A review by saiy_phi
If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio

4.0

this book is pretty much a copy cat to the secret history by donna tartt. swap out latin/greek for Shakespeare and you’ve got the same set up. not that this book is bad by any means. while the writing isn’t as captivating or lofty as the secret history it’s still pretty good. the characters frequently converse in shakespearien dialogue which adds a fun twist to the story. although, you don’t get as deep a sense of them because they play into tropes (on purpose, but to the books fault imo). the suspense builds throughout the book, again as the main character learns more and more details about the mystery. plus, the structure of the book in 5 acts with a prologue in each that’s a 10 year flash forward and the epilogue set in present day add a nice touch of chronology that helps the book move along. the writing style is less densely descriptive and less romantic. even tho it’s more simple it’s still fun.

overall, if you’re gonna read this book don’t do it too close to reading the secret history. even tho it’s less impressive it was still a fun quick read, great for a vacation or holiday