Book Review: We Could Be Heroes by PJ Ellis

“Real love is nothing like the movies’ in PJ Ellis’ split-timeline romantic comedy, We Could Be Heroes. The novel centres American actor Patrick Lake who is filming the latest superhero blockbuster in Birmingham, UK. He is closeted and adhering to a strict filming schedule but between shooting, he meets Will, a bookseller and drag queen, and the pair are drawn into a secret but passionate romance.

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Woven into their narrative, readers are also taken to New York 1949, where comic-book artists Charles and Iris are harbouring their own dangerous secrets. Their creation of a new superhero, Captain Kismet though, is the one destined to bring Will and Patrick together.  

While the book's main premise – a drag queen and a movie star falling in lust and love – is a light, camp tale there is a lot more to We Could Be Heroes than its surface might suggest. Firstly, as Will and Patrick's romance blossoms, the narrative explores some complicated issues including: the potential impact of coming out particularly in industries such as Hollywood, the destruction of gay villages and safe spaces at the hands of capitalism, and the anti-LGBTQ protests against events like Drag Queen Story hour.

‘Wouldn’t it be something,’ he said, ‘if the world were different for those like us?’

What's more, the novel’s sub-plot which takes place in the late 1940s/early 1950s, delves into the history of LGBTQ+ lives, shining a spotlight on lavender marriages and the secrecy needed to live safely and comfortably as an LGBTQ+ person in that period. Charles and Iris’ link back to Patrick and Will, via the comics they create and the film Patrick is starring in, highlights just how far LGBTQ rights have come. But the connection also acts as a reminder of what we serve to lose if we don't continue fighting, as well as how far we still have to go, in particular when it comes to trans rights.

The novel is beautifully constructed, balancing fun and flirty humour, and steamy sexual encounters, with turmoil, outrage and protest. There are sweet uplifting moments of friendship and family (both biological and chosen) and there are moments of glamour and glitz brought forth by Patrick’s Hollywood ties.

‘Imagine thinking that calling somebody a “fairy” was an insult,’ she said. ‘Fairies used to be feared and revered. People would make offerings to them to appease their moods, and heaven forbid if you were to meet one at a crossroads.

The book is full of memorable characters; not just Will and Patrick but the people they surround themselves with including a colourful cast of drag performers with fantastically pun-ny names. Bar manager and Will’s best friend Jordan is an outspoken voice for the community, and his bookseller colleague April is making space in the fandom community for more Black, Lantinx and queer creators. Then there is Patrick’s connections with the other actors, and Will’s relationships with his sister Margo and her non-binary teenager, Dylan.

“Patrick wondered if maybe he needed to soften his earlier appraisal of Birmingham. There was a beauty to the city that took its time in revealing itself”

We Could Be Heroes is also a love letter to Birmingham itself. Ellis doesn't shy away from Birmingham's rougher edges while also shining a light on its beauty; take a stroll down Broad Street's own Walk of Fame, enjoy some tranquillity on the library's secret garden rooftop, and learn why Pigeon Park is colloquially known as such. In particular though, it is the gay village that is at the heart of this love letter, with The Village Inn (in its previous iteration) taking centre stage, and the characters offering an homage to the Bastard drag that locals know and love so much. The novel does take some liberties with the reality of the city; a second-hand bookshop on Bulls Street, we can only dream.

Ellis declares that all the characters presented are fictional, however, in this diverse cast, Brummies in particular will recognise whispers of recognition for community members, activists, performers, and bar staff. Birmingham’s own Joe Lycett even gets a shout out in the pages of this novel.

Whether you know Birmingham well or not though, PJ Ellis’ We Could Be Heroes is a hopeful and entertaining novel laced with queer joy, romance and connection.