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The Supervillain's Bodyguard
Even a supervillain needs a protector sometimes.
Recently separated from the US Army, Caspian “Cas” Knight is having a hard time readjusting to life in his small hometown. His plans are delayed when he’s called to a high school mentor’s funeral out of state. Bumping into his mentor’s daughter and having immediate sparks wasn’t what he planned for his weekend. Getting in between her and a group of attacking supervillains? Even less so.
Jael Wilder has spent years hiding her unwanted superpowers from forces on both sides of the law. Her powers are dangerous, and a recent surge of them cost her the one person who ever looked out for her. Now pursued by both government agents and criminal interests who want to use her as a weapon, she has one find the scientist whose experiments turned her into a monster and make him feel the pain he caused her.
Thrown together, Jael and Cas take off on a cross country journey, fighting for survival. As they develop a tentative trust, and an even stronger attraction, Cas’s determination to keep her safe solidifies. However, with her uncontrollable powers making every touch potentially deadly, is a life together even possible? Or will their connection bring him only death?
Recently separated from the US Army, Caspian “Cas” Knight is having a hard time readjusting to life in his small hometown. His plans are delayed when he’s called to a high school mentor’s funeral out of state. Bumping into his mentor’s daughter and having immediate sparks wasn’t what he planned for his weekend. Getting in between her and a group of attacking supervillains? Even less so.
Jael Wilder has spent years hiding her unwanted superpowers from forces on both sides of the law. Her powers are dangerous, and a recent surge of them cost her the one person who ever looked out for her. Now pursued by both government agents and criminal interests who want to use her as a weapon, she has one find the scientist whose experiments turned her into a monster and make him feel the pain he caused her.
Thrown together, Jael and Cas take off on a cross country journey, fighting for survival. As they develop a tentative trust, and an even stronger attraction, Cas’s determination to keep her safe solidifies. However, with her uncontrollable powers making every touch potentially deadly, is a life together even possible? Or will their connection bring him only death?
271 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 9, 2025
1 person is currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
H.L. Burke
94 books566 followersBorn in a small town in north central Oregon, H. L. Burke spent most of her childhood around trees and farm animals and was always accompanied by a book. Growing up with epic heroes from Middle Earth and Narnia keeping her company, she also became an incurable romantic.
An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture.
Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes that home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.
She is the author of a four part fantasy/romance series entitled "The Dragon and the Scholar," the Award Winning (2016 Realm Award for Young Adult Fiction) Nyssa Glass Steampunk series, and MG/Fantasy "Cora and the Nurse Dragon," among others .
Sign up for her monthly newsletter at www.hlburkeauthor.com
http://www.amazon.com/H.-L.-Burke/e/B...
An addictive personality, she jumped from one fandom to another, being at times completely obsessed with various books, movies, or television series (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Star Trek all took their turns), but she has grown to be what she considers a well-rounded connoisseur of geek culture.
Married to her high school crush who is now a US Marine, she has moved multiple times in her adult life but believes that home is wherever her husband, two daughters, and pets are.
She is the author of a four part fantasy/romance series entitled "The Dragon and the Scholar," the Award Winning (2016 Realm Award for Young Adult Fiction) Nyssa Glass Steampunk series, and MG/Fantasy "Cora and the Nurse Dragon," among others .
Sign up for her monthly newsletter at www.hlburkeauthor.com
http://www.amazon.com/H.-L.-Burke/e/B...
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 4, 2025
It's kind of cliche to say that new releases in a series just keep getting better, but that is genuinely the case with the Superhero Romance Project books. The Supervillain's Bodyguard might be my favorite book yet in the series, with an awesome lead pair and an excellent balance of action, suspense, romance, and drama.
As usual, the characters and character dynamics are what make this book shine. Caspian Knight might be taking the prize for "SVR-verse guy I would most like to ACTUALLY marry" — he's very appropriately named. A former Army guy with protective instincts strong enough that he immediately jumps into a cross-country road-trip to protect a childhood friend (who also happens to be the daughter of his mentor), strong faith, and equally strong appreciation for good stories? Yes PLEASE. I also appreciated his arc of figuring out his purpose and goals and his relationship with his family.
Jael is a great match for him and a cool character in her own right. I loved the contrast between her love for animals and others and the nature of her life-draining powers, which set up some amazing internal conflict. I also appreciated how the author handled and resolved the situation with her powers and their side effects (can't say more because of spoilers). Her dynamic with Caspian was great as well; they're both strong-minded people determined to protect others, and their childhood friendship set up a great foundation for their present relationship to grow quickly.
Seeing more of Cody/Thorax was also fun. It's cool to compare where he is now to where he started and see how he's gone from kind of a "decent-hearted creep" to someone who, while not a hero, clearly has a heart and is generally likeable (albeit a little weird).
The storyline itself was, as I said earlier, just the right balance of action and character drama. While the primary focus was the romance and Jael and Caspian's internal decisions that they had to make, there was still plenty of action and opportunity for characters to be awesome. The climax caught me by surprise, but in a really good way. And the conclusion was simply lovely, the best of endings for these characters.
I definitely expect that I'll be rereading this book!
As usual, the characters and character dynamics are what make this book shine. Caspian Knight might be taking the prize for "SVR-verse guy I would most like to ACTUALLY marry" — he's very appropriately named. A former Army guy with protective instincts strong enough that he immediately jumps into a cross-country road-trip to protect a childhood friend (who also happens to be the daughter of his mentor), strong faith, and equally strong appreciation for good stories? Yes PLEASE. I also appreciated his arc of figuring out his purpose and goals and his relationship with his family.
Jael is a great match for him and a cool character in her own right. I loved the contrast between her love for animals and others and the nature of her life-draining powers, which set up some amazing internal conflict. I also appreciated how the author handled and resolved the situation with her powers and their side effects (can't say more because of spoilers). Her dynamic with Caspian was great as well; they're both strong-minded people determined to protect others, and their childhood friendship set up a great foundation for their present relationship to grow quickly.
Seeing more of Cody/Thorax was also fun. It's cool to compare where he is now to where he started and see how he's gone from kind of a "decent-hearted creep" to someone who, while not a hero, clearly has a heart and is generally likeable (albeit a little weird).
The storyline itself was, as I said earlier, just the right balance of action and character drama. While the primary focus was the romance and Jael and Caspian's internal decisions that they had to make, there was still plenty of action and opportunity for characters to be awesome. The climax caught me by surprise, but in a really good way. And the conclusion was simply lovely, the best of endings for these characters.
I definitely expect that I'll be rereading this book!
Read
July 11, 2025Book #8 in my Superhero Romance Project series. This one features my first non-powered guy with a powered girl. Cas was previously introduced in Courting a Superhero as the female lead Nixie's brother. This book can be read as a standalone, though, as Cas is on his own adventure now, with Jael, the daughter of his highschool mentor back in his life and on the run from supervillains.
September 10, 2025
In The Supervillain's Bodyguard, an ex soldier must road trip with the girl of his dreams. The catch is that she's wanted by both the good guys and the bad.
Cas Knight is the model male lead. Always ready to fight for what he believes in, not afraid to shoot the people trying to kill his girl, and he's also gentleman enough to not be afraid of the only one bed trope.
Jael is just a floof who needs to be wrapped in a blanket and hugged for a year. She would also kill a tyrant with a tent peg if she had to.
This is mostly a, will-they-won't-they, romance. So many things stand in the way of these two sharing a life together, but at the same time they are stuck in a truck together for multiple days as they travel cross country to hopefully remove Jarl's superpowers that make her such a tempting target to agencies on both sides of the law.
This is another entry in Burke's ever growing SVR universe. However, this story stands on its own pretty well. I think if you have general idea of the basic world building, i.e. the fact that superheros exist and are government regulated then you can easily slip into this emotionally driven romance.
Cas Knight is the model male lead. Always ready to fight for what he believes in, not afraid to shoot the people trying to kill his girl, and he's also gentleman enough to not be afraid of the only one bed trope.
Jael is just a floof who needs to be wrapped in a blanket and hugged for a year. She would also kill a tyrant with a tent peg if she had to.
This is mostly a, will-they-won't-they, romance. So many things stand in the way of these two sharing a life together, but at the same time they are stuck in a truck together for multiple days as they travel cross country to hopefully remove Jarl's superpowers that make her such a tempting target to agencies on both sides of the law.
This is another entry in Burke's ever growing SVR universe. However, this story stands on its own pretty well. I think if you have general idea of the basic world building, i.e. the fact that superheros exist and are government regulated then you can easily slip into this emotionally driven romance.
August 7, 2025
This book will wreck you (in the best way possible, of course)!
Jael is just so sweet, and she's been dealt such a rough hand in life. Her dreams are so innocent. She just wants to be surrounded by life, have a couple goats, and not hurt anyone. She is the type of person who wouldn't willingly hurt a spider, but her powers literally bring death. Cas just wants to be with the woman who gave his life purpose and meaning again, settle down and give her that farm she dreams about, but she doesn't believe she can have any of those things.
The story is sweet, and funny, and action packed, but, as is usually the case with HL Burke's books, where it shines is the heart. This book had me crying for these two, just hoping that somehow, against impossible odds, they would make it to their happily ever after.
Content warning: Cas is ex military with no superpowers, and so along with your standard superhero fights, a gun has entered the fray. So if you're for some reason ok with superheroes blasting each other, but not guns, that is something you should be aware of.
Jael is just so sweet, and she's been dealt such a rough hand in life. Her dreams are so innocent. She just wants to be surrounded by life, have a couple goats, and not hurt anyone. She is the type of person who wouldn't willingly hurt a spider, but her powers literally bring death. Cas just wants to be with the woman who gave his life purpose and meaning again, settle down and give her that farm she dreams about, but she doesn't believe she can have any of those things.
The story is sweet, and funny, and action packed, but, as is usually the case with HL Burke's books, where it shines is the heart. This book had me crying for these two, just hoping that somehow, against impossible odds, they would make it to their happily ever after.
Content warning: Cas is ex military with no superpowers, and so along with your standard superhero fights, a gun has entered the fray. So if you're for some reason ok with superheroes blasting each other, but not guns, that is something you should be aware of.
September 12, 2025
I struggled with what to rate and say about this one. On the one hand I enjoyed many parts of it, but on the other many parts were either annoying or boring. On top of that I was sick while reading this, so my less then stellar health at the time may have contributed to my overall “meh” feelings, who really knows.
I liked Jael and Cas well enough but they did annoy me at times, Jael most of all with her flip flopping between wanting help/companionship then being an annoying know it all, “don’t mansplain things to me” (yes, this line is actually in the book, ugh) the next towards Cas, which didn’t help in making me feel less lousy, haha. I get her reasonings and all but pick a lane girl and stick to it, good grief. Cas was fine, I didn’t really have any issues with him nor was I very attached to him.
I did really enjoy Cody’s cameos, he’s still a crazy fun bug maniac who has DEFINITELY grown on me over the course of this universe’s books. I also like the ending, how everything all turned out was super cute and sweet.
So while not my favorite by a huge shot it was still good, I just personally couldn’t connect with these characters nor care much about what they were going through.
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: a character has depression and panic attacks
Language: heck; pervy; what the heck; dang; crap; what the hell; sucked; sucks; screw up; butt crack of dawn; gosh; dang it; frickin’; pissed; dang; gee; what the heck
Violence: fighting with weapons, superpowers, and hand to hand (not detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed); glass stabbed a character’s side (not detailed); a hay bale is dropped on a couple of guys; several people are shot and killed (not detailed); a character has the power to shatter people’s bones into splinters (not detailed); a motorcycle clips a turtle
Sexual: mild suggestive hints/comments; a girl thinks about wanting and asking a guy for sex (she refrains and nothing happens); kissing (not to semi detailed); a guy is called sexy
Drug/Alcohol: characters drink alcohol
Other: superheroes/supervillains/superpowers; death and grief; a character has depression and panic attacks; a character is almost kidnapped; a character mentions that maybe supervillains would see them as worth selling for their power
****Note: I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher. All thoughts and opinions are most assuredly my own and I wasn’t required to write a positive review. If I was I wouldn’t have read it. 😜****
I liked Jael and Cas well enough but they did annoy me at times, Jael most of all with her flip flopping between wanting help/companionship then being an annoying know it all, “don’t mansplain things to me” (yes, this line is actually in the book, ugh) the next towards Cas, which didn’t help in making me feel less lousy, haha. I get her reasonings and all but pick a lane girl and stick to it, good grief. Cas was fine, I didn’t really have any issues with him nor was I very attached to him.
I did really enjoy Cody’s cameos, he’s still a crazy fun bug maniac who has DEFINITELY grown on me over the course of this universe’s books. I also like the ending, how everything all turned out was super cute and sweet.
So while not my favorite by a huge shot it was still good, I just personally couldn’t connect with these characters nor care much about what they were going through.
‼️Content‼️
TRIGGER WARNING: a character has depression and panic attacks
Language: heck; pervy; what the heck; dang; crap; what the hell; sucked; sucks; screw up; butt crack of dawn; gosh; dang it; frickin’; pissed; dang; gee; what the heck
Violence: fighting with weapons, superpowers, and hand to hand (not detailed); injuries and blood (not detailed); glass stabbed a character’s side (not detailed); a hay bale is dropped on a couple of guys; several people are shot and killed (not detailed); a character has the power to shatter people’s bones into splinters (not detailed); a motorcycle clips a turtle
Sexual: mild suggestive hints/comments; a girl thinks about wanting and asking a guy for sex (she refrains and nothing happens); kissing (not to semi detailed); a guy is called sexy
Drug/Alcohol: characters drink alcohol
Other: superheroes/supervillains/superpowers; death and grief; a character has depression and panic attacks; a character is almost kidnapped; a character mentions that maybe supervillains would see them as worth selling for their power
****Note: I received a free copy of the book from the author/publisher. All thoughts and opinions are most assuredly my own and I wasn’t required to write a positive review. If I was I wouldn’t have read it. 😜****
August 27, 2025
Road Trip!
We got to see a hint of Cas in the last book of Switch and Nixie, and now poor Cas just had to be too much of a gentleman to let the girl he rescued go off to confront the supervillain all by herself.
This book can be read without reading the other books in the series, but of course it will be so much more fun to read it after you've read the other two books with Switch and Nixie, since you have the family background.
Now to the book. A superhero rom-com road trip. Or course, you're going to get the one-bed trope with both of them feeling awkward, and of course, you're going to have all the fun misunderstandings of two people who don't want to admit to the others they're interested. All of the rom-com tropes with some fun superhero shenanigans. Villains coming in and trying to kidnap the girl. The former military normie forced to ask his superhero sister for help, all while traveling cross-country.
Loads of fun.
We got to see a hint of Cas in the last book of Switch and Nixie, and now poor Cas just had to be too much of a gentleman to let the girl he rescued go off to confront the supervillain all by herself.
This book can be read without reading the other books in the series, but of course it will be so much more fun to read it after you've read the other two books with Switch and Nixie, since you have the family background.
Now to the book. A superhero rom-com road trip. Or course, you're going to get the one-bed trope with both of them feeling awkward, and of course, you're going to have all the fun misunderstandings of two people who don't want to admit to the others they're interested. All of the rom-com tropes with some fun superhero shenanigans. Villains coming in and trying to kidnap the girl. The former military normie forced to ask his superhero sister for help, all while traveling cross-country.
Loads of fun.
September 10, 2025
Cute series, this one was a real tear jerker for me. Beware, some of the subject matter can hit close to the heart.
Sweet love story and each character has some real growing they do.
I am adding Burke to my short list of best authors.
Sweet love story and each character has some real growing they do.
I am adding Burke to my short list of best authors.
August 6, 2025
H.L. Burke always manages to weave such compelling characters, and this book is no exception.
Caspian Knight had my respect from his growth arc in Courting a Superhero, and I appreciated him all the more in this latest installment. Watching him and Jael wrestle with grief, pain, revenge, hopelessness, and more, brought tears on more than one occasion and their resolution was incredibly sweet.
Heartily enjoyed!
(I received an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.)
Caspian Knight had my respect from his growth arc in Courting a Superhero, and I appreciated him all the more in this latest installment. Watching him and Jael wrestle with grief, pain, revenge, hopelessness, and more, brought tears on more than one occasion and their resolution was incredibly sweet.
Heartily enjoyed!
(I received an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.)
August 9, 2025
In 'The Supervillian's Bodyguard' author HL Burke has surpassed herself. It contains a good balance of action and adventure, character driven drama, suspense, twists, cameos from favourite charaters from other books, and of course, heart-felt romance. Despite the appearance of characters from earlier books, it works well as a stand alone so is perfect for anyone familiar with the SVR/DOSA-verse or anyone who has never picked up one of these stories before. The characters feel very real and are very likeable and grapple with the problems in believeable ways. The eventually happy ending never feels guaranteed until the very, very end which makes it all the more satisfying.
I received an ARC and voluntarily leave an honest review.
I received an ARC and voluntarily leave an honest review.
September 9, 2025
The superhero genre tends to focus on ways in which powers would be cool and/or useful, either as hero or villain. But what happens if your powers feel like a curse and a barrier to human connection? Which is, of course, a suitably tricky obstacle for romance between two otherwise very likeable characters. This book also had two of my favourite things in a romance: an action storyline that gives the plot structure and tension, and a straighforwardly chivalrous MMC. I'm not a big romance reader but this was just great fun.
I read a beta copy, my opinions are my own. Low spice level.
I read a beta copy, my opinions are my own. Low spice level.
August 9, 2025
One of my favorite SVR couples 🥰 Caspian is such a solid, decent guy, and Jael is such a sweet cinnamon roll who never asked for this to be her life but she's doing the best she can. Such a cute book!
December 26, 2025
Burke's first book with a normal or non-super-abled hero is just as exciting and action-packed as her other stories. Jael and Cas have excellent banter, and while Jael has lead a sheltered life, she's got plenty of spunk. I loved the whole I-don't-know-if-I'll-ever-have-a-first-kiss shtick. Cas is a tough, protective, creative hero who's not afraid to bring the wrath of God down on those who deserve it. Their road trip to confront the villain is full of danger and romantic tension. I especially enjoyed Switch and Nixie's cameos. It is a sweet, no-spice romance between childhood friends who are now all grown up, with a slightly steamy kiss toward the end. Another great addition to the series.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews