Assistant to the Villain (Assistant and the Villain, 1)
THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
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.
After all, a good job is hard to find.
The Assistant and the Villain series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Assistant to the Villain
Book #2 Apprentice to the Villain
Book #3 Accomplice to the Villain
Book #4 Adversary to the Villain
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Community Reviews
It’s not super high stakes, it’s cute, witty and has a great grumpy/sunshine slow burn romance.
I can’t wait to read the next book in the series’
Sometimes the train takes you down some bumpy tracks, but oh boy how I surely enjoyed this one! Now, I am not on the TikTok so honestly didn’t really know much about this one heading in other than it being popular. I’m wary of BookTok recs and take them all with a grain of salt, but the speed at which I consumed this one (even though a goal of mine this year is to slow down!)…I haven’t been this taken with a series opener since Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy.
This had the right amount of whimsy, comedy, tension (both mystery & sexual), and intrigue, as well as the right mix of modern & fantasy for my tastes. The setting is magical and the characters delightful.
Evie is a fun lead that I found I just couldn’t not root for. Her sunshine to The Villain’s grump has a great balance and they’re well-matched leads. I look forward to seeing their relationship develop further as she keeps chipping away at his walls.
There’s definitely a lot of plot tidbits that can be called upon in further books, so I can’t wait to see which direction the next one goes!
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