Assistant To The Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer Review

Title: Assistant To The Villain

Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Penguin UK

Pages: 352

Release Date: 14 September 2023

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Hello fellow booklovers! Today I'm sharing my review for Assistant To The Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer. A fast paced and thoroughly entertaining debut, that reads like the fabulously chaotic love child of Beauty and The Beast and The Office(US). You know, if the Beast was a brooding, byronic Villain who hated everyone—except his sunshiny (and overly optimistic) cinnamon-roll of an assistant.

Synopsis

 ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem, terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

Review

I genuinely loved this! It’s humorous, heartfelt and full of soo many quirky characters I couldn’t help but get attached too. I’m also an absolute sucker for the grumpy x sunshine and found family tropes so pretty much devoured this. Though I should warn it is a slow-burn kind of romance and doesn’t have any spice (so if that’s a must, then you may not find much enjoyment in this.)

The writing was really enjoyable, but felt more like YA than adult romantasy. Though, I thought it worked perfectly for the satirical and lighthearted, fairytale-esque tone. As someone who spent a good portion of my childhood obsessed with fairytales, this is the book I didn’t realise I needed in my life until I now and I know there’ll be plenty of rereads in my future. It gave off such cosy vibes and reminded me soo much of The 10th Kingdom (which was one of my all time fave shows as a kid) and its delightfully charming and eccentric cast of characters.

I loved Evie, our main protagonist (and walking ball of sunshine) whose wit and endearing optimism (in-spite of all the tragedy she’s endured) had me rooting for her from the very first page. Watching her inadvertently melt the Villain’s tough exterior (with her honesty and compassion) was wonderfully heartwarming and really gave us a chance us to explore The Villain’s complex (and equally tragic) backstory in more depth—bringing dimension to his character that will have you rooting for him in no time.

Though, I must admit it was Kingsley, the sign holding (and crown wearing) magical frog who stole my heart and the top spot as my fave character with his quiet judgement and hilariously spot on, one word observations.

I can’t really say much else for fear of spoiling the plot or deliciously plot twisty ending (the traitor reveal was fantastic, I couldn’t guess their identity AT ALL.) But I will say, if you love fun and light-heartedly entertaining fairytale-style stories, Shrek or Once Upon A Time —then you simply must check this out.

Also, a massive thank you to Emma Fairey and Penguin UK for the finished copy.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

About The Author 

Hannah Nicole Maehrer—or as TikTok Knows her, @hannahnicolemae—is a fantasy romance author and BookToker with a propensity for villains. When she’s not creating bookish comedy skits about Villains and Assistants, she’s writing to Taylor Swift songs. Her biggest passions in life include romance, magic, laughter, and finding ways to include them all in everything she creates. Most days you can find her with her head in the clouds and a pen in her hand.

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