The Hidden Legacy series is so entertaining and a bit of a comfort read. Sapphire Flames continues that theme for me and I cannot wait for the next release.

My first by this author. I loved the humor and magic in it! What a wonderful experience while reading this book! I am now determined to read more books by this author!.....soon!

I love this series so much!! It is probably my favorite one by Ilona Andrews - and I have read a lot of them, possibly all of them? But these are amazing and I love the family and everything about them and they are hilarious and fun and well written and great.

I love this series so much! Usually I have reservations about switching main characters in a series, but had none with this. I adore Cat and the whole family, even without Nevada around. Plus, Cat & Alessandro are pure delight.

In true Ilona Andrews style this short novella brings it; the romance, the action, the magic. What it doesn't bring is a logical plot when the fragile future of House Baylor is left in the hands of Catalina, who has not even figured out who she is and how to cope with her magic.

As the story of the Baylor Family continues, we get to experience the story Catalina's perspective. I mostly found myself missing Nevada's voice and the no nonsense approach her character takes to every situation she is faced with. While I loved the original trilogy this book makes me hesitant to look forward to more.

I have been hoarding this book for months. As desperate as I was to jump into it, just knowing that it was waiting for me, unread, was kind of like promise of a glass of wine waiting for me at the end of a hard day. Or dark chocolate. Or Jason Momoa. And let me tell you, it lived up to my expectations 100%. I enjoyed it every bit as much as watching Jason throw an ax or walk around without his shirt.

More, even.

And on the plus side of waiting, I am even closer to book 2 than I would have been if I would have gobbled this up the first day I got it. Trust me, I am very excited for book two, and waiting is hard.

Anyway, this is the first Hidden Legacy book with Catalina completely in the driver's seat. Nevada has gone on a trip with Rogan to Spain and Catalina is in charge of everything. The business. And House Baylor. Three years have passed since the wedding and a lot has changed. But a lot has stayed the same too. As much as I thought I would miss Rogan and Nevada, the story was still very satisfying without them. It was actually a really smart move because those characters could have stolen some of the spotlight from our main players here and that would’ve been a shame.

It all starts as Catalina accept a case from a woman we met in Diamond Fire. Runa is a Prime poison master and her mother has been murdered. No one will take her case, but Catalina doesn’t forget a friend and she has that same pesky sense of right and wrong that her sister does. The sexy and mysterious Alessandro shows up during the course of the investigation and proves he is far more than the hot playboy Catalina follows on social media. She’s as crazy about him as ever, but she fights her attraction, fearing her Siren powers could destroy them both.

Just like with the earlier books of the series, the world building is spot on. I loved the unique and fascinating side characters along with the numerous powers they manifested. Plus there’s a new wrinkle as we learn about monsters being created for their manufactured powers. I don’t want to spoil too much, but it was a really cool subplot as Catalina and Allesandro worked the mystery.

The romance is a very slow build. Don’t expect too much here. There’s a lot of push and pull, and while there is a little pay off, this is very much not an HEA. We are going to have to work for this one, and I don’t mind one bit.

Both Catalina and Alessandro are worthy leads. I like the fact that Catalina struggles with the use of her power. Her guilt and internal struggle with taking away other people's free will is very humanizing amid powers that are very superhuman. There’s also so much subtle humor. This author is a master at that funny snarky thing that is a trademark of all of her (their) books. The heroines vary, but the internal monologue always entertains. Alessandro has got a very cool power, by the way. And I am itching to learn more about all the things he’s hiding. Really, I could go on and on about this book but I will leave it at this. Buy it. You won’t regret it.

Ilona Andrews never disappoints.

Uniquely magical and captivating

Ilona Andrews creates action packed, compelling stories that just suck you in. Fantastic world building along with charismatic and intriguing characters will have reader flying through page to be left wanting more.

***3 Stars***

This is a total “It’s not you, it’s me” situation.

I liked the premise of the book, the richness of the world and there are some pretty amazing characters that I would love to spend a lot me time with, but (yeah, the dreaded ‘but’) I just couldn’t get lost in the story. I kept getting distracted by other things and had no issue putting the book down and do something else.

So, what I can say is that I really liked Catalina. Talk about going with your gut and doing the right thing. Alessandro is definitely an enigma and intriguing as all get out. Theur slow burn to romance is done well, though it does take a back seat to the mystery at hand ~ something I didn’t have any issue with ~ and I have a feeling things will get more intense between them as their story progresses.

This was my first read by the author, and regardless of everything, I can see why she is on so many people’s favs list. This world is vibrant and fascinating and the characters that inhabit it are all very unique. So, I will be looking to read more from her, maybe starting from the beginning this time instead of in the middle, and go from there.

I absolutely loved the first three Hidden Legacy novels and was excited for a bit of spinoff/continuation. It was full of adventure with another Baylor sister, but I thought it lacked in the romance. I just didn’t feel invested or full of angst like I was watching Nevada and Mad Rogan deal with each other. It also felt very much like a YA novel. The first three weren’t super raunchy, but despite the lack of details, there was still that tension between the characters, whereas Catalina felt more immature and her love interest was a sort of schoolgirl crush. Maybe I just didn’t like Alessandro. I don’t know. It was good and I’ll probably read the rest, but I’ll just expect Hidden Legacy Lite or Hidden Legacy Junior for the next few installments.

I received a free copy of Sapphire Flames from Avon through Net Galley. This in no way influenced my review which is honest and unbiased.

If I were you, and I had this one on pre-order- I would take tomorrow off from work. It is that good! A whole day spent with Catalina and Alessandro is well worth it. This is the fourth book in the Hidden Legacy fantasy series, although some are calling it a spin-off since Nevada is not the main character. There was a novella, Diamond Fire, that helped to bridge the way of switching the focus from Nevada. It is now Catalina’s turn and girl does she do it right. Gone is the meek teenager and in its place is a young lady who is well aware of her power.

It has been three years since she has been under the tutelage Mrs. Rogan. Her mannerisms are sharper, with more intent. She is more calculated in all that she does as she should be. Now the head of House Baylor, she also runs the family business. The House of Baylor’s grace period is about to be up and the stakes are high. Will the established Houses leave them alone or come guns a blazing?

Catalina’s growth from the beginning of the series as a secondary character to know has been entertaining to say the least. The innocent, naive teenager is no more. She goes head to head with more than one person of power. Handling them like a pro. She has always been careful but girl can make the tough decisions when she has to. One of those decisions was heartbreaking, and I wonder how it will manifest when the time comes. She has always protected the world from her magic, being a Siren cannot be easy. I just wonder who is going to protect her when the time comes.

We kinda meet Alessandro when Catalina was tested as a Prime. I hope you didn’t blink because he was in and out so fast that you may have missed him. He was portrayed as a bit of playboy yet I am guessing that he is hiding a lot. I think he is going to get along great with Leon for obvious reasons. He has hidden talents, and a revenge arch that needs to be watched closely. Instead of a playboy I feel like we got a new James Bond. Mostly, his feelings as he keeps showing up to protect Catallina- even though they aren’t dating. Although their banter almost seems like they are a married couple.

All the secondary characters are there what we know and love. Speaking of love what is up with Momma Baylor and a certain military man? Augustine is hanging around. Arabella is as feisty as ever and Leon gots jokes for days. You will laugh with them and be astonished with them. It is almost like their family is our family. Linus is so secreative that it is a wonder that he even let's Alessandro near any of the the Baylor. Evil granny makes an appearance.

Which I guess is why I felt so at home with this world, the new focus made the series exciting again. The different threads that were spun trapped me in my favorite reading chair until I was done. I am currently biting at the bit to see what happens next. What caused Alessandro to do what he did in the end? Does someone else come after House of Baylor? More importantly though, what is Linus up too? I am a little worried about Bern staying in the Hut of Evil for so long but hey I get it, everyone wants to escape reality every once and a while.

This one is high stakes action from the start. That coupled with the tension between Alessandro and Catalina and you got the makings of a great story. This couple is so vastly different from Nevada and Rogan that I couldn't help but be amazed that I liked them just as much as I did the previous couple. I cannot get enough of this series and I am so looking forward to the next book.

My Rating 5 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote Failure is the best teacher, and fear is the best motivator.

Other People
Grandma Frida- Catalina’s granny
Arabella- Catalina’s sister
Linus Duncan- House of Baylor sponsor
Bug- wizard at technology, works for Rogan
Runa- Catalina’s friend

I had not read this series before this book but it pulled me in and I must say I absolutely loved it and will now be looking for more Ilona Andrews books.

I have been in love with the Hidden Legacy novels from the very beginning, and I was a little sad to see that this wasn't a continuation of Nevada's story. In the previous books Catalina (like most little sisters) comes across as a little immature and bratty, but when it comes to finding herself in this dangerous world, Catalina is every bit of a bad ass as her sister, and I have adored this book. The magic is setting is consistent and mesmerizing, the plot (as is all of Illona Andrews books) is fast-paced and gripping, and the chemistry is hot hot hot! I already can't wait for book two!

Ilona Andrews never disappoints. I was concerned at first that I wouldn't love this book as much as the prior books in this series but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. Sapphire Flames is a fast paced, fun read and one that I will recommend! I loved the plot and the characters they leapt off the page. Definitely worth purchasing.

This review will be spoiler-free and it's not really a review, more musings about why Sapphire Flames worked for me.

In case you don't know, I'm a huge, huge fan of the series. I've reread them at least ten times. So I'm not exactly unbiased in my love for this book, but I honestly do love it. I strongly recommend that you don't start here and go back to Burn for Me. While Catalina is a new protagonist and the book does explain the worldbuilding in great detail for a newcomer, I think it's not possible to understand the nuances of the Baylors' current situation or appreciate how much Catalina has grown up from the earlier trilogy.

In no particular order, this is why I love Sapphire Flames:

1) The sense of community that the books provide. The HL books are structured in a way where the author teases speculation and leaves clues for shocking revelations. For example, before reading Sapphire Flames, my friends and I spent endless months debating the following questions:

If we could live in the HL world, what house would we be in and what would our magical power be?

Is [Redacted A] Caesar? [Redacted A] seemed suspiciously friendly in the last book. No, I think it's [Redacted B] because of this quote here...

Will Nevada stay Head of House after she's married to Rogan? Or will she pass the reins to Catalina?

Is [redacted] the illegitimate son of [redacted]?

Is [redacted] the grandfather of the Baylor girls?

You get the idea. I've read the books so many times and have come up with so many conspiracy theories and speculations (some plausible, some less so). The joy of being a Hidden Legacy reader is fangirling over the books (ferret heists! Tank-driving grandmas! Pacifist intellectual bears!) and speculating about future books. I haven't felt this kind of community with other books, and I think it's because the author is clever enough to leave crumbs of tantalizing clues for future revelations.

After reading Sapphire Flames, I'm so freaking excited for everyone else to read it. Because some of our long-awaited questions have been answered... and more questions arise. I'm bursting to squeal and share my new theories with everyone. And honestly, it's why the annual wait for the next book feels so torturous. We're talking about the book constantly and the more I think about the book, the slower time gets. Gah. This book isn't even out yet, and I feel like I'm dying for the sequel (summer 2020, God help me).

2) I'm really impressed with how different the three Baylor girls are. Before reading this book, I was nervous that Catalina would be just like Nevada (whom I love, but I don't want to read about the same type of heroine over and over again). My worries were for nothing. Catalina's voice is completely different than Nevada's voice. Catalina is introverted, pragmatic, and keeps her emotions tightly hidden because she's so vulnerable and scared to trust her heart with anyone. But she's so damn strong inside and willing to do anything for her family. She wants to be loved so badly (and she pines so badly for her teenage crush Alessandro), but she keeps all of those forbidden feelings locked inside because she's so scared of her own power. As a siren, everyone falls in love with her if she isn't careful to shield her magic.

But as different as the Baylor sisters are (and I haven't even gotten into Arabella, my favorite!), they have that core Baylor goodness inside them. They will always help people who come to them for aid, no matter how dire the circumstances. Nevada was never able to resist a client-in-need, and neither can Catalina. It's my favorite thing about the family.

I don't want to go into spoilers, but I was willing to die for Catalina by the end. My murderous, sweet, introverted, brave, and vulnerable Catalina. She easily goes into my list of favorite heroines ever (it's a very long list, I refuse to whittle it down as I love them all). And by the epilogue, I wanted to give her a big, big hug and a large tub of ice cream. She deserves all the happiness in the world and I love her so much.

3) Alessandro. I think I might like Alessandro more than Rogan. He's definitely a very mysterious character and there's lots more that we don't know yet, but his brand of "hot Italian aristocrat playboy with mysterious secrets" appeals to my id. I wanted to both hug and smack him. He inspires a lot of emotion inside of me, and you'll understand why when the book comes out. I am so determined not to spoil anything, gahhhh. This book needs to come out already so I can scream/wail with someone.

LOL. Okay, this wasn't the most helpful of reviews but I do think that all fans of the original trilogy will love this. I tried hard not to spoil anything because it's really hard to talk about this book without spoiling the plot (and I do think that most of it should be discovered while reading).

What I can tell you is this: when you reach the end, you're going to scream and cry because it ends in the worst/most torturous way possible. And then you're going to try to wish a time machine into existence because going forward in time is the only way to get the next book. I really have no idea how I'm going to survive the wait for another year.

I got a free copy of this book for review purposes. And then got so absorbed/swamped that I totally forgot to review until now. Oops. I will say that I have reread the book two or three times now. It is very entertaining. There is a certain element of nail-biting towards the end, given hints left at the end of Nevada's trilogy, and who Catalina works with in this book, but it looks like we'll get a slow burn on that instead of a sudden realization. Which I'm ok with.

It took a readthrough or two to understand why the book feels so familiar. Aside from the fact that Catalina has taken a few levels in "Being a Prime" between Diamond Flames and this book, it also feels like some of the same territory is being covered here that Nevada covered. Glitzy social event with dress? Check. Love interest with mystery? Check. Some of this is to be expected given the genre. Some of it is simply a hallmark of IA's writing (the uber-competent and knowledgeable main who might do some flailing in unfamiliar waters, but ultimately attacks the problem with logic), some of it could probably have been avoided (such as the social event that inevitably ends in tears). On the whole though, I was entertained, and definitely would like to see where these two end up.

To say I was excited to read Catalina’s first full length novel would be a gross understatement. I utterly love anything Ilona Andrews writes, and each new book goes on my favorites shelf without a hesitation. SAPPHIRE FLAMES was no exception. We had a little taste of Catalina in the novella, Diamond Fire, but it only whet my appetite for more. While reading this book felt like coming home to a beloved series, Catalina is a very different character than Nevada. While they both have an iron will, Catalina is much more reserved and cautious than her older sister. Being in charge and responsible for her house doesn’t come naturally for her, but she’s finding her way, and I really enjoyed getting to see her grow.

The romance this time around was oh so very fun and delicious. Alessandro seems like the perfect match for Catalina, not that she’ll make it even remotely easy for him. The attraction between the two is off the charts, and the buildup is perfect. However he’s very mysterious and cagey at times, and Catalina has a lot of trust issues due to her ability to ensnare without even trying. Things didn’t move too quickly so I feel like their relationship only gave us a taste of what’s to come, and I can’t wait.

If you haven’t read the Hidden Legacy series, well what are you waiting for? Nevada’s trilogy was fantastic, and Catalina’s is off to an amazing start. I cannot recommend this series any higher! I’ll be counting down the days until the next book, and it can’t come quick enough. Yet another fantastic read from Ilona Andrews, SAPPHIRE FLAMES is not to be missed.

I requested this book not realizing that although it's first in this trilogy, there are other books published that come before it. This works as your first book read in this series, though be warned you will definitely (like me) go back and read the other 3.5 books and anxiously await the sequel to Sapphire Flames! I ended up reviewing the whole series for my library's book blog.

Short Summary: Catalina Baylor, the new Head of House Baylor, begins investigating a double murder that just so happens to involve her teenage crush Alessandro Sagredo.

Thoughts: The original Hidden Legacy series was filled with snarky humor, off the charts chemistry, and fascinating worldbuilding. This spinoff series is lacking everything but the latter.

Verdict: I absolutely adore this magical world that IA has created and while I’m pleased that they decided to continue writing stories set in this world, Catalina and Alessandro just aren’t Nevada and Rogan. I’m still satisfied with the story itself so it’s not a complete loss.

Sapphire Flames is the fourth novel in Ilona Andrews‘ HIDDEN LEGACY urban fantasy/romance series, in which powerful magical families control most of society. (Note: You really do have to start at the beginning of this series, with Burn for Me; each book builds on what came before.) Having wrapped up the romance of Nevada Baylor and Connor Rogan in the first three books in this series, Sapphire Flames and the interim novella that precedes it, Diamond Fire, shift the focus of the series to a new main character, Nevada’s younger sister Catalina Baylor, a so-called “siren” with powerful persuasive magic. (By the way, the reasons given for Nevada and Rogan being out of the picture ― out of the country, in fact ― and unavailable to help with the latest life-and-death crisis, are a stretch, but a necessary one for the sake of this novel and the series).

Catalina’s ability to convince others to adore her and cooperate with her every request has always been a heavy burden for her: it’s a brainwashing type of power, and people affected by it love her beyond all reason after a few minutes in her presence, even to the point of wanting to crush her to pieces in an effort to get closer to her. As a result, Catalina was a terribly shy teen who avoided everyone outside of her family, the only ones who are unaffected by her power … aside from, inexplicably, the family doctor.

At the end of Diamond Fire Catalina came to the conclusion that she needed to step out of the shadows, and Nevada’s mother-in-law was happy to help. Sapphire Flames picks up three years later. Catalina is now 21 and the head of House Baylor and their private investigation business. A murder case drops into Catalina’s lap, involving the family of Runa Etterson, the delightful poison mage from Diamond Fire. Runa’s mother and sister have been mysteriously murdered, and Catalina wants to take the case … even though a couple of major players CLEARLY warn her not to get involved (“Sometimes when you search the night, you’ll find monsters in the dark. You’re not ready”). Those warnings, of course, not only fail to deter Catalina, but only make her more determined.

One of those who tries to warn Catalina off is her former teenage crush Alessandro Sagredo, an Italian young man with “Prime” magic: he can nullify others’ magical powers, and also has some particularly interesting if apparently unrelated powers involving weapons. Alessandro has his own interest in the Etterson murder case, and he and Catalina reluctantly (haha) team up when it becomes clear that neither is going to go away. Their investigation leads them to things like assassin firms and crazed people with warped magic. Good times!

It’s fun to see Catalina step up her game … not just a notch or two, but some major leaps forward for our shy young woman. And, holy cow, Alessandro’s character is NOT what I expected given the brief glimpses we had of him in previous depths. Hidden depths, y’all. While their new aspects of their personalities did make the plot much more exciting, both Catalina and Alessandro are now much more standard urban fantasy characters, and less distinguishable from Nevada and Rogan. It’s different magical powers but the same basic formula. Hard to knock what works, though.

On the other hand, Runa Etterson, the poison mage whose family was murdered, has almost the opposite problem: Her ebullient personality was a scene-stealer in Diamond Fire, but in Sapphire Flames she’s a shadow of her former self, ruled by her anger and distress.

"Runa’s emotions had clubbed her rational thinking over the head, dumped its body on the side of the road, and took my friend for a joy ride. Just what we needed."

It’s understandable in the circumstances, but I hope we’ll meet up with her again when she’s feeling more herself.

Sapphire Flames is a solid entry in the HIDDEN LEGACY series, with the Andrews’ typically witty banter, imaginative magic, action-driven plot and (let’s not forget) hot romance. I got sucked into it the minute it hit my Kindle and finished it off in one day. It’ll be fun to see what happens next.

There are no words.
You pick up the book wondering what's going on with House Baylor and by the end you find yourself thinking Catalina will be alright heading her house. Then an extremely interesting thought will not leave your mind.... What is going on with Alessandro Sagredo? We learn that he is not only what the world sees and that he's hunting. :)