“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.”

Tropes/Microtropes:
•Supernatural Romance(vamps)
•Great Gatsby Retelling
•Second Chance
•Childhood Best Friends to Lovers
•Found Family
•A Little Spicy 🌶️

Ramblings:
This was such a fun read! Beautiful Villain is a story about 2 children from poor families who become the best of friends only to be separated. 7 years go by and Daisy’s friend convinces her to go to a party where she is reunited with Jay Gatsby. Only, he’s changed. A LOT! He is now filthy rich and well… a VAMPIRE! It takes some time for them to get into a groove but soon they fall back into the familiar friendship they had before. This book had a modern spin on vampirism and Daisy herself even learns she isn’t entirely human after all. We navigate past relationship drama, vampire issues, and more all while Daisy and Jay try to figure things out after so much time lost.

My only qualm is more often than not the romance felt more “best friends” than “boyfriend/girlfriend.” We did get a few spicy scenes but so many times one of them would insinuate staying and the other is “no I should leave!” It was giving teenage best friends? Like no stay at his house girl!!!???

Fav Quotes:
“Helplessly, wickedly, wretchedly yours. Yours when I was alone, and yours when I was surrounded by dazzling crowds. Yours in every choice I made, and the ones I will make.”

“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.”

A paranormal Great Gatsby retelling that is full of mystery, vampires, and a second chance at love.

What would you do if you discovered the boy from your past, the one you have wondered about has returned with a few secrets that could ruin any chance for a happy reunion.

A modern twist on a tale of dreaming big, wanting more, and trying to fit in.

Fantastic, Fascinating, a melting hot story for my vampire heart. I did not know what to expect but a twist of fantasy in great Gatsby was something I didn't know I needed. Absolutely loved it.

I love Rebecca Kenney's books and was so excited to receive an ARC of this novel!

Unfortunately, that's where my enjoyment ended. This book didn't live up to my expectations.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The characters fell flat, the romance felt forced, and the major plot point came almost out of nowhere—just all of a sudden, Wolfsheim is the "big bad." He was mentioned once, maybe twice, in the whole novel before 70%. Her parents didn't have names and were totally fine with Daisy becoming a vampire and having voice-mind-control abilities. It just didn't make sense.

And then, Daisy has to be a siren-hybrid, because of course we had to have actual mythological creatures in a world where science created vampires? Again, it felt like it came out of nowhere and it felt jarring. It was almost like this was put in to check off a box instead of happen naturally with the plot.

Not my fave, but I'm absolutely going to keep reading Kenney's past and future work!

If you love the classic story of Gatsby, you will love the twist Rebecca Kenney gives it. You have the mystery rich man who is the topic of everyone's gossip. How and why did he get his wealth? But also, this Daisy doesn't need the glitz and glam that is offered to her, because she already has a smaller taste of it herself. This means this Jay Gatsby has to find something else to keep her interest, and I was definitely intrigued. The book has a slow burn, yet medium heat moments to keep the tension going. There are twists I never saw coming and characters I quickly fell in love with, as well as hated right off the bat. Daisy is in the middle of finding who she is and I love how Jay allows her to do that in the best of ways. Jay is total book boyfriend material, as well as Cody. If you love mystery, twists, tension, steam, and extravagance, then definitely put this on your TBR or add to cart.

Think the Great Gatsby... meets vampires. BAM! There's your synopsis haha.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an ALC of this one, it was a fun one to listen to. I also received an ARC of the ebook copy. The review for the ecopy is the same, but I leaned more towards enjoying the ebook due to personal preferences.

Jay Gatsby is the same billionaire you know from the stories.. but he's a vampire now. Daisy is still the same character as well, she's still human though... for now.. maybe?

I was excited when I saw Rebecca posting about this one because the idea behind it is one of my favorites, a modern spicy retelling. And I can't not read a book about Vampires okay?

FORESHADOWING I definitely think I'll love this one more as a physical or ebook, mainly because while the story was good as an ALC, it didn't hold my attention as well as a physical version may have.

I can't say much more without spoiling the book, but if you like Rebecca's books I think you'll enjoy this one too.

Title: Beautiful Villain (Gilded Monsters, Book 1) by Rebecca Kenney
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pub Date: July 16, 2024

“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.”

🩸Vampire Romance
🩸Modern Gatsby Retelling
🩸Childhood Sweethearts
🩸Billionaire Romance
🩸Extravagant Parties
🩸Protective MMC

My Review:

A modern day Gatsby Retelling, but with a vampire twist?! Yes, please! This was such a fun read! I liked how Jay was protective and never forgot about Daisy, and vice versa. I'm a sucker for "it's always been you." You get vampires, steamy encounters, and extravagant themed parties! Nick was such a cute character and a great bestie. He's probably my favorite 💅

⭐️3.75/5

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, for the digital review copy ❣️

3 Stars!

When I read that this was a Great Gatsby twist with vampires, I was so excited for it! This story follows Daisy as she reconnects with her childhood sweetheart, Jay. However, Jay isn't the little boy she fell in love with. Now he is a billionaire vampire. I did like that unlike The Great Gatsby, Daisy and Jay got their happy ending. However, I struggled to like any of the characters, and I think that's what made this book miss its mark for me. There were a lot of modern components to this story, and I didn't expect that from it being a twist on something like Gatsby. The book really picked up near the ending, but I found that there were some plot holes where things were too simplified.

While this book was a miss for me, it will still be a hit for others!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC!

I love the idea of a twist on a classic. While I’m not the biggest Gatsby fan, I had been recommended the author by multiple friends and figured I would check it out. I loved that this book is told from Daisy’s point of view instead of Nick’s. I loved being able to see what she saw in Gatsby, which was always a struggle for me with the original, but this made me think that they really were in love and would have been able to have a happier ending than the original classic allowed. The spice and tension were amazing, but the bond between Daisy and Gatsby was what made me love the story.

Rebecca Kenney did such a great job creating the background and lore for this book, and I am so incredibly excited for the next book.

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.