From Assistant to Accomplice: Hannah Nicole Maehrer on Fantasy Romance, Spice, and Found Family

Book Talk for BookTok

Cloud10

Arts, Books

4.8 • 642 Ratings

🗓️ 6 August 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of Book Talk for BookTok, we sit down with bestselling fantasy romance author and BookTok favorite Hannah Nicole Maehrer (@hannahnicolemae) to talk all things Accomplice to the Villain, the latest book in her hit Assistant to the Villain series. Known for her laugh-out-loud villain/assistant banter, swoony slow burns, and emotionally rich character arcs, Hannah opens up about what it was like writing the third installment of this viral romantasy series. We dig into character growth, new POVs (yes, even the frog), found family, and the emotional and hilarious chaos that makes this book impossible to put down. Hannah shares how she tackled the more *ahem* intimate moments of Evie and Trystan’s relationship, the deeper themes around motherhood and identity, and how she strikes the perfect balance between humor, heartbreak, and happily ever after. If you love romantasy, morally gray love interests, TikTok books, and books with magic, spice, and emotional depth, this episode is for you. If you're a fan of: Fantasy romance with morally gray love interests Enemies-to-lovers and villain redemption arcs BookTok favorites with humor, heart, and heat Books like Fourth Wing, Powerless, and The Plated Prisoner ...you’ll love this conversation with the queen of villainous banter herself. Share your thoughts for a chance to be featured! Submit them at ⁠⁠⁠booktalkforbooktok.com⁠⁠⁠ for a future mini-episode or exclusive Patreon discussion. Support the Show: Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/booktalkforbooktok⁠⁠⁠ Merch: ⁠⁠⁠Etsy Store Follow Us on Social: Instagram: @BookTalkForBookTok TikTok: @BookTalkForBookTok YouTube: @BookTalkForBookTok Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, I'm A.
0:02.1	And I'm Jay.
0:02.9	Welcome to Moxicated, a space for healing, connection, and life beyond booze.
0:07.2	We share real stories, honest convos, and the tools that helped us ditch alcohol and come back to ourselves.
0:12.3	Whether you're sober, sober curious, or just craving something deeper.
0:15.9	You can do this your way.
0:17.3	So join us every Monday and Thursday for laps, tears, and your besties a.F. Now go listen to Moxicated, wherever you get your way. So join us every Monday and Thursday for laughs, tears, and your besties a.F.
0:21.7	Now go listen to Moxicated wherever you get your podcasts.
0:36.9	Welcome to Book Talk for Book Talk with Jack and Amy, your besties with a literary podcast that deep dives into your favorite novels.
0:44.1	This is Jack. And I'm Amy. We're currently taking a break from our crown of midnight season to talk to author Hannah Nicole Mayer about her latest book, Accomplice to the Villain, Book 3 in her series.
0:56.2	Hannah Nicole May, or as TikTok knows her, Hannah Nicole May, is a fantasy romance author and booktoker
1:01.6	with a propensity for villains. When she's not creating bookish comedy skits about villains and
1:06.8	assistants, she's writing to Taylor Swift's songs. Her biggest passions in life include romance,
1:11.6	magic, laughter, and finding ways to include the mull in everything she creates. Most days,
1:16.9	you can find her with her head in the clouds and a pen in hand. Welcome Hannah. Yay, I'm so happy
1:23.5	to be with you guys. I am thrilled. I am so happy. I am recovering still. Like, did you see what I
1:30.8	posted last night about like, do you see? Yes, I did. I listen, that is a well-loved paperback.
1:37.7	I feel like it's an unpopular opinion, but I abuse my paperbacks. Like I, they are, they go through it. And I like that they go through
1:46.3	it because it looks like it's been loved. It looks like it's been. It's not even the right shape anymore.
1:51.3	Like it doesn't even. It is the right shape because it's yours. I have a rule because like paperbacks,
1:58.8	I will destroy. But then I have other things like this one.
2:02.1	Yeah, like hard covers, I am the same way. Hard covers, I'm like, you are precious, you sit on the shelf. Paperbacks, I'm like, listen, you and I are going on a ride together. Well, it makes this one extra special for whatever reason. I felt the urge to buy the French edition. I love the
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