Oh, this was so much fun! We return to Aveda's POV here for a fast-paced and wacky adventure that stands up well in this series of hilarious superhero shenanigans. I really enjoyed the paranormal threat this time, although I could have done without the romance subplot - Aveda already found her soulmate, and I felt like there was too much drama created within the relationship just for the sake of it, when they could have just been happy AND solved the mystery. (This is an issue across the whole of the second trilogy though - unnecessary will-they-break-up stress everywhere!). Overall, though, a really entertaining and solid addition to one of my favourite series.

Action Packed and Complex

Over the years, the adventures of superheroines Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka have become the stuff of legend--and now they'll be immortalized in their very own TV show!

The pair head to LA for filming, but Aveda struggles to get truly excited. Instead, she's preoccupied wondering about the fate of the world and her role in it. You know, the usual. Now that Otherworld activity has been detected outside the Bay Area, Aveda can't help but wonder if the demon threat will ever be eradicated.

When the drama on set takes a turn for the supernatural, Evie and Aveda must balance their celebrity commitments with donning their superhero capes again to investigate. And when the evil they battle reveals a larger, more nefarious plot, it's time for the indomitable Aveda Jupiter to rise to the occasion and become the leader she was meant to be on a more global scale--and hopefully keep some semblance of a personal life while doing so.

The next book in Sarah Kuhn’s Heroine Complex, Hollywood Heroine features Aveda Jupiter. In the last book, it was Evie that needed to confront her demons but this time it’s Aveda who must figure out both the literal demon who’s plotting against them and her internal demons. She must confront her own fears and work with her team in order to defeat the supernatural evil facing LA and Aveda. 

One of the reasons I so love this series are the characters that author Sarah Kuhn creates. They are dynamic, powerful, women of color in a world that is far too often critical of those women. She creates complex women who must tackle racism and discrimination just like in the real world. That combination helps build heroines for other women of color to believe in, to read about, and love. It also opens the eyes of those of use who are white. While I love diversity in all flavors, I also know I can’t truly understand the experiences of women like these, except for reading books that depict them and their struggles. There are far more authors writing these characters, especially authors of color. I appreciate the perspective and truly felt like I learned a lot from these characters. The best part of the novel was Aveda fighting for her voice in the white driven Hollywood with an evil both supernatural and real world. 

As I said the characters are complex and real as is the plot of the story but what it also has is fun and action. Sarah Kuhn knows how to build in action packed scenes that have you staying up late in the night to read. Her characters kick the world in the tail and are indomitable. They also are friends and comrades, building on their relationships with each other and their husbands. I especially loved getting to know more about Aveda (Annie’s) relationship with her husband. It is always great to see positive relationships instead of the typical romance where people fight and break up. 

Overall, the story is dynamic and real, the characters are positive and learning all the time, complex and the action is packed with fighting evil. If you enjoy women superheroes fighting the supernatural, I highly recommend both the series and this book. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 bats.

Superheroines Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka head to Los Angeles from their base in San Francisco to check in on a TV show about their lives. While Evie just wants to relax Aveda is too busy worrying about everything, trying to solve every problem, to even think about relaxing. She is concerned with the Otherworld threat to Evie’s upcoming baby and she is having a really hard time dealing with the changes in their lives - Evie’s pregnancy, Lucy and Rose moving out on their own, her husband Scott’s opportunity of a new job in LA and her mother’s mysterious series of text messages consisting of photos of oranges. She fears the team is breaking up and she will be left alone. But even if Aveda wanted to relax there are weird things happening - a former San Francisco superheroine who has moved to LA is hitting on Scott and trying to lure him to a new job in LA, on the TV show set one actor gets carried away with his vampire role and attacks a fellow actor and then it looks like maybe vampires are not really fiction after all and to top it all off, it appears Shasta is in LA trying yet again to snatch Evie’s baby.
While I am sure it would have been better to have read the installments prior to this one the author does a good job of sprinkling background information in the first few chapters so a reader new to the series is not entirely lost. An enjoyable outing in an enjoyable series

Superheroines Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka are back, facing demons and possibly vampires in Hollywood Heroine. Every time I enter Sarah Kuhn’s Heroine Complex world I am ready for an action-packed good time. Kuhn did not disappoint, blending action and some humor with weighty, real-world problems.

I frickin’ love Aveda. She has got the biggest heart and is so earnest, so determined to solve every problem she can that it’s impossible not to love her. Is she perfect? Not by a long shot. But she is always growing, always trying to do better and not steamroll people; even when she makes mistakes they come from the best of intentions. But Aveda is running herself into the ground. She never takes a break and more importantly, feels like she can’t. Hollywood Heroine addresses racism, the pressure Aveda faces as a powerful Asian American woman in the media, an aggressive mean girl who knows just how to twist the knife, panic attacks, and the fear of change. Aveda is deeply afraid of losing those she loves the most and she bottles up her emotions, throwing herself into being everyone’s champion. My heart broke for her and how hard she was trying and I wanted her to let her loved ones take care of her for once. I also wanted her to see how much she was loved and supported. Aveda’s relationship with her husband, Scott, was a storyline that had me absolutely glued to the pages of this book. Kuhn doesn’t take it easy on Aveda in this book but that’s what makes the story so satisfying. I was rooting for Aveda every step of the way and though I won’t spoil what happens I loved how the ending turned out.

It wouldn’t be a Heroine Complex book without some creative supernatural plot and this time it’s something that seems vampiric. I loved watching Aveda and her ever-expanding circle of friends put the pieces together. The action sequences are exciting and I enjoyed watching the mystery unfold. But what really grabbed me the most about Hollywood Heroine were the emotional moments, which is why I recommend being familiar with Tanaka/Jupiter and co. before jumping into this story. I love seeing how far all the relationships have come, how all my favorite characters have grown over the past five books, and I cannot wait to see where Kuhn takes them all next!

I’m always excited to see that there’s a new release for the Heroine Complex series, because I’m always up for another adventure with Evie, Aveda, and the others. I had very high hopes for this one. The thing with long-running series is they can get even better and better, or they could do the opposite. And I have to say that Hollywood Heroine was another great installment in the series.

This book again took the cast out of San Francisco, and this time, they landed in L.A. for the filming of a show that was purportedly based on their superhero exploits. What followed was a fast paced adventure as Evie and Aveda tried to figure out if their suspicions were because of the change of pace or if they had any supernatural meaning. The conflict with the demons remains an ever evolving situation, especially since their appearances have begun to spread outside of San Francisco. It’s still one of my favorite takes on superpowers.

Besides the fantastical elements, this story was very much about the identity of the two main leads. It’s been one of the reoccurring themes of the series since the beginning, but I feel like Kuhn really decided to home-in on it and do a deeper dive into Aveda’s time when she was just beginning to build her reputation. It was a part of the story that Evie wasn’t there for, and I really appreciated a resolution on that end, particularly between Aveda and Mercedes. The cast was just as lovable as always though, and, despite this being the fifth book, there was still room for growth and change amongst the dynamics of the team.

The mix of personal conflicts and the ensuing problem also at the heart of the mystery surrounding the events of Hollywood Heroine, made for a fun and action-packed adventure. All that to say: it really was great to have another story from Aveda’s point of view.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (DAW) via NetGalley for this review, thank you!

Hollywood Heroine is the fifth novel (and sixth story) in Sarah Kuhn's "Heroine" series (which began with Heroine Complex - My Review Here). If you're unfamiliar with the series - and you shouldn't be, it's awesome - it's a really fun series featuring Asian-American superheroes, who have to deal with their own anxieties, romances, relationships and....demons who take really silly forms, like cupcakes or unicorns. The first three books in the series (and the bridge novella) formed a trilogy which introduced each of the series' main heroines and their personalities, and Hollywood Heroine is the second book in a new trilogy returning to each heroine in turn to follow up on their adventures, their relationships, and their paths going forward. I didn't quite love the first of this new trilogy, Haunted Heroine (Reviewed Here), finding it was a bit duplicative of the prior character work, but it was still fun, so I was super excited to get an advanced copy of this follow-up.

And Hollywood Heroine is pretty much everything I could hope for as a new novel in this series. The story switches back to following Aveda, the bludgeoning force for good, whose original book in Heroine Worship (Review Here) featured her struggling with no longer being the only superheroine and with her feelings towards her best friend Evie, bludgeoning her way through planning Evie's wedding, and dealing with her childhood love, the magic-wielding Scott. Now, Aveda is comfortable being a co-heroine, but of course she's still a bulldozer (that'll never fully change), and so when she has to deal with anxieties like people leaving her, a new city to explore (LA) with racist white people, and her passive aggressive mother....well things go awry. Add in more supernatural stuff around Hollywood, and some really fun dialogue and situations (Vampires!), and well this is another clear winner.

----------------------------------------------Plot Summary-------------------------------------------------------
There was a time that Aveda Jupiter would've loved the idea of her life being immortalized in a Hollywood TV Show. But the time of Aveda Jupiter caring about being special and famous is mostly over. Now Aveda cares most about her super family - her best friend and fellow superheroine Evie, her employee and friend Lucy, Evie's younger sister (and also superpowered) Bea, and of course....her magic-wielding childhood love, and now husband Scott. But to her great fear, the family seems to be splitting apart - Bea has moved to Hawaii, Lucy has moved out of their complex, and Evie is talking about vacation and less about actual superheroine-ing, especially after Evie's baby is born.

So Aveda has a hard time caring too much when she, Evie, Scott and one of their new interns head down to LA to consult on their TV Show - "Heroine". But when Aveda sees that the show is being director by a white man blowhard with a bizarre vampire theme - she gets outraged all the same....with that outrage only heightened when the stars of the show are attacked by a vampire-playing actor and the director doesn't seem to care.

Soon Aveda is in full-on Aveda Jupiter bludgeon mode, trying to figure out what's going on and to make sure things are set right...but is she really doing any good in doing so when no one else seems to care and everything else seems to be falling apart around her? And if it is all falling apart, what will she be able to do when she's confronted with another demon attack?
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Quick Disclaimer before I go further in this review: I talk mostly about the emotional and character development in this book (which is terrific) below, because it's what makes this series special, but I realized after writing the below that I didn't emphasize the fact that this is still a really fun book with fun quotable dialogue, San-Fran based Asian American superheroines taking a trip to see Hollywood where they wind up fighting the supernatural, and well just a lot of fun situations and moments. The below is in no way mean to suggest this fun series gets anyway serious and maudlin on you.....ahem, now back to the review:

The Heroine series has a formula of sorts - each book follows one character from their perspective as they deal not only with supernatural attacks, but also events that provoke their own anxieties and make them struggle with their relationships, before events get to the point where the protagonist talks it out with one of the others (if not more) and grows emotionally stronger as a result - oh and grows romantically and sexually attached to someone else in the meantime too (the series generally has a fun sex scene or two in its plots). The last book in the series, Haunted Heroine, didn't quite work as well as the others for me because it felt like the emotional struggle of its heroine Evie was one we'd seen her grapple with before in the prior books. It was still a lot of fun, but when the emotional conflict at the heart of the book felt a bit redundant, it was a minor letdown.

Not the case for Hollywood Heroine, where Aveda's emotional conflict feels like a natural extension of all the things that have happened since her last time in the spotlight in Heroine Worship. In that book, she struggled to still feel needed since she felt Evie was a better superheroine, and her bludgeon-like drive was set to proving that she could be the best Maid of Honor possible for Evie to show she was still of value in their friendship - before Evie and Aveda finally sat down and realized their friendship was more than about their own individual worth (not that either of them was less of a superheroine than the other), and Aveda managed to conquer her own insecurities about being second choice to get together with Scott, the boy she'd loved since she was a kid. And since that book, Aveda remains a bludgeon (for good!) in her eagerness to always be doing something...but she listens a bit more and tries to channel it to helping the family she's really come to love.

So of course, with that family changing, and becoming more geographically spread out, of course Aveda was going to struggle, as she does here. And of course the idea of Evie talking about going away from superheroine-ing was going to scare her. And then there's the idea that Scott, her beloved husband, won't chase after his own dreams because he was simply letting her bludgeon him - something she remembers once doing to Evie. And there's her lifelong feeling that she needs to be perfect, or else those who love her will throw their support behind a mediocre "All-American" (re: White) girl instead - meaning she can't possibly ever let show any weakness. Aveda is a superheroine who absolutely cares, and who wants to do good and solve everyone's problems....so of course all these anxieties only drive her further into problem solving bludgeon mode even more, to the extent that she starts neglecting her own care, and starts harming those others she's trying to help in the process.

Obviously, she's helped out of this mindset by others, although exactly by who is a very big surprise, and the book's resolution scenes for Aveda and her anxieties, for her relationship with Scott (sexy bathtime scene!), and for her other found-family members are really great as usual. And again, Aveda remains really fun, as she deals with not only demons and vampires in this book, but racist assholes - those of the obvious variety and those of the extreme passive-aggressive microaggression variety - who only harp on those anxieties she has otherwise. Again, I don't want to suggest by the way that this is some super serious book by the way - even though we deal with personal demons, with relationships and the series' classic theme of talking and listening it out, and with racist and sexist behaviors - this is still an incredibly fun book with a really great set of characters - from the actresses Aveda and co meet, to Aveda's intern Pippa from the last book (who has her own emotional arc).

Like if I was to complain, the book is perhaps a bit too long and takes a bit too long in getting to the emotional climax, and you'll spot the real evil mastermind incredibly early, but honestly this is still a book with vampire demons who prey on emotions, of superheroines researching paranormal romance novels for clues, of found families and emotional connections that turn out for the best, and of a bulldozing heroine who will, once she realizes she has the support of all her friends and family, once again be a bludgeon for good....with nothing getting in her way.

Yep, I love this series. And if you haven't been reading it yet, you should, because I bet you will too.

I’ve been a fan of this series for a while now, and I was so excited for the next release! It made a perfect spooky read for October too. Hollywood Heroine follows our beloved superheroines as they solve another otherworldly mystery, this time involving vampires in Hollywood.

This review contains spoilers for the previous books in this series.

In the aftermath of the previous book, Aveda and Evie head to LA to check out the filming of the show based on their lives. Aveda still worries constantly: about Evie and her baby, about ensuring everyone whom she loves is happy, and especially about the future. She’s working non-stop, and Evie and Scott convinces her that this would be a great time for a vacation. Unfortunately, demons never rest, and the three of them, as well as their new assistant Pippa and Bea over FaceTime, uncover a new infestation of demons, this time manifesting as vampires.

It was fun returning to this world and seeing this cast of characters again! I also love how Bea is included (on FaceTime) despite being hundreds of miles away. The group’s dynamic is so great to read, and I always love seeing the love they all hold for each other. Aveda and Evie’s relationship has been the heart of the series since the very beginning, and of course, I love seeing more of their strong, unbreakable friendship. I also liked reading more about Aveda and Scott together!

The plot itself was a bit similar to the other books although this time in a different setting. I was intrigued by the way everything played out though: the return of Mercedes, Aveda’s rival; the show based on Aveda and Evie’s lives that turns out to be more of a mess than they anticipated; and vampires, always a fun addition to a story. They also explore more of LA’s hotspots, some of which is from Kuhn’s latest YA release, From Little Tokyo, with Love, I believe!

I always enjoy how the author balances the plot along with the characters’ personal journeys. Aveda has grown from her last point-of-view book; she’s more receptive of others’ opinions and is trying to accept change more easily. However, she still works too hard and refuses to see this as a problem, even when the people she loves tell her otherwise.

Overall, Hollywood Heroine was a fun return to this world and cast of characters. I liked the character arcs; this book was a great spooky read for October too. If you haven’t checked out the Heroine Worship series, I definitely recommend it!

Although I felt that the plot sometimes struggled to keep its head above the message, I did ultimately enjoy this one - not quite enough to make it one of my top books of 2021, though, and not enough to want to continue further with the series either.

The characters in this series have capital-I Issues, which they do work on, but which are, for me, overdramatic sometimes. They also have capital-I Identities, which are often closely related to their Issues, and which define them to a high degree. I commented early on in my reading that it was ironic that in a book where there was such strong objection to the main characters being treated merely as their identities and not as individuals, the more any character was functioning as an antagonist, the more they were defined by their identity and had no other discernable characteristics. Reflecting afterwards, I'm not sure that's true. I think the actual point being made might not have been "treat us as people, not identities" but "treat our identities as equally valuable," which is a subtly different message.

This inevitably flattens the characters and limits how much they can change. At one point, arrogant characters who have wronged the protagonist apologise to her, but it comes across as very stilted, as if the author couldn't fully imagine what a genuine apology from someone with that identity might sound like. And later, they just revert to their former impervious arrogance, having learned nothing from their experience. It's certainly true that there are people like that, but when essentially the entire supporting cast is that way, I'm left wondering: is this ideologically-driven prejudice ("people like that (or even people in general) simply can't break out of their identity") or lack of ability to write minor characters/antagonists that are not clichés bordering on caricatures?

Anyway, that's what I didn't like, and why I won't persevere further with the series. The story itself, when you could see it through the message, is entertaining enough, with action, mystery (though the protagonist takes a good long while to figure out what is going on, even when it's pretty obvious), and the odd twist (which, again, are mostly predictable). There are strong subplots around relationships and working on the above-mentioned Issues, which in this case centre around the protagonist feeling like she needs to perfectly fix everything by herself and not having much capacity to handle change in other people. I commented on the previous book in the series to the effect that the personal stuff was almost more central than the outward plot, and that's the case again.

For its audience, this will resonate strongly and be something they love wholeheartedly. It happens that I'm not that audience, though, and so for me it fell a bit short.

The Heroine Complex series has to be one of my favorite fantasy series. The sheer amount of character growth always astounds me. To remember where they were at the beginning, and now? Such a huge change that has felt so satisfying. But what I loved the most about Hollywood Heroine was Aveda's character and the pressures she feels as a superheroine of color. The pressure of having to be perfect, but also realizing that opportunities you have to fight for, might be handed over without a thought to others.

Because of how clear this is to Aveda, she feels this pressure to be perfect all the time. To be on top of things-no to be prepared for them before they happen. Her fears and insecurities manifest themself into feeling like she's never doing enough. She isn't sure who to rely on and always convinced she can push herself more. Sound familiar? This was me to a T.

I’ve really enjoyed this series so far so I was really excited to get to read the ARC and not have to wait for the release date!
I don’t want to write a spoiler filled review with a couple weeks left to release date but these was another fun entry in the series! This particular book focuses on Aveda and her point of view and she really needs a vacation! Not that she’d admit to it…. The rest of the characters have her back of course. These books are fairly light but if you’re looking for a female powered superhero story I recommend the series highly!
It does feel like we’re reaching the end of the series and I’ll be sorry to see it wrap up but I will look forward to whatever the author writes next. This series has been a ton of fun.

"The fifth book in the smart, snarky, and action-packed Heroine series continues the adventures of Asian-American superheroines Evie Tanaka, Aveda Jupiter, and Bea Tanaka in a demon-infested San Francisco.

Over the years, the adventures of superheroines Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka have become the stuff of legend--and now they'll be immortalized in their very own TV show!

The pair head to LA for filming, but Aveda struggles to get truly excited. Instead, she's preoccupied wondering about the fate of the world and her role in it. You know, the usual. Now that Otherworld activity has been detected outside the Bay Area, Aveda can't help but wonder if the demon threat will ever be eradicated.

When the drama on set takes a turn for the supernatural, Evie and Aveda must balance their celebrity commitments with donning their superhero capes again to investigate. And when the evil they battle reveals a larger, more nefarious plot, it's time for the indomitable Aveda Jupiter to rise to the occasion and become the leader she was meant to be on a more global scale - and hopefully keep some semblance of a personal life while doing so."

Note to cover artist: Look at a real pregnant lady.

I absolutely adore this series and every entry gets better and better. Watching the characters grow and evolve has been an absolute joy and having each entry expand not only the Superheroine world but reflect more of our world, politically and historically keeps it not only fresh but relevant and edgy in the best sense of the word.

Also, vampires.

Can't wait for the next one. And yes, I know, Hollywood Heroine isn't even out yet. That's the only problem with advanced reader copies.

The adventures of Aveda Jupiter (nee Annie Chang) and Evie Tanaka continue in the fifth installment of the heroine series, this time in Tinseltown! Our titular heroines go down the coast to LA to consult on a TV series about their heroics.

Following in the rotating first -person narrative of previous books, Aveda is our narrator. She's struggling with superhero burnout, though she's unwilling to admit it and fears all of the changes taking place in her life. While Evie wants to spend the time in LA relaxing, Aveda is POSITIVE, that something Otherworldly is happening to further Shasta the Demon Princess' plot to kidnap Evie's baby. Using racist frenemies, marriage, the lens of Hollywood, and of course, the power of friendship, Sarah Kuhn's latest is heartwarming and hilarious.

There is not a lot I can say about this book as its the 5th one in a series but I will say I love this series and this book was no exception. I love the characters in these books and every time I see there is a new story about them I get so excited.