Review: Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Summary

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.

Review

Assistant to the Villain was something that I hadn’t expected, but I’m glad I did continue with it. Prior to the release of this book, I had created my own expectations for how this book was going to play our and what setting it would be in. So much so, that once I read that first page, I almost closed it forever because I had fooled myself. However, I continued. And oh boy, I am very happy I did. I was so entertained with this, and I’m so delighted with how the story played out.

There was something so magical about the characters and their interactions with the other characters in this world. Everyone, especially Evie, was just so charming. Something that can only be found in a cozy fantasy book that is also adventurous. I adored the relationship between The Villain and Evie, something that had me kicking my feet and giggling. The banter was so funny and cute. And his POV was very enlightening. I need the second book now for my sanity!

Final Thoughts

Assistant to the Villain is a near perfect cozy, adventurous fantasy.

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About the Author

Review: The Vanishing Hour: A Thriller by Seraphina Nova Glass

The Vanishing Hour is a meticulously crafted domestic thriller that explores the impact of secrets and the distressing impact people are willing to go to in order to protect them.

Set against the backdrop of Rock Harbor, Maine, the novel introduces us to Grace Holloway, a resilient woman who has chosen a life of solitude after narrowly escaping a horrifying abduction.

Trying to move forward with her life, currently employed as the manager of an inn in the heart of town, she has embraced this chance to be alone to protect her from her painful past. The inn has not only given her refugee but a place where what has happened to her and her memories can stay buried from the world.

Her world begins to tilt as a series of disappearances grips this small town. Young women with similar identities as when she first was abducted, have been vanishing with no clues to their whereabouts making the town grow on edge. As local law enforcement investigates the disappearances, there is a discovery of connection to Grace that forces her to confront a past reliving her trauma. Gathering the strength and putting her fears aside, she gives information that possibly holds the key to unlocking a secret that will change that town forever.

This was a good thriller that unfolded at a pace that keeps your interest wanting to know more. The alternating point of view and the intensity of the other characters built tension that made this a page turner. The setting of the book played an important role that created that sense of isolation that embraced the plot magnifying that chilling undertone. As the plot unfolds, a maze of suspense and suspicion, with plot twists and turns, taking unexpected directions keep you guessing until the final revelation.

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Review: For The Love Of The Gods by Rory L. Scott

For the Love of the Gods is a forced marriage of convenience, fantasy romance novel, the first in a series about the gods navigating love and politics in a modern setting. The plot will continue through the trilogy, but each book is a standalone romance.

Hades and Pluto. Husband and Wife.

The Underworld is inevitable. No matter your status as a human, everyone ends up there eventually. For two millennium, souls would pray for safe passage from House Hades or House Pluto. But when an unexpected birth forces the houses into competition, the already tense relationship between Lady Hades and Lord Pluto will come to a head.

Dominic wants revenge. Rose wants solace from Dominic's prying eyes and thinly veiled contempt. When marriage between their two houses is the only option to keep the Upperworld from turning their decades-old anger toward them, they are forced together. The longer they spend in each other's presence, the more unlikely achieving those goals become. As lies between the two of them and between the humans and gods themselves unravel, only one of them comes out victorious.

Review

For the Love of Gods is a great book for anyone wanting a modern Greek/Roman retelling romance. Not only was it easy to follow and entertaining, I was committed to this world and how it worked. It felt like one of those fantasy drama series with interconnecting plots and such a rich history. High stakes politics. Main characters who might want to kill each other. Succession for the throne. There is so much good stuff here.

The author did a great job twisting the mythology into her own and crafting such interesting characters. And the romance was incredible! Even days later, I’m finding myself thinking about Dominic and Rose. I really loved those two. And I’m sad that there is only one book in their POV, and the next books are in another.

Dominic and Rose had this explosive chemistry, and the banter was absolutely amazing. In the beginning, they hate each other, which makes the perfect set up for their marriage of convenience. They were enemies just long enough until they became lovers.

Final Thoughts

With For the Love of Gods comes an exciting and unique twist on Roman and Greek gods in our modern world. Not only are the characters great, but the romance is equally great which makes this book one of my favorites this year. I couldn’t put it down. I devoured this book, and am looking forward to the next installments in the series.

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Review: Through the Snow Globe by Annie Rains

Summary

It’s a Wonderful Life meets Groundhog Day in USA Today bestselling author Annie Rains’ new novel, as a woman dangerously close to losing it all receives an unexpected Christmas gift that prompts a surprising journey of self-discovery . . . and another chance at happiness.

What if you could have one more day with someone you lost?

Diana Merriman, a physical therapist, is probably the only person in the small town of Snow Haven, North Carolina, who isn’t looking forward to Christmas. It’s been three weeks since her fiancé Linus was critically injured when a car hit him as he biked home from the toy store he owns and manages. Watching him open his eyes is the only gift she wants, but she can’t help losing a little more hope every day.

But an unexpected visit from a friendly neighbor and finding a snow globe of Snow Haven—a gift Linus had hidden in the closet—the night before Christmas Eve changes things in ways Diana never would have imagined. Because on Christmas Eve Diana wakes up to find that it’s not—Christmas Eve, that is. Instead, it’s somehow December 4 all over again, the day Linus got hurt, and as mystified as Diana is, she immediately starts a plan to save her partner from his fate. 

Nothing is that simple, of course. Instead of a single repeat of that day, Diana finds herself in an endless loop of December 4, experiencing every possible variation of events. Along the way, she uncovers startling truths about herself, her relationship, and even her career that illustrate the ways she’s retreated from her life—and in the face of life’s slights and outright blows, from her deepest feelings. Suddenly hope is second only to joy as Diana opens her heart to the people she loves in every way she can.

Review

There’s something special about this book that brought out another side of Annie that I really enjoyed. A departure from what we are used to, Through the Snow Globe dabbles in the women’s fiction genre and I’m all for it. I’ll admit, I was nervous at first for how I would receive this new experience but it turned out to be a wonderful read.

Any books with a Christmas element always grab my attention. I feel it circling in the air definitely gives it a sweet vibe. The plot had a creative evolution leading to the transformation of one of the characters who at first, I wasn’t very fond of. Not anything bad but she had an amazing guy that she didn’t appreciate to the extent he deserved which drove me crazy. What I loved was how things happen and people are put in her path for a reason. The experiences that happened in that loop and what she had to do and learn, truly redeemed herself. Now, I will say that the loop takes some time unraveling where the book is going but it’ll all come together for a unique but good read. 

Overall, her leap into this new genre was a good one. I hope she ventures more into this genre. So, if you are a fan like me, don’t go into this expecting what we’re used to. This is a good difference and just be open to experiencing a new experience.

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Review: Come With Me by Erin Flanagan

Come With Me by Erin Flanagan is a narrative of reconnected friendship of two women, hidden motives, and growing fear. What seemed to be the perfect opportunity, turned out to be the biggest nightmare.

Gwen Maner, recently lost her husband. Trying to pick up the pieces along with now being a single mother, she decided to move in with her mother until things become more stable. In moving forward, she decided to reconnect with an old acquaintance, Nicola Kimmel, who more than generously gave her the opportunity needed to start her next chapter.

As they get to know each other more, Gwen finds herself in a situation where Nicola seems to take control over every decision involving her life. At first, Nicola’s altruism was welcomed because it made her life easier but doubts crept in as her friend's behavior became increasingly controlling. Beneath Nicola's charming exterior, an uneasy growing suspicion that not everything is as it seems began to surface.

As strange things started to happen, Gwen began to feel uneasy and unsettled. When a tragedy close to home happened, it opened her mind to the possibility that all with Nicola wasn’t what she seemed. When Gwen starts to put the missing pieces together, she finds herself in a situation that literally becomes life or death.

Come With Me was an unexpected thriller that delivered a satisfying blend of suspense, engaging characters and a plot that grabs your attention. The slow build of tension with the unexpected plot twists keeps you anticipating what’s going to happen next.

I loved the contrast of the psychological depth of the characters. Gwen was likable and relatable but Nicola, you couldn’t figure her out. I had a love-hate relationship with her. As much as I hated her, I found her really fascinating. With the alternating povs spanning over time, you learn so much about her past. As manipulative and cunning as she was, you want to feel sorry for her because of her childhood but then it contrasts with the actions she chose to do which she absolutely deserves to be hated. Not to give anything away but there are a couple lines in the end that reveal something major about her that is so shocking. You might have to reread it to be sure you read it correctly. She ends up not being who we think she is. The psychological grip to the plot she brings was definitely a rollercoaster.

Overall, this was an interesting psychological thriller. This was a subtle, slow build that you will appreciate the more you read. That plot simmered until it boiled with a surprising end. This was my first read from this author and I will definitely be looking out to read her other books.

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Review: The Trade by KI Stephens

About the Book

JADE Jennings is tired of her day-to-day life—from the boring, senseless boys at Dayton U to the repetitive beats her editor assigns. She's looking for excitement, novelty, a good story to sink her teeth into, and a boy she can write home about.

She's a driven and ambitious journalist, and she has an innate love for the game of football. She's also the younger sister to an NFL superstar, which means she's not interested in the aimless, student-athletes at her school.

But maybe, for entertainment purposes, she could spend just one night trying them on for size.

THEO Westman-Cooke, aka "West," has one goal in this life: to be drafted into the NFL. But his coach doesn't support an early declaration, his grades (and scholarship) are slipping, and he only has one more year to make his college career count for something.

Oh, wait.

There is one other thing that West might want—a chance to spend the night with his favorite red-headed cheerleader. When the opportunity suddenly strikes, it's nearly impossible to pass up the perfect trade.

In just a few months, Dayton U's football team is hosting their annual spring banquet. The catch? Players must go home with another teammate's date. To the rest of the team, it's a simple, secret trade. But for Jade and West, it's the night that everything changed.

Review

Three books in and I’m starting to realize that Ki Stephens will never have a book that completely blows me away. Like with Spring Tide and Fault Line, The Trade left me feeling confused. Because I think I liked the book, but it’s a very neutral liking to it. I don’t have this strong hatred for it, and I enjoyed parts of it.

For example, I liked the characters. West wasn’t some stereotypical jock, and that’s something quickly introduced to readers within his first chapter. I didn’t necessarily love that he was the one who had issues communicating but in the concept of the story, I think it worked. And the miscommunication didn’t bother me. I do think he was more developed than Jade. Readers are constantly told she’s so funny and sarcastic, but there is really any moment for her to shine. I did enjoy her reporter arc, and I found that to be a little bit more interesting to read than her romance with West. But she wasn’t a bad character. I liked reading in her POV.

Final Thoughts

The Trade has interesting ingredients, but I personally felt like they hadn’t been mixed well. It had likable characters, but at times their special qualities were told rather than shown.

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