A Rebel Without Claws

In this spin-off of her “Stay a Spell” series, Cross offers a new generation of the Savoie family. Celine Cruz is a therapist and a witch with a soft spot for anyone in need, and Ronan Reed is certainly in need. He’s a wolf cage-fighter with a reputation for being ice-cold in the ring because his wolf alter ago has been out of reach since he lost his mother at age 12. He’s been bounced around between relatives ever since and has barely landed with his uncle in New Orleans when he spots Celine and is immediately smitten. Dating-averse Celine decides to take a chance on Ronan but wants to keep the relationship a secret from her overprotective supernatural family. These characters are younger than the first generation of Cross’s NOLA supernatural community, and that’s reflected in the overall lighter tone of this novel, although it’s balanced with more difficult storylines focusing on trauma and anxiety.