I read this as someone that loved watching Megamind over and over as a kid.

Living in a world where superheroes and villains are the norm, Jenna is pretty disillusioned with the whole thing. So of course she’s the one that gets rescued by a superhero and thrown into the public eye. Dubbed as the Love Interest, Jenna refuses to play the part.

If you love superheroes and villains, and romance, this may be for you.

I LOVED this! I love the whole concept of being the girlfriend of a superhero. This book was just pure fun, really recommend for YA readers who are already a fan of Marvel/Disney shows.

I am the biggest sucker for friends/lovers/tropes in general so i just loved this. Adored the superhero setting as well, such a unique backdrop for a this lovely rom com to be set

I was cheering, laughing, and even tearing up throughout - there’s action, tenderness, and humour galore in these pages. The romance was sweet, the beautifully realistic friendships even sweeter, and the backdrop so fun and imaginative - I was immersed from page one. I am already eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Tropes: Superheroes, friends-to-lovers,

This was such a fun book and was like nothing I've ever read before.
It was very fast paced and had very similar vibes to Marvel films which was very fun and it was a nice change to read something like that instead of watching.
I liked our main character and her best friend but I wasn't a massive fan of her dad. I thought Blaze was a cute love interest and could be quite sweet.
It was a little predictable but it was a fun read and I would definitely recommend!

- Thankyou NetGalley & Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for the E-Arc! -

I had fun in reading this story which a satire of the world of superhero, the convention and how a girl can find a new career and change the rules of the game.
Well plotted, excellent storytelling, witty, fleshed out characters
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

THE LOVE INTEREST is a funny, sharp-eyed take on the misogyny in the superhero genre.

Superhero movies, particularly the earlier ones, tend to cast women as the helpless love interest who needs saving, and this book takes that concept and runs with it.

There is pressure on Jenna to love him just because he saved her first in his career as if being a good person deserves a romantic reward. The line from Blaze to the effect of "people won't think I can be a superhero if the woman I saved doesn't like me" perfectly summed up the toxic masculinity that can sometimes feel baked into the genre. There are lessons for Jenna not on how to avoid being captured by a villain, but how to look alluring and helplessly innocent as she's being threatened.

It was such a nice way of breaking down the real life sexism that is behind these genre tropes, exposing how passive women are often made to be in these situations. But the book flips that by having Jenna, a young Black girl, often do the saving, challenging all the stereotypes about what a hero looks like.

The book also explores the darker side of superhero organisations, the regrettable losses who are acceptable casualties for the superheroes to shine. The town is in danger from the prophecy but the bigger concern is "who is the hero going to be?" Not to mention the steps the HPA go to in order to ensure their continuing power.

While exploring all of this, the book is funny and looks at first crushes and romantic relationships as well as family bonds and friendships. I loved that Megan and Joy and Jenna's parents get more page time than Blaze. Their relationships are just as, if not more, important to Jenna, with a profound impact on who she is, and that shines through. Jenna, Megan, and Joy are a powerful trio of women who have each other's best interests at heart.

In all, this is a great debut and I look forward to the next book.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury, and Helen Comerford for a Galley of this in return for an honest review.

I am not sure how I feel about The Love Interest. I think this was a lot of fun, and by the time I got to the end I was really eager to find out what happens. I enjoyed the unconventional, very comic book, use of font size and bold to indicate feeling, volume, and severity of things. I almost wish they had taken this further, I think it is super creative and really differentiates this from other books on the market. More than that, I think it would have been a really impactful, visual clue, as to the appropriate age range for this book.

This is YA, and it is very very much YA. I would say this actually reminded me a lot of some Middle Grade works I have read. This to me read quite young, and I think the way Jenna goes about most things would annoy an older readership quite quickly. This was a Galley, and I was already invested in the story, so I felt that I should finish it. As a rule, this is younger than I would generally read, and I think is very much YA aimed at teens, rather than YA that is geared equally towards adult readers. That isn't a bad thing, but I do think that adult readers of YA might not enjoy this as much as they hope!

I thought the plot was good, no glaring holes, some surprises. I thought the representation of mental health, and the discussions of some feminism basics was good. This felt like a very accessible, appropriate way to introduce those ideas that would be understandable for Middle-Grade-To-YA readers, and inoffensive for older solidly-YA readers.

Overall, good fun. A give this 3.5 stars rounded up. Nothing revolutionary, but still a solid, well written, YA romp.

A super fun story set in a world with heroes and villains, with a main character determined to break out of the role she's been placed in. I loved Jenna, she was absolutely brilliant, she doesn't start out to be a system breaking hero herself, she just want's to be left alone but society is determined to make her a Love interest. I really enjoyed Jenna and Blazes dynamic, there were a lot of cute genuine moments between them that you can pick out from the more forced ones.
The only problem i found was that, for me, it felt a bit fast paced, it would've been nice to see more of the world and hero society over the course of the story, and give Jenna and Blaze more time to bond.
If you like superheros, badass feminist MCs and genre bending stories, this is absolutely a book you should pick up!

I'm an absolute sucker for YA comedy and this has laughs, action, adventure, superheroes and a strong feminist rethinking of superhero tropes so it hits all of the buttons! Strong character and world building and a twisty/turny plot that packs a fair few genuine surprises in it. Can't wait for the sequel!

I loved this, it really made me feel nostalgic reminding me of elements of Lois Lane and Superman in a more current feel.

A very different twist on a superhero story. Wonderfully constructed, with snark and an entertaining young and clever female lead. The story made me think it was one thing, then became so much more as it changed tack. Really enjoyed this one. Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, (Uk & ANZ) and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

"I honestly don't know how anyone with a cervix can bear to speak to that patriarchal ball bag."

It's lines like this, that I live for!
Comerford has written a brilliant YA debut full of wit, wholesome romance and wonderful characters. The superhero, slightly dystopian world she has created is well thought out, feels realistic and I can't wait to explore more of it (as a sequel is hinted at.)
I loved the plot, it was a fast paced action packed read, full of twists and turns. I love a superhero story and this didn't disappoint, it had everything you'd want but still felt fresh and fun.
The characters were equally developed and Jenna was a force to be reckoned with. I do adore a strong female character. I do hope that a sequel is coming because I'd love to see more from Jenna and her sister, the female characters in this book were brilliantly written. The relationships, be they familial, friendship or something more were all excellently portrayed with a sense of lovable reality.
If you love superheroes, prophesied apocalypses and sweet teen romance (think The Boys but PG) then this is the read for you.

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for the eARC.

Enjoyable for a first time reader or for someone who wants to enjoy a easily laid out, fun read. Understandably this is a YA novel so I couldn't fully enjoy this enough as I'm 26, but this is perfect for those 17 and under to love.

There's a new hero in Nine Trees - Blaze - and on his first outing his first rescued damsel is Jenna Ray. Which makes her perfect for the role of his love interest - a woman there to support (and be regularly saved) by her man. But Jenna isn't interested, and as she gets drawn into the world of heroes and villains she realises just how many things are wrong with the current regime ...

This was a fairly good book, but none of the characters had much depth to them and there was a lot of jumping around in terms of the plot. I quite liked Jenna, but Blaze and their relationship didn't feel right. Loved the universe though, I'd have enjoyed more world building!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I loved the concept, but the execution just wasn't it for me. There were certain passages/interactions that were a tad cringey. Regardless I still enjoyed the story and will likely pick up the sequel

Very excited for this cool supernatural book! I love superhero’s and I love this cool fresh take on the genre. I cannot wait to share my full thoughts and review on this