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Supers in the City #1
All Superheroes Need PR
Instant USA Today bestseller.
He’s a villain looking for a hero rebrand. She’s the marketing genius who can make it happen in this fantastical romantic comedy by the author of the Beasts of Gatamora series.
Over two decades ago, forty-eight young, gifted superheroes fell to Earth and were eventually marketed as opposing heroes and villains. Now, one exceptionally gruff bad guy is looking to hop teams. Hello, PR director Vanessa Theriot.
His real name is Roland Casteel a.k.a. the Pyro. First, swap that with the less incinerating the Wyvern. Next, put him in spandex to highlight that near-godlike body. Finally, give that hero in training a heroine—if Vanessa will play the part in a pretend romance guaranteed to make the city swoon. She’s game. As shy as Vanessa is, it’s her job to be Roland’s very own Lois Lane. Who knew that fake dating would change their worlds?
But falling head over heels for real makes for a dangerous shift in the narrative. A monstrous supervillain is bringing out Roland’s bad side again. This time, it’s to save a woman who, against all the odds, is becoming the human love of his superhero life.
He’s a villain looking for a hero rebrand. She’s the marketing genius who can make it happen in this fantastical romantic comedy by the author of the Beasts of Gatamora series.
Over two decades ago, forty-eight young, gifted superheroes fell to Earth and were eventually marketed as opposing heroes and villains. Now, one exceptionally gruff bad guy is looking to hop teams. Hello, PR director Vanessa Theriot.
His real name is Roland Casteel a.k.a. the Pyro. First, swap that with the less incinerating the Wyvern. Next, put him in spandex to highlight that near-godlike body. Finally, give that hero in training a heroine—if Vanessa will play the part in a pretend romance guaranteed to make the city swoon. She’s game. As shy as Vanessa is, it’s her job to be Roland’s very own Lois Lane. Who knew that fake dating would change their worlds?
But falling head over heels for real makes for a dangerous shift in the narrative. A monstrous supervillain is bringing out Roland’s bad side again. This time, it’s to save a woman who, against all the odds, is becoming the human love of his superhero life.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 27, 2025
1159 people are currently reading
11693 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Stephens
78 books1,245 followersElizabeth Stephens writes romance of the SciFi, paranormal and suspenseful varieties. Her favorite trope is enemies-to-lovers and she loves to world-build so much so that she sometimes gets lost in places that don't exist.
One year into her author journey, she's been shocked to see her books listed among Amazon's bestsellers in their categories. Still, her favorite pieces of fanmail are from BIPOC women expressing surprise and gratitude that they've found an author who looks like them and (does her very best!) to write books that make them feel included.
When she isn't tip-tap-typing away, you might find her getting her hands dirty on a pottery wheel, traveling as much as she can, or learning a new language. A Seattle native, after over 15 years spent in Johannesburg, Cairo, Beirut, Geneva, Addis Ababa, and Berlin, she's made her way back home with her loving husband and doggo, King Louis.
To find out more about her projects and upcoming releases visit her website at booksbyelizabeth.com.
One year into her author journey, she's been shocked to see her books listed among Amazon's bestsellers in their categories. Still, her favorite pieces of fanmail are from BIPOC women expressing surprise and gratitude that they've found an author who looks like them and (does her very best!) to write books that make them feel included.
When she isn't tip-tap-typing away, you might find her getting her hands dirty on a pottery wheel, traveling as much as she can, or learning a new language. A Seattle native, after over 15 years spent in Johannesburg, Cairo, Beirut, Geneva, Addis Ababa, and Berlin, she's made her way back home with her loving husband and doggo, King Louis.
To find out more about her projects and upcoming releases visit her website at booksbyelizabeth.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 862 reviews
May 30, 2025
The only good thing about this book is how diverse and inclusive its cast is and how positive its portrayal of the one trans character is. I am so upset that this book has zero other redeeming qualities.
To start: the blurb marketing this book is misleading. There were not adequate disclosures of many themes that should’ve come with warnings. The plot was really meh. Sensitive subject matter, like domestic violence and immigration, was handled badly, oversimplified, and written poorly, and at times downright offensively so. The tropes were forced. Chemistry was minimal and forced. Editing was poor and unclear.
The scene ideas themselves were bad. There were some scenes (like projectile vomiting so hard your body physically went airborne, like engaging in what was basically intimate foreplay in front of the FMCs parents and brothers and boss) that were gross or weird and really didn’t belong in a casual romcom. The actual line writing itself was also bad in addition to the scene construction issues because there were times I was screaming “that doesn’t even make sense with the thing you’re actively experiencing”. (For example one line that stuck out to me early on is: “Words without actions mean nothing Mr Casteel.” … The action the FMC is discussing is the fact that Casteel would never hit a woman… We actively want him to NOT take an action. Why would you say that you want him to take an action.) That’s not even to address how awkward and weird the dialogue is generally especially when it’s trying and failing to be romantic.
But all of that pales in comparison to the characters. Almost every single character is incredibly annoying, poorly constructed, one dimensional, and downright badly written, the FMC and her family especially so.
The main character is frustrating levels of incompetent, defenseless victim. She’s a past victim of violence at the hands of other family members (this is prior to the story and is context for why she acts the way she does and why everyone goes along with it, I’m not judging the character for being in that situation but I will judge the portrayal of that by the author and how the author chose to manifest that in the character). That history and avenue is so oversimplified, poorly explained, and unexplored that it just seems like the author wanted to justify writing a Mary Sue damsel in distress. There aren’t really dimensions added by that experience and it doesn’t seem like the author cared to do research or represent that experience in a meaningful way, it’s mostly just used as a crutch and an excuse for her anxious and/or incompetent behavior. Her behavior amounting to being absolutely unable to do anything even the most basic task by herself including speaking to other humans, picking up a glass of water, comprehending and communicating the events she was just apart of in an honest and unbiased way, walking in a straight line, doing her job which she’s allegedly very good at…
The MMC falls in love with her obsessively and immediately onsite, and I’m kind of relieved later when there’s a more complex fantastical explanation for why because nothing about the FMC is compelling enough to justify love at near-first sight. She has no real identifiable personality traits beyond being sweet and weak, and you’re left going “literally how” when the MMC says she’s interesting and surprising and badass. And every other character in the story reinforces this problem because they all treat her like being sweet and weak is her only personality trait, like she’s a chronic victim whose incapable of tying her shoes, and she seems perfectly content to be treated that way and finds it endearing when people treat her like shes weak most of the time. You’re left asking yourself reasonable questions like “if she is physically incapable of speaking in front of another person at all like she’s just shown, I would love for the author to give me even a moderately realistic explanation of how the FMC manages a multi million dollar marketing firm and 2 dozen employees and I’d like that explanation to focus on the fact that making in person marketing presentations is a huge part of the FMCs job but she’s so anxious she basically can’t speak or function in front of people”.
Her brothers and her father are the biggest feeders into this level of victim complex. So much so that it makes her and them think the man she projectile vomited on, who flew her home while covered in her vomit to make sure she wasn’t left unconscious at the mercy of a large group of drunks in a bar, who endured assaults and death threats from multiple members of her family for the unforgivably evil act of not leaving her unconscious on the floor of a bar, is the bad guy who owes her an apology because he didn’t appreciate being attacked by her brother.
But the most egregious moment in the whole story is her mother in the brunch scene. If you told me the mother in this story was a knockoff Spanish-speaking Marjorie Taylor Greene I’d believe you. The mother initially endorses xenophobia to an insane degree that I really think this author needs to reevaluate and remove in later editions of this book. Because after one moderately embarrassing business meeting, the FMC says she starts to see her mother’s point of view about how locking these alien kids in cages may be a good idea (She seem to reverse course on this eventually, but like… Why would any reader want a FMC whose like “you know what? He embarrassed me maybe we should’ve locked him up and tortured him when he was a child.” She literally went full neo-n*z* lock these kids in cages over brunch.)
I cant think of anyone I would recommend this book to that I didn’t actively hate. I’m very confused why it’s so highly reviewed. I need everyone to explain to me how on earth they liked the FMC even a little bit after her internal monologue about locking aliens up forever for no reason.
To start: the blurb marketing this book is misleading. There were not adequate disclosures of many themes that should’ve come with warnings. The plot was really meh. Sensitive subject matter, like domestic violence and immigration, was handled badly, oversimplified, and written poorly, and at times downright offensively so. The tropes were forced. Chemistry was minimal and forced. Editing was poor and unclear.
The scene ideas themselves were bad. There were some scenes (like projectile vomiting so hard your body physically went airborne, like engaging in what was basically intimate foreplay in front of the FMCs parents and brothers and boss) that were gross or weird and really didn’t belong in a casual romcom. The actual line writing itself was also bad in addition to the scene construction issues because there were times I was screaming “that doesn’t even make sense with the thing you’re actively experiencing”. (For example one line that stuck out to me early on is: “Words without actions mean nothing Mr Casteel.” … The action the FMC is discussing is the fact that Casteel would never hit a woman… We actively want him to NOT take an action. Why would you say that you want him to take an action.) That’s not even to address how awkward and weird the dialogue is generally especially when it’s trying and failing to be romantic.
But all of that pales in comparison to the characters. Almost every single character is incredibly annoying, poorly constructed, one dimensional, and downright badly written, the FMC and her family especially so.
The main character is frustrating levels of incompetent, defenseless victim. She’s a past victim of violence at the hands of other family members (this is prior to the story and is context for why she acts the way she does and why everyone goes along with it, I’m not judging the character for being in that situation but I will judge the portrayal of that by the author and how the author chose to manifest that in the character). That history and avenue is so oversimplified, poorly explained, and unexplored that it just seems like the author wanted to justify writing a Mary Sue damsel in distress. There aren’t really dimensions added by that experience and it doesn’t seem like the author cared to do research or represent that experience in a meaningful way, it’s mostly just used as a crutch and an excuse for her anxious and/or incompetent behavior. Her behavior amounting to being absolutely unable to do anything even the most basic task by herself including speaking to other humans, picking up a glass of water, comprehending and communicating the events she was just apart of in an honest and unbiased way, walking in a straight line, doing her job which she’s allegedly very good at…
The MMC falls in love with her obsessively and immediately onsite, and I’m kind of relieved later when there’s a more complex fantastical explanation for why because nothing about the FMC is compelling enough to justify love at near-first sight. She has no real identifiable personality traits beyond being sweet and weak, and you’re left going “literally how” when the MMC says she’s interesting and surprising and badass. And every other character in the story reinforces this problem because they all treat her like being sweet and weak is her only personality trait, like she’s a chronic victim whose incapable of tying her shoes, and she seems perfectly content to be treated that way and finds it endearing when people treat her like shes weak most of the time. You’re left asking yourself reasonable questions like “if she is physically incapable of speaking in front of another person at all like she’s just shown, I would love for the author to give me even a moderately realistic explanation of how the FMC manages a multi million dollar marketing firm and 2 dozen employees and I’d like that explanation to focus on the fact that making in person marketing presentations is a huge part of the FMCs job but she’s so anxious she basically can’t speak or function in front of people”.
Her brothers and her father are the biggest feeders into this level of victim complex. So much so that it makes her and them think the man she projectile vomited on, who flew her home while covered in her vomit to make sure she wasn’t left unconscious at the mercy of a large group of drunks in a bar, who endured assaults and death threats from multiple members of her family for the unforgivably evil act of not leaving her unconscious on the floor of a bar, is the bad guy who owes her an apology because he didn’t appreciate being attacked by her brother.
But the most egregious moment in the whole story is her mother in the brunch scene. If you told me the mother in this story was a knockoff Spanish-speaking Marjorie Taylor Greene I’d believe you. The mother initially endorses xenophobia to an insane degree that I really think this author needs to reevaluate and remove in later editions of this book. Because after one moderately embarrassing business meeting, the FMC says she starts to see her mother’s point of view about how locking these alien kids in cages may be a good idea (She seem to reverse course on this eventually, but like… Why would any reader want a FMC whose like “you know what? He embarrassed me maybe we should’ve locked him up and tortured him when he was a child.” She literally went full neo-n*z* lock these kids in cages over brunch.)
I cant think of anyone I would recommend this book to that I didn’t actively hate. I’m very confused why it’s so highly reviewed. I need everyone to explain to me how on earth they liked the FMC even a little bit after her internal monologue about locking aliens up forever for no reason.
May 2, 2025
I consumed this book and added it to my favorites list for 2025 by 50% in. It’s emotional, hilarious, swoony, and sexy.
I NEED this to be an entire series with all the characters and all the HEAs. I fell in love with this new world from Elizabeth and want to dive back into it immediately.
This isn’t just a recommendation, I’m throwing this book at you so that you'll read it and enjoy it !!
I NEED this to be an entire series with all the characters and all the HEAs. I fell in love with this new world from Elizabeth and want to dive back into it immediately.
This isn’t just a recommendation, I’m throwing this book at you so that you'll read it and enjoy it !!
dnf
July 30, 2025This is an intriguing premise and the world is fascinating. Very detailed with the superheroes and powers. But I struggled with the writing not gelling with me and the extreme anxiety and contrasts of the FMC. I’m curious but not going to continue.
June 15, 2025
I HATE THAT EVERY ROMANCE IS NOW LUST AND NOT LOVE!!! Like ugh I actually so cannot w the insta-love/lust ts pmo soooooo bad. And him being an assgole at the beginning literally makes no sense 😭 no reason for homeboy to be doing all that.
On the singular date we saw the actual deep conversation was just told and not shown like bro literally said “we talk abt her brothers” “we talk abt her parents” like bro idk maybe give me the convo instead of only providing me the convo where u announce ur going to marry her on the first date??? Also the fake dating thing might as well have not been there. Like it was very much not utilized as a tool to create the tension or whatever and they folded under no pressure w that one. All ik abt bro’s relationship w her is that he is protective and apparently knows how to fuck and unfortunately that is not cutting it for me 😪
There was so much potential w this but it was so wasted. I feel like there was an attempt at some social commentary, but maybe I was just expecting some The Boys level delivery bc the concept is essentially identical, but it was not hitting for me unfortunately.
The writing, particularly in action sequences, was lowk hard to follow. Some things def needed clarity bc it was not possible to keep track of what was happening w the way some of these things were written.
Oh and the MC was lowk just very millennial girlboss-y copy paste. Clumsy, anxious, CEO who loves to read. Yk the type.
However, shoutout diversity! That was fire and lots of rep for diff groups.
On the singular date we saw the actual deep conversation was just told and not shown like bro literally said “we talk abt her brothers” “we talk abt her parents” like bro idk maybe give me the convo instead of only providing me the convo where u announce ur going to marry her on the first date??? Also the fake dating thing might as well have not been there. Like it was very much not utilized as a tool to create the tension or whatever and they folded under no pressure w that one. All ik abt bro’s relationship w her is that he is protective and apparently knows how to fuck and unfortunately that is not cutting it for me 😪
There was so much potential w this but it was so wasted. I feel like there was an attempt at some social commentary, but maybe I was just expecting some The Boys level delivery bc the concept is essentially identical, but it was not hitting for me unfortunately.
The writing, particularly in action sequences, was lowk hard to follow. Some things def needed clarity bc it was not possible to keep track of what was happening w the way some of these things were written.
Oh and the MC was lowk just very millennial girlboss-y copy paste. Clumsy, anxious, CEO who loves to read. Yk the type.
However, shoutout diversity! That was fire and lots of rep for diff groups.
May 29, 2025
I only read Elizabeth Stephens for the first time earlier this year with The Bone King and the Starling, and she has very quickly become one of my absolute favorite authors. One of the things I loved most about Starling, and now Supers, is that Stephens challenges me on the front of disliking instalove/instalust. I still think I dislike it, but paired with Stephens' fantastic writing, comedic timing, and dynamic—albeit unhinged—characters, I think I can more than tolerate it. And dare I say I loved it?! She also pushes me to read outside of my comfort zone. I am still relatively new to reading adult fantasy/romantasy and I am even more new to monster romance/alien romance, and I ate every piece of this right on up.
Decades ago, 48 aliens landed on Earth and most decided to become superheroes or supervillains, but some remained somewhat in the middle. Pyro—Roland—crash lands (figuratively) into Vanessa's PR firm, realizing he needs good PR to make this happen, and is instantly unimpressed by her and her debilitating social anxiety/shyness. Soon enough, Nessa and Roland realize they're being pulled together by forces they can't explain, and by the time they give into them, other outlandish things begin happening around them. Together, they have to fight against elements that could destroy them and the world as they know it.
All Superheroes Need PR was so much fun! I adore Stephens' commitment to making fun, goofy, outlandish fiction for Black people with Black characters who are dynamic and adaptive and daring and vulnerable and soft and strong and so completely down bad for the person they're falling for. My favorite part of this book was Nessa's backstory, and how her childhood traumas led her to a life so full of love and protection that she was so completely deserving of. Her family was absolutely incredible, and I loved their dynamic and how they adapted to accept Roland into the fold in their own way, giving him a place to belong on Earth as well.
The narration was incredible. No notes. I recommend the audiobook real bad.
I cannot WAIT for book 2!
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio, Montlake, Elizabeth Stephens, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC, physical ARC, and ALC!
5 fantastical ⭐️s
3 🌶️
Decades ago, 48 aliens landed on Earth and most decided to become superheroes or supervillains, but some remained somewhat in the middle. Pyro—Roland—crash lands (figuratively) into Vanessa's PR firm, realizing he needs good PR to make this happen, and is instantly unimpressed by her and her debilitating social anxiety/shyness. Soon enough, Nessa and Roland realize they're being pulled together by forces they can't explain, and by the time they give into them, other outlandish things begin happening around them. Together, they have to fight against elements that could destroy them and the world as they know it.
All Superheroes Need PR was so much fun! I adore Stephens' commitment to making fun, goofy, outlandish fiction for Black people with Black characters who are dynamic and adaptive and daring and vulnerable and soft and strong and so completely down bad for the person they're falling for. My favorite part of this book was Nessa's backstory, and how her childhood traumas led her to a life so full of love and protection that she was so completely deserving of. Her family was absolutely incredible, and I loved their dynamic and how they adapted to accept Roland into the fold in their own way, giving him a place to belong on Earth as well.
The narration was incredible. No notes. I recommend the audiobook real bad.
I cannot WAIT for book 2!
Thank you to Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio, Montlake, Elizabeth Stephens, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC, physical ARC, and ALC!
5 fantastical ⭐️s
3 🌶️
May 20, 2025
Action alien romcom in the vein of superman.
Two decades ago, people with powers fell to the Earth and either became heroes or villains.
It falls to PR director Vanessa to rebrand one very broody bad guy into a hero.
First of all, what a RELATABLE main character. As someone who also works a lot with marketing, a lot of people expect me to be really sociable and happy around big groups of people. Not exactly… I love seeing my efforts out there, I love the content, I love meeting with people individually. Put me in a room with a bunch of strangers where I have to make small talk and I would rather be curled up in a corner with a book.
This is like insta everything which is cringy, but hey, sometimes you can overlook it. Especially when dealing with alien hormones.
Roland was a super strong, growly, big, gruff hottie.
Fair warning: there is A LOT of sexy, dirty talk. For me, it was waaay too cringy and not for me. In the ‘good girl’ vein.
There were A LOT of steamy scenes. I had not expected as many as this seemed more sweet and cutesy.
I did want more of the whole PR context as, after the first 25%, this is pretty much chucked out the window in favour of domineering male scenes. Like alpha style.
I can’t say I was a big fan of the conflict or climax, but I loved the premise and Vanessa’s character and growth.
And her large adoptive family were INCREDIBLE.
Finally, the effortless representation?! Immaculate.
Queer. Trans. Ethnicity. Family structures.
Audiobook arc gifted by publisher.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Two decades ago, people with powers fell to the Earth and either became heroes or villains.
It falls to PR director Vanessa to rebrand one very broody bad guy into a hero.
First of all, what a RELATABLE main character. As someone who also works a lot with marketing, a lot of people expect me to be really sociable and happy around big groups of people. Not exactly… I love seeing my efforts out there, I love the content, I love meeting with people individually. Put me in a room with a bunch of strangers where I have to make small talk and I would rather be curled up in a corner with a book.
This is like insta everything which is cringy, but hey, sometimes you can overlook it. Especially when dealing with alien hormones.
Roland was a super strong, growly, big, gruff hottie.
Fair warning: there is A LOT of sexy, dirty talk. For me, it was waaay too cringy and not for me. In the ‘good girl’ vein.
There were A LOT of steamy scenes. I had not expected as many as this seemed more sweet and cutesy.
I did want more of the whole PR context as, after the first 25%, this is pretty much chucked out the window in favour of domineering male scenes. Like alpha style.
I can’t say I was a big fan of the conflict or climax, but I loved the premise and Vanessa’s character and growth.
And her large adoptive family were INCREDIBLE.
Finally, the effortless representation?! Immaculate.
Queer. Trans. Ethnicity. Family structures.
Audiobook arc gifted by publisher.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
June 2, 2025
You ever read a book so damn good you keep making yourself stop reading because you don’t want it to end? This is exactly how I felt about this book. Without a doubt one of my top 5 reads of this year. Yes it was that good and I will 100% be devouring everything else miss Elizabeth has written since I don’t have the next book in my hands😭
The amount of times this book had me laughing and snorting at what the characters were saying was nothing short of comedic genius. I love reading romcoms and I feel like I’m in the room with the characters. Experiencing the same thing or situation they are, because it is exactly how you would react. It makes it so damn relatable and that much more funny.
I also adored every single character in this book, well only the good guys of course…and also the reformed bad guy? 😏 Bad guys turning good, just for the girl is always a big HELL YES in my book. I loved Nessa so much, she was every bit of quirky, goofy, and so damn funny that you want in a FMC. I also loved how Rolland brought out the absolute best in her and showed her that she can be so strong on her own. And Rolland, sweet demon baby Rolland. He was the epitome of “Touch her and die.” and also “Who hurt you?” LIKE YAS GAAAWWWWD. Also, the book be spicinnnnnn! Like at times I was like “Okay Nesssa! Get it girl!” My girl Nessa was a full on FREAK for her Rollo and I ate it up and left no crumbs.
Lastly, I know that cookie jar is overflowing with the amount of times the word “fuck” comes out of Rolland’s mouth😫😂
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
The amount of times this book had me laughing and snorting at what the characters were saying was nothing short of comedic genius. I love reading romcoms and I feel like I’m in the room with the characters. Experiencing the same thing or situation they are, because it is exactly how you would react. It makes it so damn relatable and that much more funny.
I also adored every single character in this book, well only the good guys of course…and also the reformed bad guy? 😏 Bad guys turning good, just for the girl is always a big HELL YES in my book. I loved Nessa so much, she was every bit of quirky, goofy, and so damn funny that you want in a FMC. I also loved how Rolland brought out the absolute best in her and showed her that she can be so strong on her own. And Rolland, sweet demon baby Rolland. He was the epitome of “Touch her and die.” and also “Who hurt you?” LIKE YAS GAAAWWWWD. Also, the book be spicinnnnnn! Like at times I was like “Okay Nesssa! Get it girl!” My girl Nessa was a full on FREAK for her Rollo and I ate it up and left no crumbs.
Lastly, I know that cookie jar is overflowing with the amount of times the word “fuck” comes out of Rolland’s mouth😫😂
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
September 11, 2025
Roland was such the morally gray grump that was only the hero for Vanessa. Vanessa was anxious and a terrible public speaker and I deeply related to her. She was a mix of extremely competent and a bit of a disaster. Their relationship had its ups and downs, but they were very good together. Gotta say, I really liked the narrators too.
Spice: 2/5
Triggers: violence, gore, death, flashbacks, panic attacks, snow disaster, past child abuse, descriptive injuries, kidnapping of FMC and side characters
Spice: 2/5
Triggers: violence, gore, death, flashbacks, panic attacks, snow disaster, past child abuse, descriptive injuries, kidnapping of FMC and side characters
February 17, 2025
* eARC received from Netgalley in exchange for any honest review *
Horny with a side of worldbuilding.
I enjoyed several concepts here, but overall it wasn't a slam dunk for reasons many recent romances haven't been a slam dunk for me. I love that we have more diverse (*cough cough* Black) protags in monster/supernatural romances now. It was a club we were firmly kept out of for a long time. I wish so many of them weren't 70%+ porn though. With a lot of what BookTok focuses on being how "spicy" books are, I wish there was more of a balance with actual plot and the characters getting to know each other. When this ended, I felt like Roland and Vanessa skipped several steps and I get why he may have done that; I don't understand Vanessa though.
Vanessa was so clumsy I was concerned it was a medical issue. Coupled with her extreme, debilitating nervousness and everyone constantly babying her and describing her as childlike - Roland's attractiveness to her and the sex scenes made me feel icky. Combining that with a "good girl" kink and dirty talk, I just felt like I needed a shower afterwards. For me, it wasn't hot - but for women who are babied in their life (?), maybe that's their jam. I'm younger than Vanessa and I found her strange?
Roland was super growly, strong, big guy. Him being described as disheveled, constantly in sweats, with dirty hair wasn't a turn on for me. Add to that, he , I was set on this not being one of my favorite couples or romances. For me personally, that's a complete dealbreaker. From then on, I just tried to imagine if this could be someone else's jam. And, it's possible, it would be.
There are some elements I wish were touched on more:
- From the title and set up, I'd hoped more of this would be centered around the P.R. campaign. When the story started, we're told there's an in depth plan Vanessa put together to rehabilitate Roland's image. Much of what happens in this story is told to us after the fact and Vanessa's not involved in a lot of his actions, which bummed me out. I wanted more of her plan in action on page and centered
- I wish we got more of the impact of the Forty Eight. We hear about Teranis and a villain or two, but there's a lot more we don't even get glimpses of. This appears to be set up for a series, so I'm sure those will delve into them, but I wish there was more references to them in this book or even interactions so we could see more of the world and contrast with Roland's image
- I wish we got more of Vanessa sticking up for herself, in any way at all. In much of this book, she's damseled. Roland and Margerie describe her as a badass, but we don't get to see it a lot
- As mentioned above, I wish we got more on page of Roland and Vanessa getting to know each other before they went to Bonetown and never left. The dynamic was interesting.
Overall, I think the world set up here was really interesting. It is a diverse cast and one that I feel gives the female lead a support system. I wish the relationship had been developed more on page and I wish we saw even more of the world. I'm positive this would be someone else's jam.
Horny with a side of worldbuilding.
I enjoyed several concepts here, but overall it wasn't a slam dunk for reasons many recent romances haven't been a slam dunk for me. I love that we have more diverse (*cough cough* Black) protags in monster/supernatural romances now. It was a club we were firmly kept out of for a long time. I wish so many of them weren't 70%+ porn though. With a lot of what BookTok focuses on being how "spicy" books are, I wish there was more of a balance with actual plot and the characters getting to know each other. When this ended, I felt like Roland and Vanessa skipped several steps and I get why he may have done that; I don't understand Vanessa though.
Vanessa was so clumsy I was concerned it was a medical issue. Coupled with her extreme, debilitating nervousness and everyone constantly babying her and describing her as childlike - Roland's attractiveness to her and the sex scenes made me feel icky. Combining that with a "good girl" kink and dirty talk, I just felt like I needed a shower afterwards. For me, it wasn't hot - but for women who are babied in their life (?), maybe that's their jam. I'm younger than Vanessa and I found her strange?
Roland was super growly, strong, big guy. Him being described as disheveled, constantly in sweats, with dirty hair wasn't a turn on for me. Add to that, he , I was set on this not being one of my favorite couples or romances. For me personally, that's a complete dealbreaker. From then on, I just tried to imagine if this could be someone else's jam. And, it's possible, it would be.
There are some elements I wish were touched on more:
- From the title and set up, I'd hoped more of this would be centered around the P.R. campaign. When the story started, we're told there's an in depth plan Vanessa put together to rehabilitate Roland's image. Much of what happens in this story is told to us after the fact and Vanessa's not involved in a lot of his actions, which bummed me out. I wanted more of her plan in action on page and centered
- I wish we got more of the impact of the Forty Eight. We hear about Teranis and a villain or two, but there's a lot more we don't even get glimpses of. This appears to be set up for a series, so I'm sure those will delve into them, but I wish there was more references to them in this book or even interactions so we could see more of the world and contrast with Roland's image
- I wish we got more of Vanessa sticking up for herself, in any way at all. In much of this book, she's damseled. Roland and Margerie describe her as a badass, but we don't get to see it a lot
- As mentioned above, I wish we got more on page of Roland and Vanessa getting to know each other before they went to Bonetown and never left. The dynamic was interesting.
Overall, I think the world set up here was really interesting. It is a diverse cast and one that I feel gives the female lead a support system. I wish the relationship had been developed more on page and I wish we saw even more of the world. I'm positive this would be someone else's jam.
June 12, 2025
2.5⭐
Decent book with a good premise. I loved that the characters are all very diverse and well fleshed out. The relationship was okay, it wasn't my favorite. I just couldn't see them together. The book does come with a significant Trigger List that I don't actually remember seeing before jumping in the book. I would advise looking at the whole list before going into this one since I know some of these TW are intense.
The flow of the book I think is where I struggled. The writing has potential but the plot felt like 3 books that was forced into one book. The book was constantly jumping from one thing to another and it made the book a little confusing.
I also hated the spice. There was too much and I didn't like the way they were written.
Thank you Netgalley & Brilliance Publishing for the audio arc!
Decent book with a good premise. I loved that the characters are all very diverse and well fleshed out. The relationship was okay, it wasn't my favorite. I just couldn't see them together. The book does come with a significant Trigger List that I don't actually remember seeing before jumping in the book. I would advise looking at the whole list before going into this one since I know some of these TW are intense.
The flow of the book I think is where I struggled. The writing has potential but the plot felt like 3 books that was forced into one book. The book was constantly jumping from one thing to another and it made the book a little confusing.
I also hated the spice. There was too much and I didn't like the way they were written.
Thank you Netgalley & Brilliance Publishing for the audio arc!
Read
February 25, 2025this was really interesting. lots to love, lots to critique. the story follows vanessa, an extremely introverted, anxious president of a PR company & roland, a newly signed Hero in a world where a slew of x-men like aliens materials arrived a few decades ago and were immediately corporatized for entertainment. circumstances arise and they start fake dating.
liked!
- premise is fun! I’ve read tons of paranormal and haven’t come across anything quite like this
- stephens knows how to write a good, satisfying sex scene
- when the tension is tension-ing, it’s fun!
- monster stuff… gotta love that
needs work!
- writing lacks some clarity- there are times where the story assumes you understand what’s going on and then clarifies several chapters later - far from
being charming it’s sort of irritating
- worldbuilding needs some work
- the build of intimacy doesn’t really exist? it’s a little insta-love and i want the attraction to feel more earned and narratively scaffolded
- waaaay too many side characters i simply can’t keep track
- tone fluctuates pretty wildly. the moments that are most successful are quite playful (but rare)
- why is the shyest woman on god’s green earth the president of a PR company lol
- the entire last act conflict resolution is so…. ok
all in all i would like to read more from the author!! i was, in spite of myself sometimes, charmed.
thank you netgalley & publisher for the ARC in exchange for unbiased review <3
liked!
- premise is fun! I’ve read tons of paranormal and haven’t come across anything quite like this
- stephens knows how to write a good, satisfying sex scene
- when the tension is tension-ing, it’s fun!
- monster stuff… gotta love that
needs work!
- writing lacks some clarity- there are times where the story assumes you understand what’s going on and then clarifies several chapters later - far from
being charming it’s sort of irritating
- worldbuilding needs some work
- the build of intimacy doesn’t really exist? it’s a little insta-love and i want the attraction to feel more earned and narratively scaffolded
- waaaay too many side characters i simply can’t keep track
- tone fluctuates pretty wildly. the moments that are most successful are quite playful (but rare)
- why is the shyest woman on god’s green earth the president of a PR company lol
- the entire last act conflict resolution is so…. ok
all in all i would like to read more from the author!! i was, in spite of myself sometimes, charmed.
thank you netgalley & publisher for the ARC in exchange for unbiased review <3
June 1, 2025
Was I actually supposed to root for a guy who calls the heroine a bitch?
June 16, 2025
Original, exciting, and unpredictable!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙❤️💚🩷
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 🙃🙁😀😋🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
The heroine: Vanessa Theriot - she is the owner and PR Director at a marketing firm called The Riot Creative that specializes in crisis management. She hasn’t dated a guy since college. Men make her nervous. She has PTSD from her early childhood and is a pretty anxious person all around. She has a crush on Tyrannis, the most well-known superhero in the world. There are whole media outlets that are dedicated to the 48 and he is the biggest of them all. She is hired to rebrand the Pyro from a villain to a hero. Her firm is the smallest to ever represent one of the 48 aliens that crash landed on Earth as children twenty years ago.
The Hero: Roland Casteel (a.k.a. the Pyro) - when the forty-eight came to Earth, they grew up with host families and as the grew older, problems arose with some of them. Later thy were classified as heroes or villains and each side formed their own association. The villains have the VNA (Villains Network of America), while the Heroes formed the (CEO) Champions of Earth coalition. Some of the 48 didn’t join either group, they remained free agents. As Pyro, Roland was known as one of the minor villains of the 48 and he was one of the free agents. Recently, he was offered an amount that was enough for him to consider working with the heroes despite the fact that he was known to not really care about anything.
The Story: Nessa always liked the creativity of the PR business, though she didn’t want to be in the public eye, but representing Pyro was a huge boon for the firm. She really hoped that the meeting with Pyro would go well, but it failed from the start and Pyro left before they could even pitch their ideas to him. Her and her co-workers go out to drown their sorrows and Vanessa sees the Pyro again at the bar, after she has had a few too many to drink. The next day she finds herself signing a ten-year contract to manage the PR for the Pyro.
I really enjoy the premise of this story, and I love that there are 47 others that can be used in future books in this series. The world building was terrific with the way there are superheroes and supervillains each with a company behind them and PR firms with massive budgets that really form their identity to the world who treat them like the highest form of celebrities. Vanessa and her team rebrand the Pyro as the Wyvern, and I actually had to look up what a Wyvern was. I guess it is basically a two-legged dragon, while dragons have four legs. I wasn’t quite sure why they didn’t just rebrand him as a dragon. Maybe the name adds a unique touch that separates Roland from more traditional fire-breathing imagery.
There are a lot of things I liked about this book. I loved the way Roland reacted to Vanessa. Not in their first meeting, but after that. She is a bit of a hot mess, with how clumsy she is, how anxious she is and how she often has PTSD episodes where she kind of stares blankly while remembering things from her past with her abusive mother. Roland is good with her and tries to help her despite the fact that he was supposed to be a villain. I also liked a lot of the backstory, including the fact that the biggest supervillain the Marduk, when asked why he does the things he does, says something like “I’m looking for something. When I find it, you’ll know.”
I love the idea of superhero PR firms managing their public image like celebrities—there’s something so rich about that setup. It creates an interesting tension between perception and reality, especially with someone like Roland, who fully admits he's a bad guy but is suddenly navigating a rebrand into heroism. I love how deeply thought out the world-building is, especially with the structured divisions between heroes and villains, and the mystery of Marduk’s search adds a layer of intrigue.
Vanessa is a compelling heroine, too. Her anxiety and past trauma make her a vulnerable yet strong figure, and Roland’s fascination with her—especially considering he’s never cared about humans before—adds such depth to their dynamic. That second quote about his obsession with her and his inclination toward violence really highlights his inner conflict. He’s walking a fine line between attachment and destruction, which makes him unpredictable and dangerous in the best way.
This audiobook was narrated from multiple perspectives, done in dual narration by Sean Bassett and Dara Brown. Dara has a nice, clear voice though you can definitely tell she is reading. Though as the story gets going, I didn’t notice it as much. Sean Bassett has a deep voice, which I like for Heroes. He also reads at a bit of a slow pace, and you can tell he is reading.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙❤️💚🩷
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 🙃🙁😀😋🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
The heroine: Vanessa Theriot - she is the owner and PR Director at a marketing firm called The Riot Creative that specializes in crisis management. She hasn’t dated a guy since college. Men make her nervous. She has PTSD from her early childhood and is a pretty anxious person all around. She has a crush on Tyrannis, the most well-known superhero in the world. There are whole media outlets that are dedicated to the 48 and he is the biggest of them all. She is hired to rebrand the Pyro from a villain to a hero. Her firm is the smallest to ever represent one of the 48 aliens that crash landed on Earth as children twenty years ago.
The Hero: Roland Casteel (a.k.a. the Pyro) - when the forty-eight came to Earth, they grew up with host families and as the grew older, problems arose with some of them. Later thy were classified as heroes or villains and each side formed their own association. The villains have the VNA (Villains Network of America), while the Heroes formed the (CEO) Champions of Earth coalition. Some of the 48 didn’t join either group, they remained free agents. As Pyro, Roland was known as one of the minor villains of the 48 and he was one of the free agents. Recently, he was offered an amount that was enough for him to consider working with the heroes despite the fact that he was known to not really care about anything.
The Story: Nessa always liked the creativity of the PR business, though she didn’t want to be in the public eye, but representing Pyro was a huge boon for the firm. She really hoped that the meeting with Pyro would go well, but it failed from the start and Pyro left before they could even pitch their ideas to him. Her and her co-workers go out to drown their sorrows and Vanessa sees the Pyro again at the bar, after she has had a few too many to drink. The next day she finds herself signing a ten-year contract to manage the PR for the Pyro.
I really enjoy the premise of this story, and I love that there are 47 others that can be used in future books in this series. The world building was terrific with the way there are superheroes and supervillains each with a company behind them and PR firms with massive budgets that really form their identity to the world who treat them like the highest form of celebrities. Vanessa and her team rebrand the Pyro as the Wyvern, and I actually had to look up what a Wyvern was. I guess it is basically a two-legged dragon, while dragons have four legs. I wasn’t quite sure why they didn’t just rebrand him as a dragon. Maybe the name adds a unique touch that separates Roland from more traditional fire-breathing imagery.
“I don’t just breathe fire…I am fire. I generate it through every pore”
“There are only two truths I’m sure of in this moment. I’m stupid obsessed with f’ing Vanessa Theriot and I’m absolutely going to kill something. I way the two realities calculating how my obsession will be affected by the murders I am about to enact.”
“She’s softness and vulnerability all laid bare, and I just want to do terrible things.”
There are a lot of things I liked about this book. I loved the way Roland reacted to Vanessa. Not in their first meeting, but after that. She is a bit of a hot mess, with how clumsy she is, how anxious she is and how she often has PTSD episodes where she kind of stares blankly while remembering things from her past with her abusive mother. Roland is good with her and tries to help her despite the fact that he was supposed to be a villain. I also liked a lot of the backstory, including the fact that the biggest supervillain the Marduk, when asked why he does the things he does, says something like “I’m looking for something. When I find it, you’ll know.”
I love the idea of superhero PR firms managing their public image like celebrities—there’s something so rich about that setup. It creates an interesting tension between perception and reality, especially with someone like Roland, who fully admits he's a bad guy but is suddenly navigating a rebrand into heroism. I love how deeply thought out the world-building is, especially with the structured divisions between heroes and villains, and the mystery of Marduk’s search adds a layer of intrigue.
Vanessa is a compelling heroine, too. Her anxiety and past trauma make her a vulnerable yet strong figure, and Roland’s fascination with her—especially considering he’s never cared about humans before—adds such depth to their dynamic. That second quote about his obsession with her and his inclination toward violence really highlights his inner conflict. He’s walking a fine line between attachment and destruction, which makes him unpredictable and dangerous in the best way.
This audiobook was narrated from multiple perspectives, done in dual narration by Sean Bassett and Dara Brown. Dara has a nice, clear voice though you can definitely tell she is reading. Though as the story gets going, I didn’t notice it as much. Sean Bassett has a deep voice, which I like for Heroes. He also reads at a bit of a slow pace, and you can tell he is reading.
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May 30, 2025
Wow! Elizabeth Stephens does not miss for me. I loved this book! It was a fantastic twist on the alien superhero. Think Superman in Justice League when he "came back" before they brought Lois in. He's ONLY good for her. The rest of the world can literally burn!!
Vanessa's family and friends make up an eclectic mix of found family that put the icing on the cake for me. I love a diverse group of ride-or-die friends.
I absolutely loved reading Roland and Vanessa's "burn it down" road to happily ever after. I cannot wait to see who's next in this world of superheroes and villains! Happy reading!!
P.S. The audiobook was fantastic!
Vanessa's family and friends make up an eclectic mix of found family that put the icing on the cake for me. I love a diverse group of ride-or-die friends.
I absolutely loved reading Roland and Vanessa's "burn it down" road to happily ever after. I cannot wait to see who's next in this world of superheroes and villains! Happy reading!!
P.S. The audiobook was fantastic!
May 9, 2025
I absolutely adored this book!
I’m gonna age myself here a little butttttt the friendship Group sent me straight back to watching Living Single with my mom as a kid.
The friends are so supportive, but still call each other out on their bullshit.
Our FMC Vanessa had a terrible childhood until she was adopted by an unbelievably sweet and loving family.
She got more brothers than she could bargain for, and a mother and father, who adore her. All of them ready to go to battle, sometimes literally and with lacrosse sticks, to keep her safe.
The MMC Rowland, has had the opposite life, after he crash landed on a planet, not his own and was shuffled off to a foster family. He was never made to feel like he is part of the family, he is exquisitely aware that he is different and nobody has ever treated him normally.
When we meet him, he barely cares about anything, he walks around in workout clothes that have been singed, with unkempt hair and beard. Not caring about anyone’s opinion or lives until he meets Vanessa.
But he mucks that up good and proper!!!! 😂😂😂
His vibe is not just a little deranged, but fully cuckoo.
Luckily, our girl has a strong support system and the strength she gains from them helps her as they develop at first a working relationship then more.
This book is like you took Lights Out and smashed it together with Sky High.
The banter is amazing. The romance is slightly unhinged. But the love is honest and they both change each other for the better.
I’ve already pre-ordered this book and the second I cannot wait to read the next one!!!!
I’m gonna age myself here a little butttttt the friendship Group sent me straight back to watching Living Single with my mom as a kid.
The friends are so supportive, but still call each other out on their bullshit.
Our FMC Vanessa had a terrible childhood until she was adopted by an unbelievably sweet and loving family.
She got more brothers than she could bargain for, and a mother and father, who adore her. All of them ready to go to battle, sometimes literally and with lacrosse sticks, to keep her safe.
The MMC Rowland, has had the opposite life, after he crash landed on a planet, not his own and was shuffled off to a foster family. He was never made to feel like he is part of the family, he is exquisitely aware that he is different and nobody has ever treated him normally.
When we meet him, he barely cares about anything, he walks around in workout clothes that have been singed, with unkempt hair and beard. Not caring about anyone’s opinion or lives until he meets Vanessa.
But he mucks that up good and proper!!!! 😂😂😂
His vibe is not just a little deranged, but fully cuckoo.
Luckily, our girl has a strong support system and the strength she gains from them helps her as they develop at first a working relationship then more.
This book is like you took Lights Out and smashed it together with Sky High.
The banter is amazing. The romance is slightly unhinged. But the love is honest and they both change each other for the better.
I’ve already pre-ordered this book and the second I cannot wait to read the next one!!!!
June 6, 2025
this was so good!! highly recommend if you’re looking for an absolutely bonkers but spicy & endearing alien romcom.
the audio was also fantastic 👽
the audio was also fantastic 👽
June 8, 2025
Thank you, Net Galley, and Elizabeth Stephens for the ALC. All opinions are my own!
I did not expect this book to be so hilarious?? Pyro's inner monologue had me laughing my way through the story. It was spicy, sweet, and so much fun!
I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did an INCREDIBLE job bringing these characters to life. Highly recommend!!
I did not expect this book to be so hilarious?? Pyro's inner monologue had me laughing my way through the story. It was spicy, sweet, and so much fun!
I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did an INCREDIBLE job bringing these characters to life. Highly recommend!!
June 3, 2025
This book was complete garbage. The fmc is so annoying and the mmc is a liar who calls women bitches.
Very weird.
Very weird.
May 20, 2025
First she wrote Kane and I because obsessed. Then she gave me Adam and I swooned so hard it was ridiculous. But I thought what will I do if she tops that. Then she wrote Calai and I was a goner, lost with no way to return. Because give me the guy that will burn down the world for me! And oh baby did she take that pretty literal. Now we have Roland Casteel and I’m certain I’ll never be the same. Not to mention in the midst of those top tier book monster/berserker/viking boyfriends she gave me Abel, Echo, Starling, and Vanessa and my heart is so full thanks to those beautiful, brave, fierce women. Elizabeth Stephens is a gifted and exceptional writer and belongs on every bestseller list there is. This book was hilarious, endearing, captivating, unique, and sexy in a delicious sort of way. It’s one of those books you can finish and easily go back to beginning and start it all over again. I was absolutely giddy over Roland when my heart wasn’t breaking and rooting for Nessa. And I haven’t even talked about the amazing cast of secondary characters who give you all the warm found family vibes you can’t help but want to be apart of. This was just so effing good! And I can’t wait to see what she does with this series because the subplot is absolutely incredible! I’m torn between wanting the next book in this series and demanding she get back to working on the Beast of Gatamora. Why is she pulling my heart in so many directions? It’s really amazing to love an author so much and know they deserve all the praise and recognition, but to then read a book that undoubtedly is about to lunch them into the stratosphere! That’s just magical! Early congratulations on the astronomical success this book is due to receive Elizabeth!
July 15, 2025
Thank you so much to Montlake and Netgalley for providing an advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.
Literally everything Elizabeth Stephens writes immediately becomes a favorite. There is just something about her writing that completely hooks me every single time. And I absolutely loved her unique spin on superheroes here.
We follow a heroine who is exceptionally capable but suffers from severe anxiety - and I loved her character. I loved how this showed that strength doesn't always come in the same package. That you can be strong and still need help.
This has fantastic side characters - friends, family, other supers - you immediately care for and want more of (if I don't get a romance between Vanessa's brother and best friend I swear to- 😅). Tons of action to match the superhero/action vibe. And a hero who would (literally) burn the world for the heroine.
There are few things I love more in a romance than a hero worshiping the damn ground the heroine walks on. And Roland was simping hard.
And I loved that the author made even superheroes so quintessentially her. I don't want to ruin the little reveals but I loved how much *more* this story became by the end.
I'm so excited for the next book. Honestly I'd read 100 of these.
Literally everything Elizabeth Stephens writes immediately becomes a favorite. There is just something about her writing that completely hooks me every single time. And I absolutely loved her unique spin on superheroes here.
We follow a heroine who is exceptionally capable but suffers from severe anxiety - and I loved her character. I loved how this showed that strength doesn't always come in the same package. That you can be strong and still need help.
This has fantastic side characters - friends, family, other supers - you immediately care for and want more of (if I don't get a romance between Vanessa's brother and best friend I swear to- 😅). Tons of action to match the superhero/action vibe. And a hero who would (literally) burn the world for the heroine.
There are few things I love more in a romance than a hero worshiping the damn ground the heroine walks on. And Roland was simping hard.
And I loved that the author made even superheroes so quintessentially her. I don't want to ruin the little reveals but I loved how much *more* this story became by the end.
I'm so excited for the next book. Honestly I'd read 100 of these.
June 24, 2025
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
Imagine a deep voice proclaiming "In a world where forty-eight aliens fell to earth Superman style, emerging from pods as children, a balance of heroes and villains has been organized. Team hero has hired a little known PR team to rebrand one of the forty-eight from terrorizing Pyro into a new Hero, The Wyvern. But in order to keep him on team good he has a few stipulations, he wants the head of the PR team to be his Louis Lane." That is the premise behind All Superheroes Need PR the first book in the new Supers in the City series.
Vanessa has a small but mighty PR firm and she has placed a bid to be the new force behind Pyro's rebranding. But when the meeting with the Super doesn't go well, she assumes all the work put into this campaign was for nothing. That shifts when the contract is hers with just a few stipulations. She will be the liaison between Pyro and public as well as any day to day. She never thought at the time that what he was really angling for was for her to play the Louis Lane to his Clark Kent. Vanessa has not had a lot of success with dating so maybe this will be great to fake date the superhero. That will help the rebranding go more smoothly...right? We all know what fake dating leads to here, and while it might be fake for Vanessa it is not fake for The Wyvern aka Roland.
It took me a little time to get into this story. Vanessa is so timid, shy and came across as weak in the beginning of the book. It was hard to buy into how she would have built a successful business on her own when she struggled to have a conversation outside of her family and immediate friend group. When we first meet Roland he too comes across as a jerk. While later we understand the visceral reaction he has to Vanessa, at the time he just seems a little mean. It isn't until I got a peak into Vanessa's past and she and Roland actually have a conversation that I started to have a better time in the story.
Vanessa's adopted family was great and I loved how protective her brothers were of her. It was cute the way they all tried to protect her from the big bad superhero. The way they were willing to charge with her into danger also just really cool. I enjoyed how the parents kept the family close with weekend brunches and family dinners. Her mother was a force to be reckoned with the and swear jar was a fun touch.
The premise of this story ended up being very cool and different. There are reasons that alien children were sent to earth and when Roland finds his key and his purpose he will have to decide where his loyalties lie - to the home world that sent him there and the other alien children, or to the woman that he longs to protect. Because Roland wants it to be clear he is not a hero, but he will be Vanessa's hero.
The beginning was a little struggle to get into as I didn't connect with Vanessa right away. I also sometimes find that when you complain in books about social issues such as under representation of colored female authors or characters, make the majority of the side characters trans or gay and make a point of pointing out all the injustices in the world to some of those people, I, as a straight white woman, feel a little attacked. Those feelings really takes me out of the story if it doesn't seem like something that is natural to flow of the story. Sometimes it feels like a checklist publishers put in that your story has to have 5 of these features. There are ways to do this that don't take the reader out of the story; Craig Shaeffer does this really well with his Trans and alternate lifestyle characters.
This was a cute superhero love story when it focused on the story. There is a bit of insta-love but I accepted it in the context of what Vanessa ended up being to Roland. Very interesting concept to Superheroes and Villains basically being part of a corporation, getting regular paychecks and endorsement deals. I will definitely check out the next book in the series as overall I enjoy this world and some of the morally ambiguous heroes in it.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: None
Dara Brown and Sean Bassett are both new to me narrators. I thought they did a good job with the story narrators. Sean has a really deep voice that seemed to fit the Wyvern well and how I would expect him to sound. Dara brought some of Vanessa's vulnerabilities to life and helped make it easy to understand her. I enjoyed both PoV narrations and how they performed all of the characters.
Listen to a clip: HERE
Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
3.5 hearts
Imagine a deep voice proclaiming "In a world where forty-eight aliens fell to earth Superman style, emerging from pods as children, a balance of heroes and villains has been organized. Team hero has hired a little known PR team to rebrand one of the forty-eight from terrorizing Pyro into a new Hero, The Wyvern. But in order to keep him on team good he has a few stipulations, he wants the head of the PR team to be his Louis Lane." That is the premise behind All Superheroes Need PR the first book in the new Supers in the City series.
Vanessa has a small but mighty PR firm and she has placed a bid to be the new force behind Pyro's rebranding. But when the meeting with the Super doesn't go well, she assumes all the work put into this campaign was for nothing. That shifts when the contract is hers with just a few stipulations. She will be the liaison between Pyro and public as well as any day to day. She never thought at the time that what he was really angling for was for her to play the Louis Lane to his Clark Kent. Vanessa has not had a lot of success with dating so maybe this will be great to fake date the superhero. That will help the rebranding go more smoothly...right? We all know what fake dating leads to here, and while it might be fake for Vanessa it is not fake for The Wyvern aka Roland.
It took me a little time to get into this story. Vanessa is so timid, shy and came across as weak in the beginning of the book. It was hard to buy into how she would have built a successful business on her own when she struggled to have a conversation outside of her family and immediate friend group. When we first meet Roland he too comes across as a jerk. While later we understand the visceral reaction he has to Vanessa, at the time he just seems a little mean. It isn't until I got a peak into Vanessa's past and she and Roland actually have a conversation that I started to have a better time in the story.
Vanessa's adopted family was great and I loved how protective her brothers were of her. It was cute the way they all tried to protect her from the big bad superhero. The way they were willing to charge with her into danger also just really cool. I enjoyed how the parents kept the family close with weekend brunches and family dinners. Her mother was a force to be reckoned with the and swear jar was a fun touch.
The premise of this story ended up being very cool and different. There are reasons that alien children were sent to earth and when Roland finds his key and his purpose he will have to decide where his loyalties lie - to the home world that sent him there and the other alien children, or to the woman that he longs to protect. Because Roland wants it to be clear he is not a hero, but he will be Vanessa's hero.
The beginning was a little struggle to get into as I didn't connect with Vanessa right away. I also sometimes find that when you complain in books about social issues such as under representation of colored female authors or characters, make the majority of the side characters trans or gay and make a point of pointing out all the injustices in the world to some of those people, I, as a straight white woman, feel a little attacked. Those feelings really takes me out of the story if it doesn't seem like something that is natural to flow of the story. Sometimes it feels like a checklist publishers put in that your story has to have 5 of these features. There are ways to do this that don't take the reader out of the story; Craig Shaeffer does this really well with his Trans and alternate lifestyle characters.
This was a cute superhero love story when it focused on the story. There is a bit of insta-love but I accepted it in the context of what Vanessa ended up being to Roland. Very interesting concept to Superheroes and Villains basically being part of a corporation, getting regular paychecks and endorsement deals. I will definitely check out the next book in the series as overall I enjoy this world and some of the morally ambiguous heroes in it.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: None
Dara Brown and Sean Bassett are both new to me narrators. I thought they did a good job with the story narrators. Sean has a really deep voice that seemed to fit the Wyvern well and how I would expect him to sound. Dara brought some of Vanessa's vulnerabilities to life and helped make it easy to understand her. I enjoyed both PoV narrations and how they performed all of the characters.
Listen to a clip: HERE
July 17, 2025
Not the worst romcom I've ever read. I will read any book with a main character who suffers from anxiety, and I really liked Vanessa and her arc. I also loved the diverse cast of secondary characters, many of whom were queer and/or trans, all of whom were so lovingly depicted. They were the best part, actually.
The main problem? Hate the romance. Hate it. Hate Roland. Hate the nickname "Rollo." Hate the insta-lust, followed by insta-love. (You guys don't even KNOW each other!!!) There were a couple parts I have to admit I kind of enjoyed - there's a little hurt/care and working through trauma together that was actually surprisingly nice. But other than that? I did not have a good time.
Look, this whole thing would probably work a lot better for someone who likes men in a fundamentally different way from me. If you're into growling, domineering, possessive, hyper-masculine, "touch her and you die" alpha male type vibes, you'll probably love this book. I was cringing out of my skin the entire time. Big ick.
All that said... I think I'm going to read the next one. I want Monika's story.
The main problem? Hate the romance. Hate it. Hate Roland. Hate the nickname "Rollo." Hate the insta-lust, followed by insta-love. (You guys don't even KNOW each other!!!) There were a couple parts I have to admit I kind of enjoyed - there's a little hurt/care and working through trauma together that was actually surprisingly nice. But other than that? I did not have a good time.
Look, this whole thing would probably work a lot better for someone who likes men in a fundamentally different way from me. If you're into growling, domineering, possessive, hyper-masculine, "touch her and you die" alpha male type vibes, you'll probably love this book. I was cringing out of my skin the entire time. Big ick.
All that said... I think I'm going to read the next one. I want Monika's story.
May 19, 2025
Over two decades ago, forty-eight young, gifted superheroes fell to Earth and were eventually marketed as opposing heroes and villains. Now, one exceptionally gruff bad guy is looking to hop teams. Hello, PR director Vanessa Theriot.
His real name is Roland Casteel a.k.a. the Pyro. First, swap that with the less incinerating the Wyvern. Next, put him in spandex to highlight that near-godlike body. Finally, give that hero in training a heroine—if Vanessa will play the part in a pretend romance guaranteed to make the city swoon. She’s game. As shy as Vanessa is, it’s her job to be Roland’s very own Lois Lane. Who knew that fake dating would change their worlds?
But falling head over heels for real makes for a dangerous shift in the narrative. A monstrous supervillain is bringing out Roland’s bad side again. This time, it’s to save a woman who, against all the odds, is becoming the human love of his superhero life.
"Because that's how it feels - like an eternity has passed since then. A hundred lifetimes. A thousand. And I fall in every single one."
Thank you so much to Elizabeth Stephens for sending me an ARC of All Superheroes Need PR. This book was a pure delight and I am so glad that I was able to read and review it before it officially releases.
If you're seeing this, take it as a sign that this book should be at the top of your TBR. Elizabeth Stephens wrote the feel-good, cute and spicy, superhero romance of my dreams. It's light-hearted and fun, a bit emotional and so enjoyable. I had the absolute best time reading this book and genuinely think that everyone needs to pick it up and read it for themselves because I think you'll all love it.
This alternate version of Earth has superheroes and super villains, well sort of at least in the sense that there were these kids with special abilities that basically crash landed there with no memories of who they were or where they came from who either decide to help or to harm human beings. Vanessa is our FMC; the director of a PR company that is in the running to handle the PR for one of these supers who hasn't officially committed to being either a hero or a villain. The meeting with this super goes off the rails and she thinks she has totally messed this whole thing up only to be swept up in this whirlwind of rebranding Pyro as Wyvern the superhero. I love the fact that Vanessa's character had social anxiety and it was interesting to see how her internal dialogue was heavily dictated by her own past and how we saw that sprinkled in throughout before getting the entire story. Her family dynamic was one of my favorite aspects of the book, you could feel the love they all have for each other and I also really loved how close their work environment seemed to be with one another.
The premise of this book (spoiler free) was genuinely so interesting and cool. I can't wait to see what's going to happen next in this series because the set up for more is there and I personally would love to read more about these supers. Elizbeth Stephens wrote a really enjoyable book that was a really good time and I hope that you see this review and decide to pick it up for yourself!
- superhero romance
- alternate version of earth
- she's his pr person
- fake relationship to more
- touch her and i'll burn everything
- diverse characters
- a man obsessed
- he falls first and hard
- anxiety rep
- romcom vibes
July 12, 2025
DNF at 41%
The premise of this book sounded so so fun. But it just did not hit.
The one thing I really loved about this book was the inclusivity. Every minority from race to gender was included and I absolutely loved that.
However that’s where my appreciation for this book ends.
I found the FMC Vanessa to be very icky. Her whole personality was traumatised and clumsy and that was basically it.
The MMC Roland behaved so badly that at no point did I even want him to get with Vanessa. His constant ‘she’s mine’ and ‘baby’ towards Vanessa was wild considering this was occurring not even a quarter into the book. This may be explained further on but it was just not for me.
Also the language and terminology used just sounded very casual? Very text talk. And again, sometimes icky. Like reading that the FMC ‘burped’ three times in the first 50 pages was just not it.
I appreciate that some will love this book but it’s a miss for me
The premise of this book sounded so so fun. But it just did not hit.
The one thing I really loved about this book was the inclusivity. Every minority from race to gender was included and I absolutely loved that.
However that’s where my appreciation for this book ends.
I found the FMC Vanessa to be very icky. Her whole personality was traumatised and clumsy and that was basically it.
The MMC Roland behaved so badly that at no point did I even want him to get with Vanessa. His constant ‘she’s mine’ and ‘baby’ towards Vanessa was wild considering this was occurring not even a quarter into the book. This may be explained further on but it was just not for me.
Also the language and terminology used just sounded very casual? Very text talk. And again, sometimes icky. Like reading that the FMC ‘burped’ three times in the first 50 pages was just not it.
I appreciate that some will love this book but it’s a miss for me
May 29, 2025
This book was… okay. Not terrible by any means, but it didn’t leave a lasting impression either. It started off incredibly strong, with vivid world-building that immediately pulled me in and characters who felt well-developed and interesting. The opening chapters promised a story rich with potential, and for a while, I was genuinely excited to see where it would go.
But somewhere along the way—around the 60% mark—I realized I had completely lost interest. I can’t quite pinpoint when or why that happened. The plot didn’t fall apart exactly, and the writing remained solid. Maybe the pacing slowed too much, or maybe the emotional stakes didn’t evolve in a way that kept me invested. It’s hard to say whether that’s an issue with the book itself or just a matter of personal preference.
There were still elements I appreciated. The author clearly put a lot of thought into the characters’ backstories, and while that didn’t necessarily make me connect with them emotionally, it did add a sense of realism and depth. I also found the world-building accessible without being overly simplistic, which made it easy to immerse myself in the setting early on.
I did finish the book, but by the end, I felt disconnected. I don’t think I’ll be picking up any sequels, and it’s unlikely I’ll explore more from this author. That’s not a reflection of their talent—because there is plenty of that here—but more an acknowledgment that their style and storytelling approach just didn’t resonate with me. This one simply wasn’t my kind of story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Elizabeth Stephen’s for the ARC.
But somewhere along the way—around the 60% mark—I realized I had completely lost interest. I can’t quite pinpoint when or why that happened. The plot didn’t fall apart exactly, and the writing remained solid. Maybe the pacing slowed too much, or maybe the emotional stakes didn’t evolve in a way that kept me invested. It’s hard to say whether that’s an issue with the book itself or just a matter of personal preference.
There were still elements I appreciated. The author clearly put a lot of thought into the characters’ backstories, and while that didn’t necessarily make me connect with them emotionally, it did add a sense of realism and depth. I also found the world-building accessible without being overly simplistic, which made it easy to immerse myself in the setting early on.
I did finish the book, but by the end, I felt disconnected. I don’t think I’ll be picking up any sequels, and it’s unlikely I’ll explore more from this author. That’s not a reflection of their talent—because there is plenty of that here—but more an acknowledgment that their style and storytelling approach just didn’t resonate with me. This one simply wasn’t my kind of story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Elizabeth Stephen’s for the ARC.
May 27, 2025
All Superheroes Needs PR is my favorite book of 2025 so far. Elizabeth Stephens is one of my god tier authors and I have cherished Xiveri Mates, Population and the Beasts of Gatamora series’ so I knew I was going to love this story. What I was not prepared for was how this cute rom-com looking cover was going to house a completely feral and unhinged enemies to lovers monster romance.
I’m in love. Rollo and Nessa are absolute goals. He is a broody possessive asshole and she is a reserved boss babe with a hard past and a heart of gold. Their dynamic is electric. What starts as a fake dating scenario quickly evolves as he falls and FAST. We just love an “I hate everyone but you” moment. Bonus points for “MY WIFE” energy. Swoon.
The spice absolutely spices throughout and the first intimate scene can only be described as the wettest dry hump I’ve ever read. I will forget the names and faces of my loved ones before I forget that scene. Holy guacamole.
I cannot scream loudly enough about how much I love Elizabeth’s writing. She is able to take some pretty dark themes and make them integral to the storyline without it being daunting to the reader. She peppers in hysterical dialogue that pairs well with an action packed plot that had me grinning like an idiot and kicking my feet for the whole ass ride.
You are going to be SICK OF ME screaming about this book. Strap in monster lovers, this books is fucking amazing.
I’m in love. Rollo and Nessa are absolute goals. He is a broody possessive asshole and she is a reserved boss babe with a hard past and a heart of gold. Their dynamic is electric. What starts as a fake dating scenario quickly evolves as he falls and FAST. We just love an “I hate everyone but you” moment. Bonus points for “MY WIFE” energy. Swoon.
The spice absolutely spices throughout and the first intimate scene can only be described as the wettest dry hump I’ve ever read. I will forget the names and faces of my loved ones before I forget that scene. Holy guacamole.
I cannot scream loudly enough about how much I love Elizabeth’s writing. She is able to take some pretty dark themes and make them integral to the storyline without it being daunting to the reader. She peppers in hysterical dialogue that pairs well with an action packed plot that had me grinning like an idiot and kicking my feet for the whole ass ride.
You are going to be SICK OF ME screaming about this book. Strap in monster lovers, this books is fucking amazing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2025
Tenemos el primer estrella del año y me DUELE porque era de mis lecturas más esperadas del semestre. La premisa en si es super interesante pero creo que la forma en la que está escrita fue la razón principal por la que no logré disfrutar el libro y conectar con los personajes.
Sentí que habían escenas con exceso de descripciones donde entiendo que era importante para hacernos entender como funciona un mundo donde superheroes y villanos existen pero todo mi interés por la pareja se perdió ahí.
Sentí que habían escenas con exceso de descripciones donde entiendo que era importante para hacernos entender como funciona un mundo donde superheroes y villanos existen pero todo mi interés por la pareja se perdió ahí.
May 6, 2025
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens is a first person dual-POV sci-fi romance. Vanessa runs a PR company that is offering services to the Forty-Eight, a group of aliens who fell to Earth twenty-two years ago when they were children. The Forty-Eight have lost all their memories and have slowly started dividing up into heroes and villains. Roland aka Pyro recruits their services but demands the Lois Lane Clause, meaning Vanessa will pretend to be his girlfriend.
I struggled a bit with how to classify this one. On the surface, ‘superhero romance’ as a microgenre makes perfect sense and could slot into fantasy romance, but Roland is stated very clearly to be an alien multiple times, which puts it more in sci-fi romance. Over time, though, he takes on a more monstrous form and there are mentions of tropes from Omegaverse, which is closer to paranormal romance and urban fantasy romance. Essentially, this is a mishmash of the full range of speculative romances which makes it hard to classify firmly, but also makes it a very fun ride. If you love Speculative Romance and you have a hard time picking which subgenre, this should have you covered.
This is a very spicy book with a lot of kink. Roland is a bit more forceful than is typical in a lot of romances but is fairly typical, in my experience, in monster romances or paranormal romances. A decent chunk of the book is the spicy scenes and the rapid escalation into making their physical relationship kinkier and kinkier.
Roland is very possessive of Vanessa very quickly and it somewhat leans into dark romance without going all the way there. Roland does debate kidnapping Vanessa, he tells her he doesn't want to hear her talk about other men again, and he does invade her privacy by looking through some very personal files including ones from her therapy sessions. What stops this from being a dark romance is that Vanessa calls him out on some of it and he does change when she calls him out.
I would recommend this to fans of paranormal and alien romances and readers looking for a spicier read in a contemporary setting with a speculative element
All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens is a first person dual-POV sci-fi romance. Vanessa runs a PR company that is offering services to the Forty-Eight, a group of aliens who fell to Earth twenty-two years ago when they were children. The Forty-Eight have lost all their memories and have slowly started dividing up into heroes and villains. Roland aka Pyro recruits their services but demands the Lois Lane Clause, meaning Vanessa will pretend to be his girlfriend.
I struggled a bit with how to classify this one. On the surface, ‘superhero romance’ as a microgenre makes perfect sense and could slot into fantasy romance, but Roland is stated very clearly to be an alien multiple times, which puts it more in sci-fi romance. Over time, though, he takes on a more monstrous form and there are mentions of tropes from Omegaverse, which is closer to paranormal romance and urban fantasy romance. Essentially, this is a mishmash of the full range of speculative romances which makes it hard to classify firmly, but also makes it a very fun ride. If you love Speculative Romance and you have a hard time picking which subgenre, this should have you covered.
This is a very spicy book with a lot of kink. Roland is a bit more forceful than is typical in a lot of romances but is fairly typical, in my experience, in monster romances or paranormal romances. A decent chunk of the book is the spicy scenes and the rapid escalation into making their physical relationship kinkier and kinkier.
Roland is very possessive of Vanessa very quickly and it somewhat leans into dark romance without going all the way there. Roland does debate kidnapping Vanessa, he tells her he doesn't want to hear her talk about other men again, and he does invade her privacy by looking through some very personal files including ones from her therapy sessions. What stops this from being a dark romance is that Vanessa calls him out on some of it and he does change when she calls him out.
I would recommend this to fans of paranormal and alien romances and readers looking for a spicier read in a contemporary setting with a speculative element
June 3, 2025
Spoilers ahead 3.5*
My reviews are lazy as heck today 😕
Nevertheless this was cute🥺!
The H started off as an asshole but he turned things around by being completely j/p gone over his girl.
The h had a childhood of trauma filled with abuse and is very shy but still a boss ass bitch as she heads her own pr company.
Years ago 48 pods landed on earth with babies inside, they were raised on earth and some branched off to be villains and some stayed as heroes.
The h's pr company is hired to revamp the image of the H from the being known as pyro to one more palatable as a hero.
Their first meeting was a disaster but he agrees to become a hero if her company does the pr with a fake girlfriend clause thrown in.
There's much that's unknown about the 48 as they don't remember their pasts but the closer the two become the more changes start taking place with the H.
Pretty soon he's unrecognisable and it's clear there's much more going on than they thought.
******
The alien plot is left open ended so I'm assuming there'll be more books
We get gay, trans and poc representation
Non manwhore H, h had been with two others I believe.
Loved her crazy ass family and hope the boys get their own stories told.
We haven't met much of the aliens, just mention of two good guys and bad guys kidnap the mcs at a couple points.
All in all a new to me author but I look forward to more.
My reviews are lazy as heck today 😕
Nevertheless this was cute🥺!
The H started off as an asshole but he turned things around by being completely j/p gone over his girl.
The h had a childhood of trauma filled with abuse and is very shy but still a boss ass bitch as she heads her own pr company.
Years ago 48 pods landed on earth with babies inside, they were raised on earth and some branched off to be villains and some stayed as heroes.
The h's pr company is hired to revamp the image of the H from the being known as pyro to one more palatable as a hero.
Their first meeting was a disaster but he agrees to become a hero if her company does the pr with a fake girlfriend clause thrown in.
There's much that's unknown about the 48 as they don't remember their pasts but the closer the two become the more changes start taking place with the H.
Pretty soon he's unrecognisable and it's clear there's much more going on than they thought.
******
The alien plot is left open ended so I'm assuming there'll be more books
We get gay, trans and poc representation
Non manwhore H, h had been with two others I believe.
Loved her crazy ass family and hope the boys get their own stories told.
We haven't met much of the aliens, just mention of two good guys and bad guys kidnap the mcs at a couple points.
All in all a new to me author but I look forward to more.
May 29, 2025
this was an impulse purchase and obviously a mistake…
DNF at 100 ish pages
Really liked the concept and was easy enough to read but the writing/world building was SO off…way too fast paced for all the information thrown at you and not clarified enough. Main character, and story in general, was cringey and personally the shy/clumsy thing was way too overdone, made her super unlikeable. It just didn’t feel like I was reading a real, finished book…? Like this was approved and supposedly edited and traditionally published…?
And besides the fact that it just wasn’t that good: too much queer/liberal agenda, no thanks 🙅♀️
DNF at 100 ish pages
Really liked the concept and was easy enough to read but the writing/world building was SO off…way too fast paced for all the information thrown at you and not clarified enough. Main character, and story in general, was cringey and personally the shy/clumsy thing was way too overdone, made her super unlikeable. It just didn’t feel like I was reading a real, finished book…? Like this was approved and supposedly edited and traditionally published…?
And besides the fact that it just wasn’t that good: too much queer/liberal agenda, no thanks 🙅♀️
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