Evangeline Anderson, Drake and Danger: Nocturne Academy Book 4

Title: Drake and Danger: Nocturne Academy Book 4

Author: Evangeline Anderson

Rating: Five Siren Stones

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Sub-Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Keywords: M/M, Dragons, Fae, Witch, Warlock, High School, Curses

Page Count: 254               

Print Book: 979-8288596414

Price:  $15.99

Page Count: 261

ISBN E-Book:  Amazon Digital 

Price:  $4.99

Publisher:  Self-Published

Buy-Link:  https://tinyurl.com/3tczk5ap

Reviewer:  Stacey Krug 

Blurb/Summary:

The final term at Nocturne Academy has begun… and something dark is stirring beneath the surface...

Avery
Being gay in the magical world means hiding who you are—or paying the price. I’ve learned to keep my head down, stay close to my coven, and survive the football team's cruelty one insult at a time. But nothing prepared me for Saint, my new roommate. There’s a haunted look in his golden eyes... and a monster under his skin.
A Cursed Drake lives inside him—possessive, obsessed, and terrifyingly fixated on me. He whispers of “cuddles,” but there’s violence in his desire. I should be running. Instead, I’m drawn to both the boy and the beast.

Saint
My whole life, I’ve been taught to fear what I am. To hide it. To fight it. But the curse burning inside me grows stronger every day. And when Avery came into my life—brilliant, brave, and already carrying wounds of his own—the fire inside me turned to obsession.
He soothes my madness. Calms the chaos.
But the Drake is hungry… and it wants him.
If I give in, I’ll lose myself. If I resist, I might lose him.

At Nocturne Academy, love is forbidden, dragons are cursed, and being different can get you killed.
But some things are worth the danger.

Review:

The final book in the Nocturne Academy series did not disappoint. This is Avery and Saint’s story and is full of teenage boy angst, curses, and family drama. Drake and Danger is a YA story and does not contain explicit content but does cover mature themes.

Evangeline Anderson does a wonderful job of bringing to light the difficulties facing the LGBTQ+ community not only from their own family but society. If you have read the other three previous books, then you will understand that they have a “found and made” family from the coven they have all formed. Everyone needs support through life and this story is a good example.

All the original characters play a role in Avery and Saint’s story. Both the characters and readers get a closer look at both boy’s living situations at home. The story has non-stop action and is quite the page-turner.

In the final author notes, Evangeline Anderson, states that this will probably be the last story. She makes sure that we know they will all support one another going forward as a family. The ending is both a HEA and HFN. 

I really enjoyed this final story. 

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.

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.