Ruby Fever
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Another bingeable book from Illona Andrews! I got lucky and won an advance copy from Goodreads, although I would have bought a copy otherwise - no way I wasn’t going to read this wrap-up to Catalina’s story! Ilona Andrews is actually a married couple writing team, and their writing is very similar to the New York sour I paired the book with. I consume both faster than I should and don’t necessarily feel great afterwards, but I will absolutely do it again. (I don’t love the gender dynamics inherent in their books, although I accept that it’s part of the genre.)
Ruby Fever gets a solid 4 stars for the drama and the sheer speed I ripped through the book. I loved all of the family dynamics, both within the clan and between the various Families. The way the politics between the magical and non-magical sides of Houston play out was really interesting, and its an
area most fantasy ignores - generally everyone is magical or magic is hidden, here it's primarily a bureaucratic nightmare and I respect that.
I wasn’t quite as invested despite the high-stakes drama because while I love the fantasy world the writers created, I come for the romance. (The books are generally 60-70% fantasy adventure, 30-40% romance. I know the cover implies the opposite, try not to judge. They’ve got some real spice at times but that isn’t the central component.) Catalina’s relationship has solidified and lost a lot of the early flirty tension I love so much. It's still a lot of fun, just not quite what I was in the mood for. If you want some fast-paced explosions and fun family shenanigans or like authors such as Patricia Briggs or Sarah J Maas, definitely check out this series.
New York Sour
2 ounces rye whiskey or bourbon
1 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3/4 ounce simple syrup
1 egg white (optional)
1/2 ounce red wine
Add the whiskey, lemon juice, simple syrup and egg white (optional) into a shaker with ice and shake hard until well-chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Slowly pour the red wine over the back of a bar spoon so that the wine floats on top of the drink.
