Beautiful Villain is the first book in the Gilded Monster Series by Rebecca F. Kenney and it is a truly delightful romp of a book. 

What if Gatsby didn’t die? What if love really was eternal? What if Daisy was just generally better? Kenney takes these concepts and absolutely runs with them.   

The beginning of the novel follows Fitzgerald’s telling fairly faithfully, it just takes place in the modern era. We still see the extravagant parties thrown to impress Daisy and it doesn’t become clear until later that the parties are so much more than just a means to snag Daisy’s attention. The novel really begins to shine where the Fitzgerald telling would have ended, except Gatsby doesn’t die…As Daisy finds herself drawn further and further into Gatsby’s dark world she must ask herself, is she willing to risk her soul? 

I really love retellings and I found this one to be super clever and fun. Beautiful Villain is crafted well and has female characters that are actually relatable, I love to see it. There is a fun mystery element to the plot that is engaging and well done.  The spice is fun and just right for the book.  Ultimately though, my favorite thing about Beautiful Villain is that Kenney makes Daisy a human and liberates her from the cage of an idealized object that Fitzgerald put her in. 

Special thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for my honest opinion