This book was an experience, I will say. It was smutty, I am not going to lie. It just wasn’t for me. The writing was all over the place, to me. The Fake dating made sense, but I guess it wanted to be deep and it just felt flat to me.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Villain Edit was a good book, it started off a little slow, but then picked up as the story progressed. The two main characters, Gabe and Ashley, played well off each other. First as enemies and then as lovers, both characters grew and flourished together. The spice I would say was a bit of a slow burn, but still good. Yes I would read another book from the author. 
I received a complimentary ARC from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.

Hot Pursuit, Fake Romance, Real Sparks: The Villain Edit Drives Fast and Flirty

The Villain Edit, the sizzling conclusion to Sarah Brenton's Over the Top Love trilogy, takes readers on a wild ride. While there are some juicy family secrets and inside jokes sprinkled throughout, the core of the story is fresh and fast-paced.

Ashley, our almost-thirty femme fatale, hatches a devilish plan to snag her longtime crush on his wedding day. But fate, as it often does, throws her a curveball in the form of Gabe, Hollywood's golden boy with a squeaky-clean image. With cameras rolling, they're thrust into a compromising position, forcing them to craft a web of fake romance to salvage their public images.

To salvage their reputations, Ashley and Gabe sign a contract for a charade of epic proportions: a cross-country road trip documented on social media and a staged three-month affair. Think sizzling selfies, staged PDA, and enough fake chemistry to light up the Hollywood sign. But as the miles fly by and the cameras roll, the line between pretend and real starts to blur. Will their carefully constructed romance combust into genuine passion, or will the whole thing crash and burn in a fiery heap of tabloid headlines?

The Villain Edit is a rollercoaster of laughter, very steamy encounters, and self-discovery. Overall, the story flows well, even if some subplots involving secondary characters feel slightly muddled, especially if you haven’t read the first two books in the series. I recommend it for readers who crave a lighthearted escape with a touch of forbidden romance. So buckle up, hit the gas, and get ready for a wild ride with Ashley and Gabe!

““Welcome to the dark side, Gabe. You’ll do just fine here.””- Ashley

I, unfortunately, didn't really like this one. I thought that Ashley was trying too much to hide behind this unlikable front. She deliberately does things that would make people hate her. Which, ok, fair enough, she is who she is. But then I had a hard time believing how suddenly she switched to this better person.
Same for Gabe, we're told that he projects this image of a perfect person, and at one point he says that he is far from perfect, but I couldn't believe in any of it.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

3.75⭐️

“Take it from the villain: you’re the good guy, even if you have some nuance.”
“You’re no villain,” I say as she kisses me.
“You just like to pretend.”

Let me start by asking you a question - who do you think the villain of the story is? Because the roles kept reversing and in the end, the answer may surprise you.

This book is kind of a hot mess. I'm not sure how to rate it as I'm not sure if that's how it was supposed to be, given the premise and the title, or it just wanted to be something and it didn't quite manage it. But it sure was addictive and entertaining. And better than the first (I didn't read the second one).

Kind of a rocky start, but I enjoyed the opposites attract enemies to fake dating to enemies with benefits to lovers thing they had going on after a while.

When they were together, they were living in a bubble where they could finally be themselves and go crazy. Ash, not so much a villain, Gabe not so much as a good golden boy after all. They got each other like no one else could, saw their deepest darkest parts and roled with it. Their roadtrips and interactions were fun and explosive, their chemistry was undeniable and the spice hot. Like, really hot. Helloo, cutesy cover hiding all the dirty talking and public places shenanigans. 🤭🤣

So it was ok... Until it wasn't.
After a while, things started getting chaotic. So it was a little hard and exhausting to keep up. (Probably also part of the storyline?)

This Ashley… she has me sliding closer to my destruction.

I didn't quite connect with the characters to be honest, I always had that feeling that the other shoe was about to drop. Like there was more to their story or personality but we were disconnected from it. They kept changing their groove, going from good to bad and back again. They were toxic.

And towards the end, they felt less and less like themselves. Ash got mopey, Gabe was an asshole with too many personalities to keep track.
In the end he felt like the villain and she was the victim. His, to be precise. He was downright cruel and unforgivable imo. He needed to do more groveling - more actions than words (actually, his kind of grovelingv would have been better suited for King of Greed hehe).

“Welcome to the dark side, Gabe. You’ll do just fine here.

Then there was the 3rd act breakup... *smh*

But their redemption arc and HEA were satisfying.

And besides the spice and the good laughs, there's some nice lessons hidden here too-

I'm not living my life trying to win the love or attention of anyone. I’m living it for me, loving myself for me. Taking the time to figure this newer, truer version of myself out.

So... Overall, I did like the book, it was fun, but also confusing and exasperating at times, so I'm settling for 3.5-3.75 stars.

Would I still recommend it? Yes, like I said it's quick, sexy and entertaining, if you can overlook the later drama and chameleonic personalities.

“And you could never drag me down. Not when you’ve helped me find my way up. I was drowning before you, in guilt and fear. You saved me."

Thank you for the review copy

The Villain Edit by Sarah Brenton is an entertaining read. While it is explicit in its scenes, you feel for the main character and how she was been painted. Sarah Brenton is excellent with her words and I would love to read another one of her books, however this one wasn't for me.

DNF at 20%. I'm really sorry but this just isn't for me. The main character is annoying and I really couldn't find myself caring about what happened to her or her story.

2.5 stars!

The initial first few chapters of the book really had me questioning whether I would be able to finish this book, but I persevered and it was enjoyable (after you get past the whole seductress, trying to break off a wedding vibe).

Ashley is headstrong and knows what she wants and I'm really thankful that throughout the book we see a lot more of her true character. She owns up to her mistakes, knows she isn't a saint and tries to do better. Gabe is an interesting character, he's the golden boy who can't do no wrong, but he just wasn't interesting enough for me.
For the most part of the book their relationship is based on lust and when we reach the end of the book I just don't feel like their feelings were sincere towards each other. It felt rushed, Gabe definitely didn't grovel enough after all the hurt he caused Ashley and he was so quick to point fingers at her.

Overall, the idea was great but I feel like the execution could have been better. I didn't really connect to the characters which made this a bit of a chore to read.

The rating for this book as a whole is a solid 3.7⭐️. However, I had so much fun reading it that I’m giving it an extra ⭐️ in my official rating. This story kept me completely engaged from start (talk about an insane opening chapter!) to finish (🌶️🔥🚘). It was fast-paced, laugh out loud funny, deliciously spicy, and deeply relatable. I don’t think I’ve ever annotated a book this much! The banter between Ash & Gabe was just so🫶🏻🤤 but let’s be honest… everything about Ashley Foley is so 😍🥵🥰

The Villain Edit is nothing like I had anticipated. First of all, I hadn’t known it was the final book of a series until after I picked it up and started reading. Whoopsies. But as stated in the summary, it can absolutely be read as a standalone. I was nervous at first that I wouldn’t like the story as much without knowing the full background of the characters, but I fell in love with them immediately. Especially with America’s Most Hated Bitch, Ashley Foley. I never knew how badly I needed a morally gray FMC until now and I don’t know if I can ever go back.
I was delightfully surprised with how deep the character development went with the two MC’s. Every time I’ve read a story about characters that claim to be “the worst”, they end up just being normal people with major low-self esteem issues. But when it comes the Gabe & Ash… they actually are the worst! And I LOVED it!!! I want more main characters doing genuinely terrible things and embracing the hell out of it.

With that being said, (SEMI-SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH), I found myself thinking that Gabriel Sinclair was a little too bland to be paired with my girl Ash. I would have been totally fine with this, since she could definitely use a little calm in her storm, but the last few chapters left a sour taste in my mouth towards Mr. Gabe Stick-Up-His-Ass Sinclair. He’s incredibly lucky Ash is so forgiving because I would have pushed him and his roses out of a 5 story building. But that’s just me! I tend to get the ick when men simply exist so he certainly didn’t get any brownie points from me after he pulled… well pretty much all of the bullshit he pulled throughout the book🥴 lol

Aside from all that I genuinely love love LOVE The Villain Edit and will be thinking about it long after I’ve finished reading. I’m so excited to see what else Sarah Brenton has to offer.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this wonderful book!

Goodreads review posted on 1/10/24
Instagram review to be posted on 1/12/24
Links attached

I think people are either going to really enjoy this book or hate it. The main character Ashley isn’t likable for a good portion of the book and that will definitely rub some people the wrong way. But I do feel the more you get to know her, the more redeemable she becomes and the more you realize how strong she is and most importantly why she is the way she is. I love how you initially love Gabe and then it’s almost like a roll reversal when you realize he ain’t so great until he realizes what he actually wants out of his life and career. There were some moments that were definitely predictable but honestly even knowing they were coming I still enjoyed the story. The third act breakup was handled well and Ashely was a boss with how she handled things. Overall a fast paced quick read that I definitely enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this one and it started off so strong but ended up as an average read for me. I was nervous at first that I wouldn't like our FMC, Ashley, but I really did and her character growth was great. I liked our MMC, Gabriel, in the beginning until around the middle of the book and I just didn't really like him by the end. It felt like his character had a development reversal almost and the person Ashley becomes by the end of her story deserved so much better. They were really no longer the best match by the end. The story moves very quickly in the first half making it a quick read at first, but then once I got to the middle it was harder for me to finish because it really slows down. Much of what happened in the second half could have been cut back but the writing style made it an easy read and there are a lot of fun spicy scenes. If you like celebrity romance/drama, fake dating, seemingly bad girl/good guy matchups, and a lot of spice then you might like this book that comes out 1/16/24. It is the third and final book in a standalone series by Sarah Brenton. I did not read the first two and didn't feel like I was missing anything but if you want more of the other Foleys's stories then you should check the first two out as well.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced digital copy from NetGalley & Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, truly i did but man Gabe did nothing but piss me off at the end. In the beginning did i struggle understanding Ashley and her thoughts/actions? yes of course but through out the book you learn she's incredibly misunderstood due to her playing the roll of the villain all her life but Gabriel? nope i have zero sympathy for that man. He did Ashley so dirty it made me red in the face just for her to take him back like it was nothing.
Overall, thank you NetGalley and Sarah Brenton for providing me this ARC to read & review. I do look forward to future work to see if there is character improvement

Sarah Brenton was a new-to-me author, even though The Villain Edit is the third in a series. Whether it's fair or not, sometimes with unknown indie authors, I go in with low expectations, but I was super surprised by how much I ended up loving this one.

The main character Ashley admits from the start she's unlikable. She self-identifies as the villain, and she leans hard into that identity for the first 20-30% of the book, but as she tries to "rehabilitate" her image by fake-dating Hollywood's golden boy, she realizes that maybe she isn't the villain she's always believed herself to be, and that she doesn't need to lean into that "role" if she doesn't want to. Meanwhile, Gabe (the golden boy) is trying to rough up his own image as he prepares to play a gritty superhero, and he believes that being seen with Ashley is just the thing to tarnish his gleaming reputation (just a smidge).

I loved the character growth of both of the main characters. Gabe has set unrealistic expectations for himself and his reputation within the industry. He puts that above everything else, but falling for Ashley leads him to reevaluate what really matters. Ash learns to give herself grace and forgive herself for things her younger self did that led her to feel typecast as the villain.

There's obviously a lot more to the story--a lot of nuance and gradual unfolding of events--but I don't want to spoil it for you.

If you like slightly dramatic, fake-dating/real feelings, Hollywood/reality TV romances, definitely pick this one up. It's a quick, fun read with surprising depth.

2.5 stars!
The Villain Edit starts off really promising, the opening scene gets you hooked while you meet Ashley truly at her worst, however it lost me somewhere along the way.

I grew to feel for Ashley and the things that she was going through, however the way Gabe treated her was just unforgivable for me. Their relationship felt very lust based, without much connection for the most part and the third-act break up was just horrendous for Gabe's character. While there is a lot to try and excuse his behaviour, the impact of the things that have happened to him was told to the audience, rather than show, therefore failing to make me really feel for him.

Ashley is the one character I could feel for and with everything that happened to her and all the hurt Gabe caused her, I wasn't rooting for them at the end, I was rooting for her to be happy and to find someone better. There wasn't near enough groveling or remorse on Gabe's part for me to forgive him (or for Ashley to find a reason to do so).

Overall, the concept of the book was really interesting and could've made for a great romcom had it not been for Gabe's selfish choices and the lack of character building on his side.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you so much to Sarah Brenton and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the eARC of this book. Being 100% honest, I have not read books 1 or 2. This was such a great easy read for me. It definitely makes me want to read 1 and 2. I loved how Sarah wrote Ashley and Gabriel's Story. This is definitely a must read.

If I could turn a book into a movie, this would be the one😍

When i say this book had me hooked from the beginning, i wish I hadn’t read it so i could re-read for the first time all over again! It was a fast paced and enjoyable read. One I would definitely recommend.
I’m a sucker for a fake dating/enemies to lovers trope and this had everything I was looking for and more.

I was a little sceptical about whether or not I would be able to relate to Ashley or not in the beginning and she has the “bad girl” persona however, I absolutely loved the character development.

Lastly, I would like to take a moment to appreciate how well written Gabe was. I’m not one for spoilers so I won’t say too much but Oh. My God.🥵

Thank you Sarah Brenton for allowing me to read an advanced copy. It was more than worth it!!

Ashley is the villain of a reality TV show and Gabriel is Hollywood’s perfect leading man. When Ashely tries to stop her cousin from marrying the love of her life (also an actor) by staging a seduction, she ends up getting paparazzid with Gabe instead.
✅ fake dating
✅ a good guy who wants to be a little bad, and a bad girl who wants to be good
✅ road trip
✅ only one bed 🙌🏽
🌶️: yes and it starts in the first 100 pages

This book is so much fun and the grovel is top notch!!! Enjoy!!!

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the arc in exchange for a review .

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded up to 4

I enjoyed this book .
Ashley Foley - TV Villain which tried to seduce Nic Fontana (her former neighbour) on the night of his wedding to her cousin Jessie . Although her plan didn’t go as anticipated since her Past sent Golden boy Gabe to her room by accident .

It was a fun read . Kept me entertained the whole time , It’s a standalone , which I love . Loved the characters and how invested I did get in the story . I felt it could have been shorter but overall good read . Can’t wait to read more by this author .

Do you love redemption stories? Then The Villain Edit by Sarah Brenton is the book for you! Ashley Foley is a villain through and through or is that just how tv has portrayed her to be? Gabriel Sinclair is Hollywood’s golden boy who just landed a huge new role that is much edgier than the roles he is used to.

Ashley and Gabe’s lives collide when her attempt to seduce her cousin’s new husband lands them in a scandal! The solution is a fake dating scheme. This will hopefully roughen up Gabe‘s image for his new role while softening up Ashley’s. A few PR paparazzi shoots, social media posts, and a cross country road trip, and then they can forget about each other and go back to their lives. But is it really that simple?

This book was a great read, and I loved the FMC character development. I love the dual point of view and it really helped me understand the characters and their feelings throughout the book Ashley and Gabe’s story sucked me in and I could not stop reading it!

Thank you Net Gallery and Sarah Brenton for letting me read this arc copy of The Villain Edit. It comes out January 16!

First of all, how dare, Sarah Benton! I had things I was planning on doing today and it wasn’t unstoppably binging this book in one sitting!! 😡

My next note is Ashley is my book girlfriend. I’ve called dibs so you can all back off! I could have done with maybe 50 more pages of Gabe groveling (who’s the real villain in this book???) but I’ll join Sarah’s mailing list under the assumption this will be a bonus epilogue/short story eventually. -waits patiently-

Recording a new trope I love: mean girl protects golden boy while also making him completely unhinged.

This was my first book by this author and I’ll be picking up the first two in the series, but this one worked as a stand alone.