Seriously, this series is taking paranormal re-imagination of classics to a whole new level that is impossible to reach again. Wuthering Heights retelling set in modern times where Heathcliff is a necromancer and Cathy is a banshee..who would have thought? Ruthless Devotion by Rebecca F. Kenney was electric every way. Supernatural mystery and twists in every page kept me glued to the story. The emotions were like a storm, razing the devil and making way for love. It was sexy but the spice just completed the emotional connection between two misunderstood misfits.

🖤 Wuthering Heights retelling
🖤 Paranormal/ romantasy
🖤 Necromancer + Banshee
🖤 enemies to lovers
🖤 bad boy & bad girl
🖤 Cult/ religious Myths

We are in remote small towns where church plays an important role. The church claims to contain an ancient ruthless God under the church with their blessed water and old spells. That's why Cathy Earnshow has to run and hide every time her Banshee episode comes after someone's death. Lockwoods are banished and prohibited because they are believed the worshipper of the old gods and have their old necromancer magic. Heathcliff is and isn't one of them because the family never accepted him fully. So when he gets to know Cathy and her amazing soul, he knows that he has to save her and protect her at any cost. Even from the god rising from the captivity by the sacrifice.

Now doesn't this sound insane? Like insanely brilliant? Heathcliff and Cathy both are outcast in a sense. Heathcliff has this dark brooding energy and he has a fantastic humor. He is surviving but also planning his escape from the Lockwood family. And Cathy gave him the necessary push because he fell for her and he knew they couldn't stay here. My heart is weeping for Cathy. She was abandoned and abused and hurt by her own family! She isn't a monster but she was treated like one. Heathcliff is the first person who understood her despair and pain. It's a bond forged from their shared angst and heartbreak but this bond also gave them hope and power to fight the injustice against them. She is so strong and sassy and resilient. This plot is heavy on action and suspense. Specially last few chapters made me panic and rant and lose my ever loving mind. We get an epic appearance from the previous couples from Gilded Monsters as they have a common goal to beat the resurrected God. This story has a lot of religious events and rituals and I feel that was pretty relevant to present socio cultural environment. My mind is freaking blown and I cannot wait for the next adventure.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

This was my first experience reading a book by Rebecca and I'm not disappointed. However, I will say that I should have read the other two books in this series before this one.
I feel like I was missing something for most of this book toward the end of it but that's just me. I'll admit that it's my fault since I read this book first. I tend to read books in a series out of order from time to time. It's not intentional, though, I promise. lol
I had been feeling the urge to read this book while trying to finish the ARC I was reading before this one and I'm glad I picked this book up when I did. I want to read the first two books in this series and if there's another book after this one, I'll be requesting the ARC for it when I find it. We'll see.
I love me a book with good smut and this book didn't disappoint in this area either. I find sometimes that the smut can draw me out of the story but it didn't in this instance. Thank goodness for that. Life is sometimes about the small mercies. Imao
Knowing me, I'm going to more than likely being purchasing this book when it comes out so I can have a copy of it. I won't be able to help myself. lol Yes, if it isn't obvious at this point, l'd definitely recommend this book as well.
I'm normally not into retellings of other books but I feel like this one hit the mark. I haven't read the other two books in this series yet but I know I will be now, even though there wasn't any question in my mind before reading this one. I can't wait! Thank you to NG and Sourcebooks for providing me with an E-ARC for exchange for my honest thoughts !

📚 Review: Ruthless Devotion by Rebecca Kenney

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Ruthless Devotion immediately caught my eye because Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite classics—and this paranormal retelling did not disappoint. Rebecca Kenney brings something fresh to the table with supernatural beings that aren’t often explored in typical paranormal romance or romantasy, which made this feel unique and immersive.

The story moves at a fast pace (no slow burn here!), which I personally enjoyed—it pulled me in quickly and kept the tension high from the start. The chemistry between Cathy and Heathcliff is intense, and while the spice doesn’t dominate the story, it’s present enough to satisfy readers looking for heat. I’d rate it 3 out of 5 on the chili pepper scale.

The ending left me genuinely curious about the other characters introduced throughout the book and I’m eager to go back to the other books in this series.

If you love gothic vibes, morally gray characters, and a touch of the unexpected, Ruthless Devotion is a worthy read.

The dialogue was so cringey in this I couldn’t finish it. 😅 giving higher stars since I didn’t finish

Unfortunately this book was not for me.
The initial plot seemed intriguing and the supernatural components, but jumping into the smutty scenes so early just didn’t really make any sense at all, for the characters or the plot. And it didn’t hook me.
Not for me, might be for someone else.

Cathy and Heathcliff!!! Heathcliff is everything I wanted in a dark and dangerous MMC. Cathy is feisty and so complex. The ongoing character development of coming to terms with herself and the paranormal world is truly captivating. This retelling of Wurthering Heights is so darn brilliant!

ALL REVIEWS POSTED JULY 12, 2025

3.5/5.0 ⭐️
4.0/5.0 🌶️

RELEASES JULY 22, 2025

Phew! What. A. Read. I devoured this book in the span of around 3 days. It is a darker romance book with fantasy elements and follows Cathy, who is a banshee, and Heathcliff, who is a necromancer. Put them together and what do you get? Spice, tension, and over protectiveness.

Cathy just wants to be accepted and loved as she is, but she doesn’t get to know or understand that feeling until Heathcliff comes into her life. That man fights for her even when she can’t fight for herself.

If you want a dark retelling of Wuthering Heights with fantasy elements thrown in, this is the book for you! (As with all darker romance books, please read trigger warnings)

Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Kenney, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC

I went into this one with no knowledge of the original story, Wuthering Heights... I mean aside from Bella Swan waxing poetic about it :)

Cathy is a hidden banshee in a highly religious community that wants nothing to do with the supernatural. Heathcliff is the adopted Necromance of the Lockwood family. A family that is not allowed to enter town.

They meet by chance, in the store room, while Heathcliff is making a delivery.. and deliver he does ;) the interest and attachment is pretty instant for both, but both fight it pretty well, for just a little bit. The church is extreme. The spice is hot. The cameos are spectacular.

Rebecca has written some of my favorite books and this one was no exception.

*Thank you NetGalley

I loved this book! A spicy retelling of Wuthering Heights that did not disappoint. Heathcliff and Cathy are phenomenally written and show so much character growth. The plot is great and the spice is really spicy! 5 🌟

The Gilded Monsters Are BACK!

Rebecca F. Kenney returns with the best romance in this series yet! A necromancer and a banshee walk into a storage room...... sounds like the start to a joke, but instead it is the start to the steamiest romance. Following the classic "Wuthering Heights," this was such a fun revitalization. There are some classic characters and backdrops (sort of), all while the paranormal creates suspense, drama, and mystery.

Starting with the romance of this story, readers prepare to be blown away. This romance, although rooted in a classic, is breathtaking. Heath and Cathy's connection is immediate and undeniable. Some readers may label this as a quick love/instant love story, but even if this were, I loved it. Then add in the spice, and this story goes to the next level. Kenney literally had my jaw on the floor with how much fun the spicy scenes were written. It just showed how much she enjoyed writing these characters.

The plot of this story also added so much to the overall lore of this universe that it made the stakes the highest that they have ever been. The mystery of Cathy's background and how Heath plays into that with all the old gods rising just made for a thrilling tale. There were also a few fun reveals and plenty of cameos of characters from the previous books that I think readers are going to love.

Buckle up and prepare for the old gods to continue to rise! The Gilded Monsters is one of my favorite series, and you should give it a shot!

I can’t believe I got to like the last 1/5 of this and only realised it was book 3 in a series lmao🤣 I was kinda like maaaan the author really do be introducing new characters in such an odd way. MY BAD

HOWEVER - even with me being an idiot, this was a pretty fun and unique read and technically can be standalone read as it's only slightly interwoven stories. It's basically a spicy little Wuthering Heights retelling which I wasn't convinced would work, but oddly it did!

PROS
Forbidden romance
Morally grey MMC
OBSESSED MMC
Spicy goodness
DUAL POVS!!! yes
Cool Celtic/Irish mythology


CONS
Insta Love/Lust
questionable FMC choices
HORRID FAMILY
stupid miscommunication/poor communication

Honestly though, I whizzed through reading this and will almost definitely go back and read the other 2 books as I am just hella curious now especially as it appears one is a great Gatsby retelling and I am guessing Dorian grey?! and I am here for that.

Thanks as always to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

I haven't read Wuthering Heights, so I can't speak to that comparison. I also didn’t realize this was the third book in a series, but I was still able to follow along just fine without reading the first two.

Ruthless Devotion is set in South Carolina, where folklore runs deep and people work hard to keep the demons at bay. I really enjoyed the magical creatures and all the folklore woven into the story — but honestly, I felt that part got a bit overshadowed by all the smut. I don’t mind spice in a book, but in this case I found myself wishing for more insight into the world and how everything works.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

I am a sucker for a good retelling, especially one that adds new elements like this one does. While I haven't read the original Wuthering Heights, Ruthless Devotion brings all the yearning, star-crossed love anyone could ask for. It is very heavy on insta-lust, which quickly turns into insta-love. While not my favorite tropes, I do appreciate their use here

This book is a part of interconnected stand-alones in the Gilded Monsters universe, so while not necessary to enjoy the story, I would recommend reading the first two books, as they provide some background on other characters that appear

A Supernatural Storm of Emotion, Lust, and Love
If you love stories that grab you by the collar and refuse to let go, this one’s for you. Packed with razor-sharp wit, sizzling tension, emotionally tortured characters, and lightning-fast pacing, this book checked every box for me. The short chapters? Chef’s kiss—they kept me tearing through pages like my life depended on it.
Series Context (Don’t Sweat the Order) Although it’s part of a series, you can absolutely dive in without reading the previous installments. Sure, there are some character references sprinkled throughout, but each book features its own standalone storyline and cast. So if you’re a series rebel like me, go forth and read fearlessly!
Characters That Hit Hard Told in dual POV (my personal favorite), the story drops you into the stormy minds of two unforgettable leads. It's a supernatural new adult romance—with roots twisting back to Wuthering Heights. I haven’t read the original, but I can confidently say this reimagining is electric. Think gods, goddesses, cultish shadows, and enough spice to summon thunderstorms.
The heroine? She’s chaos incarnate—in the most glorious way. Raw, grieving, hungry for more than what life has handed her. I wanted to wrap her in bubble wrap and whisk her away from everything cruel in her world.
The hero? He’s not your typical dark-and-dreamy heartthrob. Rough-edged, emotionally wrecked, and self-deprecating to the bone. His voice is all grit, perfectly setting the mood for the wild emotional ride ahead.
That Romance Though... When they come together, it's not gentle sparks—it’s an uncontrollable wildfire. Their bond is obsessive, tangled, and painfully beautiful. It’s the kind of love that feels like destiny, not choice. The chemistry pulses off the page, alternating between heart-melting sweetness and gut-twisting intensity.
As secrets unravel and emotional walls crumble, we’re pulled into their trauma, their pasts, and what shapes them. It’s messy and haunting—and I adored every aching minute of it.
This isn’t just a book—it’s a fever dream. One I’ll happily fall back into anytime.

This book had everything I didn’t even know I needed—southern gothic vibes, creepy cult secrets, and a romance that’s as unhinged as it is meant-to-be. If Wuthering Heights had a baby with The Vampire Diaries and raised it on dark fairy tales and smut, Ruthless Devotion would be it.

Rebecca Kenney brings a whole new kind of magic to a classic in this twisted, wildly original retelling. The Lowcountry swamp setting? Chef’s kiss. Dark, haunting, dripping in death and mystery—you can practically feel the humidity and hear Cathy screaming through the trees. Gothic romances aren't my usual genre but I had a lot of fun reading this!

And Heathcliff… whew. He’s raw, obsessive, a complete emotional disaster, and yet somehow completely magnetic. This is an insta-smut book where the emotions come later but when things finally go there, it’s intense (although maybe feels a bit too fast for such strong feelings). Overall, it's tender and hot and messy in all the best ways.

Also, the little crossover cameos from Kenney’s other books?? SO fun. Spotting familiar faces made everything feel even more alive (or undead 👻).

If you’re into dark, chaotic love stories full of southern folklore, forbidden romance, and twisted fairy-tale energy, Ruthless Devotion will absolutely devour you.

“𝐍𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞.”

“𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭”

“𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫—𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞.”

-If you like dark humour, creepy folklore and feral scenes then you might like this one.-

This story is unlike other retellings I’ve read. Specifically the banshee lore! I love all things deep in folklore, macabre and dark retellings so this was an easy pick up. Plus the cover is beautiful.

Going into this, I struggled to stay immersed with certain writing passages at the beginning.
In saying that, the story progressively got more intense, darker, and I actually did not see the twists coming. Which is what you want!

It was fast paced, with messyyyyy twists (almost reminiscent to Riverdale in some aspects) and dark. I loved the dark and absolute feral scenes.

The characters I’d say are quite eccentric which made them intriguing. I understand why there have been a mixed reviews and an overall consensus of the current stars. But I did enjoy this, particularly the end.

Thank you for the arc SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and Rebecca Kenney. Out July 22nd 🖤

[ ✩ 3.5 ]
[ 🌶️ 4 ]

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
4.5/5 stars.
Wuthering Heights retelling with magic? Say less.
Honestly I ALMOST stopped reading at the very beginning when the author used the slang word "rizz". 1- I am too old for Gen Alpha slang. 2- This type of language dates the book. In a few years it will seem old and out of touch. Best not to use modern slang in writing.
I pushed through though and am SO GLAD that I did. This story takes Wuthering Heights, adds a dash of Irish/Gaelic mythology, a big dash of spice, and a HEA and makes a swoonworthy and bingeworthy novel. I am now planning to read Rebecca Kenney's other titles.

Unfortunately, this one just wasn’t for me.

Ruthless Devotion is marketed as a Wuthering Heights retelling with a paranormal twist set in rural Texas, which initially sounded like an intriguing, gothic horror-esque romance. However, it seems the only inspiration from the source material are the characters’ names. The gothic horror tone I was expecting didn’t really come through.

I made it to about 45% before skimming very quickly through to the end. The writing is quite simple, and both the characters and the romance fell flat and lacked substance. It didn’t feel much like a romance at all, and I struggled to connect with anything in the story. It just didn’t quite hit the mark for me personally.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

First of all I did not know that Ruthless Devotion was the third book in the series, at least according to Goodreads, when I requested the ARC for it. There was no indication in the description at all. With that said, I don't think it prevented me from understanding what was happening in the story. I wanted to like the story because I enjoyed the magic system. However, I could not get into it at all. I also didn't connect to the characters and I found the pacing of the story super slow.

I'm not sure if my experience would be different if I had read the other books first, but I think that this is just an instance of my taste not lining up with how the author writes. There's clearly a lot of love for the book and I think it's still worth seeing if it's one you'll enjoy.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This Wuthering Heights retelling grabs a powerful grip on the reader and refuses to let go. We see what happens if Catherine had never married Edgar Linton and also if they had the dynamics of a fantasy world filled with resurrected gods and fantastical church members. The world is heavy and complex as is Cliff and Cathy's relationship. I also thought it was especially darling of Kenney to include other strong literary character names as feature characters. I thought this retelling was sharp and the plot curious. The ideas of resurrecting a god and old world powers blended straight into a modern storyline was excellently assembled.