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🖤 First Person Dual POV
🤍Banshee x Necromancer
🖤Wuthering Heights inspo with a Paranormal twist
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Ruthless Devotion was a very middling read and the only positive thing I can say about it is its readable, but I did have to push through it. It has the groundwork to be really interesting with the supernatural elements mixed in with classic literature inspo, but it just never quite gets there. The setting and atmosphere was one of the more stronger parts of the book, with its Gothic southern backdrop. I had a hard time connecting with both Cathy and Heathcliff as main characters.

Aspects of the plot felt a bit shallow in the sense it doesn't really dive deeper. Topics like religious extremism and cultism are at the forefront of the book and is part of Cathy's inner turmoil that she faces throughout the book; but it felt like a very just quick dip in the pond. We could have really explored more of that aspect in a more deeper and meaningful way that really comments on the topic of religion fanaticism and the devastating/violent effects of religious extremism on women.

There is smut in the book, but it didn't add anything to the table since the spice scenes fell a bit flat, almost felt like it was just going through the motions and checking off what needed to happen in a sex scene. It focused more on quantity rather than quality and making it more sensual.

The magic system has some potential with its slightly different take on necromancy. Getting matching tattoos, allows for possible resurrection within the world
Heathcliff is able to take advantage that as a way to make money. That is the extent of all the interesting aspect of the magic though. I would have liked to have seen the Banshee aspect been explored more, we got a small glimpse at the lore and it mostly consisted of Cathy walking around when she was having a Banshee episode.

The romance honestly needed a lot more work and proper development. It starts with insta-attraction, since the characters sleep together right away. Then it just feels like lust overshadows any possible deeper emotional connection Cathy and Heathcliff have. Cathy at one point muses how since meeting Heathcliff, its almost like, "as if I'm him and he is me, and our souls always knew we'd fit together someday." This would sound heartfelt, but there's was no proper build up and feels like it came out of left field. Just a few moments ago, she wanted nothing to do with him and only thought he was hot. It's the same for Heathcliff suddenly he literally wakes up and thinks about how, "that's what I love about her," when they just met not too long and its only chapter 10! Their relationship is definitely on speed run mode and not sure how we got to the point of wanting matching tattoos (even if its for supernatural protection) or how its them against the world. There's a lot more telling me these two are fated lovers rather than showing me how they fell in love.

The more dramatic moments weren't landing for me, because I didn't really buy into the relationship at all. If the tension and yearning was built more gradually throughout the book, rather diving head first, then those more emotional moments could have been earned.

Then there's the bet that the two make to compete with one another on whom can get their retrospective dates to an orgasm first. It felt like that moment was meant to give the characters some sexual tension, but it just comes off as petty and childish, despite the characters being grown adults and not teenagers.

As for the writing style it's can definitely come off as cheesy and a bit cringe at times. It gives off Watt-pad vibes, easy to read but no actual depth or substance to it. At one point there's a moment where one of the characters, Edgar says "I knew you were trouble when you showed up," Cathy mentions how the Taylor Swift song starts playing in her head.

Ruthless Devotion did lose me, in the last few chapters once they get to the church. It just felt a whole mix of things from weird, random, and confusing. It just felt very chaotic, like the scene felt like an implosion of a bunch of new characters being introduced and hinges a bit too much on prior knowledge from the other interconnecting books. Only Gatsby and Daisy got proper introductions earlier in the book.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and sourcebook casablanca for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 STARS

I have really enjoyed all of the dark retellings in this series but this some might be my FAVORITE. One of my favorite things about this series is how Rebecca Kenney takes classic stories like Wuthering Heights and breathes new life into them.

Cathy is working at her aunt's coffee shop/ farmers market. She has a secret she is being forced to keep from everyone. She is a Banshee and when someone is about to die she has to roam a forest alone in order to not terrify her cultish town.

Heathcliff is a lockwood a family known to have magical/ supernatural powers and because of this his family is blocked out of town unable to enter the only reason hes able to cross the towns boundaries are because he was adopted into the family. On one of his trips into town he meets Cathy which sets us on our wild ride of love, sacrifice, navigating abusive family dynamics and knowing that they would do anything to save each other.

I really liked the pacing of this one. You get new information that helped to push the overarching series plot along while also moving the single couples story along. The balance between this books plot and the overarching plot was great. I love seeing the main characters from the first 2 books play roles in this one. Cathy and Heathcliff NEED THEIR FRIENDSHIP in their lives.

I NEED MORE PEOPLE TO READ THIS SERIES!!!!

Tropes:
Touch her and die
Star Crossed lovers
Paranormal
Matching tattoos
Forced proximity
Taking care of each other

Thanks NetGalley and publishers for an opportunity to read this arc. This is my honest review

This is the first book from Rebecca Kenney and this gothic retelling of Withering Heights and it did not disappoint

If you like Gothic paranormal romance, necromancers, banshees, small-town, tattooed MMC, touch her and die, Celtic gods, cults this is for you trust me you won't regret this

I really enjoyed the story, the plot and the dynamic between Cathy and Cliff and their sudden lust followed by the slow burn that was a nice touch

Cannot wait to read more of Rebecca Kenney

Firstly, want to say thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book! Forever grateful for opportunities like this.

Unfortunately, this book just wasn't really for me. The connection between the characters felt rushed and underdeveloped. I'm a sucker for some tension and yearning so this didn't really hit the mark for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the Advanced Readers Copy of this book! I loved book 1 and 2 of this series and was so happy to receive this ARC!

As someone who was an English literature nerd growing up I appreciate these retellings and enjoy the spice!

I look forward to reading more from this author! She’s a local author for me so I’m lucky!!

A beautiful (and dark) Withering Heights retelling! I loved the world building and made it really shine. I have read the author before and knew I was in for a treat and she absolutely delivered. The cover and author drew me in. The con for me was that the spice felt a little forced at times.

I read the Gatsby retelling before this one and this Wuthering Heights retelling feels similar. It’s fun in its own modern way but definitely a tonal departure from the classic. As that’s the point and what people are going in for I’d say: have fun with it!

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

Unfortunately, this book didn't hit for me.
The writing style felt a bit cheesy and also very GEN Z coded.
The plot and characters fell flat as well.

It had so much potential though!

I was not a fan of this one. It's a retelling of Wuthering Heights with a supernatural twist. I found it kind of cheesy and none of the characters were that interesting. Also the sex scenes felt very flat and not as naturally flowing. Especially the church scene when she just got overtaken by a god. Really? This is the moment you choose?

Ruthless Devotion by Rebecca F. Kenney is a modern retelling of Wuthering Heights which may sound like it wouldn’t work, but with Kenney’s witty banter, tension, spice, and well-rounded characters with a paranormal twist— it just does and beautifully. While you don’t necessarily have to read them in order, I do suggest it because there are subtle references to the previous book that help piece things together. To this day I have never been disappointed with Rebecca Kenney’s writing and that still stands true. If you haven’t read the rest of the series, they are 100% worth the read!

This novel had me hooked with its intense blend of dark romance and high stakes politics. The heroine is fierce and layered, grappling with loyalty and fear as her world shifts in dangerous ways. Watching her transformation from cautious to unguarded was gripping and deeply moving. The romance is tense and complicated. Every glance and every whispered promise felt electric. The stakes kept rising until the last page, delivering an ending that left my heart pounding.

If you crave bold heroines, morally gray dilemmas, and a love that defies rules, this will keep you turning pages long into the night.

Loved this book! Cathy and Heathcliff’s story was dark but very powerful. Cathy was like a wild spirit, strong but also fragile, and Heathcliff’s love for her was written beautifully. The book felt like a mix of romance, mystery, and thriller, with a spooky southern gothic atmosphere that kept me hooked. The family and religious conflicts made the story intense and sometimes hard to read, but very real. I liked how the characters fought to protect each other, even when things were very dangerous. The ending surprised me a lot and made me want to read more. Overall, it was an unforgettable and thrilling read. Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review

I was quickly drawn into this book. The portrayal of Cathy as a banshee was beautiful, and her feelings and fears made her a very relatable character. Heathcliff is a necromancer with his own trauma, which is also well portrayed. They are very similar and deeply understand each other in a wonderful way. The way they heal each other is fantastically realized. I was so gripped by the ending that I couldn't put the book down!

Wuthering Heights meets the supernatural with plenty of spice.

Cathy has spent years hiding that she's a banshee because her father doesn't understand. All she wants is freedom, but she can't get away. Until Heathcliff. Stolen from his real family as a child, he's a Lockwood in name but not blood which allows him to cross the town line. Her father's twisted church is afraid of the clan of necromancers and what they might do about to old god trapped by their congregation. All they want is to be together, but the world seems determined to keep them apart.

Read if you like:
-Wuthering Heights
-Dark Romance
-Supernatural Beings
-Star-Crossed/Forbidden Love

TW/CW:
-Religious Trauma
-Abuse
-Gore/Death

Rebecca Kenney has done it again! I have never read Wuthering Heights (nor do I intend to) but I know enough of the plot to have a general idea of what might happen in this retelling. But then Rebecca went and completely blew me away with this book. I'm a bit squeamish so I did skip a few parts, but there was enough lead up to what was coming that I knew to skip.

My favorite thing about Ruthless Devotion is how perfectly Cathy and Heathcliff complement and complete each other. A banshee and necromancer make an amazing pair. I'm absolutely in love with their dynamic. It does tie in with the first two books in the series, but you could read it as a standalone. However, I enjoyed those books, so I recommend reading this whole series in order. I can't wait to see what Rebecca has planned next!

Rebecca Kenney does such a great job with story retelling. Her Character development and world building have me coming back for more. Book #3 was great!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I'm sad to say that I really was not a fan of this book. The concept was great, the setting compelling, but that's about where the good parts end.
The chemistry between the two main characters was non-existent. Also, the whole "I need sex to drown out death" in the second chapter? Where's the tension?
I feel like there was so much info dumping trying to disguise itself as dialogue, as well. Whole monologues that felt so unnatural and inappropriate for the situations.
There were a few instances where the sentence structure didn't make sense, or the author named one character while meaning another.
Overall, I forced my way through a book that should have taken a day to read, when in reality it took me about a week.

Although I have never read Wuthering Heights & I don’t know a thing about the story/premise, the description of Ruthless Devotion still piqued my interest. I also haven’t read the first two books in the Gilded Monsters series, and as much as the story was easy to follow without reading them prior and they’re all interconnected standalones, once the characters from the first two books were introduced I was a little confused by who they were and what they could do.
I had fun reading this, and read it in a day. I really enjoyed the world building and pacing of the first half of the book, but towards the second half it felt a bit rushed and choppy. I still felt compelled to see what happens at the end, and there were a few little twists that I didn’t anticipate.
The southern gothic vibe really set the dark tone and the supernatural elements feel more unique than a lot of other books that fall in the same dark romance category. Heathcliff being a necromancer and Cathy being a banshee was a breath of fresh air after reading countless stories about the same old fae, vampires, etc.
While I do feel that the writing felt rushed and choppy at parts, some sentences and even paragraphs that stood out to me really left a lasting impact that left me rereading them multiple times before moving on, and even highlighting them to read for later which I don’t normally do.
I wasn’t at all expecting the spice to happen within the first few chapters of the book and have always thoroughly enjoyed a slow burn, but that first scene between Heathcliff and Cathy got me sweatin’. Their spicy scenes together don’t feel forced and it doesn’t feel too saturated with simply sex. They’re two souls who have felt so alone for so long who have finally found someone who makes them feel something - I liked the pacing of their romance despite it not being my normal cup of tea.
The cult-like actions of the church truly made me worry for the characters, and felt too close to home as someone who grew up in a very religious small town who felt a bit ostracized by some of my peers for not believing in their god.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this, although I don’t feel compelled to read the other books in the series.

I love retellings, especially with a unique twist, which <i>Ruthless Devotion</i> definitely gave me, with tons of passion and lots of gothic flair. This book not only took the original <i>Wuthering Heights</i> and flipped it upside down in its retelling, but it added a supernatural twist and added dashes of folklore to boot. I've personally been obsessed with the folklore surrounding the <i>Tuatha de Danaan</i> for years as they are linked to Irish culture and believed to be a supernatural race of god-like beings, or fairies with magical abilities and such. To say that I loved that it was woven into the fabric of this story is an understatement. 

All of the <i>Wuthering Heights</i> bones are there; Heathcliff and Catherine are still the main characters of this centuries old tale, along with the judgmental church goers, the creepy-gothic feel of the town, the abusive families, death and passion, but it's still just the bones. This is a different story with two very different people who happen to have the same name. Heathcliff and Catherine do fall for one another, on a level that is soul-deep and beyond words. Their love, ends up transcending the supernatural as it also delves into the mythological folklore part of the book.

How does something go beyond the supernatural...that is the brilliant part and twisted mix of this story. Heathcliff is a necromancer who has powers to revive the recently deceased. Cathy is a banshee whose driving purpose is to weep the loss of the deceased. Her power is to sense when death is looming and for a necromancer who profits off of giving someone a second chance at life, they could make a powerful team, or he could just use her and take all the profit for himself. That seems like a very Heathcliff-y thing to do. However, life is never easy and things are never that black and white, especially when these two have never met and they know nothing about the other or what their supernatural ability is, until their chance hook-up. Plus...this Heathcliff is not like the 1800's Heathcliff, which is quite wonderful. There isn't this deep need for revenge on Heathcliff's part, even though he's obsessed with Cathy, which is on-par, but it's a different kind of obsession. Cathy returns his love and isn't seeking social status or a future within their community, she wants to escape just as much as he does. These two face different hurdles than the 1800's version and thankfully this Heathcliff gets to be the good guy even though his supernatural power is reviving the dead. Trust me...it all works out.

Heathcliff and Cathy were the heart of the story while everything else around them was the gray rainy storm that eventually built into a hurricane. It was their heart that kept the beating pulse of the story moving and kept the pages turning. I will say, people who are not as familiar with Irish folklore, might have a hard time with some of the mythology, just because it's not as familiar like Greek mythology or the long-eared fae that are popular in romantasy books right now, but give this a chance and it might resonate. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the advance review copy and all opinions are my own.

I am giving this review, having not read the previous books in the series. At the time of request, I did not realize it was a series. For someone coming in fresh, I don't think its super necessary to have read the previous books. I can tell at the end when the other characters arrive, that they were the previous stories but I don't think it hinders the reading experience.
I thought this book was good. The take on the gods, and the fmc being a banshee was different and unique.
I thought it was okay. It might have been a me, but I wasn't totally invested in the story. I don't know if I completely connected to Cathy. I think a lot of people will love this story because it gives gothic, dark vibes. The cult aspect as well was interesting. It's sad that her father and her aunt both were so committed to this religion that they would abuse and allow the unaliving of their child. They also got released and I don't know if that would be enough to change them. It was overall a good book, but for me, I wasn't emotionally invested in it.

*As a side note, I don't know if it was just a pre-edited copy I received or if this is actually how the book is going to published but there were a lot of dashes.... mid words. It felt very unnecessary? Some of them. There just seemed to be a lot of them. It didn't distract from the story but it was noticeable.

1.75 stars

This had potential, but was way too vague and wanted too much in the supernatural department. Now, this is the third book in a series of interconnected standalones, so there might be some context I missed by not having read the first two books, but I felt lost. Especially with all of these supernatural creatures that these characters are supposed to be. Now, a banshee and a necromancer, I get behind, but this cameo of Jay Gatsby and Dorian Grey - I'm guessing the love interests of the first two books in the series - with their vampirism and weird hybrid powers, but none of the worldbuilding simply made this whole thing messy and not well thought out.

The dialogue was pretty cringey, the overall writing was okay (exceptions: rizz and to rez (abbreviation of resurrecting)). I also feel like there was an opportunity missed to dive more into the fanaticism that rears its head in this book.

What I'm most confused about, however, was the retelling part. Retelling where? Why call it a retelling when the only things that refer to Wuthering Heights are the names? None of the personality traits were there, the paranormal aspects of it created this entirely different dynamic, a wholly different plot. So what was the reason?!

The romance wasn't that bad, but it wasn't good either. It started off with "chemistry" which was lots of telling, not showing. Then it started getting a little better and I was on board. But the book lost me again from the moment they started getting matching tattoos. The lust part was okay, but it absolutely failed to let these characters connect on a deeper level, which made their sacrifices during the last acts not make a whole lot of sense.

I really think this story had potential. It's just that this book could have done with a few more rounds of edits.