4.5⭐

Thank you Emily Krempholtz and Ace Books for the ARC!

𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 is about a powerful plant witch and a grumpy alchemist must work together to save their quiet town from a magical plague in this debut cozy fantasy romance about starting over, redemption, and what it really means to be a good person.

This is the author's cosy Fantasy and debut novel and it did not feel like one! I am so obsessed with this book and it reminded me of cosy fanatsy books like Assistant to the Villain and Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries.

The atmosphere of this book was very cosy. I was immediately immersed into the town of Dragon's Rest — hooked from the very first page and found myself reading about this town and it's people, who were friendly and welcoming to Violet, which was very lovely and heartwarming.

The magic was fun and quirky and so were the characters. They all the had distinct personalities and presence in the book that made each of them set up an arc in the book.

There are so many dark themes and trauma that were dealt in this book despite being a cosy fanatsy romance. Violet learns to make friends, learns about her magic and then fall in love. She learns to fight the evil together with Nathaniel which was fulfilling her character arc from a villain to a saviour.

Violet and Nathanial’s relationship does make up the heart of the novel with a happily ever after at the end. Their chemistry was sizzling and worked really well with their situation. The forced proximity did wonders to them and I loved and enjoyed how they overcame their anxieties, fears and harsh truths. Their banter and puns had me chuckling and grinning like I was crazy at my kindle. The smut we do have between them also following the same banter and tone which is refreshing that they don’t suddenly change to different characters in these scenes.

The overall message of this book is quite heavy when looked upon closer — with all the themes dealt throughout the book. I'm genuinely excited for more book by Emily Krempholtz because of her approach on cosy fanatsy with meaningful and powerful themes.

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒓 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘.

I finished this book in one sitting. If you like cozy fantasy or a redemption story/found family I'd highly recommend this one. I loved when her secret got out and he went to go talk to the townsfolk about it and they had similar stories. This was a heartwarming read, with funny little punny photos of their signs for their stores throughout.

I really liked this one, quite a lot. I’ll likely buy a copy for myself, and I’ll definitely be looking out for other titles by this author. It was sweet and also fun, without being over-the-top silly or cute the way a lot of these are. I really enjoyed the villain redemption arc, and particularly so that the village had become a refuge for others once leaving villainous employ. The prologue and epilogue with the Tempest was a bit clumsy, but otherwise the pieces all fit together well and the characters were flawed but deeply likeable.

This one was such a fun surprise. It’s giving redemption arc with sparkle and sarcasm. Violet used to be the villain, and now she’s trying to be better—but the world (and honestly, herself) doesn’t make that easy. The vibe is kind of Disney Descendants meets Mean Girls: Fantasy Edition.

What I liked most is how Violet never stops being her dramatic, sharp-tongued self, even while doing the right thing. Growth doesn’t mean losing your edge, and I love that the book leans into that. The plot is fast, the humor is solid, and there’s enough heart to balance out the snark. If you like morally gray girls with eyeliner and emotional baggage, this one delivers.

quick thoughts mini reviews

🥀 Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. S. Schwab. What an amazing storyteller, honestly. Are you in the mood for thick vampire saga with women you definitely don’t want to encounter in a dark…anywhere? The narration is fantastic. 5 ⭐️, out now.

🥀 Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anywhere by Emily Krempholtz. What should a post-villain life look like? Well, if you’re Violet, it looks like opening a shop at the foot of your one-time villain lair & trying to be better every day. Violet deliberately makes good decisions, not that the cute grouch in her village would ever notice 👀 . If you want mostly soft fantasy with a redemption plot & a romance, look no further. This book was great!! 4.5 ⭐️, out 11/18. Thanks to the author & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

🥀 Witch Roads by Kate Elliott—this thick fantasy definitely picked up steam (not that kind of steam, regrettably), as the book progressed. Elen accompanies a group of people on a perilous journey, including a noble who has been possessed by a haunt. The dangers are numerous, the story somewhat on the quiet side but with high stakes. By the end, I was pretty into it, but your girl read some spoilers for book 2 & I don’t think I’ll be reading on. 4 ⭐️, out now. (Thanks to the author & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.)

📖are any of these on your TBR or have you read one already?

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore is a cozy fantasy novel about self growth and second chances. Violet, previously known as the fearsome Thornwitch, settles down as a florist in Dragon’s Rest, wanting to start over after the death of her evil master. But she’s pulled into a plot that threatens to destroy the new life she’s built if she can’t get to the bottom of it.

This novel was an enjoyable read for me as I really liked the characters and romance side plot. Violet was a good main character that had you rooting for her despite her villainous origins. However, she did come off as a bit too good for a former villain at the beginning of the story. If she had more flaws and negative traits that she had to work through, it would have made her character growth feel more believable. The romance between Violet and Nathan had me hooked as well, but it did feel as if they got together too fast. Having the romance be more of a slow burn would have felt more natural.

While the worldbuilding and magic system felt more minimally developed, it ultimately still worked fine for the story. The ending did feel a bit rushed though. Drawing it out longer would have upped the stakes more and made the win feel more earned.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore is perfect for fans of cozy, small-town romances and redemption arcs. It’s a comforting read about letting go of the past and letting love in—even when it scares you. The characters, pacing, and plot were all perfect. Fans of Julie Leong's Tell of Small Fortunes will love this story.

I read through the first couple of chapters and I just didn't feel any interest in continuing. I was honestly very lost right - for a cozy, it really fails to set a compelling stage. A lot of what I read just came across as utter nonsense for nonsense's sake.

Thank you to Berkley publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is lovely and exactly what it claims to be. While I typically classify myself as a plot driven reader, and this is certainly more character driven, I found the cozy elements and slower pace to be quite enjoyable.
Though the story is lighthearted it obtains emotional depth through both Nathaniel’s and Violet’s internal dialogue. And despite a bit of redundancy in the prose and dialogue between characters the writing is strong. There were also a few twists that caught me by surprise!
This book has some of the most popular elements in literature right now (cozy, fantasy, romantic) but manages to give it an original spin. I will definitely be suggesting this book at the library!

Thank you so much Netgalley and Ace books for the eArc of Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore. I really enjoyed this book, which I am so happy about considering the cover is so adorable, so rest assured that the content inside is just as cute!

This book takes place in Dragon’s Rest after the villain Shadowfade was defeated and his main accomplice, Violet, decides to start a fresh life and open a flower shop. Although her past haunts her, she is able to find a place to live, make some friends, and even meets her grumpy alchemist neighbor, Nathaniel. One of the strongest aspects of this book was its understandable yet enticing world-building, something that in my experience some cozy fantasy books struggle with. This, however, made me want to literally live in the town because it was so cute, yet Krempholtz also does such an amazing job balancing the serious parts with the fun, something I noted after many of the backstories are later revealed for the supporting characters.

This book is just as much a romance as a fantasy, in my opinion, and the romance was perfectly paced. Every tense, sad, hopeful, and loving moment between the couple felt so real, and was one of the other aspects I really loved. I wish we got a bit more fantastical elements in the book just because I am a fantasy lover, but I also completely understand why the romance had to be so centered in the book.

This is an amazing debut novel that is perfect for fans of Assistant to the Villain, and with all the character depth that is explored throughout the book, leads to fantastic development for characters you’re sure to fall in love with.

it was a dnf for me. I had a hard time connecting with the characters in general and most importantly the main character

This was an amazing cozy book. I absolutely loved the characters. You could see a lot of growth in the main character.. The town was full of lovable, quirky people that you couldn't help but want to be near. I kinda wish it was a real town!

The story is really about learning who you are and learning to cope with unrealistic expectations from family figures and learning how to leave the abuse behind.. This was very much a character driven book, but the story held its own.

I 100% recommend and hope I get to see more in a future book!

This book is perfect for fans of cozy, witchy, fantasy. Have you ever wondered what happens to the minions of the "big bad" when the heroes win in fantasy stories? This is it.

Brew a cup of tea and curl up on your couch with this one this fall, you won't regret it.

This was a fun fantasy about what comes after when a villain decides to become good. I really enjoyed the town and the world-building. My number one complaint however, was Nathaniel. In my opinion, he was not a great mmc. He was grumpy and honestly not very nice. The romance aspect was a bit of a miss for me because of that. However, I really enjoyed the fantasy side of this story!

4.5!! this was pure cozy fantasy joy! warm, whimsical, and full of heart. violet’s sunshine energy mixed with nathaniel’s grumpy alchemist vibes made for the kind of slow burn romance that keeps you grinning the whole time. the magical touches were adorable (the rock creatures live rent-free in my head), and the found family moments hit me right in the feels. it’s a bit slow in parts and the ending felt kinda rushed, but honestly? didn’t even care. the emotional depth and gorgeous vibes totally made up for it.

This was an enjoyable, cozy romantasy about a witch who can manipulate plants and make them grow out of thin air, and her grumpy landlord/next door business neighbor who's an alchemist. They have an enemies to lovers situation, starting out as competing business owners who have to share a building and put up with each other's antics. I liked the initial worldbuilding, and the concept of Violet being a witch with a controversial past who's trying to better her life and do good. The story ended up being a little different than I expected, including tonally - I was expecting something even cozier, and with more explanation of the world they live in and the magic systems. But the focus ended up being more on the enemies to lovers/competing businesses dynamic, which is totally fine, just not what I expected. I wanted more about the plants with personalities - I loved the pothos plant who hid knives in his plant pot to threaten people with! I was also expecting a dragon to be a much bigger part of the story since there's one prominently featured on the cover, but it only briefly makes an appearance.

All in all, this book was different than I expected so it wasn't a complete hit for me, but still worth a read.

This was so cozy and perfect for spring and honestly even perfect for winter too! It felt like a warm hug. Some of the funny parts actually made me laugh out loud!

This was a charming fantasy read with a lot of heart! The opening had a strong pull that immediately grabbed my attention, but as the story progressed, I felt the pacing picked up a little too quickly both in the plot and the romance. Personally, I think the characters would have shined even brighter with a slower build, especially when it came to the romantic tension.

That said, this book still has so many wonderful elements from an imaginative world, endearing characters, and an easy writing style that makes it a breeze to read. While it didn’t completely match my usual preferences, I can absolutely see this being a new favorite for many readers.

Big thanks to NetGalley, Berkley, and the author for the early copy!

The cutest cozy read! A villain that wants to start over as a florist? Sign me up!
I LOVE a grumpy/sunshine dynamic. The world building was so tight and made sense.
Always a sucker for a cute puppy involved too!

4.5⭐️
I went in with no expectations and I have to say I’m glad, because this surprised me in the best way possible! 🤗

This reminds me so much of The Spell Shop - it has a very similar premise, except if the characters had more depth and the story was more thought out. There’s also the overlap of both books having a sentient plant that helps around the FMC’s magical shop LOL 🌷🌿

Makes a lovely, cozy fantasy read! Very easy to get into - grumpy x less grumpy? Haha. The FMC and ML are both emotionally constipated, burdened by the weight of their histories, until they gradually heal and emotionally mature together. ❤️‍🩹 very satisfying and enjoyable to read