Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Rebecca Kenney for the opportunity to read an advance copy of <i>Ruthless Devotion</i>.

I was initially drawn to this book by its stunning cover and the intriguing premise: a blend of <i>Wuthering Heights</i>, Irish folklore, and a Southern Gothic setting. This was my first novel by Rebecca Kenney, and while it’s the third in a series, it was promoted as a standalone, which made me excited to dive in without needing prior background.

Ultimately, the story didn’t fully resonate with me. I tend to prefer romances that take their time, tension builds gradually and emotional connections feel earned. In this case, the early intimacy between the main characters made it harder for me to invest in their relationship or feel the depth I was hoping for. Additionally, the dialogue and prose often felt a bit underdeveloped. The writing leaned toward a more youthful tone that, while perhaps appealing to some readers, made it difficult for me to connect with the characters or take the dramatic moments seriously.

From what I’ve seen in other reviews, Ruthless Devotion has been a mixed experience for readers. Some were swept up in the atmosphere and bold choices, while others, like myself, were left wanting more cohesion and emotional payoff. I appreciate the originality of the concept and the ambition behind its genre-blending approach, even if this one wasn’t quite the right fit for me.

I forgot how much I love a good retelling story. This book just hit everything I was looking for and more! This is a dark, intense romance that pulls you in immediately. It has so much great tension, emotional depth, and characters. Rebecca has such a great way with writing that really sucks you in from the first page. There were a few times where the pacing slowed down in certain spots but overall this story and all the twists kept me me so engaged and wanting to see what would happen next. I couldn’t put this book down once I started. This was easily a 3.5 (rounded up to 4 star) star read for me.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC!

I went into this paranormal romance with a retelling of Wuthering Heights with hesitation. But I ended up loving it! It was my first read by Rebecca Kenney, and I definitely plan to pick up her previous books. The spice was so good, and it didn’t take away from the yearning. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an advanced copy.

This dark, Gothic retelling of Wuthering Heights was so good! This was my first Rebecca Kenney book and I will definitely be reading more. The world-building and character development were very solid and the writing was so gorgeous!

Dark, atmospheric, and addictively intense—this gothic Wuthering Heights retelling had me hooked. Cathy and Heathcliff are wild, chaotic, and magnetic in all the best ways, and the magical twist (plus the cult backdrop) added real weight and urgency to their story.

Some moments felt a little over the top, but overall this was a bold, unique read I couldn’t put down.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for the advance copy!

As someone who loves Wuthering Heights I will read any retelling of it. A fast paced modern retelling of it with a lot of banter and tension, cult vibes, gods and plenty of spice.
Fast burn, some dark themes and elements and the protagonist being able to sense death coming.

Third book into an interconnected standalones series of retellings that can be easily read on its own!

Wuthering Heights meets True Detective Season 1 with way more spice than a night requiring confession

Oh I finally understand Heathcliff and Catherine, and honestly, Wuthering Heights needed some spice. Kenney captured my attention fully with this novel of necromancy and religion. Heathcliff is dreamy. Catherine is caught between a rock and a hard place; her character is so interesting. Highly recommend this read.

This book gave me the biggest ick. It just felt so childish and was just ewww. Plus, it’s a crime against Wuthering Heights. It offends itself.
1

This one surprised me—in a good way. The plot was super interesting. The girl is a monster, but not your usual fae/shifter/vamp situation. It’s something different, darker, and honestly way harder for her to hide. Her life is already a mess, but it gets worse when her church (which is super culty about old gods and other supernatural stuff) starts getting even creepier.

Cliff, the MMC, seemed like he was going to be a decent love interest—he had potential—but felt a little surface-level compared to the FMC, who had way more depth and internal struggle.

I was fully into it until the very end, where it suddenly felt like everything exploded. So many new characters showed up out of nowhere, and the pacing became chaotic real fast. It just felt rushed.

It was also genuinely hard for me to get through the church scenes—not because they were boring, but because they felt too real. Uncomfortable in a way that kind of stuck with me.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

This was enjoyable and I do believe others will like this book as well!

2 stars

As a huge fan of Wuthering Heights, I was immediately drawn to this book. I'd never heard of the author before, and I wanted to see her take on the story. Unfortunately, I was left disappointed. I think the premise is good and intriguing, but the execution didn't reflect it.

I found it hard to connect with the characters, which made caring about what happened to them really difficult. The writing felt choppy too at times, and the repeated use of compounded adjectives took me out of the story. I also found the ending a little rushed, and would have preferred more resolution with some of the side characters, meaning Cathy's father and aunt, even though I understand why Cathy chose against it. I just think the book would have benefited from it, but that's merely my opinion.

The plot was definitely the saving grace of the book. I loved how the author wove Irish mythology with a creative and unique story. It was what made me not give up on the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC.

thank you to netgalley & sourcebooks casablanca for the eARC!

3.5 stars rounded down —

i will say that i hadn’t read wuthering heights so i can’t compare this retelling to the original. i also hadn’t read the first 2 books in this series, it wasn’t difficult to follow along with this book but i would recommend reading those first just because it is interconnected standalones.

i overall had a lot of mixed thoughts while reading this but my main conclusion is that it was a fun read!

*some spoilers*

things i loved include: the supernatural elements & inclusion of irish folklore mixed with that, the church/cult, a strong FMC, the southern gothic setting, the action scenes, the pacing of the book, and the writing style.

the things that weren’t my favorite were: the name dropping of celebrities & brands (personally it threw me off in comparison to the story setting), the insta-lust aspect of the romance, the jealousy plot point, and the slight miscommunication leading to assumptions plot point.

this book was quickly paced and well written that i was able to push the things that i didn’t love to the back of my mind as i read on.

This was received as an ARC - Thank you Rebecca F.Kenney
Book: Ruthless Devotion
Series: Gilded Monsters (Standalone Series)(#3)
Genre: Sci-Fi/ Fantasy Romance, General Adult Fiction
Rating: 4.5 ⭐

5/5 Relationships
5/5 Characters
4/5 Plot
3🌶🌶🌶

*:✿˚⋆ SPOILER FREE REVIEW *:✿˚⋆

This was such a fun and easy read! It was my first modern retelling and I was not disappointed. It’s a fast-paced story, so it’s very easy to get wrapped up in it and briskly read through the entire book. This is the 3rd installment in a standalone series, so I didn’t feel like I was missing anything from not having read the first 2. There are a few characters that appear briefly that seem to be from the previous books, but it does not affect the story in a negative way if you are not familiar with these characters.

I really enjoyed the plot, the mystery and the Irish lore; it gave a touch of Suspense / Thriller to the romance and captured my attention throughout the whole story. The romance was one of the most beautiful I have read, I loved every single part of it. The beauty in how both characters are “damaged” in their own way but come together to face their struggles and become whole was simply lovely.

The folklore information was delivered in such a way that I didn’t feel lost or confused, and it didn’t seem like a long stretch of heavy information dump. The necessary information was provided seamlessly and naturally, making the experience that much better.

All in all, I can definitely recommend this book. Apart from the heavier scenes here and there, I found it to be a cozy breeze-through story that I would recommend to anyone looking for folklore, supernatural, and a quick and easy read. I will for sure be reading the 2 first installments or this series and will look out for any future installments as well!

Ruthless Devotion is a dark, seductive reimagining of Wuthering Heights infused with gothic folklore and supernatural heat. Cathy, a banshee raised in a cult-like religious community, finds herself drawn to her family’s sworn enemy, Heathcliff Lockwood, a dangerously alluring necromancer. Their chemistry crackles on every page, and the spice is intense, but it’s the emotional depth and twisted fates that truly make this story unforgettable. Two cursed souls, bound by something deeper than love. This book is as haunting as it is addictive!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the Advanced Reader's Copy. This book will be published on July 22, 2025.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars.

This book follows Heathcliff (a Necromancer) and Cathy (a Banshee) and their tragic love story among difficult family and a small judgmental cult trying to suppress ancient Gods. I actually had to google what a necromancer and banshee were while reading because my sheltered self had no idea! HAHA

I will start by saying that I love Rebecca Kenney and her prior Gilded Monsters books, so I was excited to get to read the next book in the series early. I was also really excited for the re-telling of Wuthering Heights. However, the book fell a little flat for me. I enjoyed the book up until I hit the 80% mark.

**Spoiler Alert/Trigger Warning/Adult Content Below**



Having sex on an altar tied to a cross was just not my vibe. It may very well be lot of other peoples vibe and that's totally ok, but I could not get into it. I loved that it brought the characters in from the prior books in the series, but to mix these southern gothic Gods with vampires was also very interesting. But I will forever be team Jay and Daisy.

I will say that I was very engaged throughout the book. Cult vibes are also super fun to read and that aspect was super interesting.

Will I read another Rebecca Kenney book? Absolutely, yes. But this was probably my least favorite so far.

I think this book was an excellent retelling of Wuthering Heights. I remember reading the book in a highschool English class and loving the drama of the whole plot. I loved the rawness of the emotions of Heathcliff and Catherine, how the storyline and emotions seemed personified in the weather, the dreariness, all of it.

I think Kenney's version in a contemporary setting feels similar and different. There are the obvious feelings of obsession between the Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff Lockwood, the obsession of the community between life and death, and the obsession of control over others. The romance between Cathy and Heathcliff in the original was short lived due to her death and here we get a full scope of what that would look like in an updated setting.

I think my favorite part of the book, and maybe not fully the purpose of the book, was the representation of grief from Cathy Earnshaw and generally overall. The personification of grief through Cathy was quite gripping and it forced me to think about how people handle grief, how they should handle grief, is this a function of our lives that is overlooked or under the microscope so to speak.

First book by Rebecca Kenney and I am soooo glad I got into her writing!!! Inmet her at Apollycon and she was the absolute sweetest person and loved her vibe so much, this book is amazingly written and kept me on my toes

Definitely hit some religious trauma but gave me the satisfaction of the characters fighting back and healing. The romance is definitely spicy, personally 3/5 but I can see the argument for 4/5 for sure. Definitely recommend snagging it when it comes out ❤️❤️

I'll be waiting for the hardcover for sprayed edges, the cover is to die for.

What an absolute banger of a book. Hands down a favorite. Rebecca never misses and the way this book takes a classic and puts such a great twist on it. The characters are so real, so vibrant and pull you into the story immediately

eArc provided by the Publisher through NetGalley. Thank you in advance.

The book is the third in a series of individual stories that are interconnected in some points. I did not read the two books before this one. If you are looking to have zero spoilers for the first two books, I recommend you read those first. Even if this book is a story of itself, it brings out characters from those books, and because of my procrastination and not reading them first, I got hints about things from those books. (Nothing too crazy) 🙁

The start of the book was made perfectly to hook you, introducing you to Heathcliff and his powers, giving you hints of mystery, and the connection to the supernatural.

Cathy has a big secret that she needs to keep from her community and “church” (vibes more of a cult). 

The introduction of Cathy’s life is full of grief; she feels death before it comes to collect, making her have episodes of uncontrollable grief where she isolates herself from people to avoid any suspicion from the community about her supernatural power. After a coincidental initial meeting with Heathcliff and a first spicy encounter, the two main characters continue to cross paths until it is inevitable. There are a series of deaths that brought tension to the community and attention towards Cathy, deaths that Cathy did not perceive, developing the story of what is behind this series of deaths.

In my opinion, the story is entertaining and provides you with a mystery. Heathcliff’s character felt a bit underdeveloped. I was expecting this big thing from him, but it was… okay. Nothing that would surprise you and keep you on the edge of your seat. For Cathy’s character, there are moments when I wanted to connect with her and what she was going through, but I was just unable to.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. The plot was right there on your face, but the story was well organized to keep you moving forward and finish it to find the truth. I am looking forward to knowing what’s next after this book.