The Reincarnated Villainess Won’t Seek Revenge Volume 1

Not awful, but not good either.

The premise is interesting. In a typical villainess story fashion, Rosemary got executed for crimes she didn't commit at the age of sixteen. Two years later she reincarnated as Mary, a baron's daughter living in the countryside, who has reached the fine age of eighteen by the time this story takes place. That means twenty years have passed since Rosemary's death, so the key people related to Rosemary are still alive. Her former fiancé, who has since become the king. The current queen, formerly a handmaid who stole her fiancé and framed her for murder attempt. Her younger half-brother. Her childhood friend and personal knight. They're all still alive, just much older than the current her.

So obviously, if age gap romance isn't your thing and you find it creepy, you should drop this book right now and go pick something else. Because due to how the story is set up, we have a pair of men in their thirties getting all sparkly-eyed over an eighteen year old girl. Another potential love interest is the current crown prince, so the son of the very couple who got Rosemary executed. I personally think he'd be the best match for Mary, because unlike the other two, he actually does see her as her current self instead of chasing Rosemary's shadow. Alas, it's super clear from the beginning that it's just not meant to be.

The writing, for the most part, is introspective. Lots and lots of highlight on the internal feelings of multiple characters, with plenty of perspective-switching between the past and the present. The problem is that the pacing is absolutely wack, and together with the ample focus on FEELS, they make up a very bizarre reading experience. One minute you're reading about the melancholic yearnings of Rosemary's half-brother, then you blink and suddenly he's on his way to commit high treason. There's no build-up, no change in tension, nothing. As a reader, I find it very difficult to mentally catch up with what was happening in the book.

Oh, and I liked Albert, the knight childhood friend who I think is Mary's main love interest. Since Mary doesn't have an abundance of responsibilities weighing upon her like Rosemary did, I think the process of her realizing her feelings for him was done really nicely. Sadly, it ends super fast because he becomes absolutely whipped and enters puppy mode the moment he learns about her past life. Now I'm not sure how to feel about him. Or the romance, for that matter.

Still will be picking up the next book to see how it ends.