Title: Assistant to the Villian
Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer, narrated by Em Eldridge
Length: 13 hours 54 minutes
Genre: Fantasy, humor, romance (sub-genre: grumpy- sunshine, ceo- assistant, slow burn).
Is this book part of a series? Yes this is book one, there seems to be another two slated for release so far.
I discovered this book... at my local bookshop, though there is apparently a tiktok presence that seems pretty great... Maehrer is also on Instagram.
Published: August 29th, 2023
Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Maehrer's laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain…and their unexpected romance.
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.
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.
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.
I bought this audiobook last November when I fell in love with the cover and premise. I had been on a different book, and quickly forgot about it as I so often do. Seriously, though, why did it take me so long to get to it! This was fabulous! It was fun, snarky, charming and just a great time! I fell in love with the characters- especially our crowned frog, Kingsley. It's honestly to the point of obsession. I want a Kingsley plushy with interchangeable signs, an emoji set, there is a ton of merch ideas here.
Evie and Tristan have a fabulous chemistry, but they aren't approaching each other for their own reasons. This is basically the slow burn of the century. I loved that I got to see both points of view, as Tristan's was... surprisingly sweet. Seriously, what's a girl to do when the morally gray villian is the best man you've ever met? And the way Evie's mind works, coming up with ideas and scenarios that make a villian blink. All the characters were amazing, and I loved them... even Becky.
I don't have TikTok, but I did find the skits that were done for this after reading the book. It's charmingly chaotic, but I am glad I read the book first. Still, I will be going through withdrawals until the next book comes out in August, so I will probably be stalking that channel. They're... different... but they're fun. Everyone was complaining that booktok was better, so far I don't see it, but I just started.
If I were to complain about anything, it would be that the author did not spend enough time on world building. That made me a little sad, but the rest of the book was so good that I will give it a pass. I didn't come to this book expecting to find a perfect novel, though, I came for a good time- and that's what I got.
This was an incredibly charming fantasy. It's sassy and fun, yet it actually deals fairly well with tougher issues. Evie's past history and family life, Tristan's past- though honestly we could have spent a tiny bit more time here... perhaps in the next book? That the author is building up a relationship between them is fairly obvious, and I am here for that. I don't mind slow burns, so the fact that there was only a kiss didn't bother me at all. There are some calling it too slow but I think that's only because the mainstream books these days have so much sexual content. I still consider this a romance even as I want to shake the main characters. I am low-key mad about the ending, though. What a cliff-hanger! I need to know what's going on!!
For me, this is a four star read. It's a fun, fast, incredibly addicting read. Just don't go in expecting x rated scenes nor to find the next great American novel. Some books can just be fun, and I love them for it.
As far as adult content goes, there is a lot of violence and language. Trigger warning- there was talk of a previous attempted rape, and the more we find out about it, the more horrible it gets. Other than those references and the kiss, there's very little sexual content. I would say this one is more geared toward new adults, but I would give it to anyone.
Book two, Apprentice to the Villian will be coming out August 8th 2024. Until then I will be stalking Maehrer's instagram and tiktok... and waiting for news on the tv show.
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