Review - Phenomenal Girl 5 by A. J. Menden

Phenomenal Girl 5
A. J. Menden
Dorchester - SHOMI
October 28, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-0505-52786-8

Book Blurb:
Lainey Livingston has just been made a member of the Elite Hands of Justice, the world’s premiere cadre of superheroes. Her work with the Red Knights and the Power Squad was impressive; all her senses are extraordinary, and her great strength and ability to fly are equally remarkable. But no one gets a free pass to active duty, and Lainey’s next test is going to be her hardest. She’s to train with the Reincarnist.

Robert Elliot, the Reincarnist. A magician who has lived multiple lifetimes, he’s the smartest man in the world—and Lainey’s last obstacle. He was personally responsible for seeing Pushstar wash out. But his eyes are the softest, kindest that Lainey has ever seen, and he’s just the sort to knock her for a loop. Lesson #1: Romantic entanglements among crime fighters are super exploitable, and falling in love with a man who “can’t die” is like waving a red flag at a bull. Especially when the most fiendish plot ever is about to break over Megolopolis like a wave of fire.

My thoughts:
All of her life Lainey has wanted to become a member of EHJ, and she’s finally achieved her goal. The only catch to her new job position as Phenomenal Girl 5 is to train with the Reincarnist, Robert Elliot. He’s a brilliant man and possesses powerful magic after so many years of coming back filled with information from pervious lives. Unfortunately he’s also stubborn and disconnected from anything beyond his work. Despite his faults, Lainey finds herself drawn to him more each day. If not for his knowledge and skills, she’d never survive their current case.

While he does remember much of his past lives, losing the people you love because you can’t remember them has taught Robert a lesson. Now he focuses on his work and stays away from relationships. His new trainee is testing his ability to remain in his role as teacher with her refusal to follow his lead without question. Even if he can’t keep her with him, the thought of losing her forever will have him doing anything it takes to keep her alive.

Whether you think you’re a superhero fan or not, Phenomenal Girl 5 is a story you won’t want to miss. This is Ms. Menden’s debut, and she’s done a fabulous job of creating her fictional world. Her writing style is easy to follow and it skillfully showcases her talent. The storyline is well-written and fresh, the action is plentiful, and her superheroes are too intriguing to resist. Phenomenal Girl 5 is a fast-paced and entertaining read that has just the right amount of romance to have readers routing for love to win the day. I look forward to seeing what this author’s imagination brings us next.

To learn more about Phenomenal Girl 5, please visit the author’s site: Here

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

Jinx by Jennifer Estep

Jinx
Bigtime, Book 3
Jennifer Estep
Berkley Sensation
September 2, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-425-22062-7

From the back cover:
She never wanted to be a superhero. Too much danger. Too much spandex …

Bella Bulluci’s big passion is the arts. Her big pain is being born into a family of superheroes. Bella might feel differently if her own superpower was one she could control – or at least get some use out of. Instead, hers is one of capricious luck – supercharged telekinesis. In other words, static electricity. Bella knows that’s not a power – just a jinx.

During a gala fund-raiser for the local art museum, Bella comes upon two things no Bigtime supergirl should be without: an ubervillain of her very own who plans to steal a priceless gem, and a dashing – if slightly shady – stranger named Debonair. He may have a reputation as a notorious playboy, but the real sparks are going to come from Bella, who’s finally going to learn just how well love and danger mix…

My thoughts:
She’s a talented fashion designer, and like many of her family and friends in Bigtime, Bella Bulluci has a superpower. Being part of a family filled with superheroes isn’t easy, but finding that your out of control talent is a jinx makes life around the people Bella cares about that much more difficult.

Helping with a fundraiser at the local museum has Bella working with some beautiful and expensive pieces. When a thief shows-up to steal the most extravagant piece being shown, Bella finds herself battling ruthless killers and being rescued by a superhero of her own. It’s too bad she doesn’t date superheroes, not even Debonair with his gift of teleportation, because this one could be perfect for her.

This is the third installment of the Bigtime superheroes series and a very entertaining read. Bella spends much of her time trying to do damage control when her gift causes more trouble than it’s worth, but when a masked superhero comes into her life she may have to admit that bad luck isn’t the only luck she has. Ms. Estep pens a wonderfully humorous tale and charms readers with a cast of characters that will keep you smiling from the very first page. Jinx is pure fun with a bit of mystery, a whole lot of action and a sweet romance that turns scorching. This book can easily be read as a stand-alone.

To learn more about Jennifer Estep and her books, please visit the author’s website: Here

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews

The Touch of Twilight by Vicki Pettersson

The Touch of Twilight
Sign of the Zodiac, Book 3
Vicki Pettersson
EOS - HarperCollins
May 27, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-06-089893-9

Born of equal parts Light and Shadow, Joanna Archer was ripped from the life she knew and forced to take on the identity of Olivia, her deceased sister. Living as a member of Troop 175 in Las Vegas, she’s the Archer of the Zodiac agents of Light. To the public eye she’s a spoiled socialite, the daughter of Xavier Archer. Her identity as a super hero who happens to appear in comics is something not even her ex-boyfriend and love of her life, Ben Traina, knows.

A doppelganger has ripped its way through to their world and has designs on becoming corporeal. Unfortunately it has set its sights on Joanna’s image and will hound her until it gets what it wants or they find a way to stop it. The Tulpa has offered to help Joanna defeat the doppelganger, but in order to have that help she’ll be forced into taking a deal. He’s not yet given up the hope of encouraging Joanna’s Shadow side to rise and rule beside him.

The time for the third sign of the zodiac is upon them, and those around her wonder if the Archer’s Shadow side is about to take over her Light. The battle continues between Shadow and Light and Joanna finds herself in the middle trying to right some wrongs and land on the side she’s destined to serve.

In this Third Sign of the Zodiac, Joanna’s ongoing struggle continues as she fights for the Light and refuses to give up the man she’s always loved. Ms. Pettersson shares another well-imagined tale with engaging characters and action filled scenes. While Joanna’s first love continues to fill her thoughts, the chemistry she shares with Hunter increases to scorching proportions. The Touch of Twilight is an entertaining read that fans of the series shouldn’t miss.

Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews