I didn't really know what to expect when I picked up Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews. I assumed it would be just a romantic suspense standalone with some action and some smut. I was surprised to find that I was wrong on almost all counts. Burn for Me is a paranormal suspense thriller series with a dash of romance thrown in. While it was not what I was expecting I couldn't be more pleased with the results. It had everything I look for in a book like this. It was action packed, suspenseful, funny, had great characters, the world building was intricate and made logical sense, and it was full of magic. The only thing it was lacking was the smut. However, the sexual tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. So... maybe slow burn on that one? 
 Let's start off this review with the world building because there was a lot of it. Essentially in this universe magic is a blend of science and the metaphysical. About 150 years ago scientists developed a serum that granted people magical powers. These powers can be passed down through generations and magical families form houses and gain power kind of like rival mob factions. So the story takes place in regular, modern day Houston, Texas with the extra layer of magical familial houses overlaying it. I hope this all makes sense because this is the most basic explanation. I could go on and on about all the magical rules, different abilities, the military utilization of magic and so forth but if I do this review will never end. However, the fact that I need to edit the world building only goes to show how detailed and intricate the world building was. This was also jam packed with action and filled with explosions and gun fights and chases. The action sequences were so big it felt cinematic in scope. The whole thing was just so exciting from beginning to end and I loved all the suspense filled moments. 
 "I have a family full of quirky people. Someone has to be sensible so all of you can enjoy being reckless weirdos." 
 Burn for Me was filled with unique and fleshed out characters. Our heroine is Nevada, a 25 year old private investigator. SHE IS SUCH A BADASS HEROINE! I cannot stress enough how badass she was. She's strong, sardonic, smart, vulnerable, and protective. She doesn't spend her time needing to be rescued and she can handle her own in a fight. I just want to be friends with her and help her solve mysteries. Nevada's family was a cast of eccentric characters and I loved all of their familial dynamics. While they weren't the main characters and less time was spent developing them I still felt like I got a sense of who all of them were. Our hero is Mad Rogan, a tactile magic wielding Prime with an attitude problem. In this world magical abilities are divided into levels depending on how much magic the user can wield. A Prime is the top of the food chain and Mad Rogan can essentially level an entire city without even breaking a sweat. Having that amount of power contributes to Mad's character flaws. He doesn't see the world like normal people because he isn't a normal person. So that may be skewing his personality to the point that it seems like he's a sociopath. While most of his actions are entirely self-serving I do feel like he genuinely wants to help people. The extremely fortunate (for him) side effect is undying loyalty. Loyalty goes both ways. If you are loyal to Mad Rogan, he will be loyal to you. But if you're disloyal he doesn't have any qualms about killing you. I guess I'm trying to say he has "layers." 
 "I poured all of it into that kiss. It was made of carnations and tears, stolen glances and desperate, burning need. I kissed him like I loved him. I kissed him like it was the only kiss that had ever mattered." 
 The cover for Burn for Me is a little deceptive. I thought there was going to be a fair amount of smut because the cover featured a suggestive embrace and a set of rock hard abs. This usually equals lots of fucking. However, there's actually no sex in the book. Nonetheless, there is tons of sexual tension between Nevada and Mad. Nevada is a bit conflicted about her feelings towards Mad because of the whole "sociopath" thing I mentioned earlier. However, sometimes your heart and your vagina just aren't in agreement. Sometimes you just want the "bad boy" even though the odds of it ending in disaster are pretty high. As for the potential for a relationship between Nevada and Mad well... I think he's going to have to earn it. I really like this angle. The heroine so often in romance novels tends to forgive the hero for just about any transgressions without the hero really having to try all that hard. I really enjoy that Nevada is making Mad work for it. 
 Burn for Me is a perfect summer read. There's so much action that it feels like a summer blockbuster really. It had a great cast of characters, it was funny, it was steamy, and it made me want to live in the world of the book. I can't wait to move on to the next books in the series and see what's coming for Nevada and Mad. Especially with that HUGE twist in the epilogue!!!!! WHAT!