Content Warning: abuse

I never read The Great Gatsby but I did watch the movie with Leonardo DiCaprio mostly because of that Lana Del Rey song, Young and Beautiful.

Daisy is a young adult who is out of college, doesn’t have much direction, she broke up with her abusive ex-boyfriend, and just got invited to an infamous party thrown by some mysterious guy people refer to as Gatsby. The name is familiar to Daisy and wonders if it’s the same Jay Gatsby she was best friends with when she was younger, before she moved to a new town.

I thought this was a fairly quick read because I wanted to see how the vampire element would fit in the Gatsby story and I thought it did it pretty well. I like that the explanation about how vampires are created is different from the usual lore. Jay is such mysterious, wealthy young man, that it makes sense he would be a vampire.

Daisy and Jay’s attraction happens very quick and things get spicy between them almost right away. Their feelings for each other from when they were younger resurfaces but they do make an effort to get to know one another since so much has changed – especially with Jay.

I can’t say I connected to anyone in this story. Also, there is a lot of pop culture references in the book – if you aren’t into that, then just know it’s there.

My Thoughts:

I thought this one was okay. I did think it was a pretty good retelling of The Great Gatsby only from what I saw and remembered from the movie. The vampire storyline worked pretty well but I just didn’t connect to the characters. I think I wanted more drama and maybe have it be a little more darker because sometimes it felt like a young adult story just a very spicy one.

Beautiful Villain by Rebecca Kenney is an absolutely genius crossover!

I am not into vampire books outside of Anne Rice but I have to say that there are some great takes on the genre coming out and this is certainly one of them. The Great Gatsby X Vampires. Seriously, could there be a better crossover? Not only is this a fantastic crossover, it has blinding tropes, second chances, spicy spice, touch her and be unalived etc, everything you would expect from a paranormal storyline, but hoiked up into the air, twisted around urban fantasy and having a classical literary great re-written. Stunning!

There is always the risk of cliche in character development in paranormal/ urban fantasy but I did not see any of that in this book and I celebrate it to the nth degree! Daisy is so utterly relatable and it's easy to empathise with her journey and as for Jay, well, oof! I utterly despised Myrtle and Tom, and that is testament to Kenney's skill in creating characters that the reader will either relate or react to

Highly recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca | Sourcebooks Casablanca and the author Rebecca Kenney for this ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

This book was amazing! It was the first book that I read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Honestly I had never really thought about the idea of a gatsby retelling, especially one with a fantasy element but this was superbly done. Jay, Daisy, Nick and all the side characters were so well written and the plot and world building was excellent. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys modern retellings with a fantasy element, found families and second chance romance tropes.

Firstly, thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book! When I read it was a modern retelling of The Great Gatsby I knew it will be fun. I enjoyed this book, however, many references to pop culture and real people made me realize that I'm reading and I don't like that feeling when trying to immerse myself in the story. I liked the childhood friends to lovers aspect of it but I thought the relationship went a bit too fast.
Overall, it's a quite enjoyable paranormal romance (spicy) story but I think it would benefit from cutting out the pop culture references.

Rebecca F. Kenney’s “Beautiful Villain” puts a fascinating twist on the timeless tale of “The Great Gatsby,” infusing it with paranormal intrigue and modern flair. From the first page, you’ll be sucked in by the thrilling combination of tension and action.

The main character of the story is Daisy, a young woman who is struggling to find her way in the world after college while also dealing with the emotional pain of a failed relationship. Kenney crafts Daisy as a compelling mix of vulnerability and inner strength, surrounded by the vibrant personalities of her cousin Nick and adventurous friend Jordan. As Daisy finds herself drawn into the whirlwind world of a mysterious billionaire’s lavish parties, she’s stunned to discover that this enigmatic figure is none other than Jay Gatsby, her lost love from years past. Yet, the Gatsby she encounters now is a far cry from the tender soul she once knew; he radiates power, allure, and a hint of danger that keeps Daisy on edge.

What follows is a riveting journey of rediscovery and revelation, as Daisy delves into Gatsby’s shadowy past and confronts the ghosts that haunt them both. Kenney skillfully handles the ups and downs of their relationship, creating a story filled with love, longing, and the ghosts of the past that won’t go away. The reader gets to witness a dazzling show of luxury and romance, with Gatsby’s wild parties and the tension of forbidden desire.

The characters leap off the page with their depth and relatability, from the resilient Daisy to the magnetic allure of Gatsby himself. Even the antagonists, such as Tom and Myrtle, are crafted to perfection, eliciting a visceral reaction of disdain from the reader. While Gatsby may initially come across as aloof and enigmatic, his layers are gradually peeled back to reveal a man driven by passion and a fierce devotion to the woman he loves.

What truly sets “Beautiful Villain” apart is its seamless blending of the familiar with the unexpected. Kenney brilliantly modernizes and expands upon the original narrative, infusing it with spicy scenes, paranormal twists, and a satisfying happily ever after. The result is an immersive retelling that will captivate fans of contemporary fantasy and classic literature alike.

In conclusion, “Beautiful Villain” is a captivating reimagination of a beloved classic, offering a fresh take on familiar characters and themes. Kenney’s infusion of supernatural elements adds an extra layer of intrigue to an already compelling story, making it a must-read for anyone seeking an escape into a world of glamor, romance, and mystery.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Beautiful Villain by Rebecca F. Kenney has ensnared me with an extravagant retelling of The Great Gatsby with a paranormal twist. The flow of the book is a perfect mesh of slow burn tension and a fast paced, actioned-packed story. You won’t want to set this book down— once you start reading you won’t want to stop.

Daisy, the lovable and easy going 22 year-old finds herself recouping from an abusive relationship. In an effort to get out of her slump her cousin Nick and her best friend Jordan drag her to an extravagant mysterious party. Jay, the dorky, helpless romantic finds himself throwing these parties to gain the attention of his childhood crush. The problem is will his childhood crush accept the changes that he’s made?

Tropes/vibes:
🩸 Touch her and ☠️
🩸 Paranormal creatures
🩸 Bite play
🩸 Childhood crush
🩸 Strong FMC
🩸 Protective MMC
🩸 Secrets
🩸 Mentions of abuse

Thank you to Rebecca F. Kenney and NetGalley for supplying me with the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A modern Great Gatsby retelling with vampires sounds amazing, but ultimately this was just okay for me. The writing style and excessive descriptions weren’t really my cup of tea, and neither of the MCs or the romance did anything for me. Daisy was kind of boring aside from her random ability, and Jay’s obsession didn’t really make sense to me.

I will say this was an easy read and was interesting enough for me to get through it quickly. I enjoyed the different take on vampires and how the author included a technological aspect. Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be continuing this series.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC!

Thank you to Rebecca for the advanced copy!
A well done, modernized retelling of the classic, The Great Gatsby, with a vampiric twist. The author definitely is familiar with the source material. It feels like she took some of original Nick's musings and gave them to Daisy, which makes for a more complex character and preserved some of the original flavor. The FMC is stronger, and doesn't come across as ethereal or soft and quiet. Still, very likeable.
Definitely for people who like a possessive MMC and organized crime vibes. Totally worth a read if you're Great Gatsby obsessed!

3.75 ⭐️ / 2.5 🌶️

I really love Rebecca Kenney’s ability to twist around classic stories and make them into spicy and bizarre tales. This book is less spicy than some of her other books I’ve read, but the story is still delightfully unsettling and entertaining.

I think my main gripe with this book, which doesn't impact my rating but is more a PSA to other readers, is this story in a modern setting with, like, Taylor Swift references.

This at times kind of reads silly, but it is truly just a quick and lighthearted love story with an HEA for anyone worried about a Gatsby retelling. There still is some heavier themes of death and addiction. Please check triggers.

Kenney does a phenomenal job of twisting vampirism and perfectly blends it into the classic story of 'The Great Gatsby'. The story dazzles the reader with the glitz and glam of Gatsby's extravagant parties, all the while romance blooms between Jay and Daisy. Their love is given a breath of fresh air as Daisy is a strong willed character that steps into her own in this book and Jay goes to war for the woman he loves. The secondary characters were just as flushed out at the main characters which made the story seamless and really gives it a lot of heart. This is a fantastic book that swells with love for the classic story of Gatsby and is further elevated by Kenney's masterful romance writing.

I really wanted to love this. Spicy, vampire retelling of the Great Gatsby? But the main character (our re-vamped Daisy, no pun intended) has no personality. Light work, no reaction, to the dungeon?! It was so poorly written and I DNF-d at 50%.

I debated on whether I should review this book or not because I LOVE RFK but I didn’t love this book 😔

Beautiful Villain was so different from the previous RFK books that I have read. It is set in current day, and is told in one POV: the FMC. This book is considered fantasy but It’s the perfect blend of fantasy and an element of reality where I could see myself in the main character and storylines. RFK was very descriptive with this world and I think readers are going to find the story easy to imagine while reading or listening.

Another difference from other RFK books is the 🌶️SPICE🌶️. In a lot of RFK books, each couple has specific “thing”
(BDSM, MMMF, MMF, ~tentacles~, etc.). In Beautiful Villan, there wasn’t really a thing, just super romantic spice and built up tension from years of being apart. I think when it comes to RFK books, it is expected that there will be high fantasy with descriptive, imaginative and DIRTY sex scenes. Beautiful Villain is NOT that. I think a portion of her readers may be disappointed but I really enjoyed reading something completely different.

I found the characters very likable. Daisy and Nick were relatable characters. I loved how RFK wrote Nick to be gay; she always includes fun LGBTQ+ characters. Tom and Myrtle were written to be perfectly hateable. In the beginning, Jay was a bit off putting. His secrecy created a barrier preventing the reader from getting to know him. (Which may be what RFK wanted by helping add to the mystery of Jay.) I think RFK did a great job reimagining the characters while not completely rewriting them.

The side stories were excellent. One tragedy happened after another and I was constantly thinking what could possibly happen next. Truly I was in awe of each situation that happened with George, Tom, Myrtle, and Cody. These side stories led me to expect that the resolution of the main conflict was going to be mind-blowing. Unfortunately, I found it to be extraordinarily disappointing. There was so much buildup and tension and drama and fear and the actual battle was just not written proportionately. Maybe the pacing was rushed and if another chapter or two was added it would be better? Maybe if there was another element like kidnapping or major death of a main character? There just could’ve been more.

Overall, I gave this book 3.5 stars. I loved how differently written this book was from her previous series. The world building and story line was so good, I just thought the ending could’ve been paced better. I certainly will still read the subsequent books in this series. I would read anything by RFK. If an audiobook is released, I’d give it another chance and would listen to it.

Gatsby, but with vampires? YES PLEASE.

As a someone who reads The Great Gatsby every year, I absolutely loved how true Kenny stayed to the original plot and characters. She incorporates a ton of original quotes and iconic lines from Gatsby, including "You always look so cool," which is a personal favorite of mine.

I also appreciated how the story is modernized and expanded upon to allow for spicy scenes, paranormal plot points, and a HEA.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the next retelling in the Gilded Monsters series! Thank you to Rebecca Kenney and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an ARC of Beautiful Villain!

I adore this author! All of her books are always so good. I started reading this one super excited for it and honestly I’m a bit disappointed. While yes, it was an enjoyable read it just wasn’t phenomenal to me. It was a bit slow and then when it started to pick up it felt like things were rushed. Like there was so much build up to find out some things and then it was rushed the reveal of them. I was expecting a bit more dark aspects with him being a vampire but I got golden retriever vibes from him instead. And I don’t hate that but I was just disappointed. I was expecting one thing and got another. So the mix of that and things being a bit rushed is why I’m only giving this 3 stars.

“Beautiful Villain” is an immersive retelling of a classic. This story will appeal to those interested in a New Adult, Contemporary Fantasy version of “The Great Gatsby.” It was fun to see Kennedy’s reimagining of these beloved characters and the enticing plot.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jay Gatsby is a monster- literally.
And from the time I got this ARC into my possession, he has been my whole obsession.
Just like all of Rebecca Kenney's characters, both Jay and Daisy jump off the page,
I could not put it down, the way she brings her characters to life, and sucks you into the world she's created is unlike anything else.
This book is a refreshing take on a beloved classic, with lots of spice, and a magical twist!

Wow wow wow! Great Gatsby has always been my absolute favorite book of all time and I absolutely loved this retelling. I'm so happy that Rebecca did this classic justice with her retelling and it's easily by second favorite (right behind the original!) This author always has a way with her words and story telling and this novel is no different! The Beautiful Villian is in my top 10 books of the year! Standing ovation!!!!

This is the third book I’ve read by Rebecca and I have to say this was my favorite. One of my issues with her past books was too much spice but I felt like that wasn’t the case in this book. Do not get me wrong this book is still quite spicy.

I loved this take on Gatsby. The supernatural twist made the story more fun and mysterious.

I was confused by Daisy. I felt she acted very young. I also feel like all of the characters were missing a certain depth but idk how to explain it. Just like they weren’t fully developed.

Overall it was a good read for me and I recommend giving it a try if you’re a Gatsby fan. 3.5 stars. 3.5 chilli peppers.

Loved this retelling! The luxury and decadence of Gatsby but modernized and with a supernatural element. Super quotable moments and loved the vampires.

Loved this book! She did it yet again to deliver both smut and a good story. I have been in a reading slump and this book was the perfect balance of sexy, exciting, and good substance.