** spoiler alert ** Thank you to Avon Books and edelweiss for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Hidden Legacy series accelerates with Emerald Blaze, the second book in Catalina Baylor’s story and the fifth about the magical and dangerous House Baylor. It is possible to start here but why would you want to? Go back and read Burn for Me and catch up because this tightly plotted and fast-moving adventure drops you in the middle of the action with inventive and immersive magical battle scenes and doesn’t stop.
Catalina has grown in the 6 months since playboy and assassin Alessandro Segredo abruptly left town to pursue his own agenda just as Catalina thought they had a chance together. She’s firmly in charge of her new and expanding House and taking cases for Linus Duncan in her role as Deputy Warden of Texas. And she’s hardened her heart against ever being hurt again. As she tells her cousin Leon, “I broke my own heart…he was just the hammer I hit it with.” Catalina has rebuilt herself so when Alessandro shows up in Houston determined to protect her at all costs, she has to decide if she can ever trust him. Alessandro has himself been broken and reforged but will his own interests allow him to touch Catalina's heart again?
It will take all their combined powers to meet the challenge awaiting them as a mysterious power grows in the magic warped section of Houston known as the Pit. As Catalina gets closer to the heart of the mystery, she reveals herself to be a canny and somewhat terrifying leader in her family and among the Primes of Houston. But like all the Baylors, her moral core keeps her grounded even as her power and intelligence resists those who would bring her down.
Given how fast this book moves, there is so much packed in here to satisfy readers of this series and keep them hungry for more. All the Baylors are here (including Nevada and Connor) and the conversations (some long overdue) and the support they give each other are one of the joys of the book. Old friends like Cornelius and Runa are pulled into the mix as well. The Andrews' wit and humor propel the events and spice up the character interactions. And by the concluding scenes, threads from previous books weave together to create some gasp-worthy twists as the true “Big Bad” of the Hidden Legacy series is slowly revealed. The concluding book in Catalina’s story will have a lot to live up to in order to meet the storytelling power of this installment.
I love an introverted heroine but they are not common in either urban fantasy or paranormal romance. Catalina is such a fully realized personality and to see her come into her own as the Head of her House and such power player is truly a delight. She and Alessandro are a formidable team. I can’t wait for more in this series and I hope Andrews is able to continue with another trilogy about Arabella or Leon or anyone they want to write about in this world. This is a brilliant series—go buy it, read it, and get your friends hooked too!
