Guest Blogger Lola Dodge - The Appeal of Superheroes in Romance

Superheroes have been killing it for years in Hollywood, and with more and more hero (and hopefully heroine) movies in the pipeline, this trend shows no signs of slowing. Us romance readers and writers love us some alpha males and kick-ass heroines, so hopping on the superhero bandwagon is both natural and satisfying. Who doesn’t want to get on board with the muscle men in tight outfits?

But the appeal of superheroes in romance goes beyond the superficial. Superpowers—and the responsibilities that go with them—always raise the stakes of a story. In addition to romantic and sexual tension, you have the added threats of supervillains, minions, baddies, crime lords, and the occasional apocalypse. The main characters have to get together AND deal with the chaos happening around them. Powers can lead in so many entertaining directions—the conflict of a managing a secret identity, the attention you get for being an out-of-the closet hero, the awe and fear of coming into your abilities, or the crushing requirements of those who need saving. All these emotions add another layer of depth to the romantic journey.

If you love paranormals, superhero romance has all the magic and more. We’ve got shifters, fliers, super strength, elementals, and anything else you can imagine, including those poor guys who fell into the toxic waste vat (shouldn’t it be covered better?).

Come to the dark side and pick up a superhero romance—you’ll find engaging stories, empowered ladies, and hopefully a few new spandex-coated book boyfriends.

Belle Fury (Manhattan Ten, #3)

Belle Fabian has worked her toes to the bone to become an internationally renowned ballerina. When the curtains rise on her career-making performance of Giselle, she brings down the house—literally.

Mid-dance, she manifests a superpower that nearly destroys the Metropolitan Opera House, wiping out a line of chorus girls and sending the audience dashing for the exits. As she flees the theater, she assumes the worst. Her hard-won career is over.

The Manhattan Ten’s leader is playing hooky with his new lady, so it falls to Red Ruin to round up the super-powered danseur. It’s just one small, bird-boned woman hiding in a convenience store. How hard could it be?

Their first encounter generates sparks that border nuclear and their chemistry sends Belle’s powers into overdrive, but their perfect storm of passion is marred by her suspicion that Ruin is holding back. That secret that could turn the sweet burn of Ruin’s lightning into a permanent scar on her heart.

Find the Manhattan Ten Series at Amazon | Goodreads | B&N | iTunes | Kobo | Samhain

Lola Dodge was forged in the suburbs, tested in the retail wastelands and reborn as a romance writer after several strong cocktails. Armed with her M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, she travels the world in search of story fodder and men with accents.



Lola’s website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads