Violet Thistleweeds is Not a Villain Anymore was a cute and whimsical read. I loved the knife wielding plant, it was such a fun touch. At times, I thought the author over-explained things, and I would have preferred to discover more on my own. Even so, it was an enjoyable story overall, and I had a good time reading it.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy to review!

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.

This is a cute and cozy fantasy romance with a two characters who are learning to heal from their pasts.
Violet while learning to not be a villain anymore is also learning how to open and run a flower shop!
While Nathaniel is still reeling from his parents deaths and having to give up his life and move home to look after the family business.
This is a grumpy sunshine romance with some fun banter and even more fun magic/ magical creatures thrown into the mix!
Perfect if you like Legends and Lattes or The Spellshop

I was lucky enough to receive this as an ARC. Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore was a quick read and had a cast of enjoyable characters. There are some deep topics covered in this sweet romance so be prepared going in. The topics weren’t triggering for me but for others they might be.

What I didn’t love about the book: character mental struggles are repeated almost every other chapter.

What I enjoy about the book: Bartleby, all the side characters, Peri, the romance, and the mystery!

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore

Once feared as the Thornwitch, Violet seeks a gentler life in Dragon’s Rest—florals, not fear. But redemption is rarely tidy. As she navigates small-town quirks, rekindles her magic, and clashes (then sparks) with her grumpy landlord, Violet’s journey blooms with charm. This cozy fantasy offers emotional warmth, whimsical mishaps, and an undercurrent of healing that makes it both heartfelt and irresistible. A quietly enchanting tale of second chances and soft magic.

This one took me by surprise in a good way. I went in expecting a cozy fantasy with plants and a grumpy/sunshine romance—and it is that—but there’s also a lot more emotional weight beneath the surface. Violet isn’t trying to be forgiven or redeemed in a dramatic way; she just wants to live differently than she did before. The story lets her wrestle with that quietly, without lazily turning her into a caricature of guilt or goodness. A refreshing approach.

The worldbuilding is rich and multifaceted. Dragon’s Rest feels like a real place, full of odd routines and history just under the surface. Magic is treated as something woven into daily life, which made everything feel grounded even when the stakes got more serious. When can I visit?

I really appreciated how much character and setting were developed through small moments; nothing felt overly explained, but it all landed. And Violet’s arc is one of my favorite parts of the book. She’s complex, smart, funny, a little sharp around the edges, but also deeply kind in ways she doesn’t always know how to express. And Nathaniel? Exactly the kind of slow-burn, emotionally constipated love interest that makes you root for every inch of progress. Their relationship builds in a way that feels earned, and I liked that it never overshadowed the personal stakes of the story.

All in all, this was a warm, emotionally compelling read. If you like fantasy with heart, a journey of self-healing, found families, and just enough prickly banter to balance out the softness, I’d definitely recommend picking it up.

I rooted for Violet through this entire book. It was so fresh for the main character and narrator to be morally gray but trying so hard to be good. Violet working through her trauma made her actions more meaningful and strengthened her character developed. A fresh concept and a fun read!

I absolutely loved this book. Violet was raised by a villain to become one herself—committing murder and spreading fear under the influence of her adoptive father, a dark sorcerer. When we meet her, that villain has just been defeated by a hero, who finds Violet waiting and simply tells her, “Go. Be good.”

And so, Violet decides it’s time for a change. Haunted by her past and filled with remorse, she wants to leave villainy behind and build a quiet, peaceful life—one filled with flowers, not fear.

Despite the dark themes woven into the story, the book somehow remains cozy and comforting. Violet settles into a small village, makes friends, tends to plants, and begins to rediscover her magic. She butts heads with her grumpy landlord—until their animosity turns into affection. Together, they end up facing down evil once more, but this time as allies, not villains.

I’m not entirely sure I fully grasped Violet’s transformation—from taking lives to wanting to save them—but there was something undeniably beautiful in her journey. The story handles themes of redemption and grace with a light, humorous touch that made it both meaningful and enjoyable.

Honestly, I don’t feel like I can do this book justice with just a review. It captured something really special, and I would absolutely return to this world again. If the author writes more set in this universe, I’m all in. And if it’s released as an audiobook? I’d happily listen to it on repeat.

(P.S. I received this as an advance reader copy, and I’m already looking forward to revisiting it.)

This book was such a wonderful cozy fantasy! A story full of heart and magic deal with heavier themes in the sweetest ways. This book is about breaking through trauma and learning to trust yourself and others. With a sugar-sweet romance, and just a hint of spice, Nathaniel and Violet will have you swooning, and they are surrounded by a wonderful and whimsical cast of supporting characters.

This was a delightfully cozy fantasy novel. Violet was a brilliant protagonist and I enjoyed watching her grow throughout the book. Nathanial was the perfect grumpy to Violet's sunshine and watching their relationship bloom was lovely. I also liked the side characters and hope we get to go back to the world of Dragon's Rest at some point soon!

Have you ever wanted to read a villain redemption story? Well if so, have I found the book for you! Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore and because of that, she has quite a bit to learn. We follow our former villain as she navigates life being good rather than evil and figuring out who she is and how she can reconcile her past with the future she desperately wants. It’s such a good story, filled with mystery, action and yes - romance. Will Violet be able to reign in the evil she knows to become the good she wants to be? Read this one to find out!

This is a cozy romance book with a female main character (FMC) who is a plant witch and a male main character (MMC) who is an alchemist.
This story focuses on the aftermath of the villain in this world being defeated by a hero. The hero sees potential in the right-hand woman to be good, and the hero gives her a second chance to be good.
So Violet Thistlewaite takes it upon herself to reinvent herself. She does not want to be a villain anymore and wants to join the nearby community and open up a flower shop.
This is a cozy book with the following tropes: Grumpy sunshine, strong FMC, Found family, LGBTQ rep.
I loved this book! This was a funny, cozy, perfect fantasy book. Right up my alley. I loved the character development for the FMC. I thought the characters were all written with complexity. The romance was cute and perfectly paced. I think there were lovable side characters.
The writing was so true to each character, and the descriptions matched with the lived experience of each character. I felt that the characters were real, full-fleshed people.
Highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a cozy, grumpy/sunshine fantasy book.

absolute banger of a debut novel. i’m a sucker for plant magic and men who yearn so this was inevitable.

Violet Thistlewaite hooked me from the beginning and had I started this in the morning, I think I could’ve finished it in a day. A cozy fantasy romcom is EXACTLY what I needed.

Violet worked for the town villain and committed crimes on his behalf, but he’s dead and she’s good now!!!! Nathaniel is an alchemist, but experiments gone wrong have led him to running his family’s failing apothecary and he hates it. Oh yeah, he’s also her new landlord and he’s skeptical of her magic. It’s dual POV, so you get to see first hand the guilt from their pasts weighing on both Violet and Nathaniel’s shoulders. It’s a rocky start, but they lessen the guilt for each other, fall in love, and save the town from a blight! I love ALL of the side characters (including the murderous plant) and UGH it’s so cute.

This book felt like a warm hug wrapped in wild vines and second chances. Violet’s struggle to shed her villainous past and grow into something new was so beautifully done. And Nathaniel? The ultimate grump with a soft center. Their banter, their chemistry, and their growth had me hooked. Plus, the cozy magical setting and that sassy houseplant? Perfection. If you love grumpy/sunshine slow burns—don’t miss this one!

Release Expected: 11/18/2025

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the early access. All thoughts in this review are my own!

No one deserves a redemption arc quite like Violet Thistlewaite!

This is the sweetest cozy fantasy, with a swoony romance, so much emotional depth, and a bit of mystery!

If you loved A Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, you should absolutely check this one out.

What’s to love…
- A grumpy alchemist MMC, with distractingly sexy arms
- A sunshiny former villain FMC who wants to spread joy with her flowers
- Forced proximity (he’s her landlord and they share a bedroom wall)
- He is down BAD, but he won’t admit it
- the cutest rock creatures
- found family
- a murderous sentient pothos
- a dragon!
- dueling shop signs complete with illustrations!
- gorgeous prose + imagery

What’s not to love…
- this one was just a tiny bit too cozy for me. If you don’t mind a bit slower of a plot, you’re going to LOVE this.
- Overall pacing wasn’t terrible but the ending did feel a bit rushed

I need Pru to get her own book next!

🌶️- one very mildly explicit scene

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book! The title and this beautiful cover drew me in and i was excited to read this book! I will be recommending this book to others for readers advisory.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Berkley for an e-ARC!

Violet Thistlewaite was formerly known as the Thornwitch, right hand woman to the evil villain Shadowfade. But now he's dead, and Violet wants to start over. So, she takes herself down to the nearby town of Dragon's Rest, rents a shop space from a grumpy (but still very handsome) apothecary and his twin sister, and opens a flower shop. But there are still issues. Another of Shadowfade's retinue has arrived in town and is surely up to no good. A blight is killing plants around town. Her landlord Nathaniel won't stop making snide remarks at her. What is she to do?

Y'all, THIS is what a cozy fantasy rom-com is meant to be. There's a depth to Violet and Nathaniel's characters as both of them have to come to terms with their pasts. There are wonderful and kind and supportive side characters. There are cute pets. There is longing and yearning in the romance. There's GOOD humor. There's still something at stake to keep the tension going. There's Violet and Nathaniel having battles with their shop sign advertisements, and it's illustrated!

The ending wraps up everything with regards to Nathaniel and Violet, but leaves some questions unanswered. I suspect a sequel following Nathaniel's twin sister is in our future, and you can BET that I'll be giggling and kicking my feet the whole time I read it.

Unfortunately I dnf’d at 50%. I enjoyed the setup for the story and the town and everyone there except for the FMC and MMC. I found Violet a little flat and not as remorseful for what she’s done as much as she says she is. The whole “sweep my past under the rug” thing as she deceives this entire town she helped harm didn’t sit well with me and I know that’s the point and it’s part of her journey. I just couldn’t move on from it. I did enjoy her powers and how she currently uses them. The biggest reason I decided not to continue with this book is Nathaniel, the MMC. I found him to be extremely rude and hard to like and it was just written off as his “quirk”. “Oh, everyone knows his deal” type of thing. The way he treated Violet was unwarranted and did take me out of the story. The relationship that began to grow between them felt forced and just because because this is also a romance story. I think having Violet like someone who during every interaction was so nasty to her was a not so great move. It just really took me out of the story/world. We were also introduced to a lot of problems very early on in story so it felt a bit overwhelming.

This book is a delightful read, though maybe a bit too quick. I appreciate the way Krempholtz introduced us to this world in the aftermath of the fight against The Big Bad Guy (sorry, had to) and how things don’t instantly get better in his absence. I loved Violet’s new neighbors in Dragon’s Rest and wish I got to know them a bit more. This goes double for Bartleby, the sentient and murderous pothos plant. What we did learn about the people of Dragon’s Rest was so intriguing, I would have been pleased to get a little bit deeper with their backstories. Overall, this felt cozy, but not shallow, and I was rooting for everyone in it.