Assistant to the Villain

Assistant to the Villain, Book 1

By: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Narrated by: Em Eldridge

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.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

Contains mature themes.

©2023 Hannah Nicole Maehrer (P)2023 Tantor

Critic reviews

"In this audiobook, Evie Sage is navigating financial challenges and takes on the role of assistant to a notorious villain, diligently managing office tasks and supporting his exploits.... Em Eldridge's narration adds a subtle depth to the characters. Eldridge's voice work...plays a role in making the audiobook a compelling journey into the captivating world of Evie and her enigmatic employer." (AudioFile)

Wonderful story but not the best narration

I loved the story it was wonderful and took unexpected turns. I genuinely loved it. Whether or not you watch the TikToks this is definitely a must read. My only complaint is the narration. The narrator has a very strange tone that would maybe better fit a mystery. It did not match the story and honestly annoyed me at times. No matter what this is a great story though and I can’t wait to read the next book!

Great story, horrific narration

The actual story is delightful and fun, as attested by all these other reviews. But, it's an audiobook, so the audio part is very relevant. The narrator is just awful. She reads in this sing-songy voice with weirdly placed stressed words. The only thing I can think is that maybe she was going for how one might read a fairy tale to a small child or something.

I didn’t finish the audiobook. I couldn’t. That voice, the way she reads, it's like fingernails on a blackboard.

If Siri was reading a book, this is it.

The audible of this isn’t good. She has a weird tone. It’s like she has the emotion but it’s masked by Siri’s voice from the iPhone

Poor narration

I couldn’t finish listening to this. The narration is so robotic and strange. I tried to give it some time to get used to but I couldn’t get through it. The story caught my attention and I think it’s probably good but I will be reading the actual book to find out.

Funny and cute story! Bad narration!

I LOVED the quirky banter and lighthearted fun this story had. I also loved that we got to have chapters from both main characters point of view.

The plot twist though!! I had suspicions but I didn't expect HALF of what we got at the end! I can't wait for book 2!!

Narrations though, terrible. The narrator was a drag, I had to for the first time ever SPEED up the narration to even get it to a normal conversation speed. Very lacking and I sincerely hope this narrator does not narrate the second book when it comes out at the end of the year. oof.

An Absolute Roar of Laughter With A Twisting Edge of Your Seat Plot

What can I say, I like my men morally gray! This is definitely one of the most entertaining romances I’ve read in a long time, Evie Sage makes me feel normal, with all of her quirks, and the Villain is everything you’d expect, tragic history included, but not in the stereotypical way some might expect. Watch out for that cliffhanger at the end though, it’ll have you waiting with baited breath for the next book in the series, and now I need to go binge her TikTok stories to get my fix of the two of them!

Phenomenal story, meh narrating.

The story was absolutely amazing. I’ve now read it 2x and the attention to detail and character development is addicting. The narration for the audiobook was bearable, but only because the story was so good. The audio was clear, but the pacing and energy often leaned towards monotonous. Overall a great read.

Love love LOVE!!

I have been following since this was just skits on TikTok and honestly did not disappoint! So amazing to hear it come to life! 5 stars all around!

Incredibly well written book

Absolutely loved the characters, story line, twists and turns. I can’t wait for the next book!

Enjoyed

Kept me wanting more. The story was very engaging, I could picture in my mine every seen.