Assistant to the Villain (Assistant and the Villain, 1) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

A laugh-out-loud fantasy rom-com that’s basically Once Upon a Time meets The Office—with an upbeat assistant trying to keep her life together while working for the kingdom’s most infamous Villain… and accidentally falling for him. Assistant to the Villain is witty, fast, and absurd in the best way, with workplace banter, unexpected tenderness, and a plot that turns into “protect the evil empire” real quick.

Evie Sage needs a job badly—her family depends on it. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s high-ranking, terrifyingly hot Villain ends with him offering her employment, she says yes. The job description is… vague: office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion required. Benefits excellent.

Evie tries to be professional, but it’s hard when your workplace includes severed heads hanging from the ceiling and the occasional squish of an errant eyeball underfoot—and when your boss is temperamental, powerful, and inconveniently attractive. Just as she starts settling into dungeon-office life, Evie realizes there’s a serious problem brewing: something rotten is spreading through the kingdom, and someone is sabotaging the Villain’s operation from the inside.

Now Evie has two jobs: stop crushing on her boss… and figure out who’s trying to take him (and his entire nefarious empire) down—then make sure they pay.