3,5 ⭐️

Desperate Measures is the story of Jasmine and Jafar and it is inspired by the story of Aladdin.
But if you read any Katee Robert book before, you know that this will be spicy. Please check the trigger and content warnings before reading.

I did not like Jafar in the beginning and the story starts pretty abruptly. It would have been nice to have some more background story and see them interact before he “takes” her.
What I liked is that Jasmin’s character develops a lot during the book, from a sheltered captive to a strong woman, a queen.

This is a quick read, it keeps you entertained and has hints about the next books in the series.

The notes from the author helped me understand the reason behind some scenes. I also like the illustrations from this edition. There are also some bonus chapters at the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Desperate Measures: A Dark and Twisted Aladdin Twist
Katee Robert's Desperate Measures is a wild ride of a book that takes the classic Aladdin tale and turns it on its head. Jasmine is no longer a damsel in distress; she's a fierce princess fighting for her kingdom. And Jafar... well, he's a whole different beast.
The chemistry between Jasmine and Jafar is off the charts. It's a toxic, addictive kind of attraction that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The story is full of twists and turns, and you'll never be quite sure who's playing who.
If you're looking for a dark, intense romance with a healthy dose of intrigue, Desperate Measures is definitely worth checking out. Just be warned: it's not for the faint of heart.

This was one super hot read! I got to read the deluxe version that has notes from the author and it really gave great insight.

I am very intrigued by this book, the world and characters. I more than likely will go and read some more books from this world because hot dang the scenes are spicy.

Yasmin’s and Jafar do not feel like a good mix but now I can not picture either with anyone else. The book starts hot and heavy and a cold shower is a must as you read because the steam doesn’t let up.

The queen of smut has done it once again!
Desperate Measures (DELUXE EDITION) was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed the footnotes and getting into Katee's thought-process with these "behind the scenes" type of commentary.

This is a dark & spicy Aladdin retelling where Jafar is the love-interest... it's super kinky and taboo! Yasmina is our FMC who is being forced into an arranged marriage and needs to grow apart from what her father has always expected from her.

Absolutely would love to continue reading this series and highly recommend this book for smut lovers who have dabbled in Katee Robert and need an escape from reality. She never disappoints.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Desperate Measures" was my first dive into Katee Robert's work, and it did not disappoint. This book delivers a scorching-hot retelling of Disney's Aladdin, but with a kinky, dark twist that sets it apart. If you enjoy dark romance and don’t mind non-con themes, then you're in for a wild ride.

The story centers on Jafar, Yasmin's father's second-in-command, who seizes control of his boss’s business, money, and daughter. Yasmin feels trapped, but her longstanding desire for Jafar adds a layered dynamic to their power struggle. From the moment they meet, Jafar’s obsession with Yasmin fuels the intensity, and their attraction simmers throughout.

This deluxe edition includes insightful author commentary, which I really enjoyed. It added depth to the story and helped frame the darker aspects of the plot in a new way. The non-con elements may not be for everyone, so keep that in mind before diving in. For those who enjoy a darker, spicier take on familiar characters, this book is definitely worth the read.

Overall, "Desperate Measures" is a daring, hot, and unrelenting romance. I'd give it 4 stars!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the advance reader copy. These opinions are my own.

I have been wanting to read Katee Robert's Wicked Villains series for a while, as I have read and enjoyed all of her other series. And I am so glad that I ended up waiting for this new deluxe edition release.

Desperate Measures is a retelling in which Yasamin ends up with Jafar. While Ali might think he is the hero of the story, he is the true villain. This is a dark romance, but not too dark. Everything is consensual, and that's emphasized and reinforced throughout the book.

I loved the story for itself. It's steamy and well written and kept me interested throughout. But this new edition added a whole additional level. I greatly enjoyed reading Robert's footnotes highlighting her purpose for different scenes and reflecting on how her writing evolved into her more recent series. The beginnings of the Dark Olympus series were referenced multiple times.

And then there are the pictures. I read in black and white on my Kindle and was still in awe of how beautiful they are. Not only do I recommend this book, I especially recommend this new edition of it.

Desperate Measures by Katee Robert was the book I didn’t know I needed!
The tension, the sex, the dirty- left me desperate for more!
This book literally had me melting!

Thank You NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

firstly, I love the illustrations and author's annotations in this version, it was really cool and aesthetic, bring back book illustrations, pretty please!!!

as for the plot - there wasn't a lot of it, this book gave exactly what it was supposed to give. It's great palette cleanser between heavy reads, but had to block out that daddy kink to enjoy it. But it's quick and fun and didn't have to think much reading it. And the twist on Aladdin story was nice.

Thank you Netgalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

Reread/ ARC Rating 4/5 ⭐️ This was such a banger the second time around with this new deluxe edition. These additional annotation notes by Katee with the inserted art throughout, are a great addition.

I love the new book cover with the character art 🧡

This is a dark, spicy, Mafia, Yasmina and Jafar romance 🥵

I really enjoyed this book, and the characters were well written. I love how even though this was so spicy, there was a nice plot, and I love Yasmina and Jafar's growth by the end.

Anyway, have a check of the CWs, and read the first chapter. You'll know if this one's for you or not straight away lol.

Thank you, NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Katee Robert, for sending this book for review. All opinions are my own.

I’m a big Katee Robert fan but this was my first time reading this series. Desperate Measures is a dark retelling which has Jasmine or Yasmina and Jafar in the mafia world. It’s definitely short and sweet and while the plot is there, I wouldn’t go into this looking for anything too elaborate. In typical Katee fashion it’s very spicy and kinky with a lot of tension and push and pull between the characters. The character development was pretty good for the amount of time and I love the direction Yasmina’s character went in. Overall a fun read and I would definitely continue the series!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I was excited to hear that Desperate Measures would be getting a new special edition with a hot new cover and bonus material, and while I don’t reread books often, I jumped at the chance to get a peek at some of these additions.
The story is by-and-large unchanged, and my opinions are no different from when I first read it late last year. Yasmina’s (Jasmine) is amazing, a perfect balance of “girl boss” and vulnerable young woman trying to find herself in a world run by corrupt men. Jafar is the quintessential KR hero: dastardly and devilish to the outside world, but absolutely melts for his love, Yasmina. They are what you would find if you looked up “power couple” in the dictionary, with a healthy dose of Daddy kink and consensual nonconsent.
Having really liked the cover for this one and the previous hardcover special edition, I was delighted to find out that there were illustrations interspersed throughout, capturing intimate moments from the story. It brings it to life in a new way, and I’m very much on board with more illustrated romances being a thing, having seen it in this format only once or twice before.
Of all the bonuses, I was the most nervous about the annotations, as they’re footnotes. As a returning reader, I ended up liking them, as they provided a lot of insight into Robert’s writing process, from behind-the-scenes anecdotes to Easter eggs providing connections to other books. They are a bit harder to keep track of in the ebook format, and it’s hard to say how they’ll be formatted in the print edition. Either way, I don’t see this edition being particularly friendly to the first-time reader, although I guess it depends on the continued availability of other editions.
I also enjoyed the previously published shorts, as I hadn’t had the chance to read them yet, and while they don’t add a lot story-wise, it’s always great to have a little more of such great characters. And speaking of, there’s also kink questionnaires completed “by” Yasmina and Jafar, and while I admit a lot of it went over my head, I liked seeing the areas where they overlapped and complemented each other, especially as depicted in the text itself.
Overall, this book is and has always been solid, and I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy erotic/dark, kinky romance and sexier takes on Disney/fairytale characters. This edition itself enhances the story, and while some elements might be catered to first-time readers, it’s definitely a must-have for fans of the series.
CWs: Consensual non-consent, explicit sex, abusive parent (father), parental death (father, off-page), murder, assault, blood

A sexy retelling of Jasmine and Jafar. Jafar isn't the villain in this retelling and there's no prince ali. He's more of an anti-hero than anything else. Very sexy and kinky. Lots of love and chemistry too. The start of the wicked villains series....

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

This is a book where the villain is not really the villain. I would consider Jafar to be more morally grey than anything else. Either way, he is H-O-T!

This book is a loose interpretation of Aladdin, but where Jafar gets the girl. As someone who kinda found Jafar attractive in the movie, I had no issue with this retelling.

Yasmina, who is our Jasmine, has been locked away basically her whole life by her controlling and abusive father. Jafar was his advisor/second in command. We start the book with Jafar planning and carrying out a successful Coup in which he kills Yasmina's father and thus claiming ownership of her. While I thought it would be a bit darker and have more dubious consent, it was fairly obvious that the only thing Yasmina was against was having no power over her life. Jafar just wants to protect her from Ali, but in the process can be a bit controlling and stifling. The only time Yasmina is okay with this control is in the bedroom. Eventually they reach an agreement in which the tables totally turn and Yasmina becomes the HBIC.

It was so cool to see Hades and his club. As someone who is a huge fan of the Dark Olympus series, especially Neon Gods, it is so cool to read the footnotes by Robert and learn that this was written way before the idea of Neon Gods came to fruition. Comparing the two characters was very fun.

The spice in this book was off the charts. I really enjoyed the representation as well by making Yasmina queer and having Jafar being secure enough in their connection that he does not mind sharing. This may be one of the spiciest of Robert's books that I have read so far and I am excited to see how the series progresses.

Overall, this was a quick and super spicy read. Perfect for getting out of a slump or if you are seriously craving some smutty scenes. This was a fast paced book so you only have to wait about a chapter for the spice to begin.

Make sure to read the triggers before hand.

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a great read! I adored the spice and hot chemistry between the main characters. I never thought I would enjoy a Jafar romance and yet i became obsessed with him and his romance with Jasmine.
Highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I read this book in its original format when it came out, and it was the start to my love for Katee Robert years ago. So I was beyond excited to see that we were getting a re-release publication with truly, gorgeous art, and such thoughtful authors notes to go along with it. This was honestly my favorite of Robert's dark princess romance series along with the Beauty and the Beast one, and I will always highly recommend!!

Katee Robert is always a popular author at my library and I was curious to finally sit down and read one of her books. After reading this one, I can see the appeal, but the genre is just not for me.

I think this would be a good starter for someone looking to get into dark romance. Hopefully the rest of the series get the deluxe releases.

Rated 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

I was really curious to see this series is about. I've grown to enjoy her Dark Olympus series, so I really wanted to see what her twist to a Jasmine/Jafar story. Now, I feel like one thing I know when I start a Katee Robert book, it's that there is going to be spice. That is simply a given, and this book was not different. So if you're looking for spice, Desperate Measures has it.
Now, story wise, I have to say I have the same issue with this book as I had with Neon Gods. I wish more time was spend on the plot, and the story didn't feel so rushed. I mean, it isn't a long book, and it felt like most of it was spicy scenes. So that leaves little to be actual plot and story line.
Still, I think that if you're in the mood to read something that will give you spice, this is a good pick. And I'm curious to see what the rest of this series has to give. So, I'll definitely get the next book in her Wicked Villains series. But I'll definitely keep in mind to wait to be in the mood for spice. I''ll have wait for those new re-release, as the extra content was quite fun!

💛❤️ Desperate Measures Review ❤️💛

Thank you so much to Katee Robert and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read and review this book

Desperately Measures is a contemporary fairytale retelling and book one in the Wicked Villains series. As princess of the criminal underworld, Jasmine is being forced into an arranged marriage she doesn’t want. Jafar, her father’s second in command has always been tempting to her but he’s off limits. But when her life is completely changed, is Jafar the only one she can trust?

This book was such a fun read. Jasmine was a strong character and I enjoyed her growth in this book. Jafar was a compelling character and I enjoyed his relationship with Jasmine. It’s a loose retelling of the story of Aladdin and I enjoyed the world building beyond the fairytale. While the flavor of kink in this book usually isn’t my favorite, I did enjoy the general story overall

Overall this was a four star read. I enjoyed the characters and the world created in this book. There were some darker moments in this book, so please check triggers if you’re sensitive. This book definitely packed spice with a splash of kink throughout, so overall four flames for spice

If you’re a fan of contemporary fairytale retellings with strong characters , unique world building and a smidge of kink, then absolutely pick this one up!

THE QUEEN HAS BLESSED US WITH THIS EDITION.

Wicked Villains is probably my favorite series from Katee and I am thrilled they are getting a little makeover.

Oooh I really enjoyed this story! It was hot hot hot and dark but not too dark. I’m not generally a dark romance girly but this one wasn’t too intense for me.