I received a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Perfect World by Shari Sakura (2015)
Perfect World is an adult sci-fi novel with an m/m enemies to lovers (superhero and supervillain) romance.
If you follow me on Twitter, then you know I'm a huge fan of Vicious, as well as an Evervale shipper. So when I got this review request, I was over the moon! Superhero novels are quite rare in the traditional publishing space, so this was a pleasant surprise.
My rating: 3.5/5 stars
Here's the summary from Goodreads:
My rating: 3.5/5 stars
Here's the summary from Goodreads:
It is the year 2115 and the world is very different. With climate changes, natural disasters and war shaping the landscape, England has become a nation made up of several super cities and wasteland in between.
Eric Rawlins is a genetically engineered superhero created by the London Security Agency (L.S.A) to defend and protect the city against both national and international threats. With his superior abilities, celebrity status and beautiful girlfriend, Eric appears to have the perfect life. However, it is an illusion created by the L.S.A in order to control him.
Eric's nemesis is the charismatic Adam Larimore. The only son of billionaire business tycoon Victor Larimore, Adam is gifted with a genius level IQ as well as the same longevity as Eric.
When the actions of the L.S.A throw the two of them together Eric finds himself questioning everything that he has ever known as well as discovering the true course of events that led to Adam turning to a life of crime. As they become closer Eric realises that the L.S.A may be the real threat to London. But can he trust Adam or is he part of Adam’s plan for revenge against those who have wronged him?
WHAT I LIKED
1. The characters
At a first glance, the characters seem simple. Eric, our protagonist, is a kind superhero who believes in justice and equality. Adam, our villain, is an evil genius who hides a vulnerable side. But they started to grow on me as I read on. Eric seems kind of dumb but... he's so precious. I usually prefer antiheroes so I was surprised that I adored this genuinely good guy. PURE BOY.
Also lmao Adam dresses like a 2000s emo kid and that's just the funniest thing ever, imagining a super genius supervillain who looks like a teenager who posted emo song lyrics on Myspace.
2. The latter half of the romance
I wasn't fond of the build-up to the romance but once it started going... it was very sweet! Not sure if this counts as a spoiler but... Adam learns how to be selfless to prove that he loves Eric. Sobs. Villain redemption is my weakness.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
1. Info dumping
This is a problem with most SFF novels, and I don't like it. There was a lot of narrative info-dumping that I felt could have been showed, not told. Eh.
2. Build up to the romance
See, the author pitched this as an enemies to lovers romance, so I was already fully expecting the romance. And yet it caught me off guard. I was like, "why is this happening already??" I expected a little more build up. You know... sharing feelings and backstories and "you're not alone" "neither are you" "nobody knows me" "but I do" before the smooching. They do end up connecting on a deeper level, don't worry, but the physical attraction got there first. So it's just a personal preference, I suppose.
3. Sparse prose
I'm the type of reader that prefers lush descriptions and vivid prose. Unfortunately, I felt like the author's writing style was too blunt for my taste. There were also some small grammatical errors. Despite that, it was an easy read and I finished it in two days. And by the end... I already wanted more and got the sequel :))
Quick categories
Steamy hatefuck scale: 3/5
- Even when Eric hates Adam... he's still super nice, so we don't have enough steaminess HAHHA
Secret softness scale: 4/5
- They start with the physicality but move onto emotional connection, which is very sweet. Once Adam reveals his true self and Eric realizes he isn't so bad, they have a lot of kilig-worthy moments. There was also a really surprising scene where they get into a tub together... which made me ??? confused af because they weren't that close yet... but squee.
Holy shit plot twist scale: 5/5
- I was legitimately not expecting the ending plot twist hahah it wasn't even that wild but it definitely made me appreciate the novel more. The romance plays with your expectations and I fell right into the trap... Happily.
For fans of...
This novel is for every single person who shipped a hero and a villain and had to read some fanfic because their ship didn't become canon. This is for US. FOR YOU.
[You can purchase this book here]
This novel is for every single person who shipped a hero and a villain and had to read some fanfic because their ship didn't become canon. This is for US. FOR YOU.
[You can purchase this book here]
1 comments
Yeah unfortunately superhero books are quite rare. It's good the romance heated up eventually. But a pity about the sparse world building. And I also prefer luscious prose. Excellent review!
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