Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!
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Let me start by saying that I’ve read and enjoyed other works by Elizabeth Stephens and was so excited to read her newest book. The premise is strong but I ended up with a lot of mixed feelings - while there were some aspects of this one that I enjoyed, there were also some that irked me.
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Right off the top, if you (like me) are used to Elizabeth’s strong FMCs, this one may not be for you. I was initially excited to see mental health represented in a main character, but this portrayal of anxiety felt extremely cartoonish. I realize that everyone’s anxiety presents differently, but Vanessa is an over the top, stuttering, clumsy, fainting mess - reminiscent of Kristen Stewart’s Bella Swan. So many scenes felt like they were pulled from the Three Stooges and were bordering on cringey to read. Maybe it wasn’t supposed to be realistic and was instead meant to be funny, but it didn’t land for me. I read tons of fantasy, PNRs and MonRoms so I can suspend my disbelief A LOT, but to have a character behave this way while purportedly under the care of a therapist is inconceivable to me. Vanessa must have the worst therapist on planet earth because her coping mechanisms do not work and she barely gets through each day. It left me wondering how on earth she was able to become a CEO if she can’t get manage one press conference. Why was she not prescribed meds to manage her symptoms?? I tried to table this and move on but Vanessa’s bumblings are pervasive.
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Secondly, to call this fake dating is a bit of a stretch. They agree to fake date and then proceed directly to real dating from the get go. A minor detail and I didn’t necessarily mind them getting to the good stuff (and it IS quite good) sooner, but it felt like mismarketing. Roland’s POV is great and I’m glad we got it, his feelings were giving alpha instincts a la omegaverse and I was here for it. I loved his dynamic with Vanessa and how he helps her work through her past trauma - his protectiveness and threats to those who give her a hard time were fun to read. Their relationship really saved the story for me, and I got more invested and curious about the outcome the further I read.
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Things do take a hard left during the last 25% of the book, and while I didn’t mind the twist, readers who are expecting straightforward superhero romance are going to be in for a shock. It did start to feel a little kitchen sink and I can’t help wondering if the story would have benefited from having less components at play. Overall, I’m glad I stuck it out and finished since things did get better, but unfortunately it wasn’t a favorite of mine.

Amazing romance novel, I wish I could re-read it again. It was amazing, i loved the chemistry between them and the spice was actually just perfection.

I loved this book! I thought it was so different. I hope it'll be a series - love these characters! Very easy read and enjoyable.

Review can also be found on my blog *Milky Way of Books*

Where to begin with this upcoming gem of a book? Hmm....

In a world similar to our own two decades ago 48 pods containing alien children fell on Earth, Superman-style. After years of being held by the government, the children grew up becoming some them heroes, some of the villains and some....morally grey individuals.

Branded as factions fighting for good and evil (The Boys-style) they save the world everyday and they have terrible powers.
And that is where we find our heroine Vanessa, genious PR president of her own firm, staring at Roland who is a terrifying and powerful man capable of weilding fire...and who she has to represent as the new addition to the band of heroes. Not to mention that he looks like he could turn a person to a marshmallow or that he is attracted to Vanessa.

The book is quite a fun ride as we follow the development of their relationship and seeing how they grow closer. The friends and family of Vanessa are all amazing and they offer quite a positive feeling to the story which despite being a romance (spicy all the way baby) it has a really well thought plot and as the story progresses we realize that there is a far more sinister plan in the horizon.

And honestly Roland gave me Kaleb Krychek vibes (my favorite man of Nalini Singh's books), so I defenitely recommend this to anyone who loves a moraly grey character, capable to do everything for the woman he loves.

Spectacular!!! Elizabeth Stephens does it again in All Superheroes Need PR. I absolutely devoured this book, do not start it at night unless you plan on not sleeping cause you will not be able to put it down. I absolutely love Vanessa and reading about her character growing and becoming an absolute badass. And Roland, he falls first and he falls HARD! He’s only a hero for her and I love it!!! So happy I was able to read this arc and I highly HIGHLY recommend added this to your TBR and preordering because this is a 5⭐️ read easy.

This review was written honestly in exchange for the ARC from NetGalley.
A fun quirky book that features a diverse ensemble cast. Aliens landed on Earth and have been divided into Heroes and Villains. A PR firm headed by Vanessa, bids to get a contract with an unsigned Alien, The Pyro, Roland. Immediately drawn to Vanessa, Roland accepts the bid from the firm, as long as Vanessa is highly involved. Roland proves his worth as a hero to Vanessa, who can’t have another villain in her life. The two build a relationship that proves love can be inter dimensional!

This was a really fun read, and I enjoyed the comedy a lot. The first third with the plot/world building wasn’t my favorite but I really ate this book up after that. Additionally, it felt that at times the cast was a little too packed and it was hard to tell Vanessa’s brothers apart. I hope in future books each of them get some more defining characteristics. However, I really enjoyed the diversity of the cast, and that no one's traits were used as punching bags. I did not know going into this that we were getting full on Alien Spice with 🪢! So that was a surprise! The romance in this is very much insta-love but was fun to read and who doesn’t love a “who did this to you?”!? I really recommend this to any romance lovers this was fun and offered a different setting with fun world building! Thank you to NetGalley, Elizabeth Stephens, and Montclair Publishing for the ARC

A really fun take on romance! If you want a steamy read with the fun of the superhero world, this is one for you! The world is fleshed out with heroes, villains and the people who help them get to super status. Fake dating, forced proximity and other tropes fans of romance will enjoy.

Vanessa Theriot is the marketing genius behind The Riot Collective who wins a bid to rebrand the Villian the Pyro as a superhero. A disaster of a first meeting between Vanessa and Mr. Rolland Casteel, a.k.a. the Pyro, leads Vanessa to believe her chance at the contract is over, until Rolland has a change of heart.

Will the Pyros rebrand be the turning point to Superhero and wanting to do good, but will that be enough to keep him from reverting to his evil ways, or will he find his new true north and the key to the life he wants in this new contract.

intriguing relationship between a PR representative and a superhero, as well as their attraction. adored the supporting cast and her family. would adore seeing more aliens and figuring out their key! this was a fun easy read, want to read what's to come in this world!

It started off well, but soon descended in writing that felt like it came from a teenage boy. Every sentence was F this and F that, and then sex scenes came out of nowhere. It was quite disappointing as the story had premise, and was original, but the execution let it down

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! I was both kicking my feet giggling and also clutching my heads in anxiety for the main characters. I loved the way the mfc was dealing with her trauma and her PTSD as a result and how cognizant the mmc was of what she needed. I also LOVED the world and the idea of 48 aliens who are now superheros and supervillains and how capitalism played a hand into it (of course it does). I genuinely want a book for each of the 48 and I really hope Stephens writes one <3

What a fun fun book! I’m so excited to read more in this series. Superhero romances exist but it’s a painfully underserved genre and this was such a fun idea. Great world building too that reminded me a bit of the Boys with superheroes almost being celebrities.

Also so great to see diversity and non white leads. Will definitely be picking up this authors next book!!!

I don’t have the words to tell you how good this book is!! It’s like the boys (minus the super gore) meets the Incredibles and you just have to read it.
The pacing is perfect and Elizabeth manages to introduce an entire universe while making me fall in love with Rollo and Nessa in what feels like no time at all. I can’t say enough!

interesting romance with a superhero and pr rep and their attraction . loved her family and the side characters. would love to see more of the aliens and finding their key.

Vanessa is definitely one of those characters where you have to trust the process. She starts out as extremely weak and uncertain; has social anxiety that is near crippling. The Pyro is a super individual who hasn’t chosen a side yet, but there’s hope he’ll go with the good guys. His deciding factor? Vanessa. For all her quirks and short comings he sees something in her that she doesn’t even see herself. What proceeds is a story of two people, one damaged and one without a full set of memories, finding their way forward together. Told from dual POV I enjoyed the the way the two grew together. I have read this author before, this one is not as dark as other works she has done but different does not mean bad, Nice series started, interested to see where it goes.

Elizabeth Stephen’s has done it again! This book was so good! Vanessa and Roland are well developed, strong characters and when they get together they’re the cutest couple! I love how protective and accepting Roland is of Vanessa and I love how Vanessa comes to realize she loves Roland and feels safe around him. You really see the relationship develop and strengthen throughout the story. Although this could be read as a stand alone book, I’m excited by the backstory of where Roland came from and looking forward to future books!

I wanted to like this book. The marketed premise of a PR team for superheroes was very interesting to me.
Sadly, there was very little PR, and very few superheroes.
The plot points were confusing, and not in the sense that they were enticing and made me want to read more, just confused. Character's choices didn't make sense with how their personalities were shown previously. And the ending felt flat.

This book has potential, but I don't think it is ready yet.
I liked the concept, and really if the book was marketed differently so that you aren't expecting as much PR and whatnot this book might stand a better chance.

Part of the plot reminded me of Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart series.

The spice was good, the author knows how to write a good spicy scene.
Vanilla readers beware something that isn't clear in the marketing.
There is knotting and monster ducking, and that's not utilized in the marketing

If you are down to just have fun and read some superhero smut this book is great for you.

I was pulled to this book because I have a soft spot for narrative superhero books, which are surprisingly not common, and this book blew all my expectations out of the water - Black author! BIPOC FMC! Layers of plot and unseen twists! Morally Grey (and Hilarous) Hero! Anxiety Rep FMC!

It was so much better than I could have hoped for. I highlighted probably 50% of this book - between funny moments, just well-written moments, and OMG moments. There are humor, depth, layers of intrigue, and the morally grey-est hero I've read in a while. The worldbuilding was done so well and the full cast of characters is well developed (with a diverse range of types that are full characters not just one-note or hope-core types). Not to mention that the anxiety rep in the FMC is so well done. And Stephens writes in a way that just hits that perfect note for me of humor/sass and heartfelt real and depth - including and handling some more serious issues with care. Vanessa and Roland's romance is so perfectly done - both stand-out characters that are entirely their own with banter, push-pull, and their own baggage. I loved reading each side (which is rare for me) and I loved that Roland was morally very grey but not so much that I was worried about what I was reading.

This book covers all of my favorite parts of the superhero genre, without being typical or formulaic. I don't want to spoil the big twist, but lets just say it made me love this book 1 million times more and is the reason I immediately started looking for where I can get a signed copy. I NEED there to be so so many more of the series, PLEASE. I mean is one book for each of the 48 too much to wish for? Probably, but I am going to keep hoping for that.

This was fantastic. While the romance is swoonworthy, the spice is spicing, and the lore of the superheroes/villains/aliens feels fresh, the beating heart of this story is Vanessa and the way she reclaims her strength after trauma. Followed closely by her adopted family of 5 rowdy but well meaning brothers and two loving parents. If you love a healing journey and found family - even when its mostly literal family - you’ll love this.

Vanessa’s boutique PR firm has gotten the opportunity of a lifetime: to spearhead the rebrand of one of Earth’s newest superheroes, the Pyro. The problem? Her nerves often get the better of her, and he’s…intense. First he fires her, then hires her, then demands she be the one to play his fake girlfriend. It may have been in her proposal but she never saw HERSELF in the role. And when he starts expressing attraction that feels very real…what’s a girl to do?

This is definitely a set up book, where a big part of the plot is establishing the players and the world. Only at the end to we get a taste of what the overall conflict of the series will be. And in action-packed fashion! Thankfully the robust characters and relationships were more than enough to make this book feel fully its own.

Vanessa! Her social anxiety, PTSD glimpses of her difficult past and journey were all brilliantly written.

Her family - both her actual and work family - were so wonderful. From Vanessa’s brothers to her parents to Margerie, Dan, Jeremy…The ensemble cast is large, beautifully diverse and the way they all support Vanessa throughout the book is so much fun to read.

And Roland of course! The deployment of the male POV is perfect. I loved how gone he is for Vanessa from the get go, both in terms of physical attraction and admiration for her brains and drive. He knows she’s the brain of the operation and demands she see herself - and that others see her - as such. We love a supportive KING! Plus he has pink eyes, gorgeous hair, and fire powers (and...more)....what more could you ask for?

I can't believe this was my first Elizabeth Stephens book! She's been on my TBR for a while and I am hooked. This was such a fun premise and I don't think I've read a book with superheroes in it? What a duo Vanessa and Roland were, but it worked so much for me. With Nessa being quite shy and would just love to avoid everyone and then you have the super grumpy McGee that is Roland. I loved that he would just say whatever was on his mind and he was a bit chaotic. Roland may not have been the ideal "hero". but I sure enjoyed seeing his growth and figuring out the ways to show Nessa that he cared for her. And it was fun to see both of their worlds collide and Roland's interactions with her family especially the first time!

Sooo many great moments in this book and I'm absolutely looking forward to more from this author and series (hopefully)! Absolutely recommend and everyone should add it to their TBR.

4.25/5