Death.

Nevada Baylor can’t decide which is more frustrating—harnessing her truthseeker abilities or dealing with Connor “Mad” Rogan and their evolving relationship. Yes, the billionaire Prime is helping her navigate the complex magical world in which she’s become a crucial player—and sometimes a pawn—but she also has to deal with his ex-fiancée, whose husband has disappeared, and whose damsel-in-distress act is wearing very, very thin.

Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she's used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit 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 Connor "Mad" Rogan.

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.

Review:

He stepped lightly, his stride sure and unhurried, like a huge jungle cat, an apex predator out for a prowl in his domain. There was no hint of submission anywhere in his body. He walked like he didn't know his spine could bend.

Oh my goodness...

How do they do it? How. Do. They. Do. It?

How do they make starting a new urban fantasy series look so damn easy? Are they even aware that it's meant to be hard? That people try and fail at this all the time? Could this be why the covers are so bloody awful? Is it to give other authors a fighting chance?

Just kidding. Except not really.

So here we are, ladles and jellyspoons. The #writing #goals pairing that is Ilona Andrews is gifting us mere mortals with another UF series (not PNR, as the fugly covers might suggest!). It's called the Hidden Legacy series, and there are two, very soon to be three, books out in it so far. Its dominant features are its imaginative and totally believable worldbuilding - an alternative history version of Houston that I would say, even at this early stage, seems of be of equal brilliance to their blockbusting Kate Daniels series' on-again-off-again magical Atlanta; an amazing, kick-ass female protagonist (Nevada), and a delicious if slightly morally questionable potential love interest (Mad Rogan!); and, of course, the superb writing of Ilona Andrews, which by now feels a bit like meeting an old friend, a friend who gently strokes your hair with padded oven mitt hands until you fall asleep. Or something.

Within this new world construct, it's already easy to see the tremendous potential for future stories, villains and magical abilities. The Andrews have given us a basic world template, but haven't set down too many rules within it. There has been no limit set as to the type or amount of magic you can have, and abilities so far range from telekinesis to precognition to teleportation... Basically, if they can imagine it, we can potentially have it, which is just SO exciting as a reader!

The world in a nutshell - A century and a half ago, a serum was discovered that can bring forth people's innate magical abilities. These abilities vary in nature as well as strength, and once triggered, become hereditary.  The present day result of all this is that magic=power, and the most powerful families or "houses" have already duked it out in years past to decide who's the top banana and have claimed territories and even have their own armies. Marriages are, for the most part, now simply alliances for creating the most gifted children to become heirs to each new branch, allowing the powerful families to stay powerful.

So, it's basically life [Jim], but not as we know it.

Our main character, Nevada, is a private investigator, and there was a healthy mystery element driving the plot here in Burn for Me. She's hired to bring in a rogue magic user hell bent on setting fire to the world, and in carrying out her duties, she inadvertently comes into contact with Connor "Mad" Rogan, a.k.a. The Scourge of Mexico. Doesn't he sound like a peach? Well, he was very interesting and complex, let me tell you. The two of them spent a lot of time together in this book, but it feels like we've only just begun to understand the many layers of Mad Rogan and Nevada Baylor. There's clearly going to be an ongoing will they?/won't they? here to keep readers glued to the pages. It already has me positively salivating and was my favourite aspect of the book!

As a first instalment goes, this was a lot closer to perfection than Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1) ever was. The worldbuilding and characterisation is noticeably cleaner. Reading was effortless, and putting the book down was tricky, even when my eyes were getting sore and scratchy. This really is a drop everything and read them all type of series, and that's precisely what I plan to do.

For UF fans, this is a complete no-brainer. Go and buy it immediately.

5 Stars ★★★★★

The Fearless. An army, powered by an incredible new serum that makes each soldier stronger, sharper, faster than their enemies. Intended as a force for good, the serum has a terrible side-effect - anyone who takes it is stripped of all humanity, empathy, love. And as the Fearless sweep through the country, forcing the serum on anyone in their path, society becomes a living nightmare.

Cass remembers the night they passed through her village. Her father was Altered. Her mother died soon after. All Cass has left is her little brother - and when Jori is snatched by the Fearless and taken to their hellish lair, Cass must risk everything to get him back.

Review:

Is it a Dystopian? Is it a Post-Apocalyptic? Is it a Zombie novel?

Answer: yes!

Whatever you do, don't dismiss FEARLESS as "just another YA dystopian" to be added to the ginormous pile currently littering the shelves, thanks largely to people like Veronica Roth and Suzanne Collins, with their massive successes and movie deals. Because although they are abundantly plentiful right now, many of them are only "okay", and some not even that. But I feel there are a few things that separate FEARLESS from the rest of the mush, and I'ma tell you what they are!

Thing one - it's set in the UK! Wahoo!

Call me biased about my own fair isle if you want, but I found it very refreshing and a real pleasure to be able to more easily imagine the basic scenery. But, that might not be a big selling point for most people reading this review, so for you guys I'll say it will be a chance for you to strengthen those imagination molecules a bit! Air them out, take them for a walk around the block and come and visit my side of the pond for a change! :)

Thing two - it's unpredictable and daring.

I was having wee flashbacks during parts of FEARLESS to a certain fantastic debut by another author you should know - Miss Susan Ee. Emma Pass, it seems, has a similar level of fearlessness (shnarf) when it comes to violence, gore and torturing her characters to within an inch of their sanity! Yay! I love a brave author. I love being shocked witless, and I love it when the stakes are so high I can't relax for a single second into thinking I can predict how the rest of the story will play out, because no one is safe under her pen. Don't you love it? Yah, me too!

Thing three - Cass!

As a main character, Cass was pretty fantastic. She is single-minded and steadfast throughout in her mission to retrieve her brother, and nothing - not growing romantic feelings or any other kind of testing loyalties - will stand in the way of her achieving that end. He is all that matters to her, the only family she has left, and I admired the heck out of her for that tenacity. Jori should count himself extremely lucky to have a big sis' like her!

Thing four - Myo!

Possibly my favourite thing about this book was the characterisation for Myo. He's a character that's introduced early on under a shroud of mystery, and getting to know him, particularly how different his life has been from Cass's on the island, and how he learned to cope, was completely compelling. As a potential love interest character, he is about as far from the stereotype for a YA "hero" as you can get. There is no alphanesss here, and he doesn't rely on a flawless hot bod to draw readers in, but that doesn't mean his character lacks strength. Or not to me, anyway. Strength can look different to different people, I suppose, but a survivor is a survivor no matter which way you cut it, and that sums up Myo's character perfectly. I loved him!

I haven't talked synopsis much - or, you know, at all - and it would be hard to do so without spoilers anyway, but I don't think I need to. The blurb tells you all you need to know about the scientifically screwed-over soldiers called the Fearless to get you started, and the rest I think you should experience for yourself.

A highly recommended 4 Stars! ★★★★
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

It's said that women and men are from two different planets when it comes to communication, but how can they overcome the obstacles of prehistoric times when one of them simply doesn't have the ability to comprehend language?

Ehd's a caveman living on his own in a harsh wilderness. He's strong and intelligent, but completely alone. When he finds a beautiful young woman in his pit trap, it's obvious to him that she is meant to be his mate. He doesn't know where she came from, she's wearing some pretty odd clothing, and she makes a lot of noises with her mouth that give him a headache. Still, he's determined to fulfil his purpose in life - provide for her, protect her, and put a baby in her.

Elizabeth doesn't know where she is or exactly how she got there. She's confused and distressed by her predicament, and there's a caveman hauling her back to his cavehome. She's not at all interested in Ehd's primitive advances, and she just can't seem to get him to listen. No matter what she tries, getting her point across to this primitive but beautiful man is a constant - and often hilarious - struggle.

With only each other for company, they must rely on one another to fight the dangers of the wild and prepare for the winter months. As they struggle to coexist, theirs becomes a love story that transcends language and time.

Review:

Ed and Beh forever!

This was one of those titles whose premise was just too intriguing to resist! I stumbled across it via Goodreads (thank you to whoever rated it five stars and made it appear in my feed!). I mean, a caveman and a modern-day woman, divided by a language barrier and about a gazillion years of evolution, thrown together in a virtual melting pot just to see what happens? I don't know about you, but I needed to see how that turned out! Then, to find out it was all written in the caveman's POV? Ah, I'm in literary escapism heaven!!!!

Seriously, it was so much fun, I couldn't tear my eyes away from it. And what I really loved was because it's all written in caveman Ehd's POV, we can only deduce from his descriptions where (and when) Beh comes from. How he describes her funny clothes, the coloured smudges on her eyelids, her shiny straight hair that smells of fruit. This isn't the first romance I've read where the hero and heroine don't share a common language, and I'm definitely finding that I really enjoy stories with this trope. The fact that they have to learn other ways to communicate means I get more of what I love - the small actions, movements and gestures, facial expressions and meaningful looks that often portray much more than words ever could anyway.

In terms of plot, essentially, I've already summed that up for you - it's simply what happens when these two very different creatures are thrown together in isolation during dangerous times and with a limited ability to communicate. Added to this is the fact that Ehd has been alone for several seasons and was just about to let the hunger take him when Beh appeared out of nowhere in his pit trap, and suddenly he has a reason to live, to hunt, someone to protect - a mate. It just might not be quite was Beh is looking for at first... :)

Ehd's narration was so adorable! His confusion over his new mate's strange behaviour and annoying squawking sounds - it was too cute! And why doesn't Beh know she's supposed to be making baskets out of the reeds while he hunts? Everyone knows this! lol. 

The only difficult pill to swallow regarding this book was how we're reading Ehd's narration, written in perfect English with a decent vocabulary, and yet Ehd cannot, and will not ever, be able to speak, so it's a little confusing how we're hearing his "voice" and the thoughts he's forming if you see what I mean? But who cares? I don't! I wouldn't have wanted anything but his perspective on events, because it was so endearing, so enchanting...Gah! Even when he was being a typical caveman and a bit of a butthead, because we knew what he was thinking, it all made perfect sense. *sigh*

I'd recommend Transcendence to every fan of romance, regardless of your interest in time travel (or cavemen). It's an odd duck, but I promise you won't regret picking it up.

5 Stars ★★★★★

The moment the demon King Thorne of the Third Realm set eyes on the mortal huntress Sable, he knew she was his fated one. The fiery, dangerous female awakened hungers he had never experienced before, a dark craving and passion that has consumed him in their time apart. As the lunar cycle wanes, she enters his world again and nothing will stand in the way of him claiming his forever with her—not the relentless assault from the Fifth Realm or the dark elf male determined to seduce her out of his grasp.

Intent on achieving the coveted position of commander at Archangel, Sable leads her small team into the dark underworld and the Third Realm, to a war where her allies are the very creatures she normally hunts—vampires, werewolves, and demons. Her eagerness to lead the deadly mission has everything to do with winning her promotion, and nothing to do with the kingdom’s brash, lethally seductive demon king—a king who stirred fierce desire and wildfire heat in her with just a look and an innocent touch when they first met, and has been in her wicked dreams ever since.

As the gathering storm between rivals unleashes irresistible passion that flares white-hot and the heat of the battle brings life-shattering realisations, can Sable place her duty before her heart? Or will she surrender to her deepest desires and be claimed by a demon king?

Review:

Hell Never Looked So Good

Felicity Heaton has only been on my reading radar for all of a nano second, but nonetheless, she is quickly creeping her way to the top of the ladder, finding her place on my Favourite Paranormal Romance Writers Of All Time list. That's quite a statement to make after only two books, but so far, she hasn't put a foot wrong for me.

I think a lot of it comes down to my personal feeling about a certain type of Alpha male. This is a tricky area, which can either make or break my enjoyment of a PNR. I would say if you're a fan of Kresley Cole's heroes, who are very male, controlled by slightly Neanderthallic instincts of protectiveness and "claiming", but are ultimately good people, who love their fated ones beyond all others and all reason, then you'll enjoy Heaton's style too.

You may recall the heroine, Sable, as the BFF of Olivia from book one. Although she's her opposite in almost every way; hard where Olivia is soft, fearless, strong, and a total badass. You know, for a human, anyway. She finds herself the object of not one immortal warrior's affection in Claimed by a Demon King, but two! However, only one is serious about making her his for eternity, and that's King Thorne.

Do you remember Thorne from book one? He appeared in his slightly scary demonic form at the Archangel lab (I think that was where it was) and had a very unnerving reaction to Sable. Of course, we now know that reaction was him recognizing his fated one. I just loved how Thorne tried to give Sable as long as demonically possible to come to terms with the fact that she was his. Not only that, he did everything to make her stay at his home more enjoyable. Trying to make her "hung over" food after she indulged too much on demon spirits from Hell. Quite literally. He was the most adorable demon and a beautiful man. And a virgin to boot! *dies of hormones*

Sable was amazing too. She coped admirably with all the changes despite her reticence, and was a formidable ally for Thorne. There was also more to her supernatural ability to sense danger, which was a very interesting twist that also had the benefit of introducing us to new characters and broadening the scope of the worldbuilding even further.

Do you know who kind of annoyed me in this one? Olivia! And I loved her in her own book!. But she was doing that thing where they know they're the weak link and need protecting, but insist on going with their mate to every dangerous situation, and pouting when they say "not a chance"! Ack!

Oh well. As you can see, that wasn't nearly enough to dull my enjoyment, and it's another five star rating for book two of the Eternal Mates series. Bring on the next!

5 Stars ★★★★★
ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Jask Tao, lycan leader, rules his pack with absolute dedication and demands the same loyalty in return. In the world of Blackthorn, where respect is a rare commodity, Jask has earned his – few dare to cross him, and fewer survive to tell the tale.

When he captures Sophia, a rare serryn witch – whose blood is lethal to vampires – Jask knows just how valuable she can be. Despite her fiery nature, he also can’t shake the feelings that she rouses in him – feelings that he thought died along with Ellen, his mate.

Sophia knows she has to escape from Jask’s lycan compound – and fast. Inheriting her sister’s serryn powers can only mean one thing – that her family is at risk. She’ll have to get past the dangerously attractive Jask first but, scarred by memories of her mother’s murder, Sophia won’t ever give up.

Sparks fly between Jask and Sophia but, as both her family and the pack come under threat, they might just need each other if they, and their loved ones, are going to stay alive…

In this thrillingly sensual novel, Lindsay J. Pryor returns to the shadowy dystopian world of Blackthorn, where tensions are rising, the risks are high, and the most powerful loves are formed in the face of great danger.