The Love Interest

A swoony, speculative and entirely electric YA debut with a humorous and satirical take on the conventions of the superhero-verse. Fans of Michelle Quach's Not Here To Be Liked and the Marvel Universe, including Spider-Man and Ms Marvel, will love this! Seventeen-year-old Jenna Ray lives in the quiet coastal town of Nine Trees. Despite its picturesque nature, it is also the epicentre of the next prophecy. It is said that in the year 2024 a new Hero will emerge in Nine Trees – an event that is usually accompanied by a catastrophic disaster. When Blaze, the new Hero, does arrive, Jenna has the misfortune of being the first person he saves. And, in the eyes of the public, that means one thing: Jenna Ray has already been cast as the Love Interest. Nothing could be more repellent to Jenna than being a love interest, even if Blaze is cute. But her plans to defy the HPA (the Heroics and Power Authority) and turn down this new role are thwarted when she uncovers the truth about her mum, who she hasn't seen in ten years, and is faced with a life-changing proposition: become Blaze's love interest to get close to him and learn about the HPA's secret plans, and she can see her mum again. As Jenna takes the mantle of the next love interest, even if she is faking it, feelings for Blaze become real – she can't resist his charm, good looks and the genuine connection they've made. And to make things even more complicated, just as Jenna starts to embrace her new-found career, she discovers she might be more on the side of the superheroes than she ever imagined …