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Rating: 4 Stars  Genre: MM Romance/Christmas/Fantasy/Comedy Series/Standalone: A Snow Globe Christmas #1 (Can be read as a standalone) How I got this book: Bought on Audible  Despite growing up in a family of villains, I’d rather curl up and read than commit crimes. When I get coerced by my brother into helping him rob a bank, I run into August, my childhood crush—also known as Chrono, the city’s greatest superhero. He’s sexy, sweet, and suddenly he’s asking me to Thanksgiving with his parents. It’s probably because he doesn’t realize that I’m Leviathan, a villain with the power of telekinesis. And I can’t tell him because he’d never forgive me and would stop doing things like cooking for me—wait, maybe that would be a good thing, since he’s a terrible cook. It doesn’t help that my parents think they’re the ultimate villains and won’t stop getting in my way, although they can’t even steal toilet paper without getting caught. But when real supervillains (not the wannabe kind that I grew up with) start targeting August, I might be forced to show everyone who I truly am: a slightly warped and snarky man who’d really rather read a book than save anything… besides August. I’ll tear this world apart just to get another glimpse of him in those glasses and spandex suit. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him safe, even though it means exposing my true identity. Luckily, August still cares about me, proving that even a villain and a hero can fall in love. Hopefully, we’ll be able to save the world in time for Christmas. Fans of TJ Klune will devour A Villain for Christmas.
I started this book on a whim because of an Audible recommendation. It's narrated by Michael Lesley, one of my favourite narrators; he's a sassy and comedic genius who effortlessly brings characters to life. About a minute in, I had to go back and check that the author wasn’t actually TJ Klune because, honestly; it sounds like him to the point where I wondered if it was intentional, especially when the protagonist begs the villain to stop monologuing (which is a recurring joke in Klune’s Tales from Verania series). The absurd characters and Lesley’s exaggerated narration drew me into the story immediately. He's a perfect Landon, with his fun, sassy wit. It’s the perfect combination of hilarious and completely heartfelt, and his delivery had me in stitches from the beginning. Landon is a super-villain with a secret - he hates being bad! He's also crazy powerful and has a huge crush on the city's biggest superhero. Landon is an absolute sweetheart. He's hilariously funny and sarcastic, but he wears his heart on his sleeve and delivers some truly emotional and heartbreaking scenes in the book. August is loads of fun. He's also extremely sweet, and so adorable when Landon brings out his 'bad' side. Together, they're hilarious and once you add in the random, diverse cast of superheroes, villains, and the hairless cat, A Villain for Christmas will have you laughing out loud from start to finish. I admit I didn't expect a lot from the plot, but it's actually really enjoyable. There are a couple of great twists and surprises that really drove the plot forward and kept me listening. However, I’m not really sure that you would call this a Christmas story, other than it taking place in December and featuring a small Thanksgiving and Christmas scene, it's very much a funny superhero story, but it works. Anyone who loves outrageous, OTT characters that make you laugh out loud will love A Villain for Christmas. In particular, if you've read TJ Klune's The Extraordinaries and would love a more 'adult' superhero/super-villain rom-com, this checks all the boxes.
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Rating: 4 STARS  Genre: Fantasy/Scifi Standalone/Series: Villains #1 How I got this book: Bought  Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end? I figured it was about time that I read a book by V.E. Schwab and when I spotted this collector's edition (with hidden cover) of Vicious in Waterstones earlier this year, I couldn't resist.
One thing that I should explain is that I struggled SO MUCH to rate this by book. I literally don't know where it falls. Probably because it's an extremely unique book, for me at least; I can honestly say that I've never read anything like this before. As much as the synopsis paints a black and white hero vs villains story, it's nothing of the sort. The characters are dark, twisted and every single one is morally complicated. The characters are extremely compelling in their own ways and they drive the story extremely well. The plot is very scifi, and could feature the cast of every comic book villain you've ever seen on TV or read about. It's a fascinating story, and it's not at all what I expected, which is probably why I'm so unsure how to rate the book. I know that I enjoyed it, I know that the pace was great, and that the characters kept me gripped and engaged. The only reasons I can think of as to why I'm struggling to sum up my thoughts on this one are that; 1.) There was some tricky/problematic subject matter that I wasn't too keen on. 2.) It wasn't at all what I expected. 3.) I didn't really like the ending, I wanted a bit of a clearer resolution and answers to a few questions. 4.) I don't usually read this type of thing. Don't get me wrong, this book has all of the components of a 5-star read, and in a lot of ways, it feels like one. There's just something, that I can't quite put my finger on, so for now I'm going to go with 4 stars...although it may change when I've had more time to process. Sorry for the slightly nonsensical rambling today! |
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About Kayleigh (She/Her)
Book addict, film mad, music lover, business owner, writer and mum (not necessarily in that order), living in the UK. 
About Sophie (She/Her)
Sophie loves books (obviously). She has a passion for photography and spotting wildlife, and is interested in anything made with passion and creativity. THIS BLOG IS SPOILER FREE!
Rating system: 5 Stars - AMAZING!! 4.5 Stars - Almost perfect! 4 Stars - I really loved it 3.5 Stars - I liked it alot 3 Stars - I liked it (I don't typically review books that I rate below 3 stars) Currently Reading:
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