It's Monday! What Are You Reading? #457: Back on the Horror Train

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date and Unleashing Reads.

Sunday Post #493: Just Work, Trials, and Sims

Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!

Monthly Wrap-Up: February 2026

I don't know how, but I managed to read 10 books this month! That's a total of 3042 pages, which is 859 pages MORE than last month! 😱

• 6 were full-length novels, and 2 manga, 1 novella, and 1 light novel
• 8 were part of a series, and 2 were standalone
• I started 3 series, and finished 1, and caught up on 1
• 9 were finished copies and 1 ARC
• 4 were physical books, and 5 were ebooks, and 1 was an audio/ebook combo
• 4 were 4.5 stars, 3 were 4 stars, and 3 were 3.5 stars
• All 10 were traditionally published
• 6 were by authors I've previously read, and 4 were new to me
• 3 were adult books, and 7 were YA books
• All 10 were fiction
• 2 were action, 4 horror, 1 high fantasy, 1 mystery thriller, 1 cozy fantasy, and 1 sci-fi

Review: Accomplice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain #3) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Title: Accomplice to the Villain

Series: Assistant to the Villain #3

Previous book in this series: Assistant to the Villain (#1) | Apprentice to the Villain (#2)

Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Genre: Adult, high fantasy, romance

Publication date: August 2025

Published by: Entangled: Red Tower Books

Source: Purchased paperback

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Book Outlet

Synopsis: REWARD OFFERED: Apprentice to The Villain wanted for treason (light), magical property damage (alleged), and one incident involving a weaponized scone (accurate). Frequently seen with a grumpy frog (crowned, judgmental). Answers to “Evie” or “Stop that.”

Evie Sage didn’t mean to become the right-hand woman to the kingdom’s most terrifying villain. One minute, she was applying for an entry-level position that promised “light paperwork and occasional beheadings,” and the next, she was knee-deep in magical mayhem, murder plots, and an entirely inappropriate crush on her brooding, sharp-jawed, walking disaster of a boss.

Now, with a magical prophecy unraveling, assassins showing up in the break room, and a suspicious amount of frogs wearing crowns, Evie has to figure out how to survive her job without setting the kingdom on fire—or her dignity, which is hanging by a very sarcastic thread.

Being evil-adjacent was never part of the five-year plan. But then again... neither was falling for The Villain.

A magical office comedy with grumpy bosses, snarky frogs, and definitely-not-feelings.

My rating: ★★★☆☆

I don't know what's going on with this series, but it is progressively getting worse and it's making me so sad! I literally gave the first book 5 stars! 😭

Review: Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain #2) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Title: Apprentice to the Villain

Series: Assistant to the Villain #2

Previous book in this series: Assistant to the Villain

Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Genre: Adult, high fantasy, romance

Publication date: August 2024

Published by: Entangled: Red Tower Books

Source: Purchased paperback

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Book Outlet

Synopsis: NOTICE TO STAFF: There has been a disturbing increase in cheeriness, sprightly behavior, and overall optimism of late. Please resume your former dark, ominous terrors at your earliest convenience. —Mgmt

Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat... er, out-of-evil-office.

But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs—Kingsley’s included—point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies... including their nemesis, the king.

Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.

It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so... so... delightfully fun.

But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?

My rating: ★★★★☆

I'm not gonna lie, I didn't love this book as much as the last one. I mean, I still liked it, but Assistant to the Villain was an easy 5 stars, sooo...