A review by fors
I'm in Love with the Villainess (Light Novel), Vol. 02 by Inori

3.0

Super awesome continuation! The foreshadowing that Rae kept mentioning in the previous volume took place in this one, and the leads finally had actual development and a story behind them. It introduced new characters – the romance was cute, and pulled together near the end of the volume. The earlier chapters were also entertaining to read through. Each of them were better than the last volume. Topics of transphobia and homophobia getting discussed in a chapter was definitely my favorite part, since there's not enough lighthearted queer media that talks about these issues, more-so if it's Japanese media.

While it was a fun read, it also had flaws. There were many characters, but most of them didn't feel like they had anything going on. Some of them had a backstory, but they felt like they were only there for plot-convenience. They don't feel like a person of their own, and it's a shame, considering that there is a ship that I think would be a cute side couple if they had more development.
Moreover, it would've been better if the last arc was a tad bit longer, since you'd be on the edge of your seat anticipating a fight or what-not, but it doesn't end up happening. This wasn't much of a problem, since the arc was definitely only there to further the development between the leads, and it definitely gets extra points for being able to keep it lighthearted.

The biggest ick, however, was that the author seemed like they have a thing for incest. The incestual couple from the first volume.... euhhgdghfsh I think it largely affected my rating for the volume.