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Cape and Cowl #1
Petty
A knock on the door in the middle of the night means nothing but trouble.
Especially when the door belongs to Registered Villain (tm) Rook. But when Rook—alias Oliver Coburn—opens the door, it's so much worse than he thought. Gladiator, Far Moor City's main Registered Heroes (tm) is standing there, bleeding to death.
Villains aren't supposed to help Heroes.
Oliver isn't a Big Bad, though. He's a small time villain who enjoys complex and nuanced crimes, and his own personal code won't let him let Gladiator die on his doorstep. Not to mention the man was gorgeous and muscled and... now sleeping on his couch.
Gladiator--alias Cassian Rossilli--doesn't remember much between the (obviously) roofied drink and showing up at Rook's doorstep, just about dead.
Heroes aren't supposed to ask Villains for help.
But his obsession with Rook wound up being the thing that saved him. It was the only address he could remember when the drug took affect—he'd spent the past few years finding out who Rook was and everything little thing about adorable twinkish villain. He knew that Rook was an old-school gentleman thief, and that trust saved his life.
Except now, Oliver and Cassian are stuck with the city thinking Gladiator is dead, the Villains of the Department of Villainous Affairs starting to get out of control, and series of fires and explosions that no one is taking credit for. More, the tension between them is firing up and it's going to explode as well: Cassian and Oliver are falling for each other.
Heroes and villains don't mix.
Right?
Especially when the door belongs to Registered Villain (tm) Rook. But when Rook—alias Oliver Coburn—opens the door, it's so much worse than he thought. Gladiator, Far Moor City's main Registered Heroes (tm) is standing there, bleeding to death.
Villains aren't supposed to help Heroes.
Oliver isn't a Big Bad, though. He's a small time villain who enjoys complex and nuanced crimes, and his own personal code won't let him let Gladiator die on his doorstep. Not to mention the man was gorgeous and muscled and... now sleeping on his couch.
Gladiator--alias Cassian Rossilli--doesn't remember much between the (obviously) roofied drink and showing up at Rook's doorstep, just about dead.
Heroes aren't supposed to ask Villains for help.
But his obsession with Rook wound up being the thing that saved him. It was the only address he could remember when the drug took affect—he'd spent the past few years finding out who Rook was and everything little thing about adorable twinkish villain. He knew that Rook was an old-school gentleman thief, and that trust saved his life.
Except now, Oliver and Cassian are stuck with the city thinking Gladiator is dead, the Villains of the Department of Villainous Affairs starting to get out of control, and series of fires and explosions that no one is taking credit for. More, the tension between them is firing up and it's going to explode as well: Cassian and Oliver are falling for each other.
Heroes and villains don't mix.
Right?
297 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2021
157 people are currently reading
551 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
January 18, 2023
So disappointed. This book started off well but quickly turned into a big mess. I had so many questions and at about 40% in, it really started to bother me with how little information we were given about the world this was taking place in. I think it was 70% where the purpose of the DoVA and the agreement with the superheroes was briefly mentioned - I had been wondering if all the superhero-villain stuff was just for the entertainment of the population.
The setup is great. It's what drew me to the book. There's enemies to lovers, forced proximity, superheroes and villains, and a mystery. Sadly, the execution fails. The parts that I enjoyed were overshadowed by choppy dialogue, inconsistencies in the story, one-dimensional characters and a super rushed ending.
If there had been an editor and a proofreader or even a beta reader involved so much could have been cleaned up on first glance that the story may have been saved for me (I'm assuming there wasn't as none were credited in the book, but if there were, they either didn't do their jobs or they were ignored). I can only ignore so much bad grammar, missing words, inconsistencies, and name changes. If I am constantly stopping my reading to search back through what I've read on my kindle, that's a problem. One of the most egregious here was changing the name of a character mid-book with no explanation. I can only guess that the author changed their mind about the name, but didn't search and replace what they already wrote. The name change comes at the time of a big reveal, so I stopped to search the book. Nope, no "Leo" here. Oh, wait, an explanation as to who he is and then the original name a couple of paragraphs later. And then back to the new name for the rest of the book. Seriously?
I did make it through the story so that's the 2 stars, but so much potential was wasted here. This was another new-to-me author so I don't know if this is par for the course or just an anomaly with them so I'm not sure if I will even try the next one when it comes out.
The setup is great. It's what drew me to the book. There's enemies to lovers, forced proximity, superheroes and villains, and a mystery. Sadly, the execution fails. The parts that I enjoyed were overshadowed by choppy dialogue, inconsistencies in the story, one-dimensional characters and a super rushed ending.
If there had been an editor and a proofreader or even a beta reader involved so much could have been cleaned up on first glance that the story may have been saved for me (I'm assuming there wasn't as none were credited in the book, but if there were, they either didn't do their jobs or they were ignored). I can only ignore so much bad grammar, missing words, inconsistencies, and name changes. If I am constantly stopping my reading to search back through what I've read on my kindle, that's a problem. One of the most egregious here was changing the name of a character mid-book with no explanation. I can only guess that the author changed their mind about the name, but didn't search and replace what they already wrote. The name change comes at the time of a big reveal, so I stopped to search the book. Nope, no "Leo" here. Oh, wait, an explanation as to who he is and then the original name a couple of paragraphs later. And then back to the new name for the rest of the book. Seriously?
I did make it through the story so that's the 2 stars, but so much potential was wasted here. This was another new-to-me author so I don't know if this is par for the course or just an anomaly with them so I'm not sure if I will even try the next one when it comes out.
July 10, 2023
3.5 stars
Low-angst hero/villain action
This was a super easy read, and overall quite enjoyable but just wasn't quite what I thought it would be. I thought there'd be more pining or tension around the fact that they're on opposite teams, but the fact that
a) Rook isn't really much of a villain anyway
b) The hero/villain dynamic in this universe is quite artificial
meant that everything played out a bit too easily for my liking.
That being said, I actually thought it was really clever how the author structured the universe with the Heroes League and the Department of Villainous Activities, organisations which regulate the crimes and their enforcement by assigning villains to heroes and having a register of upcoming crimes.
I quite liked both characters as individuals and thought they were good together. I was pretty well convinced by how they'd both shown interest in the other before ever meeting, which made the premise fairly reasonable. There were some really sweet moments between them, such as them settling in on the couch with popcorn to watch Cass' funeral, and I do love it when characters just sort of casually move in with each other. Also I kind of hate secret identities (I know, I know, why even read a superhero book if I don't like this trope) so I was super glad that wasn't an issue at all here.
Unfortunately, it wasn't all good. Ultimately I liked all the buildup but I felt like everything was resolved too quickly and the book lost the plot a bit at the end. It was all just really rushed and completely absurd.
I feel like I read a lot about how Gladiator was obsessed with Rook because of how clever he was, and wanted to be assigned to him for the mental stimulation his heists represented, but we never got to see it in practice. I love a good heist and was a bit disappointed in that.
There are also a number things that I wished had been touched on or felt unresolved/out of place. This doesn't include things I'm assuming will be handled in following books.
I liked this well enough, and am intrigued enough by the mystery that I think I probably will read the sequel when it's released.
Low-angst hero/villain action
This was a super easy read, and overall quite enjoyable but just wasn't quite what I thought it would be. I thought there'd be more pining or tension around the fact that they're on opposite teams, but the fact that
a) Rook isn't really much of a villain anyway
b) The hero/villain dynamic in this universe is quite artificial
meant that everything played out a bit too easily for my liking.
That being said, I actually thought it was really clever how the author structured the universe with the Heroes League and the Department of Villainous Activities, organisations which regulate the crimes and their enforcement by assigning villains to heroes and having a register of upcoming crimes.
I quite liked both characters as individuals and thought they were good together. I was pretty well convinced by how they'd both shown interest in the other before ever meeting, which made the premise fairly reasonable. There were some really sweet moments between them, such as them settling in on the couch with popcorn to watch Cass' funeral, and I do love it when characters just sort of casually move in with each other. Also I kind of hate secret identities (I know, I know, why even read a superhero book if I don't like this trope) so I was super glad that wasn't an issue at all here.
Unfortunately, it wasn't all good. Ultimately I liked all the buildup but I felt like everything was resolved too quickly and the book lost the plot a bit at the end. It was all just really rushed and completely absurd.
I feel like I read a lot about how Gladiator was obsessed with Rook because of how clever he was, and wanted to be assigned to him for the mental stimulation his heists represented, but we never got to see it in practice. I love a good heist and was a bit disappointed in that.
There are also a number things that I wished had been touched on or felt unresolved/out of place. This doesn't include things I'm assuming will be handled in following books.
I liked this well enough, and am intrigued enough by the mystery that I think I probably will read the sequel when it's released.
May 2, 2022
Was gonna be a 3 but the ending ruined that
First, my pet peeve - there were errors everywhere. Mostly missing words. Example "I’ve got what need now." And that happens several times on one page. Also, a character's speech would be broken into several paragraphs, but there would be quotation marks closing the one above, and/or the next paragraph would be one sentence. That's just poor grammar and made me stutter the entire way through the book. Not to mention, one character even had a name change! I had figured out who he was from the very beginning, but when he showed up again with a different name, I was baffled. So, just more bad editing.
Next, while the plot was very simple, the presentation was confusing. The way the author tried to expose what the characters found out was a mess. I often felt like I'd missed something, both inside a conversation and as if I'd missed one entirely. It was frustrating and got old quickly.
Then comes the ending. Like the majority of books, this is where they drop the ball. Build up, build up, build up....and over in the blink of an eye with very little prep. The bit about Oliver's mother felt like an afterthought, too. The prison visit was unsatisfying, and since I'd forgotten about his "buried" memories that magically appeared at one point in a confounding manner, I didn't know who Sonny was at first. It was mostly just filler and didn't advance the story.
Sadly, the romance was a bit lackluster. I adored Oliver. He was sweet and funny. Cass wasn't bad, but I didn't get a real sense of them as a couple. Both had a crush for years, Cass even stalked him, yet when they came together there weren't really any sparks.
Still, I did finish the book. I dnf a large amount of books, because I don't get engage quickly enough, there's no depth, or the editing is too distracting, or worse of all....the characters are downright annoying. While this book has some major flaws and I almost quit, I was able to force my way through. So for that, it gets a star. But I definitely won't continue if the author writes another.
First, my pet peeve - there were errors everywhere. Mostly missing words. Example "I’ve got what need now." And that happens several times on one page. Also, a character's speech would be broken into several paragraphs, but there would be quotation marks closing the one above, and/or the next paragraph would be one sentence. That's just poor grammar and made me stutter the entire way through the book. Not to mention, one character even had a name change! I had figured out who he was from the very beginning, but when he showed up again with a different name, I was baffled. So, just more bad editing.
Next, while the plot was very simple, the presentation was confusing. The way the author tried to expose what the characters found out was a mess. I often felt like I'd missed something, both inside a conversation and as if I'd missed one entirely. It was frustrating and got old quickly.
Then comes the ending. Like the majority of books, this is where they drop the ball. Build up, build up, build up....and over in the blink of an eye with very little prep. The bit about Oliver's mother felt like an afterthought, too. The prison visit was unsatisfying, and since I'd forgotten about his "buried" memories that magically appeared at one point in a confounding manner, I didn't know who Sonny was at first. It was mostly just filler and didn't advance the story.
Sadly, the romance was a bit lackluster. I adored Oliver. He was sweet and funny. Cass wasn't bad, but I didn't get a real sense of them as a couple. Both had a crush for years, Cass even stalked him, yet when they came together there weren't really any sparks.
Still, I did finish the book. I dnf a large amount of books, because I don't get engage quickly enough, there's no depth, or the editing is too distracting, or worse of all....the characters are downright annoying. While this book has some major flaws and I almost quit, I was able to force my way through. So for that, it gets a star. But I definitely won't continue if the author writes another.
February 26, 2025
I tend to rate books based on how good a time I had reading it over anything else. This was so deliciously tropey and ridiculous that I was able to move past all the inconsistencies and grammatical/structural errors. It hit perfectly for my mood and even though it wasn’t terribly well written or fleshed out, I enjoyed the hell out of it. I think, with the help of a really good editor and proofreader, this could have been amazing.
July 3, 2023
2.5 stars rounded up. Petty started off interesting with its hero-villain romance, but ultimately the plot took center stage in the last act to its detriment.
November 20, 2022
M/M, age gap, superheroes, hea
This read a lot like a different version of Bandit (except without the MMM). There was a lot of moving pieces and none of them were particularly interesting
This read a lot like a different version of Bandit (except without the MMM). There was a lot of moving pieces and none of them were particularly interesting
March 25, 2023
Entertaining story, enough that two stars seemed cruel, but very poor grammar and very little relationship development. There were words missing from sentences and sometimes when the characters were talking, there would be a paragraph break and I’d be confused who was now talking…but it was in the same quotes. Oliver and Cassian were very likable characters, too, especially Oliver, but we’re constantly told things about their relationship development and never, ever shown.
This is advertised as enemies-to-lovers (it’s not), forced proximity (sure but mostly off page?), with the “who did this do you?!” trope (it’s not - they don’t even have a relationship yet when this happens, there’s zero emotional punch there).
A character has a random name change halfway through so when a big reveal happens, I was like, why is this important? I simply just didn’t understand the point of the villains as well. Like they’re legitimately pointless.
I also just found the entire book to be super unemotional. One MC goes missing and the other says he will “burn the world down to find him” or whatever, but we never feel it. We don’t even feel like he’s worried.
Good bones, but needed more editing and fine tuning and heart!
This is advertised as enemies-to-lovers (it’s not), forced proximity (sure but mostly off page?), with the “who did this do you?!” trope (it’s not - they don’t even have a relationship yet when this happens, there’s zero emotional punch there).
A character has a random name change halfway through so when a big reveal happens, I was like, why is this important? I simply just didn’t understand the point of the villains as well. Like they’re legitimately pointless.
I also just found the entire book to be super unemotional. One MC goes missing and the other says he will “burn the world down to find him” or whatever, but we never feel it. We don’t even feel like he’s worried.
Good bones, but needed more editing and fine tuning and heart!
May 1, 2024
March 2024
Kindle edition
KU
I've had this one sitting on my kindle for ages. Finally gave it a shot, hoping it wouldn't be another superhero let down. It wasn't. The initial character index was a little off putting, but the story itself was fun. Stayed up late to finish this one, but with my nose leaking like a tap, I wasn't doing anything else.
Rook was sweet and smart, Gladiator seemed to be your typical lovestruck hero. The old rules were fun. Gladiator turning up on Rook's doorstep and bypassing the secret identities was entertaining. The reaction to the cousin and brother meeting Rook was great. It was mostly light, despite the situation. Rook joking around with his assigned hero and his thievery were all great.
It did get a little predictable with Leo going missing. No ransom or threats? Yeah, that's not sus.
The whole gate crash, drug thing felt cliche mad scientist. The characters and the relationships were cute.
Kindle edition
KU
I've had this one sitting on my kindle for ages. Finally gave it a shot, hoping it wouldn't be another superhero let down. It wasn't. The initial character index was a little off putting, but the story itself was fun. Stayed up late to finish this one, but with my nose leaking like a tap, I wasn't doing anything else.
Rook was sweet and smart, Gladiator seemed to be your typical lovestruck hero. The old rules were fun. Gladiator turning up on Rook's doorstep and bypassing the secret identities was entertaining. The reaction to the cousin and brother meeting Rook was great. It was mostly light, despite the situation. Rook joking around with his assigned hero and his thievery were all great.
It did get a little predictable with Leo going missing. No ransom or threats? Yeah, that's not sus.
The whole gate crash, drug thing felt cliche mad scientist. The characters and the relationships were cute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2023
A somewhat entertaining story dragged down by its unengaging main characters and their lack of chemistry.
Sommers immediately establishes that both characters have liked each other from before – so there’s nothing to develop between them. It’s a matter of getting over themselves. Their chemistry was also like uncapped soda left out for the day: flat and lukewarm.
Neither Rook nor Gladiator go beyond “honorable X”, which makes them very boring. All of the characters, actually, have nothing but superficial personalities, and for people who are supposed to be tactical or intelligent they sure missed a lot of signs.
These have no bearing on the story but I will gripe about them anyway:
1. Dark Katana should have immediately been thrown in forever jail for being a disgusting weeb. Get out of here, weeb.
2. Anyone who refers to themselves as “agents of chaos” are immediately disqualified from being agents of chaos. And also, I cannot believe Rook thinks he’s an agent of chaos. He’s a stickler for rules. He’s a fucking narc. Shut up with your agent of chaos bullshit, Rook.
3. They are reportedly supervillains and superheroes, and yet they keep getting surprised and screaming. Who reacts like that? Nobody. Sommers spent more time detailing them yelling their heads off than actually working on personalities and plot. Yikes.
4. This is really more of the editing, but at one point in the story, the author writes:
(Assuming that N here stands for Nah, son)
But there is no symbol. Someone forgot to develop or create a symbol, or someone forgot to put the symbol there. There is no symbol. And now I have written symbol so many times it has lost all meaning.
Sommers immediately establishes that both characters have liked each other from before – so there’s nothing to develop between them. It’s a matter of getting over themselves. Their chemistry was also like uncapped soda left out for the day: flat and lukewarm.
Neither Rook nor Gladiator go beyond “honorable X”, which makes them very boring. All of the characters, actually, have nothing but superficial personalities, and for people who are supposed to be tactical or intelligent they sure missed a lot of signs.
These have no bearing on the story but I will gripe about them anyway:
1. Dark Katana should have immediately been thrown in forever jail for being a disgusting weeb. Get out of here, weeb.
2. Anyone who refers to themselves as “agents of chaos” are immediately disqualified from being agents of chaos. And also, I cannot believe Rook thinks he’s an agent of chaos. He’s a stickler for rules. He’s a fucking narc. Shut up with your agent of chaos bullshit, Rook.
3. They are reportedly supervillains and superheroes, and yet they keep getting surprised and screaming. Who reacts like that? Nobody. Sommers spent more time detailing them yelling their heads off than actually working on personalities and plot. Yikes.
4. This is really more of the editing, but at one point in the story, the author writes:
[Group N symbol here]
(Assuming that N here stands for Nah, son)
But there is no symbol. Someone forgot to develop or create a symbol, or someone forgot to put the symbol there. There is no symbol. And now I have written symbol so many times it has lost all meaning.
January 10, 2022
I was really excited to read this book because all my favorite ingredients were there! But the real detriment to my enjoyment of this story were the abundant typos and plot inconsistencies that were impossible to overlook.
April 11, 2022
This book was built on the premise of the internet meme where the wounded hero shows up at his arch nemesis' door asking for help. It's an engaging idea, but the book unfortunately doesn't really follow through on the given situation. Gladiator is the hero, with super strength, speed, flight, and healing abilities that essentially make him immortal. Rook, is the gentleman thief character with limited sparkle powers but with a mind for staging heists that expose deeper evil. Instead of running with a forced proximity trope while Gladiator is nursed back to health by Rook, SAS breaks away and starts building her Supes world where heroes and villains belong to separate organizations and each hero has an assigned villain. In the wake of the "Invincible" book published by Image Comics, the super hero game has definitely changed and evolved from this rather simplistic 1940's version of cat and mouse that SAS builds. Needless to say, what she builds doesn't stand for long once she poses the question, "what if you have bad guys out there that think playing by the rules of the villain organization is the least villainous thing they can do?" So we miss the chance to grow an enemies to lovers romance and the "who tried to kill Gladiator?" mystery is never investigated, quickly usurped by a serial arsonist that has both heroes and villains working together to solve. There are some fun parts to the book and some frustrating parts as well. The book itself could do with another round of editing, especially as at the beginning of the book, Lydia has lost her brother "Orlando" in a fire at the chemical plant, and then later in the book, said brother reappears, but his name is now "Leonardo." Not the best book ever, but I definitely appreciate that it dug SAS out of a bad case of writer's block. Almost non-existent romance, but heat level is mild with a couple of sex scenes and some 143's at the end.
January 7, 2022
This book made me happy.
I love villains who aren’t, and the superheroes who only trust them. Super fun. Would love to read more.
I love villains who aren’t, and the superheroes who only trust them. Super fun. Would love to read more.
July 9, 2023
The good
+ Gladiator's faith in Rook
+ Actual groveling! Gladiator did something stupid and he apologized properly and genuinely. I loved it
+ Just a little stalking
+ Oliver being a good person and using his powers for good, even when claiming he's a villain
+ Watching Gladiator's memorial service together, with lots of popcorn
+ Mutual trust
+ Oliver's assistant and Cassian's brother
+ The heroes' respect for Rook
The neutral
o There was this really nice detective helping them out, but at some point he was just kind of forgotten. I hope he's okay and got a proper thank you for his work
The bad
- There was a very large number of side characters, most of whom were heroes and villains. So they all had their hero/villain name, and a civilian name. I just couldn't keep up anymore
- I'm a bit confused about the bad guys' motive.
This book was sweet and I enjoyed it a lot. I don't know yet if I'm invested enough in Mash's story to try reading his book, but who knows. There are just so many other characters I'd be way more interested in. Especially Cassian's brother was a very compelling character. Maybe I should just read all the books in the series so I'm at least prepared if and when he gets his own book... Anyway, would recommend this book as a sweet romance between a hero and a villain who have been pining for each other for years, but without all the secret identity drama.
+ Gladiator's faith in Rook
+ Actual groveling! Gladiator did something stupid and he apologized properly and genuinely. I loved it
+ Just a little stalking
+ Oliver being a good person and using his powers for good, even when claiming he's a villain
+ Watching Gladiator's memorial service together, with lots of popcorn
+ Mutual trust
+ Oliver's assistant and Cassian's brother
+ The heroes' respect for Rook
The neutral
o There was this really nice detective helping them out, but at some point he was just kind of forgotten. I hope he's okay and got a proper thank you for his work
The bad
- There was a very large number of side characters, most of whom were heroes and villains. So they all had their hero/villain name, and a civilian name. I just couldn't keep up anymore
- I'm a bit confused about the bad guys' motive.
This book was sweet and I enjoyed it a lot. I don't know yet if I'm invested enough in Mash's story to try reading his book, but who knows. There are just so many other characters I'd be way more interested in. Especially Cassian's brother was a very compelling character. Maybe I should just read all the books in the series so I'm at least prepared if and when he gets his own book... Anyway, would recommend this book as a sweet romance between a hero and a villain who have been pining for each other for years, but without all the secret identity drama.
July 2, 2023
DNF ~21%
Meh characters, boring world-building, and a MC who is coming off as a very creepy stalker and not endearing...
Meh characters, boring world-building, and a MC who is coming off as a very creepy stalker and not endearing...
December 28, 2021
Epic
LOVED THIS! Sorry for the all caps, but this is the first book in a while that’s really sparked my imagination. This is a fantastic take on the ‘villain shows up injured at the hero’s door’ thing that’s going around. There’s clever and detailed world building, captivating characters and a plot that kept me awake until 2 in the morning.
The romance is lovely, the chemistry between the main characters is perfect, and there are plenty of engaging side characters that I’m hoping will have their own books in the future.
Brilliant MM superhero and villain (with morals) romance. Highly recommend and I’ll be keeping an eagle eye out for the next in the series.
LOVED THIS! Sorry for the all caps, but this is the first book in a while that’s really sparked my imagination. This is a fantastic take on the ‘villain shows up injured at the hero’s door’ thing that’s going around. There’s clever and detailed world building, captivating characters and a plot that kept me awake until 2 in the morning.
The romance is lovely, the chemistry between the main characters is perfect, and there are plenty of engaging side characters that I’m hoping will have their own books in the future.
Brilliant MM superhero and villain (with morals) romance. Highly recommend and I’ll be keeping an eagle eye out for the next in the series.
December 28, 2021
DNF at 66%. I guess this book was supposed to be fun and entertaining, given the plot inconsistencies, lack of character development and poor world building. Those flaws would have not bothered me if the humor made the grade. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I managed at most a half smile a couple of times, nothing more.
July 5, 2023
Spice: 3 (purely from how well written it was, not for its abundance)
Plot/Writing: 3.5
Overall: 3.25
While the overall premise and mystery of this novel is enough to keep the pages turning, the romance is def not. A lot of the main couple’s relationship development happens off page and we’re told about it after the fact, mostly by random other characters outright telling the main couple how “gone” for each other they are? The WEEKS the couple spends alone together pass by in a matter of pages with only a handwavey “he was avoiding me” that abruptly shifts to make outs? Why couldn’t we see their dates? Or even some kinda training montage as Cass teaches Oliver how to use his more advanced powers— powers Oliver DEFINITELY told him about nearly immediately after discovering them, despite the author definitely forgetting that and trying to reintroduce the concept later on.
So many other elements of this novel were so interesting though! The symbiotic hero/villain system was exactly what I wanted, and I loved the emphasis on gentleman thieves as opposed to outright evil villains. The mysterious entity working to undermine the established villain group was intriguing. I especially liked the idea of the TAN employees, a neutral staffing company who work exclusively with heroes and villains. SO COOL.
Overall this novel really needs an editor or a beta reader to help flesh out some of the missing pieces and smooth over the timeline and scene transitions.
Plot/Writing: 3.5
Overall: 3.25
While the overall premise and mystery of this novel is enough to keep the pages turning, the romance is def not. A lot of the main couple’s relationship development happens off page and we’re told about it after the fact, mostly by random other characters outright telling the main couple how “gone” for each other they are? The WEEKS the couple spends alone together pass by in a matter of pages with only a handwavey “he was avoiding me” that abruptly shifts to make outs? Why couldn’t we see their dates? Or even some kinda training montage as Cass teaches Oliver how to use his more advanced powers— powers Oliver DEFINITELY told him about nearly immediately after discovering them, despite the author definitely forgetting that and trying to reintroduce the concept later on.
So many other elements of this novel were so interesting though! The symbiotic hero/villain system was exactly what I wanted, and I loved the emphasis on gentleman thieves as opposed to outright evil villains. The mysterious entity working to undermine the established villain group was intriguing. I especially liked the idea of the TAN employees, a neutral staffing company who work exclusively with heroes and villains. SO COOL.
Overall this novel really needs an editor or a beta reader to help flesh out some of the missing pieces and smooth over the timeline and scene transitions.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2023
Rating: 3.25 Stars
POV(s): Dual—First Person
Relationship: M/M
Genre(s): Urban Fantasy Romance, Contemporary Romance
❥
I loved the premise and enjoyed the story, but believe it could do with some polishing.
➸ The timeline was a bit confusing. Sometimes I would think a larger amount of time had passed between scenes only to find out barely any had.
➸ We never got a detailed description of Rook/Oliver. Did he have pink hair like the cover model?
➸ I feel like the romance was mostly off page.
➸ I honestly would have loved to have seen more of Rook’s shenanigans on page. Him robbing the pharmacy was hilarious.
➸ Spelling and grammar was a bit of an issue.
❥
Title: “Petty (Cape and Cowl #1)” by S.A. Sommers
Interconnected Series: Yes
Standalone: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
HEA:
Triggers: Yes
Tags/Tropes:
➢ MMC-Helps-Injured-MMC
➢ Mutual-Secret-Crush
➢ Superheroes-and-Villains
POV(s): Dual—First Person
Relationship: M/M
Genre(s): Urban Fantasy Romance, Contemporary Romance
❥
I loved the premise and enjoyed the story, but believe it could do with some polishing.
➸ The timeline was a bit confusing. Sometimes I would think a larger amount of time had passed between scenes only to find out barely any had.
➸ We never got a detailed description of Rook/Oliver. Did he have pink hair like the cover model?
➸ I feel like the romance was mostly off page.
➸ I honestly would have loved to have seen more of Rook’s shenanigans on page. Him robbing the pharmacy was hilarious.
➸ Spelling and grammar was a bit of an issue.
❥
Title: “Petty (Cape and Cowl #1)” by S.A. Sommers
Interconnected Series: Yes
Standalone: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
HEA:
Triggers: Yes
Tags/Tropes:
➢ MMC-Helps-Injured-MMC
➢ Mutual-Secret-Crush
➢ Superheroes-and-Villains
December 14, 2022
Great for the first 75%
3.5 stars. The book was great for the first 75%. The characters were amazing, the plot was good with increasing complexity that sucked you in. Then we got to the climax and the resolution and… everything just became lazy. It’s as if the author got tired, took a long break, and then decided to come back and just “get it done”. The climax was so disappointing and underwhelming and the thing that kept me from giving it that last 1.5 star. I can’t express how upset I am with the “big event” at the end and how we spent the entire book being afraid of this thing with no cure only for what happened to have happened. Hopefully the next book will be better.
Side note: The title makes no sense and seems to have no relation whatsoever to the story or characters. Something else that bugs me.
Edit: The Author’s note mentions major writers block during the pandemic. This makes a lot of sense and explains the ending. Updating my rating to 4.5 stars.
3.5 stars. The book was great for the first 75%. The characters were amazing, the plot was good with increasing complexity that sucked you in. Then we got to the climax and the resolution and… everything just became lazy. It’s as if the author got tired, took a long break, and then decided to come back and just “get it done”. The climax was so disappointing and underwhelming and the thing that kept me from giving it that last 1.5 star. I can’t express how upset I am with the “big event” at the end and how we spent the entire book being afraid of this thing with no cure only for what happened to have happened. Hopefully the next book will be better.
Side note: The title makes no sense and seems to have no relation whatsoever to the story or characters. Something else that bugs me.
Edit: The Author’s note mentions major writers block during the pandemic. This makes a lot of sense and explains the ending. Updating my rating to 4.5 stars.
August 28, 2022
This needed another editing pass, it read like a draft. I didn't mind the occasional missing word or grammatical error, but the plot really needed to be tightened up. Oliver's repressed memories and stepdad showing up at 90% for no apparent reason, Group N doesn't really make sense, villains forgetting about the trackers they were all wearing, Lydia's brother randomly being an evil mastermind. It didn't make a lot of sense, but it feels so close to coalescing into something fun and interesting. Also the only superhero's costume that is described is Gladiator's. We never learn what Oliver's costume is (actually I don't think there's even a description of Oliver other than his height). Where's the fun in that - why write a supehero book with no tongue-in-cheek awareness of superheroes?
April 6, 2024
It's not actually heroes vs villains, but Lawful Good vs Chaotic Good, and I'm glad both sides figured that out by the end of the book as that left room for it to be a nice setup to Good vs Evil later in the series.
It's light, low angst fun and I really enjoyed both the characters and the storyline. The book gave me the same vibes as the movie Mystery Men with the same fun low-stakes ride.
Side note
I think the author probably fixed some of the reviewer's complaints, because there's a great list at the front of the book with the names of who is who in case you need a reminder on secret identities for both heroes and villains. Also I found a couple missing words, but nothing like the prior editing complaints and the missing words didn't change the meaning or make things unclear so they didn't bother me at all.
It's light, low angst fun and I really enjoyed both the characters and the storyline. The book gave me the same vibes as the movie Mystery Men with the same fun low-stakes ride.
Side note
I think the author probably fixed some of the reviewer's complaints, because there's a great list at the front of the book with the names of who is who in case you need a reminder on secret identities for both heroes and villains. Also I found a couple missing words, but nothing like the prior editing complaints and the missing words didn't change the meaning or make things unclear so they didn't bother me at all.
August 15, 2025
The beginning idea was great, I absolutely loved the idea of big tough hero going to twinkish minor villain for safety. Cass was fascinating, I loved he was absolutely crushing on Oliver, but wasn't 100% comfortable moving forward initially much because of having been in the closet for literally so long.
The grammar mistakes like oddly spaced paragraphs without clarifying speaker were annoying, a very strange name change, a rushed ending, and the lack of personality in the dozen other characters was not enjoyable. There's a listing of heroes and villains, but besides telling you aliases, it's not useful. Maybe if it had listed powers or big events, it would have been better to be able to differentiate the characters.
The grammar mistakes like oddly spaced paragraphs without clarifying speaker were annoying, a very strange name change, a rushed ending, and the lack of personality in the dozen other characters was not enjoyable. There's a listing of heroes and villains, but besides telling you aliases, it's not useful. Maybe if it had listed powers or big events, it would have been better to be able to differentiate the characters.
July 20, 2023
DNF at 70%.
This was just a mess! The idea was great, but there was so many wholes in the story, and many things that didn’t make sense at all, that is was just frustrating.
I mean how many time can you say that Oliver/Rook was a honorable thief? It felt that they kept saying he was a saint but did petty things every 2 pages!
OMG we got the point, you want him to become a hero or something!
Don’t start me on the editing issues as well!
This was just a hot mess, that wanted to replicate C.Rochelle “Not all himbos wear capes”. It was a total failure.
Do yourself a favor and skip this book!
This was just a mess! The idea was great, but there was so many wholes in the story, and many things that didn’t make sense at all, that is was just frustrating.
I mean how many time can you say that Oliver/Rook was a honorable thief? It felt that they kept saying he was a saint but did petty things every 2 pages!
OMG we got the point, you want him to become a hero or something!
Don’t start me on the editing issues as well!
This was just a hot mess, that wanted to replicate C.Rochelle “Not all himbos wear capes”. It was a total failure.
Do yourself a favor and skip this book!
September 14, 2025
I gave this book 5 stars as it was pretty good and kept me engaged. I liked the premise and the characters.
I had read some negative reviews. I think perhaps the author had the book re-edited and fixed grammar and other technical issues. The review that mentions Leo appears from nowhere- the author probably could have made that clearer but she did explain it was a nickname for a character that was spoke about several times earlier in the book.
I didn’t feel the end was really rushed. I do think as she keeps writing she will get smoother and tie up little threads. But overall, for its genre, this is a really fun book to read.
I had read some negative reviews. I think perhaps the author had the book re-edited and fixed grammar and other technical issues. The review that mentions Leo appears from nowhere- the author probably could have made that clearer but she did explain it was a nickname for a character that was spoke about several times earlier in the book.
I didn’t feel the end was really rushed. I do think as she keeps writing she will get smoother and tie up little threads. But overall, for its genre, this is a really fun book to read.
December 7, 2021
Loved it
I’ve heard a premise for a story like this floating about on the internet before but when I saw this book I was super stoked! Finally! And this is great! Cass (aka Gladiator, a hero) and Rook (aka Oliver, a minor villain) were great characters. It was cute too that Cass was a little low-key stalker-y about Rook haha. I was constantly interested in this book, the world building and dynamics involved. I’m glad it part of a series and this isn’t just a one-off. I hope Cass’ brother, Lucian gets a happy-ending in particular.
I’ve heard a premise for a story like this floating about on the internet before but when I saw this book I was super stoked! Finally! And this is great! Cass (aka Gladiator, a hero) and Rook (aka Oliver, a minor villain) were great characters. It was cute too that Cass was a little low-key stalker-y about Rook haha. I was constantly interested in this book, the world building and dynamics involved. I’m glad it part of a series and this isn’t just a one-off. I hope Cass’ brother, Lucian gets a happy-ending in particular.
June 20, 2023
Not sure why all the harsh comments. This was a really enjoyable read. Sure a few mistakes and a few confusing/rushed scenes where you got the impression you had skipped over something. But overall I loved it. I loved the idea of civil villains, i loved both protagonists, i loved the sex scenes (smoking hot), and I though the plot was pretty interesting. I agree that it could have benefited from a little bit of editing and refining, but the core of it was solid. I would give it a 4.5 but after seeing all those (in my opinion) unfair reviews, i’ll go with 5 starts.
December 4, 2021
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the dystopian world where superheroes and villains co-exist, and where rules must be followed to protect that balance, as well as the common citicens.
The fact that a third party threatens to destroy that balance, only adds another layer of danger to the seemingly impossible relationship between a hero and a villain.
I'll be anxiously waiting for the second book, 'Flying Fowl'. :)
The fact that a third party threatens to destroy that balance, only adds another layer of danger to the seemingly impossible relationship between a hero and a villain.
I'll be anxiously waiting for the second book, 'Flying Fowl'. :)
December 30, 2021
Enjoyable premise
Enjoyed the premise, it's interesting and enjoyable and the characters are engaging.
The plot is fairly good, although at times I got a bit lost with how much time had passed and what the heroes had uncovered, as it seemed to jump forward random intervals without explication and characters would mention things they knew but it wasn't obvious how they knew it.
I think I'll still read the next book though.
Enjoyed the premise, it's interesting and enjoyable and the characters are engaging.
The plot is fairly good, although at times I got a bit lost with how much time had passed and what the heroes had uncovered, as it seemed to jump forward random intervals without explication and characters would mention things they knew but it wasn't obvious how they knew it.
I think I'll still read the next book though.
March 29, 2022
💕 Read for the 2022 URR Bingo challenge at URR™ 💕
Bingo Images:
•• 24. Behind The Mask ••
🌟 2.5 Stars 🌟
Bingo Images:
September 30, 2023
This book had so much potential and just kinda fell short. I loved the premise of this story and the characters seemed pretty cool, if not fully fleshed out. However, at times there was an info dump from the author while in other places I felt a little lost and didn't quite understand what was going on. There were also some sections that were fantastic and exciting. I would really love the author or a decent editor to review this story as it has so much promise.
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