Starrily

Perks of Being Paranormal #2

by Kate Serzenta

From the moment she first met him, Callie knew that Simon Montague was a dead man walking.



From rock-climbing to wing-suiting, the infuriatingly charismatic tech CEO lives every moment of his life like it might be his last - and given his packed schedule of adrenaline-fueled adventures, Callie calculated that statistically, one would be soon enough.



In order to secure funding for her ground-breaking work in astrophysics, Callie must work with Simon – and as much as she tries to resist it, the shy and play-it-safe scientist soon finds herself warming to his outgoing personality and thirst for life – the kind she had long since buried away.



But when the promise of a kiss is interrupted by Callie witnessing Simon literally flicker from existence, even her logical, rational mind struggles to find a scientific explanation. She learns that a supernatural phenomenon is threatening to tear Simon from reality itself - and only by facing her own dark and traumatic past can Callie learn what she needs to save the life of the man she’s reluctantly developed feelings for.


Starrily is the second book in the Perks of Being Paranormal series - fast-paced and witty paranormal romances that readers have praised as “cute and adorable” and “quirky, sweet, and heartwarming.”

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Paranormal, Fantasy

339 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2025

Reviews

[Beatrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally published on Reedsy Discovery.

Simon Montague, the charismatic CEO of a successful tech company, seems to have a death wish: from eating pufferfish to rock-climbing, he appears to always be on the lookout for a new dangerous activity. For sensible, risk-averse astrophysicist Callie Guidry, this is deeply annoying and close to infuriating.

Yet when circumstances force the two of them to spend time together in order to secure funding for Callie's research, she finds that there may be more to Simon than meets the eye, and his outgoing personality and thirst for life re-awaken in Callie something she had long since buried away. But everything is not as it seems, and rational thought might have to give way to a part of Callie's past she has been trying to forget if there is to be any hope of saving Simon from the supernatural phenomenon that threatens his very existence.

Kate Serzenta continues to deliver a cozy and heartwarming slow-burn romance in this second instalment of the Perks of Being Paranormal series. Both Callie and Simon have suffered in the past, reacting in completely opposite ways, and watching them learn from one other and lean into each other's strengths to support their vulnerabilities makes for a delightful reading experience.

Where this book seems to struggle slightly is with the paranormal element itself which, though original and somewhat surprising, does not appear to be developed to its full potential, remaining a largely marginal element until fairly late in the story. The conflicts, though appearing solid in the build-up, are also resolved far too easily in the end, leaving the feeling of a rush preventing the reader from feeling fully satisfied by the (extremely cute) ending. Secondary characters could have also benefited from slightly greater development, especially those introduced later in the narrative, as they came across as little more than cookie-cutter figures embodying specific traits, making little to no impression and being forgotten as easily as they were introduced.

Overall, Starrily is a pleasant read that is sure to entertain and delight fans of the genre, despite a few minor issues.

I received an e-arc of this book via Reedsy Discovery. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.

For more reviews, visit Book for Thought.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a cuteish, humorous, quirky read. She's an astrophysicist looking to get funding for a big project. He's the CEO of a tech company that has the money to grant her. There are some stipulations of course... one being he gets to follow her around for the next few months to watch her work along with a journalist who is doing a series about the whole situation. Being a little introverted and 'nerdy,' she's not really too keen on having an audience, but does what she can for her work. This is a STEM story, so there is more 'smart' conversations. There is the paranormal aspect, and without giving anything away, it's interesting to watch as they try to understand it and figure out what they have to do to to survive it. The paranormal bit is not like what you may be used to in that genre of stories, so it was quite refreshing. There are bits and pieces that the characters reveal here and there that hint at things from the past, but aren't brought to light until later in the book, so a little mystery. Wonderful characters and an overall good light hearted (for the most part) book. It alternates between POVs. Any sexual content is minimal and pretty vague.

*I received a copy of this book from Hidden Gem.

[Jeannine Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an honest review for an ARC I received.

Starrily is about a STEM girl that meets a tech mogul that gives her back her adventurous side and willingness to believe in more than just science again.

Calliope is an astrophysicist. She lives a very singular life and seems to be content but isn’t happy. Simon is an adventurer that is willing to grab life and truly live because you don’t know how long you have. They meet during a zero gravity flight and things couldn’t have gone worse. But then they are thrust back together in another chance meeting and have to work together. But there is more going on underneath it all for both of them than what it seems like in the surface. Their lives become about fixing some things from the past that will impact their futures.

There is science, romance, comedy (bad dad jokes and pick up lines) and love. Very cute rom-com with a mix of STEM thrown in. Fans of Ali Hazelwood will enjoy this book!

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars - Cute enjoyable paranormal romance story that kept me very interested as I'd read their romantic story. At the start our polar opposite characters Simon Montague our thrill seeker and CEO of a tech company who's granting funds for her project and Callie Guidry our down-to earth logical astrophysics were likable and engaging. Loved their interactions and how they involved. This paranormal story was a delightful story. I'd volunteer to read and review this enjoyable copy I'd received.

[Cherie Melbourne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new author to me and I don't ready a lot of paranormal stories and I seem to be lucky and find ones I enjoy and this book is no exception. I enjoyed the way Simon continually annoyed Callie by being a ray of sunshine and as the story progressed I was looking forward to getting the back story of both these characters. There was a very interesting turn of events towards the end, but the story left me with a couple of unanswered questions.
I received a free advance review copy and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

He lives his live to the fullest as if it the last of his life. She needs funding for her project and he may help her. Things are not going to be as she expected especially when he disappears in front of her. Now she needs to find the answers to save him so see what she finds out
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and wow what a read

[Angie Titus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fun...and strange...and sweet. A closed door paranormal romance with some crazy twists. I loved it. :)