning to heal, learning to be who they are. This novel is set in Chicago, where Lorr, a Starchaser, has been blackmailed by a mobster to collect stardust. This is essentially the remnants of her people. Stardust is a black market drug, so to speak, that enhances paranormal monsters' abilities, or it's downright a drug, but pretty meaningless for humans. Ro is a fire demon and the spawn of s*x demons. He was upset he didn't inherit that side of his parents, but I'd differ with the way Ro throws down. He begins stalking Lorr after she walks into his bar, and he can't get her out of his mind. The novel follows the two of them and their relationship, how Lorr navigates her trauma from her mother and the generational trauma handed down from her grandmother. It also follows Ro in his own journey of self-acceptance, but also being able to look at the other sides of himself. What I loved the most about this novel was how ultimately Ro permits Lorr, she didn't even know she was asking for, to grow as a person, to accept herself for who she is, and to accept the gifts that were handed down to her from her ancestors. There's a lot of s*x in this book, and it's healing through that. My only minor…

ARC Review ⭐️ 5 🌶 3 This story is so special. It really gives you all the good vibes and happy feelings. I was obsessed from the start and the characters truly come to life through the pages!! There is amazing character development and the story just makes you want more and more!! It is spicy, but not aggressively spicy... which I loved!!! The love that develops from these strangers is absolutely what I think everyone yearns for in real life!! Oh!! Cannot forget Kahlo!!! <3 Absolutely THE BEST furry sidekick ever!!! There's passion, devotion, and a mutual respect that makes you fall in love with Lor & Ro!!! The MCs gave me Elemental vibes between the parents, Bernie & Cinder Lumen. <3 Thank you Corina Bair for allowing me to ARC read this!! I am so obsessed and I cannot wait to see what comes next, and I must now read book 1 - ASAP! Tropes you will LOVE: 🐈‍⬛ black cat x golden retriever 👀 He falls first, fast, and hard 🌈 Bi4Bi 🫶🏻 Banter as flirting 💀 “Just once to get it out of our systems.” 🫦 He thinks stalking is a love language 😈 Demon x Star-Chaser 🔥 He would set the world on fire for her 🌊 Skinny dipping at night 💔 No 3rd act breakup (new fave trope!!)