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Cover of Assistant to the Villain

Assistant to the Villain

512 pages

A delightfully chaotic workplace comedy where the coffee is hot, the boss is evil, and the romance is a slow-burn delight.

What it feels like

Reading this book feels like stepping into a cozy, slightly blood-spattered office where the watercooler gossip revolves around dark magic and severed heads. It is a delightfully chaotic romp that perfectly balances macabre humor with genuine, warm-hearted romance. The narrative moves at a brisk, breezy pace, driven by a conversational prose style that leans heavily into modern, self-aware internet humor. You are immediately wrapped in a whimsical, cozy-macabre atmosphere that makes even the darkest dungeons feel like a welcoming found-family home. It is an absolute treat for romantasy fans who live for the grumpy-sunshine dynamic and want a low-stakes, laugh-out-loud escape that proves sometimes the bad guys are actually the best people to work for.

Mood
  • cozy-macabre
  • whimsical
  • delightfully chaotic
Tone
  • playful
  • cheeky
  • self-aware
  • wry
Pace
brisk
Themes
workplace romance · grumpy-sunshine dynamic · embracing inner darkness · found family of misfits
The writing
Breezy, conversational, and heavily infused with modern internet-humor sensibilities that keep the pages turning effortlessly.
The arc
A journey from desperate survival to joyful, empowered belonging among a chaotic found family of villains.
Who it's for
Romantasy readers who devour the grumpy-sunshine trope and want a laugh-out-loud, cozy workplace comedy with a magical, slightly macabre twist.
Content notes
  • cartoonish gore
  • comedic violence
  • dismemberment

About the book

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.

Description from Open Library.

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