Monday, February 25, 2019

Review: Hidden Legacy series (Books #1-3)

One woman must place her trust in a seductive, dangerous man who sets off an even more dangerous desire ...

The Hidden Legacy series was written by Ilona Andrews. The first three books focus on Nevada Baylor: Burn for Me, White Hot, and Wildfire.

Burn For Me, by Ilona Andrews, is the first book in the Hidden Legacy series. Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret magical ability: she is a truthseeker, which means she knows when people are lying. However, she is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career in Houston--a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile situation. Her suspect 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 handsome billionaire with equally devastating powers. ROgan is also after the same target, so he needs her help. But she's getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. Torn between wanting to run and wanting to surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.


White Hot, by Ilona Andrews, is the second book in the Hidden Legacy series. Nevada Baylor has used her unique and magical skills (along with plain, hard work) to keep her 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 the man she loathed from a previous case. 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 must work together again to save those dear to them. But they will find that nothing burns like ice.

Wildfire, by Ilona Andrews, is the third book in the Hidden Legacy series. Nevada Baylor can’t decide which is more frustrating—--harnessing her truthseeker Prime abilities or dealing with Connor “Mad” Rogan and their evolving relationship. Since the previous two novels, the billionaire Prime has been helping her navigate the complex magical world in which she’s become a crucial player. But she also has to deal with his ex-fiancĂ©e, whose husband has disappeared, and whose damsel-in-distress act is wearing very, very thin. Rogan also 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?

This was the first non-Kate Daniels series I have read from the duo-pair authors. After reading Burn for Me, I was totally addicted to the plot. Nevada and Rogan, who are both in their late twenties, are polar opposites as individuals, but their chemistry lights up like fire when they work together on cases. They also evolved as they learn from one another and become deeply entrenched in the magical politics of Houston. In this world, magic means everything. You have magic dynasties (called Houses) who dominate society. They own corporations, influence politics, employ private armies, and kill each other in deadly feuds. The more magic you have, the more powerful, the wealthier, and the more prominent you are. Marriage was treated as a transaction based on magical abilities. Regardless of how powerful the magic, no magic should be taken lightly.

Nevada finds out as she partners with Rogan that the more contact she has with other Houses (and enemies that comes along with the detective gig), she has to look out for her own family interests. By the third book, we get to learn the backstory of the colorful Baylor family and the origin of each member's unique gifts. I liked how Rogan, who had completely isolated himself due to his own destructive powers, becomes enamored with Nevada's resilience, intelligence, and compassion. She is not the type to be impressed with his status, which makes him want to learn more about her. As the head of the Baylor family detective agency, Nevada also took on a guardianship role to help provide for her family. And how falling in love with her tested his feelings. No matter the stakes, the sexual attraction becomes hot between the two. I highly recommend the series.

While the trilogy ends Nevada's story, the next book the series focuses on her younger teenage sister, Catalina, who also has an unique and powerful gift. I won't spoil what it is but it sounds terrifying. Stay tuned for the next books in the Hidden Legacy series, Diamond Fire (novella) and Sapphire Flames.

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