REVIEW All Superheroes Need Photo Ops (Supers in the City #2) by Elizabeth Stephens

All Supheroes Need Photo Ops (Supers in the City #2) by Elizabeth Stephens
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: November 25, 2025
Format: eBook and Audiobook (Kindle Unlimited)
Publisher: Montlake  

I thought that the first book in the Supers in the City series by Elizabeth Stephens, All Superheroes Need PR, was great but the sequel All Superheroes Need Photo Ops blew it out of the water. Monica, the war photographer that we meet in the first book, has been adjusting to life out of war zones and following the lifes of various 'Champions', or the group of beings that fell from the sky when they were young and are now considered superheroes. The Wyvern, one of the leads of the previous book, is now the most popular superhero on the planet. However, the former top dog, Taranis, isn't thrilled that he's losing out on the attention and contracts Monica to follow him around for photo ops. Sparks fly, and a much more dynamic relationship ensues (along with more superpowered clashes).

Without spoiling the events of the first book, its safe to say that the action is moving very quickly. The author revealed more of the mystery surrounding the champions and their powers in this book, and it left me excited for the rumored third book in the series (and who I think the main focus will be). Monica and Taranis have a very different relationship than Vanessa and the Wyvern do, but it makes sense for them. There were definitely scenes that get very spicy (i.e. the limo post gala), which put this very clearly into adult romance territory. The action also gets more intense, and graphic, so anyone whose worried about being triggered should check the content warnings before opening the book.

Overall, this was a fantastic read. I highly recommend it to fans of adult romance, especially with the superheroes tropes or monster/alien romance. A great choice if you have Kindle Unlimited.Sean Crisden and Emery Erickson did an excellent job bringing Monica and Taranis’ perspectives to life with their performance in the audiobook.

Content Warnings: Kidnapping/Captivity, Graphic Violence, Torture, War 

REVIEW A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim

A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: June 3, 2025
Format: eBook (Personal Library) + Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

A Forgery of Fate by Elizabeth Lim is a new standalone fantasy romance that's filled with Lim's signature worldbuilding (and dragons!), slow burn romance, and lots of East-Asian inspired elements. Audiobook narrator Mirai did an excellent job bringing the story to life with her performance. While the book is marketed as a Beauty and the Beast reimagining, the story focuses more on the mission and the fantasy elements than the romance. That didn’t detract from the story at all, and helped add to the uniqueness.

Truyan is a gifted art forger who stepped up to take care of her family after her father's disappearance at sea and her mother's gambling habits worsened.. After a sale of a forgery went wrong, Truyan runs into the mysterious 'Demon Prince' Elang who offers her a deal. Protection for her family in exchange for her help (and the use of her gift in painting the future) with overthrowing the Dragon King. The only catch? To overthrow the Dragon King, they both must venture to his domain and underwater kingdom.

The worldbuilding and the chemistry between Tru and Elang were what kept me hooked throughout the story. The author painted such a vivid picture of the underwater kingdom that it was easy to envision in my mind. I didn’t expect to see turtles depicted as handmaidens and mermaids as queens, but it worked well for this book. There's also some major twists and unexpected reveals in Tru and Elang's relationship that I didn't expect. While there's a slow burn romance developing, they also treat each other like reluctant partners in crime a good portion of the time which was entertaining. And all the art metaphors, especially with the main theme of the book being art forgery, were particularly witty; my favorite line was "Gray is the color of truth. The same in art as it is in life, nothing is ever as black and white as it looks."

Overall, this was a great book and a very bingeable fantasy. It's currently listed as a standalone novel, and I liked how the author wrapped up the story threads at the end of the book. I recommend this novel to fans of Lim's earlier works, as well as dragons, fantasy romance, and books inspired by East Asian folklore.