This book was not for me, to raunchy and the source material was barely there and not much of a retelling of wuthering heights. The slang in the dialogue also took me out of the story.

While this was but my cup of tea, I would like to thank NetGalley and Rebecca Kenney for letting me read this book early!

🦌

Descriptive and atmospheric, filled with Irish ancient lore and issues of a modern community.

South gothic is an immediate plus point for me lately, but it didn't work as perfect as I hoped. I'm more of a slow burn fan and even as everything seemed logical and balanced here, the book didn't had a kind of plot development I love.

The worldbuilding is memorable and mesmerising, I couldn't get enough of it. Enjoyed each piece of new information or occurence of magic we had.

Sadly, the romance felt just a bit flat. Interesting, exciting even - sure, but not deep. Although again, maybe it's just my taste for reasons and a built up story of a relationship.

I enjoyed this book in general and am adding other books of the series to my tbr, can't wait to see more of the lore!

- - -
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablenca for providing me with this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Absolutely, 100000% loved this book. I cannot tell the publisher thank you enough.

Am I surprised by how much I enjoyed this book? Honestly, no. Rebecca Kenney has a magical way of being able to draw in her readers and have them fall in love with the character and world she has built.

Ruthless Devotion has that supernatural fantasy element that collides with a traditional story (Wuthering Heights) all while making the reader want more of world while also wanting to consume all the Rebecca Kenny books that exist.

Kenney does it again with another beautifully written book. Her retellings are top notch and always exactly what I want.

I really enjoyed this one. The FMC was strong and hilarious, as per usual. The MMC was feral in the best way and I absolutely fell in love with the way Kenney wrote him.

The horror aspect was amazing! I love when horror and romance combine in a deliciously dark way. I can’t wait to see what Kenney does next!

This book was so fast paced. It made a for a quick read with I loved the main characters more than anything along with all the Celtic lore.


She holds a secret not known to many, except for her parents. Cathy, can feel when death is coming. The only way to sedate the banshee, she hides from the world is through only one means, sexual promiscuity. “I need-to loose control on my own terms, not to be so entirely at the mercy of the thing that lives in my head”.

He’s a necromancer, kidnapped at a younge age from a local family that has ties to the restoration of souls for profit. From then on. Heathcliff, was told, “with a gift like yours, you belong to us”.

"And women like hunting witches, too
Doing your dirtiest work for you
It's obvious that wanting me dead
Has really brought you two together."

(4.5, rounded up)

Ruthless Devotion is a dark, southern gothic, and magically charged retelling of Wuthering Heights, but trust me, you don't need to have read the original (or the other books in this interconnected series) to fall under its spell. I haven't. NGL will probably never bother with Wuthering Heights, cause I will argue that this one is better.

This book reimagines Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff Lockwood as star-crossed lovers bound by blood, magic, and their families' haunting legacy. While there's romance and spice, the story's heart is a gothic mystery-thriller steeped in cultish religion and Irish paganism. The setting pulses with danger, the supernatural, and a little bit of realism (Fox News makes an appearance). I also loved the bit of horror in there. It was creepy and FUN.

I enjoyed both of the main characters and, even more so, the story's themes. Themes of necromancy, religious extremism, and the violence women endure—especially at the hands of institutions that claim to protect them—are front and center. If you love lyrics like "There's nothin' like a mad woman; what a shame she went mad," this book will feel like it was written for you. And also, for me, the romanticizing of the Canadian wilderness hit. :)

I highly recommend it for fans of dark romance, feminist horror, and morally gray magic.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
THIS BOOK…
This book guys. I cannot tell you enough how much I enjoyed this story.
Unfortunately, I never read Wuthering Heights in the past, so I didn’t have much comparison, BUT this story was impeccable.
Heathcliff and Cathy will live in my head, rent free, FOREVER.
The spice. The supernaturals. The world. The imagery.
All of it was INCREDIBLE.

This will definitely be one I reread over and over again!
Now, I need to get my nose into the other books ASAP!

I really enjoyed this book! The story was intriguing, and the characters were entertaining. I loved the magic and the romance! Cathy and Heathcliff's story was heart wrenching and beautiful.

Ruthless Devotion offered an intriguing new take on the tale of Cathy and Heathcliff. Overall, I think the adaptation worked well. This is a fairly free retelling, so although you will recognise character names and a few touch points, it's not a blow-by-blow recounting of the original. The paranormal elements blended well into the tale. I was a bit surprised by the sudden appearance of major characters from other stories at first, but then I realised this was likely tying in with the previous two books in this series. You absolutely could read this one as a standalone without any problems, but those other characters might perhaps have meant more to me if I'd read those prior stories first. This is at the steamy end of romantasy, which is no problem, but I did wonder if one or two of the sex scenes really did much to advance the story or characters. Still, on the whole, this was a pretty enjoyable read with an interesting premise and offered a fun take on a classic tale. I am giving it 3.5 stars.

(This review will go live on my blog, Goodreads (links below) and social media on 7 July 2025)

Another excellent read from the fabulous Rebecca Kenney! Ruthless Devotion
A modern, paranormal retelling of Emily Brontë’s classic

In Ruthless Devotion, The small cult like town of Wicklow is the setting for this shadow-drenched world where banshees wail through the night, necromancers raise secrets better left buried, and the old gods still hunger for worship. This haunting reimagining of the Brontë classic brings Cathy and Heathcliff into the 21st century, casting them in a paranormal gothic where their twisted, forbidden love pulses with both ancient power and modern pathos.

Cathy, now a girl with bloodline ties to banshee matriarchs, grapples with the agony of inherited sight and the fragility of her mind—a haunting depiction of bipolar disorder that feels raw and authentic. Heathcliff, reimagined as a foundling of unknown origin raised by a order of death-priests, walks the line between man and something darker, his rage and longing amplified by supernatural forces that mirror his emotional chaos.

The push-pull of their connection is achingly familiar, yet newly dangerous. Their passion is no longer just toxic—it’s magical, cursed, and potentially world-breaking. The town of Wicklow has become a liminal space, a battleground of spirits and obsession, where every kiss could call down gods or raise the dead.

The prose is lush and eerie, paying homage to Brontë’s gothic tone while weaving in new mythology and psychological depth. Themes of identity, grief, and madness echo through the pages, making this a compelling read for fans of dark romance, reimaginings, and stories that blur the line between love and ruin.


A brilliant and visceral reimagining that dares to take the raw intensity of Wuthering Heights into supernatural territory. Ruthless Devotion is a fever dream of love, madness, and myth—a must-read for fans of gothic romance with teeth. The chemistry between Cathy and Heathcliff is scorching and just as intoxicating as Wuthering Heights with the whole consuming of two fated lovers bond for all time by a love that even death couldn’t break!
This series just keeps getting better and this is my absolute favorite so far!
Until next luv's😉💋

“The kiss. The way I’d describe it is— not you.”“I don’t know what that means.”“Not you,” he growls . “Her taste, her smell, the shape of her ass, her flimsy little fingers , her breathy voice, that wispy hair… not you. Everything, every day, since I dropped those crates off at your aunt’s fucking store— everything is not you. That’s all I can think about until I see you again, and then… you fill up the world. Everything is you.”

“Yeah. You were mad at me. I saw that fire in you from day one. Don’t tell me that fire’s gone out ’cause of some little thing called death? You’re still Catherine fucking Earnshaw. You’re that bitch.” She narrows her eyes at the word bitch, so I say it again. “You’re the bitch who loves life… really loves it… but you barely had a chance to enjoy it. You didn’t get to travel, to dine at fancy- ass restaurants, to see the wonders of the world. You didn’t get to leave Wicklow with me. How does that make you feel?” Her small fists clench. “Angry.”

“Do not go gentle into that good night,” she says. “What?”“It’s a poem. Dylan Thomas. I memorized it because I liked it so much and because it was short. ‘Do not go gentle into that good night. Old age should burn and rave at close of day— rage, rage against the dying of the light.’” Her voice rises , stronger , shriller. “‘ Wild women who caught and sang the sun in flight, and learned, too late, they grieved it on its way, do not go gentle into that good night!’”

Ruthless Devotion by Rebecca Kenney @rebeccafkenneybooks

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was my first time actually reading a Rebecca Kenney book as all my prior reads have been via Audiobook. This is a Wuthering Heights retelling. Although it’s been 15+ years since I read WH, I still enjoyed this one!!

The world building was easy. It’s set in modern times which I always love however there are supernaturals including gods, vampires, banshees, necromancers, etc. We got some spice quickly but it didn’t take away from the yearning between the MMC and FMC! I really enjoyed the characters and this story!

Thank you to Rebecca Kenney and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC!!

Ruthless Devotion comes out July 22, 2025!

Cathy & Heathcliff

Retelling of Wuthering Heights with many twists.

This is probably my favourite book of the Gilded Monsters series so far.

I highly recommend reading the first two books there's so much that ties in that might feel confusing if you don't. I loved the aha moment at the very beginning when I realize what is happening and who it is they are talking about without any mention of previous events in the book before.

Everything seemed to tie together and make more sense in reference to what happened for Baz & Dorian in book 2. Like I said before and will repeat it's an absolute MUST to read Beautiful Villian (Jay & Daisy) & Charming Devil (Baz & Dorian). These books all tie in together.

AA five star read for me

Thank you! Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks Casablanca for this arc read.

Y'all... this book had me from the start!!! It's was so freaking good I stayed up until 4am reading it. I could NOT put it down! It's a Wuthering Heights retelling with creepy vibes and some occult elements brought to you by Irish lore. It's got spice in all the right spots. The MCs are compelling... you want to learn more about them and you definitely are cheering them on through out the book. There's toxic family dynamics, old gods, and small town vibes at play which add to the suspense. Definitely check this one out! It releases July 22nd.
@sourcebookscasa thank you for the opportunity to read this early.
@rebeccafkenneybooks Thank you for writing such an amazing story that had me forgoing sleep to read.

I adore Wuthering Heights and so jumped at the chance to read a retelling of my favourite book. I should have read further into what this book would contain, however, as this served sex scenes upon sex scenes and only loosely reworked the original. I'm not a prude but it wasn't my personal reading taste to read of sex scenes before I had understood who the characters were or their motives.

never heard of Wuthering Heights before but this book made me look it up and take the trip to my local library. Going from this book to the OG, truly original is right, It matches the vibes but beyond that Rebecca took it and ran.

I was expecting a modern twist on Wuthering Heights with a bit of spice, but what I got was closer to the Never After books that use the names, but not much else from the source material and just add too much raunchiness instead. I’m sure this has its audience but unfortunately that isn’t me. I DNF’d at about 20%.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the copy! My opinions are honest & my own.
Note: I have not read the 2 other books in this interconnected standalone series. It ended up also not being necessary in order to read this book.

In this spicy retelling-with-many-liberties of Charlotte Bronte's Wuthering Heights, we are taken to Lowcountry USA for some supernatural Southern Gothic deliciousness. Cathy is stuck in a cultish Southern town, where a domineering Church views anyone with Supernatural powers as abominations. Sucks for Cathy, since she's a Banshee who regularly endures debilitating episodes of deep mourning for a deceased. But no one knows that, except her abusive dad. She's utterly trapped, and alone in this life. But one day an attractive ale delivery man shows up and indulges her in her need for... a distraction. And it changes everything.
Heathcliff is a necromancer from the highly disregarded Lockwood family, reluctantly partnered up with and dependant on his "adoptive" (read: Heathcliff was kidnapped as a kid) brother as they use matching tattoos with their clients to resurrect them from The Vague. Heath is extraordinarily powerful and senses something is off with their latest resurrection, but there isn't much he can do about it. His thoughts instead are consumed with the young woman he had an amazing encounter with, and he is determined to pursue her.

Can I just say, holy sh-

Having read Rebecca F Kenney previously, I was kind of anticipating that the spicy scenes would dominate the story or at least be heavily featured. I thought I had this book pegged, because the first spicy scene is in Chapter 2, for smut's sake, and it's direct. It's happening. All systems go. So I'm reading along like, "Sure. Not wholly unexpected. Thankfully I really don't mind spice, and it works? It works well? How? What is happening? But..."

Re: but: the book then surprises me by having a really unexpected, action-packed plot with tons of solid character- and worldbuilding.

For the scene is set. We are in the South with cultish religions, supernatural beings based on Irish lore, resurrections, and a toe-curling-in-the-romance-genre-way Romeo + Juliet love story. I gobbled it up. Cathy and Heathcliff are clearly defined and fleshed out characters, I believed their love story, and the side characters all bring their own level of intrigue. No character is boring and I had many strong reactions to each and every one of them. I could kiss a select few and strangle the rest. Perfect. That means I was invested. As in, "I took that personally."

This being the 3rd book in an interconnected series of standalone novels did mean I was introduced to characters that were central in previous Gilded Monsters books. It took some figuring out who they are and what they're about. But I did that along with Cathy and Heathcliff from their PoVs, and since they're strangers to our main characters too, I didn't feel out of the loop at all. Kenney handled this so well, I truly feel this works perfectly fine as a standalone.

The supernatural aspects are really well executed, too. For instance, I like Kenney's use of tattoos to tether a necromancer to someone they would then be able to resurrect. And Cathy's experiences as a Banshee are so immersive, with some evocatively written passages.

But it's the plot that made it nearly impossible for me to put this down. Sadly as a grown-up I have to sleep and to honor prior commitments, but other than that I was sat for this. It took unexpected turns and just really kept me on my toes. Unpredictable. Highly enjoyable. Great action sequences too.

Also important to note: Kenney wrote the Church-like cult in a way that wasn't triggering for me as an atheist with traumatic experiences regarding religion, namely by focusing on their anti-supernatural stance rather than anything conventionally religious. There's mentions of bibles here and there but it's basically a church dedicated to preventing a Pagan God from rising and also (piously) wanting to murder anyone who's got powers. That I can do!

4 stars for a really fun read with interesting lore, which I enjoyed the heck out of reviewing. I'll definitely read more of Kenney's books, because while the spice is spicin', it's not all she's got up her sleeve, that much is clear to me now.

I fell in love with this book from the first page. Rebecca Kenney captivated me with the perfect modern-day re-telling of Wuthering Heights. This book will break you, put you back together and then do it all again. You will not be able to put this book down from the moment you pick it up.

I gobbled this book up. It had a few slow parts in the middle, but I really enjoyed the take on magic, Irish folklore and gods. The ending had me on the edge of my seat, and I was very happy with how it wrapped up. I realized after finishing this book that it is actually book 3 in the series and will definitely be going back to read the others. I felt like this was more of a stand-alone, so the other books might be about the side characters that pop up closer to the end of Ruthless Devotion. I haven't read a Rebecca Kenney book until this one, but will be looking at her other works of art after this.

Rebecca Kenney has done it again in Ruthless Devotion, the third novel in her classic retellings series Gilded Monsters. I truly didn’t think this novel was going to top Charming Devil (which is my favorite book by Kenney), but this book was everything I could have hoped for in a Wuthering Heights story and more. The southern gothic elements, the romance, the pacing all combined to make one decadently indulgent read.

Cathy and Heathcliff are both introduced with their fair share of traumas. Cathy is an outsider in her small religious community - a community where being an outsider is a very dangerous place to be. She doesn’t receive support from her father or aunt, and she dreams of escaping one day to be on her own. Heathcliff grew up with a family of necromancers who abducted him as a child. When he meets Cathy, he feels an instant connection and obsession with her.

This story was not a slow burn, and I appreciated the way Kenney paced the novel to really showcase the utterly obsessive quality of Cathy and Heathcliff’s love for each other.

This book has the grittiest feel in the series so far, so naturally it would also include some of the darkest elements. These elements really helped build tension for the reader. I loved picking out elements of the gothic throughout the novel.

I also loved the fact that the previous couples in the series returned in this book. I was giggling and kicking my feet when I first realized characters were interacting with Dorian, Baz, Gatsby, and Daisy. I was even more excited when these characters had active roles in the plot outcome of the novel.

💜You’ll Love This Book If You Love💜
🖤Wuthering Heights Retelling
🖤Banshee FMC
🖤Bad Boy Necromancer MMC
🖤Traumatic Pasts
🖤Outsiders
🖤Fast Burn Spicy
🖤Irish Folklore

**I received an advanced copy of Ruthless Devotion - all opinions are my own**