Dakota Cassidy, Play That Funky Music White Koi (A Lemon Layne Mystery Book 2)

Title:  Play That Funky Music White Koi (A Lemon Layne Mystery Book 2)

Author:  Dakota Cassidy

Rating:  Four Siren Stones

Genre:  Cozy Mystery 

Keywords:  Amateur Sleuth, Murder, Mystery, Spider Monkey

Page Count:  208                

ISBN E-Book:  978-1-944003-82-1

Price:  $3.99

Publisher:  Book Boutiques

Buy-Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Funky-Music-White-Lemon-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01LZQPY5E/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1498596422&sr=8-8&keywords=dakota+cassidy

Reviewer:  Stacey Krug  

Blurb/Summary:

My tiny town of Fig Harbor's just recovering from our last tango with murder, only to be faced with yet another—and this time, it sure looks an awful lot like a vampire's on the loose in the Pacific Northwest.

Vampires are just Twilight fiction, right? 

I'm not so sure after a murder victim is found in my koi pond right next to my favorite fish, Koi George, (not good!) with bite marks on her neck, and a gothic antique chalice next to her body with what sure looks like blood residue. 

By now, everyone knows I can't keep my nose out of a good mystery. But when I literally try to stay out of the fray while our town conspiracy theorist is yelling vampires have invaded our beloved Fig Harbor, I have no choice but to gather up all the garlic I can buy and put my sleuthing shoes back on!”

This contemporary cozy mystery has it all, from the local doomsday prepper to an out of control pet monkey, a mother who would drive a saint to drink, and of course a dead body in the Koi pond.

Review:

Lemon Layne is like a magnet for trouble.  She also has snooping in her blood.  Sleuthing is like her drug.  There is no way she can stay out of the murder mystery that landed in her backyard much to the chagrin of Justice.  All he wants is for Lemon to be safe after her past troubles.

Play That Funky Music White Koi is a cozy murder mystery with some plot twists.  This is book two in the series and we get to see a little more into Lemon’s fiancée’s murder.  His murder is holding her back from living her life and seeing what is right in front of her.  One of the characters being questioned in the murders helps Lemon realize some of her short comings. 

This is a cute story with the same quirky main characters from the first book.  I was a little disappointed that the characters didn’t have more developmental growth in this second installment.  Very little new information or backstory was shared on Lemon and her main crew.  However, it feels like it is building up to something and I’m curious to see what is coming next.  

All of the books we receive at Siren Book Reviews are complimentary in exchange for an honest review.

Dakota Cassity, Then Came Wanda...With A Baby Carriage (Accidentally Paranormal Series Book 15)

 Title:  Then Came Wanda…With A Baby Carriage (Accidentally Paranormal Series Book 15)
Author:  Dakota Cassidy

Rating:  Four And A Half Siren Stones

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Keywords:  Zombie, Baby, Vampires, Werewolves, Demons, Skinwalker 

Page Count:  198                

ISBN E-Book:  Amazon Digital

Price:  $3.99

Publisher:  Self-Published

Buy-Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Then-Wanda-Carriage-Accidentally-Paranormal-ebook/dp/B071NKF21Z/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495052892&sr=8-1&keywords=dakota+cassidy

Reviewer:  Stacey Krug 

 Blurb/Summary:

There’s almost nothing Wanda Jefferson wants more than a family to call her own, and she’s almost got it all with her husband Heath, a beautiful home in the suburbs, and her soul-satisfying work with her best friends as part of OOPS—a paranormal crisis hotline.

Yet still, there’s a tiny hole in Wanda’s heart she longs to fill with a baby. As she and Heath explore adoption, and finally bring home a beautiful baby boy with the support of their friends and family, everything that can go wrong, does.

First, no one, not even Nina the baby-loving vampire, can soothe the cranky infant. He’s cries constantly, bringing Wanda’s insecurities as a new mother out in full force. Then banshee, Sal Brice and sexy skinwalker, Grey Hamlin show up, and yikes, do they have a tale to tell—one that involves a diabolical plan that threatens Wanda’s newly formed family!

You know what that means, right? Hell hath no fury like the OOPS women on a case!

Review:

The OOPS family is growing by leaps and bounds and babies, oh my!

Then Came Wanda…With A Baby Carriage is book 15 in the Accidental Series and it is a novella.  All the main OOPS girls are involved in the plot line along with their husbands.  We get a really clear picture from an outsider’s perspective as to how supportive and loving this extended family is to one another.

I found this to be a tearjerker of a story.  The plot will run the reader through the entire gamut of emotions.  Wanda starts out with the baby and the story works backward for us to see how Wanda ended up with him.

Novellas are shorter than full novels, but this story didn’t lack heart, meat, or satisfaction.  There is not a dull moment!  Dakota’s brand of humor is stamped on this book throughout the emotional roller coaster.

Wanda’s story is a nice addition and transition for the Accidental Series.  The new characters Sal Brice and Grey Hamlin may open new paths for the series.  I can’t wait to see where Dakota Cassidy takes the OOPS girls next!  Don’t miss out on this book if you are an Accidental Series fan!

This book received a Four And A Half Star Rating on Siren Book Reviews.

All of the books we receive at Siren Book Reviews are complimentary in exchange for an honest review. 

Lara Adrian, Midnight Unbound: A Midnight Breed Novella (The Midnight Breed Series)

Title:  Midnight Unbound: A Midnight Breed Novella (The Midnight Breed Series)  

Author:  Lara Adrian

Rating:  Five Siren Stones

Genre:  Paranormal Romance

Keywords:  Breed, Hunter, Vampire

Page Count:  162                

ISBN E-Book:  Amazon Digital Services, LLC

Price:  $2.99

ISBN Print:  CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Price:  $7.99

Publisher:  Self-Published

Buy-Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Unbound-Breed-Novella-ebook/dp/B06XK7RCZ9/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Reviewer:  Stacey Krug 

Blurb/Summary:

As a former Hunter bred to be a killing machine in the hell of a madman's lab, Breed vampire Scythe is a dangerous loner whose heart has been steeled by decades of torment and violence. He has no room in his world for love or desire--especially when it comes in the form of a vulnerable, yet courageous, Breedmate in need of protection. Scythe has loved--and lost--once before, and paid a hefty price for the weakness of his emotions. He's not about to put himself in those chains again, no matter how deeply he hungers for lovely Chiara.

For Chiara Genova, a widow and mother with a young Breed son, the last thing she needs is to put her fate and that of her child in the hands of a lethal male like Scythe. But when she's targeted by a hidden enemy, the obsidian-eyed assassin is her best hope for survival . . . even at the risk of her heart.

Review:

Midnight Unbound is a standalone novella in the Midnight Breed Series.  As a reader, you can truly enjoy and appreciate this story without the entire series background.  Scythe was a secondary character in a previous story and I was hoping that we would get to know more about him.

Scythe and Chiara Genova’s story is a journey of two people that have been betrayed and wronged, both wanting to love again, neither wanting to put themselves out there to be hurt one more time.  Theirs is a story of growing trust and friendship.

Scythe puts himself on the line to protect Chiara and we get to find out how incredibly deadly he is.  Chiara is no shrinking violet and her hard-working attitude shows through in everything she does.

The story has a good plot, moves along at a steady pace, and keeps readers engaged and turning the pages.  Midnight Unbound is a wonderful addition to the series with some surprises.

All of the books we receive at Siren Book Reviews are complimentary in exchange for an honest review. 

Dakota Cassidy, Prawn of the Dead (A Lemon Layne Mystery, Book 1)

Title:  Prawn of the Dead (A Lemon Layne Mystery, Book 1)

Author:  Dakota Cassidy

Rating:  Siren's Best Book Stone

Genre:  Contemporary Cozy Mystery

Keywords:  Amateur Sleuth, Spider Monkey, Cops, Murder, Zombies

Page Count:  208                

ISBN E-Book:  Amazon Digital

Price:  $3.99

Audio CD: $24.99

Publisher:  Book Boutiques

Buy-Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Prawn-Dead-Lemon-Layne-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01LXSGBYC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1490044015&sr=8-1

Reviewer:  Stacey Krug  

Blurb/Summary:

"My name is Lemon Layne, and if asked to describe myself, like maybe on a dating site (which is never gonna happen), I'd have to go with best convenience store/barbecue joint owner in the Pacific Northwest. I live in the tiny tourist town of Fig Harbor, Washington with my adorably neurotic best friend, Coco Belinski, my a-little-left- of-center (read totally out there) mom, May, and my troublemaking pet monkey, Jessica Fletcher.

Oh, and last but certainly not least, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool amateur sleuth. Yep. I'm literally incapable of resisting a good mystery. No matter how great or small, I love to stick my nose into...er, help solve a crime. From the mysterious disappearance of Ho Hos in my store, to a lost piece of jewelry, I'm always ready to put on my Sherlock Holmes cap (I really do have one. Got it when I was eight).

When I find my mother's ex-boyfriend murdered in our convenience store bathroom with a piece of his skull missing, and my mom's a suspect in a murder investigation, my mystery solving goes from zero to a hundred. To really make matters worse, the town's local conspiracy theorist and official doomsday prepper, Cappie somehow finds out the victim isn't just missing a piece of his skull--he's missing a piece of his brain!

And that's when off the wall Cappie starts spreading word the zombie apocalypse has officially arrived in our tiny burg. Total chaos ensues and I have to pick my way through everything from weekend warrior zombie hunters to medical mysteries in order to catch a killer!"

Review:

Dakota Cassidy has a knack for creating quirky characters that are endearingly addictive.  Lemon Layne and her entourage are a hoot!  This new mystery series was so easy to engage in and connect with the characters that I didn’t want to put it down.  I absolutely love Lemon!  She’s a strong independent woman who knows her own mind and isn’t afraid of anything.  Lemon has a wacky mom named May, a best friend named Coco, and a spider monkey named Jessica Fletcher.  These characters are hysterical together and will have you laughing out loud.

As the story progresses we get to journey along with our amateur sleuth Lemon as she tries to clear her mom’s name of murder.  Of course she gets herself into all kinds of weird predicaments that end up leading her to new clues and trouble.  Cappie, the town wackadoodle, instigates more trouble by egging on zombie hunters based on evidence that the victim is missing some of his brain.

Prawn of the Dead is immensely entertaining.  There is not a dull moment in the book.  The plot moves swiftly and takes on unexpected twists.  It appears that Lemon has a mysterious backstory that I’m hoping will come out later in the series.

If you like a great story, want to be entertained, and love to laugh then look no further this book is for you!

All of the books we receive at Siren Book Reviews are complimentary in exchange for an honest review.