We Could Be Heroes is a fun, quirky action packed but witty take on what can happen if you have average people with superhuman abilities and they kind of use it for a bunch of stuff that could be both bad and good but in an ordinary setting. This was an entertaining read that kind of makes your day run a little smoother and even lighter!

Easily digestible, popcorn book.

This book starts off with an interesting concept with a reluctant villain and sloppy hero. There’s a lot of action, funny quips, and superhuman antics, but my favorite character in this book is a cat named Normal because...obviously.

This was a light, fun, predictable read that helped me get through the sludge that was 2020 & 2021. If you need a pick-me-up this one might be for you.

An enjoyable superhero/villain novel about a low-rent hero and villain duo with amnesia and a secret connection, one of whom is desperate to learn about her past and one who just wants to escape from it. (I say "low rent" with the greatest of affection; like the cheesy B-movies enjoyed by one of the protagonists, sometimes it's the cheap, imperfect characters that make the most interesting protagonists in what is normally a larger-than-life genre.) The story is told from alternating POVs, which is both a nice change of pace and gives it a certain "comic-book crossover" feel.

The story lags a little in the first act, but it builds up steam, becoming significantly harder to put down after a turning point halfway through. The plot is reasonably predictable but nonetheless enjoyable due to the likable characters and clean storytelling, something it has in common with many of its influences. Your life will not be changed by reading this book, but if you enjoy superheroes/villains or B-movies as light entertainment, you'll not regret taking the time to read it.

We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen
A comic book in a novel format. Fantasy.
A man with the ability to erase memories. A woman that can fly (kind of) and has super strength
and catches criminals. Neither one of them know who they really are. They meet in an anonymous support meeting and become friends.

I expected something extraordinary. What I got was comic book characters including the evil genius doing crazy experiments along with a moral lesson.
The characters by definition were a bit flat to me. They are missing their memories. On the opposing side, a little to much of factory-electric-mad scientists detail. I wanted to like the main character more but there wasn’t enough in the story to endear me to them.

Entertaining in a graphic comic simile.

On the evil experiments:
“And who wanted to eat electricity anyway? That sounded terrible. Even if it was in the form of electric tacos.”

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.

A fun psychological take on superheroes. Starting with a mystery about the origin of a young woman with superhuman physical abilities and a young man who can invade minds and capture memories, the reader quickly figures out there must be a connection between these two, who each woke up with amnesia and these newfound abilities about two years before. The story is entertaining as the two begin as opponents and eventually link up to solve the mystery and save the world. Only when we get into the explanation for their powers do things begin to bog down, and I confess I skimmed much of the action and explanation in the final third of the book. I’m assuming there will be a sequel, since that is how superhero sagas roll, but I don’t think I care enough about these characters to pursue the story any further. For those readers out there who are into such adventures, this could be a good choice.
I received a copy of this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jamie has the power to read or erase memories but has no memory of his own, so now he robs banks for money. Zoe doesn't have memories either and uses her strength to deliver food and sometimes beat up people. The two meet in a memory loss support group and decide to figure out what happened to them. A medical conspiracy could threaten the city, if not the country, and their friendship will give them their greatest power.

Mike Chen came up with the idea for this book wondering if people would be the same person if they started over from a blank slate. Our behavior is certainly influenced by our memories, and in starting over, Jamie and Zoe have changed to some extent. Zoe wants to help others and be extraordinary, Jamie just wants to go around with a simple life and not be seen. If not for incidents that brought their attention to each other, including a fire in the YMCA during the memory loss support group, the two wouldn't have realized they have anything in common. Zoe wants to discover who she used to be before her memory began over again two years ago, and Jamie is content to collect enough money to start over again in a beach area with his cat. Of course, the fact that they both woke up in fully paid apartments two years ago means they're tied together, and discovering that tie as well as investigating it means they stumble into the bigger overall plot.

The overall plot is the stuff of comic book supervillainy, and it takes a while before we even discover it for certain. "Resetting" someone and waiting for powers to kick in "organically" seems like such a long-winded way of getting superpowered people and abilities. The implication was there that others were harmed, sometimes fatally, to determine that. I'm sure more will be done with that after the close of the novel, but the very action movie ending sequences are attention-grabbing and full of character highlights. I raced through the book to get to the end, and my only complaint is that I don't know everything about the organization's secrets. That's a very minor complaint, though. Everything else about this book was so much fun to read.

We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen is the story of a bank robber and a vigilante, a race to save the world, and an unlikely friendship between two extraordinary people. The book idea lives up to the originality of Mike Chen's other books. Overall, the story is quickly read and entertaining, but the development of the idea leaves me looking for more depth in the characters, the emotions, the backstories, and the eventual resolution.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2021/02/we-could-be-heroes.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and a publisher's blog tour.

We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen was one of those books that I liked but other than that it wasn't anything too special, in my honest opinion. I really wanted to like it so much more than I did but the story in general just left me wanting more, unfortunately. It was good enough to read once but that's where it stopped for me.

The book featured a hero and villain who have superhuman powers. Zoe a.k.a the Throwing Star, who has super speed, super strenght, can fly and who kicks criminals' ass and saves people. Then we have Jamie a.k.a. the Mind Robber, who has the ability to read and erase other people’s memories which he uses to rob banks. Both woke up two years ago with no memory of who they are and with these extraordinary abilities. They come together as unlikely allies to find out more about themselves and even start to become friends.

The book was a four star read for the first half of the book. I really liked it but around the 50% mark the story and characters started to lose my attention. It started to become draggy and sometimes just plain confusing.

Also in the invite hero it said that it "stars a pansexual villain" but there wasn't really anything mentioned in the story beyond Jamie having had a husband. That disappointed me a little. I'm not sure what I expected from the story but definitely more than I got. However I do like that at least it was a diverse story that included a woman of color as the hero as well as someone in the LGBTQ community that's definitely one of the high points for me with this book.

So would I recommend We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen? Yes if you're really into superhero and character driven stories but I wouldn't say it's exacyly re-read worthy. It was a likable read but nothing spectacular.

I began reading this ready for your average super hero story but that is not what I got. I got a story about your average humans who just happen to wake up with no recollection of who they were prior to opening their eyes, but with extraordinary abilities. What would you do if you were given special abilities? Would you use them for good or evil? Become the Villain or the Vigilante? Thats the big question our two MC's must ask themselves. What is their power better used for? Can they find it within themselves to do whatever it takes to justify the means of using their powers?

The difference in the dynamic of each character paired with the direction they each decide to take their powers in order to achieve what they think that they were meant to do makes for an epic battle between the good and the bad. But with Jamie not being a true villain, you feel like you really don't know who is right.. Which character is making the best of what they were given? It's a constant push and pull throughout the book that keeps you wondering to what side you lean. Its not until they find a common goal and they decide to work together that you get a glimpse of a bigger evil behind the scenes. And that right there was where the book takes off, and you just have to hang on for the ride.

I really enjoyed this book and think that it was a really fun book to kick off the new year with. At times like these, we could all use a hero or two to root for.  Its got some deep thoughts of good vs evil but at the same time is full of adventure and growth and excitement that keeps you reading just to see what happens next. It was light enough to not feel overwhelming but had enough depth to connect with these characters and care about what happens to them.  I am browsing other Mike Chen books to add to my TBR now!

I've discovered something about myself when reading this book: I <em>adore </em>mundane superhero life. Truly. Like I think the reason <em>Mystery Men </em>is such a big part of my brain is because of how they were just every day, normal people, thrust headfirst into a baaaaaad situation. And that's why I absolutely loved this book.

We open with Jamie, the Mind Robber, well...robbing a bank. But a big one. Because they're insured, so he's not directly stealing from individual people. But then one of the bank tellers has a heart attack, and hits her head. Enter Throwing Star, or Zoe Wong, the ultimate DoorDasher. She's super fast and super strong. She can fly. And she has no idea who the hell she is. She just knows she has to help people. When she crosses paths with Jamie, the lives they've both lived for two years start to twist into something beyond what they ever could have expected.

I'll admit, I did have a few issues with some moments (nothing major, just parts that seemed slow or worded weirdly), but the rest of the time, I was having so much fun, it was easy to overlook those issues.

An original take on the superhero story, I give We Could Be Heroes 3.5 out of 5 cups of coffee. Thank you to Harlequin for providing a copy in exchange for review!

I was really excited about We Could be Heroes by Mike Chen. I recently got into the Amazon Prime show ‘The Boys’ and this story sounded like it was similar. I will preface that I am new to the sci-fi and fantasy genres but I just could not get into this book. I made it through 30% of the book and I was forcing myself to pick it up again. I didn’t feel connected to the characters and a lot of the dialogue seemed forced and unnatural. I did not finish this book. Therefore I will not be giving it a rating.

Thank you for the opportunity.

Fans of the TV show Dollhouse or the Renegades book trilogy by Marrisa Meyer will love We Could Be Hereoss. Mike Chen blends the superhero and science fiction genre into a tale full of heart—and special abilities.

Jamie woke up in an empty apartment with no memory but with the ability to read and erase other people’s memories. He uses these powers to rob banks so he and his cat can run away to an island far away from it all. Zoe is also searching for her past while her abilities of speed and strength deliver fast food. She also moonlights as the Throwing Star becoming a real-life superhero. When the two meet in a memory-loss support group, they begin to work together to find their past. As they uncover an ongoing threat, suddenly much more is at stake than just their memories.

I enjoyed the characters. Zoe and Jamie are complex characters that you can connect with. They struggle with the idea of identity and what makes them uniquely themselves. Memory is a theme here and the author delves into the idea of whether or not we are who we are because of our past. Other themes include change, grey ethics, and the idea that evil isn't always pure evil. I loved how these themes intermingled with the characters.

The only issue I found with the book was a small one. Certain ideas such as the title and naming of the nefarious organization have been used many times in science fiction. Sorry, David Bowie, the title didn't quite match the book while I do understand the use of Telos here.

Regardless, We Could Be Heroes is a wonderful story and characters that you can bond with. The plot gives a twist to the typical superhero story which sets it apart from all the other stories in the genre. I would absolutely recommend this book.

One of my favorite things about this book was the lack of a romance. This may not seem like a great thing to many reviewers but I find that books all have some angle of a romantic relationship and I must say it was refreshing to read about two characters who were just friends. I loved what the author was doing here with the lost memory story line and I really enjoyed the mind reading aspect. Overall this was a really fast paced, fun read that I really enjoyed.

“‘You’re selling yourself short.’ Zoe spoke with brightness in her tone, like a life coach more than someone trying to coax a partner into highly illegal but morally justified crimes.”

We Could Be Heroes wasn’t as superhero-ish as I hoped it would be. For starts, we have our two main characters; Zoe a.k.a The Throwing Star, and Jamie a.k.a The Mind Robber.

Zoe’s character is an overpowered, “Superman” style superhuman. Speed? Check. Super strength? Check. Fly? Yup. Super hearing? Yes again. I don’t usually like overpowered heroes, but Zoe has enough bumps and miscalculations along the way that takes down the ‘perfect hero’ syndrome, and the story gives a good enough explanation on why she’s overpowered. Zoe herself has an impulsive, no plans, live-in-the-moment personality. She really wasn’t my cup of tea, but she wasn’t a completely annoying character.

Jamie can flip through people’s memories, erase them, and send out a little push to ‘brain stun’ his victim. The really disappointing fact is that we don’t really see any growth in Jamie’s abilities. Where Zoe is concerned, we see her gain new powers and quickly learn to use them. Jamie’s powers just seemed stunted and stale by the end. It would have been really rewarding to the character to see him push himself and discover something new. Jamie’s personality was just about the exact opposite of Zoe. He’s a bit OCD; keeping his apartment clean, making lists, and sticking to his schedule. You see a lot more growth in his character after he meets Zoe’s impulsiveness and gets swept away in the story.

Two characters that really stole the show for me but didn’t get nearly enough stage time were Normal, Jamie’s cat, and Chesterton, the cop. I wish Chen played around a bit more with Normal. This story was just wacky enough to have Normal the cat be not-so-normal and end up with a watered down version of Krypto the super dog. Chesterton also ended up being a fave of mine, and it would have been nice to see him working more with our main characters.

The plot is where the book fell short. Somehow it managed to be very vague and bogged down at the same time. There’s a bit of a cop-out on what exactly went on- Jamie and Zoe don’t understand all the technical details so neither will you. It’s like the author gave a mental shrug and said ‘Ah, well. Good enough.’ It also had a few “Oopsie” mistakes, such as Zoe remembering things she wasn’t supposed to be able to remember at certain points.

There’s also major language use. For a story I see for maybe mid-grade and up, there’s too much unnecessary language.

Overall, it’s an okay little story and a quick read, good for an afternoon or weekend. It was entertaining, but if you’re like me and get a bit twitchy when technical details are just shoved to the side, it might be one to skip over.

As a superhero aficionado, I jumped on this book as soon as possible. I was a huge fan of Mike Chen’s Here and Now and Then, which provided me with an emotional time travel novel that brought something fantastical and new to the genre. We Could Be Heroes is a new entry into the superhero novel genre, a type of book that’s been growing in popularity, and I was looking forward to seeing what Chen would do to launch this genre to even greater heights. Yet, I found that We Could Be Heroes didn’t feel very different or fun at all, caught between a story that wasn’t exciting enough to be adventure, not funny enough to be humor, and not emotional enough to get me invested, leaving us with a novel that felt just okay. There’s nothing wrong with it, and at its short length I do consider it a quick and easy read for those who are unfamiliar with the genre and want to dip their toes in, but with so many superhero stories as of late that are filled with depth, gorgeous prose, and inventive plots, We Could Be Heroes fell a little short.

Both Jamie and Zoe woke up two years ago in their apartments with no idea who they were and how they got there. Their apartments are paid for, their clues are minimal, and they both have mysterious abilities that set them apart from the rest of humanity. While Jamie can both read and erase memories, using his abilities to rob banks, Zoe has more traditional hero moves, using her super-speed, super-strength, and hovering abilities to both fight crime and deliver food. They make their reputations as the Mind Robber and the Throwing Star, respectively, but meet each other out of their super-identities at memory loss support group, recognizing the other almost immediately. Their rivalry, however, peters out quickly when they both discover the similarities of their memory loss situations and begin to try and piece each other’s minds back together. Their sleuthing leads them not only to perhaps the source of their true identities, but to a much bigger plot that holds the fate of the city and all the extraordinaries out there in its hands.

The emotional hook to this novel is the friendship of Jamie and Zoe, who are brought together under unlikely circumstances and yet manage to put aside their differences for the greater good. The two do have a great dynamic and the best parts of this book are the moments where they can be alone and banter with one another; Jamie’s an overthinker who loves to have a twelve-step plan to his every action, while Zoe’s super abilities allow her to punch first and ask questions later. When these two were discussing their abilities, holed up in their apartments doing research, or arguing about cat allergies, they were at their best. I really did feel like the two of them were developing a friendship that could last the rest of their lives. At least for the first half of the book. I don’t do spoilers, but I’ll say that circumstances arise that would severely endanger any budding friendship (or any type of relationship), and yet the two snap back together in a way I found dubious. It really felt like Chen was going for the angle that their friendship was so strong that it could overcome anything, but this fell flat for me. The two of them do have a complicated past and trust issues, so regardless of how well their personalities clicked when they began to hang out with one another, I was surprised when they pushed all their previous issues and trauma aside so quickly. The whole thing just felt too easy, especially for an adult novel, where I expect more complexity and involvement with interpersonal relationships.

There is quite a lot of plot jam-packed into this slim novel, with a pacing that alternated between exhilarating and a bit too much. From a superhero novel, I do expect some bombastic action, cool fight sequences, and Chen absolutely delivered. There were moments here that felt so cinematic that I immediately wanted to see them on a screen, sequences with meticulously plotted action, and fights that had me so immersed it felt like I was there fighting alongside them. I think cinematic is absolutely how I would describe this book. It really felt like it was primed for a comedic Netflix adaptation. I often get lost in action sequences where it feels impossible to keep track of how many bad guys there are, whose kicks are landing where, and how exactly our protagonist is injured, but Chen did a really great job of keeping everything clear and in line. I will say the last half of the book is almost nothing but action, and while that may work for some folks, I did want our new superbuddies to stop and take a breather for a moment.

We Could Be Heroes has a bit of an odd tone, one that I don’t think was pulled off as well as it could’ve been. It felt like a traditional superhero squad was forming, with some humor, conflicting personalities, and a vast array of abilities, but overall it felt like it was trying to be too much of everything. Chen’s previous works are known for their emotional depth and the inventive ways he weaves the importance of relationships into the sci-fi landscapes he creates, yet this novel was so much more shallow. The insertion of so much action and this slightly confusing plot took away from the relationships that developed, and even though I did love the banter between Jamie and Zoe, it did feel like their relationship was mostly based in humor and quips. Part adventure, part found family, part humor, part traditional superhero story, the narrative had a lot of things, but a strong, cohesive tone wasn’t one of them.

We Could Be Heroes wasn’t a bad book by any means, but it felt both too underdeveloped and like it had too much involved. I wish I could judge it by itself, but as a big fan of Chen’s previous works, I admit that I was expecting more from him this time around, especially in a genre that I love so dearly. We Could Be Heroes is a quick read for an easy day, fun and fluffy, but lacking the cohesion and complexity I was hoping for.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.

I was immediately drawn to Jamie, mostly because of his cat. Also because he wasn't really a villain. He robbed banks knowing nobody would truly get hurt. he'd erase memories so nobody would have to relive the trauma of being in a robbery. He was a cinnamon roll. MY cinnamon roll and I loved him!

I had a harder time with Zoe mostly because I didn't feel like her story was fleshed out enough. We get glimpses of her life when she's not running the streets aiding those in need, but I didn't feel connected to her like I did with Jamie.

Overall, I enjoyed this book, and I am so happy I got to team up with Mira books for this tour. WE COULD BE HEROES is available now wherever books are sold.

This is a different twist on the superhero genre. Jamie and Zoe both wake up in bland apartments with no memory of who they are, where they are. Jamie becomes the Mind Robber, a supposed villain who uses his powers to rob banks but doesn’t really want to hurt anyone. Zoe becomes the Throwing Star, a supposed vigilante using her powers to fight crime when she isn’t using her super speed to excel at her job making food deliveries.

Both Jamie and Zoe want to know who they are, where they came from, who they were before their memories were taken. They both go to the same memory loss support group, and events unfold in such a way that they learn the other’s identity. Then they face a choice. Zoe is supposed to be a crime fighter. Does she turn the Mind Robber in? What about Jamie? Does he mind-stun Zoe and flee before she takes him down? No. Instead, they choose to work together to try to find out the truth of who they are, how they came to have these powers and lose the lives they had before.

This was a really good, wholesome, enjoyable book! Sure, you’ve got two people with superpowers, “good” versus “evil.” But that isn’t the heart of the story. The heart is the relationship that develops between Jamie and Zoe. It’s nice to see two characters who become friends, no underlying sexual tension, no budding romance. Sometimes that romance thing can really get in the way of a good story.

I think Jamie was my favorite. He’s just so quirky and endearing, and he’s got a cat named Normal who’s really not. He justifies his bank robbing as a means to an end. He just wants to get away from it all and live somewhere that he can relax on the beach, and he’s not really a bad guy…is he? (Spoiler: He isn’t.)

I recommend this book if you like a good superhero story, or just a good “enemies to friends” story that doesn’t have a romantic undertone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin/MIRA for an advance reader copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don’t say nice things about books I don’t actually like.

We Could Be Heroes by Mike Chen is a terrific story to get lost in on a chilly winter day. It's funny, engaging, and unputdownable. I absolutely LOVED every minute I spent with this book. What a treat!

Jamie and Zoe are both members of a memory-loss support group. Apparently, they both have superhero powers, but have no clue why. So, in order to find out what happened to them, they decide to join forces. Of course, seeing as Jamie's been using his powers for theft and Zoe's been using her's to keep the streets clear of bad guys, the two aren't exactly on the same page when it comes morals. Regardless, they need answers and they know that together they can find them. Then again, the more they dig, they may just want to turn back and away from what they will find. Yikes!

Chen has written a terrific story chock full of cinematic action-packed scenes and characters that you can't help but befriend. The story itself is fascinating, funny, and has dark twists and turns that will keep you wanting more. I would happily recommend We Could Be Heroes to anyone and everyone looking for their next great read - you will LOVE this book!!

He was the Mind Robber. She was the Throwing Star. Can I make it any more obvious?

He was a supervillain with memory-reading-slash-erasing powers who robbed banks to build up his Caribbean retirement fund. She was a vigilante with super-hearing-running-punching-heat-sensing powers who beat up common criminals on a part-time basis. What more can I say?

He had a cat (named Normal). She had drinking problems. And together they will be heroes. Just for one day. Or several

Alright. Notwithstanding the mashup of Avril Lavigne and David Bowie that's been looping in my head since I first read the blurb, and despite your typical premise of "two enemies find common ground and end up working together," the villain and the superhero of We Could Be Heroes do NOT end up in a romantic entanglement—this is a friendship first type of tale—which I thought was delightfully refreshing. And Chen offers a lot more to refresh your dusty, jaded brain crevices. Zoe is an Asian-American superhero-slash-food-delivery-person with amnesia, and Jamie is a pragmatic pansexual British-American bank robber with amnesia. A match made in heaven.

No, truly - they're a great duo. Jamie is a quiet planner, thriving on organization and examining problems from multiple angles, whereas Zoe is an unabashed pantser, throwing caution to the wind and bashing through front doors. Complete opposites and it's a hell of lot of fun seeing them at work. Chen also does his absolute best to add little details that creep under your heart and make you root for the characters. Like how Jamie practices his cliche one-liners and loves books and would spoil his cat to hell and back. Like how Zoe lives for campy slasher flicks.

The fun also comes with dark moments. Zoe is impulsive and deals with addiction and feelings of unfulfillment. Jaime is adamant about avoiding his past. Neither are very good with social interactions; they both use their powers and monikers as a shield against the world, a way to face people with more confident versions of themselves. It's easy to rehearse lines and put on a costume. Harder to go home at the end of the day where there's no one to hide behind except yourself. Chen balances the tonal shifts neatly.

I did find it disappointing, though, that Jamie's backstory was brushed aside and never really touched on again until the end. I guess that's to illustrate the difference between the protagonists - how Zoe digs and digs for answers until she's satisfied, while Jamie would rather just move forward with a new start - but it still feels like a major string left untied. This is a story about setting aside your past in the past and living as the person you are in the present, and a deeper insight into both Jamie and Zoe's previous lives would have put more weight behind the message.

Other than that, the plot is definitely the weakest point. It's your classic fare of "Scientists conduct experiments on humans. Scientists get their asses handed to them by said experiments" - skeletal at best, unanswered questions dotting the narrative like swiss cheese holes at worst. But heavy plotting never seems to be Chen's focal point, and really, with characters like these, it doesn't have to be. For me, charming characters and banter can carry most bland plots, and Jamie and Zoe are the definition of charm. So it was easier to turn the skeptic whispers down low and not get hung up on the fact that some of these organizations - the police especially - acted like people out of a PG-13 cartoon.

Speaking of cartoons, that's what the story felt like - a good Pixar film. Simple, self-aware, a little cheesy (but the kind that keeps you grinning), and all in all endearing. It doesn't seek to completely reinvent the superhero genre or pull you through a deep breakdown of its tropes, but it does doodle in a little party hat and a fuzzy lap cat for the superhero on your comic book cover. Just a bit of fun. Just a bit of heart-tugging humanity. And a reminder that behind every masked hero (or villain-turned-hero) with great power is someone with their own share of flaws and insecurities.

We Could Be Heroes was such a pleasant surprise. The story is one of superheroes - kind of - think the CW superhero series, but it's a refreshing take on some interesting abilities. Jamie and Zoe are terrific characters and they're both so relatable. Well, except for the extra abilities! Honestly, it's been a while since I've read anything that wasn't romance or crime thrillers, so this one felt like a long-overdue step outside the box kind of story for me. And it was exactly what I needed about now. The book is well-written, the pacing is good, the story is entertaining and engaging, and the main characters are easy to root for. They aren't true blue heroes, but I think their flaws and mistakes made them even more well-rounded. This is my first experience with Mike Chen, but it certainly won't be my last.