The action-packed and imaginative second trilogy of the Hidden Legacy series ends with a spectacular, satisfying finish.
The magical elite of Houston are under threat from a rogue assassin trained by the Russian imperium.
Catalina Baylor is a woman with many responsibilities: She heads her magical house, runs her family’s investigative firm, and is the Deputy Warden of Texas. When she’s called to investigate the murder of a local politician, Catalina and her lover, Alessandro Sagredo, realize that Russian assassin Arkan must be responsible for the crime. Arkan is creating hyperpowerful mages by infecting them with a stolen strain of the Osiris serum that introduced magic into the world 150 years ago; unfortunately, the mages are also irrational, paranoid, and unable to control their terrifying new powers. Since Arkan also murdered Alessandro’s father, they are determined to bring him to justice and find the stolen serum before he can do more damage. However, Catalina quickly realizes that she has another problem: A related incident has incapacitated her boss and left him in a coma. Catalina is elevated to Acting Warden, making her the ultimate magical law enforcement officer in the state of Texas. The case quickly becomes an unholy tangle of competing interests, as Catalina weighs her personal needs against those of her job as Warden. She and Alessandro are in a committed relationship, but they face new challenges around trust and family obligations while hunting down the most dangerous killer on the planet. All the beloved characters from earlier in the Hidden Legacy series reappear, which gives the thrilling final showdown with Arkan a gratifying “Avengers Assemble” feeling. Mysteries from previous books are finally wrapped up and explained, and there are a few juicy clues about future potential love interests for the youngest Baylor sister, Arabella.
The action-packed and imaginative second trilogy of the Hidden Legacy series ends with a spectacular, satisfying finish.Pub Date: Aug. 23, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-287839-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 24, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2022
An extremely fun, fast-paced, and unusual addition to the marriage-in-trouble romance canon.
A marriage on the rocks gets a second chance—with a science-fiction twist.
Dr. Emery Martín is happily married to her husband Luca…mostly. She’s been madly in love with him since the moment they met, but in the three years they’ve been wed, she hasn’t been able to focus much on him. To the world—including Luca—Emery’s job involves developing medical-grade lasers. In reality, she works at a supersecret San Diego lab that’s engineering a compound to bring mammals back from the dead. Although Emery doesn’t want to admit it, she can tell that Luca feels pushed aside, but she believes so deeply in her work that she has a hard time leaving the lab. When Emery is late for dinner—yet again—on their anniversary, she rushes home only to see Luca get hit by a car. She has the secret compound in her car, and she knows she could get in major trouble if she uses it—but what’s she supposed to do, not save her husband’s life? The compound has only been tested on animals so far, and there’s no guarantee it will even work for humans. It does, though, and Luca comes back to life—with one small caveat. He can’t remember most things, including his marriage to Emery. After almost losing Luca, Emery is now grateful for what she has, and she’s determined to show him that she can be a better, more attentive partner. While Luca may not remember her, their magnetic chemistry is still there. This may be the do-over they needed to save their marriage—that is, if Emery can keep the life-reviving measures she took hidden from everyone around them, including nosy neighbors and her own company. Lauren—the pen name of the duo behind rom-coms like The Paradise Problem (2024)—has created a unique hook that feels genuinely refreshing. Emery and Luca’s unconventional second chance is emotionally compelling, and the slight thriller edge as Emery tries to cover up her actions keeps the pages turning.
An extremely fun, fast-paced, and unusual addition to the marriage-in-trouble romance canon.Pub Date: July 14, 2026
ISBN: 9781668017753
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
A deliciously dramatic look at how one woman’s past influences her future.
A happily engaged woman is pulled back to her hometown—and her first love—when tragedy strikes.
Billie Wright is living her dream, running a thriving fertility clinic in New York City and engaged to a wonderful trauma surgeon named Dean. Her happily-ever-after meant giving up her life in Wisconsin, where she left behind many friends as well as her high school sweetheart, Mick. Although they’d been deeply in love, when Billie’s ambition pulled her away from home and toward the city, Mick couldn’t handle either the distance or her busy schedule. Billie has finally moved on from that heartbreak—but then she receives a phone call from Mick, the first communication between them in years. Her best friend, Erin, died in a car accident, leaving behind an 11-year-old daughter, Phoebe. Now Billie must return home to help sort Erin’s affairs and provide some kind of comfort to Phoebe while grieving the loss of her best friend. Of course, being back home also means being in close contact with Mick. Their feelings for each other may not have ever gone away, and their proximity leads to big decisions for Billie. Can she ever reconcile her current life in Manhattan with her past in Wisconsin? And which one will be her future? Giffin knows how to do drama, and she ratchets up the stakes with every page as she continues to reveal new obstacles for Billie. The ending wraps up quite neatly, but the nostalgia-filled ride is full of twists and turns that will keep readers flipping the pages.
A deliciously dramatic look at how one woman’s past influences her future.Pub Date: July 7, 2026
ISBN: 9780593600320
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: April 6, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2026
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