Okay, while reading Assistant to the Villain, I went from rolling my eyes, to cheering, to being unsure how to feel? If you love the idea of a grumpy meets sunshine, for a romance pairing together two people who are entranced but cannot be together, check this one out. I will say that the ending definitely has me intrigued. Keep reading my book review of Assistant to the Villain for my full thoughts.
Summary
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
Okay, so I fell into the hype machine it’s true. I had been seeing Assistant to the Villain all over the place. With the reveal for the sequel cover, I thought let me give this a try. I listened to the audiobook which made it a hilarious experience. Em Eldridge does a phenomenal job at infusing Evie and the Villain’s POVs with the butterflies and the romantic angst. If I didn’t listen to this in audio, I don’t think I would have enjoyed it as much. I actually do know this. Because I tried to read this, not listen to it, and I put it down.
Having finished it, did I think Assistant to the Villain was a fun entertaining ride? Yes. Were there some scenes that made me roll my eyes? Also yes. Being dual POV helps a lot, otherwise you’re like, “are you delusional Evie?” To be fair, I still don’t necessarily see their initial spark of like why you’d want to date your boss especially if he’s a torturing ‘villain’. So that was sort of a hard sell for me at the beginning. But being able to see how far gone the Villain is for Evie and his typical grumpy, “I hate everyone, why does this one woman get under my skin”.
If you love that dynamic, then you obviously should read Assistant to the Villain. It has that awkward romantic pining at the beginning. But I gotta say, the ending 20% really sold me on the sequel. Until then it was entertaining, relatively decent amount of swoons – even if there were some eye rolling – but the twists at the end got me excited for book two. Also please save me from the miscommunication trope, thank you. Overall, Assistant to the Villain is a fun romance which will lull you into those vibes and turn them on their head at the end?
It comes back to the themes of what being ‘good’ or being a ‘villain’ means. This is a theme that is obviously explored throughout Assistant to the Villain, but truly solidified at the end. And I might be more excited for the sequel than I was for the first? I obviously can’t disclose why, but I’ll be waiting along with everyone else! Find Assistant to the Villain on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.