I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed coming back to this town and family. This is the second generation of the Stay a Spell series (which if you haven’t read, you totally should because they are great books!)
Celine is a witch whose parents, well whose father and his wolf, are especially protective of his little girl. Celine meets Ronan, a werewolf whose wolf has been silent since his teenage years. He is a cage fighter and is the rough edges to Celine’s softness.
This book gave me all the feels! The love between these two could be felt in the words. The tragedy that Ronan went through was heartbreaking. I loved the mental health representation weaving throughout this book. It is a good reminder that sometimes we need someone to talk to so we can see through our own mental blocks. I absolutely can’t wait to see what this new series brings for the other second generation kids!

That was cute! I was in the mood for a fated mates werewolf book, so this was perfect for that.

This book is the definition of a fantasy romance, heavy on the romance. Which is fun, but I would like a bit more worldbuilding, though that is just a personal preference. Maybe it's also because I didn't read the interconnected books before this. Which aren't necessary to read in my opinion, I understood and enjoyed everything just fine.

Normally I do enjoy a slow burn more, but I must admit it is also nice to read about a more healthy couple for once lol.

Small spoiler:
And I always like me a good kidnapping trope🤭 so that was very welcome.

All in all, this was a really good pallette cleanser for in between romantic fantasies!

3.5 mystical stars🌟


Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.

Juliette Cross’s Stay A Spell series was my first read of 2024 and one of my favorite reads of 2024. I loved the depth of the characters while also delivering a light hearted happy story with so much growth and love. When I heard that she was releasing a spin off series, Southern Charm, following the children of the couples from the original series I think I actually screamed.

A Rebel Without Claws is about Celine Cruz, the daughter of Mateo and Evie Cruz from Wolf Gone Wild, a witch with a very large and happy supernatural family. Ronan Reed is a werewolf that can not shift (sounds kind of familiar). When his aunt kicks him out of Texas after a long string of bad choices and illegal werewolf cage fighting, his uncle Shane takes him. Now living in Louisiana where werewolf cage fighting is legal, he plans to make a legitimate team and fight his way up to nationals. He meets Celine while working in his uncle’s garage and realizes she is his fated mate. Unfortunately, there are a few forces working against them and their interests.

From the beginning I felt that this book was not going to be as good as the original Stay A Spell series. For one, I felt that the characters seemed less mature. I do realize that the Stay A Spell characters were written to be older as some of the character creatures are meant to be immortal, and Celine and Ronan were written to be only in their twenties. I know that this is supposed to be the story of the Stay A Spell children, so being younger makes sense, but there seemed to still be a huge disconnect from the way the original characters were written to these new characters. The characters in the original series also seemed to have established careers and lives. I know that part of Ronan’s story was about finding his path and his found family, but I feel like he was almost incomplete and rushed because of it.

What I did love was that this book kept that same overall vibe of love and happiness that the original series had. Yes, they had their issues and hurdles, but the story was happy and generally about their growth as people. It was easy to believe that Celine and Ronan really loved each other, and I really loved seeing all the characters come back from the Stay A Spell series.

Overall, just like the others, this book was written well, and a super quick and easy read. I am rating this a solid 4 out 5 stars. I am very excited for the rest to come out, and my prediction is that the next book will be Samara’s story.

This book is such a fun read with a love at first sight, fated mates trope. Our MMC Ronan is struggling with past trauma that has caused his wolf to become dormant and no longer come to the surface - no longer allowing Ronan to shift, that is until Ronan meets Celine.

Ronan is forced to move from his home in Texas to New Orleans after getting into trouble with illegal cage fighting. After years of Ronan's wolf being dormant, the moment he sets his sights on Celine he can feel his wolf being stirred again. Celine is witch whose father is also the Alfa of the New Orleans pack. Celine also struggles with past trauma and as Ronan and Celine begin to learn more about each other's past they help one another get through their struggles.

Ronan's life long career in cage fighting has made him many enemies that eventually catches up to him. One night after a successful fight Ronan is unable to find Celine until a txt message comes through of a video of Celine being taken by Ronan's rivals. Ronan's only chance of tracking her down and getting her back is his wolf. But will Ronan be able to shift and get his mate back??? Guess you will just have to read and find out!

I love this author and knew I would enjoy this, a spin off series so it would help to read the stay a spell books, this was character driven and I felt the world building was neglected but honestly I just love these types of books, the plot is predictable but Cross is a favourite author and I will read a shopping list and give it five stars, a great feel good cozy read

A Rebel Without Claws is the first book in a new series from Juliette Cross, but just know it is a second generation/spinoff from her Stay a Spell series so obviously reading that series first will help/mean more with characters. This is a paranormal-lite romance in a New Orleans setting (just supernaturals living in the real world), we get werewolf x witch, he’s a cagefighter x she’s a therapist, and bad boy x good girl vibes.

I love SaS series so I was excited to get to this next gen series. While I enjoyed seeing familiar characters again, I just wasn’t wowed by this book sadly. It is very insta love, which I mean I get with them being fated mates and all, but even the acceptance of that just felt so easy and I really didn’t feel a soul-level connection between these 2 (like I did with SaS couples from this author for example). It all just felt easy, zero angst, and surface level…and I needed more.

Basically in this one, Ronan moved from Texas to Louisiana to live with his Uncle Shane (alpha of the Blood Moon pack). Werewolf cage fighting was illegal in Texas, so he’s had some run-ins with the law but in Louisiana it’s legal so he’s ready to grow a team and take his wolf cage fighting to the next level. He meets Celine Cruz one day and instantly recognizes her as his mate, or his wolf does who hasn’t shown himself in 15 years. He’s initially warned away from Celine because of her massively protective, and powerful, family (the SaS families). But nothing can keep these 2 apart. And that’s literally the book, there is some mentions of her being an aura witch and she’s an art therapist for kids, she had some trauma in her past that felt kinda glossed over, and he has repressed grief from his late mother’s death years ago (which also caused his wolf to disappear). But the book is pretty much Celine and Ronan being happy and in love with one another and even her family comes around to it pretty easily. While not an awful book by any means, I just needed something more.

I received an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own.

CW: abusive relationship (mentioned, in the past), stalking (in the past), abduction

DNF @ 10%

I decided to stop reading this book early on as I was already feeling that I was going to be annoyed by these characters. This is an adult fantasy but both characters feel more like teenagers. I was also struck with how our werewolf is more focused on view than on smell and sound. A wolves strongest sense is not its eye sight. Just walking into the garage would have baraged him with all sorts of smells. Let alone an attractive female. But he didn't notice her until he saw her. Clearly none of this was working for me and I know I was likely to be even more annoyed if I kept reading.

This book was charming! I couldn't put it down and finished it in one sitting. The pacing was great and I loved the characters. I will note that the writing could have been better; there were a few errors and questionable word choices. Overall, it was a fun read, but expect what you generally would from other fated mates, "alpha" male, werewolf storylines. Personally, I devour those sorts of reads and I would definitely recommend this to patrons that also like those tropes. I would not suggest this to your everyday fantasy reader since it was predictable and the world building fell flat in order to leave room for the romance and character development.

This was a fun, soulmates story very much in the vein of Cross's prior Stay a Spell series.

- Old characters still make appearances.
- The male love interests are the biggest and baddest alphas (even more than era 1).
- The same pop songs are inexplicably still being played 20-23 years from when the first series left off?? Even at live shows???
- It's an easy read with a couple of spicy scenes.

The Third Act Conflict:
One thing I'm less a fan of is the damselification of the FMC. In the Stay a Spell series, all of the first three novels featured really strong FMCs who could save themselves or choose the situations they were put in. Over the latter half of the series, they became much more passive victims to their circumstances and had to be rescued. Unfortunately, it looks like this spin-off series is continuing the trend. Really hoping it's just this one entry, but I guess we'll see.

The Writing:
My only other complaint is that the dialogue is generally good (and the overall caliber of the book definitely rivals trad publishing) but some of the narration could get over-simplified or repetitive. Even just the way that it would say something like 'she'd seen Diego eat a lot before, so she knew he could eat a lot now' but in like 4 different ways in the same page? Like honestly we can infer that just from knowing he's a werewolf and a fit guy and nobody blinks an eye when he orders a ton of food. It didn't need to be stated, let alone spelled out so many times.

Ronan:
I think most of why I liked this story really just came down to the MMC. He had a very cool, nonchalant confidence that was very attractive. And he wasn't at all afraid to be corny or straightforward about what he wants.

I'm in love with this book! A Rebel Without Claws was a great way to start off the next generation!! Ronan and Celine's love story was so beautiful. In this book you get witches, werewolves, found family, fated mates and a really cool werewolf fighting championship. It's like UFC but with werewolves and it was really fun to read about Ronan and his teammates. This book also has anxiety representation that was done very well and a good amount of spice.

 If you are a fan of the Stay A Spell series by Juliette Cross you will love being pulled right back in to the magical world of witches, werewolves, vampires and grim reapers.

Rating is ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

It was so fun to return to the Stay a Spell crew with this second generation story. Honestly I spent most of this book smiling because I so enjoyed being back in this world and seeing characters I loved. Celine and Ronan's romance was fairly low angst and it was easy to root for them, as a couple and as individuals. Ronan's character arc was particularly satisfying. I will note that if you aren't already familiar with this paranormal world things could potentially be confusing; reading at least the first book in the original series before diving into this one is probably the best way to go. But overall this was a great time and I'm excited to see what will come next.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Unfortunately, this Next Generation story just wasn't for me. Too much insta-love, not enough plot. The world building relied too heavily on the previous series, when I think that you should be able to come into a new romance series like this (even if it's related to another one) with no prior knowledge and still enjoy it. I found Cici really boring, when I think she could have been interesting if her character was explored more deeply. Ronan was fine, at least he had an interesting back story and struggles.
There was barely a plot. The fighting plot line could have been fun or at least interesting if it had held more of a place in the story. Unfortunately, it was very much a back burner plot line, which ruined the build of tension that should have led to the climax. Instead, this part felt like it came out of nowhere and not in a fun, unexpected way. It felt very out of place.
If you don't like fated mates or insta-love, don't pick this one up. If you adored the first series, you might enjoy seeing those characters again briefly. Or like me, you might get weirded out reading about a character who was a baby the last time you encountered them, being eaten out in the ear shot of a bunch of guys she knows. To each their own.

I am SUCH a big fan of Juliette Cross' Stay a Spell series, and was so excited that she's writing another set in the same world. This story follows werewolf Ronan Reed, who has a troubled past after a traumatic event and is newly in New Orleans trying to make it in the werewolf cage fighting circuit alongside Aura witch Celine Cruz (Mateo and Evie from Wolf Gone Wild's daughter) whose own troubled past has left her with an overprotective family and a desire to help others with anxiety. After meeting and falling into immediate insta lust/love, the two work well together as Ronan starts to forge a new path in New Orleans.

I will admit going in I didn't realize we'd be following the first series character's children. While this is the start of a new series, I would definitely recommend reading at least Wolf Gone Wild in order to get the most enjoyment out of this book (Mateo, never stop Mateo-ing). While insta love isn't my favorite trope, I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it almost entirely in one sitting. This gave the same feelings as the first series, which is a lot of fun with just a little bit of intense action towards the end. I'm already excited for potential MCs based on who we met in this first installment and can't wait to get a physical copy of this to add to my collection!

oh this was TOO much fun!!! i loved everything from this whimsical world to our absolutely adorable mc’s. the chemistry was palpable ya’ll, i’m not gonna lie the romance had me wrapped around their little finger…and the smut? holy frijoles i was notttt expecting that (and it was a pleasant surprise 🙂‍↕️) if you need a food fantasy fix, may i interest you in THIS bad boy?!

Rated 4.5 rounded up.

It was so nice to come back to the Stay a Spell world in a new series. I feel like this is a good book to reintroduce us to the characters, especially since it is focusing on Mateo and Evie's daughter. I will say if you haven't read the Stay a Spell series you will probably not super enjoy the book, but it's a fun and cozy fantasy series so you should give it a shot.

I have a soft spot for characters that have already done a lot of the work needed to better themselves, like Celine's stuff with her ex. And then on top of that Ronan deciding to do the therapy thing after his uncle tells him he should? Love men appreciating the benefits of therapy and not getting weird about it.

Fated mates has never been a favourite trope of mine but for some reason it has never bothered me with Juliette Cross' books and I think it's the cozy vibe of the series that makes it seem less intense and weird than other book relationships. I almost wish the book was a little longer because I felt like there were some aspects of the book that weren't explored well enough for me. The fighting, for example, could have been more of the story. Like I don't know if it's just me but it felt weird that they were only fighting the one group over and over again, especially the reigning champs. I was just questioning where the other fighters were the whole book. I know that the one group ended up being important but that was also a little weird to me and felt shoehorned in. Yes, they were assholes but them becoming Evil seemed out of nowhere to me so I think we either needed more of the fighting stuff to flesh that out or less with a different twist at the end.

But, all-in-all, it was a great addition to the universe and I'm very excited to see what comes next. If we're following the pattern of the original series it might be Samara, but I would personally love a Joaquin (and maybe Ty??) book next. Whoever it is I'm looking forward to it.

This book was so fun and quick-paced that I couldn’t help but read it in one sitting. It’s been a while since I’ve read a romantasy set in our world and I really loved this one. It was like a contemporary romance with the supernatural woven in in a way that kept it light and easy to grasp the worldbuilding. There was an instant spark with Celine and Ronan being mates, but I actually felt like their tension and connection was built up really well and it didn’t fall into the traps of instalove. I think this is a book that’ll be a hit on TikTok, deservedly so.

I hate to do this but I will not be finishing this book. It will be a DNF for me. I just can not get into the story or connected to the characters and i'm not a fan of instalove. I'm sure there will be so many who love this story and the plotline

I was so excited when I found out this was second generation Stay a Spell characters! I loved going back and revisiting this world that I fell in love with. I loved the connection and chemistry between Celine and Ronan. This story was emotional, sweet, cute and romantic. And although this was instalove, I honestly didn't mind it. I like how this set up more books in the series and I can't wait to read them all!

“The things you say”

Ow my heart.
As an already big fan of the Stay a spell series I was delighted to see a next gen series start and to get Celine’s Story.

Ronan tough but reliable is a genuinely beautifully written character. Yes he’s a fighter with a tough upbringing but he’s dominant without being aggressive or overly macho. The way his relationships with both Celine, his family and found family were built up in this narrative was so enjoyable to read.

And Celine the previously anxious and over protected sister in a house full of werewolves. It was refreshing to read her immediately assert herself in so many different avenues of her life as well as overcoming elements of her own traumas through her budding relationship but not because of it.

As always Juliette Cross writes fantastic chemistry and I’m already itching to see who is coming up for book 2!

Thank you NetGalley for this early read! Unfortunately this was a „DNF” for me because the smut got a little to repetitive and predictable. This made the book a bit cheesy for me.