Villain Origin Story: From the acclaimed author of Ice Planet Barbarians, comes a dark fun fantasy novel about choosing evil!

by Ruby Dixon

When you have run out of options, choose Evil . . .

Life has never been easy for a poor, uneducated village girl. But when things in Joslen's life go from bad to progressively worse, it fills her with intense frustration. How does she fight back against an arranged marriage and a lifetime of misery if no one will even listen to her? What's a nice girl supposed to do?

When she has a brush with the handsome but dangerous Scourge King, the conqueror of her land, she realizes something important. Maybe it's time to stop being nice. And the perfect person to show her how to be bad? The Scourge King himself, Vilos Saumien.

But Vilos has a few rules of his own. If he's going to take Joslen as his apprentice, she needs to agree to obey his commands, to learn quickly, and to let him seduce her.

Joslen isn't about to trade away her newfound independence, though. If Vilos wants to play games, she'll play games. She just intends to win. Is their kingdom big enough for two villains?

Antihero Romance; Fae Courts/Royalty; Magic; Disguise; Revenge; Morally Grey; Shadow Daddy; Forced Proximity; Scars; Knife to Throat; Disability Rep; Jilted Bride

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Adult, Smut, Demons

Kindle Edition

Expected publication January 19, 2027

About the author

Ruby Dixon is an author of Science Fiction Romance. She likes fated mates, baby-filled epilogues, and cinnamon roll heroes. She also likes to write biographies of herself in the third person, because it feels more important that way.

Ruby also loves coffee and dirty books and will probably be a cat lady at some point. :)

Reviews

[cat]

“Vilos, wait. What do you see when you look at me?” His gaze roams over my body and then back up to my face. “I see you, Joslen.”

“When you look at me, what would you change? Be honest.”
He says. “Nothing.”


on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ‎♪ˎˊ˗
“ᴍʏ ᴠɪʟʟᴀɪɴ ᴇʀᴀ” x ᴛᴡɪɴ ᴄʀᴏᴡɴs
1:27 ───♥─────── 3:48


╭➤ the premise ────────────────────────────╮
A poor village girl reaches her breaking point and decides that maybe being nice isn’t getting her anywhere. Enter Vilos Saumien, the terrifying Scourge King, who takes her on as something of an apprentice in the art of being bad. What starts as Joslen trying to figure out how to fight back against the life she’s been handed turns into something much deeper, especially as she learns what she’s actually capable of.
────────────────────────────╯

First off, I just have to say I LOVED that this was such a backwards, unique plot. Like, I have never read a story about someone actively wanting to become “bad,” and somehow it worked so well. But what I loved even more was everything underneath that plot. Watching Joslen learn how to take her strength back, stand up for herself, and realize that she doesn’t have to let everyone else decide who she is??? SO FREAKING GOOD.

I absolutely loved watching her get closer to Vilos and slowly learn to stand her ground. And although he was quite horrible at first (duh evil king😂) I actually liked that he didn’t just immediately make everything easier for her. He pushed her to her limits and forced her to become stronger, learn herself, and figure out what she was actually capable of. I genuinely think she wouldn’t have gotten the character development she did without him constantly pushing her.

And honestly, this story was so much deeper than just the characters. There were so many morals and lessons about loving yourself and accepting who you are that I really enjoyed. I almost felt like Vilos and Joslen were the same person in that way. They both struggled with how other people viewed them, even when they pretended they didn’t care. Watching them learn to accept themselves and actually be proud of what made them different was one of my favorite parts.

And I obviously cannot forget to mention the tension and buildup between them 👀 The seduction was SUCH a slow burn, and I loved watching them get closer. Especially because I don’t think Vilos ever planned on actually getting THAT close to Joslen. Watching him slowly realize he liked her for so much more than the initial seduction he had planned was EVERYTHING heheheh

And his anatomy… 👀I was intrigued. Ruby Dixon never fails to surprise me with her characters’ anatomy. 😂

BUT THE WAY THIS MAN STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE BECAUSE HE KNEW SHE WAS IN DANGER??? 😭 He left his troops while his city and supplies were literally burning, and his only response was basically, “are you okay?” before taking her somewhere safe. LIKE SERIOUSLY AHHHHH. He was so good to her 😭

te two things I wasn’t the biggest fan of were the gore and somewhat the very ending. There was quite a bit of killing throughout the story, which was obviously important to the plot, but if you know me, you know I do NOT handle gore well. Despite that, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story, and I do think it helped complete what the book was trying to do. As for the ending, I just didn’t completely agree with the way it handled the idea of evil and excusing it. I understood why it was a crucial part of the story, but I still didn’t necessarily agree with it lol

Overall this was definitely very different than I expected, especially coming from IPB, which is SO much milder. 😂 But I can’t lie… I had a really enjoyable time with this one 🤷🏼‍♀️ (mostly)

favorite quotes ↓

“The moment you care what others think, you’re handing them your power.”

“I will rip out the throats of each person who stands in the way of me getting you one if you’re in pain. Just try me.”

“How we are made does not make us a villain. It’s our choices that do.”

“I know who I am now and who I belong with. I’m no longer trying to fit the mold I thought I needed to in order to be happy.”

things to know about the book ↓

🦉 king x village girl
🦉 strangers → lovers
🦉 forced proximity
🦉 shadow daddy vibes
🦉 he falls first
🦉 single POV (hers)

swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
→ chapters: 18, 20, 21, 24, 30

─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕

september 24th- hehe im so ready for some more ruby dixon 😈 i really liked IPB so im hoping this is good!!

[Kristina]

Thanks Berkeley and Ruby for the arc.

[Minna]

sweeney todd inspired? SIGN ME UP!

[Vanessa]

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Expected and super fun scenes!

Ruby Dixon never disappoints! This dark fantasy romance is full of banter, everyone is morally grey, murderous flirting, and lots of emotional baggage. Both MCs were not likeable, but it was precisely that which made them loveable. Vilos is the Emperor who rules with an iron fist because he’s half demon and always waiting for betrayal at every corner. Joslen is the crooked back girl who’s overlooked, cheated, and pawned off. She wants more and somehow Vilos becomes the center of her world. They both are super fun to watch court each other, sort of. And if you’re into the micro trope of hair brushing and braiding 🤗🤗

It is said this book is inspired by Todd Sweeney, which I’ve never watched. I may have to now.

Trope: Strangers to lovers, antihero villain & village girl, shadow daddy, arranged marriage, forced proximity, one bed, royalty courts, disability representation

Note: Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for this eARC.

[Bethany Jane]

4/5
I absolutely love Rubys work and this was the best one yet! Such a great storyline with a great character arc and such good events to keep you engaged throughout. The spice was also chefs kiss🤭

[MaddMoxxie]

Holy saints did I LOVE this book! I’d honestly be quite content to fall down, hit my head and get a little retrograde amnesia just so I could read it again for the first time! 😂

Ruby Dixon did a THING here. She wrote one of my favorite heroines in my reading history EVER. Joslen is… well, she’s everything. And everyone. Just a woman who is tired of not having her own destiny in her own hands. A woman who didn’t actually ask that much from the world, but the world thought even that was too much.

She’s stuck with saint-awful parents, a dead-end job and a twisted spine that’s somehow become the reason everyone treats her like a scourge on the village. Then she meets the infamous Demon Conqueror and, unlike everyone else, she doesn’t flinch. So she decides to ask life for more.

And life says: Hell, no!

So Joslen does what any of us would do. She goes on a journey to become powerful, respected and, most importantly, in control of her own life. And who better to teach her than the evil emperor himself?

Let me tell you, Joslen has QUITE the journey. She discovers soooo much more about the world and herself than she ever expected, and learns exactly what a forked demon tongue is capable of, of course. 😏

And Vilos! Ah, Vilos! He is IMHO one of the best-written morally grey characters I’ve ever read. He’s not a bad guy on a redemption arc. He’s an extremely morally questionable man with a very few soft parts. But that’s it. Just a few. And that doesn’t change in the end. He is who he is, and you either accept him or you don’t.

And if you don’t, well… there are soooo many spiky pikes in the world. 🙌

While this is such a fun story that it had me cackling like a hyena, it’s also a genuinely beautiful story about self-acceptance and self-love. It’s not your typical Ruby Dixon story, but it still has her recognisable taste, and I honestly hope we get more of these darker stories from her in the future.

Slow clap for our queen. 👏 Thank you for one of my best reads this year!

I received an advance reader copy from the author and am sharing my honest review.

[Abbi]

This was weird and fun and I loved it. This is one of those "I don't usually read..." kind of reviews - I've never read Ruby Dixon's books, I don't usually read dark romance, etc.

But the premise drew me in, and it was absolutely brilliant. I LOVE that we have a female main character with a disability, AND the disability was not magically cured by the end of the book. Joslen's "crooked back" (i.e. scoliosis) impacts her life - brings her physical pain, causes her to be mistreated by not just her village and people she encounters but also by her own parents. It's not just a journey of Joslen apprenticing to and falling in love with the half-demon Lord Vilos, it's about her growing to accept herself as she is and where she belongs.

We also get Vilos' backstory when he tells Joslen the story, and he is very much a product of how he was treated as a child. But it's very clear that he's a moral villain. He doesn't hurt animals or children, and while he is over-the-top ruthless (killing all the redheads in the manor when a redhead tries to poison her), he also rewards loyalty. Joslen doesn't change him, but she balances him a bit. Vilos offers her the complete acceptance for who she is, crooked back and all.

There's a lot of spicy scenes along the way in their love story, and do pay attention to the warnings at the start. But it's a fun ride and I loved both the journey and the ending with this one.

[Selene]

Thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC

This is such a fun read, spicey , easy going and full of lovable characters you find yourself rooting for. I love a good villain and bonus points when his lady is a baddie too. This is super easy to pick up and never put back down. Fast paced, written well and full of laughs and smut. This is an excellent way to escape reality and chill out

[s]

I was so excited to get into this book, as Ruby Dixon is an immediate auto-buy author for me, and it did not disappoint! I was not entirely sold on the premise at first, but the back half of the book had me absolutely flying through the pages.
That said, I did have a few mixed feelings when it came to the characters. I did not love Joslen. She was a little difficult to root for at times. BUT Vilos, on the other hand, was my sugar plum honey bun and absolutely made this book. Sure, he cuts people's heads off occasionally (frequently), but it's just because he's trying to protect his heart!!!!
I absolutely loved him, and he made the romance between the two main characters so fun to read.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves an MMC who is absolutely OBSESSED. I will be thinking about Vilos for a long, long time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the eARC and chance to read and review!

[Kate Meader]

Another great book from Ruby Dixon with nice disability rep, and while it's dark fantasy, it manages to be lighthearted at the same time (if you can get past the morally grey hero and heroine, and the copious murdering in the name of love). We only have Joslen's POV, so Vilos the evil king remains a bit of a cipher but that's okay because she's the star. I really enjoyed her arc and self-acceptance, and I especially enjoyed how he centered her and loved her for who she was. The world building is a little on the light side, but there's enough there to feel invested in this epic medieval-ish romance.

[Kristina Nichole]

that cover!!!!!!!!!!!!

perfect for valentines month!

[Erica Testa]

I’ve read basically every Ruby Dixon book there is and Villain Origin Story is completely and utterly unique. If you’ve ever been curious on what Ruby Dixon’s take would be for a dark medieval-y type romance- well your answer would be it’s a little darker than you expected. 😂

This book is wild in an entertaining way. Kind of reminds me of like one of those supposed to be fun and yet still makes you squirm horror movies. Like severed heads and “is this the one? No? Ah, oh well, he was a prat anyways.” Just very “oh well, such is life” violence in this one.

I really enjoyed that Joslen and Vilos become loyal friends first because more than anything that’s what they needed from each other. This means there isn’t as much “yearn” as I’ve come to expect from this author but it doesn’t make it less of a romance, it just makes it a different kind of romance. And while I missed the traditional swoony feels and knowing what’s going on inside the hero’s head, Villain Origin Story has its own brand of swoony feels. The addition of all the animals was such a creative way to show the softer side of the hero and I loved that touch.

Her scoliosis is almost a character of its own, it’s mentioned frequently, but it makes sense as it effects absolutely everything she does. This is Joslen’s story. Take note of the trigger warnings. This is dark. There is violence. The ableist language is heavy. Heavy. It slapped me in the face a few times. Reading the author note at the end gave a little insight as to the why though and I do see how her body and how others see her made her the perfect person for Vilos who has always been told he is this one thing. Side characters were great, fleshed out and such an excellent levity for the story. I really loved the bluntness and humor of all the characters- there’s no pretense and what you see is what you get.

I had one question at the end (Ona’s future?!), but otherwise this was the picture perfect romance novel ending that had me smiling away. All around a completely unique and enjoyable standalone story.

[Tara Dawes]

I received an ARC copy of this book directly from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, all opinions are 100% mine.

Ruby Dixon has been one of my favorite authors for a long time, her IPB series actually got me back into reading a number of years ago so to say I was excited about this book was putting it lightly. Because I have read so many of her books (not just her IPB) books I will say that this book does feel a bit different but still keeps some of the things that make a Ruby book a Ruby book.

As for what I liked (loved) about this book - Joslen is a complex and interesting main character, I understood her motivations and her frustrations, girl was at the end of her rope and felt like she had no other choice as she wasn't going to accept the life her parents were thrusting on her (marrying her gross cousin). I think that Ruby did an AMAZING job with the scoliosis representation in this book and this is probably due to the fact that Ruby Dixon herself has dealt with scoliosis since she was younger (she talks about this in the afterward of the book), this isn't something we see a lot of with a FMC and I really appreciated it - I also appreciated that she didn't magically "fix"/cure her by the end of the book, instead we see Joslen accepting herself, this also extends to Joslens actions at the end of the book, I really did not expect the author to double down on the "these villagers are horrible, lets kill them" thing but I appreciate that she did. I also expected a bit of a last minute miracle with Joslens best friend, but there wasn't, there was an idea that maybe they could make things a bit better for her but she would never be exactly what she was. I thought the ending was great, I thought there was some great banter between Joslen and Vilos, and I liked the bits of his back story that we got - he was dark but he had moments of kindness and things that he obviously valued (love the cat dad aspect). There was some good humor in this one, there was some spicy scenes (that Ruby Dixon always does well in my opinion), and I think there was some fantastic secondary characters.

Now for what I didn't like or think needed just a bit more. I do think this is a case where the book would have actually benefited by being a bit longer, I think we needed more of Joslen and Vilos together, more training, more spending time getting ot know one another so that their relationship progression didn't feel like it was on a speed run. I would have liked some more information about the courtiers/musicians to build up those scenes a bit more.

Will this book be for everyone - absolutely not, there is mention of a pregnancy trope at the end (this is pretty common in Ruby Dixons books) so that will annoy some people, some people might find Vilos either too unlikable or maybe not dark enough as I do think the author skirts the line with him in some ways, but isn't afraid to cross that line at times either. This is not a super dark romance, I'd say it's dark lite and that works just fine.

I really hope that people give this one a chance it's a fun fast read with an awesome FMC!

[That Brunette]

BULLET POINT STORY
Poor girl with scoliosis gets tired of being treated like crap decides to leave home and become evil.

REVIEW
Wow, I enjoyed reading VILLAIN ORIGIN STORY. Joslyn is a well-developed character with relatable emotions and desires. She is bold and wants bold things. Lord Vilos is a neither a dark or a morally grey hero. He empathizes with Joslyn and helps her on her journey. He also, by his own words, seduces her. (They have sexy-time)

As with any of her books, I want more from Ruby Dixon's world. I inhaled the book and plan to read it again at a more leisurely pace. I would like to know more about the background and early life of Lord Vilos and his motives.

QUICK STORY
The main character, Joslyn is a young woman in her late 20s and has a 'crooked back'. She lives with her parents in a poor village and works for pittance at a bakery. The setting is medieval-esque so, it requires hard manual labor. Although Joslyn is considered 'pretty' she is shunned by most of the villagers because they think she is cursed by the gods. After an accident at her unwanted arrange marriage, she leaves home in search of a new life.

She goes to the palace of the Grim Lord, Lord Vilos to ask him to teach her to be "powerful and evil". After a bit of convincing, he agrees.

TRAUMA BONDING SECTION
Being born with congenital issues is tough. It's tough on the family and tough on the individual. Even if the parents are supportive, there still seems to be a feeling of resentment of having to care for the child. Joslyn's parents take that to the extreme but it is a real thing. It is hard not to feel like a burden, not to constantly apologize, and not get bogged down by outside forces. My skeletal issues are a bit different from the main characters' but I understood and empathized.

[Aaliyah]

5☆!!!!!

Villain origin story won't be for everyone, but it’s most definitely for the girlies who love a morally gray man with "touch her and die" sprinkled into their romance!!!! Our FMC, Joslen, is tired of being an outcast in her village ; she's poor, uneducated, and has a crooked back. Frustrated with the hand she’s been given, she decides to set off on a quest to find the 350 year old half-demon king and persuade him to let her become his apprentice in order to gain fear and power.

Our MMC, Vilos, is terrifying and erratic to the majority; anyone who mildly irritates him finds themselves with their head on a stake. Joslen, however, manages to convince him to take her on as his apprentice without risking her life. This book was unhinged in the best way possible; they both matched each other's FREAKKKKK, in and out of the bedroom. They both fell hard, and they both 🔪 for each other lol.

Joslen is a 30-year "spinster," so she's never even experienced her first kiss, but Vilos gives her the time of her life and matches her enthusiasm. He's a half-demon, so the perks that come with that include a forked tongue and a forked 🍆... surprisingly, he lacks experience too, as many view him as wicked and depraved, coercing him to pay women for pleasure (before he met her obviously).

I devoured their story and loved the elements of magic, all the side characters, and the animals. I also really appreciated the scoliosis representation and the heroine being in her 30s! This was such a fun and unique story, and I GUARANTEE it will have you giggling and kicking your feet!

Releases January 19th, 2027!! Thank you to Netgalley for the E-ARC!!!

[Rebekah W.]

IN RUBY DIXON I TRUST. Y'all I've literally never met a Ruby Dixon book (and I've met A LOT OF THEM) that I didn't have a freaking fantastic time with, and Villain Origin Story was absolutely no exception. I was cackling my absolute tits off. "I swear I'm unlucky, the way everyone keeps making me kill them." HELP this was insanely funny, grade A ridiculous, and honestly so different from all of Ruby's other works I've read. There was the same great characterizations, and the discussions of real life problems in a fantasy setting, but I usually equate Ruby with fluff ball characters and maybe an alpha male or two every now and then. But Joslen and Vilos were cutting people's heads off at every slight opportunity. This was campy and dark humor and just a great time.

Both characters suffer from extreme otherism and their coming together is made the more heartfelt for their backstories and insecurities. Vilos from being a misunderstood demon brought up through child abuse and violence and religious extremism. Joslen has an extreme case of scoliosis which causes so much ableism and abuse for her and quite a lot of self doubt and body dysmorphia.

There was a scene that reminded me of the 2005 Pride and Prejudice moment "I'm 27 years old, I've no money and no prospects. I'm already a burden to my parents and I'm frightened" except Joslen says "I'm in this deep. I beheaded a man to get his attention. I ran from my village. I'm broke and without options." and it sent me to the moon. So much humor and lightness through quite a bit of murder spree. A very, very fun time!

[Paige Wuerdemann]

Thank you so much to Ruby Dixon, Berkley Publishing Group, Luna Bloom PA Services and NetGalley for the eARC of Villain Origin Story.

I've loved reading Ruby Dixon's books for a while now and being part of her street team for this release has been such a privilege! Who doesn't want to pick up a book whose synopsis starts with this?

"A poor village girl enters her villain era with the help of the resident evil tyrant..."

Not only is Joslin a poor and uneducated village girl, she's born with scoliosis that has villagers muttering about her being cursed. Due to this it's believed that the only person who would ever marry her is her cousin- leading to an arranged marriage. Joslin absolutely abhors the idea and is tired of the way her life is playing out.

The plan? Seek out the powerful, handsome and dangerous Scourge King. The brush she had with him teaches her something important- it's time to stop being nice and start being ruthless. And the way to accomplish this? Getting teaching from the Scourge King himself, Vilos Saumien.

Unfortunately this comes with stipulations- she must agree to obey his unhinged commands, keep him entertained. And allow him to seduce her.

From the very first page of the book I was hooked on the story. The two of them just wanted to off people's heads right off the bat. Not only did I love them together in their villainous endeavours but I loved their backstories and how vulnerable they were able to be with each other. Joslin had extreme bouts of body dysmorphia throughout the entire novel causing her self doubt to shine through. Vilos was absolutely morally grey but had many aspects of softness with Joslin. I also loved how he absolutely melted around cats!

If you're looking for a book that will give you the feels but also that is dark romantasy filled with spice and banter that has you wanting to pee your pants (and lets not forget the cute animals) then this one is one that should be added to your TBR.

[bad.mad.wisreads]

Taking back your power, loving yourself, and learning to trust is the name of the game here. Villain Origin Story is much more complex than the description leads you to believe. Ruby Dixon isn’t afraid of hitting some hard topics in this books as ableism is a major theme. Joselen, our FMC, has been ridiculed and looked down upon because of her “curse” or scoliosis. Her story revolves around that and how people treat her eventually leads to her wanting to learn to become ruthless.

The story dives into Vilos, the Grim Lord, who takes his job as a ruthless king quite seriously but softens a bit for Joselen to teach her his ways… and seduce her. In this you get some of the funniest banter I have read. To the point I had to stop reading to laugh at how good the one liners were. Through the journey of Joselen and Vilos relationship, we find out they really aren’t that different from each other. The struggle of acceptance and loving yourself as you are, plays a significant role in defining the MC’s. The books deal with these harder subjects but cushions them with humor, Dark humor at its finest. The story just humor and heart to really connect to the reader.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It was witty and dark. Cozy yet deliciously spicy. And reminded me of the lengths I would go for my best friend (iykyk). I can’t wait to see what Ruby Dixon comes out with next.

[Amanda]

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read a LOT of Ruby Dixon, every Ice Planet Barbarians book, Icehome, Corsairs, etc, so I was excited to see her take on this kind of fantasy romance.

Villain Origin Story was a solid 3 stars for me. This definitely felt more traditionally published than some of her other books I’m used to, and unfortunately, that also made it feel longer than necessary. The beginning especially dragged, there’s time jumps, and became repetitive at times.

That said, there were parts I really enjoyed. I loved the idea that Joslen and Vilos are technically the “bad guys,” while slowly realizing there’s actually a method to the madness. Their motivations made sense, and it was fun watching Joslen embrace her villain era rather than simply accept the life everyone else had chosen for her.

I also enjoyed Joslen and Vilos together. There’s definitely insta-attraction, but their dynamic was entertaining, and I liked watching their relationship develop. The ending was especially fun.

Overall, an entertaining fantasy romance with two villains I was happy to root for.

[Cassie Ring]

After almost 30 years of being ostracized in her home village, Joslen takes it upon herself to seek the guidance of the feared Grim Lord. She travels to the emperor and asks (demands) to be his apprentice. He agrees as long as she plays by his rules.

Both Joslen and Vilos have been looked down upon their whole lives for the things that make them different, and are completely out of their control. Joslen has grown up with scoliosis, causing the people around her to look down upon her. Vilos was born a half-demon, and everyone fears him. Ruby Dixon does a great job of slowly revealing the characters’ personal traumas while they help each other heal.

Throughout her journey of self-discovery, Joslen must decide whether she will stoop to the level of those who have wronged her, or take the high road.

If you are looking for a dark romantasy with spice, banter, one bed, a maniacal MMC, a villain FMC, and lots of cute animals, you should definitely add this to the top of your TBR.

[Stacey]

I finally picked up my first Ruby Dixon and I genuinely cannot believe I waited this long.

Joslen has spent her whole life being underestimated because of her scoliosis and a world that mistakes her curved spine for a curse. When everything falls apart she decides to learn from the most dangerous man in the kingdom how to stop being nice. The Grim Lord Vilos Saumien is not what she expected and she is not what he expected either.

The thing that stood out most to me was how honestly this book handled Joslen’s scoliosis. The daily struggles, the way it shapes how others treat her and how she sees herself, none of it was glossed over or used as a simple plot device. It felt real and it mattered and it made Joslen one of the most compelling heroines I have read in a while.

The character development between these two is so good and the morally grey romance absolutely delivered.

📖 Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

[Sheria Andre-Moosomin]

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read a early copy!

This book was really fun to read, I really liked Joslen and Vilos and how there relationship grew throughout. This is definitely a villains love story, which is not something I've read before, probably why I liked it so much! I also liked seeing how much Joslen changed and became the person she always wanted to be, even if that meant not being good anymore. Don't go into this book thinking that the villains are gonna turn good because they're not, but you'll enjoy the story either way, just because they aren't good doesn't mean they didn’t grow and become better then who they were! I really liked getting to see that perspective and it made it be even more enjoyable knowing that they are still evil, and maybe even justified in their actions. Overall I had a fun time reading this.

[Jessica Watkins]

This is a dark romance comedy. I really enjoyed the writing style, the world, and the characters that Ruby Dixon built. I very much enjoyed Joslen's journey and growth to discovering what kind of person she is. Vilos was absolutely hilarious and had this almost evil golden retriever energy about him, which is so different, but that's part of his charm. Jolsen and Vilos had amazing chemistry and funny scenes that made me laugh out loud. The main side characters were very well flushed out and some had their own charm that I loved. I've read the Arc, but I've already got a copy pre-ordered and plan to reread this again when it comes out just to enjoy the story again. Overall, a very enjoyable, spicy, hilarious story.

[Rebecca Cazier]

Ruby Dixon has done it again 👏👏👏Vilos and Joslen are the PERFECT villian couple. I absolutely loved both of their character progressions throughout the story and not to mention this book was SO FUN.

Who ever thought beheadings would become a love language??!! Not until I read this masterpiece.

We also love an animal loving demon man 😍👏

The story feel well paced with a perfect blend of anticipation, plot, spice and love confessions. Not to mention that Ruby hasn’t ever written a dark book like this, and she was able to make it such a fun read! This book had funny moments, heartfelt moments and spots where I couldn’t stop reading because I HAD to find out what happened next.

Five star read for me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Dog Eared Reads (Jen)]

"If this is what being nice gets you, I want to be evil. I want to be so fucking evil they shiver in fear when my name is mentioned."

This is not a warm and fuzzy he worships her book like Ice Planet Barbarians. This is a murder filled, cozy, "gray" romance between an absolutely unapologetic demon and a woman who is tired of being looked down on by everyone who meets her. Joslen has a "deformity" (she has scoliosis in medieval times therefore she is a bad omen, parents should've drowned her, she should be lucky for any scraps she's thrown, blah blah blah). Our MMC, a demon named Vilos, is the only one who truly sees her for who she is. She begs Vilos to teach her to be evil, he's intrigued and tries to murder her. Classic girl meets boy story.

Joslen's character is extremely fleshed out and we get to know her and fall in love. In contrast, Vilos feels almost cartoonish and wooden and we basically just see him murdering and acting cocky. It would've been great to have his character developed more as the love story and growth between them was really great.

All in all, it was a good time and I hope we see more from this world.

[Lanae (findmeonsmutlane)]

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more.

I don't really know how to write my review without spoilers, so this is gonna be short and sweet and I'll update it once the book releases.

The story is hilariously fun. The banter, top tier. Had me CACKLING out loud so many times.

The MMC was an unhinged, spoiled brat. And I am obsessed with him.

The FMC was fierce and angry, and relatable af. The disability rep was done really well, and I am so excited to see a story like this go so mainstream.

I could have read 500 more pages of them. I didn't want the story to end.

Perfection.

[Daphinie Cramsie]

An absolute ride of not bothering taking names, just taking vengeance right up and personal all while learning to love yourself for the first time. I love the cat and mouse game between both MCs and how we get to process what their relationship with one another means along with them.

I have been back to back DNFing books and this broke the spell! I had such a good time with this book and all the characters in it! The scoliosis rep was fantastic and I love me a non-binary character who like me who is also NB, also likes nice things...and a specific cat. (Ok all cats but I get it lol)

I've already preordered my physical copy because this is already becoming my whole personality...

[Mads]

Wow, this might be my favorite Ruby Dixon book! And that's saying a lot, because I've read a lot of them. I really felt the Sweeney Todd inspiration, and I loved the evilry and villainy. It was done in such a fun way versus a dark way. The love story was somehow both a slow and a fast burn, so I was very entertained by that. I liked the world of the Saints and Gods and Demons. And I really liked Joslen! Her growth was so well done, and I enjoyed the scoliosis and disability representation. It was refreshing and the world was beautifully diverse! Definitely looking forward to other people discovering this one.

[Chelsea Syrews]

I knew I was going to have a soft spot for this book, but I didn’t expect it to hit me quite as personally as it did.

One of the things that really stood out to me was the character having scoliosis. That might seem like a small detail to some readers, but it’s something I have a personal connection to, so seeing it represented in a romance (especially in a character who is still allowed to be desirable, complicated, badass, and fully themselves) meant so much to me.

As always, Ruby has a way with words that can have me giggling, smiling, shaking my head in every chapter. She is my favorite author and this is just another book that solidifies that for me.

[Jacqueline]

Ruby has done it again! She created another fantastic story that was funny and heart wrenching at the same time. We all feel as if there is something wrong with us and she created characters that encourage us to embrace who we are, flaws and all. I loved how passionate Vilos is and how Joslyn really wears her heart on her sleeve. They are both aiming to be evil but they also have morals and limits.

There were a few places that seemed a little repetitive and one spot where the tracking of people was a bit off but none of that distracts from the overall story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and Ruby Dixon for the ARC, everything in this review is my own thoughts.