This is a review for /Beautiful Villain/ by Rebecca Kenney, which I was able to get an ARC from through NetGalley. I am super appreciative of the opportunity!

The premise of the story, as advertised, is that it's The Great Gatsby meets vampires...and oh boy, I was sold on the basis of that alone.

For those a bit more curious, the tale goes like this: Daisy is home for the summer from a difficult time at university, reeling from an abusive relationship and stinging from the abandonment of friends. An offer for a fun night at a glamorous party hosted by a mysterious, up-and-coming wealthy socialite draws her in, and it may be more than she bargained for...

Got your attention? Let's review.

First, I want to say that Beautiful Villain is a read that was easy to pick up, and made for a very fun afternoon romp to scratch the vampire-story itch I've been craving. There's quite a few twists and turns in the story that I enjoyed because it was clear the author really thought through some of the intricacies and myths around vampires and what made sense and what didn't for the book. The story is set in modern day - as in post-2020 modern day - and it felt a little jarring at first, as the first-person lingo of colloquialisms are things I'd easily say and read from others in my age group and in Gen Z. It wasn't a bad thing, not at all, but I was definitely wanting more Art Deco and less Rich Housewives. There's a bit of an absence of culture - both vampiric culture and actual societal culture - that might've made the story juicier. Gatsby, after all, is a story about money and the vapidness of the society that chases it; at times, this is brought up, but it has much and more to do with whether someone can afford the fancy gadgets and the cleanup required for the lawlessness happening behind closed doors and less about old money versus new money. And then there's not real vampire 'culture' barring a few moments...and while there is a good reason for this, it definitely could have spiced things up.

I don't think those points detract from the story, mind you, just more of what I was hoping to have.

The story itself is straightforward and its characters likeable. Daisy is an interesting character with secrets of her own, a few that come out - and surprise even her - during the book, and I felt a lot of her reactions and motivations were normal, especially from someone recently out of a toxic and abusive relationship. Gatsby is mysterious at times - on purpose - with several moments of humanity that were honest and relatable. The one problem I had for their relationship and their interactions in general were that there was almost no friction at all. There's some reason for this, to be sure, but it left tension on the floor. Several revelations are accepted and picked up and moved on with, and while many of them seem par for the course, it just felt...like we were quickly moving on to the next point of action and less about wondering about those things, or having more understandable crises about those revelations.

I mean, I don't think it's a spoiler to say Daisy finds out about vampires and after some initial feelings of bewilderment and fear, she moves right along into acceptance. And it sucked the tension right out of all of it, leaving something to be desired. I'm not a dramamonger by any means but it was definitely disappointing.

Couple this with some other characters also finding out about vampirism (and other secrets) and moving right along in the span of maybe 3-5 hours of in universe time? Yeah, that felt frustrating. I understand that some of those specific moments happened much later and it seemd like maybe there was a push to wrap things up, but definitely felt strange overall.

I think what saved this from being a 3-Star only book for me was that there was that the characters are likeable, understandable. The moments of humanity and pain feel totally real, felt earned. There are a few dips that were disappointing and maybe could've lingered longer, but the moments of empowerment on the heels of loss and uncertainty made up for it.

Beautiful Villain is a fun little romp for an afternoon, and while I wanted more depth, I can't say I didn't enjoy the story for what it was. Kenney is a fun writer; it spills onto the page, makes you chuckle, makes you feel like she's invested in the story and having a good time. In the end, I got to experience some of that fun too, and I think it was definitely worth it.

3to 3.5 stars. I appreciate the earworm playlist on the back.

Absolutely devoured, another easy to read by Rebecca. The writing pulls you and keeps up there while it flows seamlessly and begging for more! This is a must read for anyone who loves fantasy and spice!

loved this romance and how the characters were able to figure things out and find their way to love. Loved the friends .

What a beautiful fantasy romance story with great storyline and great characters. Really liked the writing style and the cover is beautiful will definitely read more from this author.

I loved Beautiful Villain! It's a modern day retelling of The Great Gatsby, with lots of current references.

It's a bit spicy, super exciting and kept me engaged throughout the whole story. I thought the pace of the plot was spot on, and this book helped me remember my love for vampire stories!

I haven't read anything by Rebecca Kenney before, but after reading and loving this one, I am checking out her back list right now!

Fun and steamy Gatsby retelling that does not take itself too seriously, while still achieving a charming and heartfelt story. Plus, I love vampires. Solid and spicy paranormal romance overall.

Tysm for the ARC!

Edited- I meant to make this 5 stars, not 4! Fixed now.

"Beautiful Villain" by Rebecca Kenney introduces Daisy Finnegan, whose carefree summer takes a dark turn when her cousin disappears at an exclusive house party hosted by the mysterious Jay Gatsby, Daisy's childhood sweetheart. As Daisy becomes entangled in Gatsby's world of wealth, lies, and obsession, a shocking act of violence threatens to unravel everything. When Gatsby is shot but miraculously survives, Daisy learns the horrifying truth: he achieved his success by selling the secret of immortality. With her friends' lives in danger and her own newfound powers unstable, Daisy faces an impossible choice: stand by Gatsby, or align herself with those who seek to destroy him. Kenney's novel is a thrilling blend of romance, suspense, and supernatural intrigue that will keep readers guessing until the very end.

I'd like to thank the publisher for this NetGalley eARC to read and provide my thoughts of this book.'

Great Gatsby, but make it supernatural with Vampires (and modernity)!
The character names are the ones we've loved before, so we've got Daisy, Jay, and Nick. Jay, of course hosts gigantic parties at his estate,, but for different reasons instead of only hosting them for Daisy to possibly show up one day.

I think that having so much current slang kind of threw me off a bit (yes, I know it takes place during today), which made me feel like this book might be fore the early 20's audience. I guess I just couldn't connect with the characters, and definitely felt the age-gap between them and myself. I'm also shocked at how easy everyone was when learning about vampirism.

I found myself really enjoying the first 80% of the book, but starting to lose some interest in the last few chapters as the big climax started to wrap up.

I really have enjoyed the other books of hers that I've read in the past though, and will continue to read what she puts out.

This book was enjoyable for the most part but I felt like it was missing something. The characters weren't fleshed out very well and it felt like it had many plot holes. Half of the main characters just disappeared in the middle of the book and we never heard from them again.

I also know that this was a new age story of Gatsby, but the tiktok slang was really throwing me off and also taking me out of the story.

Overall, it wasn't a favorite of mine. I do love Rebecca's writing though. This book just didn't feel like her writing style.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Beautiful Villain is a reimagining of Gatsby and Daisy’s story (character from The Great Gatsby) in a modern and vampiric light, with just a sprinkling of spice. A second chance romance at its heart, we watch these two childhood sweethearts cross paths again and reconnect despite the, ahem, paranormal changes to their lives. And while this had so much promise, it fell just a few inches too short of great.

Jay isn’t your classic, over the top, possessive vampire love interest. Despite being turned, he’s still the same age as Daisy? I found this slightly confusing, given typical vampire lore. And the few scientific explanations that we’re given didn’t really shed much light on things unfortunately. The way things are explained and certain phrases are stressed, it almost seems like the only benefit to vampirism is heightened reflexes and an enhanced invulnerability, not total immortality. Aside from the confusing logistics of his age and the lore, his personality felt juvenile and possessive in a childish way. Daisy on the other hand, begins our story vulnerable and healing after a bad breakup at the start of this novel, and while I understand that her connection with Jay had a deep history, I got a little whiplash with how quickly she got over her trust issues with Tom for a man that became obsessed with the idea of her over her for years with little regard for her as an actual person.

I’m all for the incredible and fantastical and even the outrageous in my stories. Don’t get me wrong. But this just lacked a believability and clarity to it. It may have helped if the characters and their friends were likable, but unfortunately you spend such little time with Jordan, Nick, and Cory that it’s impossible to form those connections. Overall this was an average read and could have benefited from more time nursing Gatsby and Daisy’s rekindling.

Thank you to NetGalley and Rebecca Kenney for providing an ARC of this book for me to give my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

This it is so good! I started last night and kept reading until i was done. The book had just the right amount of supernatural, romance and spice.

I loved all the characters, especially Daisy's cousin, Nick!

Highly recoomd for vampire lovers!

Rebecca never disappoints with her re tellings. I went into this book completely blind and was not disappointed.
Daisy is coming out of a slump from breaking up with her ex after catching him with another woman. She goes to a party with friends and learns that her childhood best friend Jay Gatsby, is the extravagant host to these insane parties and has a fortune bigger than life. Daisy is thrust into his world and learns of his secret to wealth and a long life.
Thank you to Rebecca F. Kenney for sharing this story with me.

💰 best friends to strangers to lovers
💰 touch her and d!e
💰 supernatural world
💰 revenge
💰 hot spicy scenes
🌶 🌶 🌶
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Did I know I needed a vampiric Gatsby retelling in my life? Nope. Would my life have been infinitely duller had I not discovered that I did, in fact, need a vampiric Gatsby retelling written by the stunning Rebecca Kenney? Absolutely. I have been a fan of Kenney since I discovered she wrote a Jack Frost retelling, much to the delight of my inner child and her very first fictional crush--I'm talking claymation Jack Frost and I am not sorry. Her stories always seem to hit a spot for me that no one else bothers to touch, whether I know they're there or not. Beautiful Villain was no different. From the very beginning I felt connected to Daisy's character. She felt real, emotional, and I wanted to beat the mess out of Tom for ever making her feel less than and I didn't even really know her yet. Then, with each introduction of a new character, I felt life being breathed into this story. Jordan and Nick were so fun and so loyal and exactly what Daisy needed. And when we finally got to meet Gatsby? I was already gone. His character was so complex. Between his constant need to strive for perfection, his devotion to Daisy, his brilliant mind, and every other amazing, deep, protective, romantic quality about him, I would have forgiven him for ghosting me, too. I also really loved the sassy nods to Fitzgerald's original work that were sprinkled throughout the story. I've already been recommending that people check out Kenney's books, and I'm elated to add this one to the list.

Unfortunately, this just wasn't for me. I was so excited for this but was thoroughly bored. I got to 70% and just couldn't go on.

Daisy Finnegan, still reeling from losing Jay Gatsby years ago, encounters him again at a summer party, only to discover a darker, more mysterious side to him. As she gets entangled in his world of wealth, lies, and obsession, she learns of Gatsby's secret of immortality, which puts everyone at risk. With her newfound power and a looming threat, Daisy faces a tough choice between Gatsby and those who want to see him destroyed.

I always love a good childhood sweethearts story but this wasn't it. I feel like there was a bit of toxicity between Jay and Daisy. And so I didn't enjoy the romance that much and the spice as well.
The reveal of Jay being a vampire was not shocking since there were a lot of giveaways as well as Daisy. While I love the idea of supernatural abilities, I was a bit lost and confused at times. I feel like the world-building and character development would have been better.
I found out that there's going to be a second book and maybe I will check it out if I'm bored.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending Me an arc!

When I heard that Rebecca Kenney had written a book that was a Great Gatsby retelling with a dark twist and I had to read it. I was so happy to receive an eARC from NetGalley.

Unfortunately this was not one of my favorites from Rebecca. I think the storyline had potential, but I wasn’t a fan of how much modern day elements there were. To be fair I prefer the books I read to be separate from modern day, but I wish there weren’t so much slang like “slay” or talking about TikTok and YouTube.

I did feel for our FMC Daisy, but she also did make me cringe with the things she said/did. I also thought Gatsby could’ve been more swoon worthy and formal, like Gatsby is supposed to be.

I also thought it was pretty obvious what Gatsby and his friends were, and it took so long for Daisy to figure it out.

I did enjoy reading this. It was quick and fun. I think if you like modern day retellings and quick steamy stories than you’ll love this. It wasn’t bad, just not one of my favorites.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy! This was fun. A good read for an afternoon or two with characters healing from past issues.

I love love love this author so much. She never disappoints. This book was so good there is some spice and it's sooo good. I love this friends to lovers romance. Jay is just perfect and I love daisy and her self discovery. I can't recommend this book and author enough.

Beautiful Villains was a fun retelling of The Great Gatsby with a vampiric twist! I liked that it didn't take itself too seriously and lets the reader have a good time. I could definitely tell the author loved the Leonardo Dicaprio movie, as some of the scenes felt right out of the movie. I enjoyed the movie too, so I didn't mind. There was good humor in this book and good spice, as well. It was a fun romp and I love that beloved literary characters have a chance to change their story in this one. I thought the mechanics of vampirism was really interesting in this book, too. I enjoyed it!

I’m honestly a little unsure about how I feel about this book. On one hand there were multiple times where I wanted to put this down and never pick it up again and others where I thought the call back to the Great Gatsby were either hilarious or really well thought out.

For those who don’t know, this is a modern day retelling of The Great Gatsby with a vampire twist. As someone who doesn’t really understand the great appeal of Gatsby I was intrigued to pick up this book but honestly I couldn’t get into the romance of this book, that being said it did follow a similar feeling/trend as the original story an in that I didn’t feel love, only possession and obsession.

If you are a strict lover of the original Great Gatsby I’m not sure this is the one for you, think Jordan Baker being a parkour Tik Tok influencer… On the other hand if that lil tidbit got you excited and you like a little spice with your bloodsuckers, this might just be your next favourite thing.

Regardless, it was an interesting look into a classic with a paranormal twist.