Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: August 2020
As Prime magic users, Catalina Baylor and her sisters have extraordinary powers—powers their ruthless grandmother would love to control. Catalina can earn her family some protection working as deputy to the Warden of Texas, overseeing breaches of magic law in the state, but that has risks as well. When House Baylor is under attack and monsters haunt her every step, Catalina is forced to rely on handsome, dangerous Alessandro Sagredo, the Prime who crushed her heart.
The nightmare that Alessandro has fought since childhood has come roaring back to life, but now Catalina is under threat. Not even his lifelong quest for revenge will stop him from keeping her safe, even if every battle could be his last. Because Catalina won't rest until she stops the use of the illicit, power-granting serum that's tearing their world apart.
Emerald Blaze is the 5th book in the Hidden Legacy series and the
second to feature Catalina and Alesandro. I absolutely loved this series. It has great characters, lots of great humor, magic and romance. This time around, Alesandro is back and is tasked with keeping
Catalina safe from an assassin as well as helping her figure
out what is going on in "The Pit". The Pit is a place where magical
remnants have been discarded and something
inside is killing people.
I definitely
enjoyed this one more than Sapphire Flames. I felt like Catalina
and Alesandro had a LOT more
chemistry this time around. I ended up loving their banter and that
ending was so sweet. Alesandro definitely
grew up. Catalina has also matured a lot. I was also happy that the angst didn't last too long. I enjoyed the mystery. The monsters were pretty cool as well as what the creature was in the pit. The last battle scene was really fun.
Of course, we get to see the other members of House Baylor. They just add so much to the series. Grandma Frida is my favorite. As in the last
one, the epilogue was kind of a cliffhanger. I am so sad that I have to wait until next year to read the conclusion
to Catalina's trilogy. I highly recommend this one as well as the series.
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Avon
Date of publication: August 2019
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.
Sapphire Flames is the fourth book in the Hidden Legacy series. It's the first in a three book arc following Catalina and Alessandro. This one takes place three years after the events of the novella, Diamond Fire. I would highly recommend reading that novella before this book. It gives the reader a good understanding of how Catalina learns to use her power and gets set up to become the head of House Baylor.
I wanted to love this book. I loved the first trilogy with Nevada and Connor. However, I ended up being really underwhelmed by this book. I liked the overall story, but it just didn't live up to what I have come to expect from this series. I did like seeing how much Catalina had grown over the three years. She has become more confident in her magic and in her ability to lead. I also loved the rest of the characters in the Baylor House. They are fun and add a lot of flavor to the story.
What I didn't love was the rest of the story. Catalina and Alessandro had very little chemistry. I really hope it gets better later in the trilogy. One of the things I loved about Nevada and Connor was their chemistry and their banter. It was really missing here. I also found some of the choices that Catalina and Nevada made didn't make sense. I could understand the motivation for Nevada leaving House Baylor, but the timing for her leaving the country was a bit too convenient. I also found the timing of that phone call toward the end of the book weird. Because the revelation was brushed to the side and never brought up again.
The book ends on a kind of cliffhanger. I will keep reading because I like the overall story arc. I just hope Catalina and Alessandro find more heat.
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Avon
Date of publication: November 2018
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.
Diamond Fire is a novella in the Hidden Legacy series. It takes place a few weeks after the events of Wildfire. This one focuses on Nevada's sister, Catalina. She has been declared a prime and the head of her house. Her magic makes people fall in love with her. As she is helping plan her sister's wedding, she is hired to find a missing heirloom within the Rogan household.
I really enjoyed this short story. Catalina is just about 18 and is slowly coming into her own. She has lived her whole life not really trusting anyone outside her family because she could never be sure if they liked her for herself or because of her magic's influence. Here we find out more about her magic and what she can actually do with it. I also loved the peek into her thoughts about how she has felt most of her life.
The mystery was good. I loved the reveal of the missing tiara. In her search Catalina found out a lot more than the House of Rogan bargained for. That rehearsal scene was priceless! There is a lot of the humor that I have come to love from this series as well. It looks like the next full length book will focus on Catalina and Alessandro. I can't wait to read it!
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Avon
Date of publication: July 2017
Just when Nevada Baylor has finally come to accept the depths of her magical powers, she also realizes she’s fallen in love. Connor “Mad” Rogan is in many ways her equal when it comes to magic, but she’s completely out of her elements when it comes to her feelings for him. To make matters more complicated, an old flame comes back into Rogan’s life…
Rogan knows there’s nothing between him and his ex-fiance, Rynda Sherwood. But as Nevada begins to learn more about her past, her power, and her potential future, he knows she will be faced with choices she never dreamed of and the promise of a life spent without him.
As Nevada and Rogan race to discover the whereabouts of Rynda’s kidnapped husband and are forced to confront Nevada’s grandmother, who may or may not have evil motives, these two people must decide if they can trust in each other or allow everything to go up in smoke.
Wildfire is the third book in the Hidden Legacy series. It takes up right where the second book, White Hot, left off, so I would say it's a good idea to read the first two books to get yourself up to speed. This book really does assume that you read the first two and know what's going on. I won't add any spoilers in this review because there are a couple of surprises.
That being said, I loved this installation. It was fast paced, action filled and I couldn't put it down. Watching Nevada and Rogan grow closer as a couple as well as partners in their war was fun to watch. The secondary characters are also coming into their own and growing to be more fleshed out. They also help to add some humor to the book. I loved Grandma Frida the most.
I had thought that this was a trilogy, but the epilogue leaves you with a feeling that there is more to come from these characters. If there isn't another book, I would be surprised. So, while you are waiting, I definitely recommend this book as well as the series so far. It's a lot of fun to read.
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Avon
Date of publication: May 2017
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 …
White Hot is the sequel to Burn for Me. If you haven't read that one, I would say read it before you read White Hot. There is a bit of world building that the author does in that first book that will benefit you in the second. While there is some review, there are things that are referenced in White Hot that may make you feel like you missed something. In White Hot, Nevada has a new case and is reluctant to take it. A group of lawyers, one of them a powerful Prime. has been murdered and she has been hired by the grieving spouse to find out why. Once again, Connor Rogan comes back in her life to help solve the case.
I really enjoyed reading this one. I absolutely loved Nevada. She is definitely a strong female lead and has begun to finally realize her primer powers. Yet she isn't afraid to admit when she is terrified and wants to run away from danger. Have to respect a girl like that! Rogan is great as well. He is no-nonsense and that makes for his wooing style to come across as a bit awkward and pretty hilarious. I loved the chemistry between the two of them. Even their fights were fun to watch.
There were a lot of intense action scenes and a lot of funny bits. It really made for a compelling read and I didn't want to put it down. There are a lot of surprise reveals in the book pertaining to Nevada's siblings and cousin.. Catalina's power was pretty cool, but kind of scary at the same time. I won't spill the rest. The book ends in a kind of cliff hanger. Thankfully, the last book in the trilogy, Wildfire, comes out later this month. I will definitely be reading that one!
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Avon
Date of publication: October 2014
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.
Burn for Me is a paranormal Romance/ urban fanstasy. It's been a while since I read one of these, but I was intrigued. Basically, the world as we know it consists of houses of magic (almost like a caste system) and each house has a Prime. A Prime is someone who has the highest level of magic. Not everyone has magic as some people are labeled as duds (I think that was the term used...don't quote me). Nevada runs a detective agency, has lots of debt and is trying to support her siblings, mother and grandmother. "Mad" Rogan is a powerful Prime who agrees to help her find a Prime who can set things on fire.
With me still? For the most part, I enjoyed the book. I'm not sure I completely "got" the world of magic, but I was able to put that aside and finish the book purely for its entertainment value. I liked Nevada. Her ability was kind of cool in that she could tell when people were lying. She was a strong kick ass kind of character. Her loyalty to her family made her that much more likable. "Mad" Rogan was just kind of OK for me. Honestly, I thought he was a major asshole throughout most of the book. He really took a long time to grow on me.
The peripheral characters made the book funny (especially the grandmother) and the mystery rounded it out nicely. There were some intense action scenes that I think would translate very well on the big screen. There really isn't any "romance", but the book ends with a window open for some major romance in the next book White Hot, which just came out in May. I have that one on my list, so keep an eye out for a review coming soon. If you missed this one, I do recommend giving it a try. I was entertained.
