Come take a walk on the dark and sexy side with the first three books in the Wicked Villains series.
Jasmine is navigating her first kinky relationship with the man who staged a coup and took everything from her--Jafar.
Hades and Megaera's relationship has gone cold, and there's only one way to save it--and get the revenge Hades is desperate for--bring Hercules into their bedroom games.
Tink's contract is nearly up, and she's got nowhere to turn...except to Hook. And he's not going to stop until he has his ring on her finger and her in his bed. Forever.
This boxset includes: Desperate Measures Learn My Lesson A Worthy Opponent
Katee Robert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of spicy romance. Entertainment Weekly calls her writing “unspeakably hot.” Her books have sold over two million copies. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, a cat who thinks he’s a dog, and two Great Danes who think they’re lap dogs.
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Book 1 took me a bit to get into because it takes a few chapters to get over your childhood being shattered, and even then I still struggled to imagine Jafar as anyone but the movie cartoon villain I remember him as (who is a decidedly unsexy man). But once you get used to things it held up and I had to see it through to the end so much I was willing to read this in a car with family present 😂 Book 2 was ok. My cousin (who got me into this series) says it’s her favourite but I think my non-traditional relationship history made it too difficult for me to get into it because sometimes Meg gave me uncomfortable flashbacks to my short experience with a not-entirely-but-supposedly-was-supposed-to-be throuple situation. But in saying this, kudos for the authenticity of relationship drama. Book 3 was HANDS DOWN MY FAVOURITE, so much so I took forever to finish it just because I didn’t want it to end (I could’ve finished this book back in August if it weren’t for this). Hook and Tink was a ship I didn’t know I needed. It was all very predictable and the ending did feel a little abrupt but all in all this is the only one I would give a 4.8/5 to (my only gripe below is what holds me out from giving it a 5, because I feel this was the “worst book” for doing it). I enjoyed their dynamic and the sorts of “scenes” they were involved in the most.
My main reason for making this 4 stars instead of 5 is how juvenile some of the writing felt, particularly in the excessive use of fuck and other such swears when being used to emphasize emotional moments. Once or twice a chapter is fine but sometimes it was multiple times a page. I get what she was going for but it could drag what should’ve been more emotionally charged moments down. BUT still, I would recommend this for anyone with any interest in smut and BDSM it’s a GOOD INTRODUCTION to the genre. Once you adjust to the Disney of it all it’s an entertaining read. Can blaze right through it easily too. But if you’re pretty deep into BDSM smut already it might not quite scratch the itch
I binge read all three of these books. Desperate Measures was a fun read. A lot of smut, very little plot. A very sexy Jafar and Jasmine story.
Learn My Lesson wasn't my favorite. I love Meg, and Hercules was such a cinnamon roll. Hades drove me insane, but I did think it was cute they ended up as a throuple. The whole side plot of Hades using Hercules as bait for his father (Zeus) was boring to me, and it wrapped up way too quickly for it to even be worth having in the story.
A Worthy Opponent would have been my favorite out of the three if it wasn't so similar to Desperate Measures. They both had the plot line where the "villain" love interest gave the main character two difficult choices. She could either make a really horrible decision where she might die, or she could submit to the Disney villain. Then the whole side plot continued with a former ex/arranged marriage male character coming after the main character, which always resulted in his death. It was very repetitive.
That said, Hook and Tink were adorable. Definitely my favorite couple out of all of them. Also, the whole journey Tink went on with her body image and gaining confidence really struck home for me. I really loved that she chose to define what beauty was for her, and she let go of society's "normal" beauty standards.
If I were to go back I would just read A Worthy Opponent. There are a few characters like Meg and Aurora that are introduced in the previous books, but it isn't really necessary to understand the story.
These are three fun reads, but don't expect much plot😏
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
(Note: I originally read/reviewed the first book in this series separately, before I found the GR entry for the "box set" - mine was an ebook with all three works combined. Original review below.)
Desperate Measures: What is the point, exactly, of naming these leads after Disney villains if they're actually just going to be Some Guy in a modern/mafia romance setting? I fear that by asking I'm betraying my own ignorance of the genre. I read it and found it engaging, but the kinks it featured the most heavily aren't ones I'm super into.
Learn My Lesson: Having adjusted to the goofy-as-hell premise of "Disney Mafia BDSM club," this installment was a lot more fun to read in nearly all respects. The plot, the characters, the smut, all were more cohesive and compelling, with notable exception of the character of Hades. The "I control the people I love because I can't let myself be vulnerable" routine got old fast, especially given it was a carbon copy of Jafar's whole deal.
A Worthy Opponent: Delighted to report that Hook is cast from a different mold than Jafar and Hades; I much preferred his character and that set this one apart to be my favorite of the three. The "I'd give my right hand for X" runner was a fun little wink, too.
What if Disney had an x rated side where the villins were basically mobsters and they win in the end?? That's exactly what you get in this box set. While not the most amazingly written stories ever (there were a few typos), these definitely provided a spicy mental break from reality. My biggest issue is imagining the characters as described and not as the animated Disney versions (somehow Hades as a hot Dom doesn't fit with blue flame hair lol).
Looking for spicy smut - this is it, and anything goes, mf/mfm/mm/ff, couples, rhreesomes, fivesomes, and lots of bdsm. Hades runs a bsdm sex club called the Underworld that is the only "neutral" territory in Carver city. The rest is split up between the villains and their power plays both in and out of the bedroom. Each story ends with a HEA and the characters intertwine. I'm intrigued to see what the rest of this universe has to offer.
This was such a delicious and sexy read. Tink is a firecracker with an abused past that she is fiercely trying to not let destroy her future. Hook is dark, charming, and protective of those who he cares about even if he has to hide behind deception. Together they will ignite with explosive chemistry that is hotter than the sun. A dark shadow from both of their past will come back try to make everything crumble. Who would think Peter would be truly the one who is evil? This is a must read book. Be prepared for a very steamy read!!
I wrote individual reviews for each of these on my page, but to sum it up: it's the decent, the ugly, and the really good (in that order). Really didn't care for Learn My Lesson, Desperate Measures was okay, and I loved A Worthy Opponent.
The smut was 5/5, it was there in all of the books, different varieties and configurations, so something for everyone. Plots were maybe 3/5. All mostly internal struggle instead of external, but still valid.
Overall, 3/5 stars for the three books. Hoping the next few don't disappoint!
Super spicy Disney retellings. Never thought I’d be writing that sentence, but here we are. All 3 books are well-written. A good introduction to BDSM in stories. The characters for the most part are well-rounded though some I favored more than others. Hook and Tink’s story captivated me quite a bit more than the others, but I’ve been obsessed with Hook since Colin O’Donoghue played him in Once Upon a Time. Definitely not able to read as stand alone novels as a lot of the characters are interwoven into each of the stories. All in all, a great read and I’m looking forward to continuing the series.
Favorite quote from it: “All the stories end with the villain vanquished and the happy couple riding off into the sunset. That’s what happily ever after is. They never have to work on their relationship, never have to get their hands dirty when facing the challenges living a full life creates. They’re caught in stasis, without conflict, without problems, without life. That’s no way to live.”
I like Katee Robert's books a lot for what they are but there is just a fundamental disconnect with me emotionally with these, and I don't know if it's a user error on my part or if it's a failing of connection within Robert's writing in general. Like it's very tell not show? And I need to be shown. And frankly by the end of the third book I was fully tired of reading about sex like can we PLEASE talk or resolve literally anything without having an orgasm about it.
I love Robert’s stories when I’m in the mood for them. They are very easy reads. They have a pretty predictable formula and are mega spicy. Pretty much everyone is queer and kinky, there’s always a little bit of angsty conflict and a fuck ton of smut, all of which I love. Robert tends to repeat phrases multiple times in her books which pulls me out a bit but I still love these.
While I thoroughly enjoyed these three books, I was expecting a re-imagining of the Disney stories and it's more like the characters are simply brought into the "real" world. I suppose that's exactly right then.......
These are no-holds-barred, very sexual books, written extremely well. Not for the faint of heart.
This who thing was a little uncomfortable to start with. I mean....names of characters who were traditionally enemies turning into lovers...who knew?!?!
Love enemies to lovers even if it was a little odd lol
This box set of the first 3 novels in the Wicked Villians series was fantastic. Dirty, kinky sex, beautiful character development, and a few twists I didn't see coming. This re-imagined story was just the thing.
From page one till the last page you are on a rollercoaster of a read! Every character is fantastic. All of the books are 5 star books. It is hard to decided which book is my favorite. Having said that I cannot decide! I enjoyed each book!
I love anything by Kate, she always knocks it out of the park! The smut in these is *chefs kiss* and these have some plot to go along with it. Love these Disney retellings, read it you won’t be disappointed
All 3 books are heavy in spicy scenes. This is not a "dip your toes in" to the kink genre. The "action" starts on page 2. Loved the fairy tale retellings. The badguys are still badguys, the good girls are bad, and the goog guys are horrible.
Having all three books in one was genius. Just when I thought I had the plot figured out, the author switched it up. It definitely made reading them more enjoyable! Also we love a HEA. :)
Premise was far better than the execution: a grown up version of Disney villains and their love stories. Editing mistakes, paternalistic male characters, boundaries weren’t great, overly spiced to the point of an eye-roll, and too much convenient conflict-solving.
Katee Robert is a "yes, please" author for me. And her wicked Villains series is no different. Love the world, love the explorations, and love the characters.