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Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

The job posting is simple: become the right hand to the realm’s most notorious villain. Office politics, deadly memos, and unexpected chemistry ensue. Wickedly fun and delightfully sharp, Assistant to the Villain turns evil overlord tropes into irresistible comedy.

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In Assistant to the Villain, did you enjoy ...

... the snarky, romantic banter with an exasperatingly powerful boss who hides a soft heart behind theatrics?

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

If you loved Evie juggling booby-trapped offices, ominous memos, and her broody employer’s dramatic flair, you’ll adore Sophie managing Howl’s slime tantrums, a front door that opens to different places, and a fire demon who won’t stop talking. Howl's Moving Castle mixes laugh-out-loud mischief with swoony sparks as Sophie and Howl needle each other into honesty and heroism.

... cheerfully criminal love interests who are charming, dangerous, and just unethical enough to be fun?

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

Enjoyed crushing on the Villain while Evie kept his lair from literally eating interns? In The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, prim Victorian lady pirates pilot flying houses, plot thefts between tea courses, and flirt across swordpoints. Cecilia and rakish assassin Ned spar with the same gleeful, morally gray charm that made the Villain’s "hire-able but horrifying" vibe irresistible.

... slow-burn grump/sunshine romance woven into whimsical, low-stakes fantasy antics?

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia Of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

If Evie’s will-they/won’t-they with her terrifyingly competent boss made you grin, the academic rivals-to-tenderness between prickly scholar Emily and infuriatingly charming Wendell will melt you. Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries delivers field notes, fae mischief, and gradual vulnerability—like those stolen moments in the Villain’s office when daggers and feelings both come out.

... two competent adults building trust and tenderness amid knives-out danger and dry humor?

Paladin's Grace by T. Kingfisher

If watching Evie and her employer evolve from wary coworkers to something achingly more—between trapdoors and treachery—hooked you, Paladin's Grace will deliver. Stephen, a grief-haunted paladin, and Grace, a sharp-minded perfumer, navigate assassins, political snares, and truly top-tier banter as their relationship deepens with every close call.

... cozy, found-family magic where workplace chaos turns into heartfelt belonging?

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

If the office hijinks, suspicious coworkers, and surprisingly warm moments in the Villain’s lair gave you cozy fuzzies, The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches hits the same note. Mika takes a job at a ramshackle household of misfit magic, wrangles mayhem with competence and kindness, and finds romance while creating the kind of safe haven Evie accidentally builds at her not-so-evil workplace.

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