The Frogman and the Spy: A M/M Superhero RomCom (Royal Powers II Book 2)

The last fourth was the best as it had more action and character focus . Everything that came before was just too much information dump, whether it’s about multiple aliases, departments, skill sets, whatever. The romance and character development was lost, buried underneath a surfeit of exposition. It’s a shame because there’s some nice elements, a great twist, and a start of a potential romance at the end. Definitely could benefit from a sequel.

This was a nice addition to the series. It definitely had the chaos that’s pretty standard in these books. I bumped the rating on up for a couple of reasons 1) I truly didn’t see who the bad guy was and I always love when I’m surprised. 2) I really liked the play on the title. It brought a laugh when it finally dawned on me.

Our main characters were well matched in backgrounds and abilities, and had great chemistry together. And spies are always fun to read about! It was also interesting to have a look at how our royals from previous books are seen by outsiders and the general world. An overall very satisfying read!

This wasn't exactly what I was expecting or hoping for. The premise was outstanding and set me up for something really unique in the Royal Powers world and while some elements were delivered, it was the romance and my connection, or lack thereof, with a certain MC that brought my enjoyment down. Enzo and Jim intrigued one another and me right in the beginning, but that's kind of where that left off. Jim was far more relatable and memorable from start to finish and Enzo was by far the more secretive, even after Jim was bearing some of his most sensitive secrets. That left me cold more often than not because at virtually no point did Enzo actually open up to Jim. I found close to no reason to love his character. It was Jim that carried the story in pretty much every way. As for the romance part there's little to say to recommend it other than Jim's heart, his efforts, his vulnerability, and his grand gesture. There was one moment of vulnerability, maybe two, but his pride, secrecy, and standoffishness became so constant that I just didn't care when those moments came about. Jim deserved far better. Now, I really do know that a spy and a spy can't just bear all at the first attraction, but after Jim proved himself again and again you'd think Enzo would go as far out on the limb as Jim did so they could actually make some headway to solving the conflict. The big moment of confrontation was actually quite interesting though there were bits that kind of seemed rushed and generic because we were running out of time to finish the story. The villain became predictable about halfway through and very little about that was actually resolved so I can't even say that the whole conflict ended well either. Overall it was an interesting story and Jim definitely was the best character and the reason I kept reading. He made the ending very sweet and full of a hope that hadn't existed anywhere in the story prior to that moment. So while I can't say this is my favorite book of the series, there were enough good moments involving a world and an MC that I was truly invested in to find the book relatively enjoyable.

The Frogman and the Spy takes place in the Royal Powers universe and is Book 2 in Season II. The events occur shortly after King Bastien married his consort, Nico. (See book 1 which is King's Ex by EJ Russell). The world is expanding so much and we get a glimpse into the intricate spy network with Enzo (The Frogman) Royal Guard who work closely with King Bas. Jim (the Spy) and his sister Lori (the Wasp) are in North Abarra pretending to be two Americans who are visiting the country while hiding the fact that they're two off-duty CIA agents. They have family connections to Abarra and pose as workers who help Enzo set up the property for Princess Odile's birthday. Princess Odile invites all the Royals and it was wonderful seeing some familiar faces/name drops like Sander, Tarik, Bas, Nico, Remy, Mickey, and Crave whose powers run away from them due to a new group of villains. Both men are hiding secrets and family connections that are intertwined with so many different factions. This was a real page turner with twists and turns in every chapter leaving me wondering who Enzo and Jim could trust only to have the truth sucker punch me! *GASP* That was a real plot twist that I DID NOT SEE COMING! Absolutely brilliant build-up with a surprise that just left me gasping in shock. The politics and world building in this series is so amazing! Everything is connected from the previous books so you should definitely read the first season in order to understand Season II. I'm excited to read more in this wonderful series :)

Jim and his sister Lori are CIA agents who’ve taken leave from the agency for a holiday in their parents’ homeland, which sounds idyllic but is complicated by the fact that 1) the homeland in question is divided into two factions, and political tensions between them are high 2) the nobles of said homeland have super powers, and not everyone is happy about that 3) they’re under cover 4) there’s clearly a dangerous plot afoot. Enzo is supposedly a groundskeeper at the estate Lori and Jim are supposedly newly hired hands -- and of course, nothing and no one is as they seem. This is definitely a story with lots of intrigue, mystery, and uncertainty, and the thriller-like plot devices are engrossing enough to take readers along for quite a ride. The romance between Enzo and Jim develops around the edges of the intrigue-- complicated by the uncertainty of their positions and motivations-- and so while their chemistry feels real, they don’t really get too far as a couple: this is more a story of a (really) turbulent beginning than the arc of a relationship guaranteed an HEA, and I’d qualify the ending as the chance for that HEA rather than one that’s fait accompli. It’s an interesting read, and I enjoyed the intricacies of the plot. *I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

3.5 stars. This was another highly enjoyable entry into this shared world. The reader is left kind of in the dark in the beginning, as the blurb alludes to there being more than meets the eye, so I think it left a layer of excitement as to what was going on and what was going to happen next. As always with this series, the powers were so interesting and novel, I was completely entranced in the story from the start. I did like that this world is expanding somewhat, and makes it seem like this could be happening in the world right now. And the red herrings were so well placed I definitely fell for some of them, and was left guessing what was going on right up until the big reveal (which I always enjoy). I will say the romance was a little sparse, and I wish there was more development there, but overall a very good read!

I am a huge fan of multi-author series and I have enjoyed many of the Royal Powers books. This one has cameos by some of my favorite characters so far and Enzo and Jim were great. Jim’s parents were from Abarra but he and his sister haven’t been there since they were kids. Now they are back as CIA agents undercover to try and discover a threat to the Princess at her birthday celebration. The only problem to Jim’s plans is the head landscaper, Enzo. Enzo is actually undercover at the estate as part of the royal security. The Princess doesn’t know she has security because she doesn’t want it. These two butt heads from the start but their chemistry is almost impossible to ignore. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. These two characters have secrets on top of secrets and they don’t know who all to trust, but ultimately they realize that they can certainly trust each other.

I really enjoyed this addition to the Royal Powers universe. I loved Jim and Enzo; all the attraction despite the mistrust between them just made the scenes between them even steamier. I loved all of the intrigue that there was in this story. I really enjoyed trying to figure out who was behind everything and I loved the big reveal. I thought the story had just enough intrigue to keep you on your toes but not enough to make you want to give up on the story. I loved all of the new side characters as well as the return of some of my favorite royals. Best read as part of the whole Royal Powers universe, I absolutely recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this book. With so many secrets and twists, it kept me guessing until the end and I for sure didn’t expect what happened. “Until Enzo, he’d never met someone who could match him, secret for secret.” Jim and Enzo are a true match. They make me want to try my hand at espionage, or on second thought, perhaps I’ll leave that to the professionals. I loved the cameos scattered throughout and the glimpses we got to see of people’s lives. It was a fun and ribbeting adventure.

The last fourth was the best as it had more action and character focus . Everything that came before was just too much information dump, whether it’s about multiple aliases, departments, skill sets, whatever. The romance and character development was lost, buried underneath a surfeit of exposition. It’s a shame because there’s some nice elements, a great twist, and a start of a potential romance at the end. Definitely could benefit from a sequel.

This was a nice addition to the series. It definitely had the chaos that’s pretty standard in these books. I bumped the rating on up for a couple of reasons 1) I truly didn’t see who the bad guy was and I always love when I’m surprised. 2) I really liked the play on the title. It brought a laugh when it finally dawned on me.

Our main characters were well matched in backgrounds and abilities, and had great chemistry together. And spies are always fun to read about! It was also interesting to have a look at how our royals from previous books are seen by outsiders and the general world. An overall very satisfying read!