Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Dakota Cassidy, The Accidental Detectives: Be A Detective, They Said. It'll Be Fun, They Said (An Accidental Detective Mystery Book 3)

 

Title: The Accidental Detectives: Be A Detective, They Said. It’ll Be Fun, They Said (An Accidental Detective Mystery Book 3) 
Author: Dakota Cassidy

Rating: Four and A Half Siren Stones

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Keywords: Werewolf, Demon, Witch, Vampire, Zombie, OOPs, Man Servant, Mystery, Alien, The Accidental Detectives

Page Count: 152          

ISBN E-Book: Amazon Digital Services, LLC

Price: $4.99

Publisher: Self-Published

Buy-Link: https://tinyurl.com/y6thu6k7

Reviewer: Stacey Krug 

Blurb/Summary:

Wanda Jefferson, vampire/werewolf hybrid and (very) reluctant temporary PTA president, reporting for duty!

Yes, yes, yes. I’m a PTA member. Don’t be so shocked. I’d do anything for my two precious babies, Olivia and Sam, including whip up batches of cupcakes late into the night for their annual bake sale at the Paranormal School for the Gifted. And if I have to endure the most insufferable, controlling, bossy-pants PTA president in all of existence who goes by the name Neerie Lincoln-- so be it.

Except today, Neerie’s a no-show, leaving me in charge of the event. Inconceivable! The domineering little fae would never willingly miss the school’s biggest fundraising event. Who else will properly ensure sweet and savory treats never grace the same table?

Neerie’s sister claims she’s been missing for two days. When she begs me and my besties, Nina and Marty, to put our fledgling detective skills to work to find her, we’re reluctant. I mean, there’s no love lost for the PTA president. However, she’s left behind a little girl who misses her mommy something fierce—and THAT we can’t ignore.

Of course, Neerie has 
also left a recently disgruntled ex, a loser baby-daddy, and a long line of horribly mistreated people in her wake.

Read: the suspect list is sizeable. Any one of a dozen people have reason to want to un-alive the crazy fairy, up to and including the school janitor.

Oh…and have we mentioned Neerie’s absolutely 
obsessed with conspiracy theories? And the human groups devoted to them?

Yep. The suspect pool just got a whole lot bigger.

Diving headlong into Neerie’s crazy world of nutball conspiracies, Nina, Marty and I thought we’d seen every form of weird during our various Accidental adventures.

We were SO wrong…

Review:

Be A Detective, They Said. It’ll Be Fun, They Said the third book in The Accidental Detectives series is from Wanda Jefferson’s POV. Wanda’s children Olivia, Sam, and Heath, her husband, have more of a presence in this book.

The OOPs ladies are improving their investigative skills and using outside sources wisely. Their investigation leads them to several wild conspiracy theories. Book three takes on a couple plot twists I was not expecting making for a fun read.

The third book in The Accidental Detectives has great characters and framily make coming back to this world extremely enjoyable. The story has as much action as the previous books and was engaging. As a reader, I’m interested to see if those plot twists will end up in future books.

Friday, March 28, 2025

Cate Callahan, Releasing Sugar: A Guide To Changing Your Perspective on Sweets


Title: Releasing Sugar: A Guide To Changing Your Perspective on Sweets

Author: Cate Callahan

Rating: Five Siren Stones

Genre: Self-Help, Inspiration

Keywords: Sugar, Sweets, Inspiration, Reflection

Page Count: 85          

ISBN E-Book: Amazon Digital Services, LLC

Price: $3.99

Publisher: Self-Published

Buy-Link: Buy Here

Reviewer: Stacey Krug 

 Blurb/Summary:

What if letting go of sugar was the first step toward living the life you’ve always dreamed of?

In Releasing Sugar, Cate Callahan takes you on a witty, heart-led journey to reclaim your health by leaving sugar behind. Through playful humor, quirky illustrations, and a fresh perspective, this book helps you see sugar for what it really is—an obstacle standing in the way of your best self.
Packed with powerful insight and glimpses into your healthiest future, Releasing Sugar is more than a guide to dietary change—it’s an inspiring roadmap to self-love and personal transformation. It offers tips, strategies, and mindset shifts to help propel you onto a wellness path that allows you to embrace a vibrant life filled with energy, creativity, and joy. Whether it’s the way you celebrate, cope with stress, or nourish yourself, Callahan guides you in making choices that align with your dreams and values.
This book is your invitation to reimagine your relationship with food, your body, and your world. By letting go of sugar, you open space for all the possibilities and creativity waiting to flourish inside of you. Get ready to transform, heal, and inspire those around you—one bittersweet decision at a time.
In this playful, yet powerful guide to living a life that truly nourishes from the inside out, you’ll discover the following:

·         How sugar is working against your body and the life you aspire to live

·         Cultivating self-love is an essential part of your nutritional journey

·         How to acknowledge the grief that comes with a dietary transformation

·         The immeasurable impact your healing has on your community

·         How to cultivate a mindset that embraces sustainable health and peace

·         How your relationship with food reflects your relationship with yourself and life

·         Tapping into your creativity is a powerful tool in overcoming cravings and addiction

·         Truly enjoyable ways to track your progress

·         How to reimagine the way you celebrate, show love, and socially connect

·         Tips and strategies for coping with stress, peer pressure, and other obstacles

·         Invitations to reflect on your journey and take actionable steps to heal

Let Releasing Sugar help you let go of the cravings you cling to so that you can invite peace and balance into your life.

Review:

If you are looking to kick your sugar habit or change your diet to more whole foods, then this book would be an excellent addition to your journey.

Cate Callahan draws on her own experience and scientific research, provided in the bibliography, to help inspire and guide others to live healthy and happy. This is an easy read with plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor to lighten the serious subject of getting healthy for the long term.

The author provides numerous examples and ideas to help break out of unhealthy habits and hold yourself accountable. Cate Callahan also provides a chance to reflect and see how these new ideas can fit into your life.

This was an enjoyable and informational read.

Dakota Cassidy: The Accidental Detectives: Tell Me It’s Murder Without Telling Me It’s Murder (An Accidental Detective Mystery Book 2)

Title: The Accidental Detectives: Tell Me It’s Murder Without Telling Me It’s Murder (An Accidental Detective Mystery Book 2) 
Author: Dakota Cassidy

Rating: Four and A Half Siren Stones

 

Genre: Paranormal Mystery

Keywords: Werewolf, Demon, Witch, Vampire, Zombie, OOPs, Man Servant, Mystery, The Accidentals

Page Count: 175          

ISBN E-Book: Amazon Digital Services, LLC

Price: $4.99

Publisher: Self-Published

Buy-Link: Buy it here

Reviewer: Stacey Krug  

Blurb/Summary:

Marty Flaherty here: Half human, half werewolf, aaall girl and proud of it.

First, let me say, we’re not exactly great at this detective gig. Sherlock Holmes wouldn’t be out of a job because we’re on the scene.

But while In the midst of trying to choose our next case to solve and learning from the mistakes we made with our last investigation, my fifteen-year-old daughter Hollis makes a plea we can’t turn our backs on.
Her best friend, Charmaine Ellis needs our help.

Charmaine's father’s been accused of murdering their house manager’s daughter. Ronald Ellis, guardian of everything werewolf, overseer of ancient were artifacts, is accused of killing Zinnia Hutchins.
A sweet, thoughtful young woman who grew up in the Ellis household—a young woman Ronald once considered a daughter.

The madness in all of this?

He fully admits he’s whodunnit!

That’s right, he makes no bones about the fact that he’s the killer. Loud and proud, Ronald confesses to killing a beautiful young woman. The catch? He can’t remember a single thing about the morning he allegedly murdered Zinnia.
Due to the archaic inefficiency of the were council police, and their deep desire to keep all matters werewolf deeply hidden from the human world, Ronald asks us to help him investigate what happened that morning, even if it means he truly did murder a woman he considered family.

So we jump in both feet and this time, with a hefty list of suspects on our side, but as we dig deeper we find secrets none of us expected, proving murder in the paranormal world is a tricky game of cat and mouse!

Review:

I love that each book in this new series is from a different POV. Book 2 is from Marty Flaherty’s POV and has much to do with the were society. Readers are treated to a teenage Hollis, Marty’s daughter, and we get to see the relationships that have been built over time. Hollis has two aunties that love her like their own. It is apparent that those bonds were forged over time and experiences. Hollis doesn’t hesitate to ask for help for her friend.

The suspected murderer and victim are part of the were community, so we get more insight on their workings. They have some crazy artifacts that should not fall into the wrong hands. Book two is straight forward with some obvious and a couple not so obvious plot twists. It’s also a fairly clean read because Nina is not the protagonist.

Tell Me It’s Murder Without Telling Me It’s Murder has great characters and is a fun read.  


Monday, February 24, 2025

Evangeline Anderson, Savage Union: A Dark Alien Mafia Romance (Brutal Universe Book 2)

 

Title: Savage Union: A Dark Alien Mafia Romance (Brutal Universe Book 2)

Author: Evangeline Anderson

Rating: Five Siren Stones


Genre: Paranormal Romance

Sub-Genre: Erotic Science Fiction, Dark Alien Mafia Romance

Keywords: Mafia, Clans, Goddesses, Humanoids, Humans, Friends to Lovers, Protective Alpha, Brutal Universe

Page Count: 408         

Print Book: 979-8311014595

Price: $19.99

Page Count: 380

ISBN E-Book: Amazon Digital 

Price: $4.99

Publisher: Self-Published

Buy-Link: https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Union-Romance-Brutal-Universe/dp/B0DXF8D45V/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.W1BM_6hiJREU8YV4NJcS2MKmV7Sfja_XqrN9fdANwhdsC7FXpm9H-zfIPvYEgosPfY3lYiSubUdf1aZScdGWMw.hVNvOzwZggrjLkdwbtH9eCZqv2IdijVpZDGU89aIlj0&qid=1740420176&sr=8-1

Reviewer: Stacey Krug  

Blurb/Summary:

A Mafia Princess disguised as a boy…

Jessina:
Running from a loveless marriage, I disguised myself and tricked my way aboard the starship captained by my Fated Mate. Only Turk doesn’t know we’re meant to be together and how can I tell him when he thinks I’m a boy? I don’t dare reveal my true identity but what happens when my body starts craving his and he finds out who I really am? Will he believe we’re meant to be together…or send me back to the cruel old man who paid for me?

A Mafia Captain tricked into hiring his Fated Mate

Turk:
I thought there was something strange about my new crew member. He was so quiet and shy—and much too pretty to be male. But he was also the best damn navigator I’d ever seen. Still, why did I feel so drawn to him? It didn’t make sense—I’m no lover of males. When another crew member attacked him, I was forced to take him into my own cabin to protect him. But then our bodies started reacting and the cravings began. Little did I know that the pretty new navigator was hiding a secret that would blow my life apart…

Author’s Note—
Savage Union is a secret identity, forbidden fruit, Dark Alien Mafia Romance—the second book in the Brutal Universe Series. It can be read as a stand-alone novel, but you might enjoy it more if you read Cruel Union, the first book in the series first.

Enter The Brutal Universe


Years ago everyone who could afford it left the dying Earth and traveled to the stars. There, humanity found that they were not alone—there was plenty of sentient life to connect with…if they wanted to.

A core group of humans refused to have anything to do with the aliens. The Untainted, as they chose to call themselves, have pure human blood in their veins—their DNA has remained unchanged for centuries. They marry each other and do their best to ignore the outsiders—but there are some who are hard to ignore…for instance, the Brutal Crime Lords.

The Brutal Crime Organization operates like the Cosa Nostra back on Dying Earth. Made up of four different Alien Crime families, they rule over whole sectors of the Imperium Galaxy and extract tribute from anyone living in their territory. The Brutes, as they are called, have inhuman lusts. Always searching for their Fated Mate, once they find her, they develop The Thirst which compels them to taste her juices. Some have tails and most have horns. All of them have special equipment that’s big enough to split a woman in two…or give her pleasure beyond her wildest dreams.
When a woman enters a Permanent Binding with a Brute, she can never, ever be free of him.

*Author's Note--I hope you'll enjoy this new series--I wanted to take Mafia Romance themes and tropes and put them in a sci-fi setting filled with cruel and irresistible Alien Mafia Enforcers. Expect to find Love and Betrayal, Enemies to Lovers, and growly, grumpy Morally Grey Heroes determined to find their Fated Mates at all costs.

The Four Families

Clan Cruel--these Alien Mafiosos carry a Darkness inside them that other Clans fear
Clan Savage
-- Serpentine blood ensures these Alien Enforcers have fangs and a desire to taste their woman's blood
Clan – Vicious
--Moving neon tatts and an ability to read their enemy’s intentions are the characteristics of these Morally Grey Alien Capos.
Clan Ruthless
 -- These Alien Crime Lords have bat-like wings and burning red eyes.

*All Four Clans have 3 things in common
-- Horns, Knots, and The Thirst--an insatiable desire to taste their Fated Mate


Review:

Turk and Jessina have great chemistry together. Savage Union has a fun plot with plenty of action. Evangeline Anderson uses creative descriptions of all the aliens and different worlds. The world building is fantastic. As a reminder, this book is set in the Brutal Universe not the Kindred Universe. There is a scene that may be triggering to some readers. It is on par with other scenes that this author has written so you can rest assured that there is a good outcome.

We do get to see Slade in this book as he is Turk’s best friend and Jessina’s brother. Jessina disguises herself as a boy to get on Turk’s ship. She is completely qualified for the job, but they never would have hired a woman, and she was on the run from her parents. Jessina’s disguise leads to some very sticky and even triggering situations. Once the charade is over with Jessina’s disguise there is a lot of “you’re off limits” drama coming from Turk.

I enjoyed the journey Turk and Jessina had to take to get to where they are at the end of the book. Jessina made new friends along the way and grew as a person. Savage Union has a HFN ending. Their future was not hammered out with certainty. As a reader, I would love to see how they are getting along in their new life together and how their small family unit is functioning.