Frankly, I can't imagine that anyone has ever finished an Ilona Andrews book without immediately craving the sequel, but the Hidden Legacies series in particular really brings out the 'gimme' mentally in me. It doesn't help that each book seems to end with an Epilogue that ensures I'm already online and ready to pre-order the sequel by the time I've finished the last page. Maybe the issue is that we're dealing with authors with supernatural abilities, and we all need an antistasi boyfriend to resist their charm. Or maybe they're just that good? I guess we'll never know.

What I do know is that Emerald Blaze is a must have for everyone. Okay, I say almost hear some of you getting ready to inform me that you 'hate' urban fantasy and 'would never under any circumstances' enjoy anything resembling a paranormal romance. For your own sake, hear me out and pick up a copy of this book. You can thank me later. Although to save yourself the confusion, at least pick up Sapphire Flames first. And really you should be reading the entire Hidden Legacies series for the full effect... Plus it would be rude to not read the other series by these brilliant authors, you know, to see how their writing evolves. Basically, go buy their entire published works. I still promise you'll thank me later.

Whilst you await your order, let me give you the lowdown on their most recent work, and why you should be excited about it. To say that things between Catalina and Alessandro were on the rocks at the end of Sapphire Flames would be an understatement. Emerald Blaze drops you right into the busy life of Catalina Baylor six months later, as she wraps up a case of a missing monkey. But this is post-Osiris serum Houston, so she runs into her next case pretty quickly. Or rather, it runs at her. This chapter had been released as a preview a while back, and if this was any other author, that would mean skip skip skip to all the new juicy stuff. But honestly, anyone other fans of Ilona Andrews will tell you that when you get your hands on a new release, you savour every word of it. And boy does this opening grip you.

I really love this structure at play here, taking an action packed start to draw you back into the story, and then catching you back up after the fact. It works so much better than the standard 'here's what you missed' catch up that so many authors cram into the start of the first chapter, and the story feels all the more organic for it. What you get instead is a reminder of how badass Catalina is, and how much you love her family and friends. 

And can we please talk secondary characters? No one does them better! I realise that this review should just be called '20 reasons I love Ilona Andrews', but honestly can you blame me? Although we live in and age where spin off, prequels and sagas are at the height of popularity, its not often that you feel so very invested in the characters that you're hoping that every single one gets their own series. I can tell you for a fact that I would read a trilogy centred around any member of the Baylor family, their friends, scary Tremaine grandmother, sapphic security chief, possible suspects and more. Each one of them is fleshed out and interesting to the reader. 

And that is not to say that the protagonists aren't interesting themselves, because they are. Since the last book, Catalina has grown into her still relatively new role as Head of House, as well as now also toting the role of Deputy Warden of the State of Texas. She's grown into herself all the more for it, while regressing a little in her willingness to open up. She's been burned one time too many and had come back stronger, but more closed off. Being abandoned as you're about to confess your love will do that to you. 

I liked the dynamic between her and Alessandro in this instalment. They're both changed from when we saw them last, and in a sense the tables have turned. Alessandro isn't exactly an open book, but compared to the uber secretive Italian she faced a mere six months ago, his willingness to answer any question is as close as you'll get. Now Catalina need only trust him enough to ask. Meanwhile Alessandro isn't the only one vying for her attention. He has competition, ranging from Prime this and Abyss that. 

"The wolf was coming." (Prologue)

"Be careful, Catalina. The night is dark, and the wolves have vicious teeth. Guard yourself." (Chapter 3)

With each instalment the stakes are higher, the characters even more developed and diverse, and the world even ore fleshed out in history. This plot is my favourite yet in this series. one that I found truly original and gripping from start to finish. 

This is the series that keeps setting the standard for the genre, as far as I am concerned. 

Now to face the only downside about Ilona Andrews: figuring out what the hell to read next that won't flop by comparison. 

PS: How could you leave us with that ending??? 

Back to September grips you from the first page, and doesn't let you go until you've thoroughly experienced the emotional roller coaster.

I was already a fan of Melissa Brayden's writing, so I pretty much knew going in that this was going to be a hit for me. It can be a tough job trying to find a good f/f romance without having to compromise on the actual quality of the writing. But Brayden delivers on all fronts. Lovable characters, exciting settings and fresh plots; there's little room for complaint. As a queer woman, it's exciting to see novels like Back to September hitting the shelves, and paving the way for more in the future!

I loved the book in it's entirety, but I think my favourite part is definitely the first meeting between Parker and Hannah. A Likely Story makes for such a fun setting, and one of my few complains for Back to September is that we didn't get to see more of it. I have to say that most of my favourite moments are set there, I've mentioned the first meeting, but the epilogue is high up there too. There's a certain energy to the setting, and I don't quite know what the root of that is, but I'm certainly not complaining. I'd love to see A Likely Story crop up again in a future novel by Brayden.

There's definitely room for subsequent novels or novellas stemming from Back to September! I think one of Brayden's strengths as an author is her ability to flesh out the secondary characters. Its slightly worrying, the extent to which her writing had me investing myself into characters I may never see again. There's honestly no character I don't want to see more of. Name one, and I'm likely invested. Okay, I'll admit that I have zero real interest in Amy's ex, but other than him, take your pick! I want to see more of Amy and Bo, Pinky, Luna and even Carissa. Was she annoying? Yes. Did she repeatedly irritate me? Yes. Do I still want to see if she matures and ultimately finds someone? YES.

Brayden doesn't just flesh out the secondary characters though. Parker and Hannah obviously have well thought out backstories, and their character growth throughout the book doesn't feel too rushed either. I was curious when they got together so quickly, as to how the narrative would pan out, but I think it works well. Ultimately, it results in a more unique plot structure for Back to September, and doesn't have it feeling too predictable, as some romances definitely are guilty of.

Overall, Back to September is an absolute pleasure to read! I'm excited to see more from Melissa Brayden, and whether she'll revisit any of the settings or characters from this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldstrokes for providing and ARC e-copy for the purposes of honest review.

I need to start off by mentioning the branding for No Experience Required is totally off. Let's talk about the blurb first. I read through it a little while back, and didn't bother to do so again before starting the read. But as certain moments in the narrative unfolded, I was left a little confused to find things didn't add up. I found myself returning to the blurb, to double check I hadn't imagined reading it, or misread it altogether. I was reassured, but again confused, to find it as I remembered it. I was more reassured to find that the general consensus is that the blurb is misleading. I won't go into too-specific details, because I don't want to give too much away, but if you;re looking to pick up No Experience Required, take the synopsis with a pinch of salt.

My second issue with the branding is that the cover just doesn't really fit, in my opinion. I appreciate the nods towards An Idiots Guide to Love, and I think the colour palette is fresh and different, but that's about it. I'm sure a lot of it is down to making the cover marketable, but the model doesn't match up with the protagonist which is disappointing. The main problem there is that Izzy is supposed to be 47, and everything about this cover screams 'college' to me.

I suppose though, I can forgive whoever was in charge of cover design, because anyone who's actually read No Experience Required could testify to the fact that Izzy acts her age.. never. Honestly this bothered me more than it should have, because for the longest time I thought it was going to be an important part of the narrative, but ultimately she just acts immature throughout the novel for no definable reason. I think it's one of the main reasons I struggled to connect with Izzy. It was very bizarre to read about a character over twice my own age acting in a way that even I found immature.

I'm overall really disappointed with this one, because I went in very excited. The first few chapters were exciting, and I liked the initial moments between Izzy and Jane. I liked the banter between Izzy and her friends/colleagues, and I was excited to see if she'd be a bit of a modern take on Austen's Emma. Unfortunately no, and I think that only added to my disappointment, although that's on me for going i with certain expectations.

The writing is generally good, but I think the novel needs another round of editing, to really decide what sections are really necessary for the book to work and also keep the reader engaged. Currently I think it has a few issues, especially in terms of some form choices. Its an interesting idea to have sections of An Idiots Guide to Love interspersed withing the novel, which in parts definitely adds to the story. Unfortunately, I think as it stands currently, it overwhelms the narrative, and honestly those sections left me feeling less engaged. I read a couple reviews where people mentioned skimming them, and I have to admit that I found myself doing the same.

I'd be interested to see more from Kimberly Cooper Griffin, because as I mentioned, her writing is overall enjoyable! I think here it was just a little overwhelmed by the plot and serious matters at hand at times. No Experience Required fell short for me, but I can see there's potential in the book, and even moreso in the author's writing itself!

Thank you again to author and publisher for providing an ARC e-copy for honest review.