Star Rating: 4.5 🌟

Thank you so much Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this eArc!

Okay, quick little summary before I go all in on gushing about this book. This is a modern reworking of Wuthering Heights, set in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Cathy Earnshaw is the daughter of a deacon in her small community. A community has dedicated their Sunday services to preaching about the power of blood and faith to keep an ancient being buried in the ground. There's something inside her that makes her scream through the forest when she senses death coming to her neighbors. Heathcliff was stolen as a child, raised along side other necromancers. He is trapped under his adopted brothers thumb, forced to resurrect those who make deals, even though his power outweighs Hindley's. Cathy and Heathcliff meet in a moment of reckless need. But, as the walls of the village start to close in around them, their love grows, and maybe it will save them.

Holy cow guys!! I absolutely loved this book! As a preface, I haven't read the other books in the series (that will be remedied soon I promise) and haven't read the source material. I picked this up because it sounded like the perfect blend of creepy cults, romance, and angst. And dang did it deliver! I loved Cathy and Heathcliff, not only as stand alone character, but also as a couple. Cathy had a boiling rage but also a well of sadness inside her and it only made her that much more interesting. Heathcliff was both tender in his affection but also strong and ready to fight anything that would dare hurt Cathy. Sometimes in dual POVS, I feel like the men just sexualize the fmc, but not at all with Heathcliff. He found her beautiful, yes, but he also respected all aspects of her. Their tension and love for each other was swoon worthy and had me kicking my feet. Now, this book is not marketed as horror but it definitely had it's moments of unsettling imagery which is a huge plus for me.

I only have a few critiques. There's a little bit in the beginning of the book, after our main characters have met but aren't officially together yet, that was not my favorite. They both set out to make each other jealous and it does have a bit of weird language about another female character. While the ending was great and well deserved, I was hoping for Cathy to get revenge against the people who hurt her. It felt a little...lackluster I suppose?

went into Ruthless Devotion blind—without reading the first two books—and still finished it in a day. The writing is fast-paced and colloquial, making for a smooth, addictive read. It reminded me of Harley Laroux’s Souls Trilogy with its eclectic mix of horror, religion, and the supernatural. There’s also a hint of Keri Lake’s dark romance style, though this leans less gothic.

That said, I found the blend of literary and mythological references a little clunky. Naming the main characters Heathcliff and Catherine, alongside references to ancient gods, felt distracting and occasionally heavy-handed. It pulled me out of the story more than it added to it. And for the record, while this may be a Cathy and Heathcliff retelling in spirit, it’s definitely not one in execution—don’t go in expecting a modern adaptation of Wuthering Heights.

I liked this story enough that I’m planning to go back and read the first two books. I’m especially curious about the other characters I met here. If more books are coming, I’ll absolutely be on board!

Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Kenney, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
* Instalust (at first, then slow burn)
* Romantic suspense with a dash of mystery!
* Touch her and die
* Supernatural and spicy modern retelling of “Wuthering Heights”

Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Kenney, Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I’m so glad this is a dual POV modern retelling of Wuthering Heights! It’s such a good twist to the story and I love all of Rebecca Kenney’s retellings that she released thus far so I was very excited to read this! I liked the setting of this book too, as it adds to the moody vibe of the book this is based on, but in an American setting. I could totally see a cult like church like this in this place 😳

Well, that was lucky timing for Heathcliff in just chapter two! 🤭

I like seeing others from past two books in this series! They fit in so well with the plot line in the end.

I wanted to slap Heathcliff for making her jealous with Isabella. But then when he saves her and they are together again, this time it’s more carnal and emotional at the same time. It means something to them both. They seem so drawn to each other both physically, emotionally, and supernaturally. It’s a heady combination and makes it so steamy.

What happens to Cathy is horrifying in its gory detail and so sad but I’m so glad Heathcliff chose the tattoos to save her, and how she in turn saves him. Both instances are pretty devastating!

I also like the mystery of this that adds to the suspense of what happens to Cathy and Heathcliff about 75% of the way in the book. When they finally reveal their true selves and their pasts to each other, it allows them to fully be more to one another. They both connect emotionally so well as they both do whatever they can to save and protect each other. They accept each other for what and who they are wholly, and their steamy scene in the church was so charged with emotion and passion, I had to read it more than once because I enjoyed it so much!

It’s of course the kind of ending I had hoped for Wuthering Heights, so then finding that freedom they’ve both desired even before meeting each other was beautiful to read.

I didn’t expect this book to hit as hard as it did. Ruthless Devotion isn’t just dark and obsessive for the sake of it. It’s deeply emotional and surprisingly tender in places, which made the intense moments land even harder. I loved how Rebecca Kenney built the tension between Elise and Luca - it’s messy and complicated but never thoughtless. Their connection feels earned, not just steamy.

There were a few spots where I wished the pacing had slowed down so certain scenes could breathe a little more, but overall I was hooked. The themes of agency, healing, and power were woven in with care, and I appreciated that the story let both characters grow. If you’re into morally grey love interests and high-stakes emotional intimacy, this one absolutely delivers.

Ruthless Devotion is probably the most original story I’ve ever read in my life. The book was gripping, dark, and even a little creepy and scary at times, and I could not put it down.
It’s a Wuthering Heights retelling (disclaimer: I have not yet the original) with a magic twist, and it incorporates a whole slew of Irish folklore and brings it into a modern Southern setting.
From what I understand, it doesn’t follow Wuthering Heights closely and pretty much just uses the names, but this story was truly so captivating, I finished it in one sitting.

The book follows Cathy Earnshaw and Heathcliff Lockwood, a banshee and a necromancer, respectively — two supernaturals in a town where such gifts are not welcome. Not inly do they get involved with one another, but also a mystery surrounding Cathy’s cult-like church and their true chilling intentions.

The pacing was on the faster side, but with the elements of mystery and suspense, it worked well for the story. I wish the romance between Heathcliff and Cathy had been a little more developed and not as insta lust-y, but by the halfway point, I was extremely invested in them and their relationship.
I also felt like the plot got a little out of hand towards the end and it became a little hard to follow, and then not everything was resolved — which I’m guessing will happen in the next book.

I personally didn’t anticipate a lot of the plot twists, so the story kept me on my toes and surprised me at every turn! The romance was also so swoony and steamy, and the spicy scenes were scorching hot. I was almost sad when I finished the book because I didn’t want the story to be over. I may need to go back and read the first two books as they’re interconnected standalones.

Thank you to Rebecca Kenney and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC of Ruthless Devotion via NetGalley!

This one surprised me. TBH, at first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this—but a few chapters in, I was all in. Ruthless Devotion is dark, spicy (like chapter two spicy), and heavy on the emotional tension. The atmosphere gave Midnight Mass vibes, which I loved, and the small-town church setting added this eerie, pressure-cooker feel that really worked.

Cathy and Heathcliff are both deeply scarred by their pasts, and watching them open up and trust each other was very satisfying. There’s something raw and messy but also really tender about their connection. I found myself rooting for them hard.

I haven’t read Wuthering Heights, so I can’t speak on the retelling, but the intensity and angst definitely come through. I also didn’t realize going in that this was part of a series of standalones—I'll definitely be checking out the others.

If you’re into dark romance with emotional depth, and quick heat, this one’s worth picking up.

"He was the other half of my soul - the mirror to my every dark desire. My destruction, my redemption, my salvation: my Heathcliff.

Cathy Earnshaw's got the devil inside her - or at least that's what the small, cultish community she's spent her whole life trapped inside would say. She can sense death coming, and every loss sends her spiraling into a violent, uncontrollable episode of grief, wailing like a banshee across the swampy forests of the Lowcountry. With a secret as dark as hers, there's no hope of relief, or escape, or finding someone with a chance of understanding.

Until she meets him.

Heathcliff's got his own trauma, and a secret just as dangerous as Cathy's. Stolen as a child, raised by necromancers, he's the most forbidden sin she could ever imagine...and the most desperately tempting. Violent in his passions, tender in his affection, he feels like the other half of her soul, but even as they claw desperately to be together, the world seems just as determined to keep them apart.

Because it turns out their little Southern community was built long ago on a graveyard of lies...and every cult needs its sacrificial lamb.

An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of Wuthering Heights with a magical twist."

I mean, Cathy and Heathcliff in a cultish community rings true.

This was a really enjoyable gothic horror/ paranormal romance with characters heavily inspired by Wuthering Heights. I don’t want to call it a retelling because it veers so heavily from the original in a lot of ways (bye bye to all the tragedy; helloooooo to a HEA!) but it pays homage to the original storylines/major plot points in a creative way (she ghosts him!) and captures Heathcliff and Cathy’s personalities in the 21st century perfectly. The story does a really good job of highlighting the social issues at play in a patriarchal, heavily religious environment and fully immerses the reader into Cathy’s grief at her continued loss of bodily autonomy and Heathcliff’s struggle to pull himself from the pit of poverty and neglect that he’s trapped in. Their push and pull that in Wuthering Heights seemed so toxic, feels a lot more like a normal reaction to long-term, ongoing abuse here and allows the reader to fall in love with their story.

If you’ve read the previous books in the Gilded Monsters series, you’ll know that this is a paranormal story and there are bigger issues at play in this universe than star-crossed lovers and the literary bad boys suddenly getting their happy ending. If you haven’t read them, don’t stress! While previous characters come into play and contribute heavily to the narrative at the point of conflict resolution, it’s easy enough to follow along with what’s happening and why.

So yeah! Ultimately, it’s a Brontë remix with lots of paranormal, Eldritch horror and a heavy dose of southern gothic/religious trauma. The comparison I keep coming back to is: Midnight Mass (the Netflix show if anyone remembers it) mixed with Wuthering Heights but this time make it the US South (and incorporate all that that historically entails for women, minorities, and anyone outside the heteronormative religious majority) into one, easy to read, atmospheric novel. The spice is perfect for the story, the characters love for one another is beautifully devoted, and the setting is sublime. All around recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks and the author for the opportunity to read early in exchange for honest review!

Another great book by Rebecca Kenney, combining the romance, suspense, and an exciting twist on classic literature that I’ve come to expect from her Gilded Monsters series.

Cathy Earnshaw is a woman with a secret, hiding away parts of herself from the rest of her small (and small-minded) community. Heathcliff is a necromancer who was kidnapped as a child and brought into a family he’s desperate to free himself from. When the two of them meet, sparks fly and nothing in their small Southern community will ever be the same.

Ruthless Devotion takes Wuthering Heights and combines it with mythology and magic in a way that made the story that much more interesting, making me want to binge it almost in one sitting. It definitely made for a few sleepless nights when I could hardly put the book down’. Ruthless Devotion is another can’t miss book. I’m looking forward to the next one!

3.5 ⭐️ 2.5🌶️

I absolutely loved the relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy. The chemistry, tension and spice was absolutely perfect.

I did however have a bit of difficulty with the rest of the story. Firstly I was extremely excited about a Wuthering Heights reimagining BUT it just fell a bit flat for me.

Although the story is set in present day and things like Pinterest and Instagram was mentioned several times parts of the story felt very 1800’s so I found it very hard to find my bearings.

Other than that the introduction of characters like Gatsby and Dorian was essentially done very well, however I felt the ending where they completely took over the entire show and story line was so chaotic that I still don’t exactly know what happened.

I would not read this as a standalone. The characters brought over from the previous books play such a large role that you’d be a bit lost without the backstory.

Wow! I seriously didn’t expect to fall this hard for Ruthless Devotion. It’s a bit outside my usual genre, as I tend to enjoy Romantasy more than modern paranormal romance, but this book had me twisted up in its grip. I was curious because Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite classics, and this takes the devastating tragic love and ramps it WAY up, but then doesn't break your heart.

🥵 Heathcliff: He's not your typical broody love interest, he’s VERY rough around the edges. His romancing at first is... Well , not romantic. He comes across as defeated more than a little broken at first, and has a heaping serving of self-deprecating thoughts. However, that made me feel for him instantly. His voice is gritty and real, and it sets the tone perfectly for what’s to come: a wild, emotionally intense, absolutely addictive ride.

😈Cathy: She’s pure chaos in the best way. Her grief, her rage, her ahem ✨ appetites✨. I just loved her and wanted to steal her away from her awful community. When these two collide, it’s not just sparks, it’s a full-on wildfire. Their connection is messy, raw, obsessive, and completely irresistible. The kind of love that feels more like fate than choice. The kind that aches. I found myself just smiling at how sweet they were together sometimes, and feeling scared for how much the world pulled up against them.

The setting is so LUSH. Small town secrets, backwoods cults, and this lingering sense that something dark is always watching.

My only tiny critique is that it took a minute to settle into the tone. Heathcliff’s voice is a little jarring at first because he's so coarse, but once you find your rhythm, you’re in. Deep. 😏

4.5 stars from me. If you’re into unhinged, soul-deep love stories with a side of creepy danger and a whole lot of tension, this one's for you.

I devoured this in one day. Ruthless Devotion is a contemporary gothic paranormal romance with Irish folklore, necromancy, vampires, and a banshee-souled heroine raised in a very realistic small town southern religion (cult). The FMC is a skeptic, which I instantly connected with. Insta-lust meets soul-deep connection—something that can feel shallow if it’s not done well—but this worked, and I ate it up. Predictable at times, but still entertaining. Great pacing, heavy spice, and just enough dark magic to keep me turning pages.

If you like dark romance with cult undertones, morally gray love interests, and a touch of folklore, this one’s for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC!

Both dark and haunting, Ruthless Devotion sinks its teeth into you from the first page and doesn’t let go. This book feels like a modern gothic paranormal fairytale (or maybe a nightmare), but one where Cathy mourns the dead, and Heathcliff is the one determined to resurrect hope, love, and maybe even her soul.
Cathy and Heath are both deeply damaged, carrying past wounds that still bleed into their present. Instead of dragging each other down, they find comfort in their shared pain. Heath falls first, and oh, how beautifully he falls. I instantly fell in love with his character after the first interaction between him and Cathy. His heart is so achingly sweet. He wants to rescue Cathy from her shadows, to give her comfort, love, and the life she’s been denied by the people who should care for her the most. The passion and chemistry between them is explosive, and their connection feels like something fated and eternal.
The eerie town and its unsettling people added a layer of suspense that had me on edge and to be honest, a little creeped out. Evil truly hides even in the prettiest of faces, and this book nailed that down with chilling precision. While the story had me hooked, the ending did lose a bit of its momentum. I was ready for a full-circle justice moment, but it felt a bit rushed, some things brushed under the rug instead of tied off. Still, seeing Cathy and Heath get their happily ever after made it worth it. If you're in the mood for a dark romance with haunting tones, magnetic characters, and a hero with burn-the-world-for-you vibes, Ruthless Devotion is one you should absolutely read.

What you can expect:
🔮 He Falls First
🔮 Paranormal/Folklore
🔮 Cult/Religious Setting
🔮 Betrayal
🔮 Feminine Rage
🔮 Haunting Vibes
🔮 Plenty of Spice 🌶🌶

Wow just wow! This story was one of the more unique ones I’ve read recently. Cathy and Heathcliff’s chemistry was so beautiful and never once felt forced. I loved that folklore was rooted in Celtic lore and a little Roman. Grief is an emotion most of us are familiar with and Cathy has to experience it a thousand times over for people she barely knows. Following her journey of finding how to take care of herself and the real truth about her church had me so locked into this story. The strength she has to keep going everyday is incredible. The big final “battle” had me so on edge I couldnt stop reading and final twist blew me away.

The writing itself was done so well. It was easy to follow and flowed extremely smoothly. The pacing fit perfectly. My only wish is I wish we could’ve learned more about Heathcliff’s background though I understand why we don’t and why it’s important for his character growth.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 for my first ever Rebecca Kennedy book and my first ever arc!

I found this novel more of a thriller mystery romance than a magical romance which was honestly such a pleasant surprise! I devoured this book and found myself wishing I could read faster so I could know what happens next or how it’s going to end. I gasped, I cried, i squirmed in my seat (🌶️🌶️🌶️), and said “WHAT!” out loud more than once.

Cathy Earnshaw was immediately likeable, despite being an “other” or “different” her whole life. I think that Rebecca wrote her character really well, and I’m officially a fan if this is a common feature of Rebecca’s writing.
Reading Cathy’s experience as a supernatural being was moving and haunting in the best way. The descriptions and the tone of the passages were captivating. Also, the spice was *chefs kiss*, especially chapter 24 (which I will be thinking about for a long while).

The world building was gradual and wasn’t overpowering which rounded out the plot, the characters, and the lore really well. You could certainly take a lot from the mythology if you wanted to (I did!) but understanding and relating every detail was not critical.

I will say, after chapter 1, I was a little nervous if this book was going to be right for me. But, by chapter 2 my concerns were out the window and I was hooked.

Ruthless Devotion is the perfect mix of intrigue, the paranormal, lore/mythology, spice, romance, and mystery. This is a book that leaves you feeling like it was actually about something meaningful and the romance also fit so well into the story.

I did not know that this book was a standalone in an interconnected series before reading, and I do not think that took away any enjoyment! But, I will definitely be going to read the other books because I’m not ready to leave this world behind.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for my first ever arc, I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to enjoy this book early and to discover Rebecca’s writing!

Let me get this out of the way.

It's not a standalone. To truly appreciate the 'secondary' characters of Baz and Dorian, Jay and Daisy, the first two novels should be read (as I had). With that said, found Cathy and Heathcliff's insta-physical relationship bit jolting esp when initially the plot tracked Heathcliff's unsettling relationship with his adoptive family.

Liked how they the author introduced the secondary characters and wove them into the plot. Another plus is creating a supernatural character for Cathy not often seen.

This ARC was provided by the publisher, SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca | Sourcebooks Casablanca, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Star Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Don’t let the first few pages turn you away from the book. The description says it’s a retelling of Wuthering Heights - I’ve never read it before, but after reading a detailed plot for the original, I can tell you it’s nothing alike besides the names.

The second chapter pulled me in, and I couldn't put this book down. What I loved:
• Spice scenes - written well, added great tension between the two MCs. (Some words were repeated too often, but it was easy to overlook)
•The world-building was very well done, and the descriptions were enough to show me how these families lived truly. There was a lot of showing and not telling.
• Shockingly, the insta-love. I usually don't like books with this trope, but it worked in this one.

I thought the story was well done. Part of me wishes the author had used different names from Wuthering Heights (it felt more like a way for readers to pick up the book) because some were so out of place in such a contemporary book. But outside of that, I would highly recommend this book to others. It was a well-written, unique story, and it was a good time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will not post a review on goodreads because I just couldn’t get through the book …
I DNF it through 40% .

Thw wurthering heights retelling I didn't know i needed. The spice was top teir without being iver the top, the cover is gorgeous, the characters drew you in and the story line kept me hooked the whole way through.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go 😭🔥 Ruthless Devotion is dark, intense, and completely addictive in the best way. I devoured every page and was left spinning—emotionally wrecked and absolutely obsessed.

Rebecca Kenney delivers all the delicious tension, morally gray vibes, and dangerous romance you could ask for. The chemistry? Insane. The stakes? Sky high. And the emotional payoff?? Worth every single breathless moment.

It’s the kind of story that pulls you in, keeps you on edge, and leaves you reeling in the best kind of book hangover. Bold, brutal, and beautifully written—I already want to reread it just to feel it all over again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy! This one owns me now 🖤