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tayreads10's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I am not a fan of fantasy books, but this one had me captivated with the wit, humor, flirty romance and mystery. I look forward to reading the second book to continue from the cliff hanger ending!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
shellbell_04's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Honestly liked this book a lot more that I thought I would. It had a good amount of detail without being overwhelming, and the pace was just right for me. I liked that all the characters were strong and developed in their own quirky ways
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death and Sexual harassment
kp_reads_in_the_dark's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I almost DNF this book, but I committed to seeing it through since I didn't want to feel like I'd wasted my money buying it. The first thing I got hung up on was that the lead female character is stereotypically "adorkable," small, and clumsy. I got exasperated very quickly with her constant stumbling and falling - which seemed to also be the primary way that the auther created chemistry between the two main characters. Thankfully the chapters are short. I slogged my way through it and finally felt like I got some payoff in the last 5 chapters (when the main mystery was solved). Although the book ends in a cliffhanger and I'm tempted to read the sequel to see how the story is resolved, I'm not sure I'd have the patience. I found the whole thing very one-dimensional (characters, dialogue, scenery), which is unfortunate because the premise has so much promise.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Confinement and Abandonment
I don't want to harp on this book or it's author (after all, it's her first) but man - it was a painful read. The dialogue felt forced, unnatural (at worst) or stilted (at best). (After I finished it, I realized that the main female protagonist's description matches the author's appearance, so take that for whatever it might mean.) In short, I had been looking for a story with more grit, maturity, and authenticity, but instead got something that felt more like a clunky, YA adaptation of a Disney movie.coldheartedbirch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Rape, Terminal illness, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Updated Review (August 2024):
I still absolutely ADORE this book and these characters and I am so excited I can now go dive in to APPRENTICE TO THE VILLAIN because I would not have survived this cliffhanger twice.
Original Review (October 2023):
Rating: 5/5 stars
Evie Sage is struggling to provide for her ailing father and little sister when a chance encounter in the woods leads to new employment—as personal assistant to The Villain.
I’m not even sure I have good enough words to write a review for this one because truly I loved it so much. It started a tiny bit slow for me because it is unapologetically silly, but then it got deep and touching and badass and swoony and I was 10000% on board.
For whatever reason, I didn’t really expect much romance from this but let me tell you…this book provided a new beloved book boyfriend AND a stellar new couple to ship and ugh it just…it made me so giggly and happy to read?! Again, I don’t have good words but it gave me so many feels and made me so happy and I loved it so much.
Basically…go read this book???? The pretty sprayed edges are also a welcome bonus.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: morally grey men; mysteries but make it a romantasy; unexpected depth
CW: Lots of violence/death/gore/injury; mentions of attempted sexual assault
I still absolutely ADORE this book and these characters and I am so excited I can now go dive in to APPRENTICE TO THE VILLAIN because I would not have survived this cliffhanger twice.
Original Review (October 2023):
Rating: 5/5 stars
Evie Sage is struggling to provide for her ailing father and little sister when a chance encounter in the woods leads to new employment—as personal assistant to The Villain.
I’m not even sure I have good enough words to write a review for this one because truly I loved it so much. It started a tiny bit slow for me because it is unapologetically silly, but then it got deep and touching and badass and swoony and I was 10000% on board.
For whatever reason, I didn’t really expect much romance from this but let me tell you…this book provided a new beloved book boyfriend AND a stellar new couple to ship and ugh it just…it made me so giggly and happy to read?! Again, I don’t have good words but it gave me so many feels and made me so happy and I loved it so much.
Basically…go read this book???? The pretty sprayed edges are also a welcome bonus.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: morally grey men; mysteries but make it a romantasy; unexpected depth
CW: Lots of violence/death/gore/injury; mentions of attempted sexual assault
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual assault, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
arlaubscher's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror and Alcohol
valpyre's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
a light read, though i did find myself skimming parts. the whole thing was enjoyable enough, if juvenile. i wanted more out of the romance but it was a pretty chaste slow burn. even the plot moved fast, which made it easier to read, but it also felt very much like boxes were being checked instead of a natural development of the relationship. i liked a lot of the side characters, just wish we got more time with them instead of being given a wikipedia rundown of their pasts. i might check out the sequel if i need another head empty read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
shinyfox's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Quirky, funny, light hearted while still being dark in its own way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Gore, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child death and Pandemic/Epidemic
indieandajean's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Assistant to the Villain is an adorable fantasy rom-com with more emphasis on the "com". The slow burn in this book will be of no surprise to anyone who enjoyed watching the tiktok series it was based on, and it makes for a lot of exasperation from a reader's perspective when you read many chapters of pining and them "almost" getting to the point. This is a feature, not a bug.
The characters are lovable, the plot moves along at a decent pace, and it has just the right amount of tropes that one would expect from a slow-burn, mutual pining, workplace rom-com. It also has a dragon, which is always a positive.
My only complaint is that at times the book was a little too slow. There were unnecessary scenes that did little to move the plot forward or deepen the reader's understanding of the characters. I understand that the author was given a three book deal and that where there is a three book deal about a single romance, there is going to have to be some filler. That said, the story never dragged, even through these filler moments, and it was always fun to pick back up to read.
My review is probably somewhat biased as I fell in love with Evie Sage played by Hannah Nicole Maehrer in her Tiktok videos that were the catalyst for the books, but I challenge anyone who loves a good underdog to watch the videos or read this book and not also love the character. She, the Villain, Blade, Tatiana, and yes, even Becky, are great characters and it was fun to see them more fully fleshed out in this book.
I am very much looking forward to book two which is coming out this fall, particularly because of the cliffhanger ending!
I recommend this one for anyone who enjoys a bit of humor in their romances, morally grey fantasy villains, dragons, and strong female characters who overcome obstacles and earn the respect of people around them.
The characters are lovable, the plot moves along at a decent pace, and it has just the right amount of tropes that one would expect from a slow-burn, mutual pining, workplace rom-com. It also has a dragon, which is always a positive.
My only complaint is that at times the book was a little too slow. There were unnecessary scenes that did little to move the plot forward or deepen the reader's understanding of the characters. I understand that the author was given a three book deal and that where there is a three book deal about a single romance, there is going to have to be some filler. That said, the story never dragged, even through these filler moments, and it was always fun to pick back up to read.
My review is probably somewhat biased as I fell in love with Evie Sage played by Hannah Nicole Maehrer in her Tiktok videos that were the catalyst for the books, but I challenge anyone who loves a good underdog to watch the videos or read this book and not also love the character. She, the Villain, Blade, Tatiana, and yes, even Becky, are great characters and it was fun to see them more fully fleshed out in this book.
I am very much looking forward to book two which is coming out this fall, particularly because of the cliffhanger ending!
I recommend this one for anyone who enjoys a bit of humor in their romances, morally grey fantasy villains, dragons, and strong female characters who overcome obstacles and earn the respect of people around them.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
blackcatl's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The book starts quite slow in my opinion, and Evies character needs way more depth. In the second half, however, everything comes together and you can see way more of Evies development which I like - and missed in the beginning. Also, way more romance is needed in the first half imo. But, because of the second half, I am thrilled to read the second book and its still almost 4 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Blood
Minor: Torture, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship