Wow wow wow! Great Gatsby has always been my absolute favorite book of all time and I absolutely loved this retelling. I'm so happy that Rebecca did this classic justice with her retelling and it's easily by second favorite (right behind the original!) This author always has a way with her words and story telling and this novel is no different! The Beautiful Villian is in my top 10 books of the year! Standing ovation!!!!

This is the third book I’ve read by Rebecca and I have to say this was my favorite. One of my issues with her past books was too much spice but I felt like that wasn’t the case in this book. Do not get me wrong this book is still quite spicy.

I loved this take on Gatsby. The supernatural twist made the story more fun and mysterious.

I was confused by Daisy. I felt she acted very young. I also feel like all of the characters were missing a certain depth but idk how to explain it. Just like they weren’t fully developed.

Overall it was a good read for me and I recommend giving it a try if you’re a Gatsby fan. 3.5 stars. 3.5 chilli peppers.

Loved this retelling! The luxury and decadence of Gatsby but modernized and with a supernatural element. Super quotable moments and loved the vampires.

Loved this book! She did it yet again to deliver both smut and a good story. I have been in a reading slump and this book was the perfect balance of sexy, exciting, and good substance.

As someone who loves a good re-telling with a bit of fantasy and a whole lot of fire, Rebecca F. Kenney is one of my go to authors. She is a master in this space and so I was excited to hear about her upcoming first traditionally published novel, Beautiful Villain. It is a Great Gatsby retelling set in the modern day South with a good dose of the supernatural and quite the twist on Fitzgerald's original tragic love story.

In Beautiful Villain, we are introduced to Daisy, who is struggling not only to figure out what she wants to do with her life after college but also with how to keep up the carefully carefree facade she's built after a devastating breakup with her ex. Kenney's Daisy is a complex combination of painful insecurities and fantastic female strength. Daisy spends her days with her fabulous and exuberant cousin Nick and her daredevil high school friend Jordan. Amidst her journey to find greater purpose, Daisy is haunted by the memories of a young love lost and the boy who saw in her all that was wondrous and good.

Soon enough, word is spreading in Daisy's town of a rich young billionaire who throws lavish parties and whose business ventures are veiled in a shroud of mystery. Daisy and her friends can't help but be drawn into the extravagant festivities. Daisy gets more than she bargained for when she discovers that the sexy and successful man is none other than Jay Gatsby, the tenderhearted first love that she had to leave behind when her family moved many years ago.

However, this Gatsby is not the innocent and sweet boy that Daisy remembers. He is powerful, confident with an air of danger and he has his sights set on one thing....Daisy. Daisy begins to suspect that there is more to Gatsby's world than he's letting on. What exactly has Gatbsy sacrificed to gain his success today and will it bring danger into Daisy's life and those she most cares about? Kenney's Gatsby is a wonderful dichotomy of devoted cinnamon roll and feral, fierce predator. I really appreciated that she didn't shy away from the more painful pieces of Jay and Daisy's story. Their history and the pain that they caused each other is something that they must grapple with if they are ever to have the possibility of a happier future.

Of course, this would not be a Rebecca F. Kenney book if there wasn't some fantastic romance and spine tingling passion. The attraction between Gatsby and Daisy is electric and the magnetic pull between these two characters just leaps off the page. It's a glorious dance to watch as each takes their turn in a game of who is the hunter and who is the prey. That garden maze scene.....phewwww!

The dark, rich and luscious backdrop that Kenney creates of a vampire underworld is a perfect setting for this retelling. As the danger and threats from unknown enemies mounts, both Jay and Daisy are forced to decide what secrets they are willing to bare to each other. In the end, it just may be that Daisy is the solution to the very problem Jay has been trying to solve. However, will they be able to work through everything before their world is shattered? You are just going to have to go grab this book to find out! It's another fantastic read from Kenney.

I've read and enjoyed several of Rebecca Kenney's books, so I jumped at the chance to read her first traditionally published book. Unfortunately, this one didn't work for me, and it all boils down to the fact it feels too dated. The narrator constantly mentions TikTok, current pop stars and actors, and technology like VR. Things like this always take me out of a book, regardless of the plot, but especially so when this is a retelling of a classic WITH vampires--two things that are, for the most part, meant to be timeless. The characters also felt flat and their dialogue didn't feel believable; I think I'll stick to Kenney's other books that are set in fantasy worlds to avoid running into the same issues.

Beautiful Villain is a wonderful retelling of one of my favorite books of all time, The Great Gatsby if that wasn't enough mix that with Rebecca Kenney and her wonderful style of writing. I was SOLD. Beautiful Villain was truly beautiful. Ms.Kenney did a wonderful job with slipping in references of the original throughout the book in a way that made me laugh and reminisce. This book was a fun and fresh take on the relationships in the Great Gatsby and Ms.Kenney does a wonderful job, in my opinion, developing Daisy’s character with modern resources while not completely changing her. Daisy is not as timid and is able to learn the lesson she needed to from her and Tom’s toxic relationship while also portraying the stubbornness/wariness she did in the original book. We are able to see a Daisy who grows and comes out stronger than her original fate both personality wise and physically. And Gatsby, my old sport Gatsby. Don’t worry Gatsby is still the fiercely loving and ever romantic Gatsby as we know him and while his work is still secretive we love to know that he still has a good heart. In this book Ms.Kenney has taken change to some of the characters' relations and relationships but I feel that she manages to keep the core of the characters personality well perceived and makes the changes in the relations make sense rather than just being there to be different. We also have our wondrous stunt devil Jordan Baker who has all the sass we know she did in the original and we get to see more of her and Daisy’s version of friendship. Overall I really enjoyed the new deep dives we are to get into in Beautiful Villain, as well as Ms.Kenney’s seamless inclusion of modern technology.
Oh and if that isn't enough- There's mythical creatures, Gatsby doesn't die and it's a HEA.
How They Met VS How They Ended :

“My shoulder bumps someone, and I laugh an apology. “No worries,” a male voice responds, pitched low to be heard under the music. “Are you having a good time?”

“We’re going to live a long time, you and I,” I tell him, through the warm rain streaming down my face, soaking my hair. “Bad things are going to happen to us sometimes. But we’re always going to move past them. That’s what we do. We heal, and we try again. Now come on, Jay Gatsby. You haven’t used this pool all summer.”….“Fine.”

Favorite Quotes :
”I’ve always loved the soft, mysterious shine of a full moon, maybe even more than I love the bright cheer of the sun. I once knew a boy who loved the moon just as much as I do…who claimed he’d sipped moonlight. When I asked him what it tasted like, he said, “Your smile.”
“We aren’t individual people anymore—we are a great pulsing heartbeat, throbbing faster and faster, reaching for that something at the crest of the music because maybe if we dance hard enough, fast enough, our souls will float out of our bodies and we won’t have to worry about careers and ambitions and if the effort will even be worthwhile.”
“He’s still a hopeless romantic, if that’s what you mean. An impossible idealist. And he’s worth more than the whole bloody bunch downstairs, that’s for sure.”
“Fine. You want it straight up? I’m your damn slave, Daisy. And that’s not going to change. It wouldn’t change, even if you stayed human and got old and soft and whiskery and white-haired. You’d still be beautiful to me. It wouldn’t change even if the hottest woman on earth strutted in front of me naked and begged me to sleep with her—I’d say no, and I’d go find you instead. No one else will ever be to me what you are. No matter how sick or sad or mad you get, no matter how bad you mess up or where you go, it’s only you, and that’s it. You never, ever have to be afraid that I’ll stop loving you. Okay?””
“You might think you’re a wolf, but honey, I’m your alpha.”
”As we transform each other into the creatures of power and passion we were always meant to be.”
“Impulsively I take his hand, and he looks down at me, delighted. Such a simple thing, holding hands. Walking together. But after eight years apart, neither of us takes it for granted.”
“That’s exactly what makes all of this so dangerous, and vital, and beautiful. We are moths, feathery and fragile, dipping ourselves in titanium and gold to survive a decaying world. And by some miracle, we can still fly.”

This is a soft DNF for me at 51%. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the book, I am just not vibing with it at this time so I am tabling it for now.

It is a loose Gatsby retelling (same character names, same vibe of excess, parties, etc), but with a paranormal twist. It has an overall somber atmosphere - which does remind me of the original, like nothing is really happening, but you know something is ABOUT to happen?

This is a second chance romance, but I haven’t really gotten far enough into it to tell much more. It was basically all set up and Daisy JUST finding out the big secret.

It might just be that this book is not a good fit for you, but I wouldn’t necessarily turn anyone away from it who is intrigued by the blurb.

No star rating
A hint of possible spice to come.

Another 5 star read from my absolute favorite author! I don't know how she does it, but she has a way with words that make me absolutely love every one of her books, even a retelling an old book that I wasn't to fond of before. This is a contemporary fantasy retelling loosly based on the Great Gatsby. But maybe that is what the original needed, a dash of fantasy! It is a second chance love between Jay Gatsby and Daisy Finnigan, except something is different about Jay 8 years later, something not quite normal. Will this affect their romance or will they find common ground? Read and find out!

And I related to Daisy so much, the way she described how you start seeing all the things you missed in a past relationship until you are out of it and reflecting on it, chef's kiss! It was perfect, so if you are one of those girls who felt like that, this is a good book for you feel seen and heard. And I hope all you find your Jay Gatsby, I know I did :)

Possible spoilers past here. But very minimal. Just trigger warnings.

Spice rating: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Read if you like:
Friends to lovers
Vampires
Contemporary setting with fantasy
Healing journey from past abuse/trauma

Trigger warnings:
Traumatic death and healing from it
Past relationship with mental/emotional abuse

Note: this was an ARC I recieved for free and I am leaving a voluntary review

This was such a fun read. I loved the drama, the longing, the spice. Constantly wanted to bite my husband throughout reading this book lol. I didn’t feel I could strongly relate to the FMC, which is the only reason I gave this a 4 rather than a 5.

This was a fun, modern, paranormal take on The Great Gatsby. The writing style and length makes this is a fast and captivating story. The descriptions are very vivid and it's easy to picture the opulent parties. I haven't read TGG since high school, so I read a summary as a refresher to see what Beautiful Villain borrowed from the original. I really like how Rebecca Kenney incorporated elements from the original story but still very much made this her own. And it was certainly a fresh take on the lore of vampires.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this digital ARC.

I loved it! Rebecca does an amazing job. I loved that while reading, I can clearly picture everything. Highly recommend

What an incredible take on the Gatsby story. In all honesty, I was the kid that sparknoted the book in high school because I was never a fan of the classics, give me the fantasy and romance! I loved this book! It took a boring classic from high school and turned it into a fun and imaginative modern take.
I loved the paranormal aspects in this book, and how it was woven in. She had a great family, honesty, and a supportive partner willing to listen and take time despite waiting years for her (swoooon)! My favorite part? I live in Upstate, SC and never thought I’d say the Gaffney Mall mentioned in a book, how fun is that. I can’t wait to share with my book club upon release! I love Rebecca Kenney’s work, and this one does not disappoint!

I thought this was a good book originally and I really got into it until Gratsys paranormal secret came out. I just thought the original story wasn’t the best. That part kind of ruined the rest of the book for me.

So I like the beginning of the book, but I didn’t read most of the plot of the book to know that it was a vampire book. It really caught me off guard just because I’m not really a fan of vampire books, but knowing that Jay Gatsby the guy that the girl was wondering if he was the same guy in the beginning of the book ended up being the same guy he ended up being a vampire. I wish that the plot wasn’t about him being a vampire and that’s how he got so wealthy I wish it was a different turn to the story. I didn’t like some of the stuff that was going on and how he had these vampire parties so that the vampires won’t go and hurt people . It kind of dragged on the story for me so I didn’t find it really interesting I read the whole book though the ending was pretty good, but is it a story for me? No.

There is a lot of spice in this book so if you are looking for a romance book with spice, this is it.

This was an okay read for me and it didn't really capture my attention until about halfway through the book. After the halfway point and everything was on the table for both Daisy and Jay, the story moves nicely along with the fight scene between gen 1 and gen 2 vampires being the highlight of the book for me. For the most part, I like Daisy and her gift, although I find her to be somewhat annoying but maybe it's because she reminds me of a micro-manager or a helicopter mom. Personally, that type of personality is a turn off both in the real world and fictional world, I supposed. Just leave the people be, Daisy and mind your own business, is what I would like to tell her. Again, it's mostly a personality clash between hers and mine (I'm not the most motherly or inquisitive of creature who worry about other people). I do love Jay's personality in the book though.

The spice scenes were enjoyable to read, starting with the VR room scene. I thought that was a really cool concept and the chemistry between Daisy and Jay is undeniable. Overall, a decent read but not a memorable one for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you SourceBooks & Rebecca Kenney for the eARC of Beautiful Villain in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Let me start by saying that I did not think this book was bad. I should disclose that I had forgotten how much I loathe the characters from The Great Gatsby (I know that’s part of the point of the original novel). However, I felt there should have been a bit more character building off of the originals. The love story between Gatsby & Daisy felt a little rushed in my opinion. I did think that the paranormal aspects of Beautiful Villain translated well from the original themes from TGG.

Some highlights

⭐️Fast moving plot, easy to read

⭐️Paranormal contemporary romance: sirens, vampires

⭐️Childhood friends to lovers trope

However, if you are a diehard TGG fan and looking for something fun, I do recommend this spicy paranormal contemporary retelling.

And yes…since you asked, there’s spice. And it comes out of nowhere so beware!🤗

3.25 ⭐️

Thank you to Source Books Casablanca, Netgalley, and the author for allowing me access to this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

« You know I’m straight. And you also know I’m yours. Helplessly, devotedly yours. » « You sound like a book again. »


Rating: 3 ⭐️
Genre: Paranormal romance
Format: ARC Ebook
Pages: -
Spice: 1 🌶️
POV: Double first POV
S/S: Gilded Monsters #1
Check trigger warnings for any book

I was extremely hyped when I heard about this book! I think I might have hyped it up a bit too much unfortunately.

I enjoyed the story overall. I liked that the Gatsby aspect wasn’t overwhelming, just in our face « See this is a Gatsby-inspired romance ». It was nicely dosed throughout the novel.

Both characters when enjoyable, although I would have loved a bit more depth overall. Especially from the side characters.

Would have loved a bit more lore in general. I do get that we’re discovering the paranormal world in this book, but there wasn’t much research or wonder on why things were the way they are.

The enemies were nicely done, they made sense in the story. I loved Daisy’s healing journey and her accepting her past choices in a way.

Favorite quotes (MIGHT CONTAIN SPOILERS):

« No one warns you how much it hurts when the people you studied with, ate with, and partied with for four years are just - gone. »

« Nick, my long-legged, blue-eyed cousin, lounges at the foot of my bed, sporting a pale-pink BTS shirt and vintage acid-wash jeans. » BTS YOU SAY?? SLAYYY

« I’m Daisy Finnegan, and I can get my own freaking drink. »

« Great… just when I need a clear head, my freaking libido has get involved. »

« I’m Daisy Finnegan, and I’m a fucking delight. »

« I haven’t forgotten that I’m frustrated with him, that I need answers. But my pussy doesn’t care about any of that, traitorous little fucked that it is. »

« Speaking of creepy, is there a noncreepy way to be obsessed with someone? »

« I’m trying to be the romance novel hero, remember? Everything a girl wants. »

« What is he, a vampire? » « Somebody’s been watching too many teen TV shows. »

« Did he just fucking growl? And did my pussy just quiver at the sound? »

« You have my permission, Gatsby. You may ravish my cousin. »

« Jay Gatsby - my Gatsby - is a vampire. Holy freaking hell. »

« A vampire, but not a murderer. A monster, but not cruel. »

« Misbehave, babies. Make me proud. »

Leena - Leena.reader review - @leena.reader on tiktok and instagram

I normally really like this author’s work, but right off the bat this one fell flat for me. Normally I’m immediately drawn into Kenney’s works from the first page. The pop culture references were too frequent and unnecessary. The characters didn’t really interest me.

Overall, I found the concept of a supernatural Great Gatsby retelling interesting. And I definitely see how this could be appealing for others, but unfortunately, it is not for me.

Unofficial Synopsis:

Years after his disappearance, Jay Gatsby returns, but with a darker aura. Daisy Finnegan looks forward to carefree summer days until her cousin vanishes at a lavish party hosted by none other than Gatsby himself. As Daisy delves into the world of wealth and deception, she uncovers Gatsby's sinister secret: immortality. With danger looming and her powers untested, Daisy faces a crucial decision: stand by Gatsby or fight against the darkness threatening them all. This spicy New Adult retelling of The Great Gatsby adds a magical twist to the classic tale.

Review:

Books without likable characters can be some of my favorites because usually I start to look for nuances within the characters that I am drawn to, anything that I like really, but I struggled with these characters. I really didn’t like them at all. As a result of not liking them, I had no vested interest in what they did or didn’t do, or how things worked out for them. I also felt that this book tried too hard to push social norms such as TikTok and YouTube, it got annoying fast. I do think that there were elements that worked such as the undeniable allure and tension that is strung throughout the story, but that can only carry a reader so far.

I think that after reading the synopsis and what this book was supposed to be about, my expectations created one reality, and this book was the other, and they weren’t the same, so it was a case of mismatched realities. That’s not to say this is a bad book, it’s a perfectly enjoyable read, and I think that for the right reader they will really enjoy it.