Villainess

by D.T. Dyllin

Everyone knows there can be no hero without a villain… Or that’s what Leila Lovett believes. Is she completely insane or does she merely see things that others aren’t willing to? Her fate rests in the hands of one man. Doctor Jonah Yoshihara is given the job of analyzing Leila to see if she’s fit to stand trial. It’s a high profile case that could make his career. What he didn’t count on was Leila being so entrancing. Soon he doesn’t know which way is up and which way is down. But maybe that’s because Jonah is exactly what Leila needs… A hero to her villainess.

Genres: Romance, Science Fiction

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

Reviews

[Karima chermiti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heroes and villains are two sides of the same coin. They’re both motivated to make some kind of social change, both believing they’ll leave this mortal coil a better place than they found it.
Guilt, hate, the need to be loved… Heroes and villains feel all of those things because they’re human, just like everyone else.

Leila Lovett is being accused of orchestrating multiple mass murders and she is not denying it either. See, she thinks that all she’s done was done for the greater good so the people are forced to take actions and become the heroes they ought to be. And she is not trying to save her life from a possible death. On the contrary she refuses to use the insanity card that can allow her to escape the death penalty. So, while waiting for her very much anticipated and high profile trial, she is to be analyzed by Doctor Jonah Yoshihara whose job is to decide if Leila is fit or mentally unstable.

She wants to prove something even if it meant her death. She wants the world to see that she was necessary because every hero needs a villain. She wants people to believe that all she’s even done was for an ideal and like many other believers; she is willing to go down just to fight for it.
He is trying to make a name for himself using her case as an opportunity that could change his carrier in ways he could not dream off before. He thinks he’s up to the challenge and has all it takes to get the truth out of her.
They both enter this game where each one of them thinks he’s winning but the game is an unpredictable dangerous thing to play yet they’re not backing down until they’re satisfied with the result. It is like a dance where lust, love, manipulation and death are one and the same.

Fuck. I’m already in over my head. I should walk away. I should. But I won’t.
Call it professional pride…or stupidity, sometimes I think they’re one in the same, but I just couldn’t let Leila win.

But then the main twist or the genre transition happened and it was like Everything, Everything all over again. Everything tasted bitter after that and I felt like I was cheated on. The book was great until it wasn’t. And the magic that at first draw me in was destroyed. Even that great finale did not make it up for me. For some reason I felt like it was too much for me to believe. Even though I was a sucker for those books that depicts characters descending into darkness and revealing their true nature, the story has the feeling of unfulfilled promises written all over it. I mean why would you take an intriguing premise and the possibility of cracking open the mind of a very captivating villain and peel all those layers that make such an intriguing character and turn into a book about conspiracies, scientific experiences and people with superpowers?

But I feel like I have to mention that the characters are well written and layered. They don’t feel flat. They have complex personality. They make mistakes and they have a lot of fascinating thoughts especially the female protagonist. She is the best manipulator and the most vicious and brutal villain to encounter in books. She has her agenda and she does not care who dies or he lives as long as she wins at the end. She played a very long game and she came out of it victorious, a cold blood murderer who won it all.

I have to know more. Not just because it was my job to dissect her emotional state, but because she’d piqued my curiosity. Leila was an enigma, there was so much more to her than even I originally thought. I wanted to figure out where all the pieces went…I wanted to know her.

[Ruth B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuck in a mental health institute, Leila has to prove that either she is crazy or she will face death penalty. Her doctor, Jonah Yoshihara, sees in her the opportunity to make his name big with her high profile case. When the sessions begin, Jonah finds that Leila has her own agenda and doesn't make his job any easier. Discovering why she did what she is accused of, will take them into an exciting and hot adventure.

Leila Lovett is a disturbed and unstable person. However, once we start to get to know her we discovered a strong woman who hides under a vulnerability shield. She awakens a protective side in all the men in her life but they don't know she is smarter than they think. She has a dark and hidden past. As we dig in we learn that nothing is what it seems. Jonah changes or evolve as we read. At first, he is a professional who only cares about doing his job and has a dominant side. As he falls under Leila's spell, he becomes reckless and acts like a hormonal teenager.

The plot has many layers and each one adds more elements to the story. Just when we think we have all figure out another revelation comes and shakes our theories. We have to pay attention to every detail to fully understand the complete story. Overall, the author created a solid world and the outcome sounds believable.
As all D.T. Dyllin books, this one has sex in it. This time, the sex is another element of the story and characters use it as a way to communicate. There is no much tension or foreplay but it's still good.

'Villainess' is a dark romance with a twisted heroin and if you are a fan of Dyllin's work you will enjoy this book.

*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. ***

[Iris · Rating 2 out of 5]

It intrigued me when the idea of a hero needing a villain to become a hero was introduced in the story. And I thought that going through the therapy sessions and digging deeper into Leia's past as we (the reader) try to figure out what Leia did to end up being potentially put on death row could have been very interesting.

However, it never went as dark as it could have been... In part because the author takes the plot into a paranormal direction where there is a secret program trying to turn people (people with special abilities) into assassins. I would have been more impressed if Leia was able to manipulate people into things without having powers. That she is genuinely a psychopath.... I suppose I wanted her to be more like Irene Adler from Elementary but giving her powers somehow cheapened her involvement in these crimes (for me at least). Or even give us more flashbacks where we could see her participating in these crimes and why the program saw her as important.

I suppose I wanted something dark and disturbing... Something that made me think when it comes to villains and heroes just like The Dark Knight (which is mentioned in the series) or the book Vicious by V.E Schwab.

[Shona Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfolding through flashbacks and the here and now this story will keep you guessing right until the very end.
Despite her obvious villainess nature I rather liked Leila.

One of the things I really loved about this tale is it breaks from the traditional 'main character needs to be the hero' this is not your every day story. And the ending is another break from the conventional.

Another fab read from DT Dyllin.

[Creslin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unique story. Loved our nillainess and the fact that it had the particular meaning it didQ "When you love someone, it's unconditional".
Though I would love it if there was a continuation to this one.

[D.T. Dyllin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep... ;)