2.5 stars!

The initial first few chapters of the book really had me questioning whether I would be able to finish this book, but I persevered and it was enjoyable (after you get past the whole seductress, trying to break off a wedding vibe).

Ashley is headstrong and knows what she wants and I'm really thankful that throughout the book we see a lot more of her true character. She owns up to her mistakes, knows she isn't a saint and tries to do better. Gabe is an interesting character, he's the golden boy who can't do no wrong, but he just wasn't interesting enough for me.
For the most part of the book their relationship is based on lust and when we reach the end of the book I just don't feel like their feelings were sincere towards each other. It felt rushed, Gabe definitely didn't grovel enough after all the hurt he caused Ashley and he was so quick to point fingers at her.

Overall, the idea was great but I feel like the execution could have been better. I didn't really connect to the characters which made this a bit of a chore to read.

The rating for this book as a whole is a solid 3.7⭐️. However, I had so much fun reading it that I’m giving it an extra ⭐️ in my official rating. This story kept me completely engaged from start (talk about an insane opening chapter!) to finish (🌶️🔥🚘). It was fast-paced, laugh out loud funny, deliciously spicy, and deeply relatable. I don’t think I’ve ever annotated a book this much! The banter between Ash & Gabe was just so🫶🏻🤤 but let’s be honest… everything about Ashley Foley is so 😍🥵🥰

The Villain Edit is nothing like I had anticipated. First of all, I hadn’t known it was the final book of a series until after I picked it up and started reading. Whoopsies. But as stated in the summary, it can absolutely be read as a standalone. I was nervous at first that I wouldn’t like the story as much without knowing the full background of the characters, but I fell in love with them immediately. Especially with America’s Most Hated Bitch, Ashley Foley. I never knew how badly I needed a morally gray FMC until now and I don’t know if I can ever go back.
I was delightfully surprised with how deep the character development went with the two MC’s. Every time I’ve read a story about characters that claim to be “the worst”, they end up just being normal people with major low-self esteem issues. But when it comes the Gabe & Ash… they actually are the worst! And I LOVED it!!! I want more main characters doing genuinely terrible things and embracing the hell out of it.

With that being said, (SEMI-SPOILERS IN THIS PARAGRAPH), I found myself thinking that Gabriel Sinclair was a little too bland to be paired with my girl Ash. I would have been totally fine with this, since she could definitely use a little calm in her storm, but the last few chapters left a sour taste in my mouth towards Mr. Gabe Stick-Up-His-Ass Sinclair. He’s incredibly lucky Ash is so forgiving because I would have pushed him and his roses out of a 5 story building. But that’s just me! I tend to get the ick when men simply exist so he certainly didn’t get any brownie points from me after he pulled… well pretty much all of the bullshit he pulled throughout the book🥴 lol

Aside from all that I genuinely love love LOVE The Villain Edit and will be thinking about it long after I’ve finished reading. I’m so excited to see what else Sarah Brenton has to offer.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this wonderful book!

Goodreads review posted on 1/10/24
Instagram review to be posted on 1/12/24
Links attached

I think people are either going to really enjoy this book or hate it. The main character Ashley isn’t likable for a good portion of the book and that will definitely rub some people the wrong way. But I do feel the more you get to know her, the more redeemable she becomes and the more you realize how strong she is and most importantly why she is the way she is. I love how you initially love Gabe and then it’s almost like a roll reversal when you realize he ain’t so great until he realizes what he actually wants out of his life and career. There were some moments that were definitely predictable but honestly even knowing they were coming I still enjoyed the story. The third act breakup was handled well and Ashely was a boss with how she handled things. Overall a fast paced quick read that I definitely enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this one and it started off so strong but ended up as an average read for me. I was nervous at first that I wouldn't like our FMC, Ashley, but I really did and her character growth was great. I liked our MMC, Gabriel, in the beginning until around the middle of the book and I just didn't really like him by the end. It felt like his character had a development reversal almost and the person Ashley becomes by the end of her story deserved so much better. They were really no longer the best match by the end. The story moves very quickly in the first half making it a quick read at first, but then once I got to the middle it was harder for me to finish because it really slows down. Much of what happened in the second half could have been cut back but the writing style made it an easy read and there are a lot of fun spicy scenes. If you like celebrity romance/drama, fake dating, seemingly bad girl/good guy matchups, and a lot of spice then you might like this book that comes out 1/16/24. It is the third and final book in a standalone series by Sarah Brenton. I did not read the first two and didn't feel like I was missing anything but if you want more of the other Foleys's stories then you should check the first two out as well.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced digital copy from NetGalley & Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, truly i did but man Gabe did nothing but piss me off at the end. In the beginning did i struggle understanding Ashley and her thoughts/actions? yes of course but through out the book you learn she's incredibly misunderstood due to her playing the roll of the villain all her life but Gabriel? nope i have zero sympathy for that man. He did Ashley so dirty it made me red in the face just for her to take him back like it was nothing.
Overall, thank you NetGalley and Sarah Brenton for providing me this ARC to read & review. I do look forward to future work to see if there is character improvement

Sarah Brenton was a new-to-me author, even though The Villain Edit is the third in a series. Whether it's fair or not, sometimes with unknown indie authors, I go in with low expectations, but I was super surprised by how much I ended up loving this one.

The main character Ashley admits from the start she's unlikable. She self-identifies as the villain, and she leans hard into that identity for the first 20-30% of the book, but as she tries to "rehabilitate" her image by fake-dating Hollywood's golden boy, she realizes that maybe she isn't the villain she's always believed herself to be, and that she doesn't need to lean into that "role" if she doesn't want to. Meanwhile, Gabe (the golden boy) is trying to rough up his own image as he prepares to play a gritty superhero, and he believes that being seen with Ashley is just the thing to tarnish his gleaming reputation (just a smidge).

I loved the character growth of both of the main characters. Gabe has set unrealistic expectations for himself and his reputation within the industry. He puts that above everything else, but falling for Ashley leads him to reevaluate what really matters. Ash learns to give herself grace and forgive herself for things her younger self did that led her to feel typecast as the villain.

There's obviously a lot more to the story--a lot of nuance and gradual unfolding of events--but I don't want to spoil it for you.

If you like slightly dramatic, fake-dating/real feelings, Hollywood/reality TV romances, definitely pick this one up. It's a quick, fun read with surprising depth.

2.5 stars!
The Villain Edit starts off really promising, the opening scene gets you hooked while you meet Ashley truly at her worst, however it lost me somewhere along the way.

I grew to feel for Ashley and the things that she was going through, however the way Gabe treated her was just unforgivable for me. Their relationship felt very lust based, without much connection for the most part and the third-act break up was just horrendous for Gabe's character. While there is a lot to try and excuse his behaviour, the impact of the things that have happened to him was told to the audience, rather than show, therefore failing to make me really feel for him.

Ashley is the one character I could feel for and with everything that happened to her and all the hurt Gabe caused her, I wasn't rooting for them at the end, I was rooting for her to be happy and to find someone better. There wasn't near enough groveling or remorse on Gabe's part for me to forgive him (or for Ashley to find a reason to do so).

Overall, the concept of the book was really interesting and could've made for a great romcom had it not been for Gabe's selfish choices and the lack of character building on his side.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you so much to Sarah Brenton and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the eARC of this book. Being 100% honest, I have not read books 1 or 2. This was such a great easy read for me. It definitely makes me want to read 1 and 2. I loved how Sarah wrote Ashley and Gabriel's Story. This is definitely a must read.

If I could turn a book into a movie, this would be the one😍

When i say this book had me hooked from the beginning, i wish I hadn’t read it so i could re-read for the first time all over again! It was a fast paced and enjoyable read. One I would definitely recommend.
I’m a sucker for a fake dating/enemies to lovers trope and this had everything I was looking for and more.

I was a little sceptical about whether or not I would be able to relate to Ashley or not in the beginning and she has the “bad girl” persona however, I absolutely loved the character development.

Lastly, I would like to take a moment to appreciate how well written Gabe was. I’m not one for spoilers so I won’t say too much but Oh. My God.🥵

Thank you Sarah Brenton for allowing me to read an advanced copy. It was more than worth it!!

Ashley is the villain of a reality TV show and Gabriel is Hollywood’s perfect leading man. When Ashely tries to stop her cousin from marrying the love of her life (also an actor) by staging a seduction, she ends up getting paparazzid with Gabe instead.
✅ fake dating
✅ a good guy who wants to be a little bad, and a bad girl who wants to be good
✅ road trip
✅ only one bed 🙌🏽
🌶️: yes and it starts in the first 100 pages

This book is so much fun and the grovel is top notch!!! Enjoy!!!

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the arc in exchange for a review .

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 rounded up to 4

I enjoyed this book .
Ashley Foley - TV Villain which tried to seduce Nic Fontana (her former neighbour) on the night of his wedding to her cousin Jessie . Although her plan didn’t go as anticipated since her Past sent Golden boy Gabe to her room by accident .

It was a fun read . Kept me entertained the whole time , It’s a standalone , which I love . Loved the characters and how invested I did get in the story . I felt it could have been shorter but overall good read . Can’t wait to read more by this author .

Do you love redemption stories? Then The Villain Edit by Sarah Brenton is the book for you! Ashley Foley is a villain through and through or is that just how tv has portrayed her to be? Gabriel Sinclair is Hollywood’s golden boy who just landed a huge new role that is much edgier than the roles he is used to.

Ashley and Gabe’s lives collide when her attempt to seduce her cousin’s new husband lands them in a scandal! The solution is a fake dating scheme. This will hopefully roughen up Gabe‘s image for his new role while softening up Ashley’s. A few PR paparazzi shoots, social media posts, and a cross country road trip, and then they can forget about each other and go back to their lives. But is it really that simple?

This book was a great read, and I loved the FMC character development. I love the dual point of view and it really helped me understand the characters and their feelings throughout the book Ashley and Gabe’s story sucked me in and I could not stop reading it!

Thank you Net Gallery and Sarah Brenton for letting me read this arc copy of The Villain Edit. It comes out January 16!

First of all, how dare, Sarah Benton! I had things I was planning on doing today and it wasn’t unstoppably binging this book in one sitting!! 😡

My next note is Ashley is my book girlfriend. I’ve called dibs so you can all back off! I could have done with maybe 50 more pages of Gabe groveling (who’s the real villain in this book???) but I’ll join Sarah’s mailing list under the assumption this will be a bonus epilogue/short story eventually. -waits patiently-

Recording a new trope I love: mean girl protects golden boy while also making him completely unhinged.

This was my first book by this author and I’ll be picking up the first two in the series, but this one worked as a stand alone.

I was curious yet a bit reluctant to read Ashley and Gabriel’s story. Ashley created an awful reputation for herself so I didn’t know what to expect. But she surprised me because behind that facade she was a good person who was deeply hurt and didn’t know how else to protect herself. And honestly Gabriel was so much better as well without his mask and being more nunanced. I liked their chemistry and what they shared together. I was so pissed how people hurt Ashley because they didn’t like her and what they said and did was simply cruel. It made me sad when Gabriel didn’t believe Ashley but thankfully he came to his senses eventually. It was great how Ashley’s family stood up for her even after the mistakes she made. All in all, this story didn’t made me as emotional as Jessie and Nic’s, but it was equally good and enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of the book.

Thanks Netgalley for this arc copy.

I have to say, I enjoyed The Villian Edit way more than I thought I would. I was afraid this book would be completely over the top but I was wrong. The characters were well developed. Throughout the book, we were able to see Ashley's softer and caring side while she still very much remained true to Ashley. Their love story was sweet (and steamy). Overall, this was a truly great read that I'd highly recommend.

What happens when the reality TV show villain and the golden boy actor find themselves in a precarious situation that ends up photographed and made public? That’s the incident that kicks off this novel about Ashley and Gabriel who end up fake dating in order to darken his reputation for his upcoming role and brighten hers as she has no work coming in (especially after their moment together in the beginning). Their fake dating, public story takes twists and turns as Ashley and Gabriel discover more about themselves together than they ever had before and maybe might be falling in love all at the same time.

I was so excited by the premise of this novel but the more I read the less enthused I became. Both characters start very unlikable and it’s hard to see their redeeming qualities, save for Ashley, who by the end I did feel for, as for Gabe, he didn’t stop being, for lack of a better word, a dick, until basically the second to last chapter. They also had quite a bit of past trauma between the two of them, but it sometimes felt so out-of-the-blue as it came up in their thoughts, thrown in as if an afterthought needed for the plot. Also, there were a few parts where I felt the characters contradicted themselves but maybe that was just me. As for the writing, there were moments when I read a piece of information presented to us exactly as it had been made 15 pages prior, and felt redundant.

At the end of the day, it’s a very smutty romance featuring two people who find love when they least expect it. If you like quick, easy reads, then pick this up, but if you like something with a little more depth (despite dealing with some traumatic themes) it is probably not for you. I’d give this novel 3 stars because it delivers on its promises, but I just wished for something a little more well-written with deeper characters. For content notes regarding themes check the author's website.

The Villain Edit solidifies Sarah Brenton on my romance auto-buy list. The premise initially made me uneasy - our FMC Ashley starts off the book by trying to seduce her cousin's groom (our book two power couple)! But within two chapters I was sold. Ashley is such a dynamic, shocking, extremely addicting character, and she 100% took me by storm.

While our MMC Gabriel has his merits as well, I truly think of this book as Ashley's inner redemption arc. As the book points out, the world today has very little tolerance for females who are anything short of nice. Ashley provided a perfect example of the new age fallen woman, and in doing so challenged a series of biases I didn't even realize I had. Regardless of her relationship, she grows so much while still maintaining the humor, kindness, and integrity that makes her such a wonderful character.

World views aside, the book is also deliciously steamy. In the moments my heart wasn't feeling like it was getting ripped out of my chest, it was pounding right alongside our smitten MCs. The enemies to lovers trope was strong with this one!

Overall, this book is officially my first book hangover worthy read of the year. Fingers crossed we get more from Brenton soon!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

this novel was so good. The story had a great combination of sweet and spicy. I hope there will be more from these characters in the future.

This book was such a fun journey with Ashley & Gabe! After reading Sarah Brenton’s first two books I was absolutely hooked on her stories! This is no exception. The chemistry, real-life struggles, and drive to find your (true!) self is incredibly relatable. Also the open door scenes are 🔥🔥🔥. Highly recommend this (and all books by Sarah Brenton)! Already cannot wait for the next. 🫶
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I very much support a woman's right to be 'unlikeable' and therefore I immediately connected with Ashley even as she opened the book making some choice decisions. I then really liked the set-up of how her and Gabriel ended up having to fake date. The early stages of their relationship and the push and pull of their personalities in this new forced environment was really enjoyable and I liked getting to see the other side of Ashley. My issues came mostly from Gabriel and the way that he behaved, however having said that I can also understand why he behaved that way as Brenton did a good job of layering that conflict into his character but I personally found it. a bit annoying. There were elements of the third act that I also found a bit frustrating, because again, even though I could understand where they were both coming from I just felt like maybe they could communicate a bit better and then none of the last third would needed to have happened. I did enjoy this book though and thought that it was a lovely read with characters with some great chemistry and the pay off was worth it in the end.