White Hot / Ilona Andrews

4 out of 5 stars

Nevada Baylor has a unique and secret skill—she knows when people are lying—and she's used that magic (along with plain, hard work) to keep her colorful and close-knit family's detective agency afloat. But her new case pits her against the shadowy forces that almost destroyed the city of Houston once before, bringing Nevada back into contact with Connor "Mad" Rogan.

Rogan is a billionaire Prime—the highest rank of magic user—and as unreadable as ever, despite Nevada’s “talent.” But there’s no hiding the sparks between them. Now that the stakes are even higher, both professionally and personally, and their foes are unimaginably powerful, Rogan and Nevada will find that nothing burns like ice …


This book was released on Tuesday.  I drove through rush hour traffic to a book store on Tuesday to buy my copy.  I read it that night.  Then I read it again on Wednesday.  Not only did I read this book a second time, I couldn’t wait to do it.  Slightly slower the second time, to appreciate the details more.

I must confess, I was a teeny-tiny bit disappointed with Nevada’s inner dialog and the exchanges between her & Rogan—there were not so many wonderfully amusing lines like there were in the first book.  I actually had a pen & paper at my side as I read through the second time to record my favourites and found only a couple.*  In any series where romance takes the centre stage, it is difficult to maintain the romantic tension when both parties admit that they are interested.

However, there is still Nevada’s wonderful family—Grandma the heavy duty mechanic and her tanks, Mom the sniper, Bernard the hacker, and the sisters and cousins with hinted-at-but-undisclosed magical powers.  Leon, in particular, shows some worrisome tendencies in this book and I will be interested to see where the Andrews are headed with him.  Nevada’s paternal family who must be dealt with are also introduced and will undoubtedly provide significant problems ahead.

My suspicions from the first book about Nevada’s talents were confirmed many times over in this book and her way forward to deal with them will no doubt figure prominently in book three.  Overall, I have to say I am very eager for Book 3 in July (and I am somewhat disappointed to see book 3 described as the "conclusion."  I'm not ready to let go of this world).

*For example:  “Do you remember that big speech I made in your garage?”
“Which one?” I sighed. “You’ve made several. I’m contemplating installing a personal soapbox with your name on it.”
“The one where I said you would beg to climb into my bed?”
“Ah. That one. How could I forget? I kept waiting for you to pound your chest like a silverback gorilla.”