It’s been a little while since I’ve done one of these hasn’t it? I have missed you guys, but I will say I may not be doing these weekly, simply because I haven’t done anything lately so what will I fill you in on?

What has happened lately? My boiler sprung a leak which was a fun discovery a couple of weekends ago, but I got someone and he said it was a common problem, a small plastic part had become brittle and just needed replacing. I haven’t had anyone in the house in a while so having the repair man in was weird! He worse a mask the whole time and had little plastic shoe covers on and was really friendly. It was a relief to finally have the heating back on and not worry about breaking the boiler further to have a shower.

It seems to be the past couple of weeks it’s been about things going wrong, in the middle of the night my smoke alarm battery started to go and did that wonderful beeping thing to inform me. It beeps once a minute until you change it. Who keeps 9v batteries in the house? And when I tried to take the battery out it beeped at me louder! It was not what I wanted at midnight on a work night. I fully felt like Phoebe from Friends on this one. I got new batteries the next day and just had a rather restless nights sleep until then. I didn’t even know the smoke alarm worked! I meant to test it when I moved in and just never got round to it so at least I know it works?

What else? Honestly, I have done nothing. I had a ridiculously long video call with friends which was so nice. I think I forgot how much I missed my friends and I’m sad as the UK government has announced that my area will have the highest restrictions in place when our mini lockdown ends next week. We can still only meet outdoors and the weather has just been getting colder and colder so we probably won’t get to catch up in person before Christmas, not properly. I understand why, the restrictions are right and fair, but I reserve the right to be disappointed by the news all the same.

We are apparently allowed to expand our bubble to 3 households at Christmas though… but the standard number of households we usually have at Christmas is 6 so I’m not too sure what’s happening there. Can’t expect my mom and stepdad to pick their favourites on who can see them so I’m kind of thinking about cancelling Christmas this year. I’m seeing so many Christmas decorations going up along my street, everyone seems to be lighting the outside of their house up like Blackpool Illuminations (follow the link on that one because if you aren’t from the UK you will not understand that reference). Half of my street have had their decorations up for about 2 weeks and it’s making me even more anti-Christmas. I don’t own any decorations as I moved in after Christmas last year but now I’m thinking I won’t bother buying any. It’s not like anyone will be coming in the house over Christmas so the only person seeing the decorations would be and I honestly don’t care. I think I’m just ready to get this year over with in the hopes next year will be better. This pandemic has been pretty shit and I definitely feel like I’ve lost a year of my life.

I have spent the past few days thinking about next year, though. I turn 30 at the end of February and although I don’t think I’ll be able to do anything on my birthday, I am hoping I can do something at some point next year to celebrate. Anyone got any good ideas of things to do? I have been wracking my brain for things I’ve always wanted to do or places I’ve always wanted to go but I’ve drawn a total blank. I just really want something fun to look forward to with my friends, we all need it I think.

What I’ve Been Reading

Since I started blogging again my reading game has been strong! I do feel abject fear after finishing a book as I try and figure out what to read next but I am so happy to be reading again and even have a reading challenge lined up for winter in the form of #SnowInLoveBingo which I am very excited to start. I will say I’ve included everything I’ve read for the whole month since I didn’t do a proper wrap up since coming back. I am kind of impressed at how much I’ve read lately. I’ve loved catching up with the Hidden Legacy series, can’t wait for the next book. Ice Planet Barbarians was crazy sauce and hilarious, great easy KU borrow. The Lady’s Champion was also a KU borrow and it was alright I might continue the series we’ll see. I enjoyed The Poet X but that ending! If you’ve read that book how did you feel about the end. And then I read 2 old books from my Kindle because I really do need to clear my shelves and enjoyed both.

I won’t show you the new to me books because I haven’t bought any. I did buy the gorgeous new mug in at Words & Kisses which is pretty and there’s a historical one as well which hasn’t come in yet but you can preorder.

What have you been up to lately? Anyone else feeling anti-Christmas because of the pandemic or have just become the Grinch?

Emerald Blaze (Hidden Legacy #5) – Ilona Andrews

Published: 25th August 2020

Source: Purchased

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance

My Rating:

As Prime magic users, Catalina Baylor and her sisters have extraordinary powers—powers their ruthless grandmother would love to control. Catalina can earn her family some protection working as deputy to the Warden of Texas, overseeing breaches of magic law in the state, but that has risks as well. When House Baylor is under attack and monsters haunt her every step, Catalina is forced to rely on handsome, dangerous Alessandro Sagredo, the Prime who crushed her heart.

The nightmare that Alessandro has fought since childhood has come roaring back to life, but now Catalina is under threat. Not even his lifelong quest for revenge will stop him from keeping her safe, even if every battle could be his last. Because Catalina won't rest until she stops the use of the illicit, power-granting serum that's tearing their world apart.

I will always say when I am wrong. And I was wrong in my review of Sapphire Flames, Alessandro is amazing and these books do not fall down on their romance. They just take a whole to develop.

I immediately began reading Emerald Blaze almost immediately after finishing Sapphire Flames. I may have had some grumbles after finishing the last book but  I did really enjoy the story and I loved all of the characters in the Hidden Legacy series (even if Alessandro had failed to impress me). I was excited to see how Catalina’s new role within the National Assembly and  working with Linus would change things and I really wanted to see what was next for her with her grandmother, Victoria. I have a bit of a soft spot for Victoria Tremaine, she is in no way a good person, but I find her really interesting her schemes and her plans. She seems like she is on the side of the Baylor’s even when she’s hatching ridiculous plots to work against them.

I’ll begin talking about the romance because that is where the last book fell down for me but I am here to eat my words and say I was wrong. I wasn’t convinced by the connection between Alessandro and Catalina before, it felt forced as there wasn’t enough history between the two to explain this connection they seemed to have. I think the fact Alessandro was constantly keeping things to himself and refused to answer questions yet expected Catalina to fall all over him was ridiculous. He had respect for Catalina but wasn’t seeing her for the badass she so obviously was. I think he was fooled by her quiet introversion and I didn’t like that because I knew she could totally handle herself. This time around he arrived with full respect for her abilities and expected nothing from her but hoped that she would let him protect her. I liked him so much more when he was giving Catalina the control in the relationship. Did he always do as he was told? Hell no, but you could tell he was following Catalina’s lead and just hoped that she would give him something. I also believed Catalina and her heartbreak so much more than her fantasy love for an Alessandro she hardly knew from the last book. I believed it this time around and I enjoyed the book so much more because of it. I was hoping they could find a way to be together which never happened last time around.

I really loved the plot of this one, as well. The last book was interesting, there is always a good plot with an Ilona Andrews book as you figure who did what where and figuring out who the bad guy is. But this time I couldn’t stop reading. Sure, I think the first 30% of the book was a little slower. There was the build up of what the plot would be and who the major players were, but once you figured that out I was just there for the ride. Ilona Andrews manages to write a fast paced plot interspersed with some good quieter moments of the characters just being together with friends or family and I love that.

And my favourite part? That will always be the Baylor family and their friends. I loved seeing Nevada and Rogan in this one, they didn’t get enough page time before. It’s always fun to see characters you have followed in previous books from another characters perspective. I just really love those guys. They aren’t the only ones I love, though. Leon got more page time and it was great, he is such a fun character who is way too impulsive, but he cares about his family and definitely puts on a persona to deal with some of what he has to do with his abilities. And Arabella! When she was talking about how she just stood there and let someone shout at her I so felt her pain that she didn’t react. I really hope this series continues and we get some books from her perspective because she is so entertaining and the total opposite to Catalina and Nevada. You know she would be fun.

I think I’ve done a terrible job of reviewing this book but I just really enjoyed it. I love this series way more than the Kate Daniels series and cannot wait to see what comes next.

Have you read this book or this series? And have you ever been forced t eat your words about a series when the next book proves you wrong?

Anyone who has followed my blog for any length of time will know I have a book buying problem. I just really like having plenty to read and I am a sucker for a good deal. I know plenty of bloggers who do features like this. In fact, I’ve attempted similar things a few times because I admit I have far too many books to read that will probably never be finished. I will essentially be doing what I should have done in the first place and reading a couple of chapters from each book (essentially the sample you can download for all Kindle books) and deciding should it stay or should it go? If you don’t have The Clash after reading that line I’m not sure we can be friends.

You might say how can you read just a chapter or two to decide if you should keep a book on your shelf? Well, it’s simple. I’m pretty brutal about DNFing a book anyway so declaring a book gone should be easy. You can normally tell if the writing is for you quite quickly and sometimes a character instantly doesn’t click and you just know. That’s the hope anyway.

Now, onto the books. I delved to some of the older books on my shelves and collected a few romance looking reads to see if I should keep them on my shelves.

The Law of Moses (The Law of Moses #1) – Amy Harmon

If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear. You will know it’s coming, and it will hurt. But you’ll be able to prepare.

Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news – the little baby left in a basket at a dingy Laundromat, born to a crack addict and expected to have all sorts of problems. I imagined the crack baby, Moses, having a giant crack that ran down his body, like he’d been broken at birth. I knew that wasn’t what the term meant, but the image stuck in my mind. Maybe the fact that he was broken drew me to him from the start.

It all happened before I was born, and by the time I met Moses and my mom told me all about him, the story was old news and nobody wanted anything to do with him. People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids, and kids grow up to be teenagers. Nobody wants a messed up teenager.

And Moses was messed up. Moses was a law unto himself. But he was also strange and exotic and beautiful. To be with him would change my life in ways I could never have imagined. Maybe I should have stayed away. Maybe I should have listened. My mother warned me. Even Moses warned me. But I didn’t stay away.

And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. A story of before and after, of new beginnings and never-endings. But most of all...a love story.

I read the prologue and the first chapter of this book. I had originally intended to read just the first chapter but that would have just been the prologue and it was appropriately vague, which is typical of a lot a New Adult reads. I mean, it opens saying simply ‘I lost him’ if that isn’t suitably angsty then I don’t know what is. As I said, I’d intended to just read the first chapter but as the prologue was so vague I needed to read more, which I suppose is a positive sign. it means it hooked me in, right?

I don’t know about this one. I am intrigued by the story but I also think I definitely need to be in the right mood for it because otherwise it will just be a frustrating read for me. I have another book from this author on my TBR so I figure I need to give this one a shot first as I own a copy and then decide if I’ll read that other book.

Verdict

It can stay for now.

The Paper Swan – Leylah Attar

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.
They lie.
For 21 days she held on.
But on Day 22, she would have given anything for the sweet slumber of death.
Because on Day 22, she realizes that her only way out means certain death for one of the two men she loves.

A haunting tale of passion, loss, and redemption, The Paper Swan is a darkly intense yet heartwarming love story, textured with grit, intrigue, and suspense. Please note: This is NOT a love triangle.

I read the book summary and saw this was captor/captive romance and wanted to slap.myself. That's a hard pass from me what was I thinking when I.bought this?

I read the first 2 chapters and let me tell you I am not there for it. I have to be recced a romance like this one because otherwise it just screams Stockholm syndrome and I will not be able to enjoy it. I need someone to vt it for me so I know the pay off is worth it. I mean the MC seems like I could likely her. Yes she's a rich heiress but I think I could put up with her privilege but the kidnapping storyline? Blergh. And then I went on Goodreads and no one I'm friends with has read it. Past Becky's impulse buy was not a winner. I mean, the writing wasn’t terrible but I just felt uncomfortable with our MC being kidnapped and transported into Mexico (I think that’s where they were going). Honestly, past Becky made poor life choices. Definitely need to learn from my mistakes.

Verdict

Hard pass, definitely going on the ‘never gonna read’ shelf (I just can’t quite bring myself to permanently delete books I paid for).

Under Her Skin (Blank Canvas #1) – Adriana Anders

Her Body is His Canvas

A darkly possessive relationship has left Uma alone and on the run. Beneath her drab clothing, she hides a terrible secret—proof of her abuse, tattooed onto her skin in a lurid reminder of everything she’s survived.

 

Caught between a brutal past and an uncertain future, Uma’s reluctant to bare herself to anyone…much less a rough ex-con whose rage drives him in ways she will never understand. But beneath his frightening exterior, Ivan is gentle. Warm. Compassionate. And just as determined to heal Uma’s broken heart as he is to destroy the monster who left his mark scrawled across the delicate tapestry of her skin.

This one has been on my kindle forever but the whole fleeing an abusive relationship thing is so not my usual jam. I actually got this after either reading about it on Smart Bitches or after hearing about it on their podcast (possibly both). It’s definitely a book I need to be in the right mood for. I think it'll be a great read and powerful. I'll be cheering the MC on for moving on and getting out but the emotional upheaval I'll go through reading it? I've put it off as I’ve just not felt ready for it.

After reading the first chapter I just know it'll be a good one and I kind of regret waiting to read. Uma seems strong she's panicking about how she'll manage to keep moving forward but she seems strong. Yes she panicked and has questionable coping mechanisms but who am I to judge? And Ivan? He seems like he's the potential to be a total softy considering he looks gruff as but has a totally lovely suburban looking home he must be a good guy. Especially as he's mowing his weird neighbours lawn.

Verdict

Definitely staying, and may even be my next read.

Easy Love (Boudreaux #1) – Kristen Proby

Eli Boudreaux’s family has built ships and boats in Louisiana for generations. He comes from a hard working, wealthy family and his empire is growing by leaps and bounds. At thirty, he is the youngest CEO to ever head Bayou Enterprises, co-chairing with his eldest brother. His head for business and his no-nonsense work ethic is also quickly making him the best the company has seen in generations. His staff admires him, women adore him and Eli’s family is solid. But he’s recently discovered that someone on the inside of his business is stealing from him and he’s determined to find out who.

Kate O’Shaughnessy is hired by companies all over the world to slip inside and investigate every member of the organization from the CEO down to the custodial staff to find the person or persons responsible for embezzling. She’s excellent at blending, becoming part of the team, and finding the weakest link. She’s smart, quick-witted, and she’s now been hired by Bayou Enterprises, specifically Eli Boudreaux. The attraction is immediate and the chemistry is off the charts, but Kate has heard all about Eli’s playboy past and she has a job to do. Sleeping with the boss isn’t a part of that job, even if just the sound of her name rolling off that Cajun tongue and the way he fills out a designer suit does make her sweat.

Eli’s southern charms surprise Kate. The man whose reputation labels him as a ruthless, callous womanizer is not the man she’s coming to know intimately. He’s generous, protective and makes her smile. Cracking through Kate’s cool, reserved demeanor and discovering her love of sexy, expensive lingerie is a challenge Eli can’t resist, but her sweet nature, love of family and sense of humor pull at him in ways no one else ever has.

But when the person responsible for trying to single-handedly dismantle Eli’s empire comes to light, and it’s time for Kate to move on, to what lengths will Eli go to keep the woman he’s fallen in love with by his side?

I know exactly why this is on my kindle. It was a freebie and it’s set in New Orleans. Both are things I love in a book. I am, and have always been, a sucker for a NOLA setting. I fully recognise it’s because I loved Gambit from X-Men when I was a kid and so it left me fascinated with that city. I then visited a few years ago and loved it there (the humidity is killer and those storms were insane) but it does mean many a bad book has landed in my shelves.

This wasn’t terrible, the writing was ok but we’ve got a man whore told to stay away from the woman brought in to identify who is embezzling from them. We all know where it’s going to go and the characters didn’t stand out enough to make me want to carry on. And I guess that’s the thing, I don’t mind an OK book now and again, but when it’s been sat on my Kindle for two or three years then I kind of want to be wowed by it. This didn’t stand out and so my motivation was low to keep on reading, the first chapter felt like a chore.

Verdict

It’s outta here.

Undecided (Burnham College) – Julianna Keyes

Nora Kincaid has one goal for her second year of college: be invisible. Last year’s all-party-no-study strategy resulted in three failed classes and two criminal charges, and if she messes up again she’ll lose her scholarship. But there’s one problem with her plan for invisibility, and his name is Crosbie Lucas: infamous party king, general hellraiser…and her new roommate’s best friend.

Crosbie’s reckless reputation and well-known sexcapades aren’t part of Nora’s studious new strategy, but as she’s quickly learning, her new plan is also really boring. When Crosbie’s unexpected gestures of friendship pull her head out of her books long enough to see past his cocky veneer, she’s surprised to find a flawed and funny guy beneath it all. The muscles don’t hurt, either.

But as Nora starts to fall for Crosbie, the weight of one of last year’s bad decisions grows even heavier. Because three failing grades and two misdemeanors are nothing compared to the one big secret she’s hiding…

I remember stumbling across this one a few years ago. All the bloggers I followed were talking about it and eventually I treated myself. Then this poor book sat on my shelf gathering dust because I just didn’t fancy reading it. i went off college sat books, NA became a genre I sort of avoided reading it. Also, I’d hyped it up in my head and I worried it wouldn’t meet expectations. Then it just becomes a thing doesn’t it? You avoid reading because that’s what you’ve always done.

Thankfully, hype didn’t kill this book, I read the first chapter and the writing style was fun. Nora sounds like a great MC and you know there’s gonna be some funny situations happening. I think my biggest issue with NA is the male MC is always the most alpha male ever and it gets annoying. I only got a glimpse of them but I don’t think that’s the case here. I want to know how Nora went so off of the rails and how exactly things will go this year. I just feel like this will be a really good chillout read.

Verdict

It’s staying and I can’t wait to read.

And there are a few books I’ve looked at on my shelves lately. Have you read any of these? And do you do this sometimes to try and clear up your shelves a bit or are you smart and just don’t impulse buy?

When I was writing up post ideas a big one which really got me excited to write was one about Book Awards. My mind bounced in a million different directions when trying to think of where to go with this post. The obvious route for me was Goodreads. It’s one annual book award I actually pay a small amount of attention to. Usually because you are given little option when you go onto the Goodreads website the end of the year they pretty much shove it in your face to vote. But then complaining about the Goodreads awards feels too obvious and feels pointless when some bloggers who are far more hardworking and proactive than me have created The Swoon Awards to vote in for romance books instead (if your read romance, seriously go check it out. You can nominate until the 31st December).

This left me a little stumped over where to go because I really liked the idea of a post about book awards but if my complaining post is redundant where do I go instead?

I thought long and hard and then thought to myself why do I even get so bothered by the Goodreads awards? I looked through the romance nominations for the past few years and I’ve read less than half of the books nominated each year. It shocked me for a moment, can I really be deemed a romance reader when I’ve not read so many popular romance books? I get the same feeling of being a fraud when I see lists which list the best romances ever and I’ve not read half of them. Why haven’t I read more romance?

But then I remember I didn’t properly recognise the brilliance of the romance genre for years and it was only the past few years I really began reading a lot of them so of course I won’t have read books that some deem as classics of the genre because a lot of these apparent ‘classics’ are in fact a little problematic (which the majority of romance readers recognise and do point out to newer readers as it won’t always be a good fit for them). And the other important thing to remember is that just because it’s popular does that really mean it’s good? I mean, look at the Goodreads awards, the books in the romance category tend towards authors with a large fanbase. Colleen Hoover has appeared in it every year without fail, sometimes she wins and sometimes she doesn’t but she has a large fanbase. This means her books usually come high up with the number of votes she receives. Then there’s E.L James, I think we can all agree that the 50 Shades series isn’t great, but it’s popular. Everyone and your mom (or even your nan) has read it. It means lots of people vote for it even when they don’t necessarily read a lot of romance. But it’s a perfect example of ‘just because it’s popular does not mean it’s good’.

Of course, I’m not saying that the winners books, or even the nominees are bad. Of course they aren’t, they’re on that list because it is recognised that a lot of people have been enjoying reading them. Some of them may not hold up with their popularity over the years, but the year they were nominated readers were talking about it. I think the Goodreads Award is great at recognising the books which are popular and readers are normally talking about each year. It is flawed because anyone can vote even if they’ve not read a single book on that list. Books which have mainstream popularity are more likely to win. I shouldn’t worry about reading all of the books on the list but if I have read them great. I love when books make the list I’ve enjoyed and if I see authors who I’ve loved appear on it I am celebrating with them. It’s a great point of recognition for authors, it shows they’re popular and I can begrudge no one for being excited about that.

So after writing this post you might be thinking maybe I won’t do my own nominations for The Swoon Awards and I most certainly won’t stress about it when I does. You know what I say to that? I say you obviously don’t know me because of course I’m going to stress about it. I’m going to stress about it right up until I hit submit on my nominations because that is just the type of person I am. Just because popular does not necessarily mean good I still want the books I love to get some recognition because that is nice for authors to get. I may not always agree with winners of the Goodreads Awards, but even I recognise the winner’s are books which are popular and you can’t help but pay a touch more attention to them just to see what the hype is about. I know that doesn’t mean they’re good, but as long as nothing problematic has come out about them, I’ll probably read just to find out what everyone else sees.

What are your thoughts? Do you follow book awards closely? Do you see it more as what’s popular for a year or that these books are the best?

I had originally intended to write some reviews for shows I’ve been loving lately but as I was writing my reviews I realised reviewing TV shows is way harder than reviewing a book. Even a film would be easier because there aren’t as many plot lines to spoil, but a TV show there is so much you don’t want to give away but also need to giveaway to explain why you loved it so much, it’s crazy! But there you go, so here I am writing a review last minute the night before. Isn’t it nice to know some things never change?

I adore Ilona Andrews’ writing. This writing duo is fantastic, I am always totally invested in their books and their characters and usually fly through them. The Hidden Legacy series is actually one of my favourites, so it will be surprising to hear I fell so far behind in the releases for the series. They decided to release another trilogy in the same world focusing on Catalina Baylor, the sister of Nevada from the original trilogy. I always get worried when a series shifts to focus on new characters because what about if I don’t like them? I reread the original trilogy when I was stuck on what to read next and decided it was finally time to begin the newer releases in this series so here are a couple of reviews.

Diamond Fire (Hidden Legacy #3.5) – Ilona Andrews

Published: 6th November 2018

Source: Purchased

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Novella

My Rating:

Nevada Frida Baylor and Connor Ander Rogan cordially invite you to join their wedding celebration. Summoning, weather manipulation, and other magical activities strictly forbidden.

Catalina Baylor is looking forward to wearing her maid of honor dress and watching her older sister walk down the aisle. Then the wedding planner gets escorted off the premises, the bride’s priceless tiara disappears, and Rogan's extensive family overruns his mother’s home. Someone is cheating, someone is lying, and someone is plotting murder.

To make this wedding happen, Catalina will have to do the thing she fears most: use her magic. But she’s a Baylor and there’s nothing she wouldn't do for her sister's happiness. Nevada will have her fairy tale wedding, even if Catalina has to tear the mansion apart brick by brick to get it done.

Diamond Fire was a novella released before the next new addition to the Hidden Legacy series. It was released as an introduction to Catalina, probably as a chance to get used to a new character, but also to fill the gaps between Wildfire and Sapphire Flames. This novella was a quick and easy read which took me 5 days to finish which really demonstrates where I am with my reading at the moment. I may have been slow reading but I definitely enjoyed myself.

As I said, this novella is set after the end of Wildfire. Some of the major plotlines had been resolved in that book and now we get to see the preparations for Nevada and Rogan’s wedding. Catalina and her sister, Arabella, have taken over wedding planning duties and as Nevada is a slightly neurotic bride who really can’t handle the lies wedding planners normally tell the bride as they’re putting out fires. I think this was the perfect occasion to get to know Catalina, you get to see her being organised and capable but also see her growing into an adult. She had always been the quieter sister, understandable given her abilities. She was hesitant to grow close to anyone outside of her family and it was nice to see her thoughts and understand where the reluctance came from.

I went into this book uncertain if Catalina was strong enough a character to hold my attention and invest in her story and it was safe to say she showed me I was wrong to have doubts. She is such a strong character who may not be as obviously strong and forceful as Nevada but she wasn’t to be overshadowed by her sister either, she has a different kind of strength and I loved it. It was also great seeing her work solving her own case, showing he had grown up working for Baylor Investigations the same way Nevada had and had the same skills, even if she wasn’t a human lie detector like her sister.

The mystery in the book was fun, we saw the usual family antics and we got to know the characters. Ilona Andrews has always been good about writing a strong novella, as seen with the novellas in their Kate Daniels series, and so I had no doubts the story would be strong here too. I really enjoyed getting to know Catalina and it had me excited to see where her story would go in the next lot of releases in the Hidden Legacy series.

Sapphire Flames (Hidden Legacy #4) – Ilona Andrews

Published: 27th August 2019

Source: Purchased

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance

My Rating:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrew comes an enthralling new trilogy set in the Hidden Legacy world, where magic means power, and family bloodlines are the new currency of society…

In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.

To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

I want to say upfront, I liked Sapphire Flames but I didn’t love it. This book jumps three years into the future, Catalina has become Head of House Baylor and is preparing for the end of the three year grace period all new houses have. It was interesting to see how she became the Head of the House and what had happened in the three years we had missed. Catalina was just as strong as an investigator as her sister and she was the right leader for the Baylor family. Nevada was too rash, but Catalina is quiet, she sits in the background more and thinks about her actions because she wants to avoid notice and because of that she does have more forethought than others. This is also helped because she has been trained by Rogan’s mother in how to act. At the end of the novella she invites Catalina to spend time with her and teach her how to fit in with the other houses and she uses this training well throughout this book.

As I said about the novella, Catalina really can carry her own story. She is such an interesting character because her abilities are so unique and you can see she has learnt a lot about them since last time we saw her. She is still learning herself, but she wasn’t like Nevada at the start of Burn for Me ignoring what she could do with her powers, she had learnt everything she could about magic and now has slowly figured out how to use it to the best of her ability. I loved she was strong and was willing to put the happiness and needs of her family above her own, even when it broke her heart. It was sad to see some things later on in the book, but as you see many of the Baylor’s are impulsive and don’t think about their actions and I loved her Catalina was level-headed and occasionally a bit too practical.

This book fell down in one simple way, the romance. Normally I get swept away by the romances Ilona Andrews writes but this time I just couldn’t quite believe it to be invested. The romantic interest here was Alessandro, we got a small glimpse of him when the Baylor’s petitioned to form a house but learn next to nothing about him. Well, you certainly learn something about him here, but nowhere near enough. It felt like I was being told there was chemistry and a brilliant romance between Alessandro and Catalina, but I didn’t believe it because I just couldn’t see it. There was a small spark of something for sure, but it felt like it was written that there was a whole heap of history between the two when they met like twice. Why did Catalina care so much and why was Alessandro out there all invested in Catalina. They don’t know each other! I know the same could be said for Nevada and Rogan when they first meet but I feel like their romance took longer to develop than this one did. I just didn’t ever believe it and that definitely meant I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I hoped.

That being said, the actual mystery and story developments were brilliant. I was invested and eager to know more and annoyed when the book ended because I still had more questions I wanted to be answered. It was. A solid addition to the series in that sense. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for more of the plot and seeing more of the characters I already know and love. Ilona Andrews’ secondary characters are always really strong and interesting (which might be why I’m so annoyed Alessandro felt so flat). I enjoyed seeing the Baylor families usual antics and it was great to return to this familiar world. I am excited to read Emerald Flames.

Have you read this series? What did you think about the change of focus to Catalina? And what are your thoughts on the Alessandro/Catalina romance, does it get better or am I just being too fussy?

I have spent my time lately doing a few things. Watching a lot of TV (love you Schitt’s Creek), reading a lot of comic books, and reading whole heaps of fanfiction. These things have all brought me joy and eaten up a lot of my freetime. In fact, a lot of the time when I say I’ve not finished any books that is true, but I have also spent hours of my day reading fanfiction instead. Archive of our Own is one my frequently visited pages because I am always on there finding new things to read. I thought it was about time I use my love of fanfiction to some how create a blog post because I love fanfiction and it turns out now I no longer have to be embarrassed about it because everyone is reading it too. Not sure when it was decided it was cool to acknowledge and speak about our love of fanfiction but it's happened and I, for one, am loving it.

I have been reading fanfiction since I was a teenager. I used to spend hours on the family computer reading it. I think half the reason I finally got my own laptop was so I wouldn’t hog the computer. In the good old days of dial up internet and having to come off the computer so people could make phone calls little old me was discovering the fabulous world of fanfiction. I think I stumbled across it as, like any good teenager, I was obsessed with a TV show and spent far too much time obsessing over it. As with most US shows, they string you along with a couple for seasons, not just a few episodes but long 24 episode seasons of excellent chemistry and nothing happens. I was extremely dissatisfied by that prospect and so turned to fan fiction and really never left. I do only tend to read fanfiction for TV shows and films, but then Vera does like to throw some rogue Magnus Archives fic at me and I don’t hate her for it because this final season has gotten dark and I think we need the lighthearted world of fanfiction to help balance it out to be honest.

Since I’ve not really been reading too much outside of fanfiction (although, that is slowly changing) I figured what better time to expose my myself and my favourite fanfiction tropes and see if the tropes I love in fanfic translate well into my bookish catnip as well. To do this I’ve looked through all of the fics I’ve bookmarked on Archive of Our Own and all of the ones I had bookmarked on fanfiction.net as well. Turns out I’ve bookmarked a lot of fics, and a lot of them have also been deleted (why fanfic writers? I wanted to reread some of those). Let’s see if the tropes and concepts translate into the bookish world or if they’re just a weird fanfic thing.

Time Travel

Look, I don’t know why but I like to read time travel fics but I do. There is something about folks travelling trying to fix a timeline or travelling to the past of some ancestor which just has me sucked in. It’s a ridiculous concept which raises a whole bunch of questions about which time travel law they are following but I love it. I am a sucker for it just to see how things change.

When it comes to travel this seems a rather niche romance trope. We all know that Outlander will be in this list because how could it not? But actually, the first book which sprang to mind when I realised I’ve read a lot of time travel fanfiction? Beautiful Wreck by Larissa Brown. I adore that book and stumbled across it on a Smart Bitches podcast episode. A woman travels back to the time of the vikings and just read it people. There’s actually another book set in the same world out and I’m debating buying it but I kind of want to reread Beautiful Wreck first.

Do you have any good time travel romance? I am totally there for reading it if you do.

Time Loop

Not only was Groundhog Day a fantastic film it’s also a great fic premise of characters being stuck in a time loop destined to repeat some of the same mistakes until they realise something deep and profound (normally whilst falling in love with someone else). Why yes, it is a bit predictable, but what’s wrong with that? It doesn’t work in every fandom, or I guess it does but it has to be written well but I honestly love the whole premise. You know you’re going to see some funny situations emerge.

I can think of just two books which feature time loops, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver and I’m told In A Holidaze by Christina Lauren also features it. Why on earth aren’t there more which immediately spring to mind. I have read Before I Fall and it was a good book which had me a little emotional and was great, check it out. In a Holidaze wasn’t even my radar to read (ew, holiday fiction is not my usual jam mostly because I’m never in the mood to read it at the appropriate holiday. I’m like those Christmas episodes of a series which air in the middle of summer).

Soulmates

This trope I always hunt out in a new fandom. I love soulmate fics, they just work for me and I wish I knew why. They are the best, from soulmarks, mates, soul bonds and everything in between, I have read them all. I guess I like the whole fated mates concept for characters and how that affects them when they realise. It’s especially fun when they are characters who are enemies who then discover they are soulmates and that changes how they interact with one another. I know, it’s a weird one and I actually hate insta-love so this kind of thing shouldn’t work but it does! These are my fanfic catnip, maybe even more so than a good old fake relationship which is shocking for me to say.

Despite my deep abiding love for a soulmate fanfiction I am genuinely struggling to think of any to properly fit from the books I’ve read. What immediately springs to mind are werewolf books because they’re are always mates in books like that, but I actually hoped to immediately be able to think of more. It’s definitely a concept which is seen mostly in paranormal romance and a little in urban fantasy. I’ve only read the one but it’s obvious in Kresley Cole’s Immortal After Dark series. You have mates in Nalini Singh’s Psy Changeling series and I also want to say the Guild Hunter books but it has honestly been so long since I read some of that series I would need to Google to say if that’s for sure. I vaguely remember there being mates in Patricia Briggs books, weren’t they mates in the Alpha & Omega series? I think this is a trope I am going to have to do some Googling on. Please give me your recs in the comments if you can think of any.

Fake relationship

This will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me or has followed my blog for a while. Or at least, I think it should come as no surprise but maybe I haven’t talked about my love for the fake relationship trope enough? It is my ultimate catnip trope. I continually get suckered in by it so it shouldn’t be a surprise I also enjoy a good fanfic with a fake relationship. It’s tried and true, normally a little cheesy but you know what you’re in for in the end.

I already know I’ve read plenty of books which fit this trope which shows a lot of my fanfic reading matches up to my normal reading. Act Like It by Lucy Parker is one of my favourite romances and is a perfect example of this trope done well. There’s Red, White and Royal Blue, Boyfriend Material, The Kiss Quotient. I could go on and and on. But rec me your favourites anyway because everyone has one fake relationship book they loved even if they don’t normally like the rope, there is always one which fits to someone’s tastes.

In a relationship and don’t realise it

Here is an example of a trope which isn’t so much a trope as a small concept seen in a fanfiction. They are normally short snippet scenes of times people mistake the characters as a couple, usually because they act like an old married couple until they finally realise they’ve been in a relationship the whole time and didn’t realise. It’s cute and fun and gets my little shipper heart all happy. I actually think this concept will be one of the hardest to think of in books because it’s not a trope is it?

This will partially be my book amnesia talking as I can never remember specifics in books, hell, a lot of the time I struggle to remember character names five minutes after finishing. I am certain there are books where other characters are poking at the MCs about their relationship but my mind has gone utterly blank. Can you think of any? Please tell me you can and it’s just my brain failing me. It’s such a great concept, I love small elements like this in fiction so it would make me sad if it’s not utilised more.

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I think I’ll stop here because otherwise I’ll be descending into a lot of fanfiction tropes and we could be hear a while. I didn’t even get started on my love for a good coffee shop AU! But then realised that coffee shop AU’'s definitely won’t translate well into books because they won’t be AUs it will just be a book with the meet cute in a coffee shop and that will be nice but it won’t have the same adorableness as you get in fanfic because it’s an unexpected setting for the characters, it has taken them out of their normal every day and given them a new place to interact.

Do you read fanfiction? What kind of tropes do you love or are you more about the fandom than the trope? And can you rec me any books to fit my fanfiction favourites? Because what I need in life is more books I want to read and don’t have time (or money) for.

How many times will I apologise for disappearing from blogging this year?

It has been quite a year though hasn’t it? We’ve gone through a lot this year so I think we all understand that none of us have quite been ourselves. I’ve never spent so many days stuck at home in my life. It’s taken quite a toll on everyone and I know I’ve been feeling the effects. And this has been the year which just keeps on giving with the insanity levels! I honestly thought this year couldn’t get any weirder considering there is a global pandemic going on yet here we are with Trump still refusing to concede the election. It’s exhausting.

I am sorry I haven’t been popping by your blogs, though. I’ve really missed you guys and feel I am so out of the loop I might as well be a newbie. I have missed blogging a lot and really missed all of your updates but I needed the break because I wasn’t enjoying it for a while there. I needed some time away for myself in the hopes I would be refreshed when I returned. I had lost my way a little and wasn’t sure why I was blogging and certainly wasn’t getting the same amount of enjoyment out of blogging as I used to. Fingers crossed I am refreshed and get that joy back. I think I have, but you just never know. I am feeling a little rusty when it comes to writing posts, though. I’ve actually redrafted this post about 5 times now.

While I’ve Been Away

I wish I could say I used my time away from blogging being productive and organised. Sorting my life out and getting lots of reading done, but that would be a lie.

I don’t know if any of you will remember but before I disappeared I was getting ready to leave my job of nearly 7 years and start a new one. That happened at the beginning of October and it as been weird! I’m enjoying the job (I think) but it’s so weird working without having actually met anyone I’m working with. There have been plenty of video calls and meetings but it’s really not the same as meeting people in person is it? I think all of that change is one of the reasons I stopped blogging, I do not handle change well. I am slowly adapting to a new working routine with my new working hours but I am definitely struggling to adjust. It’s just a completely different working culture, you know? I’ll get there, at least my commute from my bed to the spare room is manageable and finally I am happy sitting in front of my laptop again as I got given equipment to work on. A lot of Sims has been played since I started my new job. I do still avoid my spare room like the plague when I’m not working, though.

Reading? Yeah, I went for a month without successfully finishing a book. I didn’t even know what I felt reading. I just couldn’t focus. I actually started a couple of really good books (I’m looking at you The Widow of Rose House and The Roommate) but I simply couldn’t focus on them. Damn you mood reading. I have been reading a lot of Marvel comic books and have successfully finished three books in the past week (all rereads) and have started and finished reading a novella. I’m confident this means my brain is back in the game.

TV has been one of the few things I have been able to concentrate on. I binge watched The Haunting of Bly Manor when it came out followed by Emily in Paris and have just finished watching Schitt’s Creek (yes, I was late to that one and yes I am crying now it’s over). I also have an appreciation for all of the documentaries on Netflix because I spent a couple of days hungover watching those (I don’t know why I find watching documentaries soothing to watch hungover but I do). I am now on the hunt for something new to watch so please give me TV recs I’ll watch pretty much anything.

We’re back in lockdown in the UK so I have plenty of freetime on my hands. Perfect time to get back into a blog routine, right? Thankfully, the restrictions aren’t as tough this time around. We’re allowed to exercise outdoors with one other person so I’ve got some chilly walks in my future, already met my brother to walk the dog one weekend. And I’m allowed to be in a bubble as I live alone so I’m spending a lot of my freetime at my mom’s. I am so glad we’re allowed to because the feeling of dread when lockdown was first announced was real.

What’s Next?

That is my story of my time away. You will notice a few blog changes, a slight makeover seemed like a good idea. I had been wanting to make a few tweaks for a while but was just too lazy to actually follow through. I am trying to spend time getting creative about my posts again. No more mindlessly churning out reviews and requesting every book under the sun on Netgalley. I have a whole list of post ideas written out and actually developed a blogging calendar. I know, who even am I scheduling posts and putting structure in my blog? I actually resurrected my bullet journal for my return to blogging and everything and I think it’s both helping me get organised and it’s quite a relaxing way to unwind at the end of the day. I’ve even managed to get the usual house chores done in a timely manner without putting them all off until Sunday afternoon. I don’t know if this will last but for now I’m an organised genius.

What have I missed? Any good books recommendations and shows I simply must watch? Tell me what’s been going on as I slowly attempt to catch up on your blog posts.