When I saw that this book was A Great Gatsby retelling with vampires, I was very excited. Unfortunately, this book didn’t hit the mark I was looking for. The characters fell a little flat and I didn’t feel the chemistry between them. I would’ve loved to see more flashbacks between Jay and Daisy at the beginning of the story. It seemed she completely forgot about him until she saw him again, which didn’t translate to always loving him.
The love story may not have been as believable as I would’ve liked, but I did enjoy the writing style. It was easy to read and flowed nicely. The spice was good and I did enjoy the paranormal aspect. I will definitely try to read other books by Rebecca.

A fantastic Gatsby-inspired fantasy, I absolutely loved this first installment of the Gilded Monsters series. The world-building was phenomenal, the magic system and the lore was unique, and I adored the characters and the romance between Daisy and Jay. The mystery and plot were engaging, the pacing kept me interested from start to finish, and the ending makes me excited to see what the second book brings. 5 stars from me and I’ll be patiently waiting for the next one.

When I was pitched an advance reader copy of a romance with a vampire twist on the Great Gatsby I was sold. I jumped at the chance to see how the world was envisioned. 

It's been years since Daisy saw Gatsby and now his life is completely new. Gone is the boy who grew up in poverty with a drug addicted mother and now he's the richest person around. He has the most elaborate parties, they draw people in from all around the world. Daisy can't believe her best friend is back in their hometown, as if reborn. 

Beautiful Villain twisted a classic must read into a sci fi romance that in the end didn't quite land for me. I enjoyed the scientific addition to the vampire origin story, but the siren magic was an afterthought. I wish this was a first draft because I felt like it was all there storywise, it just wasn't fully realized. It could have used a few more plot points or explanations. The stark contrast between good versus evil was so bright. There was absolutely no ambiguity and worlds always have grey spots.

If you have the option to listen to the audiobook, I highly recommend that format. Ruby Chirese's narration was beautiful. I am so appreciative to Sourcebooks Casa and Dreamscape Media for the ALC and Advanced Reading Copies. 

CW: Blood, Violence, Verbal & Physical Abuse, Domestic Violence, death of a teen (on page), child abuse/ neglect (off page)

"Beautiful Villain" by Rebecca Kenney is a paranormal romance that cleverly reimagines "The Great Gatsby" with a supernatural twist. The story follows Daisy Finnegan, a recent college graduate who returns to her hometown after a breakup, only to discover she possesses magical voice abilities due to her heritage. She reunites with her childhood best friend, now revealed to be a vampire, and together they embark on a mission to protect the vampire community from an ancient threat.
Kenney explores themes of moral dilemmas and female empowerment, allowing readers to form their own judgments on right and wrong. The author's writing style, while enjoyable, is noted to be not quite as strong as in her previous works. However, it effectively conveys the story's themes and character development.
"Beautiful Villain" offers an intriguing blend of classic literature reimagining and paranormal romance. While it may not break new ground in the genre, it provides an entertaining read for those who enjoy supernatural elements mixed with romantic storylines and character growth.

This book is recommended for readers who enjoy:
- Paranormal romance
- Morally ambiguous storylines
- Childhood friends-to-lovers tropes
- Vampire fiction
- Stories featuring voice magic
- The "he fell first" romance dynamic

This is everything I wanted for the original and more! The spice was a nice added bonus to the story and I love that Jay and Daisy got their happily ever after no matter how complicated it was to achieve

This book had me at "The Great Gatsby" retelling, and the spiciness and vampiric nature of it all? Oh, what an amazing novel.

4.5 Stars. A spicy Great Gatsby retelling? Yes please! I really liked this one! Not surprising as I'm a big fan of Rebecca Kenney's books. I find them to be a great balance of fun, spice, and great writing. Add in the magical element and vampires?

This book is about Daisy Finnegan, a “nouveau riche” college graduate who recently broke up with her cheating boyfriend and is struggling with it. At the encouragement of her family and friends, she tries to break out of her funk by attending a party at a mansion, only to discover that the host of the party is Jay Gatsby, her long lost first love, from back before she had money. Her feelings for him are still there, but There’s Something About JayTM these days… he’s different. Dangerous. And the closer she gets to him, the greater the danger for not just her, but everyone she loves.

I appreciated that Daisy wasn't a shrinking violet with no agency in this. In the beginning she’s in a bad place but she’s not a total drip like in the source material. All in all I really liked the changes that were made in this retelling, particularly the addition of the fantasy elements, and the SMUT. Boy do I love RFK’s smut scenes, they are never your standard, run-of-the-mill, perfunctory scenes.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for sending this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

🔥ARC Review 🔥

Beautiful Villain by Rebecca F Kenney
Release Date: July 16, 2024

Pages: 394

Gilded Monsters:
🌀Beautiful Villain
🌀Charming Devil

⚠️Content Warning⚠️
Please check content warnings BEFORE reading.

Format:📱

What to Expect:
🖤Abuse (Mentions of)
💙Child Neglect (Past, Off-Page)
🖤Death (of a Teen)
💙Fantasy
🖤Friends to Lovers
💙New Adult
🖤PNR
💙Primal Play
🖤Retelling
💙Romantasy
🖤Second Chance
💙Vampires

Book Description:
Seven years ago, I lost him for good. Now he's back, but is he still the Jay Gatsby I used to know…or is he something more? Something…darker.

Daisy Finnegan is looking forward to the endless golden freedom of summer. She doesn't want to think about life after college, or the newly awakened power of her voice, which has a way of making people do frightening things. But when her cousin goes missing at an exclusive house party, Daisy confronts the mysterious host…only to discover the wealthy recluse is Jay Gatsby, her childhood sweetheart―now sinfully hot and impossible to deny.

It isn't long before Daisy becomes entangled in a web of dizzying wealth and lies and obsession darker than she could have dreamed―culminating in a shocking act of violence that shatters the summer haze and threatens to drown them all.

But it isn't until Gatsby is shot through the heart―and survives―that Daisy discovers the truth of how Gatsby clawed his way up in the world by selling the secret of immortality to the highest bidder. Now with her friends' lives at stake, her own untested power still volatile, and an unimaginable threat closing in, Daisy will have to face an impossible choice: side with the man who claimed her body and soul…or with the monsters who would see him lost to her forever.

Ratings:
FMC: ⭐⭐⭐.5
MMC: ⭐⭐⭐.25
Plot: ⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐.5

BWBH Review:
Beautiful Villain is a fantasy retelling of The Great Gatsby where Daisy and Jay finally get their HEA.

Positives:
An overall enjoyable read. Not groundbreaking, but still entertaining
A fun magical system
Daisy and Jay get their HEA

Not So Positives:
Characters were difficult to relate to
Not my favorite RFK book by far
The use of brand names took away from the fantasy element
Dialogue was hard to swallow at times

Thank you to Rebecca F. Kenney and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was not for me. I am a sucker for Great Gatsby homages though so I still requested and pushed through, but I probably shouldn't. This book is solidly in the New Adult genre which is completely fine, but I know myself and it's not for me. I almost never enjoy the writing style and voice and I have a hard time taking 22 year-olds seriously when they keep saying "I'm an adult now" (which is literally said 4 separate times in this book). I also felt like there were multiple moments of after school special lessons. I'm all for adding depth to stories by incorporating talking points on tough topics, but these didn't see to flow and instead I just felt as though I was being lectured (about privilege, capitalism, drinking and drugs, toxic relationships, self esteem, and on and on) which to be fair is a narrative style I personally had at 22 so I think it's an accurate voice for Daisy but still not something I want to read and I felt could have been better incorporated. I also had a hard time rooting for Daisy and Gatsby - I didn't feel any of their chemistry and honestly was unnerved by his obsession that it 100% going with the original story but I don't feel is incorporated well enough for it to be ok in modern age as written.

I think this is a fascinating premise, and if you enjoy New Adult single POV then this I think is a great option, but if you don't enjoy NA or YA writing style stick with your gut and pick something else.

It just over all felt way too rushed and choppy. I absolutely loved the original, which is what drew me to request this, but I couldn't connect with any part of it.

The Great Gatsby is my favourite book, but this retelling really didn’t live up to the original to me at all.

The Great Gatsby but with a vampire twist! Jay and Daisy are childhood friends who haven’t seen each other in years. Daisy is in college and just got out of a controlling/abusive relationship. She comes across Jay, who she grew up with, and they instantly kick it off like no time has passed! Daisy, however, does have a lot of questions regarding Jay and wants to know what is different about him. Jay keeps telling her that he will explain everything in time but doesn’t want to rush anything.

The connection between these two characters is everything! They have a bond and love for each other that will always be protected by them. This book kept me engaged and wanting to read more. I didn’t want to put it down! The trickle of spice was good! Wasn’t too much but was just enough!! I enjoyed all of it!

Thank you, NetGalley, for allowing me to read this book and give my honest opinion. Thank you, Rebecca F. Kennedy, for writing a well-developed book! I enjoyed reading your twist on the Great Gatsby! This was my first book by you and I can’t wait to read more! You have just gained a new fan!

A modern magical day retelling of the Great Gatsby except with Vampires and Daisy falls for the Villain (Jay)? SAY LESS I WANT IT. Daisy Finnegan is a college student who is looking forward to a summer of freedom and fun, especially after getting out of a terrible relationship with her ex boyfriend Tom, whom she found cheated on her. On top of that Daisy has just awakened a new ability, her voice can persuade people to do whatever she wants... and she has to keep that in check. When she is invited by her friend Jordan to a mysterious house party where her cousin goes missing at and comes back with mysterious marks on his body... Daisy is determined to find out what happened to him and who the host of the real party is. Only she discovers that the mysterious host, the extremely wealthy recluse... is none other than Jay Gatsby, her childhood sweetheart who disappeared and ghosted her.... and now he's back and determined to prove to her that he is going to be part of her life. Yet the closer Daisy gets to Jay the more secrets she is beginning to realize he has and that seven years apart has changed him in more ways than one. The closer she gets to Jay's world the more Tom's obsession with getting her back grows... and the darker both paths become as one of them is a monster and Daisy will have to figure out which villain she'll let into her heart and which one she'll destroy. This was a really fun take on the classic story and oh boy was it much spicier. I did enjoy the whole vampire twist of it all and I'll always be a Jay Gatsby girl so I love that he is a bit of a villain but he is also the love interest and they do get a happy ending. I am so excited for this series of villainous dark romance retellings of the characters and I can't wait to read the next on which just happens to be Dorian Gray!!! Absolutely pick up this book if you love a fun take on a classic!!

Release Date: July 16, 2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca | Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Beautiful Villain by Rebecca Kenney is the Great Gatsby retelling WE NEEDED!

Beautiful Villain follows Daisy Finnegan, a Carolina (shout out to my hometown) Girl, who finds herself at a crossroads of life. Her relationship with her ex Tom has gotten toxic, and when she gets the opportunity to go to a big party with her cousin Nick, she jumps at the chance. However, a chance encounter with the homeowner has memories of her past rushing back.

I wasn't completely sold on this idea at first. I enjoyed the setting and mapping this story out in my brain of all the places I know from Greenville, Easley, etc. That was fun and I had built a fun map of all of Daisy's adventures there. However, I was hooked once the story started getting a bit deeper and the paranormal element was revealed. The way that Rebecca Kenney wrote this Jay Gatsby was clever and witty and I cannot wait to see how this series continues to develop because of this.

The ending of this story helped cement why I loved this retelling. It goes off the rails and it was told in such a way that it was addicting to read and a thrill ride. I wasn't sure how it was going to end and you don't know who is going to make it through the final confrontation! Both of these are elements that make this story truly something to enjoy. Readers are going to love this, whether you love the Great Gatsby or just muddled through it in high school, this story is sure to inspire a fresh love and enjoyment of a classic!

Gatsby + Vampires ... how could I say no?

I really enjoyed this fun little spin on the Great Gatsby. As someone who has been obsessed with the Great Gatsby for many years, I had to have this. I found it fun, entertaining and overall a great story.

If you've ever thought that you could write and publish a book, this one should assure you that you most certainly can! I'm sure it's difficult, being bound to the parameters of the original story you're trying to adapt, but I never liked Daisy in the original, and the author made her just as unlikable here. To be honest, I didn't even finish this one. As soon as Daisy said her aspirations were to be a trad wife to Tom (tee hee, she basically giggles, and I'm a feminist!) I bounced. If you like any romantasy book out there, I'm sure this would entertain you, but I have to imagine there are better ones out there!

I really really really wanted to love this. But I just couldn't get around it. The spice wasn't really there (that's not a HUGE factor) but more the components of the story are what got me.

The writer seemed to be rushing the original plotline to get to the books actual plotline. I didn't like that it felt rushed or that the writer had a good sense where they were going, but a poor execution.

Gatsby with... Vampires?

This was so much fun! I loved how vampires tied into this retelling, and also the fact that there were other fun bits and plot twists throughout the story.

The characters were all loveable and the relationships felt real. There was also a fair amount of spice sprinkled throughout.

This book basically has it all: a classic retelling, vampires and other supernatural happenings, sweet romance with spice, action scenes and high stakes. There's bound to be something for everyone!

This was fun - a spicy paranormal retelling of the Great Gatsby! I loved that the character names aren't twisted and you can tell exactly how it's analogous to the original story. I loved the vampires, I had some eyerolls at the dialogue. I don't love books that scream YA too hard.

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 Stars
I don't know why but I was not expecting this to be a Gatsby retelling with vampires lol. I loved the Wicked Darlings series by this author but I found myself struggling to connect with the characters in this one. I'll admit, I've never read or watched The Great Gatsby so maybe that's why I didn't enjoy this one so much. This felt like it was too long and because I couldn't connect to any of these characters I wasn't super invested in what happened to them. I wish I enjoyed this more but will definitely still read more from this author in the future. Overall just an okay but interesting read, just not the right fit for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC!