We Could Be Heroes

This is a different twist on the superhero genre. Jamie and Zoe both wake up in bland apartments with no memory of who they are, where they are. Jamie becomes the Mind Robber, a supposed villain who uses his powers to rob banks but doesn't really want to hurt anyone. Zoe becomes the Throwing Star, a supposed vigilante using her powers to fight crime when she isn't using her super speed to excel at her job making food deliveries.

Both Jamie and Zoe want to know who they are, where they came from, who they were before their memories were taken. They both go to the same memory loss support group, and events unfold in such a way that they learn the other's identity. Then they face a choice. Zoe is supposed to be a crime fighter. Does she turn the Mind Robber in? What about Jamie? Does he mind-stun Zoe and flee before she takes him down? No. Instead, they choose to work together to try to find out the truth of who they are, how they came to have these powers and lose the lives they had before.

This was a really good, wholesome, enjoyable book! Sure, you've got two people with superpowers, “good” versus “evil.” But that isn't the heart of the story. The heart is the relationship that develops between Jamie and Zoe. It's nice to see two characters who become friends, no underlying sexual tension, no budding romance. Sometimes that romance thing can really get in the way of a good story.

I think Jamie was my favorite. He's just so quirky and endearing, and he's got a cat named Normal who's really not. He justifies his bank robbing as a means to an end. He just wants to get away from it all and live somewhere that he can relax on the beach, and he's not really a bad guy...is he? (Spoiler: He isn't.)

I recommend this book if you like a good superhero story, or just a good “enemies to friends” story that doesn't have a romantic undertone.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin/MIRA for an advance reader copy. All opinions here are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.