Review: Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1) – Ilona Andrews

burn for meNevada 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.

Rating: 4/5

Fabulous urban fantasy. Ilona Andrews can do no wrong. Seriously – this is the third UF series I’m reading from them, and the authors have still managed to create yet another magical world that still feels fresh and new.

Full of fabulous banter and snark, plotty intrigue, and well drawn characters who are all a little mad, bad, and dangerous to know – I have come to expect nothing less from this fabulous duo.

[I HAVE USED THE WORD FABULOUS FOUR TIMES ALREADY. THIS SHOULD GIVE YOU AN INDICATION OF MY GLEE AND JOY.]

One thing that stands out for me is how many of Ilona Andrews’ characters are really family focused – whether their biological family or one they’ve formed with people who care about them – they will go to the ends of the earth to protect the ones they love.

I also love the depiction of strong women – while Kate Daniels is an ass-kicking force of nature, our protagonist, Nevada Baylor, is perfectly capable of defending herself, but killing is something that does not come easy to her.

“There is a big hole inside me, like something has been violently ripped out. I was brushing my teeth today, and I thought of those two men and the women. They will never brush their teeth. They’ll never go to breakfast They’ll never say hello to their mother. They won’t get to do any of those simple things. I caused that. I squeezed the trigger. I realise that they were trying to do the same to me, but I feel guilty and I mourn for them and for me.” 

Our duo of Nevada and Mad Rogan is delightful to watch. Kind of like a slow-motion car crash at times, but entertaining nevertheless.

And oh, the unresolved sexual tension. Le sighhhhhhhhhh. *fans self*

“The chatter on the House groupie forums says he was horrible disfigured in the war.”
“Yes, and he’s just waiting for the right woman to come and love him as he is.” 

&

“You killed Peaches.” I stepped over the gap in the bridge.
“Of course I killed him.”
I opened my mouth and closed it.
“Okay,” Mad Rogan said. “This is distracting you, and I need you to function, so let’s fix this. Which part of what happened is upsetting?” 

&

“Thank you for not killing the squirrel.”
“You’re welcome, although now I want to go back and strangle it.” 

&

“For example, if you’re terrified of snakes, repeated handling of them will cure it.”
Aha. “I’m not handling your snake.”
He grinned. “Baby, you couldn’t handle my snake.” 

&

“I see you liked the flowers.”
I got a sudden urge to set the carnations on fire. “They are gorgeous. It’s not their fault you bought them.” 

Are you chuckling yet?

Nevada is a tough, smart cookie, and no matter what her heart and/or ladyparts want, she’s not about to get herself into yet another potentially emotionally damaging situation.

Mad Rogan was off limits. He was from a different world, he had different standards, and he promised to make me an orphan if my mother threatened him again. 

All in all, a super start to a new UF series with a great supporting cast, a duo you can’t help but root for, and plenty of action and mystery.

2 thoughts on “Review: Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy #1) – Ilona Andrews

  1. Faye M. says:

    I’m a huge fan of Ilona Andrews ever since I read her Kate Daniels series (I still love it despite the mishap that was Book 6 HEHE). I loved Clean Sweep too and like Burn For Me the least, but still, like you, I loved the family connection here that was written so spectacularly. I always like it when family is given attention as well because you don’t see it that much anymore in the books we read, when in fact, they’re vital even in our very adult lives.

    Faye at The Social Potato

    Liked by 1 person

    • fullybookedreviews says:

      I need to catch up on Kate Daniels – I’ve only read up to book 4! Have you read The Edge series by them? I enjoyed it quite a lot, although it was more romance-heavy that their other books.

      I guess so many of the characters in the urban fantasy books I read are somehow estranged from their families/orphaned/some other plot device that means they have no immediate family, but like I said in my review, Ilona Andrews treatment of close family really stood out for me – particularly because it’s quite unusual to see in the genre.

      Like

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