The flow of Kenney's writing always makes her books so easy to read. The story was engaging and I loved the characters. Im excited to continue this series~ The way the two childhood friends came together again was swoon-worthy! Amd the pool scene had me absolutely losing it! I'm excited to tuck into Dorians story next~

Unfortunately, I believe I will have to DNF this book. I'm unsure what didn't quite work for me, but as I was reading I realized I was just looking at the words on the page and the amount of time left on my kindle, vs being absorbed within the story.

Gatsby retelling with a paranormal twist...sign me up! I loved this twist on one of my favourite classics and the vampire element was just perfect. This kept the whirlwind of the original, the perfect dose of romance but added my all favourite paranormal elements. Excellent read!

I absolutely adore Rebecca's writing, and Beautiful Villain is no different.

I enjoyed the unique Great Gatsby retelling. Add in vampires and spice... it is just chef's kiss!

Gorgeous book, and perfect for summer! I loved every second of this new take on the Great Gatsby! I loved the paranormal spin and the twists and turns along the way.

The retelling you never knew you needed… who doesn’t love The Great Gatsby? Throw in some vampires and hang on for a wild ride of intrigue and drama with a side of spicy goodness!

The slow burn was BUUUURNING but the angsty drama more than made up for all of that delicious tension.

This was my first by Rebecca Kenney but definitely won’t be my last!

𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳
➵ retellings
➵ second chance
➵ childhood best friends
➵ vampires
➵ slow burn romance

𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 4/5⭐️ | 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 2/5🌶️ | 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 2/5🔥

The Great Gatsby retelling with a magical twist of immortality? Sign me up. I’ve been a fan of Rebecca Kenney’s for a while, but Beautiful Villain held a different sort of ambiance than her previous work.

Pretty decent read. The plot was intriguing, the romance was there for me. Just didn't have the overall wow factor for me. Thank you to net galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review *

I'm not the biggest fan of vampire fiction. I am generally not awed but I can still identify what is enjoyable to other readers. I found myself at a loss with this one. Since it is supposed to be a modern, paranormal, dark romance adaptation of Great Gatsby, I still thought I would find some enjoyable portions. I finished it, but it was a struggle the entire way through. The trauma themes, paranormal themes, and characters never seemed fully fleshed out or believable.

I am thankful that after 2 hours in, the author stopped calling UNC, UNC at Chapel Hill though. No one who went to UNC or lives in North Carolina calls it that. It is UNC, Chapel Hill, or just Carolina (I understand this was probably so that people not from this area would understand but it made me feel like they had never actually went there).

I have to say this was an entertaining read. This modern retelling of The Great Gatsby with a paranormal twist that adds depth and intrigue to the classic tale. Daisy Finnegan's journey, from reconnecting with her childhood sweetheart Jay Gatsby to uncovering his vampiric secrets, kept me engaged from start to finish. The chemistry between Daisy and Jay is clear, and the use of supernatural elements adds a fresh layer to the story. The author's writing is both sensual and fluid, making the story a delightful blend of romance, mystery, and fantasy.

I have always loved the story of Great Gatsby so when I heard that this was a retelling, I was so excited. I have adored all of this author's books so far and I thought this one was great. And keeping true to her roots there are some magical elements added to this story. So basically you have Jay Gatsby, vampires, AND smut!- give me more! I like that Daisy wasn't weak or a pushover in this retelling and loved that Gatsby didn't die because, well he's a vampire and all. Can't wait to read more in the series.

I love everything Rebecca Kenney has written and this is no exception! This retelling of The Great Gatsby was unlike any I've read before. I loved the contemporary setting and modernized plot, but felt it kept the spirit of the original. I loved it!

A Spicy 🥵 retelling of The Great Gatsby with a vampire twist! I absolutely loved this book. Rebecca Kenney never disappoints!

There were certainly things I didn't enjoy about this one. For instance, the setting being current day. I would've loved it if it were set in the original time of Great Gatsby. I don't like the pop culture references either.

However, I really enjoyed this book overall. I loved seeing the backstory of how vampires were created and the backstory of Daisy and Jay. I usually really don't enjoy 2nd chance romance, but it was done well in this book.

I will be reading the 2nd book very soon as I went out and bought myself a copy of this one and the sequel now that they are both out.

This one just didn’t quite work for me. It’s a dark romance with a morally questionable love interest and a lot of dramatic tension, but the power dynamics felt a little off in a way that was hard to get past. The writing is fast-paced and compulsively readable, but I never fully connected with the emotional stakes. I think readers who enjoy dark romance tropes might still find it enjoyable, but for me, the character development felt too rushed and the relationship dynamics didn’t feel earned.

Rebecca Kenney has been an auto buy author for me for a long time. I have really enjoyed the reimagined classics. The twists and turns from a story you thought you knew to the story Kenney gives us is just magical. It is always such a ride and this was no different. I loved that we got such a different spin on a classic with this having immortality and "magic". It really makes you stop and think about the original story differently while this still feels like a totally different story itself--it made it not seem like a retelling.

These gorgeous covers get me every time! "Beautiful Villain" by Rebecca Kenney has just that. Unfortunately, it's not enough to push this book into bingeable territory. It should be though! The premise of Gatsby with a paranormal twist is delicious. Unfortunately, it fell a bit flat for me. It was fine. If this is your genre give it a go. It reads down and certainly lacks the depth and complexity of Gatsby..

A Great Gatsby Retelling
With Vampires!

Honestly the modernization of this book threw me off at first, but as I read, it made more sense than I had first thought it would. Daisy and Jay are dynamic together and frankly I will be ordering this book when it comes out just so I can re-read it a few times over!

If you like retellings this is the book for you!

I love everything written by Rebecca! She's an autobuy author for me. This was a fun and steamy retelling of The Great Gatsby that I REALLY enjoyed! It was not as steamy as previous titles by Rebecca, in my opinon, but the spice was still spicing. 🔥🔥🔥 I'm looking forward to future installments in this series that are on the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the MMC, being dedicated to your love is always hot. The way vampires were portrayed was interesting.. I did not enjoy the FMC and I think it made it hard for me to truly enjoy this book.

I am a fan of Rebecca Kenney and enjoy her other books. I will continue to read her work.