Unexpected Superhero (Adventures of Lewis and Clarke, #1) by Kitty Bucholtz

Unexpected Superhero (Adventures of Lewis and Clarke, #1) Reviews

• 
  Paula

  I couldn't finish this. It started good and I was enjoying it and at about the 30% mark the characters all started keeping secrets for no good reason. Newly married who kept 4 very important secrets from each other in the space of one or two chapters. Things that could damage a marriage for no reason. I'm sorry but it really really pissed me off. OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND TELL THEM. sigh.
• 
  Jen

  I met this author at the 2014 WonderCon in Anaheim, CA and decided to give it a go.
  
  Very cute story and it definitely picked up near the middle/end of the book and kept my attention. Over all I thought the secret identity build up was a bit drawn out (I mean it finally was resolved once I was 80% through the book). It got a little tired. But it was cute and a quick read.
• 
  Emma

  Cute and fun story. Religion was shown as an important part of the characters’ lives without getting preachy.
• 
  St. Gerard Expectant Mothers

  One of my friends is a romance author and invited me come to her romance event that she held at a local venue. To show my support, I went and learned some really interesting facts about the romance business particularly that the genre is the number one selling topic within the book industry earning over one billion dollars in sales. As a bookseller I found this fascinating especially since I've never taken the genre seriously. Sure, I've read romance books as a guilty pleasure and I can understand the appeal but from a business standpoint, it is amazing how big the industry has progressed. With that said, I met author Kitty Bucholtz and she was absolutely lovely. After taking her seminar on e-books, I purchased one of her romance novels that is set within the superhero genre. As someone who is a fan of comic con, superheroes, and all things sci-fi/fantasy related, I've read numerous interpretations of this arena and decided to offer my two cents in with her take in the area.
  
  First let me say that writing in the capes and villains universe is really difficult and I've read things that have gone bust because the author attempted to go ambitious with the project. Only a few have succeeded in writing a superhero-filled story and made it work. With that said, I want to note that that this novel is very character driven and doesn't take itself too seriously especially when you're building a world where people are running around with their underwear outside their tights.
  
  
  
  
  In Unexpected Superhero, we are introduced to newlywed Tori Lewis who is married to the man of her dreams who is keeping a secret from her. And no, he's not cheating on her or snapping the towel at some bathhouse (...not like I would know personally), he's actually a real-life superhero named X who trying solve a mystery involving some missing children. Add in the conflict of the main character developing her own superpowers and some hidden secrets about her own family and you have a recipe for a potential series.
  
  Now this definitely has some elements of high camp especially in a romantic comedy where superheroes don't take themselves too seriously. I mean they're regular folk with day jobs who moonlight and save the world from baddies. Plus, they each have their issues which I'm glad Kitty explores this instead of making these characters some omnipresent beings without any flaws. Imagine the spandex wearing hubby not picking up his socks after of day of knocking down some muggers. He still needs to get his priorities straight. Also, the superhero gig doesn't really pay so technically they're working for free. You got to imagine how much that sucks.
  
  
  
  
  The book reminded me a lot of Julie Kenner's Demon Hunter Soccer Mom series where domesticity meets some heavy duty butt kicking-saving the world-while I do the laundry thing is merged together and we see the real reality of what superheroes goes through from personal relationships to living life with some baggage. Much like the indie film The Specials or even The Mystery Men, even a champion can have a tough time dealing with life. However, this is a romance novel so having a husband and wife try to deal with their relationship during the first year of marriage is sure to bring about some major conflicts. It also doesn't help when both have superpowers with a job to do.
  
  To summarize, I found the book really fun and enjoyable. Kitty Bucholtz is really good writer in this particular genre and knows build a really great story. The characters are a hoot and you can tell she's done her research within the superhero universe. Oh and I wanted to add that this is a light romance where it is heavy on the emphasis of the story and characters than any of the obligatory sex scenes (which are really tamed by comparison so if you're looking for some erotic nastiness, this isn't the book for you). I can appreciate an author who focuses more on the story than the bow-chica-wow-wow. Again, there is an app for that but I wouldn't suggest it because that would be considered NSFW (not safe for work).
  
  So I say give this book a shot. I'm sure you're love it too!
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  Michelle

  Good book
  
  You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA
• 
  Donna

  We've all seen superhero movies. Superman, Spiderman, X-Men, etc. I have enjoyed each of those movies but I could always take them or leave them. My husband or children wanted to see them so I watched them. I chose this book for a Goodreads challenge and didn't know if I would like it or not. Once I started this book, I didn't want to put it down. I really want to read more and that is unusual for me and superheroes. I will be adding this series to my TBR list.
• 
  Julie Wear

  Unexpected Superhero is a completely expected story line with a little romantic comedy thrown into the mix. While the book has some enjoyable moments, it feels more like a rush job so that Ms. Bucholtz can get on to book #2.
  
  Meet Tori Lewis and Joe Clarke. They are a newly married couple excited about starting their lives together and becoming a family. Joe is an undercover superhero who works with the city, and his superhero team, to help keep streets safe. Tori is working with a temp agency searching for her dream job, or any job, that will help her feel fulfilled. Tori learns she may be a superhero as well when she unwittingly stops a robbery in progress. Now Tori must try and hone her powers with the help of a mentor, and hopefully, with the blessing of her new husband. Throw into the mix an absent and evil villain of a father, and some missing children, and this quickly becomes an adventure that Tori and Joe won’t soon forget.
  
  This book is cute and fun and the idea of modern day superheroes, living ordinary lives just like the rest of us, makes them even more likable. However, I found myself becoming more and more frustrated with every page I turned. I found it completely unbelievable that a newly married couple, so head over heels in love with one another - they married within two months of meeting - would keep so many secrets from one another. I can shake off the biggest secret of the book, it makes sense for the plot and I can somewhat understand their constant, yet lame, excuses for keeping this secret, but all the other things this couple keeps from one another made me want to jump into the book and knock some sense into them. Also, when the biggest secret of the book finally does get revealed, the reactions seem odd, overblown and uncharacteristic on one hand and completely lackadaisical on the other. I love the idea of this story and I think the author can take these characters on many fun and action packed adventures in the future, I just wish more thought had gone into the way this book unfolds and the basis for how this couple begins.
  
  Kitty Bucholtz is the author of Unexpected Superhero: The Adventures of Lewis and Clarke. She has also written other romantic comedies including Little Miss Lovesick and Love at the Fluff and Fold.
  
  I received the book, Unexpected Superhero: The Adventures of Lewis and Clarke, for free through Goodreads First Reads.
  
• 
  April

  This was not what I expected at all. For some reason I thought there would be more back and forth and build in the romance. It kicks off with the leads already married. Not a bad angle, just not what I thought was going to happen. I might have misread the blurb to begin with.
  
  This reads more like a sci-fi than a romance. There are cozy moments but it is more about the overall story and the realization of super powers. There are a lot of intricate elements in the family life and supporting characters as well.
  
  I really liked Tori and Joe's dynamic. They were practically strangers who fell o=in love and married very quickly. Personally, I might have discussed a few things before jumping straight to the "I do's", that's just me!
  
  Sorry kids this is a closed bedroom door sort of romance. It would fall into my Christian romance category as well, plenty of praying and God talk. Not heavy handed, just noticeable.
  
  I listened to the audiobook narrated by Catherine Gaffney, who does a great job with all those voices. Kudos on the swift pace and smooth tone. She is fabulous at adding just the right amount of energy and emotion to her voice to fit every situation. I would definitely look for more of her reads.
  
  This is a mixed narrative, which I really enjoy. It helps you get a full perspective on what is going on all around. There are more than the leads POV, many of the supporting cast chime in throughout. It is not always the smoothest transitions when listening. While the voices were distinct, there could have been something to indicate a change in the narration. I am not a big fan of changing voice in the middle of a section. POV changes should be chapter to chapter in my opinion. It helps keep things clear and less choppy.
  
  I loved the world building here, there is so much potential for more of the series. Great supporting characters who deserve their own HEA stories. Her sister Lexy and a certain strong silent hero, her BFF Haley and her own smexy fella. Please let this be a series!!!!!!
  
  Disclosure - I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts, ratings and opinions are my own.
• 
  Lynda Tatad

  I loved the title of the book, and since it was a BookBub bargain, it was worth the price to try out a new series by a new author for me. I liked the characters overall, but the story really dragged, and it was easy to put down whenever I got a new library book come in. I sympathized with the friends of newlyweds Tori Lewis and Joe Clarke. After Tori discovered she was able to stop a gunman from robbing a store just by telling him to stop, she realized she might have a superpower! It turns out Joe is part of an undercover superhero team, and he hasn't gotten around to telling his wife about his secret identity. Tori was raised by parents who want nothing to do with superheroes, so she doesn't know who to turn to about this, and she's afraid her new husband might leave her, like her biological father had left her and her mother and sister! I liked the connection between the sisters in this story! Her father does make a reappearance, but it doesn't bode well for her family that he is trying to get back in the picture!
  
  So, lots of waffling and praying goes on in this book. I didn't mind that the main characters were very Christian in their beliefs, but it is a part of what made the story drag a bit. I did like the biblical reference as to how Paladins came about, though it is purely fiction. Why wouldn't supernatural powers come from God? It wasn't until about 2/3rds of the way through the story when things finally picked up, and it was the introduction of Joe's niece Katie that helped as a catalyst to get things moving! Of course, not all goes smoothly, but things get a lot more interesting, which is why this story got 3 stars from me, instead of just two.
  
  There's a mystery about missing children, and Tori's boss turning up dead. There's also a nefarious group called the Nine, who have their own agenda, and it's not a benevolent one! Oh,and I like that the police have a group that works hand in hand with the heroes. Not a bad read, hopefully the other books in the series have more action, and less waffling!
• 
  John Warner

  In Double Bay, Michigan superheroes assist the police in protecting the citizens from supervillains. Tori and Joe are newlyweds who have begun to settle down after their honeymoon. Both have their secrets that each have not divulged to the other. Tori has just discovered that she possesses a superpower, which allows her to manipulate others in behaving in ways against their will. Now, she is afraid that she might have forced Joe into a marriage. Joe, already a superhero, possesses invulnerability. He and his team are currently investigating the disappearance of young children from orphanages. It is becoming more difficult to keep leading a double life with Tori. Both are reluctant to tell the other their respective secrets fearing the breakup of their marriage.
  
  I read this book because of a reading challenge to read a book out of my comfort zone. Romantic books, where the romance the plot focus, is definitely out of my comfort zone. When there is romance but it takes backseat to a mystery or historical fiction, is much more to my liking. Initially, I was going to give this book two stars; however, when it evolved into a battle between superheroes and supervillains, I began to enjoy it. Not bad for a $. 99 e-book.
• 
  Hannah

  When newlywed Tori Lewis is the victim, (and unexpected hero), of an armed robbery, strange things begin happening around her. Suddenly, her safe world of newlywed bliss is filled with superheroes, villains, and choices she never thought she would be forced to make. But when the danger begins to hit close to home, she realizes that sometimes superpowers aren't enough to save her. Tori has to decide if sharing her past, and even stranger present, is worth the pain she risks. With a little help from her friends, hunky Superhero X, and her husband -Tori is able to face her fears of rejection and find her God-given power and worth.
  
  Kitty Bucholtz's, Unexpected Superhero, is an exciting read filled with adventure, romance, and, (of course), superheroes. Offering readers much more than just a good action story, this is a must read for any woman who's struggled with embracing her self-worth and finding her “place” in the world. Kitty’s characters struggle with the idea of grace and vulnerability, demonstrating that letting others see your true self can sometimes be the bravest act, and might even make unexpected superheroes of us all.
  
• 
  Barbara Hackel

  Tori and Joe begin married life with secrets they should have shared. Blundering along with finding a body under her desk at work, stopping a hold up at a convenience store, and a mugging in the alley near home, Tori discovers that secrets compound and must be shared. Much of the book is one thing after another preventing Tori from telling Joe or Joe telling Tori. That frustrated me. But the story itself was so much fun, I wasn't sorry to see it stretched out. I was happy to learn things about Tori and her sister, as well as more about how the superheros started and work together. At times my imagination drifted to what if this really happens...
  Be sure to read the books in order for maximum enjoyment. They follow a chronological time line from the meeting of Tori and Joe thru their wedding and life as a married couple. The characters are likable and exhibit great traits of friendship and kindness. They come alive, making you wish you really knew them and could sit and chat with them all. I hope the series continues because there are many characters waiting to be developed and have their chance to grow.
• 
  Terisa

  3.5 to 4 stars
  
  I was a little torn on how to rate this book. I really enjoyed the concept of it… Superhero’s living in the everyday world with regular jobs and the side job of protecting the regular citizens from the bad guys, kind of like Super Man, Spider Man, Mr. Incredible. No one in this could fly or throw spider webs but there was a vine growing/throwing superhero that could tie the bad guys up with her vines which is somewhat like what Spiderman does. When I see Superhero X in my mind though I do think of Mr. Incredible. LOL!
  
  Anyway the part that I didn’t like was that there were so many different characters that it was sometimes hard to follow and the secrets between Joe and Tori drove me insane! OMG there were so many that I lost track at times. I did enjoy the main characters though and would like to find out what other abilities some of the other superhero’s have so I will definitely read more from the series once they come out.
• 
  Dana

  2-1/2 stars really. Cute story. Interesting premise. I might have rated it higher if not for two things. First the secrets the main characters kept for soooo long, and continually delayed telling the other....I'll tell tonight! No tomorrow! No after dinner! A week from next Tuesday! Argh!!! Got on my nerves! The second was that it was a little too churchy for me. A little spirituality is ok but this was obviously very Christian. Which is ok if that's what you're into, but I am not. Really they need a rating system for religious reads. You know...."this book rates at 3-1/2 Jesus fish." But I digress. Decent book. Easy read. :)
• 
  Kathleen Wright

  I am not an urban fantasy reader, so when I read Unexpected Superhero, I didn't know what to expect. What I found was a lovely combination of super powers and the real people who have them. Set in regular day, super heroes help the police under the protective cover of their costume and their mask. I liked the characters and the way the author made them rich and dimensional. It's the first book in the series and there were lots of leaks on fun surprises to come. I recommend reading this. The last quarter really kicks butt.
• 
  Ardra

  Intriguing premise, and overall a good story. Occasionally something in the writing would throw me off track, and I would have to reread that part. I also kept confusing a couple of the female characters who had similar names. Otherwise the story was engaging, though the characters were a bit frustrating at times. The message of the book is great; basically anyone can be heroic if they are willing to use the gifts they have been given.
• 
  Stephanie Barnes

  Superhero family
  
  It took me a long time to get through this story. I liked the concept of family and friends being superheroes with very different and various powers. However, there were some slow parts that kept losing my interest. But when I was interested I couldn't put it down. I couldn't imagine keeping a secret as big as being a superhero from my husband. I do believe that the secrets between Joe and Tori are through and their marriage will flow easier.
• 
  InD'tale Magazine

  With a mixture of adventure, drama, urban fantasy, humor, and suspense threaded through with a guise of romance and a smattering of the spiritual, it’s innovative in its combination of so many genres.
  
  Read full review in the
  2015 April issue of InD'tale Magazine.
• 
  G.V.R. Corcillo

  Fun, heartwarming, exciting and romantic! Tori is just learning about her own powers and just realizing how deep her connection to her hunky new husband truly is. The is book ends with a bang, and a promise of more adventures to come!
• 
  Erika

  Did not finish
  
  Slogged deep into Christianity stuff which was not necessary to the plot and handled messily.
  Otherwise interesting story -- if heavy, constant religious messages don't bother you give it a try.
• 
  Jenny Johnson

  Cute story. Had some great moments, but I didn't seem to devour it from beginning to end the way I have with other books.
• 
  Allen

  Inspired by comic book heroes, this one is a romance. I didn't find any errors in this book, a surprise.
• 
  Joselyn Moreno

  it was so cool, it got me riled up it was so thrilling and interesting, best hero novel ever I hope there's more soon
• 
  Tracy

  Great story. I liked experiencing Tori's angst. Now I'm rooting for her sister to hook up with a superhero.
• 
  Ladying

  3.5 star. I like the basic story but got a lil lost a few times.