Shades of Wicked by Jeaniene Frost

Title: Shades of Wicked

Author: Jeaniene Frost
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Series: Night Rebel #1
Mass Market Paperback, 370 pages
Publication: October 30, 2018 by Avon
Source: Personal Library
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The Rule Breaker

Master vampire Ian is unrepentant, shameless…and every shade of wicked. He’s made one too many enemies in his two centuries of existence, including Dagon, a demon who now lays claim to his soul. Ian’s only chance to escape Dagon is to join forces with a Law Guardian, but he’s never been able to abide by the rules for long.

The Law Maker

Veritas’ normal role is police, judge and jury to reprobates like Ian. But she has her own ax to grind with Dagon, so if she can use Ian as bait…well, all’s fair in law and war. As they scour supernatural hotspots to perfect their trap, Veritas soon realizes Ian’s devil-may-care, roguish image hides something much more powerful. And Ian discovers that Veritas has shocking secrets of her own. As they’re drawn to each other with a passion as intense as their peril, either love or justice will prevail. But each will have devastating consequences…

It feels like it’s been awhile since I’ve read an Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance, especially the staples of the genre; in which I mean Jeaniene Frost. When I first got into the genre, Frost, Briggs and Andrews were my automatic go-to, always. I never finished The Night Huntress series, but I absolutely enjoyed the series and spin-offs. Which was what prompted me to pick up Shades of Wicked, the first novel in the Night Rebel series featuring none other than bad boy favorite, Master vampire Ian.

I always liked Ian and am glad he finally has his own series. In The Night Huntress world, I think other fans like myself never took Ian seriously, he certainly didn’t. But we’re treated to a whole different side to Ian, a side that is much deeper than I expected. One that endured pain, loss and heartbreak. I also knew that Ian was loyal to his friends/family but seeing it from his perspective just made me love his character even more. Veritas (such a lovely name), is Ian’s leading lady, one whom you’ve met previously in TNH series, the vampire law guardian. I thought she was absolutely perfect for Ian, she met his snark and fortitude blow for blow. Her unique background and lineage are somewhat enigmatic and complex but I am excited to learn more about it and her untapped powers.

As with all spin-off, you can bet your books that other beloved characters made a cameo in Shades of Wicked. I was so freakin’ happy! Makes me want to go back to reread and finish TNH series. I might just do that. Always a sucker for vampire novels! And no one does vampires like Frost. Shades of Wicked was a whirlwind that ended with a major cliffhanger. I can’t wait to see what happens next in Wicked Bites. If you haven’t read any of Frost books yet, start with the TNH series first! It’s a must read!

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews

Title: Sapphire Flames
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Hidden Legacy #4
Mass Market Paperback, 393 pages
Publication: August 27, 2019 by Avon
Source: Personal, Audiobook
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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 novel in the Hidden Legacy Series and is centered around the middle child, Catalina Baylor. I’ll be honest, when IA announced that Nevada and Rogan’s story was wrapped up and the subsequent novels would be from another character, Catalina’s POV I was slightly disappointed. I, like many fans got attached to Nevada and didn’t want to see her story end. However, after reading Diamond Fire I was sold on Catalina!

Sapphire Flames takes place three years after the events of WildFire and Diamond Fire with Catalina now the head of house. The usual gang is all back this time around sans Nevada and Rogan whom are both travelling with Rogan’s mother for a funeral. A lot has changed in three years for the Baylor family and for Catalina. Catalina is no longer the quiet and reserved girl we met during the trials/Nevada’s wedding. Catalina is now twenty-one and unlike millennial her age, she splits her time running her new house and the family investigative business. While Catalina still has some insecurities and doubts (who doesn’t, right?) that she needs to work through; at the core she’s a kind, loving person. I loved that Catalina 2.0 is a lot more confident, brave and independent. Throughout Sapphire Flames we saw Catalina go out of her comfort zone and push the boundaries over and over; chasing down bad guys, dispatching a group of hired mercenaries on her own to keep her family safe to dealing with her Grandma Victoria.

Catalina wasn’t the only surprise. Alessandro, noble count, IG playboy was so much more than just a pretty face. I won’t spoil the book for anyone who hasn’t read the book/or series yet but man, Alessandro was a wonderful enigma. Alessandro, like Catalina is also a powerful prime with unique and rare abilities. I already had a lot of questions concerning Alessandro and his family throughout the book but by the time I got to the epilogue, I was left with even more questions! Why was he in the profession that he is? Who is he hunting? Why doesn’t he want to introduce Catalina to his family? See? So many questions!

Sapphire Flames hit all the usual high notes that one would come to expect of Team IA, rich world-building, multifaceted characters, snarky dialogue and an intriguing plot. I thought it was a great addition to the Hidden Legacy series and am looking forward to reading more about Catalina and co!

Wildfire by Ilona Andrews

Title: Wildfire
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Hidden Legacy # 3

Mass Market Paperback, 391 Pages
Publication: July 25, 2017 by Avon Books

Source: Personal Library 

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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.

I am so glad that I stuck with The Hidden Legacy series because Wildfire was freaking amazing. The cat is out of the bag now, everyone knows about Nevada’s truth-seeking ability and who she’s related to;  Victoria Tremaine, a powerful prime everyone fears. There are other houses with the same/or similar truth ability but no one was as strong as Victoria… until now. Now everyone wants a piece of Nevada, seeing her as a viable power match, a pawn or both. Wildfire explores more Baylor familial, scheming and corrupted politics, powerful magical display and trademark humor you always find in an Andrews novel.

I love this world that the Andrews created, even at only three books (so far), I feel like I know the world and characters just as well as the Kate Daniel series. I’ve becoming attached and invested in everyone’s lives and loved seeing them progress with each installment. The plot thickens as we see more powerful primes jumping into play, a lot of the elites are following this mysterious Caesar. The amount of people involved and the revelation of some of the key players were surprising. Andrews mentioned that they left trail of clues for readers on the identity of Caesar, but I haven’t the slightest clue who he/she is! I think I’m going to need to reread the series to see if I can figure it out.

One of the things I absolutely loved in Wildfire was the relationship of the Baylor clan. The Clan includes super independent, opinionated, take-no-shit-from-anyone women; from their grandma to the youngest Baylor sister, Cousin Leon is both brilliant, funny and sometimes scary and the people that help run Nevada’s surveillance team are just as awesome…Especially Bug! That Coffee scene with Rynda was hilarious. I’ve said this many times before and I’ll say it again, I love character driven and think it’s essential in a novel. And Andrews know exactly how to create realistic characters that you instantly connect with and will have you following a series till the end.

I’m not a big fan of romance in general, but this is Ilona Andrews and if their name is on it, I’m going to read it. This is probably the second romance series I’ve ever finished, so y’all know it’s good! If you’re looking for a good paranormal romance series with high-stakes, lots of action, fleshed out world building and complex characters then this is a series you don’t want to miss! I was overjoyed when I heard that Andrews are continuing with the series and the next couple of novels will be featuring Catalina Baylor. Sad that there won’t be anymore Nevada and Rogan books but another good news is that the authors are publishing a novella this fall featuring Nevada and Rogan’s wedding! 

White Hot by Ilona Andrews

Title: White Hot
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Hidden Legacy # 2

Mass Market Paperback, 389 Pages
Publication: May 30, 2017 by Avon Books

Source: Personal Library 

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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 … 

What compelled me to read White Hot so soon after Burn for Me, I haven’t the slightest clue. I didn’t love Burn for Me a much as everyone else. Even in my review I wrote that I wasn’t interested or likely going to read the sequel any time soon. And yet here I am done and writing a review for White Hot. To my surprise, White Hot was much better than its predecessor and a lot of issues that I had with the the first book were nowhere in sight.

In the second installment of The Hidden Legacy series, Nevada is hired by Harrison, whom we met in the previous novel, to find his wife’s killer. Harrison believed it wasn’t an accident and the only person that can and is willing to help him find out the truth is Nevada. But this isn’t any ordinary murder case, it goes high up in the ranks of the council and houses and more sinister than anyone can imagine.

What made White Hot more enjoyable in my opinion was delving deeper into house politics, everyone’s background and character development. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, there’s a major conspiracy going on that involves a lot of powerful people, houses and in White Hot we see most, if not all of the houses getting involved whether they want to or not. Which also meant seeing new characters or getting to know the characters already introduced in book one.

I liked that we were able to learn more about Rogan and the Baylor family. Readers were told of Rogan’s time in the war which made perfect sense that he acted the way he did. He also made great effect in proving to Nevada that he wasn’t the man she thought he was...like completely bad and ruthless. Which was somewhat debatable. Then there were Nevada’s family. They were a hoot! Love seeing them get more page time and learning about their prime abilities.

White Hot was a satisfying sequel with a much more interesting plot. I can’t wait to start Wildefire and see how Nevada and Rogan's story arc ends. Highlights of White Hot includes: Matilda/Zeus, Augustine, Dark Horse Leon, and the Baylor sisters! And the name of the series totally make sense now! If you haven’t read anything by Team Andrews yet, this is a good series to check out first.

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

Title: Burn for Me
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Series: Hidden Legacy

Mass Market Paperback, 382 Pages
Publication: October 28, 2014 by Avon

Source: Personal Library

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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.

Ilona andrews are hands down my favorite authors, their Kate Daniels series is what jump start my love for Urban Fantasy/Fantasy. Andrews has a few series under their belt and they’ve been a hit or miss for me. But when I heard they were writing a new series, The Hidden Legacy series I was ecstatic. The love for Burn for Me was off the chart and the reviews were mostly five stars. I thought great, this one is going to be a good one. Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book like I hoped I would. I think it was too hyped up or my expectations were too high, who knows. If I can described this book with a single word it'd be: underwhelming. 

Let’s start with what I liked about the book, the world-building. When Andrews were in the process of writing the book, they gave a very basic detail of the world building, in which there were magical families and the more powerful they were, the more wealth and status they had. I was intrigued. Throw in the fact that the main heroine was a PI and a human lying detector; I was sold. However, I thought the plot was weak and slightly dull. Nevada is tasked or more like threaten with bringing in a prime magic user and to help her we have Rogan, another prime bad boy. Mixed in between the task at hand was sexual tension between the two characters, nevada going back and forth between loathing and admiring Rogan and that pretty much sums up the book. Nothing complex.

For the most part I like Nevada she’s relatable and someone I can see living in my community or someone I’d be friends with. She’s independent, a business woman and a hard-worker that doesn’t need a man to fulfill or support her. She’s highly capable of taking care of herself and her family, all admirable traits. As for our male protagonist/anti-hero Rogan…he’s an alpha male, no doubt but one that rubbed me the wrong way. I remember reading other reviewers comment about how they loved him and here I’m thinking what’s to love? He’s mean, narcissistic, ignorant and unapologetic. Did everyone forget he kidnapped Nevada? And towards the end of the book he had the audacity to tell Nevada they should sleep together. I was like ew, did he really just say that? Pig. Having finished Burn for Me and seeing Rogan make a conscious effort to be better, I still didn’t like him. As for all the side characters, I thought they all fell flat. The book as a whole felt underdeveloped, like the authors rushed to put this book out. It’s definitely not on the same level as their Kate Daniel series.

With that said, I’m still debating if I should continue the series or not. The thing with loving an author is that you’d think everything they write you’ll love, that it’d be great. I went out and bought all three books in the series based solely on it being written by them. I should have read Burn for Me first. All in all, Burn for Me was an okay read. I honestly don’t remember half of what happened in the story or the characters, even Nevada failed to make a lasting impression; which is never a good thing. I may or may not continue, but for sure, I won’t be rushing to start the sequel, White Hot.