What a fun ride this book was.
I constantly forgot that I was reading and not actually in an ominous manor surrounded by goblins, dungeons, and a fire-breathing dragon.
Assistant To The Villain was a treat to read. The relationship between the amazing Assistant, Evie, and the dark villain, Trystan, made me eager to turn the page.
Assistant To The Villain by Hannah Nicole Maeher
Published August 29th, 2023
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Mystery, Fiction
Pages: 342
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.
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.
I did not anticipate that Assistant To The Villain would be the book to start my 2024 reading journey but I am not the one bit disappointed.
I wasn’t sure how I was gonna feel about a Sunshine x Grumpy where the girl is the sunshine. Most books play them out to be helpless and clueless but that was so far from the case for Evie.
Assistant To The Villain makes the bad guys good and the good guys bad which I loved so much. There is magic, talking frogs, family drama, and of course, romance.
But not the sappy romance that makes you want to vomit. Eview and Trystan don’t even realize the soft spots they have for each other until much later. This was great for those like myself who prefer slower burns.
Not dreadfully slow, but an “I can’t wait” slow. You know what’s coming and get to watch as the character play off their affection as “friendly” behavior.
I loved Evie’s character and couldn’t get enough of her unique sense of humor and sarcastic one-liners. She is the sunshine in the relationship but in no way is she oblivious or weak. Eview won’t take disrespect from anyone, nor will she let anyone lay a finger on her new family.
Despite being put through so much since a young age, she never lost her spark and that is something I can admire. She is many things but helpless is most definitely not one of them. I loved The Villain, Trystan as well but the ending had me questioning who that title should belong to.
Final Thoughts
I found Assistant To The Villain to be an easy read. There was a fair balance betwen romance and an actual, well-thought-out plot. Nothing seemed forced, both the events and character dialogue, and overall I had a fun time reading.
I can not wait for Book 2 and to see where Eview and The Villain’s relationship will go next. If you love strong FMCs and villains with a “touch her and you’re dead” love interest, I highly recommend picking up this book.
