Reviewed by Elizabetta

TITLE: In Distress

SERIES: Superpowered Love, #6

AUTHOR: Katey Hawthorne

PUBLISHER: Loose Id LLC

LENGTH: 82 pages

BLURB:

Part of Loose Id’s Missed Connections Collection.

 

Hopeless romantic Eddie Kim acts out his favorite ‘rescued by the white knight’ fantasies through weekly D&D campaigns, but had almost given up hope of ever getting a real one. Then Callum, a mysterious red-head with freezing superpowers and a memorable kiss, saves him from a house but disappears without a trace. Taking pity on him, Eddie’s friends look to craiglist to relocate his hero.

 

Unfortunately, the publicity brings down the kind of attention Callum Race been trying to avoid; he’s in town to try and clear his family name, and now the dangerous superpowered organization he needs to thwart know he’s come home again. Still, he can’t help following up with Eddie.

 

The heat between Callum and Eddie flares instantly, and Eddie insists on helping to undo the damage his romantic notions have done. The problem: that will mean becoming embroiled in a nefarious plot, not to mention a superpowered world Eddie didn’t even know existed a week ago. The ‘bad guys’ will try to trick and use him, and in the meantime he has to convince Cal to trust him enough to be the white knight for once–and for real–instead of the perpetual damsel in distress.

 

REVIEW:

 

This is the latest addition to the author’s Superpowered Love series, paranormal romances about guys with superpowers (awakened) living among us regular, unsuspecting folk (sleepers). The powers vary around being able to control physical phenomena such as heat, electricity, or, in this case, cold. Any of the stories can be read as a stand alone.

 

In Distress is Eddie Kim’s story. He’s a pretty-boy barista who gets rescued by Callum, a mysterious, chill dude who can lob frost-novas from his hands. And who is also hiding out from some bad guys with skills of their own.

 

Eddie is a nerdy dreamer who enjoys his RPG fun with friends… he loves to fantasize about shining knights, damsels in distress and romantic rescues. He’s a gender-fluid pretty-boy, comfortable in his own skin, but he hasn’t yet found his own real-life hero. So, it’s no surprise that Callum makes a real impression when he sweeps in one night, using his frosty smack-down to save Eddie from a sudden house fire. Eddie is charmed, and he easily accepts the existence of supers in the world — hey, they fit right into his fantasies.

 

There is no amount of frost that can put out the fire that eventually kindles between these two lads, especially when Eddie finds out that Cal gets the gender bending…

 

“You didn’t know I was a boy… the night you saved me.” (Eddie)

 

“I didn’t care… I mean, I care, but it wouldn’t change my, um, attraction… I should’ve asked before about the pronouns. (Do) You use he and him, or should I be using something else?” (Callum)

 

Swoon.

 

And Eddie comes to appreciate how Cal’s skills can enhance the sexytimes…

 

“…the boy had a talent, ok?” […] “…he reached out and touched my stomach…and the cum froze in my belly button…Cal, you just made a cum-sicle. Seriously?”

 

Such a funny boy.

 

Some issues… It takes a while for Eddie and Cal to actually get together in the story, which is unfortunate because, really, this quickie is more about the cute hook-up than the meanies. The bad guys and their beef with Cal turn out to be kinda lightweight. But, when Eddie finds out about Cal’s troubles, he insists on helping him out. Eddie discovers he can do some rescuing of his own. It’s all fluid. Come to think of it… I would have liked more delving into the other side of Eddie’s gender fluidity.

 

I like this author’s style… Eddie is a great character and all the fun and clever references to popular culture help shape him. Eddie lives by D&D, LOTR (a crush on Aragorn), GOT (a crush on Jon Snow), Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the TV show, Reign (a crush on the costumes). He and Cal also share a love of all things Led Zeppelin and Ke$ha; they are too freaking cute. In Distress is a light, fun nosh with two smart, engaging characters I wouldn’t mind reading more about.

 

RATING:

 

BUY LINKS: Katey Hawthorne Loose ID Amazon Barnes&Noble Are