The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating (and Other War Crimes)

Guides to Villainy and Love #1

by Tiffany Hunt

A conflicted villain and his unstoppable bride form the realm’s most chaotic alliance in this riotously funny dark romantasy perfect for fans of Assistant to the Villain, but darker and spicier.

“What’s mine stays mine.”

Step Kidnap someone cute.
Step Force her into marriage.
Step Try not to catch feelings.

When Dark Lord Kazimir Blackrose kidnaps Lady Arabella for a forced marriage, he expects an obedient, trembling bride. What he gets is a knife to the throat and a furious woman with demands of her own. He may need her heroic bloodline to achieve ultimate dominion, but she’s not about to make this easy for him.

Arabella has already survived her father’s tower prison and a lifetime of being treated like property. Getting abducted by the realm’s most notorious villain is just another Tuesday. If she must be married to the infuriating (and infuriatingly attractive) Dark Lord, she’ll do it on her freedom within his fortress, hands strictly to himself, and complete honesty about his plans.

But when those plans go awry, Kazimir faces his most terrifying challenge he must date his own wife. Between magical training sessions, playing golf with the eyeballs of his enemies, and aphrodisiac dinners gone spectacularly wrong, his attempts at villainous seduction are failing at every turn.

As Kazimir and Arabella navigate magical explosions and jealous exes, they discover a far more terrifying prospect than war or magical They might actually be falling for each other.

This dark and sexy fantasy romance is perfect for readers who a morally gray antihero (who stays that way); a strong heroine who embraces her dark side (she doesn’t need rescuing, thanks); touch her and die trope; hilarious, wicked banter and sizzling spice; one bed/forced proximity; kidnapped bride/forced marriage; and dark humor.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Enemies To Lovers, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Dark Romance

512 pages, Paperback

First published May 24, 2025

Reviews

[Zoë · Rating 3 out of 5]

walk him like a dog sis

[edie-may ౨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ── 1.50 stars .ᐟ ⏾⋆.˚


‎ ‎ ‎ 「 ‎ ❝ Conquering a kingdom is nothing compared to winning over the right person. ❞ ‎ 」


‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ read: december 18 • december 26 • 2025
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ age rating: 17+
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ spice level: 3.5/5
‎ ‎ ‎ ⤿ content warnings: death, gore, & violence, sexual content, strong language


‎ ‎ ‎ ᯓ thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!


‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —— ⊱ • ༒︎ • ⊰ ——


✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ 🖤 ‎꒰ main tropes: ꒱

‎ ‎ ⤿ badass fmc
‎ ‎ ⤿ forced marriage
‎ ‎ ⤿ forced proximity
‎ ‎ ⤿ insta-lust
‎ ‎ ⤿ morally (dark) grey characters
‎ ‎ ⤿ ‘touch her and die’


✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ 🥀 ‎꒰ review: ꒱

‎ ‎ i genuinely feel so let down because i just…didn’t enjoy this very much. it was so hard to get into because the plot was unnecessarily dragged across five hundred pages, and we didn’t get to truly explore any other characters aside from the main two—and even then, they were just consistently lusting after each other!! the romance felt so underdeveloped and shallow, even when they kept talking about the ‘bond’ between them. the writing felt contrived and unnatural to me. i felt like the exposition was too obvious and the structure wasn’t executed well enough. the idea of this novel was so fun, but it just didn’t pull through in practice.

‎ ‎ the book definitely had its moments. the dialogue was fun, and i really appreciated the casual queer rep. i could absolutely understand why another person would like this book. unfortunately, it just wasn’t the one for me.


✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ ♟️ ‎꒰ characters: ꒱

‎ ‎ ‎ ➛ arabella blackrose .ᐟ
‎ ‎ probably the highlight of this entire book. by far the most fun character for me. felt like an absolute diva, only finished the book because of her.

‎ ‎ ‎ ➛ kazimir blackrose .ᐟ
‎ ‎ i was prepared to be so in love with this man but i’m really…not. sure, he was fun! he had his moments! …i just want his wife.


‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ —— ⊱ • ༒︎ • ⊰ ——


✧˖°. ⋮ ⌗ pre-read:
‎ ‎ uk publishing date: 06 january, 2026

‎ ‎ i fear i may have requested a few too many arcs and now i’m dreading the next couple months. oh well, this sounds kinda iconic so maybe i’m being dramatic. — ( prediction ; 3.50 ☆ )


જ⁀➴ ₊˚⊹ ♰

[Hannah Lee (Back in April) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This actually pains me to say, but… I didn’t like this. I was so sure I was going to love it, so the disappointment feels even greater.

First of all, this book is way too long. And most of it is just relationship fluff. I feel like you could remove 200 pages and not take out any of the important parts. A lot of the interesting plot went under for me because it was buried between so many unnecessary scenes.

I did enjoy the MMC and FMC, though. We spent sooo much time on their relationship development that we really got to know them. Most of the other side characters fell flat for me—they would just show up and disappear, and I couldn’t remember any of them except for Griffin.

It WAS spicier than Assistant to the Villain, though. If that’s what you’re looking for then sure, give this a go!

preread
I've heard this is like Assistant to the Villain, but darker and spicier sooooo...absolutely yes.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you read and enjoyed Assistant to the Villain or That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon, read this book too! This book is funny, and the characters are written a bit like caricatures of villains, but it works. I liked both of the main characters - no complaints about either of them. They had great banter and hot steamy scenes. It starts out pretty quick - we just dive right into the plot right from the start of the book. There is a bit of a forced marriage/marriage of convenience vibe as well as a fake dating vibe, which I liked. It's kind of medium burn (they get together about halfway through the book), but the pacing works because then they're not allowed to be together physically because of the way their magic is reacting to each other, so it's then slowed down, but then it's sped up again when the magical heirloom binds them together and they physically cannot be separated.

Anyways, I surprisingly really enjoyed this book! The weakest part is definitely the world-building and the magic system. It's not explained super well, and some of the magical plot parts are really rushed towards the end of the book. However, I liked the characters and the setting and the banter. I would recommend!

[SHOMPA · Rating 5 out of 5]

5++✨

Oh. My. GOD. I devoured every page. It had me hooked like a feral gremlin clutching my Kindle at 3AM.

The author absolutely nailed that wild mix of delicious villainy and swoony romance. The premise is as chaotic as the title promises, but what really makes the book shine is the writing style. It was effortlessly engaging. I found myself laughing one moment and then deeply invested in the characters the next.

And let’s TALK about the FMC. Absolute queen. She’s clever, fierce, and takes zero nonsense from the so-called Dark Lord. Watching her stand toe-to-toe with him.. outwitting, out-sassing, and generally running circles around his “evil mastermind” act... was chef’s kiss. Honestly, half the time he came off less terrifying villain and more chaotic disaster man, and that perfect balance of menace + ridiculousness made the whole thing pure gold. Loved it.

[Cassandra 🍁☕️📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This definitely gave me Assistant to the Villain banter vibes, but with spice added to the mix. I couldn’t stop laughing or smirking with certain scenes in this book. Kazimir and Arabella were everything throughout their journey together. I loved how he try to uphold his villain reputation, but really is soft teddy bear when it comes to Arabella. Arabella is a baddie and held her own even with Kaz.
I was obsessed with the chapter titles. For example, “ARGUE WITH YOUR BRIDE (IT'S
FOREPLAY FOR VILLAINS).” I’m always rooting for the villain to get the girl. This one was no exception. If you love legit enemies to lovers, great banter and a badass FMC. Then this book is definitely for you! Can’t wait to read the second book.

[liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have any of you ever wanted to fuck Megamind? If so, do I have the book for you…

“What do villains call it when a woman threatens to rot her enemies from the inside out?”
“Foreplay.”

This book was FUNNNNNNYYYY. I was laughing constantly reading this. The chapter titles had me laughing nearly every new chapter too.

“Propose Before She Stabs You
(Timing is Everything)”

“Dangle a Spy
(For Information and Amusement)”

“Golf with the Eyeballs of Your Enemies
(Bonding Through Sadism)”

Kazimir is a dark lord. He is hilarious, villainous and, most of all, melodramatic. He decides to kidnap and marry our FMC, Arabella, because her blood line holds a way for him to unlock unprecedented power.
Arabella, who lives her life with her powers suppressed trapped in a tower by her father, decides to go along with it all but gives the Dark Lord a run for his money.

Arabella and Kazimir’s relationship dynamic and banter was adorable, witty and fun.

You get:
- possessive “don’t touch what is mine” MMC
- humor in every page
- He trains her to use her power
- A lot of open door spice
- Dual POV
- an adorable baby dragon pet

This is pretty equally dispersed plot, court politics and open door spice.

I really had a fun time reading this and highly recommend if you want to read something with great world building that also doesn’t take itself too seriously. I will absolutely be continuing this series.

Thanks to NetGalley and Scarlett Press for the eARC.

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm not a damsel, Kazimir." I shook my head, voice low. "No. You're a nightmare descending on them all, and they'll never see it coming."

I loved everything:
the story/plot (dark lords kidnaps his new bride and she’s a badass)
the chapters - especially their little titles as Kidnap someone cute (and pretend it’s ambition, not loneliness) or Propose before she stabs you (timing is everything)
The tension and banter
The book was funny and entertaining ("In accordance with ancient tradition," the cleric proclaimed, "if any here object to this union, speak now and be immediately executed for treason.")
The characters and the whole dynamic
But still - STILL - it took me ages to finish this book (that’s a lie, but a few months) and I just can’t figure out why.
Maybe the slow plot? Who knows.

Still, definitely a recommendation!

[amandathebookworm 📚🪱 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y’all I had a blast. 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ of good, vibes read, spicy, dark fun. & a huge shoutout to both Scarlett Press & to Podium for providing me with an ARC & ALC!


PLOT
She’s a princess with a coveted bloodline & he’s the villain who decides to take it for himself by kidnapping her & marrying ber. But she’s no damsel, she’s going to turn her circumstance into opportunity. This book has
- dark humor & funny writing
- enemies to lovers
- fun fun banter
- a truly morally gray man
- med/higher spice
- dual audiobook


PROS
- This was honestly just a good fun time all around. The writing & banter was so giggly & I just had a grand time. Everything I want from a fun vibes romcom.
- The audiobook is SOLID. Both of the voice actors did amazing & I am a huge Anthony Palmini fan & he crushed, per usual.
- The world is fun & the twists are interesting.
- We really got to know the main characters well & I love them tbh. Arabella is cunning & charming while Kaz is clever & confident & unabashedly the villain. Their dynamic was super fun the whole time & truly I just had a blast with them.
- The ending was INTERESTING & I am excited where this will go!


CONS
- I’m not terribly invested in any of the side characters yet. I’m thinking I may be going forward but yeah I’m just kinda mid on them. Not a huge deal at all but I feel like I always really love one.


Had a blast & will def read book 2!

[meg *ੈ✩‧₊˚ (semi ia) · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

i'm sorry but this fell short for me.
it was dark. it was spicy, and the plot itself was not bad. but it felt like it dragged and just was too long in some parts for me and didn't keep my attention set.

[Cheyyleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 for me! This started off so incredibly fun and unique and I loved every second of it. Then we hit the 50-75 percent mark. spoilers ahead.



As I said I loved this premise, the chapter titles the tongue in cheek joking and the banter were all I wanted and more. Having the Dark Lord kind of end up being the falls first character was also refreshing and awesome to read.
I loved the main characters spark and defiance without being an idiot for the sake of being an idiot like some heroins in fantasy novels. She was adamant about herself and what she deserved and she never once apologized for that or let herself be swayed. She was just a good FMC.

Now this would have been up to a 4 for me until we get to the 50-75 maybe even 80 percent mark. When we fall into the "we can't have sex, so let's just argue and ignore each other and be broody" I just felt none of the actions in this section were needed except to extend this book into a book two. (more on that later). This time frame just takes forever to get through and it brings the pacing down, the plot down, and right after we FINALLY have them hook up it brings the romance down. We also don't get a reason or real resolution for this section. Is the only reason they are falling apart at the seems really because they can't have sex with each other? That just doesn't line up with their characters or character development. Now I guess it could be his bones hurt and she's scared of her magic as their reason for the separation and rudeness to one another but somehow that seems even less plausible. They just go from world ending sex one day to can't even be in the same room the next and stick with that for a third of the book.

Speaking of romance, my guys just say you love each other. I don't honestly understand what barrier is left for them to be so worried or nervous that they can't just say it. Yes they both have past and barriers and it's been a game of deals and brokering with them, but by the end of the book with their progress and development they can't just say it? adjust seems like a way to get you into book two as a romance reader.

Now onto the book two situation. This book felt like it should have been a stand alone. The funny contemporary feel and the dragged out middle part, if we had cut that weird section we could've found out about the shadow king and had that in book one. Having us move onto a book two with Kaz being unaware of the fact that he is the shadow king and eventually hurting everyone and pushing Arabella away is fine, just wasn't really feeling like it was needed. Again, we have to slow everything down to make book two make sense when it could have just been a good book alone.

Also, just a note how did Arabella not have an eyebrow rise moment with how Kaz spoke to her in that last scene. He was so rude and standoffish I would automatically be asking questions about this super ancient artifact affecting him when he acted like that, because really despite him being the evil Lord he was always respectful of her and I feel that last scene he wasnt.

Anyway, I am not sure I will read the next book. I found this fun to begin with and like them but I don't know how I feel about 600 plus more pages of this story and that's if we end it as a duology.

[Noi (in & out) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was pure unadulterated fun.
------------
Getting an audio on March 3rd, 2026

[Danielle Tropea · Rating 2 out of 5]

How can you have a book over 540 pages and have one of the worst world building I’ve ever seen? How is the citadel “in the sky with lightning bridges connecting the isles” but then the king can access his “borders”??? Is the whole world in the sky? Every domain just islands in the sky? Is my kindle unlimited version missing a map to explain all this?? Kaz & Arabella have to take a portal to get to Morana’s territory, but then the king just marched over her lands into skyspire with no portal….and it’s allegedly IN THE SKY!! I don’t get it. The magic system is super confusing. Arabella has healing magic, sure ok. Kaz has “dominion” magic, which apparently is different? But was hers weird to everyone else in her kingdom? Kaz’s magic the weird one? What does everyone else have? Is Kaz stronger cuz of the runes *carved in his bones* that apparently you can see scars on his skin of said runes. So are they IN THE BONES or ON HIS SKIN?? Idk I can’t see my bones unless I rip my skin off. How/why this happened was never explained really other than *his mom did it* Even the spicy scenes didn’t make much sense.

This book needed a HEAVY HEAVY handed edit. I kept waiting for some of my questions to be flushed out but never did.

[MagretFume · Rating 3 out of 5]

The characters are cute and funny, the plot is a bit predictable but interesting, the spice is good, but for some reason I was never really invested. 

[BookishKB · Rating 5 out of 5]

🖤✨ Kazimir & Arabella ✨🖤
I’ll never skip a dark whimsy, villainous MMC romance. They are always the biggest cinnamon rolls, and Kazimir was no exception. He was protective, devoted, and absolutely obsessed with Arabella even while scheming. And honestly, he was the perfect dark lord to guide her through magical instruction 😏

This was a longer book, but so worth it. We really got to know both Kazimir and Arabella, and I loved watching Arabella experience freedom for the first time in her life. Ironically while she was kidnapped 🤣

✨💫 “I’m not a damsel, Kazimir.” I shook my head, voice low. “No. You’re a nightmare descending on them all, and they’ll never see it coming.” ✨💫
_ _ _
⭐ Final Score: 5 stars
📅 Pub Date: March 3, 2026
📝 Thank you to Scarlett Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Micca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I NEED BOOK TWO NOW 😱

This was EVERYTHING I needed in a romantasy novel. Whimsical storytelling. Slowburn with suchhhh a satisfying end. Banter banter banter. UNIQUE storyline. Colourful characters. Subversion of the hero and villain ideals.

Kaz 🥵
Arabella ❤️

Ahhhhh I need more!!

[Devon Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars really.

Look, this book is written well, it’s funny, the evil villain is actually evil, the heroine is actually feisty and not a dumb ass, I was laughing and enjoying myself. This is what Assistant to the Villain SHOULD have been (dear god I despise that book).

Then I hit almost halfway and looked down and my Kindle said I still had like 450 hours left to finish it (not really, it was like 6)…and THEN it dawned on me that there had been ZERO PLOT the whole four hours I’d already read.

Zero. Plot.

Just vibes, flirting, sarcasm and a cool evil castle.

There is absolutely no reason for this book to be this long and so I am putting it down.

Will I pick it up again in future? Maybe. But if I do I can safely say I’d be able to pick up right where I left off and would need no reminders of what has happened because NOTHING HAS HAPPENED.

[LKCREADS · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for the girlies who love whimsy. Who love dark lords, magic castles, quirky side characters, spells, sorcery, dragons, fantasy, fantastical elements like bridges made of lightning or fortresses floating in the sky... and romance...

I'm telling you. If you are whimsical. If you love whimsy... this is going to be your next read.

The vibes? Immaculate. If you love The Princess Bride, Robin Hood Men In Tights, Shrek even... this book screams to a part of myself that yearns for whimsical fantasy that honors who it is. What it is.

Fantasy doesn't always have to be so serious. You can have over the top dark lords, heroines who embrace their dark side and make you laugh while they do it.

This is the most FUN I've had with a fantasy romance in a long time. I was laughing out loud. Literally. I messaged the author during the FIRST CHAPTER telling her I was belly laughing I was already having so much fun.

When the Dark Lord kidnaps Lady Arabella for a forced marriage, he expects an obedient, trembling bride. What he gets is a knife to the throat and a furious woman with demands of her own.

He may need her heroic bloodline to achieve ultimate dominion, but she's not about to make this easy for him...

As funny and thrilling as this book is, it is so romantic. There is an ocean of emotional depth, heartache, trauma, and secrets threatening to flood through your senses.

The spice... is insane. Insanely good. Insanely spicy. Insanely hot.

The tension. The push and pull. The banter. I was having heart palpitations.

Don't mistake a humorous dark fantasy for anything less than scorchingly tantalizing.

The ending... you could have knocked me down with a feather at that ending.

I'm left here... feeling flabbergasted and speechless.

I'm still trying to figure out how to remain cool, calm, and collected, when what I really want to do is run down the middle of the road repeatedly screaming "I need book 2 in my hands immediately."

This story rekindled my pure joy for fantasy. Give me whimsical worlds where magic hides around every corner.

I'll happily risk sprinting through a sky-bound fortress and accidentally colliding with the Dark Lord himself if it means I get to stay in a world like this a little longer.

With all the whimsy I possess… I’m here to tell you… run, don't walk, to read this book.

[Nicole is Reading Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was so much fun! Kazimir and Arabella’s banter was top notch. Their chemistry was palpable, and I loved seeing them grow as a couple and as individuals; they truly brought out the best in each other, while still being appropriately villainous, of course. There were a lot of trainer/trainee scenes in this book, so if that’s your cup of tea you’ll absolutely love this!

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a lighter Romantasy read that still delivers on the plot and romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Scarlett Press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

[RedFireLady · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
2.5 🌶

Step 1: Kidnap someone cute.
Step 2: Force her into marriage.
Step 3: Try not to catch feelings.

I enjoyed The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating way more than I expected to - the description alone guaranteed it would be a fun ride, but I could not put this book down!

Kazimir is known as the Dark Lord, the unrepentant villain of the realms. He's hot, he's broody, he's evil.. and he has a plan for world domination that he is determined to see completed. There is just one problem.. the relic that is the key to his plan seems to require he marry someone of a very specific bloodline before he can use it.

- "And for the love of all that’s dark, someone get me a cloak that says ‘villain.’ I want to look as dramatic as my reputation demands.” -

Arabella is a gifted healer who has lived her entire life under her father’s control. Locked away in a tower, she holds no value to him beyond the bloodline she carries - one he intends to exploit by marrying her off to elevate his own power and standing within the kingdom.

As the realms most notorious villain, Kazimir's solution is to kidnap Arabella - he expects her to be meek and pliable, someone he can bend and compel to do what he wants. What he gets is a strong willed woman that doesn't need saving, and who refuses to do what he needs unless it's on her own terms.

This books had me giggling over the banter and swooning over the villain. I love that Arabella wasn't a damsel that needed saving. She's smart, strong and doesn't let anyone push her around, not even the insanely attractive villain. The relationship development was well done and the characters were fun but real, flaws and all. I really expected this to be something like Assistant to the Villain but it was way better!! Its a spicy good time full of plot twists, banter, and villainous activities like playing golf with the eyeballs of your enemies. This one is sure to take off once it fully launches in the US - definitely recommend this book if you like a dark and broody villain that STAYS the villain, but slowly discovers that he might just have the capacity for feelings after all.

Thank you to Scarlett Press and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book.

[Gabi Koz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ this book was just a blast!!! I was entertained every minute. I loved the characters and it was laugh out loud funny !! Even the chapter titles had me cracking up 😂 I have never read a dark fantasy romcom but I need more!!!

Couldn’t recommend this more for the perfect, hilarious low brain power read!
- forced marriage / marriage of convenience
- rivals to lovers
- only one bed
- he trains her to use her magic
- he is villain / evil mastermind (& it’s giving Gru but hot)

[Kelsey H · Rating 4 out of 5]

FMC - Arabella: 5 🌟
MMC - Kazamir: 5 🌟
SPICE: 🌶🌶🌶

LIKES: Arabella is exactly the type of FMC I love. She is so strong-willed, determined, and knows how to hold her own. She always keeps Kaz on his toes, and their banter is highly entertaining. I also knew right away that I was going to love Kaz as well. He's got that overly confident and arrogant personality that I can't help but be drawn in by. But even more, I love how he trains Arabella, helps her to become a better fighter and more powerful with her magic, giving her the tools to grow, even at the risk of her leaving. Together, they are an amusing and powerful couple, and I'm definitely intrigued to see what happens in book 2!

DISLIKES: Even though I was hooked fairly quickly by the banter and the slow burn romance, I had a hard time getting into the overall plot for quite a while. Once the relationship started escalating, that's when more interesting things started happening to further the story as well, and from there the book had my total attention.

So if you read the book and find yourself wavering a little, just give it some time! Until that point, just bask in the deliciousness that is Kazamir 😉

[Sue Bush · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m 3.5-3.75 a really good fun time. I’ll add more later. I did the audio (dual narrated but Anthony palmini ok)

[♡Naz♡]

* Pre-Thoughts *
Think villainous chaos meets accidental romance, where world domination is the goal, but the real war crime is how hard he's falling for his enemy. I'm excited to start this. I have heard many good things about it, and I hope it delivers.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me DYING. Like I didn’t know this type of book was missing from my life, until I was done it and I was like, “Okay, now what do I do?” It was that good. It made me laugh so hard, the told building was incredible and definitely different than anything I have read in a while.

The author had an amazing way of making this book so chaotically funny, yet had such a delicious villainous vibe to it as well. This book was also the slowest of slow burns. And the spice? Let’s just say they really liked to test the foundation of that castle🤣🥵 Kazimir and Arabella had such amazing chemistry and hilarious banter as well. He would come at her and she would come right back at him and would crush his little “Dark Lord” persona with just one sentence.

I honestly cannot wait for the next book with that cliffhanger. I just KNOW we are in for a wild ride for the next book as well. If you are a huge fan of morally grey men who are also kind of villainous, a strong FMC who has insane powers, and some cheeky banter with some insane spice. You really need to add this to your TBR immediately.

[Bella Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

More smut than plot. I had a really hard time completing this book because of it, yet at the very end something interesting was finally revealed for the plot. Most of it was lazy storytelling and felt like a cheap imitation of “Assistant to the Villain.”

[Rebecca Merlene · Rating 2 out of 5]

At 60% and am deciding not to finish the book. (Rare for me) Frustrating and boring.
But many others give good reviews, which is why I started it. Oh well, each to his own.

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
 

Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

3.5 hearts

What is a Dark Lord bent on world domination to do when his prize artifact that will help facilitate world domination won't work unless he is tied/bound to someone with the hero's bloodline.  If you are Kazimir Blackrose, you kidnap and marry someone from the Hero's line.  Sometimes your evil plans work out and fate gives you the person who can help or destroy you.  Kazimir will need to figure out how to convince Arabella to be his wife, in more that just name if his evil plan is going to work.

The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating was said to be for fans of Assistant to the Villain.  I enjoyed, but wasn't wowed by Assistant to the Villain, so I was hoping this would resonate more.  Strangers marry is one of my favorite tropes, so I was looking forward to how that would work in the story and lets just say it was one of my favorite parts.  My biggest complaint is that while there is a lot of development Kazimir and Arrabella, everyone else in the story is a bit of a cut out character.  I really only remember one other name in the story, Griffin, and that is because he is the mad inventor who tends to have some disastrous results from his experiments.  A book with over 500 pages I expected a few more characters to be fleshed out a more so they weren't just names on a page with a general description.

The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating has a few very cool things going for it.  Arabella is probably the highlight of the story.  She is a headstrong force of nature whose magic has been held back by her father.  The one thing Kazimir can give her is the freedom to explore not only the healing aspects of her magic but also some of the destructive forces.  She has a lot of raw power and Kaz can be the teacher that helps her hone her skill.  I thought Arabella's reasons for going along with the marriage made sense and I was eager to see what would happen when she explored all aspects of her magic.  Kazimir is an extremely patient teacher.  I loved this aspect of him.  Nothing daunted him from training Arabella, even after a few burning instances.  The training aspect helped them build trust and work on the relationship aspect between them.  I liked how this developed and started to give them a foundation for their romance.

The first half of the story worked really well for me.  I thought all the chapter headings were funny.  I liked learning about Arabella and Kas and watching them maneuver though his dark court of people who may try to kill you.  I enjoyed Griffin's page time, he did bring some comic relief and situational comedy at some key moments.  I completely fangirled over Arabella figuring out her magic and standing strong against the family that held her back and used her.  Arabella was the star of the book to me.

I thought this would conclude as a stand alone the way everything was going.  However, the last third of the story I had issues with the plot devices used, the meandering of the story, how long it took to get anywhere until the last five percent.  I really wish this would have been paired down about 150-200 pages to help with overall flow and pacing.  The set up to the second book felt a little forced to me.

This is definitely steamier than Assistant to the Villain.  There is a lot of lusty thoughts happening between Kazimir and Arabella almost from the very beginning.  Once that lust was realized, the story felt like it revolved around sexy times or the fact they couldn't have sexy times.  It was a little frustrating and I admit I started skimming the steamy parts.  The ending sets up for some interesting theories going into the next book and how the revelation to the readers is going to impact the couple and the future of the Kingdom.

This is going to be good for you if you like Villains who do some villainous things but are kinda good and always protect their own.  A strong heroine who doesn't do TSTL things and is a force in her own right.  And a romance between two people who do not trust easily and have a hard time with feelings.  I liked much of this story but for me it wasn't a complete win.

“Call it what you like.” She gave a low chuckle. “But I’ve never seen him look at anyone the way he looks at you.”
I let out a disbelieving snort. “Like I’m a useful tool to power his artifact?”
“Like you’re a fire he can’t decide whether to extinguish or throw himself into.”

[Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the title of this novel and decided to give it a go. I am very glad I did! I haven't read the Apprentice to the Villain, but heard it was in a similar vibe. I enjoyed the characters - Kazimir and Arabella had this immediate connection and for all his dark powers, he couldn't quite contain the fireball that was Arabella. Their enemies to lovers relationships was filled with tension and so worth it when they finally got together. Loved it! The book left on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'm hoping there will be a sequel!

I received an ARC through NetGalley and am leaving a voluntary review.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of Assistant to the villain than I highly recommend this one. The banter is sooo good and the chemistry between our main characters was great!

I thoroughly enjoyed Arabella's character a lot. She's been forced to act like a docile lady only to use her magic for healing. When she steps out of line her father locks her into a tower. When the Dark Lord kidnaps her to force her to marry him Arabella has to choose does she fight it or go along with it. Throughout their arrangement the Dark Lord helps Arabella develops her magic. During the process feelings arise and the tension rages🔥 Don't even get me started on that cliffhanger!

Thank you to @scarlettpress and @netgalley for the gifted book.