Review: Sapphire Flames - Ilona Andrews

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrew comes an enthralling new trilogy set in the Hidden Legacy world, where magic means power, and family bloodlines are the new currency of society…

In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.

To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

Hidden Legacy Series:
Burn for Me
White Hot
Wildfire
Diamond Fire (Novella)
Sapphire Flames

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
If you go into this book looking for more Nevada and Rogan you're going to be disappointed because this is very much the start of Catalina's trilogy and the focus is on her and the rest of the Baylor family. And that's not me trying to be negative or put anyone off reading because I absolutely loved Sapphire Flames and think fans will too, I really love how much Catalina has changed and grown in the three years that have passed since events in Diamond Fire. She's a force to be reckoned with and so is Alessandro, they're definitely going to be a power couple and I'm sure I'll come to love them both as much as I do Nevada and Rogan.

Anyone who knows me should know I'm obsessed with Nevada and particularly Rogan, I'm totally addicted to their books (I've read them all well over 10 times each now!) and yes, I would have been happy to read many, many more books from Nevada's point of view. Having said that I'm still glad that they've been given their HEA and I'm happy that we'll get to see glimpses of it in Catalina's story. I think Ilona Andrews deliberately kept them pretty absent from this book to allow readers to get used to the change in narrators and I think that was the right thing to do. There is a reason for their absence and we do still get small hints of what is going on with them now but this is Catalina's time to shine and she does it brilliantly.

I've already mentioned that it's been almost three years since Nevada's wedding and the formation of House Baylor. Catalina is now head of the house and they're just about to run out of the 3 year grace period where no other houses were allowed to attack them. Their enemies are circling and Catalina has been doing her best to form allies and build their reputation as a house that shouldn't be messed with. It's not easy though and in a lot of ways they're still a little known entity that other more established houses don't really take too seriously. Catalina has spent years training with her magic thanks to help from Rogan's mother and she's grown a lot in confidence in that time too. She's still quite shy and would rather avoid confrontation but at the same time she is very protective of her family and will do whatever it takes to keep them safe, even if it pushes her completely out of her comfort zone.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot of this story but there is plenty of action, hints of more than one future romance and all the humour you'd expect from this series. The Baylor family is as crazy as ever but they're also just as close knit. Nevada was so much older than her sisters and cousins that she had a very different relationship with them than Catalina does so I really enjoyed seeing how Catalina works alongside Arabella, Bern and Leon. All four of them are more grown up now and they're all coming into their own both magically and in a sense of finding their purpose. We may not see much of Nevada and Rogan but other familiar faces are still in full play from Cornelius and Matilda through to Augustine, Bug and Linus Duncan.

Alessandro obviously has a lot of secrets but I'm enjoying the banter between him and Catalina. I love how dorky she can be sometimes and that he finds it so endearing and I really enjoyed learning more about his magic. He has some impressive skills and I think we're only beginning to touch the surface of what both he and Catalina are capable of. Theirs is the kind of slow burn romance that Ilona and Gordon excel at and I can't wait to watch it grow into something explosive. It won't be easy to knock Nevada and Rogan off of my top couple spot but I have a feeling that Catalina and Alessandro may be able to do it!

The only thing even slightly disappointing about this book is that I can't have the rest of the trilogy immediately but even that isn't something I can really complain about as I'll have so much fun rereading the previous books while I wait for the next ones to release. My Hidden Legacy obsession hasn't dialled back even slightly with the change of narrators, in fact if anything it's grown even stronger.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
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Review: Diamond Fire - Ilona Andrews

Nevada Frida Baylor and Connor Ander Rogan cordially invite you to join their wedding celebration. Summoning, weather manipulation, and other magical activities strictly forbidden.

Catalina Baylor is looking forward to wearing her maid of honor dress and watching her older sister walk down the aisle. Then the wedding planner gets escorted off the premises, the bride’s priceless tiara disappears, and Rogan's extensive family overruns his mother’s home. Someone is cheating, someone is lying, and someone is plotting murder.

To make this wedding happen, Catalina will have to do the thing she fears most: use her magic. But she’s a Baylor and there’s nothing she wouldn't do for her sister's happiness. Nevada will have her fairy tale wedding, even if Catalina has to tear the mansion apart brick by brick to get it done.

Hidden Legacy Series:
Burn for Me
White Hot
Wildfire
Diamond Fire (Novella)
Sapphire Flames

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
Diamond Fire is a novella in the Hidden Legacy series that bridges from the first trilogy told in Nevada's point of view and helps us transition into the upcoming trilogy that will have Catalina at the forefront. It ties up a few loose ends, raises a whole new set of questions and gives us just a tiny hint of the kind of main character that Catalina is going to be.

I have to confess that I was kind of hoping this story would be told entirely from Nevada's point of view, I'm a teeny bit obsessed with Nevada and Rogan so I was hoping for one last story with them entirely front and centre (let's face it, I just wanted more tactile sexy times!) but I know to trust Ilona & Gordon Andrews and they didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the chance to see Nevada and Rogan take this next big step in their relationship and I'll be happy to see the occasional glimpse of them in the background as the series continues but I absolutely loved getting to know Catalina better.

Catalina is a very different type of heroine to Nevada, she's less confident and more self conscious, especially when it comes to her magic, but she's just as protective of the people she cares about and equally capable of standing up to anyone who threatens her family. I really enjoyed seeing Nevada and the rest of the family through Catalina's eyes and I loved getting to know Rogan's mother a little better as she takes Catalina under her wing. I think what is going to be really nice about Catalina's story is that we're probably going to get to know the younger members of House Baylor a little better, Nevada was quite a bit older than her sisters and cousin Leon so Catalina has a different type of relationship with Arabella which will be fun to explore.

While this story is very much about Catalina and Arabella helping to plan the wedding of the century it is also a mystery with a possible thief amongst Rogan's closest family members and a potential plot that could put the entire wedding party in danger. Catalina doesn't want to worry her sister so she's going to have to do the one thing she really hates doing and start using her magic to help her figure out what is going on. We've already seen a little of Catalina's powers in the past but we find out so much more of what she can do here and I can't wait to see her exploring her ability further as the series continues.

Diamond Fire was a fantastic story that left me with a massive smile on my face about Nevada and Rogan's HEA and also left me ridiculously excited to get my hands on Catalina's spin off series. I've been a huge Ilona Andrews fan for a long time now but their stories honestly just get better and better every time.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

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Review: Wildfire - Ilona Andrews

From Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author, the thrilling conclusion to her Hidden Legacy series, as Nevada and Rogan grapple with a power beyond even their imagination…

Nevada Baylor can’t decide which is more frustrating—harnessing her truthseeker abilities or dealing with Connor “Mad” Rogan and their evolving relationship. Yes, the billionaire Prime is helping her navigate the complex magical world in which she’s become a crucial player—and sometimes a pawn—but she also has to deal with his ex-fiancée, whose husband has disappeared, and whose damsel-in-distress act is wearing very, very thin.

Rogan faces his own challenges, too, as Nevada’s magical rank has made her a desirable match for other Primes. Controlling his immense powers is child’s play next to controlling his conflicting emotions. And now he and Nevada are confronted by a new threat within her own family. Can they face this together? Or is their world about to go up in smoke?

Hidden Legacy Series:
Burn for Me
White Hot
Wildfire
Diamond Fire (Novella)
Sapphire Flames

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
If I'm honest I find it a little intimidating trying to write reviews for this series, mainly because it is the best series I've discovered since I started blogging in 2010 (no joke I've read well over 2,000 books in that time but this is the series I've reread the most - I read my proof copy of Wildfire 3 times before it was even published!) so I want to do it justice. I rave about Ilona & Gordon Andrew's books a lot, everything they write is golden and they have so many creative worlds that I would love to be able to just move in with them and have them tell me stories all day every day. No matter how much I love their Kate Daniels series and the Innkeeper Chronicles the Hidden Legacy has overtaken them to become my all time favourite. There is just something about this world, Nevada and particularly Rogan that I'm head over heels in love with.

I didn't want to start this review sounding like a crazy fan girl but I guess it's a little too late for that so I'm just going to go with it. There was absolutely nothing I didn't love about this book. The relationship development between Nevada and Rogan has been utterly perfect from the very beginning, I love the banter between them and their chemistry is off the charts (tactile anyone!). I love that Rogan is a little bit scary and powerful enough that just his name is enough to terrify people but that Nevada never lets him intimidate her, she more than holds her own and she's actually pretty scary in her own right. The two of them together are a complete power couple and their enemies had better watch out. Then you have Nevada's family and they're all totally wonderful (well apart from evil grandmother anyway!), Grandma Frieda is hilarious and never fails to make me laugh while her teenage sisters and cousins are always up to something. The conversations between them all feel so incredibly realistic and I love the way they'll all bicker amongst themselves but to anyone outside the family they are a completely united front. Nevada's mother doesn't even think twice about threatening Rogan to make sure he won't hurt her daughter even though she knows how powerful he is.

The story in Wildfire continues on from where we left things in White Hot which means we finally get to meet evil grandmother and she was everything I expected and then some. We already know that badass women run in the family but Victoria has tipped over the edge into both psychotic and homicidal so Nevada is going to have to watch all of their backs while she's in the picture. Victoria wants to claim Nevada and her sisters as part of her House and she'll do anything to have them under their control so Nevada has to take drastic measures to ensure they are safe from her. Things are certainly getting interesting and the whole family are going to face some tough challenges in the months and years ahead.

Nevada doesn't just have her grandmother to deal with though and her latest case comes from an unlikely source - Rogan's ex-fiancé. Rynda's husband has disappeared and she has asked Nevada to help her find him, Nevada doesn't really want to work with Rynda but she could never turn down someone so desperately in need so she agrees to take the case. Normally I'd worry about the potential drama caused by having an ex on the scene but in this case I think Nevada handled things beautifully. She had a few natural moments of jealousy and uncertainty but because she's an adult she deals with them and moves on, she knows that her relationship with Rogan is strong and she doesn't let Rynda get under her skin. I think it helps that Rogan hardly even notices Rynda is in the room when Nevada is there too, he only has eyes for one woman and there's no doubt in anyone's mind who he wants.

Wildfire is full of action and we learn a lot more about Nevada's family background and the abilities her sisters and cousins have. They have such a diverse range of magical abilities and I love seeing what they're capable of. This whole world is just incredibly creative magically and once again Ilona Andrews excels with writing three dimensional side characters like Cornelius and his daughter, Bug, Teddy and all the other members of Rogan's team. The magical and arcane creatures they come across in this instalment are spectacular and I wish Zeus was real!

I refuse to believe that we've seen the last of the world. Even though the blurb states that this is the conclusion to the series Ilona Andrews has already mentioned on her website that they are planning to write at least one more story in this world, it just remains to be seen whether it'll be picked up by Avon or self-published. Personally I'm hoping we'll get a lot more than one extra book, this world has so much potential and it feels like there are endless ways the series could continue. The magical system they've created, the different Houses, the war brewing because of the Primes who are trying to start a rebellion, Nevada and her family trying to become a House in their own right and all the tribulations that will bring, there is just so much more to explore. Not to mention the fact that I'd read whole books just about Rogan's tactile abilities!

Whatever happens this is a series I'll always treasure and it's one I'm sure I'll reread at least a couple of times a year.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

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Review: White Hot - Ilona Andrews

The Hidden Legacy series by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews continues as Nevada and Rogan navigate a world where magic is the norm . . . and their relationship burns hot

Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she's used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit family's detective agency afloat. But her new case pits her against the shadowy forces that almost destroyed the city of Houston once before, bringing Nevada back into contact with Connor "Mad" Rogan.

Rogan is a billionaire Prime—the highest rank of magic user—and as unreadable as ever, despite Nevada's "talent." But there's no hiding the sparks between them. Now that the stakes are even higher, both professionally and personally, and their foes are unimaginably powerful, Rogan and Nevada will find that nothing burns like ice . .

Hidden Legacy Series:
Burn for Me
White Hot
Wildfire
Diamond Fire (Novella)
Sapphire Flames

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
I do not have the words to say how amazing this book is, honestly 5000 stars would not be a high enough rating! If you enjoyed Burn for Me you aren't even going to know what to do with yourself after you finish White Hot, it left me absolutely desperate for Wildfire so its a very good job that they're being released so close together.

I loved every single minute of this story, the chemistry between Rogan and Nevada blows my mind, let's face it EVERYTHING about Rogan hits my hot spots - there wasn't a scene with him in it that didn't have me swooning and fanning myself! He's an intense, brooding, full on alpha male who is as hot as Hades and has a slightly vulnerable squishy centre that you only spot if you look hard enough.

The world building was great before but OMG there is so much more to discover in this book, about the different kinds of magic, about Nevada's abilities and her family history, about the crazy magical creatures that can be pulled out of the arcana and even about the way the different Houses handle their disputes. I have to say that Ilona & Gordon Andrews write the BEST female characters and families you'll ever come across. Nevada is so strong and kickass but she still has a lot to learn about herself and her magic and I love getting to discover what she's capable of right alongside her. Her sisters and cousins get their chance to shine in this book and I'm really curious to find out more about all of their different magical abilities in the future. I also loved the addition of Cornelius to the main cast of characters, his animal sidekicks are wonderful and the ninja ferrets are utterly priceless.

White Hot has everything you could hope for: fun family banter, amazing chemistry between Nevada and Rogan, enemies who always seem to be one step ahead and who are willing to pull out all the stops to hurt our heroes. You'll be shocked one moment and swooning the next only to be watching in terror seconds later as you worry that all your favourite characters might not survive their latest adventure. One thing I guarantee is that you'll want to go back to the first page and start all over again the minute you finish it. I've already read it FIVE times and it's not even been published yet! I think it's safe to say that I'm addicted to this series, Ilona and Gordon were already my favourite authors but this series takes them to a whole new level and my obsession knows no bounds.

I'll leave you with a couple of my favourite quotes just to whet your appetite further:

A tall man was striding from the far end of the hallway. He wore the black robe and it flared around him, the wings of a raven about to take flight. He walked like he owned the building and he'd spotted an intruder in his domain. Magic boiled around him, vicious and lethal, so potent I could feel it from 30 yards away. He wasn't a man, he was an elemental force, a thunderstorm clad in black about to unleash its fury.

and

I finally understood why he was called Mad Rogan. It wasn't because he was insane. It was because he drove you nuts with sheer frustration.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

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Review: Burn for Me - Ilona Andrews

#1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews launches a brand new Hidden Legacy series, in which one woman must place her trust in a seductive, dangerous man who sets off an even more dangerous desire…

Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career—a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn’t sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.

Then she’s kidnapped by Connor “Mad” Rogan—a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run or surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.

Rogan’s after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she’s getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world.

Hidden Legacy Series:
Burn for Me
White Hot
Wildfire
Diamond Fire (Novella)
Sapphire Flames

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
I'm a massive fan of Ilona and Gordon Andrews's Kate Daniels series, in fact I'd put it right up there as one of my favourites, so of course I couldn't wait to dive into their newest novel and explore another world they've created in Burn for Me. When I pick up a story from a favourite author I always go into it with high expectations and sometimes that can work against me but this husband and wife team have never let me down and with each new book they consistently hit the ball out of the park. They excel at excellent world building, creating strong female lead characters, sexy heroes and fantastic casts of side characters and that is exactly what they've done again in Burn for Me. I wanted to climb into the book and live there, Nevada would make a great friend although I don't think she'd appreciate me having such a big crush on Rogan LOL.

Nevada is a private investigator in charge of running her family business, they're a small operation and money is tight so Nevada is under a lot of pressure to keep her family stable financially. She has a close relationship with her mother, grandmother and younger cousins and siblings but as the main breadwinner she has a lot on her shoulders. When she is asked to take on a case against a Prime magic user she knows she has very little chance of succeeding but the money she could earn would make a huge difference to her entire family and it's not like she has much choice other than to accept. As if going up against a Prime wasn't bad enough the case also brings her to the attention of Mad Rogan, an eccentric billionaire and powerful magic user in his own right. Rogan doesn't play by the rules and he will do whatever it takes to get what he wants, for now it is in his best interests to work alongside Nevada but she knows she can't trust him to have her back if their goals change which makes him trouble.

I absolutely loved the world that Ilona Andrews has created, the magical system is well explained and thought out and the idea of the powerful magical families having mob like control over certain areas was a brilliant one. These families do whatever it takes to protect their interests and to keep their bloodlines pure and it is safer to stay under their radar, something Nevada and her family have always tried to do in the past. Her latest case drags her right into the middle of things though and she's now stuck in an impossible situation. She isn't powerful enough to tackle the case on her own but accepting help from one family could set the others against her. Nevada is a great lead, she is strong and intelligent, she knows her own mind and she doesn't let anyone get away with pushing her around. She cares about her family and is willing to risk everything to keep them safe but as much as she would prefer to go it alone she is willing to accept help when she needs it. I loved the relationships she has with her various family members, in fact, the whole family was just so much fun to spend time with. There are some quite eccentric characters amongst them but I mean that in the best possible way and I can't wait to see more of them as the series continues.

Then you have Mad Rogan. What can I say about Rogan apart from that I have the biggest crush on him? Nevada and Rogan don't get off to the best start and considering that Rogan kidnaps her trying to get information that isn't too surprising. Technically I shouldn't like Rogan for that incident alone but oh boy do they have some fabulous chemistry going on between them. I loved the fact that Nevada didn't instantly forgive Rogan and act on her attraction to him, in fact she is fighting it all the way because she is still annoyed at his behaviour but he's definitely wearing her down and I can't even blame her for that. Rogan is dangerous with a capital D. He isn't the kind of guy who lets anyone close easily and if you're not part of his family then he really has very little interest in what happens to you. He doesn't have standard morals so if you're not an ally you're automatically a potential enemy and he'll have no reservation about doing whatever it takes to make sure you give him what he wants. However, once he has given someone his loyalty they can trust him to have their backs no matter what. Nevada starts to see that but it's going to take a lot before she accepts that they are anything beyond convenient, and temporary, allies for the length of their current case. I'm incredibly excited about seeing them spending more time together and I'm also looking forward to seeing Nevada start to get more control over her abilities.

I could rave on and on about Burn for Me but if I haven't already convinced you to give this series a try then I don't think anything else I could say will make a difference. This is a fantastic start to the Hidden Legacy series and any future books will be going immediately to the top of my to read pile.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

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