Hidden Legacy #1
Urban Fantasy
Avon | October 28, 2014

What the heck!  Why do I do this to myself??!  I love Kate Daniels, it’s one of my favorite UF series!  Why did I let something like an awful cover prevent me from picking up Burn for Me, when I knew how much I loved these authors?  See marketing people, this is why a cover is so important, because a bad one can sometimes prevent even a fan from picking up the book.  I’m sure there are a ton of people out there that don’t mind the cover, but to me there’s nothing in it that even remotely reflects Nevada or Mad Rogan.  It’s two models posing seductively.  Where’s Nevada’s spunk?  Where’s the jeans and t-shirts, or even the business suits?  I don’t see the dragon anywhere.  It’s, in my opinion, emotionless.  Burn for me was anything BUT emotionless.

Anyway, Burn for Me was everything I’ve come to expect from writing duo Ilona Andrews, minus the initial info dump we got with Kate Daniels.  The flow of world building information was parceled out to us so seamlessly; I didn’t even realize how much I was picking up.  Even better, I loved how the Hidden Legacy world was essentially our world with a historical tweak which resulted in most everyone having a type of magic.  Some have strong magic, some have useless magic.  Some magic is rare, some is common.  The spin added an element unlike one I’ve read before, and I loved it.

As far as the characters, I loved how different Nevada was from Kate.  I know I shouldn’t compare, and if I’m honest Dina from Clean Sweep was completely different too, but it is something I can’t help but look at when reading a new series by an author I’ve read before.  In my opinion, women are so hard to write, and far too frequently their personalities are very similar.  So, for me, Nevada being unique was a major point in the plus column.  I loved how quirky she was, how funny.  I loved that she didn’t say what you were expecting, and that’s what people were drawn to.  She was interesting, and while she was attractive, it was her individuality Rogan was drawn to.

It was the type of romance I love.  There are so many books these days that go on and on about big tits, and luscious lips, and sexy hips… on and on… and sure those things are hot, but I don’t sink into those love stories the way a reader should.  The romances I get hooked on are the ones that strike the spark somewhere with more depth.  Rogan got hooked on what was inside Nevada, the outside (though I’m sure it was a bonus) wasn’t really even discussed beyond a passing comment.  I LOVE that.  Lust is usually a reflection of the outside, Love is a reflection of the inside.  (In my opinion at least.)

Speaking of Mad Rogan -Yum.  He was an awesome character.  Look, there’s the real world, and then there’s the world in a book.  In the real world I do not want a man that kills without conscience, with no regard for human life, and who struggles to relate to those around him.  In a BOOK, I don’t mind those traits so much.  I like a gentler, sweeter, character (like Levi from Fangirl), but I loooove my badass alpha men.  Rogan is BadASS.  Actually, he reminded me of Barrons, from Fever.  A lot.  Those similarities didn’t feel annoying.  They were familiar, in a sexy way.  Both of them know their power, and they revel in it.  They see what they want and they take it.  Nobody f*cks with them.  They’re even both Basque!  Barrons is my 2nd favorite fictional man ever, so seeing similarities in Rogan couldn’t be bad.  He was all sorts of hotness.

Wow, this is turning into a very long review.  I’ll try to wrap it up.

Just like any Ilona Andrews series, it wasn’t just about the main characters.  I loved the side characters too.  Nevada’s family was awesome.  I love fiesty Grandma’s, but I liked Nevada’s mom too.  And her siblings, and cousins.  I hope there’s a lot more of Bern, as we move into the following books… I’d even like a side book, just Bern.  There’s something interesting about him that I’d like to delve into.

I’d say almost everything about Burn for Me was a hit.  There was just one tiny little thing that causes me to withhold a fifth star… other than my need to leave room for improvement… and it’s in the differences between Nevada and Rogan.  In Burn for Me, Mad Rogan is the top of the food chain.  He’s likely the most powerful Prime on the planet.  Nevada isn’t.  She has a useful magic, but she’s on the lower middle side of the power chain.  Technically, in this world, Rogan shouldn’t even be looking at her.  Prime’s marry Prime’s.  Period.  Yet, Mad was still interested in Nevada.  I love that dynamic.  Giving the finger to propriety and going for the unconventional.

I get the feeling this is going to change.  Burn for Me dropped more than a few hints Nevada will turn out to be more powerful than she thinks.  I don’t want her to be.  I like reading about a relatively normal person, in a very very abnormal world.

In my head, it’s 4.5 stars, on paper (or internet, I suppose) we’re going with 4 feathers.

I have a feeling White Hot is going to really up the ante.