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We Could be Heroes
These Cold Strangers
From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a chilling tale about how a reporter’s deep dive into a viral video challenges her preconceived notions of what being a hero really means.
When she recognizes the heroic stranger in a sensationalized news video, Addison Blake plans to use the information to her career’s advantage. That means returning to the hometown she left behind ten years ago, but her ambitions are more important than the ghosts of her past. She’s focused on breaking this story—as long as it doesn’t break her first.
J.T. Ellison’s These Cold Strangers is part of We Could Be Heroes, a darkly inquisitive collection of short stories that examines heroic intentions versus their real-life consequences. Read or listen to each in a single sitting.
When she recognizes the heroic stranger in a sensationalized news video, Addison Blake plans to use the information to her career’s advantage. That means returning to the hometown she left behind ten years ago, but her ambitions are more important than the ghosts of her past. She’s focused on breaking this story—as long as it doesn’t break her first.
J.T. Ellison’s These Cold Strangers is part of We Could Be Heroes, a darkly inquisitive collection of short stories that examines heroic intentions versus their real-life consequences. Read or listen to each in a single sitting.
63 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 7, 2023
1116 people are currently reading
1306 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Ellison
83 books6,944 followersJ.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.
With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards They have also been optioned for television, and published in 28 countries.
J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens, one of whom is a ghost, where she is hard at work on her next novel.
With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards They have also been optioned for television, and published in 28 countries.
J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens, one of whom is a ghost, where she is hard at work on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
March 1, 2023
5⭐ Unexpected thrill and reveal!
Part 4 of 5 in the "We Could be Heroes" collection. They can be read in any order.
This collection is a winner. Not very often do I enjoy EVERY. SINGLE. short story like this. Easy five stars to 3 of 5 stories in terms of enjoyment. I decide not to bump some up for a little ranking to the collection.
Addison Blake is a blogger/journalist but needs a big story for a permanent position with The Post. A man becomes an overnight sensation when he helps save a life of an unconscious famous photographer. The event was caught on camera but nobody knows who this hero is. Addison thinks she recognizes his face.
Back in her small hometown of Marchburg, VA, Addison must relive her family's tragic past once more while chasing a story that could change her life.
This shorty is a riveting shocker. A must-read!!😱
🎧 Brittany Pressley! 1h 34m/63 pages
Free with Prime/KU/Audible
Part 4 of 5 in the "We Could be Heroes" collection. They can be read in any order.
This collection is a winner. Not very often do I enjoy EVERY. SINGLE. short story like this. Easy five stars to 3 of 5 stories in terms of enjoyment. I decide not to bump some up for a little ranking to the collection.
Addison Blake is a blogger/journalist but needs a big story for a permanent position with The Post. A man becomes an overnight sensation when he helps save a life of an unconscious famous photographer. The event was caught on camera but nobody knows who this hero is. Addison thinks she recognizes his face.
Back in her small hometown of Marchburg, VA, Addison must relive her family's tragic past once more while chasing a story that could change her life.
This shorty is a riveting shocker. A must-read!!😱
🎧 Brittany Pressley! 1h 34m/63 pages
Free with Prime/KU/Audible
March 19, 2024
In a Nutshell: A standalone short story that has some predictable elements but still delivers a wallop of an impact. This series is making me shatter all my assumptions about heroes!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
PSA: Go in blind!
This is the fourth standalone story in the 'We Could be Heroes’ series, described on Amazon as “a darkly inquisitive collection of short stories that examines heroic intentions versus their real-life consequences.”
It is easy to spoil this story, so I am going to keep this review short (Well! ‘Short’ by MY standards!) and vague.
When I picked up this particular Amazon Original Stories series, I was looking for something inspiring and heartwarming. ‘We Could Be Heroes’ is such a great title, but I should have realised the importance of the modal verb: ‘Could Be.’ This story is anything but heartwarming!
The thing is, the big reveal in this story isn't tough to guess. The minute you read a certain conversation, you know where the story is going. I almost sighed in frustration at seeing the twist being so apparent. BUT that's not all the story is about. And there are many more reveals along the way, not all of which are as easy to see coming.
Despite my initial guess about the twist being correct, I still relished this tale, and the main question it raises: Does one good act make you a hero?
Escaping past demons is never easy, and sometimes, whether you are able to do so or not is what makes a difference to your present peace of mind. That’s all I’ll say.
Recommended to all short story lovers who would like a dash of mystery mixed with a splash of musings about humankind (‘kind’ being a very ironic suffix choice considering the story.)
4.25 stars.
This standalone story is a part of the “We Could Be Heroes” collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
I've yet to read the final story of this series but based on what I've read so far, this is easily among the best series of the Amazon story collections.
This was my first J.T. Ellison story, and I'd love to read more by this author. If you have any tried-and-tested recommendations, please let me know in the comments!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
After a life-altering tragedy ten years ago, Addison Blake left her hometown and never returned, even though she is still haunted by the ghosts of the past. But when a video showing a stranger rescuing an old man becomes viral, Addison, a freelance reporter, knows that she has to go back to interview the man she recognised as her old classmate. After all, this interview could mark the beginning of a new phase in her career. But has the trauma of the past really healed? Will this ‘breaking news’ finally save her, personally and professionally?
The story comes to us in Addison’s first person perspective.
PSA: Go in blind!
This is the fourth standalone story in the 'We Could be Heroes’ series, described on Amazon as “a darkly inquisitive collection of short stories that examines heroic intentions versus their real-life consequences.”
It is easy to spoil this story, so I am going to keep this review short (Well! ‘Short’ by MY standards!) and vague.
When I picked up this particular Amazon Original Stories series, I was looking for something inspiring and heartwarming. ‘We Could Be Heroes’ is such a great title, but I should have realised the importance of the modal verb: ‘Could Be.’ This story is anything but heartwarming!
The thing is, the big reveal in this story isn't tough to guess. The minute you read a certain conversation, you know where the story is going. I almost sighed in frustration at seeing the twist being so apparent. BUT that's not all the story is about. And there are many more reveals along the way, not all of which are as easy to see coming.
Despite my initial guess about the twist being correct, I still relished this tale, and the main question it raises: Does one good act make you a hero?
Escaping past demons is never easy, and sometimes, whether you are able to do so or not is what makes a difference to your present peace of mind. That’s all I’ll say.
Recommended to all short story lovers who would like a dash of mystery mixed with a splash of musings about humankind (‘kind’ being a very ironic suffix choice considering the story.)
4.25 stars.
This standalone story is a part of the “We Could Be Heroes” collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
I've yet to read the final story of this series but based on what I've read so far, this is easily among the best series of the Amazon story collections.
This was my first J.T. Ellison story, and I'd love to read more by this author. If you have any tried-and-tested recommendations, please let me know in the comments!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
March 11, 2023
I did not expect this! For a ~60 page book, this was unreal.
I originally thought the writing style just wasn't going to be for me but that quickly changed and I was swept up in this thrilling and twisty short story.
For an author to do so much in such a short book has me shocked! I'm admittedly a bit easier on ratings for novellas because it takes some skill to write a very good one, but now I've read this, I may need to reconsider. A true talent.
⚠️ Check TWs online - this one's a bit dark but not too descriptive ⚠️
I originally thought the writing style just wasn't going to be for me but that quickly changed and I was swept up in this thrilling and twisty short story.
For an author to do so much in such a short book has me shocked! I'm admittedly a bit easier on ratings for novellas because it takes some skill to write a very good one, but now I've read this, I may need to reconsider. A true talent.
⚠️ Check TWs online - this one's a bit dark but not too descriptive ⚠️
August 4, 2025
Chiling.
May 30, 2023
This was my last book from the "We could be Heroes" series of short stories.
Addison Blake is a freelancer journalist with a very dark event in her life. She left the home town in her attempt to forget the day when her family was killed.
In the Internet goes viral a video, where a photographer lies sick on the street and people are walking away without helping, until a good Samaritan stops to help him and call the ambulance. The hero leaves without giving his name.
Addison Blake recognizes him as an ex schoolmate. She returns to the home town and tries to take an interview with him. But is he the hero or not?
The story is very interesting and I recommend it to everyone who is interested in the philosophical question: Who are the heroes and how we recognize them?
Addison Blake is a freelancer journalist with a very dark event in her life. She left the home town in her attempt to forget the day when her family was killed.
In the Internet goes viral a video, where a photographer lies sick on the street and people are walking away without helping, until a good Samaritan stops to help him and call the ambulance. The hero leaves without giving his name.
Addison Blake recognizes him as an ex schoolmate. She returns to the home town and tries to take an interview with him. But is he the hero or not?
The story is very interesting and I recommend it to everyone who is interested in the philosophical question: Who are the heroes and how we recognize them?
October 4, 2024
This is the third story I've read in the We Could Be Heroes series (I believe). This one is, for the most part, well written, except for the blatant predictability of the "plot twist" that reveals the villain. The story does examine heroism and its various motives as well as disguises. Unfortunately the predictability pushed it down from 3.5 stars to 3. I just couldn't round up.
March 9, 2023
My Rating: 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ WOW super impressed by this little beauty PACKED A PUNCH!!!
This is the fourth short story I have read (out of 5 books) in the We Could be Heroes Amazon Original range. COLOUR ME IMPRESSED… I really enjoyed Lisa Unger’s Unknown Caller (we know Karly stop raving on… ) my point… however, is, this was better!!
For a story that literally only has 63 pages - there was a lot going on… but in a good way. I really got fully engaged in the story. Now don’t get me wrong this is absolutely not a masterpiece but come on.. no one thought it would be… its a short story thriller… BUT that is exactly what we get here… its short and its thrilling.
It was exactly the palette cleanser I needed to put all the 1 star trash out behind me. I am going to go in search of some of J.T. Ellison’s full length work - GR friends if you have recommendations hit me up.
I wanted more of this story… but I think there was actually enough I was just being greedy. If you haven’t given this series a go then I highly recommend it… so far out of the four I have read I have had two 5 stars, one 3 star and one 1 star dud… not a bad run. I guess I better race off to finish the series.
Happy reading!!!
This is the fourth short story I have read (out of 5 books) in the We Could be Heroes Amazon Original range. COLOUR ME IMPRESSED… I really enjoyed Lisa Unger’s Unknown Caller (we know Karly stop raving on… ) my point… however, is, this was better!!
For a story that literally only has 63 pages - there was a lot going on… but in a good way. I really got fully engaged in the story. Now don’t get me wrong this is absolutely not a masterpiece but come on.. no one thought it would be… its a short story thriller… BUT that is exactly what we get here… its short and its thrilling.
It was exactly the palette cleanser I needed to put all the 1 star trash out behind me. I am going to go in search of some of J.T. Ellison’s full length work - GR friends if you have recommendations hit me up.
I wanted more of this story… but I think there was actually enough I was just being greedy. If you haven’t given this series a go then I highly recommend it… so far out of the four I have read I have had two 5 stars, one 3 star and one 1 star dud… not a bad run. I guess I better race off to finish the series.
Happy reading!!!
August 9, 2024
It is hard to build suspense in a short story. Any action feels rushed, and everything is tied up with a shiny bow at the end.
July 7, 2025
Story 3.25 stars**
Audio 4.5 stars**
Narrator Brittany Pressley
Audio 4.5 stars**
Narrator Brittany Pressley
March 9, 2024
An explosive story told by an excellent narrator!
Although this is book #5 in the Amazon Original Series “We Could Be Heros,” it’s the first one I’ve read.
I opted to listen to the audiobook because the narrator is one of my favorites, and the explosive first chapter immediately hooked me. The pace of the story never slowed down, and I found myself completely engrossed in this riveting tale. I was disappointed when it ended, and I wish there was more of Addison's story to hear from this excellent narrator!
Although this is book #5 in the Amazon Original Series “We Could Be Heros,” it’s the first one I’ve read.
I opted to listen to the audiobook because the narrator is one of my favorites, and the explosive first chapter immediately hooked me. The pace of the story never slowed down, and I found myself completely engrossed in this riveting tale. I was disappointed when it ended, and I wish there was more of Addison's story to hear from this excellent narrator!
October 6, 2024
Entertaining mystery listening 🎶😁🎵😉🎆
This kindle is from Kindle Unlimited account book four of five
She returns to her home town chasing a story. She discovers a serial killer and a passed that is unbelievable.
I would recommend this series and various authors to readers of horror mystery novels 🤔😎 2024 👒
This kindle is from Kindle Unlimited account book four of five
She returns to her home town chasing a story. She discovers a serial killer and a passed that is unbelievable.
I would recommend this series and various authors to readers of horror mystery novels 🤔😎 2024 👒
October 18, 2025
4 Stars for These Cold Strangers (audiobook) by J. T. Ellison read by Brittany Pressley.
Addison Blake sees a viral video and realizes that she went to school with the guy in the video. She decides to go back home and look him up so she can interview him. It sounds like a good idea to help boost her career but if she’s not careful she’s going to be the subject of the story instead of the writer.
Addison Blake sees a viral video and realizes that she went to school with the guy in the video. She decides to go back home and look him up so she can interview him. It sounds like a good idea to help boost her career but if she’s not careful she’s going to be the subject of the story instead of the writer.
December 15, 2024
4.25 stars
May 23, 2023
Occasionally a fan of short story work, I turned to J.T. Ellison’s contribution to the We Could Be Heroes collection. The story of a roving reporter trying to track down the hero from a viral video will take her on an adventure she was not expecting. What appears to be a simple task soon unravels and leaves her wondering if hero hunting might have its downside. J.T. Ellison does well to take the reader on an unexpected adventure in this one, showing that nothing is quite as it seems.
Addison Blake is always on the hunt for the next big story. She’s got the writing abilities, but she just cannot catch a break when it comes to gripping stories. When an older man suffers some medical condition it is captured on CCTV. Everyone everyone passes him by on the streets of DC, leaving Addison watching in awe as one man appears to stop and help. The mystery man disappears before he can receive any praise, which seems odd. This video soon goes viral and has everyone wondering who the man could be. Addison appears to know him, caught on a freeze frame for a moment.
Addison’s theory takes her back to her hometown a few hours away. Having been plagued constantly with the memories that her entire family was killed by an ex-boyfriend, Addison is not eager to go. She must face her fears to see if an old high school crush could be the man who has become the secret hero throughout social media. While he admits to being the man, he refuses to become involved, saying it was an act of charity and he prefer the anonymity.
While she understands, Addison is not quite ready to let it all go just yet. As she prepares to depart the next morning, she runs into someone else from high school, who has another story she might want to follow. Women have been disappearing around the community, including one of the popular girls from school. Addison senses that there could be something here, though she’s going to have to use all her wits when she unearths a truth that she never saw coming. J.T. Ellison keeps things tense throughout and provides quite the thriller in this short piece.
Having not read anything by J.T. Ellison, I was surprised to see how quickly I became enthralled with the piece. There is a little something for everyone here, with great storytelling and adept development of the key characters. The narrative flows well and kept me wanting to turn pages, with little time to linger and see how things would develop. I was keen to see how Addison would present herself, especially with the horrible backstory she has had to face. While things appeared to be headed in one direction, a great plot twist or two kept me on my toes and wondering where things might be headed. I am eager to see if more of Ellison’s book have the same impact on me and will surely be looking around for some in the near future.
Kudos, Madam Ellison, for a great short piece that shows heroics in a different form.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
Addison Blake is always on the hunt for the next big story. She’s got the writing abilities, but she just cannot catch a break when it comes to gripping stories. When an older man suffers some medical condition it is captured on CCTV. Everyone everyone passes him by on the streets of DC, leaving Addison watching in awe as one man appears to stop and help. The mystery man disappears before he can receive any praise, which seems odd. This video soon goes viral and has everyone wondering who the man could be. Addison appears to know him, caught on a freeze frame for a moment.
Addison’s theory takes her back to her hometown a few hours away. Having been plagued constantly with the memories that her entire family was killed by an ex-boyfriend, Addison is not eager to go. She must face her fears to see if an old high school crush could be the man who has become the secret hero throughout social media. While he admits to being the man, he refuses to become involved, saying it was an act of charity and he prefer the anonymity.
While she understands, Addison is not quite ready to let it all go just yet. As she prepares to depart the next morning, she runs into someone else from high school, who has another story she might want to follow. Women have been disappearing around the community, including one of the popular girls from school. Addison senses that there could be something here, though she’s going to have to use all her wits when she unearths a truth that she never saw coming. J.T. Ellison keeps things tense throughout and provides quite the thriller in this short piece.
Having not read anything by J.T. Ellison, I was surprised to see how quickly I became enthralled with the piece. There is a little something for everyone here, with great storytelling and adept development of the key characters. The narrative flows well and kept me wanting to turn pages, with little time to linger and see how things would develop. I was keen to see how Addison would present herself, especially with the horrible backstory she has had to face. While things appeared to be headed in one direction, a great plot twist or two kept me on my toes and wondering where things might be headed. I am eager to see if more of Ellison’s book have the same impact on me and will surely be looking around for some in the near future.
Kudos, Madam Ellison, for a great short piece that shows heroics in a different form.
Like/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
September 2, 2023
Good thriller proves that you don't need 300 pages to fashion a twisty page turner.
December 11, 2024
Free on Audible as part of the We Could Be Heroes collection.
A NYC journalist returns to her small town origin to get a hero story on a guy she went to high school with. There's so much more than meets the eye! Loved it.
A NYC journalist returns to her small town origin to get a hero story on a guy she went to high school with. There's so much more than meets the eye! Loved it.
May 24, 2025
This one started out strong but there was just too much going on for a short story format, and it seemed to lose its focus. Had it been expanded, I think it would have been a compelling novel. Part of the "We Could Be Heroes" series on Amazon.
April 10, 2023
4¾⭐ (These books can be read/listened to in any order and they are free on Prime or KU)
So far I’ve really liked two of these and really didn’t like two. This one I really liked…but fair warning, it is on the dark side. But it did have an actual story and it even had some character development. The author took the "heroes" theme in a different direction than the others have so far. Don’t read any spoilers…just jump in and see where it takes you. Even if you don't end up liking it all that much, you'll not of lost too much time on it. Brittany Pressley’s narration was awesome as usual.
So far I’ve really liked two of these and really didn’t like two. This one I really liked…but fair warning, it is on the dark side. But it did have an actual story and it even had some character development. The author took the "heroes" theme in a different direction than the others have so far. Don’t read any spoilers…just jump in and see where it takes you. Even if you don't end up liking it all that much, you'll not of lost too much time on it. Brittany Pressley’s narration was awesome as usual.
June 20, 2023
Although this fast-paced short story has some twists, it didn't fully grab my attention. I read half of it in the ebook format and listened to the audio to finish the rest. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
June 29, 2024
A great story with quite a shock towards the end.
August 31, 2024
A decade ago, she came home to find her family brutally murdered. High out her mind, she phones for help.
Today, she has put her past aside and is a reporter on the story of her career.
When her career making story and her past collide, she must face what she thought she had buried.
My Thoughts
It's a quick read, but...... an absolute MUST!! This is a whole darn thriller of a book, condensed into 60pgs.
Addie is our FMC. The story is told through her eyes as she reconnects with Todd, the man who holds all the details to the story she needs. the man who wants to keep his secrets.
She obviously has PTSD. She came home as a teen to find her ex boyfriend had murdered her family while she was out partying. The memories still haunt her. I felt for her as she returned home and relived the worst night of her life.
Everything is beautifully interwoven and connected. Extraordinary experience to have read such a well penned short thriller. I will absolutely be looking up this author in the future.
Today, she has put her past aside and is a reporter on the story of her career.
When her career making story and her past collide, she must face what she thought she had buried.
My Thoughts
It's a quick read, but...... an absolute MUST!! This is a whole darn thriller of a book, condensed into 60pgs.
Addie is our FMC. The story is told through her eyes as she reconnects with Todd, the man who holds all the details to the story she needs. the man who wants to keep his secrets.
She obviously has PTSD. She came home as a teen to find her ex boyfriend had murdered her family while she was out partying. The memories still haunt her. I felt for her as she returned home and relived the worst night of her life.
Everything is beautifully interwoven and connected. Extraordinary experience to have read such a well penned short thriller. I will absolutely be looking up this author in the future.
January 28, 2023
I was captivated from the moment I started this short story about Addison Blake on her search looking for her big break. The pages quickly take you to some unexpected places. And this was one I needed to finish as quickly as I started. It left me wanting even more of Addison and particularly Todd’s story. Thank you J.T. for the early sneak peak.
October 13, 2024
There’s nothing really wrong with this book, but there is nothing phenomenal either. The twist is out of nowhere and the ending is even more confusing and unexplained. Main character is pretty unlikable, a pretty typical girlboss straight out of someone’s fantasy. At least the writing is legible and not overly complicated. The story had some good potential, but I did not like how the author decided to proceed with it.
February 17, 2023
A short thrilling read, well written, fast paced. Everything I was wanting for a quick read.
October 20, 2023
A suspenseful, quick-moving short story. Because of the limited number of characters, it wasn't difficult to guess who "the bad guy" was, but there wasn't enough character development in 62 pages to guess the "why".
February 13, 2023
I felt this audio was poorly written with bad dialogue.
“Todd Price likes me!”….he really likes me. Well, I added the last part. I’m pretty sure she was thinking it.
“Todd Price likes me!”….he really likes me. Well, I added the last part. I’m pretty sure she was thinking it.
March 26, 2023
4.5 ⭐️
Book 4 of Amazon’s “We Could be Heroes”
Collection
Yizus! 😱
This has to be my favorite of the 5 stories featured in this collection. I could not stop listening. Riveting!
Book 4 of Amazon’s “We Could be Heroes”
Collection
Yizus! 😱
This has to be my favorite of the 5 stories featured in this collection. I could not stop listening. Riveting!
July 3, 2023
Really gripping. This could have been longer and more developed, but it also made for a great short story.
December 2, 2025
Well that was a twist
January 27, 2023
Addie is a journalist in DC looking for her big break. A local photographer falls unresponsive on a public sidewalk, and a Good Samaritan saves his live. Addie recognizes this hero as her former high school crush and heads to her home town to hopefully interview him for a story.
A fast placed, short psychological thriller. I would recommend as a quick read!
A fast placed, short psychological thriller. I would recommend as a quick read!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews