Assistant to the Villain and Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

These books! I laughed so hard! Out loud. In front of people. It was embarrassing. But worth it. 

If you enjoy an actual, true slow burn, then this is your series! You get little tastes of the romance (and fire-burning tension) between Evie and her boss, the Villain, but those moments don’t take away from the storyline – instead, they add to it!

The banter between Evie, The Villain, and their crew is built around the character development and plot so well. I literally can’t get enough! I giggled and snorted my way through these books, and I can hands down say it’s the most I’ve genuinely enjoyed a series in a really long time!

Evie is a true sunshine to The Villain’s grumpiness, but her hold on him is so obvious, and I love, love, love it! Every time he pinches his nose in frustration with her, I’m like, “Awww, they are so in love!” 

I loved Evie’s growth into her own villainous era! (She deserves it after what she’s been through!) But, of course, I knew their moment of passion was too good to last. Trystan thinks he needs to separate from Evie to save her at the end of the second book, blah, blah.

It’s okay though, because I think Evie is going to make his life hellish in book three, which will be fantastic in its own right. 

I don’t know how I’m supposed to wait for the next book! This is why I don’t start new series, buuuutt it’s also fun to be a part of the hype and experience. 

Let me know if you’ve read these books. And if you haven’t yet, consider this your absolute sign! 

Tropes

Slow Burn

Found Family

“Forbidden” Romance (I say this because Trystan’s The Villain) 

Laugh-out-loud banter and humor (if this counts as a trope???) 

Characters 

Evie: Oh, Evie! Don’t leave me hanging, Evie! Evie is one of my favorite fmc’s for so many reasons. I think the first and most important reason is that everything that comes out of her mouth makes me want to laugh or cry, and for all the right reasons. She’s passionate and brave, and I aspire to be more like Evie now! She’s had to sacrifice so much for others and now it’s her turn to shine! Oh yeah, and she’s a badass! (When she’s not tripping, which I can totally relate to!) 

Trystan, AKA The Villain:  Well people, I’m in love with The Villain and he’s THE new book boyfriend we should all be crushing on in my humble opinion. His soft spot for Evie is so obvious. And while he’s super protective of her (thank goodness, that woman needs a lot of saving sometimes), he also believes in her! Which is so important. Hell, he’s already promoted her, and I think it’s fairly obvious at this point his office couldn’t run without her. But okay, we also have to talk about the fact that the man created a job for her, ordered special chairs for her, and had a tea party with her little sister. Enough said, honestly. 

Becky: I have to give an ode to Becky in here because I was really unsure how I felt about her in book one. I could tell there was a development coming around, but I really started enjoying her character in book two. Now that I know for sure she’s got Evie’s back, (and we understand her past a little better) I’m rooting for Beckie’s character in book 3! 

Kingsley: I loved Kingsley’s role in this series, with his witty and traitorous signs. It sounds bad, but I love Kingsley the frog so……will I like Alexander the prince more? To be determined. For now I will continue to enjoy his well-timed signs and stow-away excursions. 

Quotes

“We’re all monsters in the end. At least mine lives in the light.”

“You just can’t kill people and be pretty. It’s confusing.”

“He was ruined. But he loved her anyway.”

“He was happy… How positively vile.”

“You laughed.” “I know,” Trystan said, shaking his head, hoping to knock the building ache out of it. “You’re fucked”

“He didn’t feel ruined with Evie, though. He felt reborn. What a fucking disaster.”

Good Reads Synopsis

Assistant to the Villain

ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem, terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With an 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.