Thankyou to Netgalley and the publishers for an arc (that I am VERY late on reviewing, reading slumps suck).

Now due to me being so late with this I had already seen some of the public reception so I went into this knowing it was a marmite book, you either love it or hate it. Unfortunately I was more in the latter category. And what a shame that is, because a sunshine character having to work for a villain and eventually falling for them? Sounds awesome, and maybe the initial comedy sketches of this were funny...the book however left a lot to be desired, I think there's three major problems: Writing Style, Misleading Marketing and a Time Jump.

Firstly, writing style. It felt simplistic, there was basically no worldbuilding which is a problem in a fantasy setting. It honestly felt middle grade rather than YA or older, imagine my shock when I discovered this was tagged as ADULT? It's barely YA level and nowhere NEAR adult. Maybe a very serious edit would have helped. Its overly lengthy, trope filled and not funny in the slightest, like the humour is fart joke level, there's a scene early on where she has to go to a healer to heal herself after falling on her ass and... Yeah, I guess we're meant to find that funny? It wasn't.

Now, the marketing, assistant, sure, villain? Where? This guy is not a villain at all, hell there's probably a whole bunch of YA love interests way more villainous than this guy that aren't even painted that way. And a romance? Where? They have only one kiss, the rest is two people weirdly pining for each other and refusing to talk to each other like teenagers, despite both being adults, now I'm all for a good slow burn and mutual pining but because of the time jump which I'll talk about in a second, we didn't get to see the build up which is kind of the point of slow burn pining. That's what gives us the anticipation of them getting together. There's also other small things like the back of the book having that "advert" for a villains assistant, that never appears at all, the way she actually gets the job is by just randomly bumping into him in the forest.

And now the common thread, the time jump. The first chapter is these two meeting when Evie runs into him randomly in the forest, she knows this guy is a villain, literally called "The Villain" has done some supposedly horrible things, a vile person, a terrifying person and there she is giggling and acting like a school girl, completely unbothered, and yes she remarks that she SHOULD be scared but isn't, purely because he's hot... really? Fine. We the jump... 5 MONTHS AHEAD? Excuse me? So we don't get ANY of that time that normally would have been spent building up the world, introducing Evie to the company and major players, seeing the two slowly get to know each other and realise their feelings, none of it. We just jump randomly in the middle and it feels really weird pacing wise. We go from the villain going "huh what a weird girl" in one chapter to him clearly being in love with her 5 months later in the next with nothing to bridge the in-between which ruins the romance for me.

Oh and Evie is insufferably irritating at times. "Sunshine" doesn't just mean ridiculously clumsy and having verbal diarrhoea.

In short, the humour wasn't funny, there was no worldbuilding or substance, the romance was just two people lusting after each other for 300+ pages with no build up or satisfying payoff. I really didn't get on with this one.

A great cosy romantasy tale with lots of laughs. It took me a while to get into this but when I did I enjoyed it.

Really liked this book, it is exactly what you want it to be. A lot of fun and highly enjoyable! The banter was the best part of this book and I can’t wait to read the next one! 3.75 stars!

Not for me I had to dnf after a few chapters just wasn’t engaging enough for me but I have seen a lot of other people really enjoy it

Simply, this was a fucking delight.

Hilarious, intriguing and brimming with tension, this book had me howling out loud in parts and sniggering to myself in others. Can't wait for book two!

I recently had the pleasure of delving into this book, and I am beyond impressed with the mesmerizing world that the author has crafted. From start to finish, the intricate plot weaves a tapestry of suspense, emotion, and unexpected twists that kept me eagerly turning the pages.

One of the standout features of this book is undoubtedly its characters. Each one is meticulously developed, breathing life into the narrative with their unique personalities, motivations, and flaws. The protagonists are not just names on paper; they are relatable, complex individuals with whom readers can form a genuine connection. The antagonist, too, is not a mere foil but a multi-dimensional force that adds depth to the story. The author's ability to create such well-rounded characters is a testament to their storytelling prowess.

The plot unfolds seamlessly, drawing the reader into a richly layered narrative that expertly balances tension, drama, and moments of poignant reflection. The pacing is impeccable, maintaining a perfect rhythm that keeps the reader engaged without sacrificing the depth of the story. The author skillfully navigates through various plot arcs, interweaving them with finesse to create a cohesive and satisfying whole.

What sets this book apart is its ability to tackle profound themes while maintaining an accessible and engaging narrative. The book seamlessly combines suspense and emotional depth, making it a truly immersive experience. The author's prose is both elegant and evocative, painting vivid imagery that lingers in the reader's mind long after the final page is turned.

As I reached the conclusion, I found myself yearning for more from this talented author. Their ability to craft a gripping plot and bring characters to life is truly commendable. I eagerly anticipate future works and would wholeheartedly recommend this book to any reader who appreciates a masterfully told tale. If you're searching for a book that seamlessly blends captivating characters with a compelling plot, this is a shining example. I can't wait to explore more literary worlds crafted by this exceptional storyteller.

I can only describe Assistant to the Villain as a joy-ride from start to finish: the slow-burn romance was perfection (Maehrer nails the building tension here, a surprisingly hard thing to accomplish), the humour was enjoyable and ensured the plot moved along with an easy lightness and joviality, and the needed moments of emotion, whether that be as Evie confronted the desperate position of her family or she and the Villain became closer, were both well-done and added balance to the book. The characters, especially, shimmered on the page. I loved Evie - her combined tenacity, kindness, and humour were admirable. And the Villain shone as he moved past the well-worn 'villain' stereotype into a true feet-sweeping romantic lead. Overall, this book was a light read that added a spark to my time with it.

Do you remember a time when you were reading something, maybe a letter, a book, a text from someone and you roll around the bed smiling, full of joy, heart full and giggling? This is what the book made me feel throughout.

Evie is a truly wonferful loveable character, she is a gem to read about and really enjoyed rwading about her and her thoughts, feelings and emotions.

The writing is beautiful, enjoyable and quirky and the writer makes you feel like you are there immersed and are a part of the story.

The introduction of Kinglsey had me smiling foolishly and I love him to bits.

Favourite quotes: "you just can’t kill people and be pretty. It’s confusing."

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.

I laughed a lot when read this one. The romance also good. It was easy read!

A fun adventure about a villain and his assistant as they banter and fall in love.

I enjoyed the writing and the witty dialogue. There is almost some instant attraction when the mc sees the love interest who is only ever referred to as the 'villain', which made it a little strange as they had just met. But I liked the back and forth between them, since it made it fun to read.

The pacing was a little off and it felt strange, but it was very readable and quick. I didn't really understand the convoluted plot, but I would recommend this if you're looking for a good time and some clever dialogue.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc!

Another cosy read... I enjoyed this. I think its perfect if you want a hint of this and a hint of that, but I don't think cosy quite covers it with fantasy unless you slather the elements and I was missing a bit more romance and that something something extra from this, I will however read on to find out how we progress because its enjoyable.

A smirk inducing light romantasy. This was good, silly fun, and to be fair there was more going on with the mystery part than I was expecting. Cliff hanger alert for those who are irritated by such things.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

This is a cute and funny villian story. I was not expecting the story to play out as it did and was pleasantly surprised! I cannot wait for the next book.

✨E-Arc provided for free via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review✨
I really enjoyed this, it was lower stakes until around 70%, & a good slow burning romance with all the awkwardness I love, it’s pretty cozy & had those good autumnal vibes. My only big issue is I kind of wish it’d been a fair bit shorter.
I personally loved the banter between Evie & The Villain, but if you don’t like miscommunication, or other similar (and popular) romance tropes, then you might not enjoy it so much.
There wasn’t a ton of character development until the end where it came all at once, and I felt a little lost as to where we were going at times in the middle, but I still found myself coming back again and again, and this book genuinely did make me laugh.
The ending punched me a little bit, I didn’t really see the twist coming, and I’ll definitely be reading the next book!

The good: this had a lot of elements that I normally really enjoy, and the premise is initially really interesting - a grumpy sunshine assistant to the big bad villain who lives in a dark mansion in the woods fighting against the good king. The opening chapters is great, with the two protagonists meeting while being chased by the King's guards and really sets up the story well as Evie is introduced to the villain, his home and his life.

My main issue with this is the villain. He's just, not really a villain. He's actually a pretty good guy with some social issues. And on top of that he's just not that interesting to read about. To be a villain you need to actually be morally grey, self serving and you know, evil, but Tristan isn't any of this. I did like the chemistry between Evie and Tristan, however it drags out the slow burn, will they won't they for way too long too.

I'm also still not sure whether this wanted to be adult or YA? There's a couple of grizzly scenes, nothing particularly graphic, but the writing reads very young. There's an obvious fairy tale theme to the story and plot, and I don't think this helped to elevate the writing beyond YA if that's what it was even aiming for in the first place.

I finished this mainly for the potential and the initially interesting premise after such a good opening chapter, however the plot and writing was just a bit too messy for me to really get involved with the story.

Loads of silly & romantic fun. I flew through this in a matter of days and found it enormously charming and light.

Thank you publishers for an advanced copy of Assisant to the Villain.
This book was also my bestie bookclub book of October and I have to say I enjoyed it very much. The story is fun, the magic system interesting and the banter is too cute. However that doesn’t make a book very good. There were some inconsistencies (also published in the 1st print) that were sloppy and led to me questioning myself while reading. It was fun, the build up is nice and the ending was very exciting. I will patiently wait for book 2, but I hope it’ll be a lot better! :)

This was such a fun book and i really enjoyed the writing style. I adored the characters and the plotline. Cant wit for more books in this series.

This was such a ridiculous book - I can honestly say I've never read anything like it, and I don't think I ever will in the future. I made the conscious decision to get over the more absurd plot points, even though I did definitely roll my eyes at the fact that the villain was indeed called The Villain, and that he lived in 'Massacre Mansion', and after doing so I found myself quite enjoying the first half, even though I did think it was quite slow-paced in its plot. However, the story started to lose me around halfway and I wasn't invested in the larger plot of the rivalry between the Villain and the King, and the budding relationship between Evie and the Villain didn't feel very real to me. Whether that was because it was meant to be a slow-burn stretched over the course of the trilogy I'm not sure, but I don't think I enjoyed it enough to continue with the series.

Evie Sage is unemployed after walking out on her last job (for reasons), and she needs to earn to be able to look after her ailing father and her younger sister. So when circumstance occur and he's offered the position of assistant to The Villain, she takes the job and goes to work in his evil lair.. He's terrifyingly murderous but extremely good looking, and Evie discovers she can overlook a lot of his foibles (such as hanging severed heads in the hallway) because he's nice to his staff, and she's developing feelings for him. He's not always so villainous as the local populace thinks. She finds that she's quite good at villainy herself, or at least supporting his. He, in turn finds himself affected by Evie's eternally sunny attitude to life. But something's rotten in the state of Rennedawn. Someone is desperate to take down the Villain, and they don't care who gets hurt. There's a traitor in the Villain's organisation and Evie is the only one the Villain trusts enough to help him discover who.

This is quirky and amusing, with interesting characters and a plot that fairly zips along. The developing romance is sweet. There are also surprises, of course This is a light, fast read. Recommended.