Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Content: Strong Language, Sexual Situations, Sensual Scenes

 

Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career—a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn’t sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.

Then she’s kidnapped by Connor “Mad” Rogan—a darkly tempting billionaire with equally devastating powers. Torn between wanting to run or surrender to their overwhelming attraction, Nevada must join forces with Rogan to stay alive.

Rogan’s after the same target, so he needs Nevada. But she’s getting under his skin, making him care about someone other than himself for a change. And, as Rogan has learned, love can be as perilous as death, especially in the magic world.

This book ended up being a huge disappointment for me. I really love the Kate Daniels series and the Innkeeper Series, but I didn't find this to be as good.

First, did Ilona Andrews really have this phrase in a book?

"I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding and shivered."

UGH! Also, that cover. Everyone and her sister, including me has complained about that cover, but after reading the book I feel like it actually fits the book pretty well. Yes it's cheesy, but Mad Rogan spends a lot of time in this book shirtless, and Nevada, although she may not dress that way, spends a whole lot of time lusting over Mad Rogan's shirtless body, which is also cheesy. All of this resulted in the book feeling a bit closer to PNR than UF. So I kind of can see where the publisher was coming from when they gave the book that cover. But no, I don't personally like the cover. I also didn't personally like those aspects of the book either.

My biggest problem with this book is Mad Rogan. There are things about his character that really bother me. First, he is most definitely a narcissist who is very likely a psychopath or a sociopath. Second and most importantly he kidnapped her and mistreated her. Sorry there is no way she should be attracted to him after this. Third, he kept putting the moves on Nevada when she told him no. That is not ok. When Nevada told him she wanted to keep their relationship professional he should have respected that, even if she was attracted to him and he knew it. That doesn't make it ok for him to act as though no means yes. She did nothing to invite his attentions, she kept what she was feeling to herself. This all bothered me so much that I'm not sure there is anything Ilona Andrews can do to make me like Rogan at this point.

Also I don't need to be beaten over the head with how powerful and attractive Rogan is, how big he is. I get it, let's move on. This happened so many times in this book. We are going along with the plot and then have to stop and admire (lust) over Mad Rogan. 

There is also very little world building in this book. I don't really read Ilona Andrews for great world building, but even the Kate Daniels series has better world building than this.

Things I liked:
-Grandma was an interesting character. I kind of wish the book had been about her.
-Nevada. I liked her when she wasn't lusting over Rogan's shirtless body.
-The Magic. It was interesting.

Despite the things I disliked about this book it was still entertaining, which is why I'm on the fence about reading the next book in the series.