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Monsters #3
Once a Villain: The Final Book—A YA Fantasy Where a Love Triangle Collides with Monsters Who Control Time
The final book in the lauded Only a Monster trilogy is here—where the unstoppable love and high stakes of Divine Rivals meets the propulsive thrills of This Savage Song in a last-ditch, breathless race against time.
Joan has failed to stop Eleanor.
Now Eleanor rules over a cruel new timeline where monsters live openly among humans, preying on them and subjugating them.
Nick—once a hero to humans, and Joan’s first love—is tormented by the choice he made to save her over the timeline itself. And Aaron—the ruthless heir to a powerful monster family—now finds himself in a world where monsters have power beyond imagining while his feelings for Joan grow.
Wrenched between love and rivalry, the three of them must negotiate their fractured pasts to survive the new world and restore what was lost. Because only they remember that there was once a better timeline.
But how will they defeat a whole world of monsters with control over time itself?
Joan has failed to stop Eleanor.
Now Eleanor rules over a cruel new timeline where monsters live openly among humans, preying on them and subjugating them.
Nick—once a hero to humans, and Joan’s first love—is tormented by the choice he made to save her over the timeline itself. And Aaron—the ruthless heir to a powerful monster family—now finds himself in a world where monsters have power beyond imagining while his feelings for Joan grow.
Wrenched between love and rivalry, the three of them must negotiate their fractured pasts to survive the new world and restore what was lost. Because only they remember that there was once a better timeline.
But how will they defeat a whole world of monsters with control over time itself?
510 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 19, 2025
185 people are currently reading
18829 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa Len
6 books1,896 followersVanessa Len is an internationally bestselling Australian author and educational editor. Her first novel, Only a Monster, won the 2022 Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel, and has been translated into nine languages. The sequel, Never a Hero, is out now.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 714 reviews
Want to read
June 16, 2022just might riot if team aaron is not endgame <3
Want to read
January 11, 2024No thoughts but Aaron Aaron Aaron
Want to read
October 11, 20222024...I have to wait until 2024... Bruh. Waiting for books to come out is the worst form of torture known to man I freaking swear.
Want to read
February 12, 2025BEGGING for Aaron to be endgame
Vanessa plssss 🙏
Edit: WE HAVE A COVER 😭
Vanessa plssss 🙏
Edit: WE HAVE A COVER 😭
October 15, 2025
BEFORE READING IT:
We're manifesting for even more Aaron Aaron Aaron...
AFTER:
I need some time to process everything. I'm still feeling big emotions. I went over 12 hours between being at 98% and finishing it. now I need at least that long before I can try writing a review 😂
Mini review after having time to process:
I survived. Just barely. This book took me on a roller coaster of emotions. There was a plot twist that I didn't see coming, but I'm not necessarily mad about it. I love the character development that we got. I don't want to say too much because it's so far out and I don't want to spoil anything. A full review will be coming closer to its actual publication date.
Thank you Harper Collins for this ARC, you made my week so much better. All thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
We're manifesting for even more Aaron Aaron Aaron...
AFTER:
I need some time to process everything. I'm still feeling big emotions. I went over 12 hours between being at 98% and finishing it. now I need at least that long before I can try writing a review 😂
Mini review after having time to process:
I survived. Just barely. This book took me on a roller coaster of emotions. There was a plot twist that I didn't see coming, but I'm not necessarily mad about it. I love the character development that we got. I don't want to say too much because it's so far out and I don't want to spoil anything. A full review will be coming closer to its actual publication date.
Thank you Harper Collins for this ARC, you made my week so much better. All thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.
August 20, 2025
Wtf was that ending😭
Quotes:
"Aaron's gaze flicked to Joan as if by instinct."
"We don't touch what isn't ours." Aaron sounded ice cold—exactly like his counterpart."
Pre review (30/8/23):
I need to read this book immediately and if Aaron isn't endgame I will sue.
Quotes:
"Aaron's gaze flicked to Joan as if by instinct."
"We don't touch what isn't ours." Aaron sounded ice cold—exactly like his counterpart."
Pre review (30/8/23):
I need to read this book immediately and if Aaron isn't endgame I will sue.
September 24, 2025
GIVE THE PEOPLE MORE AARON
Send Nick off on his villian era. We don't need him, he's over stayed his welcome.
Send Nick off on his villian era. We don't need him, he's over stayed his welcome.
Want to read
September 11, 2023all I want is for this book to be full of aaron oliver
September 7, 2025
tf why is there a threesome with the main characters in a YA book
Want to read
October 30, 2021not 2024- I- *screams into void*
August 15, 2025
vanessa len if i was your editor nick ward would have been deleted two books ago. everything felt rushed and everyone felt sooo out of character!!! IN ACTUAL DISBELIEF.
October 3, 2025
edit: finally a love triangle is resolved with a throuple
1st posted: gonna cry aaron better be the star of this book
1st posted: gonna cry aaron better be the star of this book
May 23, 2025
Can't wait for this one! The title better be Always A Villain!
December 3, 2025
I was so excited for this book to come out, and had even prepared by re-reading the last two. So it genuinely pains me to write that I could not be more disappointed. In what world would Nick, Joan and Aaron be in a throuple? Genuinely so stupid.
August 18, 2025
Not the ending I expected, but the ending our characters undoubtedly deserved.
After waiting two years, I can happily say this book was worth the wait. It took me a little more time to get reacclimated to the world and the plot due to the longer time between books. That being said, once I was able to dive back in, everything progressed pretty quickly.
I genuinely enjoyed being back with our rag-tag team of misfit heroes—even Nick, whom I did not like much in the previous installment.
The conclusion to the love triangle is the best I could have hoped for. Thank you to the author for going a route I did not think she would go.
All the storylines wrapped up nicely, albeit a bit conveniently, but sometimes it's nice to see our protagonists get their well-earned happy ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for providing me with an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
After waiting two years, I can happily say this book was worth the wait. It took me a little more time to get reacclimated to the world and the plot due to the longer time between books. That being said, once I was able to dive back in, everything progressed pretty quickly.
I genuinely enjoyed being back with our rag-tag team of misfit heroes—even Nick, whom I did not like much in the previous installment.
The conclusion to the love triangle is the best I could have hoped for. Thank you to the author for going a route I did not think she would go.
All the storylines wrapped up nicely, albeit a bit conveniently, but sometimes it's nice to see our protagonists get their well-earned happy ending.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon/Harper Voyager for providing me with an advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.
April 18, 2025
I waited two years for this book, very excited, and it turned out to be a disappointment. Vanessa touched on very ambitious themes and developed them poorly. That trio was VERY forced, and Joan's failure to develop and learn to handle her powers and her monster side made it much worse. I feel like Vanessa wanted to please both ships and only ruined it for both of them.
Joan, Aaron, and Nick deserved better than this.
thank you to edelweiss and harpercollins for the arc
Joan, Aaron, and Nick deserved better than this.
thank you to edelweiss and harpercollins for the arc
July 23, 2024
I get that it's Nick x Joan in the "True Timeline", but we all know that ✨Aaron Oliver✨ MUST be endgame. We will not settle for anything less.
UPDATE JULY 2024:
For anyone who’s interested, I sent an email to Vanessa asking for some kind of update and was told we can expect the final instalment around this time next year! 🙌🏼
UPDATE JULY 2024:
For anyone who’s interested, I sent an email to Vanessa asking for some kind of update and was told we can expect the final instalment around this time next year! 🙌🏼
August 27, 2025
The first half of this book was FABULOUS PERFECTION. The second half of this book was A HORRIBLE MESS, I HATE IT and it was so badly handled it's not even funny. 4 stars for the first half. 1-2 stars for the second half.
Honestly this was my most anticipated release of 2025. The first half lived up to and even surpassed my expectations, the second half was a cruel, cruel let down and it was such a catastrophic ending that it might have actually ruined this series for me! (Unless I can wipe it from my head and pretend none of this shit happened).
It's a cruel, cruel world we're living in guys.
^Me with my hopes & dreams crushed.
The full play-by-play of my reactions to this slow-mo trainwreck of a book:
Let's start from the very beginning - I was so hyped during the first half and I was all in. Initially, things were going brilliantly well. The book starts off exactly at the end of Book 2 and we are thrown right into the action from minute 1. I LOVED THIS.
We had the whole gang together, we had a lovely fast pacing with them finding their ways around a whole new world.
We had an excellent will-they, won't-they between Aaron / Joan, & Nick / Joan. The tensions between these pairings were PERFECT. I was eating it all up and had zero clue who Joan would end up being with at this stage, but I was loving the build up in the relationship department.
The action, plot, and pacing was spot on as well - time travel is fun, especially when you have the whole gang together trying to figure out how to save the world. Each action sequence flowed seamlessly into the next, it was fast paced, so much fun and the relationship teasing we got was delicious.
And then, things became really really GOOD.
Aaron and Joan shared a moment that had me going like THIS because it was so cute and my heart exploded (it was ):
HOWEVER, things started to go DOWNHILL from then onward.
By the time we get to the ending I was going:
It is impossible to explain how badly the second half screwed up / went to shit without giving details. And with details we get spoilers. So I'm going to have to spoiler tag the rest, but trust me I'll be giving you the full deets of what went down in this book here:
The problems really started trickling in when Joan gradually started
^If you've finished reading this book, read my full review in the spoiler section.
Let me just say the resolution of the romantic plotline of this book is horribly handled, I hated it, it made zero sense, it came out of nowhere, it felt retconned / forced and it was MASSIVELY DISAPPOINTING.
I'm still giving it 3 stars because the first half of this book was amazing. Plus, I did enjoy the saving-the-world plotline, and the pacing was good as well.
Some of the more minor gripes I have is I really wanted to know more about various loose ends that this book did not answer. For instance, where did the King come from, and who was he? How did the King come into power? Who decides who the King will be? I thought there would have been more regarding the King's backstory - which we never got in previous books. In addition, is the King
All in all, a huge hecking disappointment but at least the first half of this book was good. There were some redeeming qualities and moments here. The conclusion to the romance was just WRONG though. REALLY WRONG!!!!!
Honestly this was my most anticipated release of 2025. The first half lived up to and even surpassed my expectations, the second half was a cruel, cruel let down and it was such a catastrophic ending that it might have actually ruined this series for me! (Unless I can wipe it from my head and pretend none of this shit happened).
It's a cruel, cruel world we're living in guys.
^Me with my hopes & dreams crushed.
The full play-by-play of my reactions to this slow-mo trainwreck of a book:
Let's start from the very beginning - I was so hyped during the first half and I was all in. Initially, things were going brilliantly well. The book starts off exactly at the end of Book 2 and we are thrown right into the action from minute 1. I LOVED THIS.
We had the whole gang together, we had a lovely fast pacing with them finding their ways around a whole new world.
We had an excellent will-they, won't-they between Aaron / Joan, & Nick / Joan. The tensions between these pairings were PERFECT. I was eating it all up and had zero clue who Joan would end up being with at this stage, but I was loving the build up in the relationship department.
The action, plot, and pacing was spot on as well - time travel is fun, especially when you have the whole gang together trying to figure out how to save the world. Each action sequence flowed seamlessly into the next, it was fast paced, so much fun and the relationship teasing we got was delicious.
And then, things became really really GOOD.
Aaron and Joan shared a moment that had me going like THIS because it was so cute and my heart exploded (it was ):
HOWEVER, things started to go DOWNHILL from then onward.
By the time we get to the ending I was going:
It is impossible to explain how badly the second half screwed up / went to shit without giving details. And with details we get spoilers. So I'm going to have to spoiler tag the rest, but trust me I'll be giving you the full deets of what went down in this book here:
The problems really started trickling in when Joan gradually started
^If you've finished reading this book, read my full review in the spoiler section.
Let me just say the resolution of the romantic plotline of this book is horribly handled, I hated it, it made zero sense, it came out of nowhere, it felt retconned / forced and it was MASSIVELY DISAPPOINTING.
I'm still giving it 3 stars because the first half of this book was amazing. Plus, I did enjoy the saving-the-world plotline, and the pacing was good as well.
Some of the more minor gripes I have is I really wanted to know more about various loose ends that this book did not answer. For instance, where did the King come from, and who was he? How did the King come into power? Who decides who the King will be? I thought there would have been more regarding the King's backstory - which we never got in previous books. In addition, is the King
All in all, a huge hecking disappointment but at least the first half of this book was good. There were some redeeming qualities and moments here. The conclusion to the romance was just WRONG though. REALLY WRONG!!!!!
August 25, 2025
oh my god im gonn a cry
Want to read
September 8, 2023Why do I get the feelings this isn't actually coming out in 2024?💀
September 8, 2025
Well this was disappointing...
Want to read
December 27, 2023I want to point out that the only option there is is polyamory 😌 There are no separate teams, just team "everyone happy and in love" and there is that. 🤝🏻🩷
May 26, 2025
thanks to NetGalley for the eARC
⭐️=2.25 | 😘=3 | 🤬=4 | ⚔️=3.75 | 15/16ish+
summary: Only a Monster book 3 (finale to the trilogy)
thoughts: 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨spoiler-ridden review!! beware!! 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
- WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PIN AARON GIVES HER IN BOOK ONE WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE U NEVER EXPLAIN IT WHY IS IT SO MEANINGFUL TO AARON IN EVERY TIMELINE WHY I NEED TO KNOW
- this was plotted out so haphazardly?? literally on the last page there’s this joking line of dialogue like “hey you still owe the Lius two favors” and everyone is like “lol!” but this is NOT lol this is a serious unresolved plot thread from book one!! like did you know what you were going to do with that when you wrote it, Vanessa?? why did this go ignored??
- also the fact everyone has been resurrected via different timelines at least once, sometimes way more times than that, made the emotional stakes of this book, like, zero? because now I know that none of the characters I am supposed to care about will die, and if they do “die” they can easily be alive again. I realized this partway through the book and then the rest of it was, like… consequently dull.
- I understand that a throuple is thematically necessary to resolve everything—human vs monster, where do you find a place to belong when you’re stuck between two worlds et cetera—so having a throuple with a human, a monster, and a human/monster (rather than traditionally resolving a love triangle) answers that question, and that’s fine, and that could have worked, but I truly canNOT believe that the Aaron and Nick of this timeline would be able to fix their issues (like Aaron being responsible for the thousands of years of human death and that being specifically against everything Nick believes in) enough to enter a romantic and sexual relationship between the two of them, let alone alongside Joan?? like these are TEENAGERS they’re not going to get over their trauma (that distinctly pits them morally against one another) over the course of the one book??? I get the underlying intent but it is impossible to follow through in a believable manner under the circumstances with these guys specifically. I don’t believe it.
- I hate the circumstances under which Joan and Aaron have sex. Joan was not in an emotionally safe place, and it was such an irresponsible circumstance and it gave me the ick
- the sad thing is that the first book of this series was SO perfect. and this is so not and was clearly unplanned bc of all the unfinished threads—both literal plot things and character development. rest in peace Once a Villain, you would have loved being a strong ending to this trilogy!! tbh I feel like this should have been four books, or at least extended so that we got flashbacks to alternate timeline memories between Eleanor and Joan bc then we would care more about them and the stakes there and therefore things were not set up deliberately and it’s just maddening!!
⭐️=2.25 | 😘=3 | 🤬=4 | ⚔️=3.75 | 15/16ish+
summary: Only a Monster book 3 (finale to the trilogy)
thoughts: 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨spoiler-ridden review!! beware!! 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
- WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PIN AARON GIVES HER IN BOOK ONE WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE U NEVER EXPLAIN IT WHY IS IT SO MEANINGFUL TO AARON IN EVERY TIMELINE WHY I NEED TO KNOW
- this was plotted out so haphazardly?? literally on the last page there’s this joking line of dialogue like “hey you still owe the Lius two favors” and everyone is like “lol!” but this is NOT lol this is a serious unresolved plot thread from book one!! like did you know what you were going to do with that when you wrote it, Vanessa?? why did this go ignored??
- also the fact everyone has been resurrected via different timelines at least once, sometimes way more times than that, made the emotional stakes of this book, like, zero? because now I know that none of the characters I am supposed to care about will die, and if they do “die” they can easily be alive again. I realized this partway through the book and then the rest of it was, like… consequently dull.
- I understand that a throuple is thematically necessary to resolve everything—human vs monster, where do you find a place to belong when you’re stuck between two worlds et cetera—so having a throuple with a human, a monster, and a human/monster (rather than traditionally resolving a love triangle) answers that question, and that’s fine, and that could have worked, but I truly canNOT believe that the Aaron and Nick of this timeline would be able to fix their issues (like Aaron being responsible for the thousands of years of human death and that being specifically against everything Nick believes in) enough to enter a romantic and sexual relationship between the two of them, let alone alongside Joan?? like these are TEENAGERS they’re not going to get over their trauma (that distinctly pits them morally against one another) over the course of the one book??? I get the underlying intent but it is impossible to follow through in a believable manner under the circumstances with these guys specifically. I don’t believe it.
- I hate the circumstances under which Joan and Aaron have sex. Joan was not in an emotionally safe place, and it was such an irresponsible circumstance and it gave me the ick
- the sad thing is that the first book of this series was SO perfect. and this is so not and was clearly unplanned bc of all the unfinished threads—both literal plot things and character development. rest in peace Once a Villain, you would have loved being a strong ending to this trilogy!! tbh I feel like this should have been four books, or at least extended so that we got flashbacks to alternate timeline memories between Eleanor and Joan bc then we would care more about them and the stakes there and therefore things were not set up deliberately and it’s just maddening!!
May 11, 2025
Thank you to harpercollins children’s books and netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review! all opinions are my own.
I want to like this book... I really do. I loved the first two books and I enjoyed every moment, but this book felt rushed. Felt like it blurred together and didn't make sense at times. We got to see our favorite characters, but they weren't themselves which was fine. They had been broken from the last book and on edge with the dangers of the new timeline and I actually loved that. It was interesting to see our favorites fight for survival in a world dominated by monsters. But I feel like it definitely missed something. The danger didn't feel too dangerous sometimes or they were just able to leave in almost impossible situations. The characters don't really develop especially Joan. I did feel like we jumped around a lot in this book, sometimes I had to go back to reread something just to make sure I understood what was happening in this new timeline and trying to understand their motivations.
I want to like this book... I really do. I loved the first two books and I enjoyed every moment, but this book felt rushed. Felt like it blurred together and didn't make sense at times. We got to see our favorite characters, but they weren't themselves which was fine. They had been broken from the last book and on edge with the dangers of the new timeline and I actually loved that. It was interesting to see our favorites fight for survival in a world dominated by monsters. But I feel like it definitely missed something. The danger didn't feel too dangerous sometimes or they were just able to leave in almost impossible situations. The characters don't really develop especially Joan. I did feel like we jumped around a lot in this book, sometimes I had to go back to reread something just to make sure I understood what was happening in this new timeline and trying to understand their motivations.
October 9, 2025
That. Was. A. Clusterfuck. VANESSA WHY ? WHY ???? WHYYYYYYYYYY ??? YOU WERE DOING FANTASTIC UNTIL THIS. I think i'm gonna cry.
Spoilers ahead !
Okay, it took me AGES to write this review because I'm still grieving the loss of what could've been AN AMAZING BOOK. IT HAD SO. MUCH. POTENTIAL. First off, I would like to ask, Vanessa, I love you, BUT WHAT THE FLIPPITY FLOPPITY FRICK WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU MADE IT A WHY CHOOSE ? The book started SO WELL and I was so excited...andd then you hit me with a "I CAN'T CHOOSE, SO I'LL DATE BOTH !" AND WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT PLOT TWIST WITH NICK & AARON FUCKIGN DATING IN THE OTHER TIMELINE ? I genuinley wanted to cry. And yes, i know usually my reviews are alot more structured than this, BUT I SERIOUSLY CAN'T FIND IT IN ME TO WRITE A FULL REVIEW 😭.
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ Pre release~ Counting down the days guys 😭 TEAM AARON FOR THE WIN.
Spoilers ahead !
Okay, it took me AGES to write this review because I'm still grieving the loss of what could've been AN AMAZING BOOK. IT HAD SO. MUCH. POTENTIAL. First off, I would like to ask, Vanessa, I love you, BUT WHAT THE FLIPPITY FLOPPITY FRICK WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU MADE IT A WHY CHOOSE ? The book started SO WELL and I was so excited...andd then you hit me with a "I CAN'T CHOOSE, SO I'LL DATE BOTH !" AND WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT PLOT TWIST WITH NICK & AARON FUCKIGN DATING IN THE OTHER TIMELINE ? I genuinley wanted to cry. And yes, i know usually my reviews are alot more structured than this, BUT I SERIOUSLY CAN'T FIND IT IN ME TO WRITE A FULL REVIEW 😭.
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ Pre release~ Counting down the days guys 😭 TEAM AARON FOR THE WIN.
August 23, 2025
this was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it just fell SO flat. TERRIBLE romance that made NO sense, horrible plot and world building, no high stakes, zero development of joan’s character. i wish i could take back the time my eyes spent reading this.
August 27, 2025
This was not the conclusion to the series I was hoping for. The writing felt sloppy and repetitive and some of the plot decisions were questionable. Its saving grace was that it was short.
August 27, 2025
how do you manage to fumble the bag this badly
August 21, 2025
too ambitious for its own good. the mature themes sink under the weight of YA quicksand.
thank you to edelweiss and harpercollins for the arc 🌷
thank you to edelweiss and harpercollins for the arc 🌷
August 21, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Well, this series wasn't particularly mind-blowing to begin with, but this last book was just...feel mean for saying it...not good! The mature themes that are mixed in with what's labeled as a young adult book was off-putting, as well as the ridiculous, and I mean ridiculous love triangle that unfolds before us was just laughable. It took me back to the Twilight days of people wanting threesomes between Edward, Bella, and Jacob...just no... The concept of resurrection throughout the book was also poorly done and didn't really contribute anything of substance to the story other than knowing if someone dies, they're just going to come right back. This author's work is just not for me, but if the series sounds interesting to you, give it a try as you may like it.
Well, this series wasn't particularly mind-blowing to begin with, but this last book was just...feel mean for saying it...not good! The mature themes that are mixed in with what's labeled as a young adult book was off-putting, as well as the ridiculous, and I mean ridiculous love triangle that unfolds before us was just laughable. It took me back to the Twilight days of people wanting threesomes between Edward, Bella, and Jacob...just no... The concept of resurrection throughout the book was also poorly done and didn't really contribute anything of substance to the story other than knowing if someone dies, they're just going to come right back. This author's work is just not for me, but if the series sounds interesting to you, give it a try as you may like it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 714 reviews