Hi Librarygoer!
Let’s talk about monster men.
They’re great. Especially when they have a morally grey soul that’s closer to midnight than dusk. And they’re even better when they all but (consensually) scare their partners into orgasms.
If you think this intro is insane, understand it’s 0.5% of the gorgeous insanity you’ll find between the pages of All Superheroes Need Photo Ops by Elizabeth Stephens.
This is Elizabeth Stephens’ fourth release of the year (Supers in the City Book 1 & 2, The Bone King and the Starling, and Taken from the After the End Romance Kickstarter). I’ve read and loved them all and hope you do too.
Happy Reading (& Pre-Ordering)!
-Aleia
PS - I’m not sure what the news is showing in between me writing and scheduling this email but please pray or keep a good thought for the island of Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. 🙏🏽
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If You’re Into These Tropes, Keep Reading
Synopsis
Monika Neumann has had a favorite alien superhero since the forty-eight aliens crash landed on Earth all those years ago. He is drop-dead gorgeous, so she happens to share the crush with a large part of the world. Well, at least she did because he’s not quite as popular as he used to be.
Which means Monika can be useful to him, so he maneuvers her into his path, all for the right photo op. She’s excited to work with him, until she finds out his great looks cover up a nasty personality—and then accidentally reveals his hidden personality to the world.
Monika has spy-shaped secrets she’s hiding from Taranis while trying to fall for him, but he’s not really on board with that.
Why I Loved It
I’ve read morally gray villain MCs before. Eshe is batshit I have a mafia romance ranking (anything in color, Bratva, ‘Ndrangheta, Cosa Nostra, then the Irish Mob—if anyone’s interested) but Taranis is not a normal morally gray character.
He is in his own lane of bad guy but somehow Elizabeth Stephens makes me root for him.
There are A LOT of secrets in this novel and I won’t spoil them for you but I will say everything is not as it seems. Taranis is publicly on the side of the good guys and has a reputation of being the most handsome of the do gooders. When we meet him on page, it’s immediately clear he’s not what he’s hyped up to be. He’s demanding of his staff and he doesn’t care about collateral damage. The only people he cares about are the ones that can help him get what he wants and he’s done with them as soon as he gets it.
Monika on the other hand is competent AF. In book one, we saw her risk her life to take photos of the MMC that catapulted him into instant superhero stardom. Taranis wants Monika to do the same for him. She reluctantly agrees due to his aggressive professional courting and her camera does capture some newsworthy images because she’s that girl.
Unfortunately, she captures images that would lead to negative headlines so she reports her findings to the government superhero wranglers, and they rope her into a separate mission on top of her mission to help Taranis regain popularity.
Realistically, it makes sense to her to help the government but she’s also not onboard with ending up on the wrong side of an alien fight. With the camera in her hand, she’s incredibly competent, but when it’s not, she’s an absolute crashout. And I love that about her! I also love the emotional side quest she takes with her lifelong frenemy and their moms.
So why did I really love the most villainous MC I’ve read in a while? It’s because he owns his shit. He calls himself an asshole and chooses violence whenever possible.
He also fucks like a deity. Monika wants to not want him but he disrupts everything she thought she knew about herself. In bed, whenever they make it, and in how he can’t get enough of being who she needs. He learns Korean for her (she’s Black and Korean) and when he realizes he wants her, he aims to give her the softest life possible. She morphs from a tool to use to someone to conquer to a partner to cherish.
What’s also unique about this story is that while Taranis Darius (his non-superhero name) cherishes Monika, he’s only good for her. He’s bad right down to the end. There’s no doubt in mind that he would burn down the entire world to save his woman, and laugh while doing it. Twice.
There’s something about allowing flawed characters to stay flawed that makes this book one to pick up again and again.
Book One in Supers in the City Series
Book one (hopefully of many!) in this series is All Superheroes Need PR. It stars Vanessa, a PR firm owner, who is invited to submit a proposal for the rebranding of Pyro, an alien super villain turned super hero. He’s violently obsessed with her, and it’s a delightful mess.
You don’t need to read it to understand this book but you’ll have a great time if you do!
Read my review↓
Read and listen free → on KU
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What’s Next? My Ten Before the End.
Here are ten books I hope to get to before the end of the year! Do you have your eye on any of these?
The Illusion of Power by J.L. Seegars
Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport
Son of the Morning by Akwaeke Emezi
Brewed with Love by Shelly Page
Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana
Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal
Julia Song is Undateable by Susan Lee
Champagne Taste on a Bad Boy Budget by Zuri Day
I’ll Have What He’s Having by Adib Khorram
My Fair Señor by Alana Quintana Albertson
BTW, this list is light on holiday romances but I’ll have some for you very soon.
What’s your favorite bad guy or bad girl romance?
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