Review: Holiday Heroine by Sarah Kuhn

Holiday Heroine by Sarah Kuhn
Series: Heroine Complex, Book 6
Publisher: DAW
Genre: New Adult Urban Fantasy 

ISBN: 9780756416539
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Nobody loves Christmas like Bea Tanaka—so when her family visits her for a special holiday celebration, she’s beside herself with joy.

After years of chaos, questionable decisions, and flirtations with the supervillain path, Bea is finally thriving. She’s got a sweet, new gig hunting demons in Maui, she’s working hard to hone her powers, and her big sister Evie is proud of her at last. In fact, everyone is so proud of her that she can’t tell them the truth: she’s feeling lost and adrift. She and her boyfriend Sam Fujikawa are struggling to make their long-distance love work, and her powers are displaying some intriguing new elements—elements that could lead her down an evil, mind-controlling path once more.

When her family’s holiday visit is disrupted by otherworldly monsters rising out of the Maui ocean, Bea throws herself into the battle—until she’s suddenly and mysteriously transported to the perfect Christmas back in San Francisco, surrounded by her family and an excess of merrymaking.

As she finds herself trapped in the bizarre holiday rom-com of her nightmares, Bea must unravel a treacherous demon plot, save the world from unspeakable evil, and resist the siren song of a supervillain destiny. And hey, maybe she’ll find time for a little holiday cheer after all…

Get ready for a wild ride with Holiday Heroine. Christmas and kaijus go hand-in-hand in Bea Tanaka’s second outing.

After making the leap from the family nest in San Francisco, Bea is determined to show her loved ones that she is thriving in Maui. She’s determined to blend in, make no waves, and keep her dangerous powers under lock and key. Yet though she’s made a close group of friends for herself already, Bea desperately misses her boyfriend, Sam, her sister, Evie, and everyone at Jupiter/Tanaka, Inc. When her family shows up for a visit, things start to go terribly wrong. Kaiju are popping up in Maui and Bea’s powers are out of control. When she passes out only to wake up in a mysteriously perfect Christmas in San Francisco, Bea knows she can’t just luxuriate in the holiday rom-com of her dreams. She has to get to the bottom of what’s happening before she loses everything and everyone she loves.

Bea is a vibrant heroine who has tamped down on her sparkly, over-the-top personality. She’s determined to be normal, to resist her powers and the supervillain path they could potentially take her on. She broke my heart more than once because she’s dimmed her light so much. I wanted to see her be the strong, confident, rainbow disco ball of a heroine she’s meant to be. Author Sarah Kuhn doesn’t make things easy on Bea in Holiday Heroine. Our brilliant heroine still has a lot to learn about being herself and it was great to see her bumpy journey to happily ever after. I can’t say much about that journey because it would spoil the story. Suffice it to say Kuhn takes readers on a twisty paranormal adventure.

I had a hard time rating Holiday Heroine because there’s a lot I love about the Heroine Complex world. Bea and her loved ones are all unique, well-drawn, endearing characters and I enjoy any time spent with them. But this book did drag for the first half as Bea – and readers – have no idea what’s happening or why. It’s only at the halfway point that things start to pick up. From there the repetition makes sense as Bea has lessons to learn, but unlike every other book in this series I didn’t have a hard time putting this one down, which was a pity. Still, even though this wasn’t my favorite Heroine Complex book I did love the way it turned out. Love in all its forms is key to this story and the way Kuhn flushed out Bea’s relationships with everyone in her life – especially herself – made this story shine.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Hollywood Heroine by Sarah Kuhn

Hollywood Heroine by Sarah Kuhn
Series: Heroine Complex, Book 5
Publisher: DAW
Genre: Urban Fantasy 

ISBN: 9780756416515
Release Date: October 26, 2021
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Over the years, the adventures of superheroines Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka have become the stuff of legend--and now they'll be immortalized in their very own TV show!

The pair head to LA for filming, but Aveda struggles to get truly excited. Instead, she's preoccupied wondering about the fate of the world and her role in it. You know, the usual. Now that Otherworld activity has been detected outside the Bay Area, Aveda can't help but wonder if the demon threat will ever be eradicated.

When the drama on set takes a turn for the supernatural, Evie and Aveda must balance their celebrity commitments with donning their superhero capes again to investigate. And when the evil they battle reveals a larger, more nefarious plot, it's time for the indomitable Aveda Jupiter to rise to the occasion and become the leader she was meant to be on a more global scale--and hopefully keep some semblance of a personal life while doing so.

Superheroines Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka are back, facing demons and possibly vampires in Hollywood Heroine. Every time I enter Sarah Kuhn’s Heroine Complex world I am ready for an action-packed good time. Kuhn did not disappoint, blending action and some humor with weighty, real-world problems.

I frickin’ love Aveda. She has got the biggest heart and is so earnest, so determined to solve every problem she can that it’s impossible not to love her. Is she perfect? Not by a long shot. But she is always growing, always trying to do better and not steamroll people; even when she makes mistakes they come from the best of intentions. But Aveda is running herself into the ground. She never takes a break and more importantly, feels like she can’t. Hollywood Heroine addresses racism, the pressure Aveda faces as a powerful Asian American woman in the media, an aggressive mean girl who knows just how to twist the knife, panic attacks, and the fear of change. Aveda is deeply afraid of losing those she loves the most and she bottles up her emotions, throwing herself into being everyone’s champion. My heart broke for her and how hard she was trying and I wanted her to let her loved ones take care of her for once. I also wanted her to see how much she was loved and supported. Aveda’s relationship with her husband, Scott, was a storyline that had me absolutely glued to the pages of this book. Kuhn doesn’t take it easy on Aveda in this book but that’s what makes the story so satisfying. I was rooting for Aveda every step of the way and though I won’t spoil what happens I loved how the ending turned out.

It wouldn’t be a Heroine Complex book without some creative supernatural plot and this time it’s something that seems vampiric. I loved watching Aveda and her ever-expanding circle of friends put the pieces together. The action sequences are exciting and I enjoyed watching the mystery unfold. But what really grabbed me the most about Hollywood Heroine were the emotional moments, which is why I recommend being familiar with Tanaka/Jupiter and co. before jumping into this story. I love seeing how far all the relationships have come, how all my favorite characters have grown over the past five books, and I cannot wait to see where Kuhn takes them all next!



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Haunted Heroine by Sarah Kuhn

Haunted Heroine by Sarah Kuhn
Series: Heroine Complex, Book 4
Publisher: DAW
Genre: Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9780756416492
Release Date: July 7, 2020
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Everything in Evie Tanaka's life is finally perfect. As a badass superheroine, she defends San Francisco from demon invasion on the regular. Her relationships with superhero partner Aveda Jupiter, little sister Bea, and hot, half-demon husband Nate have never been stronger. Maybe it's possible for a grad school dropout turned put-upon personal assistant turned superhero to have it all?

Just when she thinks life can't get any better, Evie learns she's pregnant. Everyone around her is overjoyed…but Evie has major doubts about whether she's cut out for motherhood. Before she can dwell on her dilemma, a local women's college reports a string of mysterious "hauntings," and Evie and Aveda are called in to investigate, going undercover as grad students during the creepiest time of the year: Halloween.

As she confronts terrifying ghosts and lives out a bizarre version of the grad school life she left behind, Evie can't help but wonder about the road not taken: what would her life be like if she'd stayed here instead of pursuing superheroing with Aveda? And can an overwhelmed pregnant superhero truly have it all?

She's about to find out.

The adventure continues as superheroine Evie Tanaka confronts the past and faces the future in Haunted Heroine. Sarah Kuhn’s latest entry in the Heroine Complex series has all the action, humor, and heart I’ve come to expect from this wonderful, original series.

When she and Aveda go undercover as grad students at Evie’s former college, it’s time for Evie to face what might have been. She had to drop out as a grad student because she was burning the candle at both ends, trying to be a mom to her grieving little sister while also taking a challenging class load was just too much. Being back at Morgan College posing as a grad student makes Evie question things. She loves her life, loves her husband and the family she’s made, but impending motherhood (with a baby who has both superhero and demon DNA) and an emotional distance between her and Nate is making Evie doubt herself. I really loved that there wasn’t false drama; these are all logical questions. Take away the supernatural elements and Evie’s doubts and insecurities are all real-world problems people face. Evie has already become the badass superheroine she’s meant to be and I won’t spoil the story by going into detail over the obstacles she faces. Suffice it to say that in Haunted Heroine Evie fully comes into her own and learns self-acceptance, which I absolutely loved.

Evie’s college adventure wouldn’t be complete without her co-superheroine at her side. The growth of Evie and Aveda’s friendship is one of my favorite things about the Heroine Complex series. While their friendship was toxic at the beginning of Heroine Complex and Aveda really had to learn boundaries, she’s come a long way. Aveda is supportive and protective of Evie, recognizing her own faults and determined to be the best friend she can be. She also takes to college life immediately and her enthusiasm was infectious. I adored watching their friendship grow even stronger. They also make plenty of new friends at Morgan and each of these students are interesting and engaging characters in their own right. The bonds that form in this book are wonderful to read about and the pages of the story practically flew by because of them.

It would be remiss of me to talk about Haunted Heroine and not mention the hauntings. Morgan College is experiencing some fearsome ghost activity and Evie and Aveda are on the case. I loved watching the layers of the mystery unfold as Evie and Aveda investigate the supernatural happenings. The action is fun and exciting, the mystery and its potential consequences are interesting, and I finished the story excited to see what Ms. Kuhn has in store for the Heroine Complex-verse.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Unsung Heroine by Sarah Kuhn

Unsung Heroine by Sarah Kuhn
Series: Heroine Complex, Book 3.5
Publisher: DAW
Genre: Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9780756415730
Release Date: July 2, 2019
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo

Lucy Valdez is many things: fight trainer/bodyguard to superheroines, fabulous vintage fashion plate, undisputed karaoke queen at local joint, The Gutter. She is also one of the toughest fighters in all of San Francisco without superpowers. So why can't she seem to confess her feelings to her longtime crush Rose Rorick, head of the San Francisco Police Department's Demon Unit?

Well.... actually, she knows why. She's afraid Rose won't like the real Lucy, the Lucy underneath all the fabulous bravado. (She is still fabulous underneath that bravado--just in a different way.)

When a mysterious new karaoke star rises up at The Gutter and eclipses her, Lucy finds her confidence further shaken--and when strange, seemingly supernatural happenings threaten both this new star and The Gutter's very existence, she must rise to the challenge and investigate alongside Rose. Will Lucy be able to vanquish the demonic threat to her beloved karaoke haven, confess her true feelings to Rose, and reclaim her karaoke throne?

Unsung Heroine is fresh, fun, and fast-paced. It has all the quirky action I’ve come to expect from Sarah Kuhn’s Heroine Complex series plus a romance that will make you smile and sigh.

Lucy may not have superpowers, but that doesn’t stop her from being one of the most fearsome fighters in all of San Francisco. Lucy is a fantastic heroine. She’s vibrant, quick-thinking, caring, tough, has a fun sense of fashion, and she’s a local karaoke star. Beneath all of that, she’s also deeply vulnerable. She’s been hurt and guards her heart so fiercely she’s afraid to go for what she wants. And what she wants is Rose, head of SFPD’s Demon Unit. Rose is quiet, serious, strong, and a total geek. I absolutely loved Rose and I really wish we had her point of view in this story, but I’m biased because she’s one of my favorite characters in this series. Rose and Lucy are friends, but it’s easy to see they’re meant to be so much more. Lucy has her reasons for holding back and I understood them, but I was rooting for her to take a risk with Rose because I knew they’d make a dreamy couple.

Romance is only one part of Unsung Heroine – there’s also a new demon threat shaking things up. A demonic force is attacking a new talent – and Lucy’s new rival – at The Gutter. Attack confetti and possessed mic cords? It’s all in a day’s work for Jupiter/Tanaka, Inc. Evie, Aveda, Bea, and co. are on hand to help save the day and the results are quirky, fun action sequences. If you don’t mind some spoilers from the first two Heroine Complex books (the majority of this story takes place between books two and three) you can jump right into Unsung Heroine. If you’re a fan, you’ll delight in seeing all your favorites, though the focus of the story never strays from the main characters or plot. I adored seeing Evie and Aveda help Lucy not only battle demonic forces, but figure out her love life (I can’t imagine ever not having a soft spot for Aveda). All in all, Unsung Heroine was a blast to read. It’s got strong heroines, a sensual and oh-so-sweet romance, and a fantastically fun plot that makes the pages fly by.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Heroine’s Journey by Sarah Kuhn

Heroine’s Journey by Sarah Kuhn
Series: Heroine Complex, Book 3
Publisher: DAW
Genre: Urban Fantasy/New Adult

ISBN: 9780756414412
Release Date: July 3, 2018
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

If there's one thing Beatrice Tanaka never wanted to be, it's normal. But somehow, her life has unfolded as a series of "should haves." Her powers of emotional projection should have made her one of the most formidable superheroes of all time. And she should have been allowed to join her older sister Evie as a full-fledged protector of San Francisco, pulverizing the city's plethora of demon threats.

But Evie and her superheroing partner, Aveda Jupiter, insist on seeing Bea as the impulsive, tempestuous teenager she used to be--even though she's now a responsible adult. And that means Bea is currently living a thoroughly normal life. She works as a bookstore lackey, hangs out with best friends Sam Fujikawa and Leah Kim, and calms her workplace's more difficult customers. Sure, she's not technically supposed to be playing with people's mental states. But given the mundanity of her existence, who can blame her?

When a mysterious being starts communicating with Bea, hinting at an evil that's about to overtake the city, she seizes the opportunity, hoping to turn her "should haves" into the fabulous heroic life she's always wanted. But gaining that life may mean sacrificing everything--and everyone--she holds dear…

Heroine’s Journey is a blast to read. It’s a fast-paced, action-packed adventure coupled with a journey of growth. Add in a vibrant cast of characters, a steamy romance, wonderful friendships, a scene-stealing dog, and a to-die-for bookstore and it’s easy to see why I didn’t want to put this book down.

It’s been four years since readers last visited Jupiter/Tanaka, Inc. and the superhero duo of Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka is a well-oiled machine that works for everyone. Everyone except Beatrice Tanaka, that is. Bea is desperate to convince her sister to let her become a superhero, but she’s blocked at every turn. Until Bea finds herself at the center of a new wave of demonic activity, one far different and more personal than anything she and her loved ones have ever seen.

Bea is easy to adore. She’s brilliant, bold, and a butt-kicking heroine in her own right. I loved how fast her mind moved and could understand how her brain jumped from one thing to another. But beneath her lively exterior is a young woman still feeling the pain of her mother’s death. There’s a hole in Bea she cannot seem to fill and that just broke my heart. Heroine’s Journey is an apt title because a lot of the book is Bea struggling to come into her own and defining what exactly that means. Bea is a wonderfully flawed heroine and I loved that she made mistakes because her imperfections were relatable. I was rooting for her every step of the way which is part of the reason I was glued to the book. Another reason was Bea’s friendships with Leah and Sam. Leah is an amazing best friend, a smart, creative, kind person who supports Bea but doesn’t hesitate to warn her when she’s going down a potentially dangerous path. And Sam… How best to describe Sam? He’s a sexy-as-hell mechanic with charm to spare, but there’s so much more beneath the surface. He’s as quick-minded as Bea and I absolutely adored their ongoing competition. But few people besides Bea see beneath the surface of Sam and I really enjoyed watching the layers being peeled back and exposing his vulnerabilities. He and Bea have some deliciously hot sexual tension brewing, but whether or not anything comes of it I’ll leave readers to discover.

Heroine’s Journey is the third book in the Heroine Complex series and if you’re new to the series (and don’t mind spoilers) you can dive in here. Returning fans of the Tanaka/Jupiter crowd will be delighted to revisit favorite characters and see how their lives have grown over the past four years. I loved seeing more of my favorite characters from Heroine Complex and Heroine Worship and I really enjoyed seeing a different side of the dynamics between our three superhero leads. Bea’s relationship with Evie is central to the story and the love and frustration on both sisters’ sides gave emotional heft to the book. And for some fun, Aveda’s self-appointed role as Bea’s mentor made me grin (I have a huge soft spot for Aveda).

I focused a lot on the characters of Heroine’s Journey because Sarah Kuhn’s talent for creating such amazing characters is what sticks with me the most. But it’d be remiss of me not to mention the action, danger, and mystery in the story. As with the first two Heroine Complex books, the fight scenes and the mystery of the demonic attacks are quirky, interesting, and exciting. Ms. Kuhn is brilliant at balancing popcorn thrills with more weighty storylines and I loved every bit of it. Heroine’s Journey is an engrossing story that blends the real and the fantastical perfectly. I loved every bit of it and I hope to see lots more of Bea, Sam, Leah, Evie, Nate, Aveda, Scott, Lucy, Rose, and Shruti in the future!


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Heroine Worship by Sarah Kuhn

Heroine Worship by Sarah Kuhn
Series: Heroine Complex, Book 2
Publisher: DAW
Genre: Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9780756413262
Release Date: July 4, 2017
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Once upon a time, Aveda Jupiter (aka Annie Chang) was demon-infested San Francisco’s most beloved superheroine, a beacon of hope and strength and really awesome outfits. But all that changed the day she agreed to share the spotlight with her best friend and former assistant Evie Tanaka—who’s now a badass, fire-wielding superheroine in her own right. They were supposed to be a dynamic duo, but more and more, Aveda finds herself shoved into the sidekick role. Where, it must be said, she is not at all comfortable.

It doesn’t help that Aveda’s finally being forced to deal with fallout from her diva behavior—and the fact that she’s been a less than stellar friend to Evie. Or that Scott Cameron—the man Aveda’s loved for nearly a decade—is suddenly giving her the cold shoulder after what seemed to be some promising steps toward friendship. Or that the city has been demon-free for three months in the wake of Evie and Aveda’s apocalypse-preventing battle against the evil forces of the Otherworld, leaving Aveda without the one thing she craves most in life: a mission.

All of this is causing Aveda’s burning sense of heroic purpose—the thing that’s guided her all these years—to falter.

In short, Aveda Jupiter is having an identity crisis.

When Evie gets engaged and drafts Aveda as her maid-of-honor, Aveda finally sees a chance to reclaim her sense of self and sets out on a single-minded mission to make sure Evie has the most epic wedding ever. But when a mysterious, unseen supernatural evil rises up and starts attacking brides-to-be, Aveda must summon both her superheroine and best friend mojo to take down the enemy and make sure Evie’s wedding goes off without a hitch—or see both her city and her most important friendship destroyed forever.

Heroine Worship manages to be kick-ass, funny, and heartwarming all at once. It can’t be easy to have a heroine who was previously somewhat unlikeable and definitely demanding, but author Sarah Kuhn proves that she’s more than up to the challenge. Aveda is fierce, powerful, a self-confessed hurricane…and also loving, lonely, and more vulnerable than she lets on. I absolutely loved her.

In Heroine Complex, we got the story of Evie Tanaka, personal assistant to superhero Aveda Juipter (aka Annie Chang), Evie’s childhood best friend. This time around it’s Aveda/Annie’s story, and I loved seeing the reformed diva get her own book. Ever since Aveda and Evie saved San Francisco, things have been quiet, which means that all’s quiet at Aveda Jupiter, Inc. Not only that, all of San Francisco seems to have fallen in love with Evie, which means that she and Aveda are less co-superheroines than superheroine and former superheroine-turned-sidekick. Aveda is someone constantly trying to prove herself, to be the best, and between not having demons to fight and having everyone look at her like she’s still a diva, she’s going mad.

Aveda/Annie’s personal journey is the heart of Heroine Worship and I loved peeling back the layers of her character. She may have been a diva and a pretty bad friend at the last book, but Aveda doesn’t make excuses for herself. She’s determined to be the best friend to Evie that she can be and also protect her from anything that would upset or hurt her, and that isn’t always easy. Aveda tends to rush into things head first, which means that even when she means well she often screws things up. My heart actually broke for her more than once over the course of the story, as she takes a lot of hits. There were times I wished I could have reached into the book and stopped her before she made a mistake or her actions were misinterpreted. She’s on a quest to be the perfect friend and maid-of-honor to Evie, and at the same time she’s having an identity crisis and the denizens of her fair city aren’t looking too kindly on the mistakes she keeps making.

If feeling internally lost wasn’t enough for a now-outsider superheroine to handle, Aveda has a new problem on her plate: a demonic force seems to be attacking San Francisco brides. Non-possessed Bridezillas are frightening enough, so when you add in a demonic influence…let’s just say things get ugly quick. It’ll take all of Aveda and co.’s combined power to capture the demon, save San Francisco from evil Bridezillas, and get Evie and Nate down the aisle in one piece. The action sequences are fun, unique, and balance out the more serious storylines.

Heroine Worship has a lot of flash and dazzle, but there’s a lot of emotion packed into this story as well. Aveda and Evie have a couple of hurdles to overcome in order to repair their friendship, and I loved that Ms. Kuhn didn’t make things easy on them. Aveda also must face her feelings for Scott, surfer-mage extraordinaire and a longtime friend to both Evie and Aveda. Aveda and Scott have wonderful chemistry, but her fears and insecurities make her constantly push him away. I was absolutely rooting for these two to get together, and the romance storyline is just what I needed to round this story out. All in all, I adored Heroine Worship and I’m looking forward to seeing where Ms. Kuhn takes our kick-ass co-superheroines next!


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Review: Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn

Heroine Complex by Sarah Kuhn
Series: Heroine Complex, Book 1
Publisher: DAW
Genre: Urban Fantasy

ISBN: 9780756410841
Release Date: July 5, 2016
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

Being a superheroine is hard. Working for one is even harder.

Evie Tanaka is the put-upon personal assistant to Aveda Jupiter, her childhood best friend and San Francisco’s most beloved superheroine. She’s great at her job—blending into the background, handling her boss’s epic diva tantrums, and getting demon blood out of leather pants.

Unfortunately, she’s not nearly as together when it comes to running her own life, standing up for herself, or raising her tempestuous teenage sister, Bea.

But everything changes when Evie’s forced to pose as her glamorous boss for one night, and her darkest secret comes out: she has powers, too. Now it’s up to her to contend with murderous cupcakes, nosy gossip bloggers, and supernatural karaoke battles—all while juggling unexpected romance and Aveda’s increasingly outrageous demands. And when a larger threat emerges, Evie must finally take charge and become a superheroine in her own right...or see her city fall to a full-on demonic invasion.

Heroine Complex is action-packed, geeky good fun. Sarah Kuhn has delivered a new kind of superhero story that’s fresh, fun, and surprisingly relatable. We may not face demon cupcakes on a daily basis, but most of us have had an unreasonably demanding boss at some point.

A very unreasonable, sometimes-petulant boss is exactly what Evie Tanaka, personal assistant to superhero Aveda Jupiter, deals with every day. Evie is a master at calming her diva boss and allowing her to focus on saving San Francisco from regular demon invasions. She puts up with it because Aveda is her childhood friend and, for as much as Aveda can be self-centered, she has been there for Evie when she needed it the most. Added to that, Evie needs the stability Aveda provides. She’s got powers of her own, dangerous ones that are more supervillain than superhero, and she’ll do anything to maintain control. When Aveda is injured and Evie is forced to take her place, her life is turned upside down. Not only is Evie thrust into the spotlight, her power is flaring up, there’s a new demonic invasion in town, bitchy bloggers are on her case, her teenage sister is out of control, Aveda doesn’t like sharing the limelight, and – to make matters worse – Evie might just have a thing for the stuffy, data-obsessed demonologist she works with. There aren’t enough Lucky Charms or spam musubi in the world to make her world right again.

Heroine Complex zips along at a fast pace, thanks in no small part to Evie. She’s an unwilling superhero who’s realistically overwhelmed by all that’s thrust on her. Evie’s funny, snarky, guarded – a far cry from her kick-butt, image-obsessed superhero best friend. Evie is imperfect and very willing to admit it, which makes her an endearing heroine. That she doesn’t handle everything thrown her way with cool aplomb makes it all the more appealing when she becomes a kickass heroine in her own right. I was rooting for Evie to come into her own over the course of the story, and watching her grow as a character was a delight. Self-realization in the face of decomposing new demons and gossip bloggers ain’t easy.

Evie is the heart and soul of Heroine Complex, but there are plenty of supporting characters who help make the book come alive. Aveda isn’t the best of friends, but I loved how Ms. Kuhn brought three-dimensionality to her character. Nate, a personal favorite of mine, is gruff, says the wrong things, and is so obviously attracted to Evie that I just melted. Throw in another butt-kicking female in Lucy, a rebellious sister in Bea, and a hot best friend with magic in Scott, and you’ve got a well-rounded, endearing-in-their-own-unique-ways cast. Heroine Complex is a lively, exciting read and I can’t wait to see what Evie & co. get up to next!


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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