SFRB Recommends 69: Blood Surfer by Debra Jess #superhero #sfrom

Welcome to Star Haven, where the police arrest and imprison alternative humans, if not execute them outright. When outlaw Hannah Quinn saves Officer Scott Grey’s life by bloodsurfing through his broken body, he winds up on the wrong side of the kill line.

Hannah blew any chance she had of escaping Star Haven when she chose to save Scott’s life. Scott has a reputation for killing Alts instead of arresting them. Now that she’s triggered his dormant Alt ability, he’s forced to go on the run with her until she can break his despised Alt power.

Suspicion dies hard after a lifetime of conditioning. Despite the threat to their lives, Hannah finds herself falling for the one man she can’t trust — and Scott falls for the woman who destroyed his life.

With love and mistrust at war in a city where betrayal can earn your freedom, will Hannah and Scott’s tenuous bond be enough to save them?

Jess sets up some young protagonists (college-age in many places) with interesting family issues. Hannah and Scott have some prized abilities, but that doesn't change that they are little fish in a bigger pond. They're forced to confront what they really want from their lives, each other, and the people who raised them. I like how Jess explores these questions. The ending is a Happy For Now, as I believe their story will continue.

This recommendation by Lee Koven.

SFRB Recommends 37: Phoenix Rising by Corrina Lawson #sfrom #scifi #romance #superhero #novel

This recommendation comes to you from Rachel Leigh Smith.

"He was born to be a weapon. For her, he must learn to be a hero. "

Since birth, Alec Farley has been trained to be a living weapon. His firestarter and telekinetic abilities have been honed to deadly perfection by the Resource, a shadowy anti-terrorist organization the only family he has ever known. What the Resource didn t teach him, though, is how to play well with others.

When psychologist Beth Nakamora meets Alec to help him work on his people skills, she s hit with a double-barreled first impression. He s hot in more ways than one. And her first instinct is to rescue him from his insular existence.

Her plan to kidnap and deprogram him goes awry when her latent telepathic ability flares, turning Alec s powers off. Hoping close proximity will reignite his flame, she leads him by the hand through a world he s never known. And something else flares: Alec s anger over everything he s been denied. Especially the passion that melds his mind and body with hers.

The Resource, however, isn t going to let anything or anyone steal its prime investment. Alec needs to be reminded where his loyalties lie starting with breaking his trust in the woman he s come to love.

Warning: Contains telekinetic sex, nuclear explosion sex hot enough to melt steel, and various and sundry swear words.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into my first superhero romance. And wow! It sucked me right in and I blew it through so fast.

This book hit my hero sweet spots to perfection. It was a story about the hero, told mostly from his POV, and Alec himself is awesome. A wonderful change of pace from the usual dark and broody tormented hero. Everything about him was a perfect balance combining to make him one of my favorite heroes of 2014.

Author site: Corinna Lawson - Writer, Geek, Mom, & Superhero

SFRB Recommends #31 - The Anomaly Trilogy by @AnnaHackett #scifi #paranormal #romance

Book Description:

A woman honed in revenge and hunted for her ability to steal time finds her life depends on the man sent to kill her. On a mission deep in the wilds of Indonesia, a fiery mind raider joins forces with a dark, powerful man who is more lethal than anyone she has faced before. After being kidnapped and forced to kill, a soul stealer is left with a deadly addiction to killing and on an island sanctuary only one man calms the storm inside her. Enter the action-packed and deadly world of the anomalies: humans with extraordinary abilities that leave them hunted by criminals, governments and armies. 

Includes a bonus short story, Salvation: do bad guys deserve a second chance? Two survivors will stand side-by-side to escape a dangerous laboratory and discover a scorching passion…and terrible secrets that could drive them apart. 

The Anomaly Trilogy: Action romance (paranormal / science fiction romance) 
Length: 90,000 words 

Includes: 
Book 1: Time Thief 
Book 2: Mind Raider 
Book 3: Soul Stealer 
Bonus short story: Salvation


These were action packed, tense reads that can be quickly and easily consumed over a couple of afternoons. While for me the romance in these was a little too rushed, and there wasn't much complexity in the world-building or plot, if you like fast paced adventure, hot sex and tension a la X-Men style, these will provide you with an entertaining read full of angst. You can buy them separately, but the boxed set gives you the best value for money.

Amazon US

Author site: Anna Hackett | Action Romance | Science Fiction Romance