The Hero and the Hidden Royal: Royal Powers Book 2, Renae Kaye

I usually adore this author and while this story was a nice one, it didn't really meet what I've come to expect from them. This was a sweet story that's in a truly compelling world that started with a bang in Duking it Out by E.J. Russell, but has kind of fizzled in terms of the individual relationships. There is some crossover in some drama that occurs in the first story which gives a bit of cohesion here, but the romance in this story just wasn't compelling.

Both men were cute at first, but there was a whole lot of inner monologuing and description and storytelling that didn't make the story feel dynamic. It instead dragged where more dialogue and perhaps even a dual POV would have given us something different, something...just more, I suppose. I liked where we ended up and that Derek mostly figured himself out and was eventually recognized by the royals for his courage. That was a bright spot because it showed character evolution, but the romance was tame and Sam was short-sighted with his role in the whole drama. His sweetness and interest in Derek was good though, so it was enough to think they were a good match.

So overall this was a nice story, just not a compelling one. The world is more interesting than this particular couple and I'm hoping that the series gets back to where we started.

*$3.99 on Amazon

One frightened man with an illegal superpower. One brave man who wants him regardless.

Both are put to the ultimate test. And failure is not an option.

Derek Carson has a superpower—invisibility. But in a country where all those born into the royal family have a superpower, Derek is banned from using his power because he’s not “officially” in the royal family tree. He’s required to conceal it, but how can he do that when fear triggers his invisibility?

And Derek is afraid of everything—spiders, insects, strangers, thunder, heights…. Without control of his power, an invisible man is actually a hard thing to hide. He’s never been brave in his entire life, until the night he rescues a stranger who attempts to stop a robbery.

Sam Jeffries is everything Derek wishes he could be—big and strong, with a protective streak a mile wide—but most of all, Sam is brave. Unlike Derek, Sam’s not afraid of anything. Sam is hero material.

For Sam, dating a guy who’s not only scared of many things, but is invisible most of the time, is not easy. However he thinks Derek is worth it. When Derek turns invisible on him, Sam just kisses him until he forgets about his anxieties and reappears.

But when Derek is kidnapped, both will be tested.

Now Sam has something to fear and Derek must be brave enough to survive.