Putting Out for a Hero

Villainous Things #3

by C. Rochelle

Baltasar

It’s time for me to start pulling my weight in the Suarez clan—to prove I’m worth more than the plays I make on the field or the dirt I dig up on rival families. I want to make Wolfy proud.

And not get unalived by Simon.

So I volunteered what I had to offer, knowing my infamous genes could be used for uniting two powerful clans in marriage. After all, I’m the only not-gay one in my family, so that alone should entice the super-babes looking to get busy with baby-making.

I mean, as long as they don’t ask me to do math or anything.

But the last supe I expected Wolfy to match me with was the ice queen hero herself, Dahlia Salah. She's not bad, but her brother is my former Deathball rival, and the only one on the planet who can make me Hulk out with a single snarky word.

All I have to do is keep my eye on the prize and ignore this weird tension between Zion and me.

I’ve totally got this.

Zion

I never would have guessed Baltasar Suarez would be the man to lock down my sister.

But shady business deals are what make our world go ‘round, and Dahlia sealed her fate when she went up against the leaders of his clan—as if she were destined for our legendary throne instead of me.

Not that I've been interested in wearing the crown.

Not after everything that happened.

Without Deathball to distract me, I spend most of my time keeping my daughter safe and happy, even though her mother is gone and my parents treat her like an outcast.

Otherwise, I’ve just been… existing. Until Baltasar showed up, as tempting as ever—reminding me of all I’ve lost, and everything I’ve ever wanted. Everything I can never have.

Or can I?

My beast—my true supe form—has already decided the villain is ours, so why not remind my backstabbing family that everything under this roof is destined to belong to me?

Starting with him.

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Putting Out for a Hero is an MM romance between a superhero and a villain. Our men find other men in tight supersuits incredibly attractive.

This is not your kid’s superhero book. This is Sin City and The Boys having a love child with extra spicy Spideypool and is meant for 18+ adults who can handle such things.

The Villainous Things series contains standalone books (each with HEAs) that feature interconnected characters and an overarching plot. You should read them in order (starting with Not All Himbos Wear Capes)

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IF YOU LOVE (full list of CW/TWs coming soon to the author's website)

• Superheroes/villains
• Two households both alike in villainy
• Himbo “I’m baby” golden retriever meets psychotic Godzilla
• Single dad + bada$$ little queen
• Sports rivals-to-lovers
• Bi-awakening + I’ve always been bi for you
• Fancy monster peen
• Filthy talk + keenks you (and Balty) didn’t know you had
• Hurt/comfort + found family
• The usual naughty humor, witty banter & sweary dialogue
• MM romance (in case you missed that part)

Then dive into the deep end!

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Fantasy, Paranormal, Forced Proximity, LGBT

462 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 13, 2023

About the author

Laugh, Cry & Clench Your Thighs!

Stay connected by joining my Clubhouse of Smut on Patreon, my Little Sinners FB Group, subscribing to my newsletter, and lovingly st@lking me in all the places: https://c-rochelle.com/

C. Rochelle here! I’m a naughty but sweet, introverted, Aquarius weirdo who believes a sharp sense of humor is the sexiest trait, loves shaking my booty to Prince, and have never met a cheese I didn’t like. Oh, and I write spicy Paranormal/Sci-Fi/Monster Why Choose + MM, MFF & MMF romance with dark, naughty humor and a #loveislove mentality.

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨🐀🐀🐀🐀🐀✨

Reviewing books I actually enjoy is so much harder especially when the reason for your enjoyment is unclear???
This book is horny, and funny? And I’m 3 books in and there’s too much fun lore and side characters to explain?
It really is kinda like “the boys” but make it gay and sexual…

ANYWAY, from now on, if 💦💦💦 so hard that you could pressure wash the inside of someone’s car isn’t the level of enthusiasm or vibes I get from silly little men in silly little books moving forward, then I 👏 DON’T 👏 FUCKING 👏WANT 👏 IT 👏


I ain’t a single dad trope fan, but I lapped this shit up like a THIRSTY DOG because Zion, his daughter and baby hulk make the cutest little fucking trio of all time.


Would bark for Balthazar 🐕

[Eleanor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really good.... until it wasn't. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book, which featured idiots to lovers and forced proximity; but shortly after that things went downhill. The fact that most of the plot and sleuthing came in at the last 30% just annoyed me. Everything came to a boil and then the book just ends with an epilogue that explains what happens!?!?!?! I can only hope the twins' story is better with all the unanswered questions and plot setups 🤞.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Balty is the second cutest himbo to ever himbo. (The number one spot goes to Jugs from Lor.)

And Zion, aka, the Lizard Dick, is his perfect match!

This is a fast-paced and steamy story, with some twists and turns.

I kind of thought Zion's parents deserved to be punished for treating their firstborn like a science experiment though.

And Daisy, the lil' queen, is adorable and all, but can we talk about how she almost got her dad killed because she repeatedly disobeyed instructions.

I'm going with four stars because this book is such a fun read, but there are a few scenes (I'm looking at you, strip club) that were WTF.

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 4 out of 5]

do you guys remember that i’m always confused when i finish a book in this series but i said that wouldn’t be with this one because i was prepared?
…it happened again.

and i just KNOW that i will obsess over this one until i can read the twins’ book. (and can we gather and collectively thank the author for the twins sharing? that is literally the best news ever)

anyway. i loved the lizard dick as much as i was expecting, a fucking ton. no surprises here. and the smut??? dear god. hotter than hell.
baby balty and beast zion were so cute together and i absolutely loved them. those assholes made me sweat a few times because they couldn’t get their damn priorities straight and fucking kiss like on page two, but all’s well that ends well.

but the questions that i have??? we all know by now that i don’t deal well with not having answers and i feel like my brain is about to explode. i need to get drunk asap so i can think about what will happen next. i know, sounds weird but i’m a drunk genius, that’s my super power.
no but seriously, i need answers.

this is just a reminder that if you decide to read this series, leave your thoughts behind. we’re here for the ott everything and vibes. you may be confused at first, but once you get in it’s impossible to get out. but i swear it’s fun.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this series gets more insane with every book.

I'm also pretty sure B and Z are my new favourite couple, although Wolfy and Simon are a very close second.

There was a lot going on and quite a few loose ends, but I'm intrigued to see what happens with the twins and what comes next.

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

I watched as this ridiculously stacked, awkward bundle of villainous sweetness adjusted his hard-on before spinning on his heel and fleeing the scene of his bi-awakening.
I must have him.

Oh, Balty. He made me tear up so much. He’s a sweetheart villainous himbo who is often overlooked and only thought of as ‘dumb jock/muscle’, and it hurt my heart so much with how little he thought of himself. He needed someone to take the time to actually listen to him and realize he’s so much more than just a himbo, and Zion was perfect. Daisy certainly helped as well. She was an awesome side character and the funniest kid.

The overarching plot has really started drawing me in and I’m excited about continuing the series.

Big extra point for lizard skin grip tape, tutus and big men who want to feel small and be praised.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Single dad
Hero/villain
Forced proxmity
Fated mates
Hurt/comfort
Found family
Former sports rivals to lovers
Dirty talk
Sexual awakening
Himbo villain
Monster peen
Knotting
Size difference
Primal play
Biting (mating)
Cum play
Praise kink
Breeding kink

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Feminization (c*nt)
Mild humiliation
Explicit se*ual content
Feelings of low self-worth
Pain play: ‘knife’ play (sharp claws)
Minor injuries (MC)
Death of partner and mother of child (cancer, past, off page)
Violence between MCs (not in an abusive way)
Face-f*cking
Facials (not spa treatment)
Derogatory language
Licking bleeding cuts
Mentions of past parental abuse
Gunshot wound
MC briefly believes other MC is dead
MC medically experimented on without consent or knowledge (past and present)
Off-page torture of bad guy

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: Zion gets his dong touched by stripper friend to make Balty jealous. He is not interested in her and she is not interested in him.
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Superhero romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: Not specified
Kid age: 9
Series: Interconnected series, overarching plot
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 460
Happy ending: Yes


“You’re the prettiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen, Suarez. From the moment I first saw you, I wanted this. Wanted you.”

“JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!”
I howled, gripping my dick with both hands in a desperate attempt not to pressure wash the interior of his car.



You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Bree | breesoleilreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t realize how much I loved this book on my first read of it, I gave it 5 stars yes but I didn’t truly grasp my love for Balty, Zion and Daisy and their perfect little family 🥹 The three of them really were perfect for each other, the way Daisy and Balty immediately became what each other needed almost instantly was sooo cuteee. And the way Zion claimed Balty the way he wanted and needed to be? And took care of him? And defended him against anyone who had anything to say about him? I severely swooned 🫠

I think I just really relate to Balty and his middle child syndrome, he just wanted to be helpful and useful and he was just so sweet. I love how important and cared for he felt with Zion, and how he protected Zion and Daisy just as fiercely as they did him. Zion was just perfect in every way, I love that a black man was portrayed with emotional intelligence, empathy, compassion and family oriented (as he should be).


And please do not get me started on the sex scenes because I could talk your ears off all day about the importance of breeding, knotting, subby bois and primal play but I’ll hold off for the time being. Needless to say the sex scenes did it for me. I love Balty and Zion if you couldn’t already tell, they’re tied with Butch and Xanny as my fave couple in the series 🥹🥹

[Barbara➰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best one yet and that's saying a lot since I loved book 1.

Baltasar was such a sweetheart and as it was said, he must be protected at all cost. Zion was just the lizard for the job 🦎🍆

I appreciated the fact that things could have fallen apart between them when secrets are revealed, but they didn't.

I did not appreciate Zion's little experiment at the strip club, but I choose to overlook it and pretend it never happened lol.

I just loved the two of them together and add Daisy into the mix and it was a perfect little family.

I will say, I'm not a huge fan of twins sharing one mc. I prefer they're all in it together even if it's taboo 😉 so I'm not sure how I feel about their book yet. We shall see...

[Renae Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aww... Z and Balty are just so perfectly adorable together. I loved their story so much. I loved getting their long shared history, seeing their antagonism towards one another and their unquestionable desire to protect, possess and devour one another. Showing how long these two have been in each other's lives without pursuing one another creates many moments that fuel their lingering desire.

Another great aspect of this story is the forced proximity between Balty and Z. Their unresolved tension is further amplified by their close proximity where familial secrets are revealed along with hidden desires. This aspect of the story was so much fun to see develop. You can see the chemistry between Baltasar and Zion with their playful banter fueling their fantastic dynamic.

Their playfulness gradually grows into something more intense, possessive, and all-consuming. I loved getting to see Zion's unique perspective on heroes due to his specific powers and gifts. His ability to shift into a lizard creates many amusing and fascinating animalistic moments that definitely take Balty by surprise.

Overall this is another fantastic entry in the Villainous series where I loved all the surprises along the way, the fun character moments, and the strong heart at the center of this story which is the relationship between Zion and Baltasar. They are quite a pair and I loved their story.

Cannot wait for the twins' story next!!!

*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***

[JonathanSamuelReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baltasar blushed while Daisy squealed, jumping up and down while clapping her hands. “Ahhh, this is the best day ever! Blunty’s gonna be my second daddy and you’re gonna get married and we’ll be a family!” She’s not wrong.

If you haven’t read this series you guys need to! It’s so funny and camp and gay. I loved Zion and and his pretty princess Balty and let’s not forget Zions (half supe/half normie) daughter Queen D. I’m not one for kids in my book but D carried herself and acted more maturely then Zion and Balty hahah and her nickname for Balty was “Bluntycups” I don’t get it but found that name stuck in my head for days 🤣

Anyways I’m just gonna post all my favorite quotes! Please read these hahaha

‘Thanks for the tour, and for cutting me… cutting me FREE, I mean. And for showing me your hole. YOUR SWIMMING HOLE! Jesus Christ, I’m done. I’m fucking done. I’m just gonna go to my room now. Alone. So I can… be alone for… alone time. Jesus.” My beast was clawing to get out. I watched as this ridiculously stacked, awkward bundle of villainous sweetness adjusted his hard-on before spinning on his heel and fleeing the scene of his bi-awakening. I must have him.

‘I could still hear Simon in the background—ranting about a pay raise and threatening to quit if he had to ‘hold Baby Hulk’s hand through his hetero shit show.’
(Hahahahahahhah)


“You’re the prettiest fucking thing I’ve ever seen, Suarez. From the moment I first saw you, I wanted this. Wanted you.”
Zion was obviously talking out of his ass—spouting random bullshit to get me to explode—but I still moaned like a whore to hear it. Tell me I’m pretty.

The audios are lovely, and I had such a great time with this!

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wild ride! I laughed and happy cried. Zion and Balty, are two of the most precious characters from this series. Their dynamic was charming, and every time Zion called Balty "beautiful," my heart couldn’t help but melt a little, swoon!
Daisy, was simply the cutest! Z and B were the best dads and loved how much they loved their little lizard queen.
And of course, can’t forget about the Suarez clan and the rabble group chat who are as unhinged as ever. They bring chaos wherever they go, but you can’t help but love them for it.
Loving this series!!

[Jono Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can always count on C. Rochelle’s work to be absurd, wild, and smutty, but what surprised me here was just how much heart and emotion it carried. The world building and storytelling are as strong as ever, and the deeper I go into this series, the more impressed I am with how she threads real insecurities and human traits into such a fantastical setting.

Balty’s struggle with his intelligence and purpose hit me like a brick wall, and it made him impossible not to love. Pairing that with Zion and Daisy’s struggles in the Salah Clan, and the constant undercurrent of what it means to feel like an outsider in a world built to respect or fear you, creates such a strong formula. This might be the series’ best showcase of character depth, highlighted by a Balty and Zion scene at the death pond that completely floored me.

I am so in love with this series. It is funny, sweet, addictive, and everything I want in a good time.

[Ninni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I confess. I can't get enough of this series. Obviously possesive super heros falling for hot villains is my thing. And the other way round.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh no, I found an auto buy author

I've said it before and I'll say it again, these books have no right being so good.

It may be a little premature to say but I think this one is my favorite because it feels a little more unhinged then the others in a way. Which is wild to say considering how this is a world where Simon exist. But there's something very... for lack of better word primal about Zion and Baltasarlt relationship that was sweet and possessive and made for a fairy smutty good time. Those of you out there who read books for the smut, if you haven't got into this series yet, I truly cannot help you.

There is an overarching storyline so yes you do need to read the books in order. If you want to live young wild and free you could just read them out of order but you're not going to 100% understand what's going on. These aren't books that do a "when we last saw our heroes" recap and there's a lot of world building in here that does require some previous knowledge. All that is to say read the books in order because the overarching storyline while important in all the books is extra important here because it's literally about Zion.

All in all this book is damn near perfect. Balty is an adorable himbo and Zion just shower him with love and affection. Daisy's adorable those slightly terrifying because she gets along with Simon. It has dirty talk for days! (seriously the smut and this book is insane). And there's a loveable villain family. This is an amazing world, with fabulous characters, and such a fun exciting story. What more could you want?

[Ronie Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The plot thickens to lizard sized proportions. Getting more lore is out-of-this-universe awesomeness levels ate skyrocketing. The twins are next...wonder if family stays thicker than murder. Cause these low level sups need a good talking to.

[Aimora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literally stayed up all night reading this. Laughed out loud several times.

[Vanessa GLP · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
I skipped a looot of pages after 60% 🤷

[Jacqueleen the Reading Queen♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

"This chat is wild."

Why yes Lizard Dick 🦎 I wholeheartedly agree. I think it may have been my favorite part of the whole book! The Suarez family group chat never fails to make me laugh and I look forward to the snippets in every new book released. That's not to say I didn't absolutely love the romance too. Balty is so fucking precious. He must be protected at all costs. Then again, when shit hits the fan Balty proves he can hold his own. He's just as protective as his Hero mate and I was super impressed with how brave he ended up being when it came to his own flesh and blood. When Balty loves, he loves hard, and there's no one he loves more than his man and their daughter. The same can be said for Zion.


“You need to understand, if I was forced to choose, I would choose you, Zion. Every fucking time.”


Swoooon! Zion is also a badass MF. He's well aware of how the game is played, which is a running theme throughout the series. I had no doubts that as next in line he would make a formidable clan leader. Balty is not to be counted out either. He had some surprisingly helpful insights and his gathered intel came in clutch a time or two for the couple. I like how they balanced each other out. I also liked how freaky deaky they were in the sack. Primal play anyone? How about a praise and pain kink?


“That’s right, beautiful—milk every drop. It’s all for you. I can’t wait to breed you. You’re going to look so fucking hot with my cum dripping out of you…”


In regards to the plotline that started to take off in book 2, there is still a ways to go. Fortunately, Wolfy has the twins on the case which is the perfect segue for their book next. I also feel I have to add that I am crossing my fingers that their mate is a certain 'star' we met in this book. He was definitely an intriguing addition to the series and I am dying for more information on him. Just me putting that out into the Universe to see if I might be right!

[EmilyReadsRomance · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5ish stars.

I don’t know what I just read.

It was kind of like the author built the third book on the worst parts of the second book and yet still didn’t answer any of the questions from the first two? I didn’t mind either mc but holy god what was that plot? Was there one?

The world building was weird, there’s a new revelation in every book (invictuses, lizard aliens, space hopping aliens) honestly, I think I would have enjoyed everything more if the series was focused on big city rather than endlessly expanding a world I feel like we understand less and less about. Also, it felt like there were a lot of characters created for the convenience of the plot rather than actually resolving things in a logical, linear way, or having characters add something to the narrative.

I mean, none of us are reading this series for the story at this point right? So I shouldn’t complain but… like… I was so impressed and surprised with the creativity in the first book! This series could have been so cool and dynamic but I feel like the through threads and series plot is so weak and weird at this point I don’t think it’ll be one I remember and want to return to when it’s over. *frowny face*

And omg almost forgot Zion and Mikki! What the hell was that!? I literally didn’t understand their relationship at all. They were like mated but then she was basically a surrogate place holder for Balty? An incubator for Zion and Balty’s daughter? Such bad vibes. So poorly written. Very ick. And Daisy was obviously nothing like a child her age (which like fine it’s fantasy) but how she viewed herself her mom and her dads was incongruent throughout the story.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 5 stars ⭐️

Usually at this point in a series it starts getting repetitive and boring, but once again C. Rochelle kept me hooked the whole way through.

The complex world building and intriguing over-arching plot keeps pulling you in and leaves you wanting more. Add in the explosive chemistry between the characters, super hot smut and a side of mystery to accompany the romance and you get this amazing read.

Balty is the perfect himbo/golden retriever character, and I love how Zion describes him as an “awkward bundle of villainous sweetness”.

I knew in my bones I didn’t want him marrying my sister. Because he was mine first. I’m in so much trouble.

Can’t wait to read about the twins!

CW and tropes (spoilers):
- superhero x villain
- found family
- gay awakening
- single dad MC
- blood play (with claws)
- primal play
- knotting and biting
- fated mates
- frotting
- intentional size difference
- lizard dick
POV: 1st person, dual

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’m gay for lizard 🍆” will forever be one of my favorite quotes of all time!!!! Putting Out For a Hero is one of the best (and sometimes campiest) romance books I’ve read this year. I had the BIGGEST grin on my face the ENTIRE time I was reading!

I have two things that I took away from this:

Lizard Grip Tape is REAAAAAAAAAL!!! and Princess Isabella Frau Frau would make a GREAT drag name! What those have to do with ANYTHING, you’ll have to read and find out about. 🫠

Zion is a hero who can transform his body into a lizard-like form. (I kept imagining Killer Croc from Suicide Squad or Bowser from Super Mario). He comes from one of the most famous hero families on earth, but even though they’re the “good guys” they can still be the WORST! When his sister’s new fiancé comes to stay with them, it’s a surprise (to no one reading) that he’s instantly aroused by him.

Baltasar is a villain through and through. He comes from one of the most infamous families of super-villains, the Suarez clan. His powers allow his body to expand at will (or sometimes when he’s upset), making him very similar to the Hulk. (Which is how I imagined him, seeing as how his family calls him Baby Hulk)

This book is the first time that Baltasar realizes that he doesn’t ONLY like women. I love a bi-awakening story a little too much. It’s the waking up and realizing that 🍆 isn’t the worst thing to put in your 😱! It’s a whole journey of realization and self discovery… and I love every second of it.

What made this book my favorite in the series was the primal play, which I haven’t read many books about. It was kinda hot, I’m not gonna lie. Give me a beefy man chasing me any day… well, if it’s all in “fun.”😝

My experience thus far reading the Villainous Things series has been INCREDIBLE. That is all thanks to the bang up job that Philip Alces and Nick J Russo have done on the audiobooks. I want to know what happens next, but I can’t read these ANY other way!!!!!

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: former sports Rivals to lovers, hurt/comfort, single dad, kid fic, arranged marriage (but not between mmc's), forced proximity, found family
Feels: 4/5
Steam*: 3.5/5
Kinks: primal play, knotting, lizard dick, biting, praise
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: pining, death of partner to cancer, abusive parents, mental health struggles, one scene of basically cheating to make Balty jealous (a stripper was jacking Zion off), gunfire, fire, poor Mikki (she didn't deserve what happened throughout her relationship with Zion)

3.75 stars

There's a 3-year age gap between Zion and Balty. They have known each other since they were 21 and 18 respectively, when they became sports Rivals in Deathball, Zion was on the superhero team and Balty was on the villain team and they were star players who always fought. Zion has always known he was bi and attracted to Balty, obsessed with him and pining over him. But Balty has never given off any vibe but straight. So Zion didn't do anything about it. It's been well over 10 years since then and Zion has retired from the game. Balty is now engaged to Zion's sister Dahlia as part of an arranged marriage to form an alliance between their families. In the month before the wedding, Balty is staying at Zion's family's home. This proximity forces Balty to realize but he has absolutely no interest in Dahlia and all the interest in the world in Zion. But Balty has torn loyalties because he's also supposed to be spying on the family and reporting back to his brother Wolfy.

Zion pretty quickly catches on to Balty's interest in him and he leaves at the opportunity to claim Balty as his. But they have to keep their relationship secret for a while because Zion's parents and sister both seem to be up to nothing good.

I liked this book well enough. I liked the possessiveness and chemistry between Zion and Balty. I liked the connection that Balty formed with Zion's daughter Daisy. I would have been happier if they hadn't had that strip club handjob (it's cheating imo).

Missed opportunity - I think the author made a stupid decision to skip showing the takedown of Zion's parents and go to the deathball match. They had a juicy moment that would have probably been emotionally fraught action-packed climax of the story and they skipped over it. And then his parents never had to pay for what they did, they just meekly slipped into the background and stayed in the family's life, still allowed to be grandparents and in Daisy's life.

Inconsistencies to the story of Mikki / complete lack of justice for Mikki - Normally, I don't feel a lot of attachment to former partners of the MCs, and I don't feel bad for them. But Mikki got SHAT on and deserved better. She only met Zion because she worked as a stripper and her act was to dress up as Blunt Force (Balty's villain identity), and that attracted Zion because he was pining over Balty. They got pregnant with Daisy and had her. Zion's parents disapproved of the relationship because Zion was with a normie and diluting their bloodline. They wouldn't let Mikki live in the family compound and they treated Daisy like absolute s*** and shunned her. It's not mentioned how long ago Mikki died, but it's implied that it wasn't that long ago and that Daisy has tons of memories of her, and that they co-parented Daisy for a long time together successfully. Zion tells Balty that he often thought of him while having sex with others. There was also some inconsistency to the story, because it's implied that Zion and Mikki didn't break up, but Zion says at one point that once they realized things wouldn't work between them, he got a house for Mikki, but in that house he kept his clothes in HER room implying he was with her. It's confusing, did they break up, were they never broken up, what was going on? And when she died, Zion's parents wouldn't let her be buried on family ground. And because she didn't want to be cremated, her body is being stored somewhere for months and months on end, not set at peace. Jesus christ! This poor woman was done so dirty! She deserved a lot more happiness and respect to be shown to her in her short life. To me, she should have been honored a lot differently, especially because Balty took over so easily as second Daddy in Daisy's heart and life.


Some notable moments:

Poor Balty, he cannot keep his foot out of his mouth. "“Okay!” he exclaimed—a bit too loudly—leaping to his feet before I could say more. “Thanks for the tour, and for cutting me… cutting me FREE, I mean. And for showing me your hole. YOUR SWIMMING HOLE! Jesus Christ, I’m done. I’m fucking done. I’m just gonna go to my room now. Alone. So I can… be alone for… alone time. Jesus.”"

"“Okay.” I positioned myself behind Baltasar, to mimic the cheesy prom pose he’d already done, before calling to the photographer. “So… I don’t want to be too heavy-handed with the art direction, but if you could make these as sexy as possible, I’d appreciate it. I just need something to jerk off to later.”"

"In the meantime, my family decided to throw me a Big Gay Party—even if they tried to disguise it as Daisy’s West Coast birthday soirée. The rainbow “Congrats, UR Gay!” decor kind of gave it away."


*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[Dani (Daniiireads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be honest, Daisy stole the show in this one. Loved that sassy little Lizard Queen so much!

I’m still loving this absolutely insane series so much. Balty & Zion have slightly edged out Simon and Wolfy as my favorite couple—I think it was the whole idiots to the lovers thing for me tbh.

Plus, let’s be real, Zion has a fancy lizard peen and if there’s one thing I really love, it’s a monster peen 🤣

- supes
- single dad
- forced proximity
- fated mates
- rivals to lovers (formerly)
- queer awakening
- monster peen

[Audiobook S1ut · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Aw honey, you got me so many things for our anniversary and all I got you was lizard dick.'
'And that's all I wanted.'

It's another 4.5 stars for me. I thought the pacing of this one was a little less refined but it was no less funny and enjoyable to read!

I've already pre-ordered the 4th book on audio!

[☆Kylie☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just like the other one's : super insta love, was okay

[D.L. Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️

BR with my girl Cass!

Zion and Barry may have been rivals the field of Deathball, but that only served as an appetizer for the hot steamy dish they would become.

For some cockamamie reason I thought that I didn’t enjoy MC’s with kids in the picture. Turned out that was an MF dislike because if it’s an MM I’m all over it. Nothing is more adorable than gay men loving and protecting a lil cutie! And Daisy is such a badass queen, she totally made this book for me.

I mean, Z and Blunty were pretty awesome too. Their chemistry was off the charts. I loved the primal play, in fact, I would’ve killed for more. But then I got plenty of that needy, possessiveness that I’m coming to expect from this author.

Not to mention all the banter and play between our main super and their rival families. I hated the way the Salah’s treated Daisy and when Balthasar held them accountable I was jumping for joy.

Then, of course, theirs there’s the mystery of what Zion’s clan is hiding from their own children. You’ll never see it coming and it made for an interesting twist.

Overall another super fun read!

[haletostilinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐︎ 3.75 Stars Rounded Up! ⭐︎

This third installment, overall, was enjoyable.

Baltasar or Balty, was so sweet and adorable, and he was my favorite. Zion was a badass alpha type who wanted to protect what was his more than anything.

While there were good scenes between these two throughout, and I enjoyed their chemistry and hot sex scenes, there wasn't a lot going on for a lot of this.

We do start to learn some interesting things in the second half, but none of our ultimate questions get answered or resolved.

Also I thought Zion's parents got off way too easy at the end, after it came to light what they were doing to Zion for years and years. Also, he was given...something by them, and yet he never questioned it? When none of his other siblings ever were given it? Did they just say it was something he needed for...some reason or another? We're not told why Zion believed whatever his parents spouted to get him to take the...i guess, supplements? Or whatever they were to make him more like the ancestors of supes.

Also we learn there are more alien species out there than just the ancient beings supes descend from. We get introduced to a character, Ziggy, who is a whole ass alien, a whole other species, and I don't get exactly why.

Ziggy's a fine character and all, but why do we need aliens on top of supes? Idk, I didn't much care for it. Although I bet Ziggy will be the twins' LI in their book - which I personally won't be reading because it's poly.

Anyway, I liked the romance, the characters, the chemistry. I liked Daisy, Zion's daughter - and later Balty's as well - and she fit in well with the story. Although she did piss me off near the climax when she did the ultimate kid move and didn't listen to the adults. I know she's a kid, but damn, I wanted to shake her. It was stupid of her to do, and put Balty and Zion in danger themselves. Although, I guess in a weird way, her being there did save Balty, at least. If he'd stayed, maybe Ziggy wouldn't have known to save Balty and Zion? So I guess her kid stupidity was a good thing? But still, it annoyed me greatly.

Did this need to be as long as it was? Nah. But all of these have been maybe a little longer than they should be, with unnecessary scenes to drag it out.

But overall, it's still an enjoyable ride and this series has been OTT, silly fun. Now, I don't know if the next one with the twins and whoever their third is will be the last. But if it, my reading of this series ends here. I'll probably just look at reviews of the fourth to see what happens, plot wise. But if there's somehow more after them that's back to just MM, I'll tune back in.

Either way, this is left open-ended, as the plot will surely continue in the next book. I almost wanted to give this the cliffhanger tag, as it ends SO abruptly before the epilogue, but we did get the epilogue, so it didn't feel cliffhanger-y at the very, very end. Just unfinished plot lines.

Also things in the epilogue were a tad rushed, as we only get like one or two lines that these two apparently got married only within a few weeks of the very end and we just learn over a few lines about Zion forgiving his parents - because he's now the clan leader and it's "how the game is played" i.e. politics - and that's it. It was all just very rushed. A lot of filler from earlier in the book could have been taken out to expand more on them marrying and them dealing with Zion's parents.

So this wasn't my favorite of the series, but was still solidly enjoyable. Balty was just so sweet and adorable and one of my favorite characters of the series so far. I hated how often he was dismissed by everyone as "the dumb one" even by his own family. He deserved more, and I wish he'd at least gotten an apology by them near the end. He's not dumb, he just needs longer to process things and as the author says, probably has undiagnosed ADHD as well. I wanted to wrap him up in hugs and blankets and protect him from everyone else. At least Zion appreciated Balty for who he was and didn't think he was dumb at all, and was enraptured by him for years. A+ in my book, Mr. Zion 😉

I'd definitely pick this one up. Even with my grievances here and there, it was enjoyable overall and a great romance at the center of it, which is what I ultimately care the most about. Two thumbs up from me 😍

My Ratings for the Villainous Things Series:

✨ Not All Himbos Wear Capes: 4.25 stars (my review)
✨ Gentlemen Prefer Villains: 3.75 stars ( my review)
✨ Putting Out for a Hero: 3.75 stars

[Billy ⋆｡･☽･⋆* (semi-hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rtc.

[peoniesandmm · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was good but i definitely found myself skimming towards the end

[Natalie H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jan 2025
Kindle edition

Re-read for a group challenge week 3.

March 2024
Kindle edition

Still so cute. Balty does himbo better than Butch and almost without the family drama. The family was toxic but it felt like it was mostly towards Daisy. Felt a lot quicker this time around.

December 2023
Kindle edition

Yep, as expected, I'm all in on this one now. The Salah family dynamic was annoying but still nothing like Balty's parents. Zion and Balty were cute together and their daughter was the icing on the cake. The mother thing was a little iffy. Kinda felt like she was a stop gap and child bearer until they got their acts together. Family chats are always good especially the end. Wolfy's confession wasn't a surprise, he had that whole I know it all vibe going on, but Simon's freak outs were comical. I didn't expect Xander to be the voice of reason. Mostly sweet all round. Looking forward to the next one.