This couldn’t have been a more perfect ending to a series. I’m writing this review the day after reading it and I’m still smiling every time I think about these characters. I seriously can’t recommend this series enough. It feels like it was written for me with how amazing this turned out. I read Only a Monster when it first came out, then reread it before Never a Hero released. And I just reread Never a Hero before jumping into the arc of this one, which was such a good choice because they are amazing on a reread. This urban fantasy world is so unique and I absolutely love the time travel and multiple timelines magic system. I am going to be on the hunt for more time travel books but I already know they won’t compare to this amazing series. The character growth from book one to now was astounding. I seriously love all three main characters and want to hug the author for giving us such a perfect endgame. I haven’t read a book with TRUE soulmates like this in a long time. Even the side characters were so funny and lovable in all three books of the trilogy. A certain side couple had me devouring the crumbs we got from their interactions and I wouldn’t be opposed to them having their own spin off book. The plot and action in this one was nonstop and I was glued to my kindle just to find out what happens next. I went through the full range of human emotions and had to pause after a few intensely romantic scenes just to stare at the wall and contemplate how much I loved them. This series is cemented into my all time favorites now and I will be eagerly waiting to see what Vanessa Len writes next.

Let me start by saying this is still one of my favorite series, and I will be purchasing a physical copy of this book as soon as it comes out to complete my collection.
Unfortunately, this book just did not live up to the previous ones. It was still an enjoyable read, but the ending felt forced, and the characters just did not feel true to themselves, as we knew them in the prior two books.
For example, even though this is Joan’s third time going through a similar situation, she is often the last one to figure things out and constantly needs things explained to her. I feel like if I as the reader could figure it out based on what we know from previous books (without having to reread them), the only character out of the bunch who has memory of the events of the prior books should also be able to figure it out.
I do not want to give spoilers, but the relationship aspects of this book just seemed out of character and forced as well.
The biggest reason I am giving this book a lower rating than the prior two is just the fact it just jumps forward large periods of time with no warning. Such as when we hear that an event is in two weeks, and then we just skip all the prep and planning and go straight to that event. In the same vein, there are references to conversations that were never had, and it is hard to tell at what point this conversation would have happened. Such as in Chapter 6 they keep referring to Plan B, and alternative routes that could be taken and I kept checking to make sure I hadn't accidentally skipped a page.

I would still consider this book spice free, but there are references and a fade to black scene.

e-arc provided by Netgalley

This was a great ending to the series - I did drag a bit at the beginning because it simultaneously felt like nothing was happening and everything was happening also the romance went exactly where I wanted it to go, overall a really solid trilogy!

I've been eagerly waiting for this final installment in this series and while it wasn't perfect I still had so much fun and that's what I'm reading for. To have a good time and follow characters I love. Vanessa Len has a very consistent writing style that is so easy to fall into. It's just such a solid series that has constantly surprised me in its uniqueness. I am obviously a fan and fully believe if you loved the other installments you'll love this one. It wasn't necessarily the perfect five star read but as far as conclusions go I am happy and want to see what Vanessa Len does next!
Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the chance to review this arc!
Definitely read this book and if you haven't read the series now you can easily binge it!

As a librarian who champions YA fantasy daily, it pains me to say this trilogy didn’t stick the landing.

“Once a Villain” had the ingredients that would get anyone to pick this book up. Especially since it’s the third and final installment to the trilogy. Filled with emotional stakes, morally gray love interests, and timeline chaos galore. But the execution? Rushed, muddled, and emotionally distant. The earlier books had the shimmer of character tension, and a story with an immersive world to he told- but this final book felt more like a checklist of plot points than a satisfying conclusion. Joan’s arc lacked payoff, the love triangle fizzled, and the world-altering stakes somehow felt… small?

Honestly, I’m speaking in the perspective of a librarian and critical reviewer, but also has someone who knows the types of books readers go out to pick. In my humble opinion this series advertised the romance so much that it ended up giving absolutely nothing. A love triangle that didn’t triangle. How can one girl be madly in love with 2 men? Logically doesn’t make sense. And it seemed to have led in the end to what I understood as a poly relationship. It was very ambiguous, but it’s what I assumed happened. Very unsatisfactory. Frankly ruined the story, in which I imagine many who were shippers- which I mean practically the entire fandom will be disappointed in the outcome. Especially Aaron lovers.

There’s still value here for readers invested in the series—especially those who care more for vibes than narrative cohesion. But for fans expecting a finale worthy of the earlier books' promise? This one may leave them wishing for a better timeline, too.

A disappointing end to a strong concept. I’m sad to say that I didn’t love this. I’m not sure if the author thought she was doing service to the fandom. But it certainly wasn’t the case for me. I would reccomend with caution to die-hard series fans only. Although I expect that their thoughts will be quite the same.

I’ve been a huge fan of this series: there’s something so deceptively simple about the world Vanessa Len creates here. It easily pulls you in, only to stun you later with layers of meaning.

Only a Monster and Never a Hero were easy 5 star reads for me. I loved the group dynamics, the various twists, and the moral dilemmas. This book just fell a little short of those two GREAT books. The first 25% and final 25% were fairly strong, but the pacing in the middle lagged. I think I would have shortened this a bit.

I still love Joan Nick and Aaron, and I appreciated the different dilemmas their characters have in this book, and how no one is presented as simple good or evil. But I would have liked more of an arc for Nick I think, and more development for one of the final twists.

That said, I will definitely be recommending this series and Vanessa Len in the future!

2.5 stars.

This was not the conclusion I was hoping.

On a positive note, Len is consistent in her writing style, the character work, and the urgent tone of the story. I am willing to read more by her.

My biggest issue is just the rushed ending of this story. It didn't read as well thought out to me. Many plot points were simply dropped in favor of the romantic subplot. There are no real consequences for anything that happened throughout all three books. I found it to be anticlimactic and unfulfilling of it's potential.

I think I maybe in the minority here, but I hated the love triangle. I actually think this story could have been equally as gripping without any romantic love story. Joan's could have been familial, an exploration of sisters. As stated above, the book's focus on it really lowered my enjoyment.

Let's see what Len comes our with next.

This series overall was such a unique concept and it was executed wonderfully. This book itself was full of high stakes and a great romance. I really like how in the end they did not go back to the "true" timeline and made a different and better one. I also loved that there was a happy ending. I would recommend this series.

WHAT AN AMAZING CONCLUSION TO THIS TRILOGY! I’m so sad it’s ending. Aaron is still the best cupcake ever, but Nick really grew on me.

I loved this book so much I'm pretty sure I just lost my mind. You are going to lose your mind when you read it in August. I'm literally in shock with how satisfying the ending of this series is 🔥 Vanessa really nailed it IMO. It's perfectly paced, really creative, with lots of fun time travel heists and action. And all the storylines wrap up nicely.

But I can’t say a damn thing about what happens because part of the fun is finding out for yourself. There are unbelievable twists, turns and surprises. There may have been squealing at reveals. It picks up right where book 2 leaves off so if you reread the previous books (which I recommend you do) it’s like bingeing a show. Honestly these books would make a phenomenal HBO series because it’s so cinematic with some really cool effects.

Of course this book has a love triangle to end all love triangles. You go back and forth and back and forth and.... I am NOT going to tell you what happens but it is SO GOOD. It really worked for me. I'll just say that having the team all together is a DELIGHT. I tried to slow down half way through because I didn't want it to end, it's such a fun ride and I loved being back in this world.

I think I realized that maybe the title of each book refers to a different character: Only a Monster is Joan's book, Never a Hero is Nick's book and Once a Villain is Aaron's book. Although all of the characters feature prominently in the story, there's a lot of Aaron in this one and I adore him. When he acts as fashion stylist shopping for clothes of the era they've jumped to remains my favorite side detail. I can't get enough!

If you haven't read this series yet, and you like unique time travel fantasy with magical elements, moralistic decisions, lots of feeling, and a dash of romance, I honestly can't recommend it enough.

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins Children's Books for the ARC

The last book in a trilogy - will everything end in a satisfying way?
Time-travel stories - will there be too much timey-wimey just because they can?
Love triangle - how much will it be cringe (and in this case, how much would readers riot if it's not gonna be Aaron?)

I can tell you - all these questions will be answered in a very satisfying way. At least to my taste.

After the timeline and the world have changed for the very worst, Joan and her team must fight - and then fight some more. Evil Eleanor is now in control, and so are the monsters.

Heroes had become villains, and monsters and humans might just be two sides of the same coin.

I can't write about the plot without giving anything away, but let me assure you: there are plot twists, struggles, heartbreak, deaths, endings and new beginnings.

In my eyes it's a perfect conclusion to this series - but let me know what you thought about it.

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins for the eARC!

#OnceAVillain #Netgalley #Bookstagram

Well, this was unexpected!

Did the love triangle resolve the way I wanted? No - and I’ll leave it at that before I give away any spoilers. Aaron still has my heart, and I remain lukewarm about Nick.

There were a lot of intense emotional moments and big action set pieces to close out the series. I’d strongly recommend rereading the previous books in the series before starting this because I was out of my element picking this up after reading the last book so long ago.

I did think it was rushed - a certain decision by Joan at the midpoint really hammered this home - but the trilogy is soundly concluded.

I've been patiently waiting for the last installment of the Monsters trilogy and Once a Villain has not disappointed. After the events of Never a Hero, Joan, Aaron, and Nick are racing against time to revert the timeline to what it once was. Overall, while not as strong as the first two books, this was a solid read that kept the action moving. It was a good closeout to the story, but I will say the ending was a little daring and parts of it were unexpected (**avoiding all spoilers**).

The only thing that was a bit grating was the constant use at the beginning of the concept of being "clocked" by someone else. To me it was overused and too indicative of current slang use that won't age well.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The final book in the Monsters trilogy picks up with the new timeline created by Eleanor. Joan had protected Nick, Aaron, Ruth, and Jamie at the end of Never a Hero and now they must work together to stop Eleanor from making her mess of a world into the only timeline. There are more twists and turns to the story than the two previous books combined. There was also more attention to the romantic relationships, though it still isn't the central focus of the story. After a number of setbacks, a few reunions, and some fortuitous achievements, the ending that they finally reach seems to fit just right. I'm a big fan of being able to binge a completed book series, and with Only a Villain, this series is now a completely fun read for anyone who is ready to start the time travel monster adventure.
I received access to this eARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, HarperCollins Children's Books) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

Joan’s struggle to reclaim what’s been lost is a heartbreaking, and the high-stakes adventure that will leave you gasping for breath. A perfect conclusion to a trilogy that’s been nothing short of unforgettable.

I really love this series and can’t believe it’s over. This was a great book. Also, was NOT expecting that ending. Wow!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Once a Villain is a great conclusion to the Only a Monster series by Vanessa Len.

Joan, Nick and Aaron failed to stop Eleanor from creating a new timeline. Now they are trapped in a world where monsters live openly amongst humans and also prey on, enslave, and torture humans.

Nick and Joan are tormented by the choices they made in the previous timeline and are not struggling to find a way to put their relationship back together. Aaron, the heir to a monster family, now finds himself in a precarious position in the new timeline and falling more and more in love with Joan. The three of them, along with their companions, must find a way to stop Eleanor and restore the timeline to its true self.

This book is just as much a thrill ride as the first two books in the series. The new timeline Len creates is dark and mysterious with danger lurking around every corner. With monsters in charge, it is a more dangerous world for humans. There are a multitude of plot twists and turns to keep you guessing at every turn of the page. The love triangle between Joan, Nick, and Aaron is a complicated web of feelings and the reader doesn't know until the end who will end up together.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a great conclusion to the series. It tied up all of the loose ends and answered a lot of questions from the first two books. The only thing I didn't like was that the ending was a bit too neat and tidy for me. With all the characters go through in the book, it felt like there should have been a little more heartbreak instead of a completely happy ending. But, great book overall!

The following isn't exactly a spoiler but it's enough that a smart cookie could infer what I might mean so STOP HERE IF YOU DON"T WANT TO POSSIBLY FIGURE OUT WHAT I"M SAYING.

Onto the swooning...

I wish Vanessa could have seen me the moment I realized that my dream trope, the exact resolution I wanted for Joan and her boys but didn't at all think would be the way the story would go, was what was actually happening, that the author of this wonderfully plotted series was going to make my dreams come true. She might have gotten a kick out of my full-on, out-loud conversation to myself about it (NO WAY THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING IS THIS HAPPENING?) as I threw my kindle down and got up to walk off the miracle of things going this way when in so few books (especially a mainstream trad-pubbed YA trilogy), things ever go this way. Joan, you're living my dreams. Sorry about all the trauma but girl... I'm speechless, besides the speech I just gave. Trying to be as spoiler-free as possible since pub day is a ways out, there's really nothing more I can say but that this is a top-tier YA fantasy series and I recommend the holy heck out of it and for everyone waiting in anticipation, YOU WILL BE SO REWARDED.

I cannot believe that this series has come to an end! I remember reading the first book and being absolutely mesmerized by the plot, characters, originality. I even went out a bought a signed version!

No surprise, Once a Villain was absolutely fantastic! The author wrote a story that was so well written I found myself flying through the pages, unable to put the book down, pondering what would happen next. My favorite piece of this entire story was how believable the characters were.

The writing is clear and clean, and very immersive. The book hums along at a good clip, but the pacing makes sure we're given time to breathe between plot-intensifying moments. The story was absolutely engaging and the work that went into the settings was noticeable and superb. I felt absolutely transported and I'm so incredibly glad I was able to read an arc of this story.

5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: fantasy, time travel, fated romance, rewriting fate, magic

Big thanks to HarperCollins, Netgalley, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 4/23 and will be posted to Instagram 6/6 and to my review blog 6/10.

This book opens immediately following the end of book 2 and Joan + the others have to quickly scramble to make sense of the new timeline they've fallen into. While some aspects of London are the same, there's a lot that differs too: from the fact monsters now walk around openly, to the London skyline looking different, to the allies and enemies of the monster families having been shaken up by this new world.

Joan being half-human and Nick being fully human really drives home the danger immediately. Monsters may have been hidden in the previous timelines, but here they rule and the humans are the prey. Since the group has to find a home base to work from (and then has to carry out their schemes), we get to see a good deal of this new London. It's a brutal world, and I can't imagine the iron fist Eleanor must be ruling with in order to make it all work out. Despite the brutality, I did enjoy the historical touches that were sprinkled throughout, it really did feel like a world built by time travelers.

In this new world, Joan really confronts and begins to reconcile the fact that she's half-human and half-monster. While it's come up a few times before, and really isn't something she struggles with too much, we do see her think more deeply about and ultimately come to terms with this. Joan also has a chance in this book to learn more about the Graves and what her life might have been like had the original timeline not been altered (or, really, if Eleanor hadn't been a massive bitch in the OG timeline resulting in the Graves being erased).

We get to see a lot more of Aaron in this one and really get a better feel for him and the Oliver family. I particularly enjoyed the fact that we got to see different people's perspectives on this other-timeline version of him. It's quite different from his usual facade, but at the same time it's still perfectly him. We also got a peak at the original timeline version of him, and it was super interesting to see the threads that remained the same throughout the variations. Poor Aaron does not think highly of himself, but the timeline variants consistently prove him wrong, so it was good to see that reinforced.

We also get to see more of Nick in this timeline than before. I wasn't really a fan of him, but he took steps to remedy his past behaviors and actions, so by the end I had softened toward him. In nearly every timeline, Nick seems to have a terrible time growing up. In this London, he was made to be a gladiator for the Oliver family and his family is left in poverty, with both his brother and sister owing the rest of their time to the Olivers. Like when we initially meet him, however, the variant in this new timeline also seems to be a hero (but for real this time, lol), and so just like Aaron, we get a chance to see those threads that remain the same across variants.

Ruth and Jamie (and Frankie) also came through to the new timeline with them, though we don't really get to spend that much time with them. The bulk of the plot really does focus on the Joan-Aaron-Nick trio, though Ruth and Jamie are there to help things along. I did wish we got to see more of them. Obviously we also eventually get a confrontation with Eleanor, but I don't like her so. Some new characters come into play too, and I enjoyed getting to know them. Since monster alliances are all scrambled, we see some help from unexpected places as well.

I will say, the romantic conclusion was not what I expected and honestly, I'm not mad about it. It was a surprise, but it works out well and there's just enough buildup that the epilogue feels natural. Though I will say that I would've preferred at least a ~little~ more buildup, but that's just me.