Book Review: Burn for Me
Book Title: Burn for Me (Hidden Legacy)
Author: Ilona Andrews
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Description from Goodreads:
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.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Burn for Me reminded me why Ilona Andrews is my favorite author, especially when it comes to urban fantasy. It’s a fast-paced magical adventure with a good dose of romance. I literally could not put this book down and finished it within a day and a half. The world-building is incredible in this book. The story takes place in an alternate Houston, Texas, in a world where those who have magic are on top. The highest-ranking magic users are called “Primes” and each Prime family has a house. Basically, the Primes rule the world and everyone else just lives in it.
Nevada Taylor is a private investigator with a secret ability to get people to tell the truth. She gets dragged into the Prime world while hunting down a pyrokinetic named Adam Pierce. Along the way, she ends up kidnapped by a tactile named Mad Rogan, one of the wealthiest and most powerful Primes in the city. Despite getting off to a rocky start, the two end up teaming up in order to capture Adam and deliver him to his family.
I’ve read a lot of Ilona Andrews’s novels and most of her heroines are antisocial loners, so it was very refreshing to meet a heroine from a large family and close-knit relationships. Nevada’s private investigative agency is family-owned and the whole family lives in a converted warehouse together. They have very close relationships and their safety is always Nevada’s first concern. Her mother is a war veteran who knows how to use a gun with deadly accuracy, and her grandmother is a bad-ass mechanic. It was awesome to see such a strong group of women of various ages. The teasing and drama in the family felt realistic, especially with the teenagers. The Taylor family is not perfect but when shit hits the fan, they rally and come together to fight for each other.
Andrews knows how to create kick-ass female characters. I absolutely loved Nevada Taylor! She is such a strong, intelligent, capable character. I want to be like her when I grow up! She knows who she is and doesn’t take crap from anyone. Primes look down on her, and yet she doesn’t let that affect her. She knows she has a good life and family and doesn’t need validation from anyone else. She lets her morals guide her, and isn’t afraid to put herself in danger for the greater good. I was constantly impressed by her reasoning. She’s also just genuinely good at her job.
Mad Rogan — where to start? He reminds me of other male characters in Ilona Andrews novels. He’s a ruggedly handsome alpha-male with a dark past as an army veteran. He’s also insanely wealthy and uses his money to ensure Nevada is safe, even when that means going against her wishes. The dynamic between the two of them was definitely entertaining — Mad Rogan and Nevada constantly argue and insult each other. I also like that Nevada challenges him and his beliefs. There’s a bit of a power imbalance between them and yet she never lets that influence her actions. And I have to say their chemistry is off the charts! I was eagerly waiting for them to kiss.
If you’re looking for action scenes, magic, romance, and strong characters then this is the book for you! Andrews creates a magical world that, at the same time, feels very realistic. The book moves at a rapid pace and you’ll want to keep reading just to find out what happens next.
