Review copy was received from Publisher, Purchased. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews Narrator: Emily Rankin
Series: Hidden Legacy #4
Published by Avon, HarperAudio on August 27, 2019
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 400
Length: 12 hours, 32 minutes
Format: eBook
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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.
These are my favorite authors and I am so excited this series is continuing. I preordered this on Kindle (in November 2018!) and audio, as I have done for the entire Hidden Legacy series. I read this two months ago, and listened to it this week. I would definitely read this series in order because you don’t want to miss a thing!
Sapphire Flames is the first book in Catalina’s trilogy. We were introduced to her perspective in Diamond Fire, but we learn so much more about her now. I feel so much for her with the responsibilities she has now balancing then with the compassion she feels for others. I am worried she may be in over her head with Linus Duncan and her grandmother wanting to control her.
Catalina chooses to take on a case and opponents the most talented won’t touch. But her integrity makes her stand up for those less fortunate. And who is there every time she turns around? Alessandro Sagredo is her teenage crush and Catalina fights so hard to not fall for him. He’s dangerous, and a a playboy who doesn’t seem interested in commitment. Gah, I wish people talked to each other more honestly but I guess, where is the fun in that? We do get a peak at Alessandro’s perspective in the epilogue.
Books by Ilona Andrews are smart and funny. Bug played a key role of comic relief here while also using his major skills. I am never disappointed in their books.. I am tingling with anticipation and happiness when I am going to read one. I only wish the next one was available now. But I will wait for as long as it takes for these amazing works. They are everything I could want.
I dialed Bug.
“If you’re calling about that ass clown, I don’t have him yet. He got away from me this afternoon, but I’ll find him…”
Ass clown. What did that even mean… “He was in the oak by my window twenty seconds ago.”
“Dickfucker!” Bug hung up.
My phone rang. I answered it. “Hello?”
“Good news, ” Bug said.
I put him on speaker.
“I found our vomit muffin. He’s driving a crappy silver Italian import. He’s about to merge onto the I-110. Where are you?”
“In the passenger seat of the crappy import.”
Narration:
This week was my first experience with Emily Rankin as a narrator. While I own Diamond Fire on audio, I haven’t listened to it. Yet. I was very comfortable with all her voices, male and female, and enjoyed the performance. I especially loved her performance of Alessandro and Bug, and felt she was Catalina. I was able to listen at my usual 1.5 speed.
Listen to a clip:
About Ilona Andrews
“Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.)
Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Texas with their two children and many dogs and cats.
They have co-authored several bestselling series, including the #1 NYT bestselling urban fantasy of Kate Daniels, rustic fantasy of the Edge, paranormal romance of Hidden Legacy, and Innkeeper Chronicles, which they post as a free weekly serial.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2019 Audiobooks
- 2019 Releases
- COYER Hunt
I have no idea why I don’t have this read or listened to yet because I adore their books, too. Glad it lived up to expectation for you.
Ha! Funny quotes.
Well it’s not out until next week. But if you have an ARC I don’t know how you didn’t drop everything the moment you got it.
I can’t wait to get to this one and I’m glad you’re loving it! I still have to finish Kate Daniels!
I don’t know how you can contain yourself without just reading until you drop from exhaustion and then starting again once you wake. I binged everything available from them the second I can get it. Enjoy!
great review and i loved the quotes!
Thank you! It’s hard to say anything when it is so loved!
I so can’t wait for my copy to come on release day. Great review!
It’s amazing! Enjoy! I love all their books.
I all her books too.
Oh yes I had such a great time with this one as well!
I don’t think I have ever had a bad time with any of their books.
I loved this book. I haven’t listened to it yet but I will definitely be adding it to my audible library. Great review!
Thank you! I buy all their stuff in all digital formats. They are just awesome, my favorites!
I totally loved this one too. I can’t wait to listen to the audio when it comes out. 😛
The audio was my second time as a refresh so I could write the review since I read the eARC 2 months ago. I wouldn’t have requested both but since they aren’t losing any money on me since I am purchasing both of them I didn’t feel so badly. As soon as I finished listening, when I went back to pick out some funny quotes I wanted to just read it all over again.
I loved this one, too. I have preordered the audiobook… I did listen to Diamond Fire, and Rankin was good, but she’s no Renee Raudman. It crushes me to know that they are moving away from Renee to help distinguish characters. But that won’t stop me from listening as well. Glad you enjoyed both formats!
A small part of it is who you get used to for narration. I did not listen to the Kate Daniels series and although I have purchased all of the Hidden Legacy series on audio I have not listened to any of it until Sapphire Flames. So my experience with Renee is limited. Partly because of that, I was able to enjoy Rankin just fine. I do LOVE Steve West who they have for Iron & Magic one and I did listen because I adore his work.