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How to Capture a Dark Lord's Heart

Not yet published
Expected 13 Nov 26
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Kindle Edition

Expected publication November 13, 2026

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About the author

Emma Eden

8 books70 followers
Emma Eden’s favorite food is drama, which she indulges in with every single one of the characters she’s written over 15 years of scribbles.

That’s why only fantasy worlds and strong heroes can contain her most outrageous, fun, silly and romantic impulses. The women she writes are complex messy beasts in worlds you’ll never want to leave. She brings this “big shark energy” and Happily Ever Afters to every one of her books.

When she’s not cooking up words, she’s cooking soup, burning baked goods and avoiding the sun.

You can read her thoughtful ramblings by signing up for her newsletter and ignoring her on socials.

Let’s be moon magic besties!

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Terri McCarrell.
300 reviews20 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 8, 2026
Let me preface this by saying that I really get what Emma Eden was going for with this book. There is ABSOLUTELY an audience that will love this book. Unfortunately, it wasn't me. I really enjoyed Eden's other writing, and it should be known that she really writes great stuff. This book fell toooo far down the silly rabbit hole for me. Again, I understand that was the point, but for my own personal preferences, it was just too far that direction for my full enjoyment.
I always enjoy the magic and world building Eden writes, and this was no exception. The characters were funny while also having a good system of fantasy built around them. I just couldn't take them seriously at all in the end, and I know there are MANY people who kick their feet and giggle over this style of writing. They will have the best time with this book!
Profile Image for Larissa Benfey.
Author 3 books14 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 8, 2026
I had a bit of a strange reading experience with this one. For roughly the first 50%, I was really struggling to connect with it—the writing and structure just weren’t quite working for me. There were several elements that felt underdeveloped or unclear, from some of the character relationships to the passage of time to plot points that seemed to get introduced and then glossed over. At times, things happened so quickly that I had to pause and piece together what had actually happened.

The romance was a mixed bag for me, too. While I did appreciate just how gloriously down-bad Maksim is for Dani (and his excellent “touch her and die” energy 👀), some of the chemistry INITIALLY felt more forced than earned. I also wasn’t always sure where certain character relationships stood, which made some of the sudden shifts in how people treated one another feel a little jarring.

That said... something really clicked for me around the halfway mark. I found myself invested in the characters and fully swept up in the plot despite the book’s earlier limitations. I particularly enjoyed the ideas around perception, manipulation, and propaganda—and the way “good” and “evil” aren’t necessarily as straightforward as they initially appear.

And the third act? That’s where the narrative really shines. Everything comes together, it’s genuinely gripping and fast-paced (but not confusing), and I loved seeing Dani take centre stage. I especially appreciated some of the ways the book flipped the usual gendered expectations around third-act conflicts, and by the end, I really liked that Dani and Maksim felt like genuine equals in terms of power. He also brings out the worst in her—in the best possible way—which ended up being one of my favourite aspects of their dynamic.

So, yeah. This was a weird one for me. There’s a lot here that I think could have used more development and polish, but the latter part of the book won me over considerably more than I expected it to. I can absolutely see what the author was going for, even if I didn’t always feel the execution quite got there.

Also: Why did I think this was a standalone?? Yes, it does wrap up its main story—but then THE LAST SENTENCE?!? IMPLYING SUCH A WILD CLIFFHANGER?!!??! I am unwell.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Michelle.
253 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
October 17, 2026
Thank you netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

This is a fantasy rom/com full of magical creatures and general silliness. Our fmc Danika has been thrust into becoming a chosen one who has to face off against the dark lord with little training or experience. Chaos ensues

There are a number of colourful characters we're introduced to, including a murderous unicorn. There are plenty of zany antics and silly situations which are on the whole, very funny. The fmc has a sense of humour that leans to the absurd The banter is great and the chemistry and tension is really good

It sometimes feels as though the story races ahead without much explanation and I had to occasionally reread lines as I didn't understand what was happening or why. I appreciate this is a short book however so lots of world building can't be done.

The fmcs choices did start to rankle by the end of the book and I'm not sure if she will be a character I want to revisit. However the mmc and the surrounding cast of characters are great. I particularly liked the idea of having such a bland villian who commits atrocities in full view and creates a narrative to fit his plan.

Overall a short funny fantasy rom/com, read if you love a book full of silliness
Profile Image for lena ☆.
172 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 10, 2026
Danika’s already overwhelmed with work and caring for her ailing father when she discovers she’s the Chosen One destined to defeat the Dark Lord, Maksim. But when Fate turns their epic battle into an unexpected marriage, she finds herself training under the very man she’s supposed to destroy. As Maksim struggles with his growing feelings for his chaotic wife, a new Chosen One emerges, forcing them to work together against a common enemy. With forced proximity, an arranged marriage, and a villain falling in love, saving the world might be easier than admitting their feelings.

This is full of banter, funny side characters and fantasy elements.
I enjoyed this book a lot. It’s a quick, funny and entertaining read.

Their chemistry was really refreshing, and I loved how they slowly started to trust each other, as Danika got better at using her magic, and Maksim found love.

I will say, I didn’t understand a few aspects of the world building itself. I think with such a big world, there could’ve been more time to explore it, rather than gloss over it.

“The dildo of consequences rarely comes lubed”

thank you to net galley, victory editing and Emma Eden for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Dísir.
1,808 reviews191 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 15, 2026
This was unfortunately one that I couldn't get past the first chapter at all: nothing sat right with me at all, not the tone nor the plot a 35-year-old lady getting to help a dark lord. I tried and I tried to get into it, but ended up going through the first 2 chapters repeatedly until I gave up.

It's not badly written if you consider the first person POV written in a comedic style that almost verges on New Adult slapstick from the very start, but I guessed a little too late that this wasn't my preference.

*ARC kindly provided by the publisher via Netgalley
Profile Image for Blossom’s Bookshelf.
39 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 17, 2026
So Much for Slaying the Villain

Being sent to kill the Dark Lord is one thing. Accidentally marrying him feels like an administrative error.

⭐4/5
🌶️3/5

How to Capture a Dark Lord’s Heart by Emma Eden is a romantasy romcom and the first book in The Villain’s Way series. Told in dual first-person POV, it had me hooked immediately. Maksim preparing for the Chosen One’s arrival with inspections, elaborate plans and a household that keeps interrupting him was such a brilliant introduction. His reputation promises terror. The reality involves a surprising amount of administration and people who know him far too well.

Danika, meanwhile, already has enough responsibilities without being informed that defeating the Dark Lord is apparently another one. She’s a 35-year-old teacher and long-term caregiver to her father, and the promise of help makes accepting the Chosen One role understandable. Unfortunately, an attempted sacrifice turning into an unexpected wedding is rather beyond the training she received.

Danika’s exhaustion and determination made it easy to connect with her, especially when being practical and capable one moment didn’t stop her from becoming completely overwhelmed the next. Her teaching experience comes through in how she handles people, and I loved that she questions, argues and tries things rather than quietly accepting whatever the supposedly more knowledgeable men tell her. Watching her become more confident without losing those recognisable parts of herself was deeply satisfying.

Between the financial pressure, guilt, isolation and relentless need to think ahead, Danika’s love for her father never makes caring for him feel simple. After years of doing everything herself, her difficulty trusting anyone else with his care made complete sense to me. Even having something simply because she wanted it felt unfamiliar. Those small moments of receiving attention and care affected me much more than I expected, especially because accepting help didn’t magically erase her worry or responsibility.

And then there’s Maksim, who would very much like everyone to follow the plan and stop making him experience emotions. I found him entertaining and compelling even when he was behaving terribly. His need for control extends well beyond his villainous image, and learning more about his past made that understandable without excusing every choice. His relationships with the household also reveal a familiarity and attachment that he cannot entirely hide beneath the threats.

Neither Danika nor Maksim makes an encounter easy, and their obvious attraction only makes the verbal sparring more entertaining. Their clashes consistently made me laugh while keeping the chemistry strong. The possessiveness and dangerous behaviour suited this deliberately outrageous fantasy for me, particularly because Danika resists and challenges him. She has priorities of her own, and I never felt that being drawn to him made those disappear.

As the relationship developed, their growing tenderness became more important to me than the sexual tension. Paying attention, recognising vulnerability and making practical efforts for each other gave me reasons to believe in their feelings beyond the magical connection. I wanted greater openness midway through, and their later conversations and actions gave me that emotional depth. Maksim’s growth also worked because falling in love didn’t suddenly turn him into an entirely different man. Some of his reactions still frustrated me, even when I understood them.

With Tig fussing over lists, Brath approaching everything with military seriousness and Dory combining warmth with ruthlessness, the fortress feels full of people who have lives and habits beyond the central romance. Sid won me over early, and Julius the murderous unicorn absolutely deserves his place in the promotional material (I would love to see some character art of Danika and Julius). I became attached to this household through the comedy, which made the emotional moments hit harder.

Creation and destruction make an interesting pairing, particularly when using magick affects Danika and Maksim so differently. I enjoyed discovering those consequences within world-building that gave me enough to follow without slowing the story down. As I learnt more about the people behind the heroic and villainous reputations, their motives and actions made the supposed division between good and evil increasingly difficult to trust.

I had so much fun with the ridiculousness, and Danika’s ingenuity made the fantasy action particularly entertaining. The distinct voices, dialogue and brisk pacing kept me wanting another chapter, while the emotional developments gave me more to care about as I went.

But that last sentence?

WHAT THE FUCK.

The main conflict gets a satisfying payoff, then the ending delivers a substantial romantic cliffhanger. I went from enjoying the emotional resolution to urgently needing the sequel.

Tropes

Dark Lord × Chosen One
Enemies to Lovers
Accidental Magical Marriage
Forced Proximity
Fated Mates
“My Wife” Possessiveness
Villain Gets the Girl
Found Family
Learning to Accept Care
Magick Has a Price
A Murderous Unicorn

Content Warnings

Kidnapping, Captivity and Imprisonment
Forced Marriage
Controlling Behaviour, Coercion and Magical Mind Control
Emotional and Verbal Abuse
Abuse of Authority, Mentor Abuse and Child Abuse
Threats Against Loved Ones and Hostage-Taking
Physical Assault and Torture
Blood, Gore, Graphic Injuries, Dismemberment and Decapitation
Death, Killing, Murder, Attempted Murder and Parental Loss
Grief and Anticipatory Grief
Progressive Illness and Cognitive Decline
Caregiver Distress and Abuse of a Vulnerable Older Adult
Anxiety, Panic and Intense Fear

I would recommend this to readers who enjoy chaotic fantasy romcoms, enemies-to-lovers tension, a villain who takes “my wife” very seriously and the chaos of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. The banter and murderous unicorn made me laugh, while the caregiving storyline and unexpected tenderness gave it real heart. I had so much fun reading this—but be prepared for a cliffhanger. I need the next book immediately.

Thank you to Emma Eden and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Cambria Grzybowski.
24 reviews32 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 4, 2026
DNF @ 13%

I received an ARC of How to Capture a Dark Lord’s Heart in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much for the opportunity!

I REALLY wanted to like this one.

A 35-year-old FMC discovers she’s the Chosen One destined to defeat a Dark Lord… only for Fate to apparently have wedding bells in mind instead?

YES. That premise immediately got me.

Unfortunately, I ended up DNFing around 13%, and the biggest reason was the writing itself.

I frequently found myself rereading sentences because the phrasing or sentence construction made it difficult to understand what was actually being said. There were also moments where fairly significant things seemed to happen almost in passing, leaving me wondering when or how we’d gotten from one action to the next.

More than anything, though, the writing felt very surface-level to me.

Character reactions, emotions, and implications were often stated or immediately explained rather than given room to develop through the scene. At the same time, some of the connective tissue between actions felt missing. I never really felt like I was inside the story—I was very aware that I was reading it.

The humor was also hit-or-miss for me. There were a couple of lines that genuinely made me laugh, and I could usually see where the book was trying to be funny, but most of the jokes didn’t quite land for me. The very modern, conversational phrasing also occasionally pulled me out of the fantasy setting.

And that’s ultimately why I decided to stop.

At only 13%, I can’t speak to how the romance, characters, or larger plot develop, and I don’t want to rate a story I didn’t read enough of to fairly judge.

But after repeatedly finding myself focused more on deciphering the writing than getting lost in the story, I realized this particular writing style just wasn’t going to work for me.

Which is a bummer because I still think the premise sounds SO fun. 😭
Profile Image for Aleksandra.
549 reviews5 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
October 18, 2026
Thank you so much Emma Eden for sending me this ARC!

How To Capture a Dark Lord’s Heart is the first book in a Fantasy Romance series and a great mix of fantasy romance and rom-com, I really enjoyed Dani and Maksim’s story.

This book sounded amazing when I first heard about it and I knew I had to read it. I mean, a 35-years old FMC who finds out she’s a Chosen One and needs to kill the Dark Lord but their fight doesn’t go according to plan and they end up getting married and forced to work together? It was exactly what it promised and I had a lot of fun reading this book, it started strong and I ended up really liking it. Dani and Maksim were great as the main characters, their banter was amazing and the tension between them was palpable. Their first meeting and all that followed and how they were stuck together was hilarious and they were definitely perfect for each other. I loved how down bad Maks was for Dani, he definitely fell first and it was fun to see him trying to deny it while constantly calling her ‘my wife’ and all the possessiveness and ‘touch her and die’ vibes. I also liked the supporting characters, especially Julius, the murderous unicorn, the author had many great ideas that she put into this book and I enjoyed seeing them come to life.

The reason it was not a 5⭐️ book for me was the pacing. This book started strong, but after some time it really slowed and I struggled to keep reading, but about halfway through it picked up and I flew through the rest and ended up really liking it, the story and the characters are really great and unique and definitely worth reading about.

How To Capture a Dark Lord’s heart is a great romantasy book with rom-com elements, I had fun reading it and enjoyed this story, definitely recommend it and I also liked that while it’s the first book in series, there’s no cliffhanger at the end.
Profile Image for Eden.
Author 0 books48 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 16, 2026
With magic, enemies to lovers, and banter laced through this story, How to Capture a Dark Lord's Heart is a must read for any Romantasy lovers out there. The book cover captures the Rom-Com energy and this coupled with the title immediately caught my interest.

Where this story shines is the characters. We have the FMC Danika and the MMC Maksim. They fall into their stereotypical roles of 'Chosen One' and 'Dark Lord' respectively and what I loved about them is that this laid the foundation for their relationship without losing their personality. Danika's humour is able to put a smile on my face and I love how this side of her is balanced through interactions with her father. Meanwhile, Maksim's backstory is one to keep an eye on as it does raise the question of how a character has more than meets the eye. Definitely seeing them married for majority of the story adds sweet moments. I felt that as the story got on, their bond did deepen and I think they did eventually meet in the middle. Shoutout to the side characters. Each one gave Maksim's character much needed humanity and underneath the prophecies and power dynamics there are strong elements of a chosen family. One specific side character (I shall leave it a surprise) made me chuckle on multiple occasions. Regarding the plot, the story does come full circle and readers won't realize it until you reach the last page.

If you like stories where the villain gets the girl and a chosen one gets more than she bargained for, How to Capture a Dark Lord's Heart is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.
Profile Image for Fedythereader.
1,136 reviews35 followers
October 16, 2026
Thank you to the author and publisher, Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op, for sharing an ARC of this book with me!!

“I was the Dark Lord of Destruction, Darkness, and Terror, and this Chosen One was about to meet her match”

“The dildo of consequences rarely comes lubed”

This book was phenomenal !!! A fantasy romance story filled with witty banter, funny side characters and a match of FMC and MMC to fall for !!! Danika and Maksin are such amazing main characters! I enjoyed their story so so much! Imagine Beauty and the Beast but with a twist because she is sent there to destroy him and he needs to sacrifice her for the greater good but he is also the villain and she is also so stubborn she won’t go down easily. It grips you from the very beginning. You try to figure out what Fate has in store for these two and you’ll get frustrated when the only obstacle on their journey towards love is each other. It was spicy and it had sweetness. It was strong and it had some darkness. It was sad at moments but happy throughout ! Mostly, it was a skilfully demonstration of magical bindings between two very similar people, forced on opposite sides because of brainwashing. I loved it!!! And after that last sentence, you better believe I’ll be scouting the internet for news of the sequel !!!

“Dani, I was born a bad idea”

“If this is what happened when we were together, I was ready to join the dark side”

“Why are you smiling, tempest?”
“You were right. Being evil is fun!”
Profile Image for Danielle.
200 reviews5 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
October 10, 2026
Emma Eden’s books always bring so much joy to my banter-desperate, Monty Python, sarcastic humor loving heart. How to Capture a Dark Lord’s Heart did NOT disappoint.

When Dark Lord Maksim has the voluptuous Danika dropped on his doorstep by Morgan St. Morgan, he finds himself face to face with not only a gorgeous woman - but a Chosen One of adorably novice proportions. Then Fate steps in and forces them to come together in a most unexpected way, and attraction and plotting make a path for the two strangers to come together as Dani and Maks - a romantastic power couple if there ever was one.

With an ending that will leave you yearning for book 2, Eden has given us an entry into this side of the Harrowlands that is equal parts hot and entertaining. There’s an MMC jockeying for power, there’s an FMC who discovers who she is apart from a school teacher and a caregiver to her dad, there’s the most loyal of zombie dogs - and who needs dragons when you have a badass unicorn bestie??? I honestly wish life hadn’t been lifing while I was reading this because it was so enjoyable, I easily could have devoured this in a day or two instead of over a week.

If you like your romantasy to have an amazing story with a side of romcom and sarcasm, do not sleep on How to Capture a Dark Lord’s Heart. It is such a fun book.
Profile Image for Alex West.
69 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
October 12, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley

This was a really entertaining read! The characters were funny, silly, questionable but I was rooting for them! I loved that the FMC was
35 year old too.

The banter between the FMC and MMC had me laughing out loud at times and I loved watched their relationship develop, the "touch her and die" energy was real 🩶

The quotes at the beginning of her chapters were giving me life, my favourite being "The dildo of consequences rarely comes lubed." 👀😂

Also please sign me up for a unicorn bestie because yes please 🦄

But with that being said, there were parts of the story that I felt weren't clear and it took me a second to realise what was going on, but probably around the halfway mark i felt locked into the story and flew through the rest.

The writing style was different to what I was used to and there were some issues in the beginning where the tense changed mid sentence from present to past and it almost didn't make sense. I sometimes had to read the sentence a few times to actually understand its meaning! But this seemed to settle midway through the book.

Overall I had a good time reading this book and am excited to continue this series and check out Emma's other work! 😊

Thank you so much to Emma Eden and Netgalley for this ARC Copy.
Profile Image for Carah.
100 reviews3 followers
October 1, 2026
Huge thank you to Emma for the early early ARC!

Where do I even begin? This is another BANGER by Emma, I legit was laughing so hard within the first 3 chapters. You are going to get all the feels with this story, and they are executed so, so well. These characters are so funny just because of who they are. You have Danika, the school teacher, who is told she is The Chosen One and is sent to end the Dark Lord. But wouldn't you know, the Dark Lord is a HUNK. (per usual)

Maksim is the Dark Lord, and he is trying to open the Fate Gate, but he needs the Chosen One do to this, so instead of ending the next Chosen One, he realizes he needs to sacrifice them.

The chemistry between Maksim and Danika is soooo good. I was giggle and kicking my feet at the sarcastic dialogue between them. Both characters had a sarcastic side that I was eating up.

The story has such a good flow that makes the story pacing really good, and there is definitely some good swoony lines (just ask me for my highlights lolll) The plot is actually so fun and fits so well into the Harrowlands world, I genuinely am so excited to be able to get the second book so I can see what in the world is going to happen next to Danika and Maksim!
Profile Image for Kelly.
122 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 18, 2026
Beware of being named the Chosen One, especially when the Dark Lord you're destined to defeat ends up bound to you by marriage! This was a laugh-out-loud romantasy rom-com.

I was laughing out loud starting right in Chapter One! Danika’s magic comes to her with absolute ease, but is gloriously, hilariously ineffective. Watching her attempt to conjure a fearsome battle bear only to summon a cute teddy bear, or spawning a shield made of literal jelly, makes for top-tier romantic comedy.

The enemies-to-lovers as "Dark Lord and Chosen One" quickly evolve into "Maks and Dani." Their dynamic is packed with witty banter, playful absurdity, and deep mutual yearning as Maksim fights his growing possessiveness and Dani tries to resist his dark charm. The creative fantasy world-building, and fun cast of side characters keeps the story breezy, entertaining, and utterly charming.

This is a delightful blend of spicy romantasy, accidental marriage, whimsical magic mishaps, and laugh-out-loud banter. Highly recommended for fans of enemies-to-lovers, forced marriage, dark lords with a soft spot, relatable heroines, whimsical magic, and laugh-out-loud romantic comedies!
Profile Image for KatieByName.
32 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
October 2, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the ARC copy!

How To Capture a Dark Lord's heart was such an entertaining read with a strong and very relatable FMC and a darkly charming and morally grey MMC.

The two were so easy to root for as a couple despite their very different personalities... You know what they say; opposites attract! BUT they were also so likeable that I was cheering for them on their own personal journeys too.

The side characters were just as loveable. I have to particularly shout out Jules; the world would be a better place if we all had a bonded unicorn to telepathically tell us we're magnificent 😆

I can see a lot of people comparing this book to Assistant To The Villain and whilst I do see similarities, the plot and characters are so uniquely different that I don't think you can really compare the two. How To Capture a Dark Lord has its own whacky fun, fantastical and tense plot that sets it apart from the others of the 'Dark Lord's trope!
Profile Image for Entisar Ali.
346 reviews8 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 10, 2026
Danika already had a teaching job and an ailing dad on her plate when a handsome cult dude showed up to tell her she was the Chosen One, and I laughed out loud at how she treated destroying the Lord of Destruction as one more item on her to do list. Then Fate chose wedding bells over war drums, and the Dark Lord Maksim found himself married to the woman he was supposed to sacrifice. Maksim’s possessive, hopelessly down bad devotion won me over, and their sarcastic chemistry had me giggling the whole way. The first half felt rushed in places, but around the midpoint I got swept up, and the third act, with Dani taking center stage and both of them finally equals in power, had me gripped. I loved the way good and evil blurred along the way, and that final sentence left me desperate for book two.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Profile Image for Devan Perry.
45 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 14, 2026
I usually love a villain themed romcom book, but this one simply wasn't for me. There were intriguing points in the plot, but the writing absolutely got in the way of my enjoyment. It felt very clunky at times, had a lot of awkward transitions from sentence to sentence, and really obscured some of the details - even after reading the entire thing, I still have so many questions about the magic system here and the abilities and limits of their powers. Also, I couldn't stand the language; the characters regularly use terms like "butt waffle" as an insult, and the FMC referred to the MMC's "jingle-johnson" multiple times. Maybe it's just not my kind of comedy... This one may have a few redeeming qualities, but not enough for me to support it.

*Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for honest review.
Profile Image for Gwen Brophy.
353 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 10, 2026
Well, this was very fun!

I enjoyed the humor in this, and I will say that I was quite surprised by the ending, having no idea that this wasn't a standalone, but there are definitely some dangling threads that need to be tied up.

The spice was good, and I enjoyed the push-pull of Maks and Dani and how they grew closer. Maks was an appropriately quirky Dark Lord with a cast of zany characters around him. Dani was an appropriate Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Morgan was annoying villain pulling strings and manipulating everyone around him.

This feels a bit too similar to another Dark Lord series for me to give it more than 4 stars, but I really did enjoy reading it. And when the next one comes out, I'll want to know what happens.
Profile Image for Elia Winters.
470 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 14, 2026
How to Capture a Dark Lord's Heart was a fun and quirky romantasy! I love a morally gray couple and Danika and Maksim did not disappoint. I loved their initial encounters and their banter was laugh out loud funny! There were so many funny moments in the book but I also enjoyed seeing Danika come into her own a the Chosen One and then the Dark Lady, she has been through so much in her life and putting others before herself but finally she was able to live for herself and also fight for herself. My biggest issue was not fully understanding how the world worked, i feel like I still have so many questions or things were not clear but i still enjoyed the story! I hope to learn more in book 2!!!!

I also feel like I highlighted half of the book because so many parts were hilarious and wonderful!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Emma Eden for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Profile Image for Mariah Chadwick.
50 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 15, 2026
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This one was… okay! I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story, and it took me a while to feel invested. That being said, I did find it funny, and the humor definitely helped keep me going.

One thing I genuinely appreciated was having an older FMC! It’s refreshing to see a more mature female main character in romantasy because, let’s be real, it doesn’t happen nearly enough. Sometimes I want a heroine who isn’t barely out of her teens, and this book delivered on that front!

Overall, it was an entertaining read, but it didn’t completely hook me the way I’d hoped. I enjoyed parts of it, had some laughs, and appreciated the FMC, but it wasn’t a new favorite. Not a bad read by any means, just not one that completely stole my heart. 🖤
Profile Image for Jessica.
123 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 9, 2026
I greatly appreciate Netgalley and Victory Editing for sending me this ARC to read in exchange for my review. Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. The writing style felt very flat and was delivered quite rapid fire. It left me with only vague impressions of what was happening, what the world looked like, and who the characters were. It almost felt as if I were skimming a book instead of actually reading it. We really don't get any sense of who the characters are and we only know their names because the chapter heading lists it as the POV. The overall vibe seems like a cross between Still Chosen by Stephanie Olson and Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis but without any of the descriptive depth.
Profile Image for Soni.
95 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 12, 2026
I have received an ARC of this book but this is my honest opinion.
I haven't laughed so much while reading a book since I read The Irresistible Urge To Fall For Your Enemy. I also loved Maksim and Dani, they are awesome well thought out characters and I loved watching them grow an change throughout the book. The world building and plot are also really good. Sid is absolutely adorable and I love that undead dog so much. I really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it to other readers who love romantasy with a heavy dose of humour and some spice. I will definitely be rereading this book again soon!
Profile Image for Julia Raynor.
33 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
October 15, 2026

I really can’t remember the last time I legitimately laughed out loud while reading. This book was so funny! I’m a sucker for a forced marriage enemies-to-lovers trope. Dani was so ridiculous and positive for her situation that it was refreshing. Maks was broody and I loved the yearning. The book itself had not too much world building to focus on so it was a pretty straightforward read. The beginning had me laughing, the middle I evened out and the ending so much happened I literally stayed up until 1am because I had to finish and couldn’t put the book down. The ending omg I have no words but I need book 2
Profile Image for Zoe Lipman.
2,171 reviews39 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 8, 2026
I had SOOO much fun with this and will most certainly be continuing the series!

This is for fans of the Assistant to the Villain series, Guide to Villainy and Love series, and the Total Chaos series. They have very similar tones and stories.

This was super fun and easy to read and to get hooked with. These characters were fun and engaging, and so were the situations they found themselves in.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Profile Image for Joanna Z-F.
94 reviews3 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
October 12, 2026
Thank you, NetGalley, for an early copy of this book.

I had a fun time with this one. The premise was interesting, and the characters were charming. I loved Danika and her spirit and tenacity.

The humor was great in this book, and the banter was fantastic. I think my favorite were the side characters and the little comments they would make when the main were talking. Loved that.

All and all, a fun, cozy time.
Profile Image for Emma.
22 reviews
October 13, 2026
First, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! While I didn’t love this book, I still enjoyed it. Understandably it was a bit choppy with some small errors in, but that’s to be expected in an ARC. The concept of the book itself was hilarious. I love a good vs evil storyline with some romance tossed in. The ending felt rushed, while the start felt dragged out. I think it’s worth a read if you want a funny, cutesy, quick read!
Profile Image for Kelly Tolley.
22 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Author
October 13, 2026
Thank you Emma Eden and Netgalley for this eARC. I liked the funny lines from the FMC. The animal familiars were a favorite too. However, it was a bit slow to develop. The storyline was different regarding the FMC, which I liked. I wanted the light-heartedness surrounding the imminent death vibes. But it didn’t hold my interest through the entire book.
Profile Image for Han Bento.
405 reviews2 followers
October 5, 2026
~NETGALLEY ARC REVIEW~

1.5 stars (rounded)

i tried so gard to like this because the story had so much potential but i just couldn't get myself to enjoy the writing
41 reviews6 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 12, 2026
Honestly loved this, was super cute and funny and exactly what I expected getting in to it!

Julien is my fav character..

Anyone needing a short lil romcom should def give this a shot!
Profile Image for Faiza.
1,140 reviews22 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
October 15, 2026
This one was cute and funny read tbh. Had a good time while reading this. Laughed so hard that it’s still hurts 😂.

Definitely would recommend to everyone.
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