User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
….
THATS IT?!?!
let’s backtrack….this was another amazing IA book for the first 97%…like seriously, they took it to another level with the action sequences and romance and plot building (often times making me question if i really have two degrees)…
but that ending? i’m being as fair as possible but that was way too rushed and a little bit anti-climatic…like they were on a deadline and had to submit it as if they were being held at gunpoint…
maybe there was so much going on in the book that the end needed to be absolutely insane for it to make an impact?
either way, i feel like the characters were ripped away from me way too quickly and if i don’t get an arabella series, THERE WILL BE PROBLEMS. and throw one in for leon too, simply cause i deserve it.
***
EDIT: EARLY 2022?! .......i have to live another year before reading this book?! they expect too much from me 😔
honestly.....with the way 2020 is going......making it to 2021 doesn't look too promising. so personally.....i think ilona andrews should take one for the team and just drop this book this year. all in agreement say 'aye'.
Rating: really liked it
ARC received by the Publisher HarperCollins via EDELWEISS+ in exchange for an honest review.
Book 6 in The Hidden Legacy Series and a conclusion to Catalina's story arc and it pulls no punches.
While actually all books in the series are wild and exhilarating roller coaster rides, for me Ruby Fever was far the most intense. It was going from peak to peak and the stakes were raised higher and higher.
There were many threads to conclude, some still from books 1-3 and concluded they were to satisfaction, but unfortunately this meant that there was less family time and banter with my favourite Baylors (all of them are favourites, just to be clear about it. :) .
I could have done with an extra 50-100 pages or so, just to be able to spend more time with them, but you can't have everything.
Anyways, without being spoilerish
- Catalina's and Alessandro's relationship are given more depth
- Alessandro's backstory and family relations are unraveled
- we get some more Tremaine-Baylor family history tidbits
- we get some Augustine, though not as much as I would have liked :)
- Matilda and Cornelius are also part of the lovely parcel
- some new interesting and intriguing characters are introduced who will hopefully turn up again in Arabella's books (there just have to be Arabella books!!!!)
As always, even when there is a happy conclusion, Ilona Andrew's books just leave you with wanting MORE. :) So what can I do?! Go and reread the HL books. :)
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Just got an ARC via EDELWEISS+!!!!
AM SO HAPPY!!!!
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I knew the title would be something with "rubies" in it. :)
And there it goes: Ruby Fever
After the AWESOME, STUNNING Emerald Blaze and of course it ended with one of the most vicious cliffhangers imaginable, so obviously I feel like:
And I want the next book something like desperate:
Rating: really liked it
30/08/224.5 Ruby starsSo, right before this lovely gem released I re-read the whole series. Not that I needed the excuse. Though it kept everything fresh in my mind. The problem now, is that it's all one big book in my head which makes it difficult to review. But I shall forge ahead regardless.
As always IA delivered! New characters, new and old powers emerging, changing or amplifying. I think it's one of my favourite aspects of this series, the powers that the authors come up with are quite captivating. Also I kinda love that I called the "twists" back in book 3, feels good to be right.
I loved that we got to see a bit of everyone and the progression of all the relationships. That Catalina and Alessandro are together but still dealing with their personal issues and working through them within their relationship. I think if they were cookie cutter perfect from the get go I would have been disappointed. To be honest, I love this world so much that I would read any adventures the authors write for all the side characters. Of course that's impossible and the authors themselves said that they don't want to be writing endless spinoffs.
(But some good news for the Arabella fans as they have plans for her as indicated at end of the book. They will most likely self publish for her as it wont fall under the specific contract terms with Avon.)
Now, to the half a star deduction.. I think I built up the last inevitable battle in my head way too big because it felt a tad anticlimactic and ended too quick for me.. It possibly comes down to, as the authors say, that this isn't a fantasy series like KD but a romance series. I've been reading Kate and Innkeeper so long that I falsely attributed their tone to the Hidden Legacy series. Rules, and especially since they are under contract with Avon for it, are different for a romance book.
Either way, it was a satisfying wrap up of all the issues since the beginning of the series, with several HFN,HEA for our couples and very intriguing hints for the continuation with Arabella at the helm. (Whether the continuation will be 1 book or 3 has not been hinted or clarified, only that they will possibly self publish her adventure)
For those interested, please read after you have finished the book,
Ruby Fever Spoilerific Q&A: https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2022/ru...
If you haven't picked this up yet, what are you doing here?! Go and get the first book you will not regret it!!
15/02/22Deleted Scene!! https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2022/re...
22/10/21Snippet!
https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2021/fr...
29/9/21Snippet!
https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2021/ti...
10/9/21New Snippet!
https://ilona-andrews.com/2021/snippe...
21/7/21Snippet!
https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2021/th...
3/6/21First Chapter Snippet!!
https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2021/sn...
21/5/21Snippet!!
https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2021/th...
3/2/21One incredibly cool family portrait with Catalina, Nevada and Arabella! It seriously outshines all the covers for this series.
https://ilona-andrews.com/2021/new-ar...
https://ilona-andrews.com/wp-content/...
20/1/21Chapter snippet!
https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2021/ru...
25/12/20Christmas snippet!
https://ilona-andrews.com/2020/happy-...
25/6/20Title release: Ruby Fever
https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2020/ti...
29/8/20After reading Emerald Blaze, I can't wait to see where the authors take Catalina next. Poor thing has been through the wringer. Nevada is still my fave though. Also, I hope we get more books for the rest of the family.
Rating: really liked it
SO GOOD!!!!! 4.5 stars
This was as wonderful as I hoped it would be!!!!
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 for me it’s the best kind of reading experience. I immerses myself into their world, and won’t come out until a week or weeks later and afterwards I have the biggest book hangover ever – lol.
Also, I don’t know about you, but fictional families are so much better than real ones, and the Baylor family is probably my most favorite of all. I could go on about each family member, especially the kids and their cousins. What a fun and supportive group they are. Instant family GOLD!!!
FAMILY IS EVERYTHING IN THESE BOOKS.
Which is something I appreciate and actually enjoy – team spirit and solidarity makes for a strong family. But besides being a great family, the girls also find the right kind of partners, guys that fit into the family, and add to the overall fun.
Catalina and Alessandro were a fantastic couple. All of IA couples are just wonderful. Their personalities match, which makes working together pleasant, although they do have their moments when they occasionally bump heads and it’s always fun to watch. Something else I appreciate is that the drama personal or otherwise is low key, no big misunderstandings, no hurt feelings. But honestly there wouldn’t even be time for drama, because the action around them is sky high.
It was like riding a rollercoaster, the couple was catapulted from one action filled scene to the next. I’m surprised they even had time to work on their relationship, but that’s probably why there are three books per couple in this series. And because of this there is actual growth to be seen, personal as well as relationship growth.
Ruby Fever was everything I wanted it to be. It was wonderfully entertaining, with many scenes that made me laugh out loud. I loved seeing Catalina and Alessandro as a couple, talking and planning for the future. Their connection was even deeper than before. The book was a fantastic final chapter in their story, and a great addition to the overall series. And the ending was just “chef’s kiss” with a couple great revelations.
THIS SERIES IS MUCH MORE ROMANCE THAN URBAN FANTASY.
The author once said, that if you would take the romance out of this series, the book could’t stand on its own. So, for everyone who hasn’t picked up any of their books yet, and is mostly a romance reader – you are going to LOVE them – I promise!!!!!
___________________________________
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. My opinions have not been influenced by the publisher or the author.
You can find me on my blog and on Bookstagram
Rating: really liked it
very torn with my thoughts on this one!
on the one hand, i just adore this world. i was raised in houston and stepping back into these books is a delight every single time. but i think this trilogy in comparison to nevada's just doesn't work as well for me. i so appreciated the slow burn and attention to detail when it came to the nevada/mad rogan relationship and that same attention to detail was sorely lacking in these books. it was especially lackluster in this conclusion.
there is one mildly romantic moment here in the VERY beginning of the book but other than that? eh. throw away lines about how alessandro is the perfect match for catalina. lots of tell not a lot of show. which i think i could have been okay with since i didn't necessarily pick up Ruby Fever with the intent of finding the swooniest romance ever to knock me off my feet.
but the final show down was also a let down. so so much lead up and then the last 3% is really where we get the action. like say what??? it felt so out of place. and like a few other reviewers have mentioned i wonder if there was something going on when this book was getting written (it did take forever to get published) because it didn't feel like how this author duo would typically wrap up a book.
i'm ultimately disappointed with this book but i certainly didn't hate it. even at their worst (which i don't even know that this book is) Ilona Andrews writing is worlds better than most. i just selfishly had hoped for a little more romance.
also selfishly hoping for an age gap love triangle for miss arabella.
Rating: really liked it
I received an ARC for this book from Harper Collins in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler-free review. That being said, this is me right now:
I will never, ever be able to put into words how much these characters and this world mean to me. This series has saved my life, multiple times. I am a better person because of them. I am a better person and my life is better because this series exists. 
If I don't get an Arabella trilogy I WILL RIOT .
Throw in some extra Leon short stories in the mix as well, because I am NOT OK with not having any more material from these characters. Arabella DESERVES her own series and I want AND NEED her monster love story.
This was, as usual, impeccable. I understand they had to unpack a lot of things from previous books. We get all of our answers here, everything that was left unanswered from Nevada's trilogy as well. So this book was extremely heavy in the world building, family history, gene trees and more. However, we also got some amazing action scenes, as usual, the cutest and funniest dialogues and some adorable Catalina and Alessandro moments.
I did wish we had gotten a few more romantic moments. I feel like since they were focusing on so many different storylines, problems and wars, they didn't get a lot of time to focus on each other. That is my minor complaint.
My other complaint is that, every single conflict in this book could have been avoided/solved if Connor was around. However, I get why he wasn't. This is Catalina's story, not Nevada's any longer and using Connor as a "solve-everything" guy by either throwing money or his power at stuff isn't really a fair request.
I just miss them. I will always miss them. I am over-due my fourth reread of this series and reading this ARC just made me realize that I will never, ever love EVERY SINGLE character in a book the way I love these people.
I am the luckiest human being alive, just for being able to touch this advance readers copy THREE WHOLE MONTHS IN ADVANCE FROM RELEASE DATE. I am still in shock.
If you should know anything about me as a person, as a book blogger, as a reviewer, is that this series holds my body and soul. This series owns my mind and heart. This series has a shrine in my brain and these characters are the most incredible, organic and well developed characters I have ever read about.
You will never, and I repeat: NEVER, read a series with characters who feel as real as this. They exist, I can feel them, hear them, sense them. Their dialogues, their relationships, their dynamic, their family union, the pacing, the writing, the world building... there isn't a single flaw in this series.
This is, by far, the best urban fantasy series to date. Thank you for gifting us this world Illona Andrews.
Now give me Arabella's trilogy.
I am begging you.
Rating: really liked it
I fucking love this series so much and I don't understand why it hasn't been picked up as a TV series yet
Rating: really liked it
A well-written conclusion to Catalina & Alessandro's story.
I don't know why, but the
Hidden Legacy series has never been a favorite with me, but for those of you who are rabid fans of the series, I think you'll absolutely love this one.
Would I still read a story about the youngest Baylor sister? Yes. Of course I would. Ilona Andrews are an excellent duo and I'd pretty much read whatever they decide to write. I
would much rather see the next installment of Julie's story come out next, but...you know, whatever makes you happy.
Recommended for Hidden Legacy fans!
Rating: really liked it
*4.5 stars*
Ilona Andrews fans, rejoice: Ruby Fever does NOT disappoint. I'll admit I have a huge soft spot for this series. The world building is
*chef's kiss*, and Ilona Andrews manages to bring the energy, the excitement, and the romance with each story. It's almost physically impossible for me to dislike a book in the Hidden Legacy series, but even with that caveat and trying to be objective, I still think Ruby Fever is outstanding.
You might have noticed that I rounded down to 4-stars. Yes, that's true, but it's only because I feel like the book was trying to cram a lot into one story. You know when you get to the end of the series (
nooooo), and the author is trying to tie up all of the loose ends? That's a bit how I felt here. I think if another book in the series was planned (PLEASE), there wouldn't be so much Big Content in this story.
On the bright side, the story is just an epic adventure with interwoven plotlines and amazing characters. I love each of the side characters in this book and I didn't mind that some of them got a good chunk of page time. Sure, you need to be pretty familiar with this family to be able to follow along, but I think readers of this series won't have any issues. I had to spend a few moments refreshing myself, but I got there.
Romance! Adventure! Action! You literally can't go wrong with these books. I'm hoping that Arabella gets her own offshoot series (and soon) so I can get my fix again. Thank you, Ilona Andrews, for a wild ride.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
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Rating: really liked it
I always feel so bereft as soon as I finish an Ilona Andrews book. Multiply that by 10 for a series finale (that I’m hoping really isn’t a finale). I loved being back in the Hidden Legacy world, with Catalina & Alessandro, with their family and friends – it almost felt like there wasn’t a 2 year gap between books 5 & 6. Almost. But IA made the wait totally worth it and Ruby Fever was everything I wanted it to be! Catalina & Alessandro’s story was epic and I’m so happy with how things ended for them. There was never a dull moment – we got plenty of twists and turns, lots of action, and a rock solid romance that only got stronger by the end. If you’re a fan of the series, you won’t be disappointed.
All I can say now is ARABELLA WHEN?????? 😭😭😭😭 (view spoiler)
[No joke I would sell my soul for Arabella to get her own trilogy. There’s one tiny baby chapter in her POV at the end of RF and I’m smelling the possibility of a love triangle for her. MICHAEL OR MIHAIL??? It cannot be a coincidence that their names are similar lol. IA please put us out of our misery. (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
4 stars After an attack on the Warden of Texas, Catalina Baylor becomes the acting Warden and must work fast to figure out who tried to kill Linus. That on top of a missing magical spider, a Russian prince showing up, and the assassination of a powerful figure, Catalina and her family have a lot to face. But they soon find out something worse is coming and they need to be prepared.
It’s funny to me that these books are marketed as romance when to me, they are very much urban fantasy. While I love the romance in these books, they feel like 10% of the plot and the other 90% is urban fantasy action sequences. I think the publishers could have passed this off in a broader market with just a cover change but maybe that’s me.
I love the writing style of Ilona Andrews, my attention gets grabbed quickly and I get sucked into the story. Even though it’s been a while since I read the last book I was able to get the hang of things again fairly quickly and enjoyed the ride. I’m sad this is Catalina’s last book, but hopefully we will get Arabella books soon? Because she’s an awesome character and deserves center focus if there are to be more.
Overall a great urban fantasy series with a sprinkle of a great romance, there’s a reason why I keep coming back to books written by Ilona Andrews.
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley
Rating: really liked it
Thank you to the Andrews for supplying an early copy to read. You are all in for a treat!
Well it is officially out and listening to Ruby Fever was just as much fun, if not more so than reading it. Catalina has really come into her own and when Linus ends up comatose she becomes the acting Warden and has a pretty big mystery to solve along with figuring out how to keep the members of her house alive when the inevitable battle between with Alessandro's nemesis Arkon comes to a head.
“You got a promotion with extra responsibilities but without pay or additional benefits.” Mom smiled. “I’m so proud of you. You’re officially a successful adult.”
So there are people out to get house Baylor, a Russian prince mixed up in this mess somehow not to mention an evil Grandmother to keep in check. Ruby Fever was full of all the things I love about books by Ilona Andrews. Great characters! Seriously while I adore all the Baylors the magical moments with Matilda and some of the other smaller part side characters are gems sprinkled throughout the story. But moments with Matilda are totally my favorites.
“If you try to separate from her in any way . . .” “She will bark?” Konstantin asked. “Yes. If she barks for longer than one minute, the electronic sensor in her collar will send an alert. Cutting the collar or removing it will also trigger an alert.” Matilda stared at him. “If anything happens to Rooster or her collar, I will know. I will come. I will bring friends. I hope we understand each other.”
The stories are always smart and full of action without making them just talking between fight scenes. The dialogue between characters is smart, funny and really reminds me of what a family should be with how all the Baylors are there for each other.
Can we just say that when our favorite Evil Grandmother and the secret Grandmother finally get some page time together it was just a fantastic culmination of that arc of the story. Well thought out and executed fantastically.
The Andrews did Catalina justice in this final book with her as the main PoV. They have even given us a glimpse into what a book with Arabella as the lead might look like and who her love interest might be. Color me so interested. I can see so many possibilities for her book(s). The only sad point of this is that now I will have to wait until the next Andrews book comes out. I can't wait.
Rating: really liked it
I highly enjoyed this book! The end in particular. IA didn’t disappoint! Sure it’s not perfcet but now I’m looking forward to Arabella’s story -albeit I wasn’t a fan of it first.
Review to come!
Rating: really liked it
4 ☆ "I asked for backup," [Catalina] said.
"And?"
"It's not coming."
"Did you expect it would?"
"Yes, I kind of did. I asked them for advice, and they made me --- and wished me Godspeed."
"You got a promotion with extra responsibilities but without pay or additional benefits." Mom smiled. "I'm so proud of you. You're officially a successful adult."
Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews concludes Catalina Baylor's trilogy. When she was first introduced in the Hidden Legacy series, she was just 17 and known as the quiet middle sister. Now 22, Catalina has been propelled along the fast track of adulting after becoming the head of House Baylor in their cut-throat magic-based society. It was difficult enough to step into elder sister Nevada's shoes as the Head, but Catalina had to do so at the end of the three-year safe period for nascent Houses. One of those threats came from her own paternal grandmother, truth-seeker Victoria Tremaine, who wanted to secure the continuation of House Tremaine at the expense of House Baylor.
Linus Duncan had served as one of two witnesses to the formation of House Baylor. Not all were pleased when Duncan, who is the secret Warden of Texas, deputized Catalina, especially as the position carries a low survival rate. But fortuitously, Alessandro Sagredo, a very powerful anti-stasi mage, had also been roped in by Duncan to serve as the Warden's equivalent of a bailiff and as Catalina's bodyguard.
In Emerald Blaze, it was revealed that the Osiris Serum, which activated latent magical abilities, had been stolen by Arkan, an assassin trained by the Russian Imperium. The theft has been hushed up but it's imperative that the Office of the Warden retrieve the serum and punish the perpetrator. Because it's beginning to appear that Arkan has solved Osiris' lethal side effect issue and is amassing his own magically-mighty forces.
The Keeper held it up to the light and the die sparkled. A ruby?
"The fate of the mage." The Keeper showed me one side with the Greek letter Z. "Zeta. Sacrifice."
He turned the die to display a different side. "Beta. Demon."
Another turn. "Lambda. Growth. The three fates awaiting those who risk the [Osiris] serum. Death, distortion, or power."
Ruby Fever is the thrilling culmination and resolution of all of the external threats. Alessandro has his own grudge against Arkan, for he had murdered Alessandro's father. Catalina fears losing Alessandro as he seeks to avenge his father's killing. But a final confrontation is inevitable. The question is whether Catalina and the Office of the Warden can even the odds and prevail. And the face-off is imminent because a shockingly public murder bears the hallmarks of Arkan's team.
This e-ARC of Ruby Fever doesn't answer all the questions I have, and I wanted more from the ending. But after a start that's heavy on exposition, the authors turn up the Texan heat and deliver adrenaline-filled skirmishes, a specialty of House Andrews, that culminate in the final one-to-one showdown. Many characters pass through this installment so the key family members who provide comedic dialogue have shortened stage times. Readers unfamiliar with the Hidden Legacy series might be hard-pressed to appreciate fully all of the crucial characters' motivations. Overall,
Ruby Fever is very satisfying but as usual the devoted fans of IA, aka the "Book Devouring Horde," will clamor for more.
IA bonus short story "The Cool Aunt" to be read after Emerald Blaze and snippets of
Ruby Fever:
https://ilona-andrews.com/the-cool-aunt/
https://ilona-andrews.com/2021/the-ba...
https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2021/ru...
https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2021/sn...
https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2021/fr...
https://ilona-andrews.com/2021/the-te...
https://ilona-andrews.com/2021/the-pl...
https://ilona-andrews.com/2021/snippe...
https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2022/re...
Baylor family tree
https://www.ilona-andrews.com/2021/ba...
Thank you to the authors, Avon (an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers), and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC. My review reflects my candid assessment and feelings. Quotations in this review are from an uncorrected proof (ISBN 978-0-06-287840-3) and may differ from the final version. Publication date is August 23, 2022.
Rating: really liked it
– 3.5-3.75 stars
this is more of a overall
review for Catalina’s trilogy than for Ruby Fever itself:
→ honestly i started to read
Catalina’s (h) story more to collect Rogan & Nevada breadcrumbs, but i realized very soon that there are zero crumbs to collect since Rogan & Nevada are barely in the book. but on the way i really fell in love with Catalina’s character so much and now she’s one of my favorite heroines! i never thought that anyone in this series could top Nevada for me, but Catalina is just that girl who is a badass, but her love for her family is beautiful and makes her vulnerable that she dethroned Nevada. sorry Nevada you’re still a boss bitch, but Catalina is just 🥰😩🥵 this girl carried this series on her back. if it wasn’t for Catalina i would given her books more like 3 stars, but i love Catalina too much to do that.
→ on the other hand i can’t say the same about
Alessandro (H) who can’t hold a candle to Rogan. i don’t dislike him, but never warmed up to him either and wouldn't have teared up too badly if something actually happened to him at the end. he felt like such a secondary character even tho it was about Catalina and him for three whole books, but i don’t think i know him at all. he has some cool powers, but overall he was so pale compared to the rest of the characters and took a back seat.
→ this series is one of the few series where i don’t even mind when the romance is not the main plot, because so much is happening, but most of all i adore the
Baylor family to pieces. i could read about Catalina’s interaction with Arabella, Grandma Frieda, Bern, Leon and Mommy Penelope forever. these family bonds are better than the romance anyway. it helps that the magic system and magical powers are so interesting that i’m invested in the action plot.
→ the joke is on me that i said i was invested in the plot, but didn’t understand half of what was actually happening, cause some things were all connected to events that happened in the previous books and i barely remember anything, so when characters like Adam Pierce showed up he seemed familiar, but i was like
WHO? or when things started to unravel with Linus and some conspiracy plot i don’t remember shit lmao. kudos to Ilona Andrews for holding my interest, despite being in a constant state of confusion.
→ the worst crime Ilona Andrews did to me is making me hate
Victoria Tremaine in Nevada's books to lowkey liking that ice cold bitch in Catalina's book. the audacity, the nerve, the gall. i was not ready to let of my hatred yet. but only respect for Grandma Tremaine, cause that woman is a strategy mastermind and i just know that no one can beat her in chess. her mind is insane.
→ Arabella and Mihail?? is their story next??
┍━━━━━━━━»•» «•«━┑
HIDDEN LEGAY SERIES // CATALINA BAYLOR'S TRILOGY #0.5 Diamond Fire – 3 stars
#1 Sapphire Flames – 3 stars
#2 Emerald Blaze – 3.5 stars
#3 Ruby Fever – 3.5-3.75 stars
┕━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━┙
