https://jamesdavisnicoll.com/review/born-with-the-gift-of-a-golden-voice


2019’s Unsung Heroine is a side-story in Sarah Kuhn’s Heroine series.

Lucy Valdez is a multi-competent person. She’s adept at hand-to-hand fighting; she’s a karaoke queen at a local hot-spot, the Gutter. She’s been a sweetheart to half of the city’s lesbian community. Yet one challenge eludes her: how to win the heart of Rose Rorick (which includes keeping said heart once Rose learns what the real Lucy is like).

Lucy’s cunning gambits to present Rose with an acceptable version of Lucy have left Lucy firmly friend-zoned. Happily, Lucy has a zany scheme to solve the problem: fix up her unattainable crush with someone else. Once Rose is partnered, perhaps Lucy’s obsession will fade.




Celine claims that her mother sang at the Gutter years ago. Her tale doesn’t quite add up, but what is undeniable is that Celine has lot of musical talent. Just the person Lucy should set up with Rose: a Lucy without all of Lucy’s baggage.

It’s the sort of plan that cannot possibly go wrong. Lucy’s disinclination to have a frank conversation with Rose about her feelings will surely guarantee success!. Too bad that a demonic invasion is interfering with this perfect scheme.

San Francisco has long been plagued by demonic infestations. While the source has been largely sealed off, sometimes negative energy leaks through the barrier and manifests itself. This time the manifestations seem to center on Celine. She’s singing at the Gutter; the chandelier comes alive and attacks her. More such attacks follow.

Who’s doing this? Could Celine have done something to attract the attacks? Or could Lucy, unwittingly, be attacking her rival? Lucy is sure that she wants her scheme to succeed … on the surface. What about unconscious motivation? .

Solving the mystery will require that Lucy do two difficult things: be honest with herself and be honest with Rose.

~oOo~

Since this is a side-story, I am not going to overthink how to number it within its series. [Editor’s note: that’s what you say NOW, James.]

I should make it clear that while Lucy just can’t bring herself to open up to Rose, she talks to everyone else about her feelings. This popular strategy is doomed to failure. Bad for Lucy, but good for an entertaining narrative (vide A Civil Campaign ).

The framing sequence begins with strong hints that Rose and Lucy do get together in the end, despite all of Lucy’s attempts at noble self sacrifice and frankness evasion. How? And why all the demonic attacks? The novella answers both questions in an amusing way. Recommended light reading.

Unsung Heroine is available here (Amazon), here (Amazon.ca) and here (Chapters-Indigo).

This is a delightful romp in a universe I intend to get better acquainted with. I have not read any of the Heroine Complex series and this standalone seemed a good place to jump in. Set between the first and second trilogies this book focuses on Lucy, a member of the team without superpowers but just as formidable in her own way. More character development and exposition than a mystery, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Lucy. While I now want to get to know all the others better this was an easy-to-follow read even without having read the first trilogy. Recommended.

Review: Unsung Heroine by Sarah Kuhn
This standalone novella in the smart, snarky, and action-packed Heroine Complex series follows personal superhero trainer Lucy Valdez and friends Aveda Jupiter and Bea and Evie Tanaka as they combat a new supernatural threat.

Lucy Valdez is many things: fight trainer/bodyguard to superheroines, fabulous vintage fashion plate, undisputed karaoke queen at local joint, The Gutter. She is also one of the toughest fighters in all of San Francisco without superpowers. So why can't she seem to confess her feelings to her longtime crush Rose Rorick, head of the San Francisco Police Department's Demon Unit?

Well.... actually, she knows why. She's afraid Rose won't like the real Lucy, the Lucy underneath all the fabulous bravado. (She is still fabulous underneath that bravado--just in a different way.)

When a mysterious new karaoke star rises up at The Gutter and eclipses her, Lucy finds her confidence further shaken--and when strange, seemingly supernatural happenings threaten both this new star and The Gutter's very existence, she must rise to the challenge and investigate alongside Rose. Will Lucy be able to vanquish the demonic threat to her beloved karaoke haven, confess her true feelings to Rose, and reclaim her karaoke throne?

In this fabulous novella by Sarah Kuhn, taking place between book 2 and 3 of the Heroine Complex series, Lucy Valdez is the one in the spotlight, literally, as she’s in a karaoke contest up against a new star who is her equal. But it is Lucy’s fighting abilities that are needed most as her and her team fight a new supernatural threat.
I haven’t read any of Sarah’s novels before (that’s going to change fast), but I liked the description of this novella. Once I began reading, I fell in love with the main character and the world Sarah Kuhn has built.
One of my favorite parts of it is that she has positive female characters that don’t fight with each other but instead support and care about each other. The focus of the story is the female protagonist, not rivalries or drama between the friends of the main character. In addition, it is great to have the representation of a romantic relationship that is not hetersexual, a caring romance between two women.
That lack of drama doesn’t mean a lack of tension or lack of a good plot either. The story is exciting and gets the reader's attention from the beginning as the character’s try to figure out what is causing the trouble at the karaoke bar. Lucy is kicks ass without the use of superpowers. Her ability is to be fabulous but also fight for her friends and for people in trouble. And instead of the solution being a literal bad guy, the story is about finding a way to let go of the negative emotions in your life. It is unique and it great to see that type of story. It actually reminds me of another favorite author and makes me want to pick up the rest of Sarah Kuhn’s series.
Overall, I really liked the story, the characters and the tone of the world, the supportive female characters, and loved the positive interactions. I like that the relationships aren’t smooth but aren’t overly negative either. It has a wonderful vibe and I really recommend both this novella and the series. I think I’m going to go back and read the rest of the series now.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I attempted to read this short story, but I found I lacked interest. I loved Sarah Kuhn's original trilogy, but feel like the ending was good where it was. I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing any new works this author publishes, but don't feel I can continue this specific series.

Thank you for your consideration.

This lovely novella is a wonderful bite-sized addition to Sarah Kuhn's Heroine Complex series, taking place between the second and third books, approximately six months after the events of Heroine Worship. Lucy Valdez, the weapons and combat expert on Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka's superheroine team, grapples with her feelings for Rose Rorick, head of the SFPD's Demon Unit, while taking on a mysterious new karaoke star (and the supernatural happenings that follow her) who threatens to end her reign at their local karaoke bar.

This series has become a recent favorite of mine, with really amazing and relatable Asian American representation that I'd never seen the likes of before. I've always enjoyed the character of Lucy throughout the series, and was so happy to see her featured front and center in this novella, which also provided an opportunity for more varied WOC representation (Lucy is Latinx and Rose is black). Kuhn does it again with an exciting, fast-paced adventure story paired with a sweet and sexy romance, all centered around strong female leads who lift each other up.

I think this series will have some fans, and deservedly so, but I am not going to be one of them. I keep searching for fast-paced action/adventure stories starring kick-ass women, but this and similar others (/The frame-up/, /The private life of Jane Maxwell/, etc.) feel like we're collectively still stumbling and toddling, trying to figure out what a strong woman looks like if she doesn't look like a straight-laced bitch. Sorry for the sidetrack.

This novella is part of a series, but you don't have to have read all the books. (You definitely need to read book 1, and probably book 2, but I haven't read book 3 and it didn't hurt the reading in the slightest.)

One thing this series does that's nice is that each novel(la) is from the point of view of a different important character. It's nice that we get to hear from each of them. Unfortunately, this has allowed the author to be a bit lazy with each character in the not-her books. Like, we'll get to hear from Character 2 later/we heard her story before, so in Character 4's book, Character 2 is shallow, unrealistic, and unbelievable. It has really hurt the storytelling.

This series as a whole is suggested for larger public libraries but smaller libraries might want to wait until there is a patron request.

Okay, this was cute and absolutely funny. Did I mention cute?

I haven't read any other books in the Ms. Kuhn's Heroine Complex series but reading Unsung Heroine has got me hella curious.

This is a novella in the series and follows personal trainer, jack-of-all-trades Lucy Valdez and her wife Rose Rorick. We get a prologue of our couple, then their backstory of how they came to be said couple. This is essentially what Unsung Heroine is about but add in a serious dose of karaoke, rogue demons who seemingly don't like singing....
and a cast of hilariously kooky characters.

Reading how Lucy who kinda-sorta fought her feelings for Rose was relate-able. Attempting to figure out if someone likes you just as much as you like them is nerve-wracking. But once you do find out they do like JUST as much, you now wonder if they still will once they find out you're not as "confident" as you seem. This is Lucy's dilemma...kinda-sorta.

I won't give too much away as I feel like because this is a novella too much typing will you know...tell the tale. So I'll leave with this. If you love reading stories about that couple finally getting together after everyone of their friends are like "would ya'll just hurry up and get together already!" then you will love Unsung Heroine. And I mean, there is karaoke and demons...you can't pass that up....like at all.

**Thank you to NetGalley/Publisher for the opportunity to read/review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this novella in exchange for an honest review.
***
Unsung Heroine by Sarah Kuhn is a novella that is supposed to act as a bridge between her first trilogy and her upcoming one.
This novella is about Lucy Valdez, karaoke queen and badass bodyguard/fight trainer for a superhero duo. This quick, action packed read follows her being her amazing unpowered self as she saves the day during a karaoke competition, gets the girl, and becomes more aware of her own emotions and is better for it.
I’ve seen Heroine Complex around previously and have been interested in reading it. Although I was left a little lost as to who everyone was in this I still found the story to be fairly fun.

I absolutely loved this novella, just as I have the rest of the series. Kuhn integrates the fantasy/superheroine bits of the story flawlessly into the larger plot and it's always a joy to read about the close female friendships upon which she has built the series. This was one exceptionally wonderful for the addition of the LGBTQIA+ romance. Can't wait for more of Lucy and co.

Superheroes, karaoke, and witty dialogue abound in this fun and hilarious novella from Sarah Kuhn. Set between the first Heroine Complex Trilogy and the second, it's also a great stand alone novella that will make you fall in love with the complex and hilarious characters.
Superhero bodyguard Lucy is a badass singer and a badass guard. When a mysterious new singer performs at Lucy's club, a series of attacks leaves everyone on edge. With the help of her friends and colleagues, Lucy must stop the attacks before someone she loves dies.
Hilarious and full of action, Unsung Heroine is a fun and exciting read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Unsung Heroine is the epitome of a great time, matching down-to-earth characters with larger-than-life scenarios to hilarious effect. This isn’t your typical superhero team fighting evil demons who threaten the world with extinction. This is a team of deeply connected friends working their hardest to defeat demons that manifest in the most absurd ways. You’ll laugh your ass off as you read the intense fight scenes, trying to decide which is more terrifying: a possessed microphone cord intent on strangling a newfound diva, or a handheld microphone that sprouts teeth and flies around with a mind of its own.

I was surprised at how intensely I was able to connect with the characters. We get to know Lucy well, getting a glimpse under the surface of her sparkling persona to see the pain she’s overcome in her life. The novella is a love story at the core, showing us how complicated relationships can be, especially between friends who’ve cared for each other for so long. Pair that kind of deep narrative with a high stakes karaoke competition and unexpected demons and you have a hit.

Overall, Unsung Heroine is fun, heartfelt, and hilarious. You’ll fly dramatically between moments of sorrow, of love, and of danger tinged with humor. In a way, the book is the epitome of divahood, proving that no matter what, the show must go on.

Unsung Heroine is fresh, fun, and fast-paced. It has all the quirky action I’ve come to expect from Sarah Kuhn’s Heroine Complex series plus a romance that will make you smile and sigh.

Lucy may not have superpowers, but that doesn’t stop her from being one of the most fearsome fighters in all of San Francisco. Lucy is a fantastic heroine. She’s vibrant, quick-thinking, caring, tough, has a fun sense of fashion, and she’s a local karaoke star. Beneath all of that, she’s also deeply vulnerable. She’s been hurt and guards her heart so fiercely she’s afraid to go for what she wants. And what she wants is Rose, head of SFPD’s Demon Unit. Rose is quiet, serious, strong, and a total geek. I absolutely loved Rose and I really wish we had her point of view in this story, but I’m biased because she’s one of my favorite characters in this series. Rose and Lucy are friends, but it’s easy to see they’re meant to be so much more. Lucy has her reasons for holding back and I understood them, but I was rooting for her to take a risk with Rose because I knew they’d make a dreamy couple.

Romance is only one part of Unsung Heroine – there’s also a new demon threat shaking things up. A demonic force is attacking a new talent – and Lucy’s new rival – at The Gutter. Attack confetti and possessed mic cords? It’s all in a day’s work for Jupiter/Tanaka, Inc. Evie, Aveda, Bea, and co. are on hand to help save the day and the results are quirky, fun action sequences. If you don’t mind some spoilers from the first two Heroine Complex books (the majority of this story takes place between books two and three) you can jump right into Unsung Heroine. If you’re a fan, you’ll delight in seeing all your favorites, though the focus of the story never strays from the main characters or plot. I adored seeing Evie and Aveda help Lucy not only battle demonic forces, but figure out her love life (I can’t imagine ever not having a soft spot for Aveda). All in all, Unsung Heroine was a blast to read. It’s got strong heroines, a sensual and oh-so-sweet romance, and a fantastically fun plot that makes the pages fly by.

*I received a digital copy of this book from NetGelley in exchange for an honest review*

Since last year, I have been an avid fan of Kuhn's Heroine Complex series. This novella is set before Heroine's Journey, and follows Lucy Valdez, badass bodyguard to a superheroine duo in San Francisco. This little gem packs all the usual demon fighting, mystery, and food as the other installments that I love! I enjoyed hearing Lucy's voice a bit more, since she's a bit more of a background character in previous books. It was nice to see how her courtship with cop Rose Rorick evolved from friendship to true love. Packed to the gills with cool fashion, karaoke solos, and of course positive female relationships, this is a great opener for the next step in the series!

The time has come. It's time for Lucy to get her own story and Sarah Kuhn does a fantastic job in this novella. Lucy is the only member of the Jupiter/Tanaka Ltd superheroine team that doesn't have any supernatural ability. Lucy's story is more than just a sidekick story. It's a journey of Lucy becoming not just another member of a superhero team, but becoming a fleshed out story full of hope, love, and karaoke.
If you liked the previous books in the heroine complex series you'll love learning more about Lucy.

I was really looking forward to Lucy finally getting her own story, and while I was a little bummed that it was a novella and not a novel. I loved the story, so, no harm no foul.

It's part the usual, the gang dealing with a problem that may or may not be supernatural. But, there was also an awesomely drama ridden, but fun, story line between Rose and Lucy too. It didn't always go like I thought it would, and that was really really cool.

It was another great part of this series and I cannot wait to see what's in the next novel.

I received this book via Netgalley thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and DAW.

I adore the Heroine Worship series, and I was so excited to hear about the next three books and the novella that connects them. Then I heard Unsung Heroine had a f/f relationship and I was even more eager to read it. Unsung Heroine was an exciting read with so many great female characters.

Unfortunately, it's been a minute since I've read the first three books, so my memory of these events are a little fuzzy. However, I still loved returning to this world with these amazing characters. Going into Lucy's head was nice; I certainly felt and understood her struggles to open up to people.

I loved Lucy, Aveda, and Evie's friendship! Their scenes together were so wonderful; I love seeing women supporting women. It was also refreshing that, despite a lot of evidence pointing to Celine as the villain, they didn't immediately suspect her. Female enmity is so pervasive in our society that I just automatically assumed things based on very little evidence. Again, women supporting women!

Lucy and Rose's relationship was so cute too. Even though I wanted to scream at Lucy for turning down Rose, I knew it came from good intentions because she didn't think she deserved Rose, which is just, so good.

Again, it's been a while since I've read the first few books, so I was fairly confused on the timing of the events in this book. That, combined with the months-old texts interspersed, made the timeline a little fuzzy to me. I did get that it takes place before Heroine's Journey though.

Unsung Heroine was a great bridge between the first and second trilogies in this series. The female friendships were amazing, and I loved the steamy f/f romance. I can't wait for the next few books in the Heroine series!

**This review will be published on my blog Magical Reads on July 2.**

I have been reading but not reviewing Sarah Kuhn's Heroine Complex series. I was very happy to get an ARC of Unsung Heroine from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. At some point I will review the three previous books - Heroine Complex, Heroine Worship, and Heroine's Journey. I will say now that they are fun books, and you should definitely read them before picking up this novella.

Unsung Heroine focuses on Lucy Valdez, the bodyguard with no superpowers, but awesome fighting skills, a killer fashion sense, reigning karaoke champion, and a deep love of British mystery shows. She is also in love with Rose Rorick, head of the San Francisco Police Department's Demon Unit. During Evie's bachelorette party in Heroine Worship, Lucy had stated she was ready to pursue a romance with Rose. But now, she has decided they can never be more than friends. Everyone, including Rose, find this confusing.

What? But you said . . .” Her brow furrowed as she tried to recall the words I’d blathered out six months ago at her bachelorette party. “That you were taking things slow because you wanted her to get to know the real you, the one underneath all the flash and fabulousness—”

"Which she has. And that’s why it’s too late. I miscalculated completely, Evie. She does know the real me—all too well. And that means we are now forever stranded in the utopia that is Friendlandia."

In this novella, Lucy has to deal with competition to her karaoke crown and her fear of being vulnerable enough to accept that Rose sees the real Lucy Valdez, and still wants her. Lucy and Rose don't have superpowers like Tanaka/Chang women, but they have experience and training. They are capable of saving the day without the superheroes. Evie, Aveda and Bea are present in the book, and Evie and Aveda have some great friendship moments with Lucy. In order to solve the most recent outbreak of demonic activity, Lucy has to figure out how to open up to people.

Kuhn's bouncy and bright series gives us an ungritty urban fantasy without an apocalypse. Life is going on as usual in San Francisco, but there are a occasional demons and the superheroes who fight them. The relationships between the women are as, if not more, important that their relationships with their romantic partners. This really is a fun series and I encourage you to start with Heroine Complex, and then read all of them.

Unsung Heroine, by author Sarah Kuhn, is the bridge between the authors first trilogy called Heroine Complex, and a new trilogy coming soon! This new installment follows personal superhero trainer Lucy Valdez and friends Aveda Jupiter and Bea and Evie Tanaka as they combat a new supernatural threat. Lucy Valdez is many things: fight trainer, bodyguard, and weapons expert to super-heroines. She's also a fabulous vintage fashion plate, and undisputed karaoke queen at local joint, The Gutter.

She is also one of the toughest fighters in all of San Francisco without superpowers. That's right. She has no powers unlike her best friends and co-workers Aveda, Bea, and Evie. So why can't she seem to confess her feelings to her longtime crush Rose Rorick, head of the San Francisco Police Department's Demon Unit? Well.... actually, she knows why. She's afraid Rose won't like the real Lucy, the Lucy underneath all the fabulous bravado. (She is still fabulous underneath that bravado--just in a different way.)

When a mysterious new karaoke star rises up at The Gutter and eclipses her, Lucy finds her confidence further shaken--and when strange, seemingly supernatural happenings threaten both this new star and The Gutter's very existence, she must rise to the challenge and investigate alongside Rose. Will Lucy be able to vanquish the demonic threat to her beloved karaoke haven, confess her true feelings to Rose, and reclaim her karaoke throne?

This is actually a really fun story. I love Lucy. She's so insecure about her feelings towards Rose, that you can't help but want to help her out of her conundrum. This story weaves back and forth via current events, as well as text messages between Lucy and Rose. And, while this story is all about Lucy, it does have some cheeky moments with Aveda and Evie trying to make Lucy see that taking a chance with someone that you really love, is the best thing ever.

I have zero knowledge of when the next trilogy is going to release. I have tried the authors web page without any success. I am wondering if the author will continue to revolve her stories around Evie, Lucy, and Aveda, or will Lucy take charge once again?