Look there sex positivity in a book and there that felt very mucth like almost a same sex scene over and over again what??
i Genuilly Loved Ashley character and she deserver better than incesure as of Gabriel.
only readeaming thing of was Ashley grow otherwise i was bored out of my mind...
Like the way he treated her and had zero for her was horible .

Another wild, wonderful ride from Sarah Brenton! I enjoyed every minute of it.
Ashley is a reality TV bombshell villain whose upbringing was far less than ideal.
Gabriel is a squeaky clean Hollywood actor on the verge of superstardom.
When Ashley’s bad girl tendencies land Gabe in hot water, they’re forced to pretend to be in a scorching affair during a cross country road trip. Things become further complicated and the stakes higher when life imitates fake art.
Outside influences force Gabe to choose between the Ashley the public has never seen or his career.
I loved these two so much! Ashley was a deliciously complex, difficult at first glance to like, chaotic woman who has always been used by others as a means to an end. Gabe’s traumatic childhood made him the perfect foil for her as they came to understand each other. There were moments I wanted to shake both of them, but I never disliked either of them.
I had the privilege of receiving an advance reader copy from the author and netgalley, and I’m pleased to share my honest review.

Book Stats:

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐(3.7/5)

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️(4/5)

Tropes: Opposites attract

Publisher: Victory Editing/Independently Published

Full Review:

*Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing Co-op for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for a honest review*

So what happens when Hollywood's least favorite villain has to Hollywood's favorite golden boy? well, let's just say, a whole lotta chaos. While trying to seduce her cousin's brand new husband, Ashley Foyer creates a bigger mess than she realized, when her assistant accidently sends Hollywood's golden boy to her room instead of Nic(her cousin's brand new husband who she has been in love with since childhood) and now due to some badly placed cameras, she now has to get cozy with Hollywood's favorite golden boy-Gabriel Sinclair.

It has been a very long minute since a romance book has surprised me, and this was a very good one. It honestly kept me guessing till the very end. (Like, I was up to 95% of the book and still was guessing "Will they, Won't they")

So let's start with the positives shall we? I liked the characters and their growth throughout the book. I think it was very realistic and it was nice to see a romance book where the main characters go thru DURING the romance and are afraid to take that last step. As i said before, this romance surprised me. Typically, they do the growth out side of the book and then are afraid to I think the conflict was very realistic too.

I also LOVED the feminist take on Hollywood in this book. It something that I don't think is talked about enough.

Now the negatives: My only tiny thing is that the pacing felt REALLY REALLY FAST. Like faster than Lighting McQueen. When the main climax of the book happened, I was struggling to keep track of all the of the characters that were mentioned for two seconds at the beginning.

I think you will enjoy this book if you like lots of banter, villains getting what they want, and third act break-up's.

I’m going to be brutally honest - I chose this book thinking I wouldn’t love it but needed a quick read.

I was SO wrong! I was hooked from the beginning to the end. I absolutely loved the character development, the writing style, the storyline… I did find Ashley a little unlikeable at times but she absolutely redeemed herself by the end. The writing is 100% what kept me hooked through the end.

The spice was spiiiiicy. Very well done!

I unfortunately was unable to finish this book. I was unable to really get into the book. I stopped around chapter 3. I will not be giving this a review anywhere else because I didn’t finish the book and don’t want to give a negative review for something that I didn’t finish, I feel as though it’s not fair to the author

Well I just had to add another author and series to my TBR Library……this might become a problem.
This is an easy and fun read. Ashley is the girl everyone loves to hate but the author does an amazing job with character development and we begin to see what is really under the surface. Gabe in the beginning is painted as America’s golden boy but through the story we see his character develop into more. Add in some serious spice and BOOM it’s a recipe for an awesome book.
This book has romance, spice, reality tv, fake dating and enemies (kind of) to lovers. You’ll have a blast reading this for the New Year.
I received an advance review copy for free from net galley , and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'm not going to lie, I am so picky about reading new authors because their writing doesn't always click with me and I end up dnf'ing a book early on.

I was worried when I picked this book up. But I didn't need to be worried. The writing flowed for me. It was written in a way that was easy to read yet the characters had depth, the story flowed, and you were kept interested.

This story hit me in the feels. At the end I was in tears. Well worth the read and I'm so glad it was my first book of 2024.

~ The Villain Edit by Sarah Brenton ~

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

✨ “I’m the villain of several stories, but mostly my own” ✨

Ashley Foley is a TV bad girl, who everybody loves to hate and is struggling to get work. Gabriel Sinclair is Hollywoods Golden boy, who wants to be taken more seriously. Is fake dating the answer for them to both get what they want? But, this means bringing Ashley on his cross-country road trip. She's a temptation he can't afford, especially once he realizes she might not be that bad after all. Because Gabriel Sinclair isn't the good boy he's been pretending to be.

Sarah Brenton really had me flying through this book. Such a fun and easy read, the best way to start a new year! I loved the way she explored Ashley’s character. At the start, I was really skeptical about liking her but, once we explore her character deeper, you can’t help but feel nothing but love for her! It’s got everything you could want! Fake dating, enemies to lovers and the spice is off the scale 🌶️ the dual POV is so good at showing how both characters slowly fall for each-other. The only thing I would say is the fake relationship took a little longer to turn real than I would have liked but it was a swoon-worthy read nonetheless.

💭 if you’re looking for a read that you can’t put down, I definitely recommend this book 🫶🏻

Thank you to Sarah Brenton, NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley co-op for this ARC! 📖

THANK YOU SARAH BRENTON FOR SENDING ME AN ARC!! The power this book has on me right now is insane. Immediately, Sarah Brenton is now an auto-purchase author for me and I need this to be a movie.

TV Villain Ashley (FMC) has been fawning over her childhood crush Nic for as long as she can remember. In a desperate attempt to woo him, Ashley decides to dress up in lingerie and wait in the dressing room at Nic's wedding to her cousin Jessie. Little did she expect, that her assistant Lea would mix up Nic for Gabriel (MMC), another Hollywood A-lister attending the wedding. After being caught by the paparazzi in a very scandalous situation, Ashley and Gabriel's agencies decided to have them fake date each other. Using Gabe's golden image and Ashley's bad-girl reputation, each party would benefit by hopefully rubbing off on the other individual. This novel follows the ups and downs, secrets, and growth of Ash and Gabe as they navigate their hatred towards each other as it evolves to become love and greed.

Wow. Just wow. It's been so long since a novel has sent me into a full emotional rollercoaster frenzy. This novel just immediately throws you into the scene of Ashley in lingerie waiting for Nic. No time for any bs, just straight into the action which I love and hate. I think a few more flashbacks or context behind the love story of Ash and Nic could be adorable!! But the immediate infatuation and tension that Gabe and Ash share is also just so damn hot. The content in this book is fulfilling! You get so many cute lovey-dovey scenes, smut, and having the POV switch between Ash and Gabe shows their love story from both perspectives. Brenton's writing is very concise and clear, all the ideas flow into one another beautifully and you really experience the time as it progresses in this novel.

A HUGE thing I love: THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!
Ashley from the start is immediately depicted as a villain. She believes she is a villain with her past as a reality TV star, her upbringing, and her failed relationships with her family. Gabriel strives to lead the life his uncle wanted for him; he yearns to continue the legacy left behind for him. Throughout this novel and their journey, both characters change and grow with the help of each other.
Gabriel's constant reminders and words of encouragement break down the armor Ash puts up to become 'Ashley' and she finds her true colors, straying away from the title of being a 'villain'. With the help of Ashley, Gabe learns the importance of life and realizes that prioritizing his uncle's legacy (despite his uncle being unhappy when he was alive) is meaningless and not the future he wants.

Hands down. This is a MUST READ in 2024.

If you're into fake dating, reality TV, second chance romances, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!

VILLAIN/HERO SWITCH
Brenton boldly introduces us to FMC Ashley, a desperate, scheming and deeply unsympathetic reality star trying to ruin her cousin’s wedding. Ashley manages to implicate the MC, Gabriel, a movie star with a Boy Scout image, who nevertheless, struggles internally with impossible expectations and his sense of identity.

In order to improve their reputation the couple is forced into a fake relationship. Initially they seem to be complete opposites, but they soon find common ground bonding over major childhood trauma and high ambitions. - And exploring their explosive sexual chemistry.

As the title implies The Villain Edit portrays a darker side of the entertainment industry. The MC’s are commodities constantly scrutinised and judged by the press and public. Their professional personas and roles are intertwined with - and even embraced into - their personal life at great cost.

As the Foley family matriarch Celia points out: “I’m sorry the patriarchy punishes a woman for being, … well a bitch, sweetie, but until we manage to burn it down, if you want work, you’ll need to be less… unlikable.”

When Ashley and Gabriel’s relationship and personal development is challenged by conflicts, the roles of villain vs hero seems to switch.

As Ashley comments: “Welcome to the dark side, Gabe. You’ll do just fine here.”

And while Ashley makes deliberate decisions to change both personally and professionally, Gabriel resists and is inevitably forced to choose between ideal or happiness.

I loved the writing, and the author’s courage to portray two very flawed and messed up characters. It was fascinating to follow Ashley’s story and how she managed to redeem herself. I would however, have liked for Gabriel to dig deeper and felt his redemption came a little to too easy.

I highly recommend The Villain Edit and look forward to read more from Sarah Brenton.

Thanks to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for granting me the ARC of The Villain Edit.

The Villain Edit is a book that I couldn’t put down. It was funny, steamy, and tugged at the heart in places. The whole way through I really felt for Ashley as she played her part as the villain sometimes unwillingly.

I really loved this book and would be happy to read another of Sarah Brenton’s works.

Thank you#Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book. I sort of picked it on a whim. The front cover looked interesting and I liked the blurb. I also loved this story. I may or may not have stayed up till 2am on the first night before forcing myself to go to sleep. I think the heroine was the main draw, so different from many female leads.
Definitely like the premise of the series and am
Now going in search of the other titles (I don’t feel like it mattered to much that I read this one first).

Solid 4 star read!!

Whew if there is one thing that is going to get me to pick up a romcom it is FAKE DATING and what are two things that make this trope even better? I'm glad you asked- Hollywood PR vibes and animosity to love vibes (not quite enemies, bc this isn't fantasy)!! This book hits all the high highs expected from the tropes, and takes some fun twists with the characters to make this a delightful lil read!

The Villain Edit follows reality star villain Ashley as she stumbles her way into a PR relationship with Hollywood golden boy and America's sweetheart Gabriel through a case of mistaken identities and some unexpected paparazzi shots. Ashley has to join Gabe's road trip across America back to LA in order to help save his perfect reputation, and what starts out as a bit of hate towards each other slowly escalates into a game of raising the stakes and tempting each other to see who will crack first! Seeing these two come together through carefully curated public stunts and sweetly curious private moments of asking the thirty-six questions to fall in love, we're able to see how this fake relationship turns real.

The twists and turns come earlier than expected, and I was not mad about it!! I think this was one of the best Hollywood fake dating scenarios I've seen played out because it felt wholly unique and spicy (not even just in the ways you're thinking of)!

Thank you to Sarah Brenton and NetGalley for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. The Villain Edit comes out on January 16th!!

A fun concept and quick read. However, The Villain Edit lacked depth at points.

Is Ashley Foley truly a reality TV villain? Does actor Gabriel Sinclair really have a spotless reputation? Or is there more to these characters than meets the eye?

Read if you like:
🩵 Enemies to lovers
🩵 Only one bed
🩵 Celebrity romance

Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Check out The Villain Edit by Sarah Brenton when it’s released 1/16/24!

For my first review of 2024, I was given the chance to read an e-ARC from Sarah Denton via NetGalley and I am thrilled to proclaim you’re going to want to read this.

For starters, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more thorough breakdown in a content warning ever. Not only can you peruse the topics easily on her website, but the full list is also included at the start of the story. We are all about protecting our mental peace in 2024 and THIS is how you do it, friends.

The biggest takeaway for me was how our FMC Ashley is, without shame, the villain of this story. She confesses it at the start and she makes no open qualms about owning this narrative. If you read this story from any other character’s POV? You would hate her - full stop. But when you read her perspective and you see how her character is fully revealed throughout the story, you start to realize that people only let us see what they want us to see.. and that doesn’t automatically mean they want us to see the best.

Golden boy Gabe Sinclair, our MMC, is already perceptive AF because he starts noticing things from the start that no one has ever seemed to pick up on from Ashley. He hates how much of his inner-self seems to gravitate towards the surface because, as it turns out, they have a lot more in common when it comes to presenting an outside appearance than either of them realized.

I was not prepared for how much I would love Ashley - frankly it concerns me that I'll end up reading the other two books preceding this one and kind of hating on those couples for what I've read in this story lol (but I'm still gonna read them). I felt like the way Gabe is able to connect to a part of himself that has been shut down for so long while being faced with the realization that the life he felt compelled to live may not be the live he wants for himself was beautiful. He still acted like a stupid head but I was able to find it in my hear to forgive him, too.

This read was both packed and steamy from start to end! The writing was strong and I didn’t feel like I especially missed anything by not reading the other books in the series, though this one has peaked my interest in them.

I loved the premise, and the road trip and drama kept me engaged and looking for more titles like this one! I’m recommending this not only to readers who want a fun and spicy read, but to my friends who would adore the plot and dynamic between the characters.

Thank you again for the ARC and the introduction to this author, Victory Editing and NetGalley, it is much appreciated and I enjoyed the read and the opportunity to share my feedback.

My 2024 is off to a wonderful reading start!

The Villain Edit by @sarah_brenton.author comes out on the 16th and is a great read for anyone who loves a redemption story! Ashley is a villain through and through… or at least that’s what reality tv made her out to be. Gabe is the ultimate golden boy who can do no wrong.

But when one of Ashley’s schemes goes awry and her and Gabe need each others help, these opposites make for a wonderful read. This story had me laughing out loud, cheering for the redemption story, and celebrating the small wins throughout.

If you enjoy watching reality shows for the villains but also like seeing them have their comebacks, this is a great book for you to try in 2024!

#realitytvbooks #celebrityromance #romancereader #romance #bookstagram #romancebooks #romancebookstagram #arcreadnetgalley #enemiestolovers #thevillainedit #netgalley #oppositesattract

Ashley is the bad girl on reality tv and she was fine with it until the man she loves walk down the aisle with the wrong woman again. She meets Hollywood Golden Boy Gabriel who doesn't mind a bit of her edge so he can play a beloved morally gray superhero. On their road trip, they fall in love...

I like Ashley and Gabriel together. I haven't read the other 2 books in the series so I don't see how Ashley is 'bad' in the other books. I like her a lot. Gabe got me mad at one point when he misunderstood Ashley. Overall, I like how they end up together.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Ashley, American’s villain, and Gabe, American’s golden boy, get caught in a compromising position. Why? Ashley’s scheming. The two of them must put aside their hatred for one another to save their careers after being caught. No easy task when they hate each other while they’re stuck on a road trip together. The spice was spicy and plot kept me hooked through to the end.

Wow. This was quite a book!

I’ll start by saying I had my misgivings. Both the blurb and the first chapter of the book had me wondering how the heck I was EVER going to be able to enjoy the character that is Ashley. She’s pretty horrible, but the writing was good, so I kept reading.

I’m so glad I did. The character development was intriguing and on point. The spice - the SPICE. Wow.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
I haven’t read a good, spicy novel in awhile, and this definitely delivered.

I’ll be keeping an eye on this author for sure.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘝𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘌𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘊𝘰-𝘰𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.