Dating the Supervillain's Daughter

by H.L. Burke

When your girlfriend's father is a supervillain, more than your heart might get stolen.

Superhero Jackson Mondragon is on a case that could make his career—if only anyone would believe him. He's convinced the culprit of a string of thefts and forgeries is the mythical supervillain art thief, Rembrandt. The problem? Rembrandt is so good, no one believes he exists. Needing to prove his case, he seeks out an expert to help him identify the forgeries, only to find himself immediately lost in that expert's big blue eyes.

Monet Smith's love for art is the only thing she has in common with her supervillain father. As soon as she was able to make it on her own, she fled his villainous influence to start her own, legally upstanding career working at art museums and teaching teenagers to paint. When an unwitting superhero shows up with a forgery that is clearly her father's work, she realizes her dad is back in town—and angling for a reunion.

As her father cluelessly tries to reconnect and Jackson's professional interest turns more personal, Monet is forced to juggle the men in her life. Can she find a way to keep them apart? Or will her father's meddling break both her and Jackson's hearts?

282 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2026

About the author

Born 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...

Reviews

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 4 out of 5]

****Actual Rating 4.5 Stars****

Jackson and Monet are so stinking cute I just can’t!!! 🥹🥰 What a couple of adorable, awkward, yet flirtatious in the best way possible little beans of anxiety and self-doubt these two are, they are so perfect for each other it makes total sense how and why they fell so hard and fast for each other without it feeling rushed or forced. And the hurt and angst later on just killed me, the poor things!

These two aside, I loved the whole art heist villain angle and the non flashy yet incredibly cool and helpful superpowers our leads have; Heidi is so creative in coming up with these superpowers in every book she writes, it’s amazing and I’m in awe on how she comes up with them all! And while hard to read at times due to how rough they made our leads’ lives, I appreciated the struggles Jackson had with his coworkers (who are all horrible pigs, by the way) and Monet’s emotional struggles with her dad (who isn’t a horrible pig, just a neglectful father sadly) and how both of these were resolved was very satisfying, though I still want to punch Rapidz in the face, but since I can’t, I’ll just insult her stupid handle because really, Rapidz? What is she, a speed boat? 😂

I throughly loved this story (this cover is one of my new favorites!) and I hope we get to see these characters again, and if not I’ll just have to reread this one! (What a tragedy, right? 😜😆)


‼️Content‼️

TRIGGER WARNING: workplace bullying; a neglectful father

Language: screw up; crap; dang; gee; heck; what the; dang it; gosh; jackass; suck; screwed up; sucky; frick; crappy

Violence: injuries and blood (not detailed); fighting with superpowers, weapons, and hand to hand (not detailed); a man cut off another guy’s fingers then murdered him (not shown of detailed)

Sexual: mild suggestive hints/comments; kissing (not detailed); girls are called chicks; a woman says to another that a guy “probably [wants] your body” (he doesn’t); a teen girl wants to draw a nude human from a naked model (she doesn’t get her wish); guys and girls are called hot; characters sleep together (not sexually); a mention of a man having a mistress (not a main character)

Alcohol/Drugs: adults drink alcohol; one mention of a character getting tipsy in the past; characters are poisoned past and present; a man smokes; characters are drugged

Other: superheroes/supervillains/superpowers; workplace bullying; a neglectful father; characters are kidnapped/tied up/gagged; a character used to be part of a supervillain gang as a teen; death


****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. 😜****

[Kelly Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is as adorkable and sweet as the rest of the series, with the usual side of snark and superhero action. As someone who usually has a very decided opinion on who my favorite character is, I don’t think I could pick between these two leads. Monet is adorable and nerdy about art. She loves connecting with her students, which is a contrast to her broken relationship with both her parents. Jackson is the other half of this cinnamon roll pairing. He’s a former foster kid with abandonment issues, and he’s got a superhero team that doesn’t appreciate his non-flashy superpowers. He needs many hugs, and his team needs the opposite. Monet and Jackson are the cutest together, but there are some secrets that haven’t come out yet, plus some art heists and forgery. This was a fun, quick read. Delightful and satisfying. Five stars from me!

[Isabelle D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of a whole universe full of characters with superpowers, this new book is still a complete story, so you don't really need to have read any of the others before. Those who have, though, will remember the MMC, who appeared as a 13-year-old in the oldest series.
Jackson is now 26 and working in a team of superheroes, but his mapping powers are underappreciated. I enjoyed finding out more about how said powers work, and about Jackson himself. He's a really nice guy, perfect for the FMC, who needs someone 100% trustworthy.
I also really liked Monet - and her powers are so interesting! But, as the title says, her father is a supervillain. A non-violent one, but an art thief and forger. The one that Jackson is tracking. Really not ideal for them; excellent for tension in the story.
So - in case it wasn't clear enough yet - I loved this book. I would recommend it to romance readers (except to those who demand spice, so especially to those like me who prefer this "only kisses" level), whether or not they're particularly interested in superheroes (because it's still mostly a romance, just set in a version of our world where some people happen to have very special abilities).

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooh I loved this.

Jackson, a superhero agent, while investigating an art forger and thief, unknowingly falls in love with the art thief’s daughter.

This has all the emotions, in spades. There’s anger, lots of justified anger. There’s humour. There’re the beautiful, awkward butterflies of young love. There’s fear and anxiety. There’s suspense that runs strong from beginning to almost-end.

And the characters. So real. Jackson, intelligent, funny, self-deprecating (almost with good reason). It’s hard not to fall for him. Monet, sweet, carrying her own fear, despite wanting to jump headfirst into a chance with him. Her father, with whom I had a ‘do I like him-can I not stand him relationship.’ The mix (plus the workmates I’d rather ignore, yes, Piper, even you) just worked so well I kept reading and enjoying the different points of view. I loved the character development. And the development of the relationship. So cute.

This was great. Clean language, clean romance, some violence (it is a superhero/ supervillain story, so some of that’s expected), great love story, beautiful writing.

I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lj · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another superb superhero romance by HL Burke. There are so many great moments that are humourous, romantic, and/or charmingly cosy. Given the main characters have more artistic and academic leaning superpowers, there is perhaps less action in this one than some of the other books, but there are still dramatic life threatening scenes and plenty of swoon worthy romance that manages to keep a realistic feel as the characters face not only super-powered problems but also very real-world ones as well. The concept of the dashing and mysterious art thief who is so good at what he does no one even knows he exists gives the story such a classic and classy vibe and there are so very many 'Psych' references in this one to further amuse any readers familiar with the TV show. I'm fairly certain I've said this for plenty of the pervious DOSA-verse books accross the series, but this is definately the best yet.

I received an ARC and voluntarily leave an honest review.

[C.O. Bonham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dating the Supervillain's Daughter is the tenth book in H.L. Burke's series of clean Superhero Romance standalones.

Like the other books in the Superhero Romance Project, this book is light on the superhero action in favor of highlighting the slow burn of the couple getting to know each other.

Despite the slow burn, the plot is so rife with tension as Monet juggles the struggle between her father and her boyfriend. Jackson has his own tensions as he deals with his superhero team who belittle his powers and constantly find reasons to bench him.

I love the leads in this book. Both of them are so sweet and vulnerable that when the third act finally hits the fan it's truly heart breaking. Like I said the novel is light on action but when it finally happens it's earned and intense and the perfect conclusion to the story.

[Bri · Rating 5 out of 5]

These two are so. Freaking. Cute.

First of all, I love the subtle superpowers in this one! They are so unique, and I love the idea of like... super-powered detectives tracking down super-powered thieves. It's so fun!

Jackson is so sweet, and his childhood trauma is heartbreaking. Monet is very much a sweetheart who has been hurt in the past but hasn't let it make her bitter. They have such great chemistry, and they fall fast and hard, but it's believable. Rembrandt is a great "nemesis" (Rembrandt's word, not mine) for Jackson, as he shows that not all supervillains are flashy and loud.

The Psych and Princess Bride references are everything. No notes. Would read a thousand more books like this.

[S. King · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book for you if you love romance, action, and humor!

This book has everything good going for it - an amazing plot with superheroes, art theft and forgery, romance, plenty of laughs. I LOVE it and very highly recommend it!! 

These characters!! Jackson - adorable, Monet - sweet, Rembrandt - charming but flawed, Piper - a hoot, Rapidz - infuriating.

I love this author's books! Her characters are fantastic with various traits and personalities that will remind you of family, friends, or yourself.

[Amber Gabriel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so sweet and so cute! I love Jackson and Monet, especially her love for art. There's not as much action/adventure in this story, but there is a mystery to solve, and some peril and use of superpowers toward the end. Jackson also works in some romantic dance moves to increase the tension. You really can't help rooting for these two as a couple. There is also an only-one-bed scenario, but (mild spoiler) nothing happens, although the characters think about being intimate in the future. Due to that, I would put this at new adult and up.

[C. Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to beta-read this book. As an artist I was particularly excited for Monet's character. She did not disappoint! Such a sweet, wholesome relationship, with touching notes of healing a "nobody truly loves me" wound. 💙

[M.H. Elrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackson gets his own love story at last!
I remember Jackson from the small part he played in Alma's story, and I was thrilled to read a grown up version of the teen I knew a little bit of. Jackson is a straight arrow with a heart of gold and such a gentleman. I really loved seeing his confidence blossom, mainly because of Monet's encouragement. Monet was also fantastic, with a double burden that made me sympathize with her from the beginning. Rembrandt makes an interesting villain, reminding me of Nate from Leverage. The story was well paced, with a sweet romance that blossomed between two people who are all too perfect for each other. I absolutely loved Jackson and Monet's relationship, and how they had unique hobbies. Finally, the twist at the end was fantastic! Overall, a great addition to the superhero romance universe.
Favorite quote: "It's one if the reasons I love art so much. What people create is a glimpse into their souls."
So true, Monet. So true.
Content: Passionate Kissing PG level danger/suspense/killing