As a fan of superhero stories I was immediately drawn to this first book in The Capes series where action sequences seamlessly blended with romance to make an exciting and heart-wrenching journey to HEA. Along the way we're introduced to a spunky heroine proud of her geek status and a slew of superheroes humanized through their interactions with humans willing to put their lives on the line to save others. A particular brotherly duo must work together to save the woman they care for, one who sees her as a sister and the other who sees her as his fantasy woman, from a radical group whose hatred of superheroes gains strength every day in numerous pulse-pounding scenes.Wendy has been Guardian Draco's personal assistant for four years and been fighting her attraction to him all that time. Seeing him with countless models makes her feel unworthy of him though as she's got curves, difficulty in social situations, and an obsession with online gaming and a sci-fi TV show. For a woman brought up in an orphanage the only family she has are through her gaming and TV fandom, so it's a lonely life she leads that often has her wishing for a family of her own. I adored Wendy and her unabashed love of a sci-fi show and its moral code by which she lives by and is inspired by. She's spunky and is a breath of sunshine when things are bleak. She's very naive when it comes to matters of sex and seeing her learn firsthand about the birds and the bees is surprisingly sweet and definitely sexy with the charming Draco being her teacher.Draco had a harsh childhood with a father who abandoned him and his brother Ace leaving them to fend for themselves. Being a superhero didn't make them rich until Draco founded a company where heroes are for hire. It's a dangerous life he leads with secrecy being very important as he never wants his loved ones put in jeopardy because of him. It's getting harder to keep Wendy at arms length once her life is threatened and bringing her to his home, where no other woman has been, makes him even more attracted to her and desperate to be the truly heroic man she sees in him. Draco is sometimes arrogant but always charming. He's extremely loyal to those he cares about and his brotherly interactions with Ace were playful and heartwarmingly realistic. In his protective mode he felt the need to control everything which led to him becoming consumed by work and weighed down by responsibility that made me ache for him and happy that Wendy could bring comfort and joy to his life.Though we see a few other secondary superheroes the main focus is on Ace who's boyishly carefree and charming. His abilities aren't always easy to deal with and I found myself wanting to comfort him after his fight scenes. He's loyal to his brother but not afraid to tell him when he's wrong. His protectiveness towards Wendy was sweet and truly sisterly and it was at that moment that I saw a little family forming and it brought a tear to my eye. Complimenting the fast-paced and exhilarating action sequences was a steamy romance full of sexual tension that culminated in a memorable sexual interlude. The mystery of who's trying to hurt Draco through those he loves is well done but with a villain that I found to be obvious and a rather bland comeuppance for his dastardly deeds. From start to finish I found myself completely immersed in this story, it's compelling and heartfelt characters, and am greatly looking forward to Ace's book as a secret come to life late in this story should make for interesting ramifications in the next story. Draco Powers is superhero, but one who charges for his services and provides health care to other superheroes in his employ. Wendy Warner is his handler, but she can't help but see him as more than her boss.When Draco's company, Powers Inc. is threatened by The Organization, and he and Wendy find their lives on the line, will it push them closer, into something more intimate, or keep Draco from getting close to anyone?This is a wonderful superhero story. While Draco is a larger-than-life character, Wendy is realistic and relateable, the perfect person to balance him. I enjoyed getting to know them as well as many of the minor characters.The storyline is common to what I expect a superhero story to embody, but with twists and turns I didn't see coming.If you're a fan of Superman, Batman, Spiderman, or any of the other good-willed men with secret identities, you'll enjoy this twist on their stories. I look forward to reading the next in the series.
What do You think about Seductive Powers (2000)?
This was done with tongue in cheak and it was fun for that reason.
—Whitney
