I enjoyed the MMC, being dedicated to your love is always hot. The way vampires were portrayed was interesting.. I did not enjoy the FMC and I think it made it hard for me to truly enjoy this book.

I am a fan of Rebecca Kenney and enjoy her other books. I will continue to read her work.

I value the opportunity I was given to read this in advance, but I still haven't read this. With so many books ahead of me, I cannot return to this title.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a sucker (no pun intended because there's a vampiric supernatural twist in this modern retelling) for the Roaring 20s era and The Great Gatsby was one of my favorite books I read in high school, but this retelling fell flat for me.

The dialogue and the plot were honestly laughable. I have no idea how Daisy didn't see ahead of time that there was something supernatural going on with a lot of the characters in the storyline. There were so many moments throughout the story that I had to laugh out loud at because I couldn't take it seriously. It sounded like a really bad Twilight X The Great Gatsby crossover fanfic the entire time.

The one thing that got me was the part where Daisy and Jay GOOGLE things about how having a hypnotic voice affected vampires after they discover Daisy's ability to control vampires with her voice. Like...you think websites are talking about this stuff? I had to laugh out loud.

Then there's the other part where she asks her parents if they'd be okay with Jay turning her into a vampire at the end of the story and her parents are just like...okay with it? They didn't have any questions, freak out, they were just like..."Okay cool when do you plan on turning?" (hide spoiler)]

There IS spice in here, but I wouldn't say it's one of the spiciest books I've read. The one part that got me was the end where Daisy asks Jay to bite her vagina with his fangs during sex...I don't know about you, but that sounds painful as all hell and I guess ah...you do you. That entire scene just gave me the ick.

Overall I think the whole "vampire" aspect of the story was overdone and over the top and I feel like if you're REALLY into supernatural romance/romantasy then this book might hit differently for you than it did for me.

2 stars

I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are mine and mine alone.

I am a huge Gatsby fan, as well as vampires. So when this book was announced I was so so excited. And it did not disappoint. Honestly I have not read anything bad from this author. While this book is set in the 2020’s rather than the 1920’s, it still gave that glamorous feel and excitement I felt when reading The Great Gatsby in high school. I loved that Daisy has her own thoughts and is strong in her own way and is not like the Daisy we know. I loved finding little Easter eggs from the original novel sprinkled throughout. Without spoiling, I wasn’t a huge fan of the Daisy plot, it felt like it came from nowhere. Personally, I’d love more details and history of the plot and hope we see it soon. Highly recommend if you’re a Gatsby fan like myself and hated the ending. Plus did I mention vampires?

I was intrigued by the synopsis of the book and the premise that is promised. What I did get was quite different than what I was expecting from that. A Gatsby retelling? I would say that it delivered on this front, very loosely. The reader gets the names and a rags-to-riches story, but I did not anticipate the ending to work out so perfectly. A magical twist? That was what the synopsis offered, but not quite what it delivered. Instead, we got a vampire story, which is fine, if that is what I was expecting to get into. The book did mostly deliver on the spice content that it promised, but I just wasn’t buying the connection between Daisy and Jay; it did not feeling as natural and compelling as I would have liked. The world-building and plot were a bit strange to me as well. It felt incomplete in some way that I cannot quite put my finger on.
I would recommend this book to certain people, but not everyone. If you enjoy vampire stories with some spice, then this could be for you. I was just expecting more from the story than what I got. Overall, the story was mediocre for me.
Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for a digital review copy. The opinions expressed are honest and my own.

This book hooked me from the very first page with its lush prose and intoxicating atmosphere. I loved how the book balanced the glitz and glamour with an undercurrent of darkness. Gatsby is magnetic and mysterious, and Daisy’s internal conflict felt real—torn between attraction and self-preservation. The chemistry between them sizzles, and their encounters are filled with tension, longing, and a sense of inevitability.

Kenney’s writing is fluid and evocative, pulling me deep into a world that feels both familiar and thrillingly new. The pacing kept me on edge, and while I already knew the bones of the story, the supernatural twist made it feel fresh and unpredictable.

If you love retellings, forbidden romance, and morally grey characters, Beautiful Villain is a must-read. It takes a well-loved classic and transforms it into something hauntingly beautiful.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Beautiful Villain by Rebecca Kenney!

this as a steamy paranormal romence. not my best read rom the auuthor but it was a good escape into romntic fantasy

A Gatsby retelling with paranormal vibes, vampires, and spice? SAY LESS !

I’ve enjoyed several of Rebecca’s retellings, and this one definitely delivered. The world-building was on point and the character development was fantastic. Absolutely loved this read and would highly recommend it!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this amazing book.

I got a little ARC happy and applied for this title based upon the cover. Unfortunately, this book is not for me and I am no longer interested in reading this title. Thank you for the opportunity to be an early reader!

This was my first book by Rebecca Kenney, but it definitely won’t be my last.

It's an amazing retelling with a fantasty twist to it that I loved. I've never been too interested in Gatsby, so I can’t explain quite what drew me to this book in the first place, but after reading this, I'm very intrigued and will definitely have to add it to my TBR.

I loved how the fantastical elements had scientific explanations. I liked how the spice wasn’t the main focus, like so many fantasy romance books these days (don't get me wrong, I love me some spice, but sometimes it's nice to read something with more focus on plot and fantasy elements).

Another 5 star read from Rebecca!! Really enjoyed this!

I've never read about vampires before and I absolutely got such a thrill from the biting!!

Also that VR room scene will forever live in my head ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

What a fun retelling of a classic.

While the characters absolutely drove me nuts, the plot was enjoyable and I was still able to enjoy this one even with its flaws. This was a quick, easy read that didn’t require a whole lot.

This was a fun, sexy read and I truly did love Daisy’s glow up as a whole. She just came off annoying as all hell to me, and Gatsby was over the top. Though — given the loose retelling it did make some sense.

Loved this one!!! Such a fun retelling of a classic. This was my biggest surprise this fall, I truly loved it so much.

The cover of this one sucked me in. It's so beautiful. Unfortunately, the story just wasn't for me as a reader. I wish I had liked it more for sure!

“Beautiful Villain” was mildly entertaining but not necessarily in a good way. FMC Daisy is annoying and MMC Gatsby was too over the top in his simpness. There are many MANY pop culture references, and the plot pacing felt off to me. The book had moments where it truly caught my interest, but they were few and far between. It really lost me when Gatsby and Daisy tell her parents that she plans to become a vampire and they had no protest. It was just too much. I do think this book will have an audience, I am simply not among it.

2 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

I love Rebecca’s books. They’re easy to read and highly addicting. Like my favorite candy! This one was no different, and I ate it upppp in less than 24 hours. It had me in every single feeling and if you read it you know exactly what I mean. I was in tears a couple times and I laughed out loud many times too. I love how she can blend a little comedic lines into the story.
For anyone who loves The Great Gatsby but wants a spicy dark fantasy twist with VAMPS. (It is not the original but it is still based off of it and it’s obvious). The FMCs (Daisy) growth and glow up throughout the book is something I absolutely loved. We get to see her blossom and become so much stronger. I don’t want to ruin the story but it’s fun, it’s sexy, it’s SO enjoyable (especially as something to break up those heavy fantasy reads)!

when i saw that one of my fav indie authors was traditionally publishing a gatsby vampire retelling i was absolutely ecstatic. that’s like my dream come true. and this was beautiful. kenney writes in a way that is both sassy and modern but also intensely lyrical and romantic. i also loved the vampires! they were not supernatural, but the result of scientific advancements in medicine. i thought this was a very unique spin on vampirism and i enjoyed the prospect of it thoroughly.

that being said, this lacked something for me that i can’t quite put my finger on. at times the dialogue was weird and the modern references lost me. maybe i’m too used to her high fantasy fairy tale retellings so it was jarring in that regard. i also wasn’t a huge fan of how good the characters of daisy and jay were. it seemed there was a moral justification for their every decision and i just wasn’t vibing with that always heroic thing. i like the great gatsby for its flawed characters. and i know kenney can write some seriously morally gray characters, its a big part of her other books. maybe i just didn’t get it. that being said it was very enjoyable. i will read the next one when it comes out too, since it’s a dorian gray retelling (my fav book ever!).

i’d say this is worth your time if you are like me, a vampire connoisseur!

As a fan of Rebecca since before she was picked up by a publisher I've got to say she absolutely killed it with Beautiful Gillian!! How can you not love the Great Gatsby vibes with vampires?! This book was EVERYTHING andi cannot wait for the rest of the guilded monsters.

When I heard this was a paranormal Great Gatsby retelling I was so excited and couldn't get my hands on a copy soon enough!! Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. The fantasy elements weren't as exciting as I wanted them to be and they seem to be few and far between... With it only coming into play around the 50% mark. I also didn't love the writing. I can't really put my finger on what exactly I didn't like, but it came across as more YA than adult.

Overall, I just didn't vibe with the writing style, the characters, of the modern day setting.

As always, give it a go if it interests you! Vampires, modern day Great Gatsby, and spicy! I didn't vibe with it, but you may :)

2.5 stars rounded up