One thought on “Where There's Smoke”

1. 3.5 stars What if instead of rooting for the heroes, you cheered for the villains What if you fell in love with one Unlike a lot of readers, I m not a comic book fan I have an embarrassingly small knowledge base about superheros and graphic novels, and unless it is common superhero knowledge at a Kindergarten level, I don t know about it.Honestly, I shouldn t have liked this story but I did.No sex, one POV, very little build up between the two MCs getting together, a very short novella, and a cl [...]

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2. This is the author s dedication at the beginning of the book For everybody who always preferred the villain I feel you, people I ve always liked the villains In fact, the only superhero I ve ever liked is Captain America, and that probably has to do with Chris Evans hot bod than it does with Captain America as a character So this book was right up my alley, and it totally delivered.Panopolis is a city of heroes and villains The politicians are dirty, and in the pockets of various pharmaceutica [...]

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3. Raul told me that spoiler had beggedd he hadn t listened to him All I could see was you, he said, and that was all sorts of fucked up and horrifying and amazing I held him closer and kissed him harder Loved the world building, the different superheroes villains and the story frame of SuperTruther s blog My only minor complaint is that I would ve enjoyed details about the beginning of Eddie and Raul s fucked up love my favorite kind.Can t wait for the sequel Thanks for the great read, BR buddies [...]

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4. I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.I really enjoyed this story The romance was nice, and I appreciate that it was instant attraction not instant love The characters were well developed, and I liked that both Edward and Raul were well developed, and interesting The highlight for me was the world building though I love the author s exploration of super heroes and villains, and how corporations and the government fit into the mix It was nicely nuanced, [...]

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5. That was great Very entertaining I connected with the characters well, especially Edward.Can t wait for the next one

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6. Why would he want that He gets the guy You re a Villain, I said But that doesn t make you a bad person I loved this novella I loved the world building Panopolis is a city of Heroes and Villains but not everything is black and white Heroes may not be so honorable and Villains aren t completely evil I also loved the insights we get from SuperTruther s blog posts.I would ve liked of a relationship build up between Edward and Raul instead of skipping months ahead but I still adored these two togeth [...]

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7. Buddy read 05 07 15 Let the Villainy begin DThanks to my buddies I enjoyed reading with you, though sadly I couldn t share your enthusiasm Rounding up, unimpressed but saw lots of potential.An interesting world but characters that failed to ignite.I felt I was reading a really great story outline that never got filled out There are no character descriptions, late into the story I had a stronger impression of a minor character from the bank than I did the main character or his villain boyfriend O [...]

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8. 4.5 STARS Where There s Smoke is a refreshingly original and very clever, if a little dark and distorted, view, of the world of comic book heroes and villains Cari Zee has expertly penned and brilliantly executed a story that has me all kinds of excited to get my hands on the next book, which for me, has been set up perfectly.I have to admit, I m not a comic book or superhero fan and I have never read a book by Cari Z, but that blurb I couldn t resist and just had to oneclick and I am so glad I [...]

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9. That was fun I have always had a thing for superhero stories and this take on the genre was just so clever It definitely opened my eyes to the other side It made me feel a little naughty to be rooting for the villain but believe me, I totally was and still am This has great world building and the blog posts at the beginning of each chapter kept my mind wide open.I can t wait for the next book Thanks for the Buddy Read gang Buddy Read topic show

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10. I picked this up on a lark after reading Cari s LOR story, Ten Simple Tips for Surviving the Apocalypse I am not disappointed in my purchase.Where There s Smoke is a great start to a series Ordinarily, I don t like serials but every once in a while one comes along that I can t resist sinking my teeth into.This was one of those times.Where There s Smoke takes place in the fictional city of Panopolis which sounds a lot like Gotham with corrupt politicians who have, possibly probably , sinister int [...]

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11. Things I Find While ShelvingI received a free ARC via NetGalleyOnly complaint is I want .The city of Panopolis is populated by Heroes and Villains Usually created by some weird ass science experiments going horribly wrong, the city has a never ending battle between the two groups Before Edward moved there, it seemed like Heroes were practically the welcoming committee Now he lives there, works in a bank, and is starting to figure out that being average in Panopolis isn t so great.I suppose this [...]

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12. 4.5 rounded up.LOVED IT AH I need the next one like yesterday.Review Now Available Scattered Thoughts Rogue WordsWhoops Realized I forgot to edit with the link to my review See above Just got my review copy dances happily YAY.

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13. Sewper fun full review on Prism Book Alliance This is cool as hell It opens in a way that grabbed me and wouldn t let go I simply shrugged and said, ok, let s go I was glad I d already eaten lunch and taken a pee break, nether one was going to happen again until I finished reading this.Mystery A fantastically imaginative take on heroes and villains and what exactly defines them A great narrator in the main character It s all here, traveling at a steady clip, with a healthy dose of tongue in chee [...]

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14. Likes The idea of a city that is filled with super powered guys, both Heroes and Villains Villain being the good guy in this case, the love interest Edward chooses to be with the villain it s not like he s a huge fan of a Villain and wants to be part of their worldDislikes For a love interest, Raul The Mad Bombardier feels notably absent there seemed to be scenes with the creepy stalky Hero The time jump after the first date it felt telling arther than showing I d love it better if I can be the [...]

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15. This novella wasa lot better than I thought it would be Let s face it, the premise of this book is all sorts of awesome I might have the guilty pleasure of rooting for the villain sometimes okay, maybe about 45% of the time , so Where There s Smoke is a great way for me to explore this very aspect.First and foremost, you ll have to suspend your logical beliefs as one would when reading about super heroes in a comic book There s really no logic for some of the heroes and villains portrayed in thi [...]

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16. 5 stars for the Audiobook.4 Stars for the story , this was ok, though short loved the whole Villains Heroes theme.

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17. Well that was funOnce again I ve gotten to enjoy a book that s sat on my TBR list for much longer than it should have thanks to the fun that is audio books.Panopolis is an unusual city that seems to be filled with superheroes and super villains and a lot of ordinary normal people who tend to get caught in the cross fire of their battles Edward Dinges just happens to be one of those ordinary, normal people and his life is about to become rather complicated and extra ordinary when the bank he work [...]

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18. 3 could have been much better An intriguing premise of a story that fell short on delivering The character description is lacking The blossoming romance sucks There is no relationship development due to a shitty time jump of ONE YEAR Me, in every story with untimely heh time jump The two main characters basically meet, and then in one page or so, a year had passed and they are a happy couple.I hate see above time jumps They take me out of the story and I loose my relation with the characters whi [...]

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19. DNF 45%Everything is being skimmed over so quickly It s a good story but it needs meat for lack of a better term.Kinda makes me sad Netgalley read

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20. Edward works in a bank, which would make you think he has a pretty boring life But in the city of Panopolis, where Heroes and Villains are common than the common cold, working in a bank or walking down the street pretty much means life is never going to be dull Especially for Edward, who, amidst a bank robbery by the Mad Bombardier, finds himself drawn to the masked Villain Which really aught to be a lot upsetting than it is But after few flowers, a bit of talking, and some rather quick soul s [...]

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21. Fast, quirky, very KICK ASS I loved, loved this story I loved the fun grit, Alcatraz like experimentation and the whole dealio about superheroes vs supervillains Eat that Steelheart Raul AKA Mad Bombardier and Edward Dinges are just super sweet and fun together Can t wait to see Edward s power evolving in the next book

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22. 4.5 StarsThis was such a good read Seriously good Nothing like these Heroes and, really, Villains to get you going and I don t normally get into them I picked this book on the strength of Rules to Live By and I am so glad I did Loved it Cari Z has written an interesting, compelling, sexy novella and I cannot wait to move on to the next instalment with Edward and Raul, aka The Mad Bombardier Non spoiler in depth review on the blog

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23. The first novella in a new series by Cari Z and I loved it Cari Z always writes stories that are different and when you read them you know that you are getting something unique Not a trope in sight This story takes us to Panopolis a city which is pulled between the forces of good and evil between the Heroes and the Villains, but what happens when an ordinary joe falls for a Villain Edward was born in Panopolis and is pretty much an ordinary joe He has a job in a bank, an apartment and life is so [...]

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24. A while ago I listened to an an audio book with characters that had super abilities that put themselves above the law and were walking a fine line between good and evil I enjoyed it I would have enjoyed it had it been targeted towards adults.With Heroes and Villains, a broken justice system, and a corrupt political system, with a small side of romance, Where There s Smoke was right up my alley Panopolis is swarming with Heroes and Villains There is a thin gray line that differentiates the two t [...]

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25. 3.5 StarsInteresting premise and a good start to the world building, but it needed time to build.It also lacked in the relationship building Edward and Raul had so much of their relationship off page I would have liked to have seen time with them as a couple doing couple things around town, etc.Mostly though, I can t say I loved the cliffhanger ending Grr.What I did love was Nick J Russo s narration 5 Stars for the narration His character voices brought this short story to life and definitely [...]

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26. I finished this with a strong, HELL yes Finally, the underdog, the villain, gets his day s Whereas the heroes in this world are screwed up and the system in power is corrupt and seriously flawed, the Mad Bombardier is the real hero Yes, he s a Villain, yes, he steals but he also doesn t hurt people on purpose, is like the only sane Super citizen in the place, is sexy, is a damn sweet and nurturing boyfriend, and just plain rocks.At first I was annoyed cause I would have liked to see the relation [...]

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27. Want , oh look there s one Where There s Fire in like FlynnI loved this, heroes and villains, a created city to contain then, and the hint of a bigger picture via the blog chapter intro s Honestly it was too short, and that detracted a tiny bit because it lacked depth a bit But I m hoping the second book rectifies that.Great fun, and just emotional romantic enough as well

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28. I just love superhero things This book is no exception A normal Joe working at a bank helps a villain who was robbing him and in return the villain sends him flowers as a thank you and invites him for coffee, all of a sudden normal Edward Dingus is dating the super villain The Mad Bombardier what could possibly go wrong, right A really fun short read Totally recommend to anyone who loves hero stuff.

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29. A story set in a city where superheroes and supervillains live and do their thing amongst the average joes and guess what The hero falls for a villain Oh yes, this just had to be read I had a good time reading this one with the fun, intriguing blog posts at the beginning of each chapter and the average joe telling the story of his life that goes from ordinary to all at once.The story opens when Eddie is working his bank job and the Mad Bombardier shows up to rob his bank He does the unheard of [...]

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30. Audiobook Production 5 starsBook 4.5 StarsExcellent read if you like comic book superhero s spoof It s hilarious

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