I knew from the moment I saw that book two was going to be a Picture of Dorian Gray retelling that I would be in love, and I of course, was right.

I loved making Baz a descendent from Basil! The author included a lot of cool elements to make this a unique retelling while the heart of story stayed the same.

And of course, Dorian Gray was absolutely decadent 😍

I already can’t wait for book 3!

If you once were a lover of classics and now enjoy some good old fashioned open door romance, you’ve come to the right place.

Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGalley for providing me with this advanced copy!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Charming Devil by Rebecca Kenney is a first person dual-POV contemporary fantasy romance reimagining of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Baz is an artist struggling to make a name for herself and refuses to draw portraits because it will trap the soul of the person she drew. Dorian Gray finds her and asks her to make another portrait due to his original finally starting to decay. When Baz refuses, Dorian convinces her to give him a week to change her mind.

Because this is set in the present day, the dialogue and descriptions are all more modern, including Dorian’s dialogue and thoughts. Dorian does retain a lot of his baggage in regards to aging and being beautiful but he doesn’t keep a lot of the attitudes from his original time. He has lovers of all genders and a previous lover of his was Basil Hallward, who is also Baz’s ancestor and one of two loves of Dorian’s life. The assumption is that Dorian has kept up with how conversation and word choice have changed and has, over the course of time, worked to unlearn a lot of prejudices he might have been raised around.

The prose leans more towards erotica for its descriptions of Dorian’s body, in particular, and some of the dialogue. I’d put it at maybe a 3.5 on a 5 point heat scale as there isn’t a lot of kink present, but there’s several erotic scenes and they are fairly descriptive. There is very clear consent between Baz and Dorian

Baz has a very complicated relationship with Dorian partially because of his relationship with her ancestor. Basil was the original painter of Dorian’s portrait and the one who created the picture that holds all of the decay in Dorian’s soul. Baz’s mother was told to name Baz ‘Basil’ by a sort of psychic, making it even weirder for Dorian that he has such deep feelings for her because her own name is identical to the one that got away. She rejects being Basil’s reincarnation several times, which Dorian accepts, but you can tell that she doesn’t totally believe that Dorian thinks she’s a whole new person.

I would recommend this to fans of The Picture of Dorian Gray looking for a contemporary fantasy romance reimagining and those looking for a erotica with a fantastical element

I really enjoyed the start of the book and I was really invested in learning about Baz's ability. I thought Dorian was cool at first but he soon became annoying and I just found him such a horrible person that I wasn't really rooting for them. I kinda wanted Baz to just tell him to pi** off. I still enjoyed the book but I found it hard to enjoy towards the end. This is a retelling of the painting of Dorian Gray and I haven't actually read the book so I'm not sure if that's why I struggled with it. The book is very spicy 🔥 I'd like to read the other books in the series and give them a try because I think the plot was quite interesting and different.

2025 is the year of trying brand new authors to find some gems,

“Charming devil” was a fun read! I’m always skeptical about retellings (especially hades and Persephone because we have one too many of those thank yeewww),
However the gothic vibes to the Dorian Gray story has always intrigued me so I wanted to take a chance on this one and it payed off!

The characters were fun, I liked how Baz character had a bit of a gender reversal feel to her character with her independent and boss lady style whilst keeping her anonymity amongst the majority of the art scene with her unusual naming.

Dorian was of course arrogant and charming and I couldn’t help like him from the start 🫠😂

I also enjoyed the concept or magic abilities and beings in the modern day world it had a nice contrast to the everyday mundane of first world problems.

If you want fun reading experience vibes I’d recommend giving this a try!

**I actually didn’t realize this was book number 2 in a series so upon looking back this can definitely be read as a stand-alone and I believe entails a total different storyline and set of characters**
Thank you to sourcebooks and Rebecca Kenney for the EARC!

Publish date - February 11th 2025

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a somewhat dark and spicy retelling of the Dorian Gray painting, with all the debauchery as the original with the exception of this being a straight version. Yes, Dorian talks about his past with Basil and a few other men, but in this book, the only spice we get is with Baz. I will not spoil any more.
Told in first person from Baz's POV with the occasional chapter told from Dorian's POV. Dorian's painting is starting to deteriorate; all of the things he has done to his body is causing it. He needs to find a descendant of the original painter, Basil Hallward, to make him a new painting and bind his soul to the new one before the original is completely torn. Baz is a struggling artist living in Charleston in a house she inherited from a distant aunt, and refuses to draw portraits thanks to an accident from her past. When she meets Dorian and he makes his demands, she outright refuses. Dorian gives her two weeks to change her mind, all while spoiling her with the things she could have in this world if she were to say yes. During this time, they (of course, slight spoiler) develop feelings for each other, even though they know it's wrong. Baz wants to show Dorian the meaning of living and that he should get rid of immortality, while Dorian is showing her what fun can be had while being immortal and why he wants to stay immortal. There's some supernatural things that occur and bring them closer.

A great retelling, even if I've never read the original. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The spicy scenes were great. It was a slow burn with a little dirty talk thrown in. There was some deep conversations in there, which makes it different from your usual paranormal romance with spice. Worth a read. Guess that means I need to read the first in this series about Gatsby. He is mentioned in this story a couple times. But I wasn't confused or lost even though I haven't read the first book.

This was 4 stars for me!

I had no idea what to expect with a Dorian Gray retelling and I will say I was all here for this one. I have always been fascinated by the story of Dorian Gray so reading this twist on the story was fun and compelling.

Dorian and Baz are characters that I enjoyed reading and experiencing their hardships and seeing their inner demons but I also didn't expect to love their chemistry. From the start the name Baz threw me off, thinking I was getting into a MM, which I was looking forward to but was shocked when Baz was short for Basil.

Overall, Dorian's character was wicked and full of flaws but I loved his outcome and the way he grew with Baz in his life. I love the twists of the story and the characters that were introduced, as they helped better understand the characters and their backstory. The ending was a bit of a cliffy, so I'm looking forward to continuing this storyline.

This is a great book that breathes new life into the iconic story of Dorian Gray. From the very first page, I was captivated by the rich, atmospheric prose and the compelling characters. The book delves into the dark and seductive world of Dorian Gray, whose portrait has kept him flawless for over a century but is now deteriorating due to his life of reckless decadence. The storytelling shines in this novel, weaving together themes of art, magic, and desire with finesse. Baz's internal struggle and the haunting past that drives her reluctance to use her gift add depth and complexity to her character. The tension between Baz and Dorian is amazing, and their chemistry electric. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, and the intricate web of conflicting motives and emotions left me eagerly turning the pages.

This is a must-read for fans of dark, romantic fantasy, and Rebecca Kenney has truly created a mesmerizing masterpiece that will stay with me long after the final page.

CWs: lots of violence, sex, anything with dark romance, mentions of parental death, gruesome, bloody death, body horror, homophobia/biphobia (on page and in characterization).

So, I will give credit in this having a male character who is shown to have sexual attraction to multiple genders. As well as the FMC. However, the good part ends there, in the same breath, Dorian is promiscuous and flagrant with his partners, until super-special-FMC of course. I’m not against sex at all, but to have promiscuity in a bisexual character kind of fulfills a negative stereotype about queer people, especially bisexual and pansexual people. And Baz’s bisexuality is pretty minuscule and offhandedly mentioned. I don’t think she needs to date women on page, or at all, to be queer, but this is just felt tacked on and half-assed/

The writing was very readable/consumable, but Anne Rice and Rachel Harrison are two examples off the top of my head that write the same atmosphere but with better representation and more bearable characters.

This book wasn’t awful, or the worst book I’ve read (that honor belongs to the Scarlett Letter) but it isn’t the best, far from it. I wouldn’t have continued this book except well, it’s kind of like really trashy reality TV. It’s fun to read.

Dorian’s an ass, Baz is very NLOG/pick me coded. She reminds me of someone who would roll her eyes every time she sees teenagers squealing over One Direction, she just comes off as holier-than-thou to me. Dorian comes off as the guy who thinks every woman in the room wants to be with him (within the first few chapters, this guy hounds Baz for a date, and when she turns him down, he just says “see you at seven!”).

Maybe it’s a genre thing, dark romance really isn’t my thing, I prefer cuter things and I think this really fits the dark romance genre really well. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, it’s just not to my taste. For people who like that genre, this book is perfect.

The plot and magic system isn’t generic at all, it’s inventive, not totally unique but pretty inventive. In its outline, it’s good, but it just fell to too many clichés for me. I didn’t like it.

The concept in this book was an extremely clever take on Dorian Gray. I liked the idea that his sins in life would reflect upon his portrait, so “timeless” he might be but still he is affected within life.

Desperate to “fix” his portrait and longevity, he seeks out Baz, a talented artist with the magical ability the original artist had (family relations). Baz takes some convincing to help Dorian, which was to be expected. Baz doesn’t trust easy, a complicated past taught her to be careful. Yet, she is still unable to fully block out the charm that Dorian presents,

The main storyline flows nicely and organically but I can’t like the underlying plot is just as captivating. The characters balance each other well, Baz can be a bit headstrong with her thoughts and ideas which comes off as closed minded at times but I felt like towards the end, she did have some growth. Dorian, is wealthy, influential and of course charming, he has used that to his advantage in the past and it shows,

Their imperfections balanced and they were capable of showing them in time. It’s an easy and fun read,

Ohhh Dorian. Who could ever deny you?!?
This is a fun take on the infamous painting of the one and only Dorian Grey. He’s lived for so long, so wrongly, that he finds his life in actual danger. He must find an ancestor of his original artist and convince them to save him…all while coming head to head with some supernatural stick dogs.

Thank you net galley and source books Casablanca for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

When I think of a retailing of Dorian Grey this is not what I expect, but I loved it. I could not put it down! I read it in under 24 hours. The pacing and the characters were great and couldn’t help but to want the, to win!

An Absolutely phenomenal continuation to a great series. Who doesn’t love a morally gray hunk? I really loved the concept of this book. It’s not super often you find people willing to take classical literature and do something amazing with it.

A Decent Retelling, But Some Elements Fell Flat
"Charming Devil" had a lot of potential, and it definitely had its moments. I enjoyed the fresh take on the classic "Picture of Dorian Gray" story, with the gender-bent Basil and the magical twist. The author's writing style is engaging, and the pacing kept me turning the pages.
However, some aspects held me back from fully loving this book. I felt the chemistry between the main characters could have been stronger. While their relationship developed, it lacked the spark I was hoping for. Additionally, some of the plot points felt a bit rushed, and I would have liked to see more depth in certain areas.
Overall, "Charming Devil" is an enjoyable read for fans of retellings and those looking for a light, magical romance. While it didn't completely blow me away, it was still a decent story with some interesting ideas.

I have never read the source material for this retelling, but I don’t think that’s necessary to enjoy this book. Baz harbors a powerful secret that haunts what brings her joy, her art. She has lived with such powerful guilt but strives to live a content life. Baz tries her best, and I can admire that. Though I wanted to shake her at many points. Dorian was a hypnotizing figure, but I liked that Baz fought to look beyond. For a good chunk of the book, it felt like there were two stories at once. I'm glad that all of the dots connected by the end. There was a satisfying conclusion with intrigue leading you to anticipate the next book in the series.

This is a Dorian Gray retelling. I definitely enjoyed this author's variation of the original story. I found the relationship between the characters to be interesting and they held my attention throughout the story.

I loved this ARC! Dorian Gray is one of my favorite classic characters and Rebecca did a fantastic job incorporating everything Dorian into a current timeline. Perfect job and I can't wait for the paperback to come out so it can go on my trophy shelf!

absolutely love all of this author's retellings. it was a little slow in some parts, but it was still really good. spice was popping.

Received as an ARC, and though yes I loved the book and in so many way it had me captivated and couldnt stop turning the pages some of the scenes had me stopping just because I didnt enjoy it, now Im not saying anything bad by it im just saying some spots bored me. But thats okay, that was only one small thing.

The rest of the book, OMG! I loved it, easy to get lost into, the characters where believable and the plot had me sucked in, I felt like I was living in the pages and feeling what the Characters felt. Also if you liked The picture Of Dorian Grey then this book is right up your ally, the author has a way of capturing your attention and keeping it,

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I always love the spicy retellings by Kenney! I can never get enough, and this one did NOT disappoint! I couldn’t put it down once I started reading it. I loved Dorian, of course, but Baz got on my nerves throughout the book. I hope Kenney keeps up this universe and adds more classic retallings!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley

Baz is an artist with magical powers that only manifest when she paints, a clear moral compass and a tragic past. Dorian is a caricature of a person who is blinded by selfishness, indulgence and apathy for others. After a chance encounter with one of Baz’s ancestors, Dorian has immortality but in order to keep it, he needs Baz’s help. Rather than show is true self, he gives her the fake Dorian he’s shown everyone for decades and Baz can see right through it.

I loved this book, as I do all of Rebecca Kenney’s novels. I love banter in novels, to me it gives the characters depth and this novel hit a home run. I typically dont like slow burns but I loved this book so much, I forgot it was supposed to have spice, I just loved the story.

If you love paranormal/ supernatural spicy romances with a retelling twist, this book (and truly all RK books) are for you!