I loved it! This was a great conclusion to Catalina's trilogy of the 'Hidden Legacy' series. Things are the usual chaos at the Baylor compound, but things change with a phone call, a powerful political figure has been murdered and Catalina's boss, has been attacked. Now everything is up to Catalina, her fiance, Alessandro, and the rest of the Baylor clan.

This was so worth the wait! A great story, lots of action, and a lot of fun, too. Highly recommend!

Catalina Baylor and Alessandro Sagredo have a seemingly unstoppable enemy coming at them who does not mind whatever collateral damage he causes, or what it will take to win. Arkan, their very evil, seemingly unstoppable, opponent was responsible for the death of Alessandro’s father several years ago. Alessandro’s pursuit of his despised enemy almost caused him to not only lose his life, but Catalina, the woman he loves. Now that Catalina and Alessandro are a team again and seriously committed, it will take all of their combined skills along with the Baylor family and allies to finally overcome Arkan and his nasty minions who keep assaulting them right and left.

Catalina’s Monday includes an escaped, very expensive spider and goes downhill from there when she is called not only to investigate the murder of a high-ranking politician, but she finds out the Warden of Texas is in dire straits from which there may be no coming back. Now to ramp up the stress levels, all the office of the Warden responsibilities falls on Catalina’s shoulders, whether she has the skills to conduct them or not. Enemies abound in this final installment of Catalina and Alessandro’s story; she can’t seem to catch a break with all the assaults, turmoil, and people being wounded or struck down around her. Adding to the fun, is a Russian Prime prince who thinks he has found his princess in Catalina and may be more foe than friend.

Now that most everyone knows Catalina’s main strength is that of a siren, she has a lot more challenges trying to overcome their enemies in the complex battles that involve plenty of explosions, gun battles, sword fights, and magical weapons pitted against her and Alessandro’s strength as well as Nevada, Connor, and other family members. Not surprisingly since this is the last book, secrets are revealed such as who is Caesar and some that are about Victoria Tremaine, The Evil Grandmother, whose motivations cause Catalina no small amount of distress and angst peppered with some pretty major anger. Catalina seems to have the weight of the world on her shoulders with so many people to protect and worry for what Alessandro will do and possibly sacrifice to achieve his end goal of Arkan’s demise.

Although this is the end of series, some fans are hoping that Arabella may get her own story; the story arc and epilogues may or may not support that idea depending on how you choose to interpret them. Readers will enjoy all features of this story that they have come to expect from House Andrews including a lot of action, adventure, and a little romance while being happy to see their favorites from the other five books in the Hidden Legacy series come together for an epic battle and the big finish.

What an amazing conclusion to Catalina's trilogy! So much happens in this book, so much action, family secrets revealed, and an epic war-like fight scene at the end with the big enemies. We briefly meet Alessandro's family, we get to see a new aspect of Catalina's power, we meet a Russian prince... so many things in this book, but it was all done in perfect balance- it didn't feel like an info dump or like it veered off-script, it was all perfect. I wish I could've seen more of Nevada and Rogan, but this isn't their story so I totally get it. Hopefully the authors will release some short stories or deleted scenes with the side characters- would love to see Bern's relationship develop, anything on Leon, and maybe Augustine? Oh, and I would've loved to see more of Victoria Tremaine and the developing granny relationship, their mom's meeting/ possibly developing friendship, so much more I'd like to see, lol. Hint, hint, authors :) The authors also left some little crumbs on Arabella being the MC in the next arc/ trilogy in this world, so I can't wait for them to add more to this world, I will totally be there for it.

Leaving reviews on goodreads, my bookstagram, and amazon.

Once again, Ilona Andrews has knocked it out of the park. This was a thrilling conclusion to a fantastic, action-packed series. I felt that this was the best Catalina and Alessandro have ever been characterized - the Andrews team really hit their stride with this book. The final battle(s) were so satisfying and epic, and I was genuinely so happy at the ways various storylines wrapped up (and how other delicious tidbits were left hanging, in case of an Arabella series, which I very much hope for one day!). What a fun ride.

The trials, tribulations, and obligations of House Baylor are more overwhelming and dangerous than ever. I really enjoyed this final installment in Catalina's story. Now that her relationship with Alessandro is stabilized, the authors can focus on non-stop action (where they excel). Really enjoyable and engaging.

I loved it! Amazing book in an awesome series. My words are inadequate but they hold true. This author will always be among my favorites. There was a lot of action and each scene was climactic. Yup. I don't ever want to let go of these characters. And while I have fond memories of their warehouse their new digs are pretty darn nice. My thoughts are still reeling over all the events that occurred. Excellent!

I loved this book SO MUCH! It’s a great conclusion to Catalina and Alessandro’s story and I could NOT put it down once I started reading!

This book opens with the murder of a very public figure and Catalina and Alessandro get to work untangling the mystery. Their allies are either incapacitated or unavailable, and everyone they care about is in danger. It’s intense and action packed from page one and ends with a bang! A lot is revealed about them and their families along the way, too. The events in the epilogue of book 5 aren’t addressed in this book at all, though. This didn’t bother me, but anyone who is in suspense about those events will have to wait longer, unfortunately.

The Hidden Legacy series is a series I recommend every chance I get! I loved Nevada’s trilogy and I love Catalina’s even more (Alessandro is SO SWOONY), and this book being another fantastic one just cements that love. This has the same elements I love from the other books: a strong heroine who doesn’t back down and thrills me with her strategy and smarts, a swoon-worthy and equally smart hero, a couple who makes an excellent team, an engaging and expertly-plotted story, and plenty of action. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves those things, and/or who loves superhero movies but wishes there were more romance!

I’m at a loss for what else to say that doesn’t spoil anything. I’m just begging you not to sleep on this series! It’s among my all-time favorites!

A stunning end to Catalina's story! Action, romance, drama, and a wedding all come together in a fast paced adventure. I love anything Andrew's writes and this one was not exception to the rule!

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

In Ruby Fever, we finally are reaching the end of Catalina and Alessandro's story. In this book, we also finally get some long-awaited answers to questions we were still left with at the of the original trilogy focused on Nevada and Connor.

This finale starts off with an instant bang. I won't reveal any major spoilers, but let's just say that within the first 1-2 chapters, big things happen that leave Catalina with more responsibility as Deputy Warden than she has ever had to assume before. The stakes are even higher than in previous books as Catalina and Alessandro have to figure out what to do about Arkan and Xavier while also dealing with additional headaches that come with the introduction of new high-ranking political magic users from other countries. Additionally, Alessandro's family is still determined as ever to marry him off to some rich heiress. So, there's a lot that is being thrown at Catalina and Alessandro. As a result, in true Ilona Andrews form, there are twists and turns galore that keep you guessing as to what is going to happen next and how Catalina, Alessandro, and the Baylors will respond to it. Overall, the book as a whole is another great Hidden Legacy read with us learning more about Catalina's powers, Alessandro's family, new magical users from the other side of the globe, Victoria Tremaine, and Linus Duncan. The fleshing out of the characters and learning more and more about their backgrounds and motivations was probably my favorite part of the book.

And now, a few things I wasn't the biggest fan of and the reason why I took a star off for my review. As I said at the very beginning, we finally get some answers to some BIG questions that we've been left asking since the very first book of the series; that's right. We finally get answers to the Caesar conflict in books 1-3. I have to say that the answer to the this question was a bit of a letdown for me. One thing that I always love and appreciate about Ilona and Gordon's characters is the fact that so many are flawed and morally grey in my humble opinion. Take, Victoria Tremaine. We know that she is the very definition of an Evil Grandmother, and yet at the end of Emerald Blaze, she was a total softie when she finally met the grandson she had pretended to not give a care about and had threatened earlier on in the book. Victoria is unapologetic in her ruthlessness and willingness to go to any lengths to get what she wants, especially when it comes to protecting her family and its legacy. There are times where you both love and hate her at the same time. I was shocked while reading Ruby Fever because I even found myself sympathizing with the Evil Grandmother. And, yet, I loved it because it just goes to show how complex Victoria is as a character, and I find this to be one of the Andrews' greatest writing strengths; their star characters are never one-dimensional. So, when the BIG reveal to the this big question was being teased before the book's release, I went into Ruby Fever expecting a lot of conflict and complexity surrounding the character at the center of the BIG reveal. I honestly expected it to almost be as big of a conflict for the Baylors to wade through as Arkan given how much it was likely to affect their family and relationships with certain other characters. Also, remember that this was the overarching conflict of the first three books that focused on Nevada and Connor, and it was never fully resolved. So, despite this figure not looming over Catalina and Alessandro like it did N+C, it was still a really big deal for me as a reader. Caesar was my Roland, and I couldn't wait to see the full BIG reveal on him/her. Unfortunately, I felt like the BIG reveal was very easily explained away, and though Catalina has not simply forgiven this person for what they did in the first three books of the Hidden Legacy series, I still felt like the build up over 6 books in relation to the conflict was just not met with an equally gut-wrenching resolution. And since Catalina's story is now over, I'm left feeling even more torn by the quick wrap up of that particular conflict. If there are more HL books, Catalina's POV is not likely to be featured. I wanted to see how she would wrestle with that dilemma, and I felt like she had to compartmentalize that problem in the face of even bigger problems/dangers she was facing at the same time. While she might still be very conflicted over how she feels about the BIG reveal, we likely won't see it explored in depth given that Arabella's story appears to be coming next if the HL series is continued. Speaking of Arabella possibly being the next MC, the introduction to her potential LI was also a bit off-putting. Don't get me wrong; I love who the person is, and I love how their first interaction went down. However, the conflict that led to that interaction happening in the first place felt very random and like it was just dropped in for the sake of having an excuse for Arabella to interact with this particular person.

Overall, however, I really enjoyed Ruby Fever and Catalina and Alessandro's story arc over the three books focused on them. I'm sad to see Hidden Legacies come to an end and truly hope that Ilona and Gordon decide to continue the series with Arabella's story. The Baylors are such a fun and loving family; I truly am not ready to let them go!

I’ve read other series by the author but nothing in the Ruby Fever series before. I was thrilled to get the chance to read and review this book. The story stands on its own, although I look forward to reading the rest of the series and re-reading this one for the character cameos I’ve come to expect from Andrews.

There’s just enough…ahem…”spicy eggplant” in this story. It’s not the plot focus but adds a bit of sizzle when you want it.

Andrews writing blends matter of fact and fantastical in the same sentence. Their world building is on par with greats such as Ursula Le Guin. Even though the characters have magical abilities and live in a world of magic, you get the “Everyman” feel from them that allows you to relate and root for them to do well.

All in all, a fantastic addition to Andrews works. Highly recommend for anyone who might be interested in dipping their mental toes into this world.

First a caveat, I am a huge fan of the authors and read everything they publish including their emailed newsletter. I had read via their newsletters several chapters in advance of this version.

I started reading Ruby Fever thinking that this was a focus on the youngest sister, Arabella. It wasn't, though all of the family members, including unexpected family members show up. In fact, the changes to Arabella, as their business person, seem a little disconnected from the last time I read about her, except that children grow up and I like who she is becoming.

This book is the conclusion of Catalina & Alessandro's story. It brings new magic possibilities, changes in their families, and a romance that continues to grow stronger despite the appearance of Alessandro's fiance. Whoops.
I enjoyed this book. There is humor though I might have wished for a little more, the story does in fact move at a quick pace. Can't wait for the next one.

Chances are, anyone considering reading this book has already read the other books in Catalina’s trilogy and has been eagerly anticipating the conclusion of her story arc for over a year. While this is the 6th full-length novel in the series, I would have to say it’s not completely necessary to read all the previous books before diving into this one. Ilona Andrews does not write cliffhangers into their series; each book has a main central conflict that is fully resolved by the end. There are of course threads of a broader story arc that connect all the books together, however the reader is provided enough description and backstory to enjoy this book on its own. I do recommend at least reading all of the Catalina-focused books in order to appreciate what she and Alessandro have been through together as well as relevant back story for the events in this book.

We’ve now been with Catalina through a novella and two full-length novels and we’ve seen her grow from a shy, reserved teenager afraid to use her abilities into the head of her House, the Deputy Warden of Texas, and a force to be reckoned with on her own, not to mention when teamed up with Alessandro. As a fan of everything Ilona Andrews, I have been eagerly waiting for this next installment in the Hidden Legacy series. This series is full of so many unique and well-developed primary and secondary characters, plus has been action-packed from the beginning, so I’ve been emotionally invested in finding out what happens to all of them. Not to mention, there are so many loose ends to tie up from all the previous books that I was wondering how they could possibly get it all resolved in one book. Fortunately for me, Ilona Andrews delivered in spades. We were thrust back into the action from the first page, with everything happening at once: the Warden is attacked, a major political figure is killed, and a prince from the Russian Imperium appears, all in the first couple chapters! As Catalina and Alessandro try to figure out who is behind the attacks, they are also gearing up for the final showdown with Arkan, the notorious assassin and crime lord who killed Alessandro’s father.

I loved everything about this book: the pacing, the continued world-building and details about all the different types of magic, Catalina and Alessandro’s moments together, the wide cast of supporting characters, the resolution of several long-running mysteries (the identity of Caesar and Catalina’s grandfather being the main ones), and of course the action. Every moment is woven together so perfectly. Catalina’s trilogy, much like the first three books that were focused on her older sister Nevada, is ultimately about her coming of age and finding her perfect match. Like Nevada, she had to realize that it is not weak to trust someone completely with your life and let them love you. Unlike Nevada, she had to undergo some very painful heartache to get there, which only helped to make what she and Alessandro have even more special. She is vulnerable when it comes to Alessandro, however she faces the vulnerability head-on in order to achieve her happily ever after.

My only MINOR complaint is that the book is too short. It ended with me wanting more. This really isn’t much of a dig on the book itself, because as I said previously, the pacing was on point. I don’t think we were shortchanged on any scenes, I just loved it so much that I didn’t want to have to say goodbye to the Baylors. I was pleased to see that even though a lot of the loose ends that have been around since the beginning are now resolved, there are still enough new threads to continue the story, should Ilona Andrews decide to write more. I know from reading their blog that this was a difficult book for them to write, which led to publishing delays. I hope that it wasn’t so terrible that they won’t consider writing more, once they are ready. As a fan, I will be thrilled to read it.

Ruby Fever starts with a simmer; ends with a bang.
Ilona Andrews is my go-to author god, or as they are a couple,,,,author-gods.
The world building is seamless and the characters cut you with their multi-facetedness. The paranormal activity is kept to a high and the action fast. Dialogue is smart, funny, and almost as creative as the story line.
The story line?
It's about a girl and a guy, and families both born and made. It's about ships colliding and the sky falling and magic and loyalty and being human.
Enjoy and say hey to the kids for me.

This book really packed a punch for me. It delivered all the closure I wanted while still leaving some open plot threads for possible future books in this universe. I've read other reviews that say that Alessandro and Catalina's romance didn't feel as strong as Rogan and Nevada's, and I would agree with that, but I think it's mainly because these last three books have just been so jam packed with plot and there is so much conspiring to keep these two apart. I really have no complaints about this book except sadness that it's over. I look forward to seeing whatever Ilona Andrews does next. I'm sure it will be spectacular.

What a fantastic end to Catalina’s story! It was a crazy, wild ride and I enjoyed every minute. Catalina and Alessandro were perfect together and the whole Baylor family are just wonderful. This whole series is amazing, it’s one of my favorites.

As wonderful as I hoped it would be!!!! 4.5 stars

I'm addicted to all things Ilona Andrews, that means I usually re-read series whenever new books are being released. Which I did for Ruby Fever too, and it's the best kind of reading experience.

Love the Baylor family, and Catalina was a wonderful heroine. Love her to pieces. The entire family actually.

Ruby Fever was wonderfully entertaining, with an awesome ending and revelation. Catalina and Alessandro were a fantastic couple! All of IA couples are just wonderful. They match, work well together, and the personal drama is low key, of course the action around them is sky high.

So, all in all a wonderful final chapter in this absolute fantastic urban fantasy series!!!!!!!

Genre: Urban fantasy romance
Tropes/Themes: Series, alpha male, strong female, action

I have fanatically supported Ilona Andrews for the last 4+ years — which is why it single-handedly made my month to read and review Ruby Fever, the last book of Catalina and Alessandro’s trilogy in the Hidden Legacy series (#6). Not only that, but I had the opportunity to suggest a minor detail correction in the novel which the authors themselves responded to!

The exciting and action-packed series continues when, in the course of hours involving an attack on Linus Duncan, a high-profile assassination, and the arrival of a Russian prince, Catalina and Alessandro are forced to uncover and make sense of this mess. Catalina and Alessandro’s love is now firmly established, but their chemistry remains potent and this book has some satisfying steamy moments!

One of the strengths of Ilona Andrews’ writing has always been logistical and technical details balanced with humor, well fleshed out characters, and snappy dialogue. Ruby Fever contains all of the above in spades, in addition to the satisfaction of pretty definitively resolving some hanging plot threads from the main story arc. You also get a very full cast of characters put together over the course of this book, and it’s so enjoyable to see those dynamics played out face to face.

Most of all, Ruby Fever felt the most “resolved” in comparison to Nevada’s story in the first 3 Hidden Legacy books. One of Nevada’s strengths was her decisiveness and strong will, but she remained fairly consistent throughout her story. Out of the 3 Baylor sisters, Catalina definitely felt like the one with the most progressive character development, so seeing her rise up to her full potential and really showcase her skills, resilience, and intelligence has been particularly poignant (and in a way, even more difficult to part from).

All in all, this was definitely, hands down, a 5/5 star read. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity!!

Let me just start by saying I am not totally unbiased when it comes to this author duo; everything that comes from them is creative, impressive, and as a rabid reader- never enough! Ruby Fever is the latest installment in the Hidden Legacy series. The Hidden Legacy series is an urban fantasy series about popularized magic users, politics, and the conspiracies to make a nation fall. This installment is the last about Catalina Baylor, siren and leader of her house, who is looking for her happiness in a world on the brink of ruin.

This would be a difficult story to fall into if you haven't read the previous books. Husband and wife writing team, Andrews, has done it again in creating a fast paced world of intrigue, wonder, and danger. This story is a wonderful conclusion to Catalina and Alessandro's romance that begin in the first set of Hidden Legacy books about Nevada. With each story I come to expect more and more so I hope the series continues with the youngest sister, Arabella.

5 stars!

Anyone who knows me knows I am an Ilona Andrews fangirl. I will read anything they write. This husband and wife writing duo is at the very tip-top of myt fantasy genre pyramid and I can’t get enough. Ruby Fever, Hidden Legacy #6, was my most anticipated book of 2022. So when it hit my Kindle I pushed everything aside and sat down to read, starting right after work and staying up late to finish.

Catalina Baylor is head of House Baylor and Deputy to the Warden of Texas. When Ruby Fever starts out the Baylors have just moved into their new compound and Catalina has said yes to Alessandro’s proposal of marriage. It doesn’t take long for the action to pick up when the head of the Assembly is found murdered and then Catalina and Alessandro discover that Linus Duncan, the all-powerful Warden of Texas, has also been attacked. They need to figure out who is taking out the leaders of the magical community of Houston fast and without creating panic.

This book is non-stop action from beginning to end. There is SO MUCH going on and the Baylors will have to use every single ally they’ve amassed in the last five books to help them triumph over what is to come. Arkan is determined to finish what he started when he murdered Alessandro’s father, there is a mystery to solve, and with Nevada and Connor’s attention on another threat, they are going to have to do it without them. That’s not even mentioning the Imperial Russian Prince with mysterious motives and a giant spider lost somewhere on the compound.

I believe that even if this is truly the end of the Hidden Legacy series (still hoping Arabella will have her own trilogy) readers will be completely satisfied by this conclusion. Every question is answered. There are quite a few big moments and confessions, with all those plot threads left dangling in previous books coming together to finally provide needed closure. Catalina is a badass and her love for her family is absolute, even when it’s hard and she has reservations and residual anger over their past actions.

Catalina and Alessandro are a wonderful couple and I loved seeing them support each other time and again, even when the Sagredo family promises her finance to another family in marriage and she has to contend with that nonsense yet again. These two stick together no matter what and I adored the sweet and sexy scenes between them.

It must be said that it’s the secondary characters who really breathe life and sparkle into this series. The witty banter and heartfelt devotion to each other is without equal. I have fallen in love with all of them. (I do have a soft spot for Leon). It was really nice to see them get that HEA they deserve in the end. While the Baylors are the main focus of the series, so many people who started out as side characters have become integral to the continuation of House Baylor and their success, and are now more like family than just magical allies.

Ruby Fever is a fantastic addition to the Hidden Legacy series. This epic conclusion of Catalina Baylor’s trilogy will feature prominently on my favorites shelf and is sure to become a beloved comfort reread. There is a scene at the end, that gives me hope that we will see more of this family in the future. And maybe, just maybe, Arabella will find her HEA as well.

Final grade- A+

ARC received by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Do you ever read a book and it kind of feels like coming home? This is all of Ilona Andrews books for me. I love them all and they are something that even in my most depressed state I can pick up and finish. Maybe because I know there will be a happily ever after in the end so I can just have fun along the ride. I am not sure but either way this is now one of my favorite series from them. While I loved Nevada, Catalina and Alessandro were really the two that ended up stealing the show. I also loved how they tied up all the lose knots while still leaving a little left behind just in case they decide to write another series in this world. I can't get into much more without spoiler territory but what I can say is that if you enjoyed the rest in this series you will especially love this book.