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A review by queerafictionado
Fanning the Flames by Kelly Farmer
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
đłď¸âđRep: Pansexual MC, Lesbian MC, Gay SC, Pansexual Nonbinary SC
đTropes/Themes: Superheroes/Villians, Established Couple, Shenanigans, Found Family, Revenge, Unlikely Friendships, Butch/Femme, Humor & Snark
I absolutely love Joan and Sadie! And really all these characters (even Otis and Darlene are growing on me lol). The Vector City Supers trilogy is a fun and quirky take on superhero stories that is packed to the brim with action, drama, romance, and humor. Fanning the Flames is book two in the series. Joan, her brother Mark, and Perry (who is basically their adopted dad) have turned away from a life of villainy and now run a food truck called Hot and Cold. Theyâve made friends with some other food truck folks. Joan is loving her new quiet life with Sadie, even if living together hasnât been 100% smooth sailing. Mark is happily living the single life and flirting shamelessly with all the cute boys, even though everyone but him seems to know he really only has eyes for a certain superhero. Life in Vector City is calmer than itâs ever been. That is until new villains show up wreaking havoc and creating more chaos than ever before.
The Supers reluctantly seek out the aid of these former villains, who arenât really in a position to refuse the request thanks to their deal. But the fact that theyâve been out of the life for a while and know so little about these new villains, mixed with the Supers lack of trust and apparent allergy to planning and teamwork - their attempts at descalation only manage to make things worse.
The heroes and villains have a bit of a love-hate relationship (leaning more towards the hate side of things lol). They donât trust each other and itâs hard to go from enemy to teammate - even in the most dire of circumstances. It was so fun watching the interactions between them - so much snark and sass! But it was also great watching them slowly build trust and, dare I say, even become friends. Zee and Kade are my favorites though. Kade is this big hulk of a man who is 100% a teddy bear, just incredibly sweet and wholesome. I love Zee in part because they are nonbinary, but they have always been the super who didnât look down on Joan and Mark simply because they were villains. PlusâŚMark and Zee are definitely one of my favorite sideships and I want more of them! So stinking cute.
I love that we get more backstory as to why Perry hates the supers and what his origin story is. He is such a grump, but I would be too if I were in his shoes! It was nice getting to see a different side of him, though (thanks to a certain someone who I will not be naming to avoid spoilers).
There was SO MUCH that happened in this story. Itâs a quick, fast-paced book you wonât want to put down because you need to know what happens next. The action scenes are incredibly well done and make you feel like youâre right there in the midst of it. Youâll meet new villains with new powers and get to meet some old heroes and villains, too! This book is a bit more focused on the action than the romance between Sadie and Joan, but their relationship is still front and center through every page, and they are still just as hot for each other as they were in book one!
I canât begin to imagine what is going to happen next in the story, but I know itâs gonna be a doozy! And I cannot wait for more shenanigans with this quirky crew! (AlsoâŚI would LOVE to see this series turned into comics!)
I received an ARC of this book through the author and Literary Inspired. This is my honest review.
đTropes/Themes: Superheroes/Villians, Established Couple, Shenanigans, Found Family, Revenge, Unlikely Friendships, Butch/Femme, Humor & Snark
I absolutely love Joan and Sadie! And really all these characters (even Otis and Darlene are growing on me lol). The Vector City Supers trilogy is a fun and quirky take on superhero stories that is packed to the brim with action, drama, romance, and humor. Fanning the Flames is book two in the series. Joan, her brother Mark, and Perry (who is basically their adopted dad) have turned away from a life of villainy and now run a food truck called Hot and Cold. Theyâve made friends with some other food truck folks. Joan is loving her new quiet life with Sadie, even if living together hasnât been 100% smooth sailing. Mark is happily living the single life and flirting shamelessly with all the cute boys, even though everyone but him seems to know he really only has eyes for a certain superhero. Life in Vector City is calmer than itâs ever been. That is until new villains show up wreaking havoc and creating more chaos than ever before.
The Supers reluctantly seek out the aid of these former villains, who arenât really in a position to refuse the request thanks to their deal. But the fact that theyâve been out of the life for a while and know so little about these new villains, mixed with the Supers lack of trust and apparent allergy to planning and teamwork - their attempts at descalation only manage to make things worse.
The heroes and villains have a bit of a love-hate relationship (leaning more towards the hate side of things lol). They donât trust each other and itâs hard to go from enemy to teammate - even in the most dire of circumstances. It was so fun watching the interactions between them - so much snark and sass! But it was also great watching them slowly build trust and, dare I say, even become friends. Zee and Kade are my favorites though. Kade is this big hulk of a man who is 100% a teddy bear, just incredibly sweet and wholesome. I love Zee in part because they are nonbinary, but they have always been the super who didnât look down on Joan and Mark simply because they were villains. PlusâŚMark and Zee are definitely one of my favorite sideships and I want more of them! So stinking cute.
I love that we get more backstory as to why Perry hates the supers and what his origin story is. He is such a grump, but I would be too if I were in his shoes! It was nice getting to see a different side of him, though (thanks to a certain someone who I will not be naming to avoid spoilers).
There was SO MUCH that happened in this story. Itâs a quick, fast-paced book you wonât want to put down because you need to know what happens next. The action scenes are incredibly well done and make you feel like youâre right there in the midst of it. Youâll meet new villains with new powers and get to meet some old heroes and villains, too! This book is a bit more focused on the action than the romance between Sadie and Joan, but their relationship is still front and center through every page, and they are still just as hot for each other as they were in book one!
I canât begin to imagine what is going to happen next in the story, but I know itâs gonna be a doozy! And I cannot wait for more shenanigans with this quirky crew! (AlsoâŚI would LOVE to see this series turned into comics!)
I received an ARC of this book through the author and Literary Inspired. This is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Kidnapping, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail