5 out of 5 stars
E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 281 pages. Published November 25th 2019
Blurb:
Despite growing up in a family of villains, I’d rather curl up and read than commit crimes. When I get coerced by my brother into helping him rob a bank, I run into August, my childhood crush—also known as Chrono, the city’s greatest superhero. He’s sexy, sweet, and suddenly he’s asking me to Thanksgiving with his parents. It’s probably because he doesn’t realize that I’m Leviathan, a villain with the power of telekinesis. And I can’t tell him because he’d never forgive me and would stop doing things like cooking for me—wait, maybe that would be a good thing, since he’s a terrible cook. It doesn’t help that my parents think they’re the ultimate villains and won’t stop getting in my way, although they can’t even steal toilet paper without getting caught.
But when real supervillains (not the wannabe kind that I grew up with) start targeting August, I might be forced to show everyone who I truly am: a slightly warped and snarky man who’d really rather read a book than save anything… besides August. I’ll tear this world apart just to get another glimpse of him in those glasses and spandex suit. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him safe, even though it means exposing my true identity. Luckily, August still cares about me, proving that even a villain and a hero can fall in love. Hopefully, we’ll be able to save the world in time for Christmas.
This ridiculous and snarky holiday novel is 92,000 words and contains a villain turned unlikely hero (even if he’s a manager’s worst nightmare), a superhero with a fondness for suckers who absolutely does NOT use his powers to cheat on board games, a hairless cat with an unfortunate name, bumbling family members that try to be evil but are mostly just embarrassing, a snow globe with mysterious powers, betrayal, true love, a risqué Santa suit, and the saltiest chicken ever.
Although this book is part of A Snow Globe Christmas series, it is a complete standalone, and it isn’t a requirement that you read the previous books to follow along. We wish everyone a happy holiday season.
Likes:
- Interesting premise.
- Landon and August, together and separately.
- The entire cast of side characters, especially Balzac and Valerie.
- The humor.
- Hooked me fast.
- I read it in one sitting.
- Landon and August didn’t sleep together right away.
- Great romance/nonromantic plot balance.
Dislikes:
- I want an entire series.
- Landon’s sprained ankle seemed not to be mentioned again.
This book popped up as a Goodreads suggestion one day, and the blurb called to me. A tree had fallen on my car and I needed something light and funny to distract me for a few hours. This book worked like a charm. I started reading and, aside from a few snack breaks, didn’t stop until I was done. I honestly can’t remember the last time I read a book in one sitting. It was that good.
The hero/villain dynamic in this book felt less like a Marvel movie and more like the My Hero Academia anime. And I’m not complaining. I was glad that the book was as lighthearted and funny as the blurb had led me to believe.
The overall plot of the book worked well. The villains had an interesting plan to take over the city. I liked that the book emphasized the shades of gray from both the villains and the heroes. There was also a great balance of the romantic and nonromantic plots, with enough time dedicated to both to make the whole story feel well fleshed out.
Landon’s family of ‘supervillains’ are hilariously bad at being bad. But they’re not one-dimensional. The amount of insecurity they made Landon feel really added depth to the story. I am so glad Landon’s dad got him a hairless cat, and I love that Landon named her Balzac and dressed her up in little outfits.
August was so sweet, and the perfect hero. Yet he had struggles of his own. I think one of the best things about this story was how both Landon and August were both content with their lives, but they weren’t really happy. Not until they found each other. Their romance was sweet without being saccharine, and I loved that they didn’t sleep together right away.
I laughed so much during this book. It’s a bit on the ridiculous side, but also has its intense moments. Sometimes side by side. When Brandon saved Landon by hitting a villain in the head with a bag of cheese, I couldn’t stop laughing. Especially because it fits the story so well.
Brandon isn’t the only great side character in the book. It’s cram packed with amazing characters. Valerie and Balzac are my favorites, but Austin’s family gets a shout out.
I only have two complaints about this book, and the first is minor. Landon sprains his ankle in the beginning and it wasn’t really mentioned again. The second is more important. I WANT MORE! A series, preferably. I’m going to have to sign up for Alice Winters’ mailing list and get the extra story about Nolan and Lex. I would also read the shit out of a book about Valerie, because I’m here for all the LGBTQ+ romance.
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