Scan barcode
A review by btg
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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? It's complicated
3.75
Oh this was a ride. I had so much fun reading this. What an enjoyable grumpy-and-sunshine romance with some hurt/comfort thrown in for good measure. Bonus points for the enemies to begruging ride-or-die friends arc I was not expecting to love.
Look, is the book well written? It depends on your definition of "well-written." There are noticeable issues that are probably the result of this being a debut novel. I felt bored in places, Evie's characterization in early chapters was inconsistent, and there were a lot of infodumps throughout the book that dragged the pacing. Was it extremely fun to read anyway? Oh, very much so. It follows fanfiction/emotional character beats as opposed to traditional plot structure beats, which means readers of fanfic or romance novels will likely be the target audience. Luckily that includes me. I fell in love with Evie and Trystan's dynamic, the wacky world building, and Maehrer's absolutely gut punching raw lines that come out of nowhere. Think of this book as the Fourth Wing of workplace comedy. It will not be everyone's cup of tea, but I will be back for the sequel.
Look, is the book well written? It depends on your definition of "well-written." There are noticeable issues that are probably the result of this being a debut novel. I felt bored in places, Evie's characterization in early chapters was inconsistent, and there were a lot of infodumps throughout the book that dragged the pacing. Was it extremely fun to read anyway? Oh, very much so. It follows fanfiction/emotional character beats as opposed to traditional plot structure beats, which means readers of fanfic or romance novels will likely be the target audience. Luckily that includes me. I fell in love with Evie and Trystan's dynamic, the wacky world building, and Maehrer's absolutely gut punching raw lines that come out of nowhere. Think of this book as the Fourth Wing of workplace comedy. It will not be everyone's cup of tea, but I will be back for the sequel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment