I loved this audiobook so much ! The narrator was so good ! I am a huge Great Gatsby fan so of course when I saw this was a vampire retelling of the classic novel, I had to read it asap. Highly recommend !

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Despite loving second-chance romance, vampires, and retellings of classic stories, this one just didn't connect with me unfortunately.
The prose style (and dialogue in particular) was quite juvenile and it felt like it was written for a young adult audience. The characters were also hard to connect with and I didn't feel that the relationships (especially that between Daisy and Gatsby was developed particularly well. I also felt VERY turned off by the asshole 'alpha' demeanor of Gatsby. Possessiveness is fine in moderation but he just came off toxic in a peculiar way and so I didn't connect with him at all.

I definitely think this book has its market, its just not me unfortunately. If you're into the whole possessive alpha male shtick and don't mind cringey dialogue I think you'll like this, might be a nice guilty pleasure read for some!!

Beautiful Villain is a retelling of The Great Gatsby, but with a twist. I had read The Great Gatsby in high school but don't remember it, so I'm not sure how closely this follows to the plot. It started out really good, but didn't finish as strong as I had hoped. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator was fantastic. She did a great job with the different characters and made the book more enjoyable. I would listen to other books she narrates.

~~What I liked~~
-The mystery of Jay was fun at the beginning of the book. I do wish a bit less would have been disclosed in the blurb, it might have been more surprising if I didn't already know what was coming.
-A good effort was made to explain the how and why behind Jay's choices and the 'pseudoscience' behind turning people into vampires.
-While there are alcohol and drug use in the book, I did appreciate the safety measures taken for those who do choose to imbibe. The main characters also mostly abstain, promoting safe choices.
-The writing was good and it was a quick read (listen). There weren't too many characters or an overly complicated plot.

~~What I didn't like~~
-The romance is more like obsession and doesn't seem healthy.
-The plot seems short-sighted and I really have to suspend my disbelief for a lot of the things that take place in the book. Daisy seems to be the only one to think that eventually vampires will take over the world, but long-term it could happen.

Overall, it was a neat idea and I enjoyed my trip into this make-believe world. I don't know if I would recommend it unless someone really loved vampire novels, but I would be interested in other books by this author.

Let me rave about this romantasy novel that stole my heart! It's a modern retelling of the Great Gatsby with vampires that's dark and steamy. And the audiobook is otherworldly, the narrator is new to me but I find her voice not only compelling but also enchanting. She weaves intricate details and emotions into every scene, making the characters come to life. And I'm obsessed with Daisy and Jay's love story, it's beautifully written and I couldn't stop thinking about it even after I finished it.

If you're a fan of the Great Gatsby or just love a romantasy with a touch of glamour and modern fantasy, this book is a must-read. The narrator's skillful blend of fantasy and romance will keep you drawn in until the end. I highly recommend reading through audiobook!

I really enjoyed this! If I've read 'Great Gatsby' before then I do not recall it at all so I definitely wasn't too worried about straying from original. In fact I did do some research to make sure this had HEA (which she does advertise that it is so no spoiler here!) My biggest complaint was that Jay told Daisy's best friend before her and also her cousin found out before her. I know in all of these books there's always the male keeping a secret but just thought it was kind of isolating that everyone knew but her. Other than that it was a nice easy read with a good amount of spice! I would definitely read more by this author.

Quick Summary: A wildly entertaining paranormal retelling of a classic

My Review: Beautiful Villain by Rebecca F. Kenney is book #1 in the Gilded Monsters series.

About the Book: An unfinished story that was rewritten before two bonded friends were inevitably reunited...

Jay Gatsby never forgot Daisy Finnegan. They had once shared a closeness that was bound to lead to something remarkable. When circumstances out of their control separated them for a time, their paths went off and into the extreme. As fate would have it, they reconnected after seven years. They were different and the same. They found that they still shared a connection and so much more.

My Final Say: This novel was an insanely naughty supernatural reworking of The Great Gatsby. It was Twilight with a twist, in a way. It was both strange and familiar, at the same time. It was so captivating that I found myself wanting to listen to it non-stop in one go.

Other: Classics plus sci-fi/fantasy equal my new favorite literary treat. There is most certainly a place for fluff and stuff pleasure reads. This was simply an off-the-wall , just-because-I-can novel meant for readers who want something different and strange. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, and that's okay. It was mine.

Rating: 4.5/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: NA
Re-read: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Status/Level: 👍💬

Appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher (Dreamscape Media), and to NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to review this title in exchange for an honest critique. I very much look forward to following this series and this writer.

Have you ever sat down and thought:

What would The Great Gatsby/ Twilight hybrid be like?

Well I never had, but was pleasantly surprised when chosen to listen this NetGalley ARC for my opinion.

Gone are the traditional character traits from this storyline. This is just dandy in my opinion since Daisy Buchanan (Finnegan in this iteration) might be the most loathsome literary character to date. Jay Gatsby is less of a pining push over also, no insult to the great F. Scott Fitzgerald. The rest of gang is all there too, Tom is still an abusive ass, Myrtle still drools over Tom and Cousin Nick is here, but with a twist. He is no longer the narrator, we see this story from Daisy's point of view. Additionally, NYC and it's outskirts are traded for the lush North Carolina countryside and it fits well.

The premise of an elusive rich socialite is retained, and Jay's opulent parties are still in the mix. Parties now contain offers to an exclusive group, a sort of "life insurance" that bestows its clientele the enjoyment of paranormal powers. This new gang of vamps are mindful of their blood intake and lay low on the radar of normal society.
Antagonists arise when meet the "old school" vampires. These guys are traditional in their vampire behaviors (ya know, in the realm of disbelief that there are new age and older traditional vampire gangs)

This was a really fun one to listen to, although if it wasn't for the Great Gatsby schtick, I'm not sure I would have love it as much. It's really intelligent to take characters we know of and plop them into another storyline like this. It's clearly slated to be a series and I could see where the growth of these characters would good.

Did you read The Great Gatsby in school? Well, I have a hot 🔥 retelling with a paranormal twist to share with you that will have you looking at this classic tale with new eyes!

Whether you’ve read the original or not, I recommend this one if you like spicy romances or paranormal romances. But I applaud the author for this clever retelling. The main characters are all here, and she even managed to incorporate many of the central themes: class, money, gender, immortality and yes, even the green light.

Daisy is looking forward to summer now that college is over and she is free from her cheating boyfriend, Tom. She, her cousin Nick, and her best friend Jordan are heading to a party. Daisy is shocked when she learns that Jay Gatsby owns the gorgeous house where the party is being held.

Jay was her childhood friend, her sweetheart. But they lost touch. Now Jay is here, wealthy and amazingly hot. But he has changed. Something is different; something is very different.

If you don’t want a spoiler, don’t read this section. At first, I was uncertain if Gatsby being a vampire would work, but it did, and it was pretty hot. Daisy’s voice control gift felt a little unnecessary to me, but it didn’t distract from the story.

This was a steamy, sexy, paranormal retelling that I had a lot of fun with. Besides all the romance, there was some suspense and action too. I’m excited to see what monsters the rest of the series brings.


Thank you @sourcebookscasa for this gifted book.
Thank you @dreamscape_media for the gifted audiobook via NetGalley

I never read more than a sentence about a book before i start the book. which is for the best I think!! I got into this thinking, hey this is a modern retelling of The Great Gatsby. At 40% in something shifted. This wasn't the Jay Gatsby I was familiar with - and it certainly was a surprise. Very spicy and graphic, this paranormal reimagining of a familiar story with teenage characters was really not what I had expected, Thanks to NetGalley for the arc/audiobook!

I haven’t read a vampire book since Twilight! But this! Whew! It brought back all the thrill and love for vampires! I must confess I have never read or seen The Great Gatsby. I really enjoyed this book though! I finished it in 2 days I just couldn’t stop listening! I loved all of the characters. Daisy being her sweet caring self, Jay being the ultimate book boyfriend with his “everything was for you” lines, and the badass best friend Jordan who brings risk and thrill to the story. Even the unlikable characters were so well placed in this story with their classic controlling, narcissistic personalities. The chemistry between Daisy and Jay was just *chefs kiss* amazing! I also loved Nick & Cody’s relationship and their personalities. The pacing of the story was great, I never felt like it was too slow or boring. The conflict/resolution was a little too easy but I still enjoyed it! Ruby Cherise was fantastic at narrating this story. Over all I’d give this book a 4.5 rating.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

<b>Beautiful Villain</b> is a new adult fantasy romance loosely based on The Great Gatsby book.

I found it really entertaining, with very sad and dark parts (check the tw) and funnier parts.

If you like:
💫Childhood friends to lovers
💫Vampires
💫Major The Great Gatsby vibes
💫Protective and possessive MMC
💫Action
Then this one is for you!

I loved the magical system and found it quite unique. Even if the base elements were classic, the author gave a creative twist to everything.
I was dubious on some parts, because when trying to explain a fantasy element scientifically many things may end up not adding up, and sometimes it felt like it here. Still, it wasn´t too big a problem because the story was very good.

The audiobook production was perfect as always!
I tandem read it between book and audiobook and I sort of whished we had Jay´s voice! I really would have loved to have him too.

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC.

Beautiful Villain will be out on July 16th.

Take the Great Gatsby and add spice and some vampires and you have Beautiful Villain. I admit it may have been silly of me to read this book despite having read the original Great Gatsby and hating it (I know, I'm the minority) but I was surprised by this book and ended up listening to it quite quickly. While it wasn't my favorite book, I definitely see the appeal especially if you loved GG and wanted something similar but a bit more modern and sexy with a bit of a magical twist.

The audio narration by Ruby Cherise is well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I love it! This is so good! It's going to be great with a modern audience because it has things that people can connect with like social media.
However, listening to this more. It sounds like a knockoff of King of Wrath.

Rated 3.5 Stars

I like the premise of Beautiful Villain but it didn't fully work for me. I do think the narrator did a good job of bringing this book to life. I liked the world and the author's take on vampires and The Great Gatsby. However I wasn't fond of the characters and that's mainly where this book fell short for me. I didn't believe the connection between Jay and Daisy, to me there was no chemistry between them and so the romance didn't work for me. Although I didn't love it I did enjoy it and I'd read more by this author.

An entertaining and supernatural twist on the Great Gatsby! I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook, so much so that I couldn't put it down and listened to it all in one day!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

ARC Rating 3.75/5 ⭐️

This is a fantasy romance story. The Great Gatsby inspiration with a magical twist was very nice, especially as I wasn't very versed in the original story.

The story follows Daisy, who had recently broken up with her abusive boyfriend Tom, and has finished college. She reconciles with the wealthy reclusen Jay Gatsby, her childhood sweetheart. But somethings have changed with Jay, and he's not quite the man she remembers.

This was a nice story with a lot happening throughout. The romance was good and I did feel the connection between the two.

This was a nice quick listen/ read and it kept me entertained and engaged.

Thank you NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, Helen Hardt for sending this eARC for review. All opinions are my own.

AMAZING! I had the privilege of ARC reading Beautiful Villian and let me just tell you...the audio made the book just that much better! The narrator did a fantastic job of bringing Kenney's book to life! Just amazing and job well done!

This book was rough. It felt like I was reading a first draft Wattpad book….and don’t get me wrong, there is an audience for that. I am not that audience. I feel like the author tried to reel readers in with “a Gatsby retelling” but completely tricked everyone with what this book actually was. Not for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

🧛🏻Modern Gastby Retelling
✨supernatural romance
🧛🏻Vampires
✨Spice

Thank you Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ALC.

I really wanted to read this book once I knew it was a modern retelling of the Great Gatsby. I love how the characters evolved and had the modern feel in this book. The fundamentals of the great Gatsby are still present, but not enough to where it’s completely the same. This book is its own book. I love that there was a supernatural element because some of them are vampires. I found it most unique that Daisy had a special trait to her. I am so glad that the book did end like how the Great Gatsby did, just because I didn’t want the sad ending. I love the world building in Beautiful Villain. I enjoyed the scientific elements to it. The narrator was amazing. I would definitely recommend this book or the audio. The spice scenes were very good, especially if you love a vampire romances.

As a massive consumer of Rebecca's work I was so excited for this book. I initially fell in love with her Wicked Darlings Series and have been hooked since. I really thought there wasn't a book that she could write that I wouldn't absolutely completely love. I was wrong. It could be because it's more contemporary based and I just love the fantastical worlds she creates, but I struggled with this.

I've never been one to be a fan of things in modern day that get mentioned in books unless it's a memoir so I get thrown off when things like tiktok, youtube, etc are mentioned. I was also a little disappointed that the main characters names weren't changed for the retelling since the story was told modernly and mentioned things in media that exist in our world. My brain just kept circling back to the fact that The Great Gatsby was literally apart of my school's curriculum so I was like like how does she not make a silly reference or anything when we have twilight references.

<spoiler>Jay didn't feel like much of an upgrade to her other ex. He blamed her for something that was out of her control that was her parents fault and for something as wild as them not trying to adopt him. Which was crazy because they were dating, like why would you want that? And to the jealousy of her sleeping with someone else when they spent 7 years apart when he slept with people. Also the biting into the lady bits, I was screaming in horror. </spoiler>