Jamie is the Mind Robber. His goal is to steal enough money to retire comfortably in the Caribbean. He doesn't know anything about his past apart from the last few months. He does not want to hurt people and steals only the memories of people at the bank robberies, so they cannot identify him.

Zoe is a vigilante called The Throwing Star. Her purpose is to help people, or so she believes, given her impressive abilities.

This is a dual point of view narrative of two unlikely people with no memories of their lives coming together to learn their purpose in life. There is also some LGBTQ+ representation.
Their pasts have similarities they just cannot ignore and it might have something to do with a reconditioning facility. And there is a more sinister plot that we slowly learn more about.

Despite the slow pacing at the start of this book, which seemed to drag on for more than half of the story, the ending was good.

Took me a bit to get into, but it turned out pretty action packed! I would love to delve further into the world Chen is building here. Great entry in the superhero/antihero world.

Absolutely fantastic story with unforgettable characters. It brought me joy during the pandemic and I strongly recommend it for any fans of superhero stories with heart.

I was unable to provide a timely review of this book, however, I did participate in a virtual book tour and promoted this book in a blog showcase post: http://thebookdivasreads.com/2021/01/27/book-showcase-we-could-be-heroes-by-mike-chen/.

LOVE the platonic relationship in this book without having to force a romantic relationship between our two leads. Also, excellent representation for the LGBTQ community. The ending was a surprise and really well done in the 'anyone can be redeemed' storyline, which I personally love with the Superhero genre.

The book lost me a bit in the middle, with the running back and forth and trying to figure out who was where. I wish more had gone into our character's past histories, and as tired as I am of split-narrative fiction, I think it would have been well served here. Overall a fun read and one that would definitely encourage me to pick up more from the author.

I love a fresh take on the superhero genre, but ultimately this one was NOT for me. I thought the writing was weak, the story was underwhelming, and I had trouble connecting to either of the characters (probably because they both suffer from amnesia). wanted to love it, but I just didn't.

I feel bad giving up on ARC's that have been kindly given to me but there are just some books that you can't get through and life is to short and there are too many books to get through. The premise of this book sounded good but even the action-packed first few pages fell flat for me. I've been dealing with some stress lately and it's affected what I'm able to keep focus on while reading so maybe that's why I didn't connect with this book.

Two years ago both Jamie and Zoe woke up alone, in nondescript apartments with no memories. The only clue to their identities was a note: in Jamie’s case, it told him he could read memories; in Zoe’s case it hinted at some set of undefined superpowers. Jamie, a book-loving recluse in his day-to-day life, became the Mind Robber, a bank thief who erases his presence at holdups from victims’ minds. Zoe, a horror-film obsessed fast food delivery person, became a vigilante known as the Throwing Star. When they meet at a memory-loss support group, Jamie and Zoe decide to cooperate to find the key to their hidden pasts.

This was a fun read, but is situated at an awkward place in superhero fantasy. There are chase scenes, action packed moments, and a big bad villain, but there are also long passages of introspection and dithering. I stalled out while reading it a few times in favor of something with a faster paced plot or more character depth, but it’s still a book I would recommend to someone looking for superhero fantasy fiction.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

If I hadn't recently read <i>Hench</i> by Natalie Zina Walschots or <i>The Extraordinaries</i> by T.J. Klune, or read The Reckoners series by Brandon Sanderson....

The superhero genre is well-saturated in books, film, and movies. This one was fun, but hit some familiar story beats and didn't stand out for me.

Received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 24%.

I'm not really sure what to say about this book title. I enjoyed it a reasonable amount but was never gripped by it and felt like I was dragging myself back to it again and again. In the end, I've decided to set it down for good.

I think this is definitely going to be a hit with people who love slow-burn fantasy/sci-fi or who enjoy stories about memory loss.

Such an interesting concept and I was super excited about it, I'm sad it didn't hit the mark for me but hopefully it will find its readership.

Jamie has zero memories from before two years ago, when he woke up in an apartment with the ability to read and manipulate people's memories, which he eventually puts to use robbing banks as the Mind Robber. Zoe is in a similar predicament, though instead of the ability to change memories, she woke up with super strength and speed, as well as the ability to read heat signatures, all of which she uses to become the vigilante hero Throwing Star. Both are aware of the other's presence in San Delgado, but it isn't until a memory loss support group meeting that they meet and unexpectedly join forces to save the day. Soon, the new friends decide to investigate their past, and uncover a sinister plot to destroy the city they both love.

The premise of this story is delightful — who would think that a support group would bring together a superpowered team? — as are Jamie and Zoe as characters. I also thought that the relationship between superhero and the local police force was more accurately portrayed here than it is in a lot of superhero stories. My main complaint with this book is that the villain needs to be a bit more fleshed out, as do Jamie and Zoe's histories, once they're discovered. That said, it's a fun book, and I think we all need a cat like Normal. (Bonus: I had Bowie stuck in my head for the whole time I read it. That's never a bad thing in my book.)

Two teens separately awake one day with superpowers. One uses her powers for good, the other for evil. When they discover one another's secret identity at an AA meeting, they decide to join forces to find the cause of their mysterious powers.

I liked the premise of this novel, and especially that there wasn't a romantic angle to the relationship of the main characters. Both main characters were perfectly flawed, and it was interesting to watch them grow and change through the story.

Even though I enjoyed the story overall, I did feel that the conspiracy behind the superpowers was a little overworked and convoluted. It was difficult to believe.

This book will likely appeal to YA readers and those looking for LGBT representation.

Any book that thanks Bowie in the acknowledgements and quotes him in the title is always going to be a winner for me, and We Could Be Heroes lived up to that expectation.

Zoe and Jamie wake up in an apartment they don't know with no memory of who they are. What they do seem to have though is extraordinary powers. One goes down the route of villain and the other the route of superhero. They should be destined to be mortal enemies, but it seems that instead they are destined to be friends. I absolutely love this about We Could Be Heroes as it doesn't become a book about love or good vs evil (though of course that crops up once or twice!) but ultimately this becomes a book with friendship at its core and I just love love LOVE that.

I've read quite a few superhero novels in my time and sadly many (many!) of them don't get past fan fiction level, but I am so happy to say that this one bucks the trend and is a lot of fun to read. Both Zoe and Jamie are fully flushed out characters complete with their own flaws. It does get a bit meh in the middle after starting strong, but Zoe and Jamie are enough to pull you through and keep you turning page after page.

You will need to enter this book and suspend disbelief but that's part of the fun as you enter the world of superheroes. It could be because my son is currently superhero obsessed so I am already fully immersed in that world right now, but I have a real soft spot for this book and had a lot of fun reading it. So, if you like a bit of superhero action in your literature then this one is worth picking up.

Plus, just look at that cover. If that doesn't give you the "pick me up and read me" feels I don't know what will.

I love Mike Chen! He has become an author I will always read, whatever he writes. This book was super fun. My favorite aspect was the friendship between the two main characters. They started off as each others arch nemesis, but realized that together they were stronger, and could accomplish more. I am not a huge fan of the superhero genre, but this book wasn't bad. Great work, Mike!

The story of two people who connect when they realize that they both woke up two years ago without memories and with superpowers. Together, they investigate their possible shared, unknown history.

Definitely for fans of Austen Grossman's Soon I Will Be Invincible as well as classic Doctor Who fans.

Jamie wakes up alone in an empty apartment with no memory of who he is. His only clue is a lease agreement for the apartment. And an ability to manipulate people's memories.

Zoe wakes up alone in an empty apartment with no memory of who she is. Her only clue is a lease agreement and a "Hello, My Name Is..." tag on the table. Oh, and superhuman strength and speed.

Two different people. Two similar situations. And they react to the situations completely differently. Zoe decides she must be a vigilante superhero and save people. Jamie opts to rob banks. It's a lonely existence, until they meet at a memory loss support group...

This book has a lot of really fun elements - superpowers, amnesia. It's a fun thought game, too. What would I do if I had superpowers and amnesia? How much of who we are is tied up in our memories and experiences? What happens when those are gone?

One of my FAVORITE elements is that this is NOT a romance. It's a book about friendship. There are male and female main characters. Who interact platonically. What a concept!

One of my favorites things about this book is the unexpected twists and turns that happen. SO MANY THINGS I WAS ON THE EDGE ABOUT.

I loved seeing Jamie and Zoe’s friendship unfold in this book as they join together to figure out who they are and what happened to them. The story that Mike Chen tells is truly one that has so many levels and layers. That who we are isn’t necessarily defined by what we know of ourselves, but what we make of ourselves in the moment.

I loved everything about this book.

Better than average, but this book had so much potential that it didn't live up to. It's an interesting take on the superhero story and winds up with some pretty good chase scenes, but I felt the ending fell a little flat.

Jamie has no memories prior to two years ago and he has the power to read and erase other people's memories, so of course he uses his ability to rob banks. His plan is to get enough cash to disappear to an island somewhere, just him, his cat, and his coffee addiction.

Zoe also has no memories prior to two years ago, but her powers include super strength and super speed. She uses her abilities to thwart evil-doers...and that includes trying to catch the Mind Robber, Jamie's alter ego.

Jamie and Zoe both attend a group meeting for people suffering from memory issues. When they discover they have very similar, mysterious backstories, they dive in to discover what happened.

All of that was great. It was their nemesis and the plan they ultimately try to shut down where the story lost its momentum for me.

My thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great premise and opening that leads into a plodding middle and an anticlimactic ending. Moments of brilliance made me hopeful for more but the characters were very underwritten and the plot was full of many lapses in logic. It does make for a fun and easy read but nothing that stays with you.

Thanks to NetGalley for a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

This one was a solid superhero read. While not my favorite of Chen's books, the plot kept me going. I usually make sure to suspend a certain amount of reality when it comes to superhero books, so this one was no different. You know what you're getting with this sort of book. You're not missing anything if you don't read it, but it will keep you entertained if you like quirky characters, memory loss, and trying to figure out what is going on along with the characters. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC!