I am so freaking happy! You always worry for the 2nd book in a series - will it be as funny/poignant/etc as the first. I was not disappointed. Evie, Trys and the rest of the Villains gang are back and causing mayhem in their world!

We have to navigate fake deaths, abduction, torture, dealing with grief and trauma, and learning that not all we thought about this world is as it seems! Evie may be walking sunshine but she has a deep well of trauma that she plasters over with a smile. I feel her pain! Trys is trying to keep up the villain act but he's the nicest villain I've ever met - even when doing something "bad" you can't help but hope he comes out on top!

I loves learning more about Trys, Kingsley, Bekah and Gideon. There are lots of secrets and lies to be uncovered there. There are also some little breadcrumbs that lead me to think that there may be more than one romance on a slow boil! Sadly there is no redemption for Evie's father - that man can take a long walk off a short plank as far as I'm concerned!

Fluffy and Gurves are so cute - I really want some stuffies of these guys! A funny, heartwarming and adventure filled escapade. Forget your troubles for a while and bask in the feel good vibes in Rennedawn!

4 stars
Content warning: murder, a lot of lighthearted talk about ways to murder, kidnapping

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to review. All thoughts are my own.

Once again, the return to Rennedawn was a hilarious delight. This world is absolutely ridiculous, and I mean that in the best way possible. I enjoyed having the POVs of other characters aside from Evie and Trystan, especially Becky's. It gave more insight into the happenings at Malevolent Manor when the others might not have been present, and the overall world map gained further development whilst travelling around Rennedawn trying to figure out the prophecy, which I really liked.

The lightheartedness of this story is so well complimented by the heavier emotions of the characters, and both Trystan and Evie feel better fleshed out in this story. Yes, their romantic pining was equally welcomed by me and exasperating (this especially was an issue in the latter portions of the story) but it was rewarding to see The Villain be less villainous and Evie more ruthless this time. I enjoyed their character arcs, and cannot wait to see how things will fare in book three.

If you love movies like Shrek, and the sheer absurdity of that plotline, then you'll love this. If you're coming into this series and you don't enjoy tongue-in-cheek humour, it's probably not going to appeal to you. At some points, I did get a little "yeah alright, move on" with the humour, but it's not enough to detract from the overall reading experience. I have so many highlights on my ebook copy because it was very quotable, and I laughed so much while reading. Fans of book 1 will enjoy this return, especially if they were anticipating some romantic development between the main protagonists. Beware, Apprentice to the Villain remains somewhat of a slow-burn romance though.

For transparency, this book isn't very long, but I found I personally couldn't consume it like I didn't with Assistant to the Villain. Whether it's because I listened to the audiobook of Book 1 and read this one, I'm not too sure, but it really threw me off that I couldn't sit and read this for prolonged sessions. I'd take snack-sized bites out of it throughout the day, and this, coupled with the latter portions of the storyline getting a little exasperating in the repetitive stalemate around the romance, is the main reason I didn't give this more than four stars.

Absolutely amazing, I love these books so much. The humour is perfect and leaves you kicking your feet. I can't wait for the next one!

The second book in the series, this one delves a bit more into the history of Rennedawn and its magic, Evie’s family and the Villain’s backstory, making for a rollicking ride with lots of genuinely laugh out loud moments.

If you need a bit of fun, and you enjoyed assistant to the villain, you’ll love this one too. It’s a cute and cosy fantasy, and I think as long as you remind yourself not to take life too seriously, you’ll enjoy it. In saying that I do feel the second book has more depth plot wise, with the storyline building perfectly from the first instalment.

I’ve been reading a lot of horror / thrillers at the minute, so this provided some much needed light relief. I really enjoyed it.

Definitely looking forward to the next one in the series now, but who am I kidding; I’d have read it for Kingsley alone 😉🐸

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5 stars from me.

Thank you to @penguinrandomhouseuk @netgalley and @hannahnicolemae for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Just like with the first book, I enjoyed reading this so much! We learn so much more about the world of Rennedawn and its magic, as well as the threat that's posed to the entirety of the world and its magic. Evie and the Villain's chemistry shines throughout the story and their exploits had me hooked and saying, "Just one more chapter!" The cast of characters from the first book continue to grow and develop, with the addition of new characters to love and loathe, and the story is driven by being told from multiple pov's. Overall this was a fun and magical read and I absolutely can't wait for the next book to see what happens next for Evie, the Villain, and our motley band of anti-heroes.

4.5/5

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and have been eagerly awaiting this sequel. It did not disappoint!

I just love the way these are written - in a break from standard fantasy, these have a comical side that I honestly can’t get enough of. The dialogue, the relationships and the inner thoughts of our main characters made me laugh all the way through this. It’s a series you can’t take too seriously, and if you try to then you probably won’t enjoy it as much.

The adventure continues in this book with a prophecy, family issues, magical creatures and more of the will they/won’t they relationship we saw from Evie and The Villain in book one.

My only complaint is that I’m going to have to wait ages to find out what happens next! It’s a cozy, cute and funny fantasy read which had me smiling all the way through.

Absolutely loved book one and have been eagerly awaiting this second instalment. It lived up to my expectations and more.
The relationship between The Villain and Evie is perfection, in literary terms, obviously that means agonising, frustrating and full of missteps.
I’m really enjoying discovering more about the characters and the world they inhabit, also the magical system is fascinating and I can’t wait to find out what happens in the next book. Fingers crossed it’s not too far away…..

A great addition to this series! I absolutely adored Assistant To The Villain so I've been on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens next and this book starts right where it left off so I'm thrilled about that

The tension and slow burn is top notch and I'm beyond excited for book 3

Thank you for the ARC

I was thrilled to receive an eARC of Apprentice To The Villain as I thoroughly enjoyed the first book and eagerly anticipated the sequel.

In this installment, we pick up right from the cliffhanger ending of Assistant to the Villain. The action kicks off with The Villain captured by King Benedict, and Evie, along with the Malevolent Guard, working tirelessly to free him. The story delves deeper into the backstories of Rebecca, Kingsley, and Evie’s family, with twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The banter between The Villain and Evie is adorable and hilarious, and the tension between them continues to build throughout the book. While there were a few too many interruptions between them that felt a bit predictable, the overall fun and engaging story more than made up for it. The moments of real emotion and the evolving plot felt genuine and compelling.

This book is a fantastic continuation of the series. I love how the author infuses humor into the story while maintaining real emotion and depth in the character relationships. It’s evident how much fun the author has writing this series, and that joy translates to the reader.

If you’re looking for a traditional fantasy, this might not be the series for you. However, it’s a perfect introduction to fantasy, blending elements of the genre in an accessible and easy-to-follow way. The world-building and lore are straightforward, making it an enjoyable read for newcomers and fantasy fans alike.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this eARC. I can’t wait to read the next installment!

This review will also be posted on Amazon as soon as the book is released.

4.25⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Random house and the author Hannah Nicole Maeher for this arc.

After the ending of the first book, I knew I had to dive into this as soon as I was accepted. I loved getting back into this world and cannot wait for book 3.

The slow burn continued from book 1 between Evie and Trystan the villain.

I honestly thought this was quite a pallet cleanser after being in a slump during most of July. The mixture of both humour and fantasy resulted in an amazing read.

Did I mention it also leaves us wanting more with another cliffhanger ending?

I loved this book to pieces!
I have been absolutely hiped since "Assistant to the Villain" and could hardly wait for "Apprentice to the Villain".
Evie und The Villain just have the kind of chemistry that is both hillarious and sizzeling.
And than there is Kingsley, who is my absolut favorite.

I really enjoyed reading the first book and couldn't wait to jump into this one!!! Especially because of how vile the cliffhanger for book 1 was. I was so glad when we immediately jumped right into the story!

It was really cool seeing how Evie was going to save The Villain from being captured by the king. The whole rescue sequence didn't disappoint and was one of the funniest yet intense things i have ever read in my life.

It was really interesting seeing how the duo and all of their colleagues/friends were going to go about fulfilling the prophecy/what was spoken of in the mythical story book. They ended up going on some really wacky adventures and seeing some of the most interesting characters too!!

The tension and slow burn build up between Evie and Trystan was almost unbearable too!! It was so goddamned sweet and frustrating at the same time. Every moment they were together had me squealing and hoping with every fiber of my being that something would finally happen!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this sequel and can't wait to revisit it again when the third book is released too!

I would honestly place this in my top 5 books of the year, with Kingsly being one of my favourite character of all time!! <3

Read if you like: violence, death, magic, betrayal, found family, tension, comedy, jealousy, death, prophecy, multi pov, character growth, fight scenes,

I absolutely loved Assistant to the Villain and this book was just as amazing!!

Evie Sage is a bubbly and hilarious character, which works so well with Trystan’s grumpy realism. The tension was delicious and the push and pull was unbelievably frustrating 😫 the number of times I was screaming “JUST GET TOGETHER ALREADY!!” is insane

Ngl I’m not a fan of multi pov, I loved the dual pov in the first book and was sad that it changed for this book. Because of this, there’s a lot more side plots and romances you get a glimpse of, but it just leaves me with sooo many questions 😭 I’ve no idea how the third book will tie it all off

Evie’s character growth into her evilness made me my jaw drop. She somehow maintains her bubbly, funny self, but is also so badass in this book and I’m LIVING for it

This cliffhanger is not as bad as the first book (thank fk 😅) Nevertheless, I am eagerly waiting for book 3 ❤️

Thank you to Penguin for providing me with an arc.

I picked this one up having just started Assistant to the villain and I was enjoying it but I ended up dnfing that one 50% in as I just couldn't get past some of the serious writing issues. I see so much potential in Hannah Nicole Maehrer's writing which I why I pushed through 50% of book 1 before I dnfed but it had errors that kept tossing me out of the story. I may come back to it and if I like it I'll start this one but currently I just couldn't keep pushing which means I couldn't sadly start this one. I think this series may just not be for me but I can see why others like it and it is worth a try if you think you may enjoy it.

“Sometimes family isn’t a thing we are born into but a choice we make. Sometimes the people who love you most in your life are the ones who choose you.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat…er, out-of-evil-office. But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs – Kingsley’s included – point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies ... including their nemesis, the king. Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.
It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so…so…delightfully fun. But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?

Evie is fabulous here. She really steps into her own, finding strength deep down inside herself that she didn’t know she possessed. I just love her. Her sunshine personality, her stubbornness, her tenacity. She really keeps her head held high no matter what is thrown at her. Not to mention, she is always speaking her mind too - even more so now! It’s especially good when she stands up to her boss! I really think her journey in this book was one that she needed to go on as it has allowed her the time to discover who she is, and who she wants to be.
The Villain wants to be cold and cruel but he is finding that edge has dulled - all because of a certain sunshine assistant. He struggles to maintain his strict, immovable wall and I really liked seeing him a little more vulnerable. Now don’t mistake that for him being soft because he most certainly isn’t. But there is something about a morally grey man being vulnerable around the one he admires…

I cannot begin to express how excited I was for this sequel. The first book blew me away and after its ending, I was incredibly desperate for more. And I am so thrilled to say, THIS DID NOT DISAPPOINT! The plot was fantastic, moving perfectly from one moment to the next. I found myself constantly hooked and wanting more which is the perfect reading experience for me! Like the first book, there are quite a few trigger warnings at the beginning - namely descriptive violence - but I expected such content after the story leading up to now. However, it is still important to include trigger warnings in my opinion! The characters, once again, were brilliant! I loved that we also got more POVs this time around as well! It helped keep the story feeling fresh, and add further depth to it too. There was so much angst and longing in this book that I had to wonder if my heart could take it. It was pretty perfect for our two main characters and their relationship - and we did get a few reprieves - but oh lordy it was tense for a while there! Oh and that ending. SHE HAS DONE IT AGAIN PEOPLE! The book isn’t even out yet and I already need to read the third instalment please and thank you. HOLY CRAP!

Overall, Apprentice to the Villain is a stunning sequel that left a huge grin on my face.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advanced copy of this book. Due to scheduling, review will be live on my blog on 2nd September but is immediately available on Goodreads

Thank you for my earc of this book. I loved book 1, so couldn’t wait for this instalment. It absolutely did not disappoint! It was such good fun being with these characters again - especially Kingsley 🐸👑

I can’t wait for book 3!!

This fantastic sequel to Assistant to the Villain picks up where the last book ended. We follow sunshine Evie Sage and grumpy Trystan 'the Villain' as they continue to attempt to thwart the King's plans and generally get under each other's skin. New characters are introduced and the plot thickens.

The tension and slow-burn built up throughout the book and the banter was perfection. I now demand that all my books have a frog holding up handwritten signs at awkward moments!

Sadly we'll have to wait until next September for book 3 and the resolution of the series.

The first book, Assistant to the Villain, is already available. Apprentice to the Villain will be published on 8 August.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I want to give a shout out to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, and Hannah Nicole Maehrer for giving my me and my small account a chance. I can never thank you enough.

How do you write a review of the sequel to one of your favorite reads of 2023, which is not due to be released yet, without spoiling it? That is the question.

I simply have to say that this story did not disappoint. I couldn't stop grinning like an idiot, laughing out loud, swooning, and almost dropping my book at the same time.

Thank you, Hannah, for sharing your magic with us. I had a medical procedure that made me feel so down, and your book made everything better. I can't wait to read the next one.

Loved loved loved

The same as with book one, book two is the perfect easy read palette cleanser. I loved this book so much and I loved Evie’s development.

Easy to follow plot twists and turns but not so easy you can guess them! Looking forward to book three!

*Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

Love!love!love! Just as charming,just as funny and just as cozy as the first one!I adored it. Love the mutiple POVs too. I have nothing but praise for .honestly can't fault it.If you loved the first book I guarantee you will love this one as well. Can't wait to receive my special edition of this!
10/10 would recommend!