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Assistant to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain, #1)

Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Start date: February 1, 2024

Finish date: February 29, 2024

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What Members Thought

Oct 26, 2024 Tabatha_Reads_Books rated it really liked it

This review is completely based on my own opinion!

Rating System:
1 star - I did not finish and will not pick it up again
2 stars - I did not finish, may finish sometime in the future. Was not interested in the story, was not enjoyable, or was poorly written.
3 stars - Finished the story, it was average, did not dislike or like it overall.
4 stars - I liked the story, it was enjoyable, would recommend.
5 stars - I loved the story, will recommend every time, and would even read it again.

Assistant This review is completely based on my own opinion!

Rating System:
1 star - I did not finish and will not pick it up again
2 stars - I did not finish, may finish sometime in the future. Was not interested in the story, was not enjoyable, or was poorly written.
3 stars - Finished the story, it was average, did not dislike or like it overall.
4 stars - I liked the story, it was enjoyable, would recommend.
5 stars - I loved the story, will recommend every time, and would even read it again.

Assistant to the Villain is about a young woman named Evie that becomes the assistant to the infamous and notorious villain of her village after needing a new job to support her ailing father and younger sister. While crushing on her boss and getting to know all the other coworkers, she works to help the Villain find a mole that continues to sabotage his plans against the King of Rennedawn.

Starting out, Evie is a likeable and fun character. Her personality is bubbly and sweet, and she also has her moments of sarcasm and wit. Even though she is one of those people that is always apologizing, she shows her strength and perseverance multiple times in the story, and is loyal and intelligent. The Villain, Tristan, is equally brooding and endearing. He puts in a facade to all the people around and claims that he likes people to be afraid of him, but when the point of view is from his perspective, you can see what is truly inside. The side characters are also easy to get attached to: the funny dragon trainer Blade, the sarcastic and witty Healer Tatianna, the frenemy/bitchy secretary Becky, and of course Kingsley the Frog with his one word signs and ability to pop up in random places.

The story itself has moments that are exciting and moments that are heartwarming, but also has parts that are infuriating (read the trigger warnings!). The pacing for the book is average and acceptable for a cozy read like this one. There is no spice and only a touch of some romance tropes (proximity, attraction to boss, banter). I do wish that there was a little bit more romance in the story and a little more of a slow-burn-to-boiling-over between the lead characters. The world building is simple, but is not lacking, and combines a bit of a fantasy world and modern ideas. The writing in general is simple, not overly verbose or over complicated with large words, so it is very easy to consume for many readers. All in all, the story was entertaining, the characters were likeable, and the book ends on a cliffhanger that makes you ready to read the next book.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a cozy and entertaining, lighthearted, palate cleanser.

4/5 stars

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Jan 21, 2025 Amyiw rated it liked it

Shelves: 2025, new-series, series, new-author, cliffhanger-hate-this, fantasy-uf, paranormal

3 1/2 Cliffhanger ending…
Read 10% in the next book where the cliffhanger ends, and stopped because I have other books to go to. That I had to go to book two, in order to get out of the major cliffhanger just annoys but I came to push my rating to 4 but as I write this I am on the edge. The fun characters are worth the 4 for certain but plot wise this leaves everything, many plot lines hanging but they were there before and the main story is our main characters. And it is here that she becomes th ...more

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Jul 21, 2025 Heather rated it liked it

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 and 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 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 and 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.

Heather's Notes
I liked this book a lot. I liked Evie and Triston. I like a lot of the secondary characters. I enjoyed the plot. So why only 3 stars? For one it ended in what I would consider a cliffhanger. It also felt like an unnecessary cliffhanger (of course, I feel like all cliffhangers are unnecessary - either you liked the story enough to read the next or you did not). I did and I will be reading the next one, although I hope it does not end in a cliffhanger. The other star was because I would have liked more romance. I hate when people decide what is best for someone else (that is an adult) without discussing it with them. Still I enjoyed the story and will continue the series. ...more

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