Assistant to the Villain was one of my most anticipated reads for the second half of 2023, and I was so glad to see that it exceeded my already-high expectations. The characters, the plot, the delightfully ghastly little details, every reveal and interaction between Evie and The Villain - it all brought a smile to my face, page after page. 

I started this book prepared to fall in love with the "villain" of the story, and I definitely did. He was snarky and sarcastic, had nefarious plans, but still somehow managed to show all the cards he kept closest to his chest. He might do bad things, but he had compassion (even if he wanted you to believe otherwise). This villain is the very definition of a lovable morally gray character. 

It's hard to come up with individual reasons why I loved this book. Just as a whole, it felt like every detail, every character, every new twist came together to form the perfect book for me. I devoured this book, and I had a smile on my face the entire time. Maehrer's writing was easy to get lost in, and this was definitely one of those books that made me carve extra time out of my day just so I'd have more time to read. Even at over four hundred pages, I still didn't have enough time with these characters and I can't wait for the next book. 

In short, I have nothing bad to say about this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a lovable, snarky villain.