Ratings:
Book Rating: ★★★★☆
If This Book Was a Movie Rating: PG-13
Review:
this book was FUN.
Really, if that’s the whole review, I think that would sum it up perfectly. In this book, there are no depressingly dark tragedies or over-the-top stakes; it is slapstick humor and romantic parodies and twisted tropes, and I had an absolute BLAST reading it.
alight let me give you the author’s summary (because what better way to understand the writing style (also I don’t want to write the summary sue me))
“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 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.
I’ve been in a reading slump for months, and this was the perfect thing to take me out of it <3
let me begin with the ✨plot✨
So as you might’ve picked up from the writing style of that blurb, this is a book that refuses to take itself seriously. It takes every bad guy/villain trope (and all the weird romance tropes that go along with them) and turns them on their head.
Allow me to provide an example: in one scene, there’s a huge thunderstorm that prevents Evie and the other staff at The Villain's office/castle from being able to leave. As the personal assistant to the villain, Evie’s the de facto head of all castle logistics, so she’s the one who organizes all the temporary sleeping arrangements, extra beds for the interns, and whatnot. After all that’s done, Evie goes back to her desk to do more work.
Now, if this was a traditional romance book, the only-one-bed-left-oh-you’re-going-to-share-with-the-boss trope would likely make an appearance here. However, since this book is anything but a traditional romance book, instead one of Evie’s coworkers, the healer Tatianna, shows up with several bottles of wine and Evie, The Villain, and several of Evie’s favorite coworkers (Tatianna, Blade, and Becky) have a night of jokes and bonding. It’s a total found family moment, and honestly it gave life and dimension to the characters beyond what a forced-in trope would have done.
Now, that’s not to say there’s no tropes present in this book (this is still a romance, after all) There’s boss/employee, villain/heroine, guy-falls-first, secret mutual pining, found family, dual pov, grumpy and sunshine, if-you-hurt-her-i-will-kill-you, two people in a too small space, romantic dance, and a truly excellent who-did-this-to-you moment. I loved the plot, and I loved how the author both used and subverted tropes in order to bring it all together.
now, on to the ✨characters✨
Evie Sage
This girl is literally such a gem omigosh. She’s smart, witty, has self-awareness (let’s be so for real here how many times have we had a self-aware FMC in romantasy 👀) and is just a general joy to be around. She’s also an excellent personal assistant (we love a good-at-her-job queen), the office/castle falls apart whenever she’s away, and I absolutely love her to pieces <333
The Villain (no i’m not spilling his real name)
I LOVE THIS MAN OMIGOSH
he’s a caricature of a real villain, engaging in more slapstick violence than real cruelty. The workplace dynamics make his “evilness” seem more like that a grumpy boss than a truly terrible person, and seeing him slowly and completely melt in front of Evie was SO ADORABLE YOU HAVE NO IDEA FISDFOISDHFISDHFIHSDIFHJDISJF
anyways, he was a refreshing change from villains with overly tragic backstories that take their dark, brooding selves too seriously, and I would 10/10 recommend 😌
All The Other Side Characters
The author did an absolutely fabulous job developing the side characters. Oftentimes in romances, side characters exist solely to push the main characters into awkward situations, but in this book they all had LIFE. They had their own backstories, their own dramas, their own flaws, their own romances. The primary supporting characters were The Villain’s other employees (Tatianna, Blade, Becky), The Villain’s family (Malcolm and Clare), and Lyssa’s family (her father and little sister Lyssa). There were several other side characters with smaller roles, but the time and development the author put towards the characters above was simply ✨chef’s kiss✨
Overall, this book was absolutely amazing. It was sweet, engaging, hilarious, and a genuine joy to read. If you want some extra comedy and romance in your life, you should pick it up ❤️❤️
THANK YOU FOR READING GOODBYE MY DEAR BOOKWORMMMMMMS
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