Book Smart Kate

Book: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 Audiobook performance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 Spice: Closed Door

by Hannah Nicole Maehrer – After devouring the first book in this series, my immediate reaction was, “I have to wait a whole year for more?!?!” And I felt the same way after finishing book two.

The story picks up almost immediately after the first book’s cliffhanger ending (I paused to reread the final chapters of book one to refresh my memory). Evie Sage has truly come into her own as the Assistant to the Villain, and now she must muster all her cunning to save the Villain, their lair, the kingdom, and magic itself. Along the way, she’s supported by our favorite characters from the first book—including the ever-reliable Becky from HR and the unflappable Kingsley the frog. Evie and the Villain continue to test the boundaries of their relationship, each too stubborn to admit what everyone else sees. We’re also introduced to several important new characters who propel us closer to unraveling the mysteries of the kingdom’s magic.

This is a series you’ll either love or find hard to connect with—and I’m firmly in the “love it” camp. The quirky humor just clicks with me. Like the first book, it took me about 50 pages to really get into the story, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. While this book also ends on a cliffhanger, Maehrer delivers plenty of satisfying moments and moves the overarching plot forward in a gratifying way. And of course, Kingsley the frog remains as epic as ever, calling out the Villain’s nonsense with perfectly timed one-word retorts.

The audiobook, narrated by Em Eldridge, is a delightful way to experience this zany cast of characters. Eldridge once again brings the story to life beautifully, adding depth and personality to each character.