Rebecca Kenney has a way of making the smuttiest work out of classic stories.
They are just pure fun to read!
If you enjoy a wild ride/story, yes.
This was a retelling of the Great Gatsby, and it was so fun!

A Great Gatsby retelling with vampires? Absolute insanity. 2011 me would be hyperventilating. 2024 me was hyperventilating but then calmed down bc although the premise of the book is so so so good, the story fell flat for me.

The plot line honestly was unique and had SO much potential so I’ll give it some love for that. The childhood friends to lovers/billionaire vampire lover?? Wild. I may have just had too high expectations bc of recent paranormal romances/retellings and the interesting plot line, but the writing took away from what could’ve been SUCH a good book. I know the characters are supposed to be young and in their early 20s, but the way the dialogue was written was so off and unrealistic. And normally I don’t mind when modern references are included, but adding that on top of the poorly written dialogue - it just made it really hard to read. That and I found myself enjoying the side characters a bit more than the main characters (Love u Nick). The spicy scenes also honestly could’ve been left out.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Rebecca Kenney for this arc in exchange for an honest review. As always, my opinions are my own and should not discourage anyone from reading!

This spicy retelling of "The Great Gatsby" reintroduces Daisy Finnegan, whose life changes when her childhood sweetheart, Jay Gatsby, reappears as a wealthy, enigmatic figure. However, this Gatsby harbors dark secrets, including his immortality gained through illicit means. The story's luxurious settings, deep secrets, and supernatural elements kept me hooked. Kenney's infusion of Irish folklore and moral complexities adds a fresh twist to the classic tale. Daisy's journey through a web of lies and violence forces her to choose between her past love and darker forces. This is perfect for those who enjoy romance and fantasy with a unique spin on classic stories.

Beautiful Villains is a Great Gatsby retelling with a twist of the paranormal. I knew immediately I needed it in my life. Rebecca takes a classic and twists it into a mysterious, vampire-filled, modern day tale.

The main characters Jay and Daisy were genuine and easy to like in my opinion. This is a classic friends to lovers scenario and it seemed more heartfelt since they were childhood friends.

The writing style was easy to digest and it lent itself to a quick and binge worthy read. If you are interested in romance, paranormal, vampires and The Great Gatsby I recommend this book!

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story of The Great Gatsby meets vampires. What is not to enjoy?

This book updated the eternal story of Gatsby and Daisy with a big flair. The characters were modern but they invoked their original counterparts in the novel. The action was great and fun.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

If you love the classics but also love PNR with a modern twist well your search is over. I give you Gatsby with a paranormal side. This book was so enjoyable. I loved the modern updates and the PNR it was a great reimagine of the classic oh but also with some delicious spice as well. You just can't go wrong with Rebecca F Kenny, she will draw you in with a great story, get you hooked on the characters and never leaving you wanting in the spice department.

The thing about Gatsby is that the novel exists in and critiques a specific time period and shifts in culture. The feminine archetype of the fancy-free flapper exists despite still being subjected to the misogynistic aspects of society. The struggle of being new money versus old. The distinction between Northerners and Midwesterners.

Gatsby is not a novel that can be adapted without losing essential traits of what makes it Gatsby. Beautiful Villain is less like Fitzgerald's novel and more akin to a High School Prom that decided the theme would be Gatsby (As someone who actually attended a prom with said theme, I write from experience)

It only lets you view the gild atop a rotting core. The book intrigues me though for being an outlier. Most romance adaptions don't stray far from Public Domain fairytales.

This is my first encounter with one that tries to mangle a piece of classic literature into the form of these popularized, modern romances.

Did this need to be an adaption of Gatsby? Does the book contribute new ideas that modernize the ideals of Gatsby? No. It is no more than a "fix-it fic" for those who cannot accept that the conditions of the world do not allow for Gatsby and Daisy to be together.

Dialogue is just so on the nose and bizarre.
Plot relevant topics are never left alone, Kenney does not trust her readers to retain information. There is a trait that Daisy possesses that is not left alone, every character comments on it and it prods annoyingly each time.

I think the thing that gets me the most about this book is the title, because who is the antagonist of The Great Gatsby? The circumstances that surround these characters are. Jay Gatsby being new money, Daisy and Tom being married despite their respective affairs, Nick's cynical view of all four of them being unfit for the wealthy Northern lifestyle-

All of that is thrown out a window for the sake of having an attractive, broody, "antihero" male main character. I just find myself wondering why? Why was it necessary to make this book so entwined and advertised as being Gatsby.

I know I'm not the intended audience for this but I find myself wondering who actually is the audience here? Is it people who read Gatsby in High School only to retain a vague appreciation for the aesthetics of the Roaring 20s? Is it people who don't know a thing about Gatsby beyond Fergie's song from Baz Luhrmann's film adaption?

I cannot for the life of me see people who actually enjoy and engage with Fitzgerald's work enjoying a thing about this.

Beyond that English degree rant- this is a fine romance if you are the type to he unbothered by marketing campaigns that give away integral pieces of the novel- sucking any surprises out of the text and feeling a bit too nudge nudge wink wink for my taste.

“We are moths, feathery and fragile, dipping ourselves in titanium and gold to survive a decaying world. And by some miracle, we can still fly.”

Tropes/Microtropes:
•Supernatural Romance(vamps)
•Great Gatsby Retelling
•Second Chance
•Childhood Best Friends to Lovers
•Found Family
•A Little Spicy 🌶️

Ramblings:
This was such a fun read! Beautiful Villain is a story about 2 children from poor families who become the best of friends only to be separated. 7 years go by and Daisy’s friend convinces her to go to a party where she is reunited with Jay Gatsby. Only, he’s changed. A LOT! He is now filthy rich and well… a VAMPIRE! It takes some time for them to get into a groove but soon they fall back into the familiar friendship they had before. This book had a modern spin on vampirism and Daisy herself even learns she isn’t entirely human after all. We navigate past relationship drama, vampire issues, and more all while Daisy and Jay try to figure things out after so much time lost.

My only qualm is more often than not the romance felt more “best friends” than “boyfriend/girlfriend.” We did get a few spicy scenes but so many times one of them would insinuate staying and the other is “no I should leave!” It was giving teenage best friends? Like no stay at his house girl!!!???

Fav Quotes:
“Helplessly, wickedly, wretchedly yours. Yours when I was alone, and yours when I was surrounded by dazzling crowds. Yours in every choice I made, and the ones I will make.”

“I once knew a boy who loved the moon just as much as I do…who claimed he’d sipped moonlight. When I asked him what it tasted like, he said, “Your smile.”

A paranormal Great Gatsby retelling that is full of mystery, vampires, and a second chance at love.

What would you do if you discovered the boy from your past, the one you have wondered about has returned with a few secrets that could ruin any chance for a happy reunion.

A modern twist on a tale of dreaming big, wanting more, and trying to fit in.

Fantastic, Fascinating, a melting hot story for my vampire heart. I did not know what to expect but a twist of fantasy in great Gatsby was something I didn't know I needed. Absolutely loved it.

I love Rebecca Kenney's books and was so excited to receive an ARC of this novel!

Unfortunately, that's where my enjoyment ended. This book didn't live up to my expectations.

SPOILERS AHEAD

The characters fell flat, the romance felt forced, and the major plot point came almost out of nowhere—just all of a sudden, Wolfsheim is the "big bad." He was mentioned once, maybe twice, in the whole novel before 70%. Her parents didn't have names and were totally fine with Daisy becoming a vampire and having voice-mind-control abilities. It just didn't make sense.

And then, Daisy has to be a siren-hybrid, because of course we had to have actual mythological creatures in a world where science created vampires? Again, it felt like it came out of nowhere and it felt jarring. It was almost like this was put in to check off a box instead of happen naturally with the plot.

Not my fave, but I'm absolutely going to keep reading Kenney's past and future work!

If you love the classic story of Gatsby, you will love the twist Rebecca Kenney gives it. You have the mystery rich man who is the topic of everyone's gossip. How and why did he get his wealth? But also, this Daisy doesn't need the glitz and glam that is offered to her, because she already has a smaller taste of it herself. This means this Jay Gatsby has to find something else to keep her interest, and I was definitely intrigued. The book has a slow burn, yet medium heat moments to keep the tension going. There are twists I never saw coming and characters I quickly fell in love with, as well as hated right off the bat. Daisy is in the middle of finding who she is and I love how Jay allows her to do that in the best of ways. Jay is total book boyfriend material, as well as Cody. If you love mystery, twists, tension, steam, and extravagance, then definitely put this on your TBR or add to cart.

Think the Great Gatsby... meets vampires. BAM! There's your synopsis haha.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an ALC of this one, it was a fun one to listen to. I also received an ARC of the ebook copy. The review for the ecopy is the same, but I leaned more towards enjoying the ebook due to personal preferences.

Jay Gatsby is the same billionaire you know from the stories.. but he's a vampire now. Daisy is still the same character as well, she's still human though... for now.. maybe?

I was excited when I saw Rebecca posting about this one because the idea behind it is one of my favorites, a modern spicy retelling. And I can't not read a book about Vampires okay?

FORESHADOWING I definitely think I'll love this one more as a physical or ebook, mainly because while the story was good as an ALC, it didn't hold my attention as well as a physical version may have.

I can't say much more without spoiling the book, but if you like Rebecca's books I think you'll enjoy this one too.

Title: Beautiful Villain (Gilded Monsters, Book 1) by Rebecca Kenney
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pub Date: July 16, 2024

“𝘞𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘴, 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘥𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘶𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘭𝘦, 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘭𝘺.”

🩸Vampire Romance
🩸Modern Gatsby Retelling
🩸Childhood Sweethearts
🩸Billionaire Romance
🩸Extravagant Parties
🩸Protective MMC

My Review:

A modern day Gatsby Retelling, but with a vampire twist?! Yes, please! This was such a fun read! I liked how Jay was protective and never forgot about Daisy, and vice versa. I'm a sucker for "it's always been you." You get vampires, steamy encounters, and extravagant themed parties! Nick was such a cute character and a great bestie. He's probably my favorite 💅

⭐️3.75/5

Thank you so much, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, for the digital review copy ❣️

3 Stars!

When I read that this was a Great Gatsby twist with vampires, I was so excited for it! This story follows Daisy as she reconnects with her childhood sweetheart, Jay. However, Jay isn't the little boy she fell in love with. Now he is a billionaire vampire. I did like that unlike The Great Gatsby, Daisy and Jay got their happy ending. However, I struggled to like any of the characters, and I think that's what made this book miss its mark for me. There were a lot of modern components to this story, and I didn't expect that from it being a twist on something like Gatsby. The book really picked up near the ending, but I found that there were some plot holes where things were too simplified.

While this book was a miss for me, it will still be a hit for others!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC!

I love the idea of a twist on a classic. While I’m not the biggest Gatsby fan, I had been recommended the author by multiple friends and figured I would check it out. I loved that this book is told from Daisy’s point of view instead of Nick’s. I loved being able to see what she saw in Gatsby, which was always a struggle for me with the original, but this made me think that they really were in love and would have been able to have a happier ending than the original classic allowed. The spice and tension were amazing, but the bond between Daisy and Gatsby was what made me love the story.

Rebecca Kenney did such a great job creating the background and lore for this book, and I am so incredibly excited for the next book.

When I saw that this book was A Great Gatsby retelling with vampires, I was very excited. Unfortunately, this book didn’t hit the mark I was looking for. The characters fell a little flat and I didn’t feel the chemistry between them. I would’ve loved to see more flashbacks between Jay and Daisy at the beginning of the story. It seemed she completely forgot about him until she saw him again, which didn’t translate to always loving him.
The love story may not have been as believable as I would’ve liked, but I did enjoy the writing style. It was easy to read and flowed nicely. The spice was good and I did enjoy the paranormal aspect. I will definitely try to read other books by Rebecca.

A fantastic Gatsby-inspired fantasy, I absolutely loved this first installment of the Gilded Monsters series. The world-building was phenomenal, the magic system and the lore was unique, and I adored the characters and the romance between Daisy and Jay. The mystery and plot were engaging, the pacing kept me interested from start to finish, and the ending makes me excited to see what the second book brings. 5 stars from me and I’ll be patiently waiting for the next one.

When I was pitched an advance reader copy of a romance with a vampire twist on the Great Gatsby I was sold. I jumped at the chance to see how the world was envisioned. 

It's been years since Daisy saw Gatsby and now his life is completely new. Gone is the boy who grew up in poverty with a drug addicted mother and now he's the richest person around. He has the most elaborate parties, they draw people in from all around the world. Daisy can't believe her best friend is back in their hometown, as if reborn. 

Beautiful Villain twisted a classic must read into a sci fi romance that in the end didn't quite land for me. I enjoyed the scientific addition to the vampire origin story, but the siren magic was an afterthought. I wish this was a first draft because I felt like it was all there storywise, it just wasn't fully realized. It could have used a few more plot points or explanations. The stark contrast between good versus evil was so bright. There was absolutely no ambiguity and worlds always have grey spots.

If you have the option to listen to the audiobook, I highly recommend that format. Ruby Chirese's narration was beautiful. I am so appreciative to Sourcebooks Casa and Dreamscape Media for the ALC and Advanced Reading Copies. 

CW: Blood, Violence, Verbal & Physical Abuse, Domestic Violence, death of a teen (on page), child abuse/ neglect (off page)

"Beautiful Villain" by Rebecca Kenney is a paranormal romance that cleverly reimagines "The Great Gatsby" with a supernatural twist. The story follows Daisy Finnegan, a recent college graduate who returns to her hometown after a breakup, only to discover she possesses magical voice abilities due to her heritage. She reunites with her childhood best friend, now revealed to be a vampire, and together they embark on a mission to protect the vampire community from an ancient threat.
Kenney explores themes of moral dilemmas and female empowerment, allowing readers to form their own judgments on right and wrong. The author's writing style, while enjoyable, is noted to be not quite as strong as in her previous works. However, it effectively conveys the story's themes and character development.
"Beautiful Villain" offers an intriguing blend of classic literature reimagining and paranormal romance. While it may not break new ground in the genre, it provides an entertaining read for those who enjoy supernatural elements mixed with romantic storylines and character growth.

This book is recommended for readers who enjoy:
- Paranormal romance
- Morally ambiguous storylines
- Childhood friends-to-lovers tropes
- Vampire fiction
- Stories featuring voice magic
- The "he fell first" romance dynamic