Her Villain

Victorian Decadence #6

by S.M. LaViolette

She deserves a hero. How unfortunate that he can only ever be her villain….

David Remington is…lacking. Lacking empathy. Emotion.
In fact, it’s what he lacks that makes him such an efficient agent of the Crown. He can carry out any mission—no matter how dark—ruthlessly. Coldly.

Until he met her.

Calliope Fowler is most inconvenient. Beautiful. Smart. He paid for one hot, deviant night with her, and he should’ve sent her away immediately after.
But he didn’t.
Now, David barely recognizes himself. Spending time with Callie has forced him to actually…feel things. Want things.
Things someone like him can never have.
He knows he must let her go. He isn’t the kind of man she needs.

He’s a villain.

If she doesn’t already realize that, she will—and soon.
Because when his last mission is done, everyone will know exactly who, and what, he is…

******************PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS HISTORICAL EROTIC ROMANCE****************************************
IF YOU DO NOT LIKE EXPLICIT SCENES, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK

Her Villain, book 6 in the VICTORIAN DECADENCE series, is a spicy, emotional, Victorian historical romance that can be read as a standalone. Happily ever after guaranteed. Download today to experience the steamy extravagance of this unputdownable love story.

Genres: Historical Romance, Historical, Romance, BDSM, Dark Romance, Erotica, Dark

375 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 21, 2024

About the author

Who is S.M. LaViolette?

S.M. (that’s short for Shantal Marie) writes super spicy historical romance and historical erotic romance. S.M. likes to write about heroes and heroines who don't fit the mold--that means heroes who aren't always dukes and heroines who aren't always virgins.

People have described S.M.'s style as dark, angsty, and dryly witty.

S.M. also writes historical romance under the pen name Minerva Spencer, and historical mystery under S.M. Goodwin.

S.M. has been a criminal prosecutor, college history teacher, B&B operator, dock worker, ice cream manufacturer, reader for the blind, motel maid, and bounty hunter.

Okay, so the part about being a bounty hunter is a lie.

S.M. does, however, know how to hypnotize a Dungeness crab, sew her own Regency Era clothing, knit a frog hat, juggle, rebuild a 1959 American Rambler, and gain control of Asia (and hold on to it) in the game of RISK.

Reviews

[Merry · Rating 5 out of 5]

S M LaViolette is back! 5* I don't know where smut ends, and porn begins but I think we are there. This story has every form of sexual pleasure between 2 people and every Orifice that can be used for sexual pleasure used. Then go back and throw in a bit of bondage. S M makes me care about the couple. Calliope was a good girl in a time where if left without family or money meant prostitution or starvation. David is a sociopath and has no feelings. Throw these 2 together and with SM's writing we have chemistry off the charts. There is also a bit of murder and mayhem but definitely a side plot.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza!

Might be my favorite. I'm not sure but I think so.

5 stars
5 on the spice scale

[Pam Bereznak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading Minerva Spencer/S.M. LaViolette since 2021 and have already read 25 of her books. I read all the books in this series prior to this one and really enjoyed them. I say it's 50 Shades meets 365 Days with porn. :)

So I had been reading some new authors prior this book and although they were good reads they were not that steamy. So when I started reading this book it took me aback a little bit on how fucking hot it was. Not that I mind at all but it made my previous reads this past week look like sweet regencies :)

So this was an interesting couple. David was a very strange guy but after you find out what happened to him, it's surprising he is even human. Took a while to figure him out. Calliope seemed super sweet but got stuck in an unfortunate circumstance to survive. I hate hearing some of the shit she went through and later on David's story. Yikes. What a wonderful complex story. Great read. Sex was fucking off the chain insane. Loved it.

[Sally Jask-eh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victorian Decadence is my favorite series that I have a love/hate relationship with. David Remington is a heartless assassin, Callie Fowler is a book smart tender hearted young woman forced into prostitution. They come together in a haphazard way. Raw and raunchy most of the time. I forgave constant graphic descriptions of an”al sex for H loving period sex. My fav was when he beat the hateful guy up for her as a bday present. I did skip much of the bdsm sex stuff because like graphic violence on tv it triggers a slit the bad enemy throat feeling in me. But I am endlessly fascinated by characters that are emotionally/ physically deprived by life circumstances then later develop normal relationships to experience healing intimacy. This is a recurring theme in many of this author’s books and I am truly hooked. It is the ultimate happily ever after. 🪝🪝💕

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't sure if S.M. LaViolette was for me. Only read one other book by her, His Harlot. I respected her experimentation, but I didn't find it that sensual but awkward, felt it teased more than it gave, and the third act was much too much penance + self-flagellation (I suppose to make the main characters still relatable).

My curiosity was piqued by Her Villain. I really enjoyed this read, felt it was inspired and quite similar to the pacing of dark contemporary erotica reads: Very much about the smut and the hero was cold/calculating towards the heroine. He never hurt her, but was calculative about what he could get from the heroine, at least in the beginning.

The hero has some arrested development, as a result of his traumatic upbringing. The hero's attraction to the heroine reminds me exactly of Cate C. Wells' Run Posy Run (sorry for always bringing up the same 5 authors and books in all of my reviews but they really are the prototype/archetype for me!): hero is on the spectrum, in the shady underworld, and while physically attracted to the heroine, is only interested in the heroine upon realizing heroine trounces him in chess.

Something that threw me off, however: The hero was giving more a regular disengaged man who expects his partner to be a bangmaid mommy. I've read a few novels where the hero or the heroine's brains function differently, but never got this interpretation.

Very domestic, I liked that. Not that much BDSM, that's fine with me. One quirk of LaViolette is emphasizing the hero is not attractive. I think she does it for the heroine too. Another quirk is dirty talk that doesn't work for me. It's much better this time, but some parts I could do without.

It seems there are more works in this series, as LaViolette shares in an author update at the end of the novel. She seems very excited to write them, and I'll keep my eye out for them.

[Natalie Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars, I guess. I’ve had to resign myself to the fact that this author insists on gigantic age gaps, something I do not prefer to read about. Her writing is otherwise really good and her stories and characters interesting.

In this book the mmc was a sociopath.

There were many scenes that I skipped, as they weren’t necessary to the story.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25/5.

I had such a good time with this book. It's the only Victorian Decadence novel (so far) wherein the main relationship is monogamous and not at all queer, but LaViolette makes up for that with a deeply weird hero who cannot love and a heroine who's like "I'm super into him, but he's not to be trusted and I will get a job."

Also, a rare "touch her or die" novel with actual violence! What a concept! David MEANS it.

[Anne in VA · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this! It was a bit of a breath of fresh air. I can't remember reading anything similar to this. It had a slight nod to maybe the movie Pretty Woman. I loved the dynamics between the two and how Callie was able to thaw David's heart. It was really sweet.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful book in the Victorian Decadence series! Wow, the character development is amazing! David and Calliope are as opposite as can be, but they are similar in all the right ways. Truly fascinating to read how they interact and change to accommodate each other. The story that is told and the backstory is so wonderfully complex, but needed for the reader to understand the characters. Great book!!

I received a free copy of this book from the author. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Anna Nenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this one. I tried another book in this series but it didn’t work for me, however this was different and I liked it (it is very spicy like 4 - 4,25 / 5 🌶️, doesn’t have sharing or OP involved- MMC is unhinged and morally grey character, while the FMC is sweet, gentle and was forced to prostitution for a shorter time (because of dire circumstances) and after they get together she is never with anyone else nor is he!

[Elizajane40 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t read many books that are quite this smutty, but I’m a sucker for this series. I think this is my favorite so far, probably because it’s the one that’s closest to a traditional romance novel. You could tell Violette was having a fabulous time writing it. It’s very similar to run posey run, maybe even an homage? Great work as usual

[Loiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was enthralled from the first to the last page. It is very explicit but I loved the love story between the two main characters. I found the characterisation of David as a sociopath particularly exciting. He is not your regular rake who is sure of himself and cocky. He has is quirks and changes his ways only a little to make place for her.

[Julie reads romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded to 4
Friends and those I follow seemed to like this more than I did. I DID LIKE IT, but it also felt a bit monotonous. I loved both lead characters, but felt like this may have better for me as a novella. But, yeah it’s spicy AF.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

steamy

The overall plot was somewhat meh, but the romance was seriously steamy. Lots of sexytimez. The MMC was just fantastic. Grumpy McGrumperson.

[Tina Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the first 2/3 of the book I didn’t enjoy it as much as the other books in the series. I prefer the Hero to be more romantic. But by the last part of the book I was really rooting for David. Hearing the trauma he’d been through helped make him more understandable to me. I was glad Callie persevered and was able to break through his shell.
I loved the ending.

[Bookish.Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 6 of S.M. LaViolette’s darkly erotic Victorian Decadence Series features an educated FMC from a good family fallen on tough times and driven to prostitution, and LaViolette’s first sociopathic MMC. These two meet under interesting circumstances and what should have been one night of paid sexual pleasure for David, eventually grows into a relationship (albeit constrained by David’s limitations). It is a captivating and emotional story that shows a layered characterization and a unique plot.

I liked that David’s personality stayed true to his limitations. Once we find out his full backstory, it of course all makes sense. Callie’s own history also provides an interesting foundation for her changes by the end of the book. I enjoyed the slow thaw that melts away much of David’s resolve to stay distant from Callie and her gradual realization that she may be happiest staying with David rather than fleeing to the US. David initiates her into various erotic arts, and Callie surprises him with her chess-playing abilities. I loved their chess matches! The dual point-of-view is especially interesting in this book as we see the unique ways that David sees and understands the world. There were some comic moments that came out of this as well as some more poignant ones. There’s a sub-plot that involves David’s work as a mercenary that served to create some gripping suspense and strengthened the relationship between David and Callie leading up to the HEA. There are brief appearances by some of the characters from the first five books that had me confused about the timeline. I had assumed that this book would take place after the events of book 5, but it didn’t appear that they did. This bit of confusion didn’t detract from the main story but did give me a bit of pause.

This is an erotic and dark romance featuring a large age-gap between the characters and a morally grey hero. Readers who’ve enjoyed the series will also love this one. New readers should take careful note of content warnings; the book can be read as a standalone.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Remington is an efficient agent of the Crown & can coldly do his job without showing any emotion until he meets Calliope Fowler. She fell on hard times after her father unexpectedly died & entered a brothel to survive but she’s saving to escape to America. Then the house of ill repute closes, her money is stolen & she meets David. He pays for one night with her which turns into two & then they play chess.
Riveting, engrossing & captivating. I was drawn in from the first page & several hours later finished this beautifully written book. The characters ooze depth, I loved Calliope who was strong, intelligent & never gave up hope. I grew to love David especially when he gradually came alive with Calliope & his backstory was revealed. Their chemistry was hot & what started out as lust deepened into love. It’s steamy, it’s violent & it’s unputdownable
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

[pima37 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Erotic Romance at its very best.

[langdon · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF @ 78%
2.5 ⭐

Boring book, but what lost me was when she believed that random guy and turned on David.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Other than this being just completely filthy (in the best of ways), I found the characters captivating and completely unique. I can honestly say I’ve never come across an MMC like David before and I was obsessed. Sure, there was very little plot. And I’m not even sure I liked how it came together at the end. But I also did not read for the plot. I read this for David, and David alone.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was 90% solid, sexy historical erotic romance. Then there was 10% confusing/boring plot-related stuff toward the end I wanted to quit reading about.

May read more from this author sometime.

[Hatshepsut · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy smut, that was so good!

[Mille-feuille · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5
A great addition to the series.
Sociopathic David is blunt to the point of insensitivity but surprisingly tender and loving. Callie is smart and caring. He will never say the words I love you but this was still the most romantic couple in the series for me.

As usual the B plot came out of nowhere and needed a lot of exposition to make sense. I think it could have been a lot simpler.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

The villain kick continues. This one… woah. 4.5 rounded up bc I couldn’t put it down but as always the lover girl in me would prefer more tenderness lol

[Chelsea Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really hot but I didn’t have much patience to actually read this. I think I’m just a bit burnt out on this series and I’ve noticed some of the qualities in the heroes are a bit too similar in each book.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Characters: Calliope (Callie) and David

Callie has been working as a prostitute for 9 months when the brothel she works at gets shut down. She needs money so she tries to get hired somewhere else, when she comes home one day she sees that the money she has been saving is gone. She attacks the man (Brook) who has been running the place when a man shows up.

David is a very cold man, he doesn’t show a lot of emotion, he sees the prostitute and decides to hire her to warm his bed. He sets a strict schedule, and doesn’t like to deviate from it. His first night with her, he brings her to pleasure multiple times, and he hasn’t been satisfied like that in a long time. He decides to keep her in his home until a certain time. In the meantime she takes a job in a tea shop.

The more time they spend together, the more David starts to feel things he’s never felt before, and doesn’t recognize the feelings either. Their relationship is more a BDSM relationship, Callie likes it when David is in control, and he became more possessive over her.



Things I enjoyed in this book:

1. I love how the more around her he was, the more possessive he became, and she loved how turned on it made her.
2. He kidnaps the man who beat and sodomized her, and he beats the man and looked like he was going to sodomize the man when Callie tells him to stop. It was David’s birthday present to Callie. I thought it was sweet.
3. He also beats the crap out of another man who kept patting her ass while she was working at the tea shop
4. I also loved how he didn’t know what the feelings were that he was feeling, because no one had ever showed him those feelings before
5. I felt bad for his childhood, because he wasn’t treated as a human being, and he didn’t have parents who showed him love and affection

[crispylicious juicylicious · Rating 4 out of 5]

From 3 stars bumped up to 4 cause it reminded me of Chasing Cassandra.

I’m sick af atm so i cant concentrate on anything too heavy so this was a welcome read. Mostly porn, let’s be real, but with a plot. The fmc carried this story on her back, if she’s not likable, i would have dropped cause for all the times that they had some backdoor penetration without lube and after eating dinner she would have required a rectal tube by the end of it. Christ.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 6 in the Victorian Decadence series

If you are like me and haven't read this series from the beginning (although I want to) you can dive in here and not be lost. There are some peripheral characters that are mentioned, and I'm sure that at a few of them have their own books and some that will be getting their own books.

This is book is an erotic romance centering around David Remington and Calliope Fowler. Calliope worked at a brothel that is closing immediately, when David comes in seeking a companion, he ends up taking Callie home with him randomly. David is absolutely a psychopath and feels very few emotions due to an incredibly traumatic life. He is fastidious and likes things organized and timed down to the minute, so I would say he also has a large helping of OCD. David just wants a woman for the night. Callie needs employment desperately after someone stole the money she'd been saving for the last several months. Her plan is simple- to treat David so well he'll want to keep her as his mistress for some time until she can find another job and/or save enough money to book passage to America. One of David's few true joys in life is chess. And he is surprised to find how masterful Callie is. He also greatly enjoys her cooking and bed sport (obviously- and just an FYI- this book has BDSM) and tells her he can stay until the 20th of December (it's about eight weeks or so). There is a light plot that centers around what David does for work, which he doesn't talk about.

I enjoyed this very much, it was a fun palate-cleanser between fantasy romance reads. You have to know going in that this psychopath MMC, David, stays a true psychopath. The changes he undergoes are very minor and minimal. If you don't like reading about dark psychopathic MMCs then I do suggest you skip this book. Personally, I want to go back and read this series from the beginning (and then read this one again!) The only thing I wished I saw was the Christmas gift that Callie purchased for David A hard-to-find book about chess strategy that was one her father had her read (he was the one who taught Callie how to play). We see Callie purchase the gift, but we don't get to see him open it, which was a bummer.

[casper]

note that i was VERY uncomfortable with the sexual content BUT that’s the genre it’s in, and it’s my fault for not doing research, so i’m not leaving any stars.

a dark beauty and the beast retelling, emphasis on dark.
it was wayyyyy spicier than i expected, with a heavy emphasis on BDSM and extremely questionable consent.
there’s also a very icky power dynamic that in my opinion should not have become resolved and healthy that quickly.

however i somehow have so many good things to say about the relational aspect!


!!!!!SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!



what kept me reading was the main male character’s marked neurodivergence. he’s serving autism in a major way which i really enjoyed!

it was advertised to me as a book where a low-empathy and antisocial love interest doesn’t magically and immediately become perfect at communicating with the heroine. there’s no instant emotional bond, no immediate flood of empathy and feelings towards her, no drastic change in his morals or worldview because she’s more idealistic, etc.

it’s like grumpy/sunshine where they’re not actually trying to change each other, and the ‘grumpy’ (unenthusiastic and inexpressive autistic) person isn’t like that just because of trauma, which they heal through the power of ✨unhealthy instalove✨

as a neurodivergent person, it was really cool reading the way calliope makes intentional effort to understand him, and learns to not take it personally when his words have no tone, his wording is very abrupt, he speaks with uncomfortable honesty, etc.

but!!! she’s not a pushover!
when he says something that genuinely hurts her feelings, or when he’s not fulfilling her emotional needs, she communicates that and stands firm with her boundaries.
if she needs him to show emotional intimacy with his actions when he can’t verbalize his affection, she tells him exactly what she needs.

he also makes a conscious effort to understand her and take better care of her, even though he finds social cues and intimate conversations to be veryyyy overwhelming and frustrating.

i hadn’t seen representation like this in a long time, so i found their dynamic refreshing!

[KelseyreadsHR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Standalone erotic historical romance, #6 in series

A few of the MC from previous books are mentioned and is a great tie-in but not necessary for the plot.

I loved this book and glad that the author mentioned more is to come in the series.

I always enjoy this author’s writing and storytelling and this one was no different.

Decadent is an apt word for this story and fits in with the series perfectly.

This book was giving me Pretty Woman vibes from the beginning and I was hooked. It’s definitely a bit darker than the movie but then I’ve also always heard the original script was meant to be, as well.

I loved the MC and how they were developed. Calliope with her positive outlook even while trying to figure out her situation and new feelings she was experiencing being with David. Then unraveling the layers of David. He starts off maintaining a strict schedule and zero cares about anyone else or societal norms. I loved how he made incremental behavioral changes that seemed so natural to him he didn’t realize until after the behavior occurred. David doesn’t completely change who he is but it also wouldn’t make sense if he had.

There are 14 encounters that are all long and written well and include BDSM and various kinks. Unlike some of the previous books in this series, all encounters occur solely between the MC. The author also made each encounter purposeful and unique, at no point did they seem repetitive.

There is on page violence but with a morally gray hero that has no empathy and skills of a certain kind - it was expected.