Reviewed by: Sue Eaton
TITLE: Invincible Nemesis
SERIES: Heroes of Vanguard #4
AUTHOR: Ryder O’Malley
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 360 pages
RELEASE DATE: March 14, 2023
BLURB:
Call me Sentinel. I lead the world’s foremost superhero team. But shhh, nobody knows.
I do a pretty good job balancing my social and work life, even if that job is saving the planet. Of course, that blows up in my face when a villain outs my secret identity on national television. Vanguard’s bad guys will not waste this opportunity to exact their revenge. Fixing this damage will require more coffee.
Being a hero is dangerous. That’s why I broke off the relationship with my ex. Now he’s back demanding answers. I might be damn near invincible, but a thick hide won’t protect me from the hurt in his eyes. Does this mean he still cares? I should focus on saving Vanguard, but this daddy bear can’t shake the idea that we have unfinished business. Bernard, you should have stayed in bed.
This is bad, even for a Monday.
REVIEW:
Welcome back to the Heroes of Vanguard books, Bernard, the last of the group of friends is getting his story. Whilst we have met Bernard in all the previous books in the series, we don’t know much about him, apart from the fact that he is a loyal friend and gives great advice. I was excited to read this book to find out more about the enigmatic Bernard.
What is a superhero to do when his alter ego is revealed to the world and the team you lead has been disbanded and you are surplus to requirements? Poor Sentinel / Bernard. He has a lot thrown at him and frankly he feels adrift not knowing what to do next but reluctant to confide in his friends.
Imagine his surprise when the guy he has been chatting to on an app turns out to be the one who got away, his ex-boyfriend, the one he never forgot, the one he gave up to protect people as a superhero.
Jason finds himself in Vanguard City and is very surprised to find Bernard, who left him like a thief in the night, no note, no explanation, he was just gone. He loved him, he hated him, can he love him again?
This is a second chance romance, Bernard does a lot of soul searching as his biggest fear is that now everyone knows who he is, that villains will come after Jason, which is why he left him originally to keep him safe. He also questions what he does next be a sole Superhero, join a new team, lead his old team, give everything up and a million other variations on this theme.
It was great to watch Bernard work through his insecurities and fears and I loved Jason very no nonsense perspective that Bernard can’t protect him from every risk in life, and that he doesn’t need protection but he needs Bernard.
I also loved that Damien Vex the thorn in the side of the group of friends since the beginning finally gets his comeuppance, or does he? There are surprising twists and turns in this book and I was thrilled to find out at the end, that whilst this is the end of Heroes of Vanguard series, there is another series coming featuring the Villains of Vanguard which I can’t wait to read.
RATING: 
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