Review: Aphrodite’s Flame by Julie Kenner

Author - Julie Kenner
Genre - Fantasy
Series - Superhero Central #4
Format - Paperback (338p.)
Rating - 2/5 stars

EVEN BAD BOYS...
Since his father was the world's most super villain, Mordi was used to being bad. He'd helped his sire in countless plots, and only recently freed himself from the man's evil influence. But now his father was turning over a new leaf, joining the good guys, just as Mordi met the woman of his dreams. How lucky was that?

HAVE TO FALL IN LOVE.
Bad boys!? Isole wasn't used to them. At least not in this way. Usually, she'd freeze 'em cold, but this time it was hard enough just keeping her cool. For years she'd been a Protector, a super heroine, but a dark presence was trying to sway her allegiance. Worse, the best thing in her life since her first propulsion cloak was Mordi: a dark-haired hunk whose sweet green eyes belied a past and a pedigree of evil. He was gorgeous, and someone she could love. He made her burn with desire, and nothing she did could put out the flames.

*Possible Spoilers Warning*

• Liked •
The romance was sweet. A bit naïve , but sweet nonetheless. And I love the little “Jumping Jupiter” and such taglines. Think I may steal that one. And the only thing saving it from DNF, the love scenes (all 2 of them at the very end) were hot.

• Didn't like •
When I read a book that I plan on reviewing, I take notes of things that I liked, and things that I didn’t. Then arrange them into some semblance of a review that could be understood. (I hope.) Unfortunately, there was so much wrong with this book that I just can’t sift through all the crap I wrote. I want to forget this book more than I want my next breath. So, what I’ll do is just give a few of my notes that I took. In no particular order…

• Dialog seems forced, fake, stiff, boring.
• Sloooow read that goes in circles with no progress. Didn’t I just read this in an earlier chapter?
• If she screeches “Daddy!” one more time, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.
• Is Kenner insulting my intelligence?
• Isole is an annoying, TSTL twit.
• How convenient! That motel is right across the street from the accident and yet nobody saw/heard anything.
• High chance of concussion after putting head through windshield, but no hospital? And allowed to sleep?
• He strips her to dry clothes then re-dresses her all while she’s unconscious? And then, is surprised about the color of her bra later? O.o
• Wait, I thought they couldn’t touch…
• Now she can magically “turn her powers off”. But couldn’t in the first two thirds of the book.
• Why is every page a new chapter at the end?
• Because it’s so normal to see 3 people flying through the air wearing superhero capes!

• Final thoughts •
Overall, this book is a bad nightmare you get after watching too much Superman. I couldn’t believe in the characters, the plot, or even the world that was drawn. There was so much wrong, little and big. Izzy and Mordi weren’t even described until very late in the book, and then only eye/hair color for Izzy and just eye color for Mordi. At least the blurb mentioned he had dark hair... Other than that, I hated this book and can not recommend it unless it's free or from the library.

★★