Assistant to the Villain
by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
My Rating: 🟊🟊🟊
Spice Rating: 🫑
Blurb:
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.
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.
My Review:
With everything going on in the world lately, I honestly feel like my brain has been struggling to stay fully engaged with reading. Unfortunately, I think that affected my experience with this book. I had a hard time focusing enough to completely fall in love with the characters the way I feel like they deserved, which is disappointing because there were so many elements here that I genuinely enjoyed.
Overall, this was a very cute and entertaining story that had a lot of charm. The magical creatures were one of my favorite parts of the book. They added a whimsical, immersive quality to the world that made it feel lively and imaginative. I found myself really appreciating the creativity behind the magical elements and how they contributed to the overall atmosphere of the story. The worldbuilding felt fun and colorful without being overwhelming, which made it easy to slip into the setting.
The FMC was definitely a standout for me. She was strong, capable, and gave off the impression that she could quite literally move mountains if she needed to. I love a powerful female lead, and she had that perfect balance of determination and resilience that made her easy to root for. She felt like someone who would stop at nothing to accomplish her goals, and I enjoyed watching her navigate the challenges she faced throughout the story. I do wish I had been in a better headspace while reading, because I think I would have connected with her journey even more under different circumstances.
The villain, however, was a bit of a mixed experience for me. He gave me strong Shego from Kim Possible vibes, confident, slightly playful, and intimidating in presence, which I actually liked as a concept. But at times he felt a little too tame for the level of threat the story seemed to build toward. There were moments where I wanted him to lean more fully into the darker, more ruthless aspects of being a villain. I kept waiting for him to truly unleash chaos or raise the stakes in a bigger way, and I don’t feel like that payoff ever fully happened for me.
Even though I enjoyed many aspects of the book, I don’t think I was entirely in the right mood for everything it was trying to deliver. Sometimes timing really does impact how a story lands, and I suspect this might be one of those cases where a reread could change my overall experience. There’s enough here that I liked to make me curious about revisiting it later when I can give it my full attention.
And then there’s the ending. I’m still trying to process how I feel about it. It felt abrupt and left me with more questions than satisfaction. I’m not necessarily against open or surprising endings, but this one felt like it wrapped up in a way that didn’t fully deliver on the emotional or plot buildup that came before it. I found myself finishing the book and just sitting there wondering, “Wait… that’s it?”
At the end of the day, this was a solid three-star read for me. It was enjoyable, creative, and had several strong elements, especially the FMC and the magical world. However, my lack of connection at certain points, the somewhat underwhelming villain execution, and an ending that didn’t quite stick the landing kept it from being something I completely loved. I would still recommend it to readers who enjoy whimsical fantasy with strong female leads, and I definitely wouldn’t rule out giving it another try in the future.
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