Ruthless Devotion is the retelling of Wuthering Heights with a supernatural twist. This is book three in the Gilded Monsters series and Cathy Eranshaw meets Heathcliff Lockwood. Both have secrets have their own that they don't want to share with each other or the people of the town. Heathcliff finds out that Cathy is a Banshee when he follows her into the woods during one of her episodes. That's when he decieds to do everything in order to save an pertect her. With the help of Jay Gatsby and his friends will they be able to defeat the ancient gods that are being resurected. Ruthless Devotion is just as spicy as the other Gilded Monsters books. This is a fast read that will have you hooked by the first chapter. I want to thank both NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for letting me read an advanced copy of this novel.

2.5⭐️
This one didn't work for me, which was unfortunate because I've really enjoyed some of Rebecca F, Kenney's fantasies. I think one of my biggest issues- and this was really a me problem- was that I thought this was be a historical fantasy? Because it was advertised as inspired by Wuthering Heights, my mind just assumed. And again- that one's on me! But it was just jarring to start chapter one and have Heathcliff watching TV in a bar and driving around in a pickup truck.

The romance also didn't work for me. I understand why Cathy and Heathcliff got physical so early in in the book, but it took away the tension for me. And again- Wuthering Heights inspired! So I thought it would be all angst and brooding looks with a tragic love story.

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

Thankyou Netgallery for this opportunity to review this book.
Ruthless Devotion was my first encounter with this author and although was already familiar with the Wuthering Heights, read blind having not read any of the earlier books in the series. While the cover and blurb held great promise, I felt it fell short in terms of character growth and development, leaving me questioning the characters' romantic authenticity and natural progression.

This was my first book from this author, and I enjoyed her writing style. I felt that the descriptions were lush and atmospheric and really brought me into the story. The gothic setting truly delivered, and I had no trouble picking this book up to read time and time again. However, the character development, and with it the romance fell a little flat for me. The connection between our main love interests needed more development, and more depth to their connection than what was given.

Thank you to NetGalley & the Publisher for allowing me this free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Honestly I don't know if this is a 2 or 3 star book to me, which probably means it's a 2.5, and I'm rounding down. This book wasn't any better than the 2nd book, and the more of these I read the less I like them. I wasn't sure the previous books would have anything to do with this one, ended up reading books 1 and 2 anyway in preparation for it, and was at least paid off for the effort even if minimally. I would have survived fine if I hadn't but how else would I know they all drive Tesla's and each girl loves Taylor Swift/the top 90% of popular music? I will say though, I did like Cathy & Heathcliff's dynamic, way more than Dorian/Baz's but not as much as Daisy/Jay's.

I appreciate the effort being put into these books. They definitely feel like a passion project. I just don't think it works, ultimately. There are some clear influences in here beyond the obvious each book is mirrored after, but fitting them all together just feels like the wrong pieces of the puzzle. Something just isn't working here and its honestly too much effort to try figuring it out. Theres a good concept in there, but the execution is lacking.

The twist was predictable - I don't know if it was supposed to be. But I also found myself just not caring about the revelations either. Whatever momentum I had from book 1 has fizzled out by now, slowly over the course of book 2 and 3. I think mostly due to character chemistry being off, or repetitive similarities between the stores/characters, the unbelievability of how the plot unfolds/characters act, etc. This might have worked best as a YA novel, if the sex was toned down.

All in all, I think this will be the last book of this series for me. I appreciate the passion with these but am not a fan of the execution.

Ruthless Devotion is a wild, gothic-southern reimagining of Wuthering Heights with necromancers, banshee magic, and cultish religion - all set against the eerie, swampy backdrop of the Lowcountry. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but I found myself completely pulled into the story’s intensity and mythic vibe.

Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship is a chaotic storm of trauma, obsession, and strange, spiritual power. It’s toxic in the way that’s true to the original, but Kenney adds layers of real emotional weight and pain that makes their bond feel more grounded, even when the story leans into the supernatural. Cathy’s grief-driven outbursts, her strange abilities, and the way Heathcliff understands her without flinching - it all added up to a romance that felt doomed but deeply compelling.

One thing that really stood out to me was how the supernatural elements and the cult/religious setting weren’t just thrown in for atmosphere. They actually shaped the characters and their choices in a meaningful way. The mix of mythology and Southern gothic horror made for some really memorable moments, especially once the secrets of Cathy’s community begin to unravel.

I will say, some of the crossover characters from previous books confused me a little, since I started with this one (book three). While the story stands on its own well enough, I definitely felt like I was missing some context that might have made certain scenes more impactful. That said, it didn’t take away too much from the core story, and it’s made me want to go back and read the first two.

This is a dark, messy, emotionally-charged book with a lot of heat and heart. It’s not a fluffy romance - it’s full of damage and desperation - but if you’re into angsty, paranormal retellings with heavy atmosphere and big feelings, this one’s worth picking up.

Let me preface this review by saying that I've never enjoyed Wuthering Heights - not the book, not any of the movies. Like Romeo and Juliet, I've always thought Heathcliff and Cathy deserved a good smacking and a lecture about getting over themselves.

So why did I read Ruthless Devotion, then? Because I've read several other of Rebecca Kenney's books and I've enjoyed them. A lot. She tells a great story, and her characters have a lot of depth and a more modern sympathy than they were given by their original writers.

And she did it again here. Heathcliff and Cathy, brought into the modern world of the American South, with added cultish religions, supernatural powers, and some fun extras in addition to the original characters - well, even Emily Bronte would be pleased with this. Also maybe slightly embarrassed, as Miss Bronte was a maiden lady and maiden ladies didn't talk about such things. Another point in the favor of modern times, because I think what was missing from Wuthering Heights was a heaping helping of spice.

If you enjoyed Wuthering Heights, read Ruthless Devotion. If you didn't, give it a try anyway, because it will make you see the original in a whole different light. Brava.

This book is feral, feverish, and unhinged in all the best ways. It’s dark magic woven with obsessive love, grief that feels like a curse, and two doomed souls who burn for each other like fire and gasoline. Plus, the Southern gothic setting adds a lush, haunting atmosphere, and the supernatural edge crackles with intensity. It’s wild, witchy, brutal, and achingly beautiful. I couldn’t put it down,

I am a huge fan of Rebecca Kenney's work. She always writes incredible books, and Ruthless Devotion is one of them. It was a fun fast paced read that really hit the spot. I loved the plot and the characters, and I loved the spice even more. There was lots of banter between the characters, that I absolutely loved.

Book: Ruthless Devotion
Series: Gilded Monsters, 3
Author: Rebecca Kenney
Completed Series: Yes
# of Books in Series: 7
Genre: Paranormal
Format: eBook ARC

Thank you #netgalley for this arc.

First Thoughts/Summary:
Okay, so I think I need to go back and read 1 & 2 even though they are stand-alone books. They are interconnected, and I am missing things.

Storyline/Plot:
I love this take on Wuthering Heights. It was a great-paced book. I found myself staying up late the first night reading it. There is so much to this book. It’s devastating as a mom to read about Cathy and Heathcliff. I want to rage for both of them. Their pasts break my heart and it made me root for them from the get-go! You wil feel all the feels in this book
Favorite Characters:
I loved Heathcliff. I love it when a MMC keeps all of his abilities close to the chest, but not because he’s trying to be sly, but because he doesn’t want to hurt people. Swoon!

Spice:
There is a lot of spice in this book. There is a lot of tension in this book. There are a lot of flavors in this book. Banshees can scream, my friends! I’ll leave you with this last tidbit, your world with shake!

Triggers:
Physical Abuse (From a young page), violence, kidnapping, estranged parent, child abuse, alcoholism, confinement, drugging, panic attacks/disorders

I received an advanced reading copy through NetGalley. I requested it because I recently read Wuthering Heights for the first time and was interested in the premise.
It's written in the first person/present tense, which I usually don't care for. I didn't care for it in this book, and the narration perpetuated a trend I've picked up on of clipped, vulgar, stream of consciousness writing, almost like the narrator is yelling their story into a walkie talkie in a helicopter. As the book went on, the prose became a little smoother and nicer. If you like this style of writing, this book may be for you.
For me, the writing style hampered my enjoyment of a somewhat interesting story. Ultimately this book was not for me, but if this is the type/genre/style you like, then I think it is well done and you will enjoy it.

Hi, there. As an ARC reader I do not post reviews less than 4 stars unless the publisher/ author asks me to proceed. With that said this book would've been a DNF for me if I'd purchased it on my own. Withering Heights is one of my all time favorite books and I was excited to see a modern day retelling. I was interested to see the updated setting, how the plot was made current, and how the characters would present in modern times. I was very disappointed. This read like a poorly interrupted fan fiction. I did not enjoy it at all and only pushed through because I appreciated being chosen for the ARC. Please let me know if you'd like me to present a formal review on Goodreads and Amazon. Again thank you for the ARC and wish the author much success.

Full disclosure I was definitely so excited by this book. I didn’t even realize it was a series when I signed up for the ARC!
All I had to know was it was a retelling of Wuthering Heights and I was in! I’m a vibes girlie and I was feeling them, what can I say! Though this book ends far more differently!

This book showcases a lot of interesting topics, and I would say the overreaching theme is the corruption within organized religions. Our FMC, Cathy, has spent her entire life as “other” because she doesn’t fit in with the religious cult she was born into. She is an outcast in her small town with no friends, her extremely abusive father and her near apathetic aunt.
They subject her to torment, ridicule, and in the end great pain over their idea of the “right thing.“
This book has parts that are extremely hard to read, especially when it comes to familial violence.

Our MMC, Heathcliff, was kidnapped as a child and forced into servitude by a powerful family, all while calling him, “son and brother.”

In each other, they find acceptance, love, and hopefully escape from both families.

Since I hadn’t previously read the first two books, I can’t really speak on the side characters very well, but they are also reminiscent of other classical literary heroes and hero heroines. In this book specifically they are willing to go toe to toe for our mains, they’ve only just mean them but they are willing to die to save them.
What more could you ask of friends?

I enjoyed the book I definitely will go back and read the first two book of the series, I would enjoy it more if the author had more supernatural in it and talked more about their abilities. I enjoyed the characters acceptance of themselves

******Thank you so much to Rebecca Kenney, NetGalley, and SourceBooks for providing an E-ARC in exchange of providing an honest review! This review will contain no spoilers.******

OVERALL, QUICK REVIEW: My thoughts

Going into this I was so excited and left it for last to read (out of the ARCs I am reading right now) because I thought it would be so fun, and absolutely beautiful. What I got was a fanfiction AU from wattpad (specifically, bc even AO3 wouldn’t do this to me). I mean— the word “rizz’ was used and frankly that took me so far out of the story I would have DNF’ed immediately and never picked it back up. However, for the sake of this review, and the fact that this book has a pretty high rating, I decided why not? It cant get worse right? Well… yes and no. The writing is very pretty, not including the dialogue, but everything just felt so clunky, unfinished, rushed, and just overall disappointing. It felt like I was reading something that is going to the first round of edits instead of something ready for the printing press. If you had read from this author before, I can understand how you can like this, but this is my first impression. Furthermore, this is a standa-alone series which I didn’t feel like I was missing something (so that’s good). Overall, I’m willing to double down and read the finished product to see if it gets better. I really wanted to love this. But for now, it’s a no from me.

**REVIEW BREAKDOWN: Reflection & Analysis**

Quality of Writing: 3/5 🌟

The writing itself is actually nice if you discount the…certain word choices…used in dialogue, but the descriptive nature of Kenney’s writing is definitely their strong-suit, especially considering their story is in first-person (which can often limit the story but not here!). Kenney adopts a modern writing style against a southern, gothic backdrop which was very interesting to see and worked to their favor.

Plot Development: 2/5 🌟

The pacing was all wrong. I think the elements that I could have enjoyed would have made this amazing if certain things were changed around. This concept is incredibly strong, so it was disappointing to see it done haphazardly. I think it’s alright if they have sex in chapter two, and then get to know each other in chapter three, but here, against the setting and what the characters are meant to represent, does not work. At all. The whole purpose of it being a Wuthering Heights retelling is to be able to see the same slow-burn, forbidden budding delicious romance we had with the source material.

Characters: 2/5🌟

In Ruthless Devotions, the two main characters are thrown at us the same way they’re thrown at each other. I don’t know them yet, why am I meant to care? Why am I to hate or love this character. Cathy feels so hypocritical stuck between her magical-self and her sweet dolly, Christian persona, and also a femme-fatal. Instead of doing something with this however, it simply exists…which leads me to believe that some of these traits Cathy has is a mistake. Heathcliff is definitely the one with the most development or at least forethought and closure. Cathy’s background had so much potential but instead we had three or so pages summarizing her life before Heathcliff.

Romance: 2/5 🌟

They really honestly have such an insta-attraction or insta-love type of relationship. The relationship itself is also at the heart of the story (and I want to keep this spoiler free, so its hard to say much, BUT-) the romance could’ve absolutely stunning if this author had slowed down…taken the time, fostered the relationship, the prejudice, the brainwashing, all of it. Could’ve been great. At least the spice was good, very sexy and very steamy. A little weird but good.

Ending: 3/5 🌟

So great, that I am willing to pick up and read the finished product to see if these changes are made. Word choice and pacing is seriously (I’m serious.) a big factor (HUGE factor) as to why I did not like this book and truly I believe that both of these can also fix up the smaller issues I had throughout this book. Truly had so much potential, and the Magic storyline WAS super cool and SUPER interesting to read about, but if the book is going to have romance at it’s center, that part needs to be good, yknow?

It was a good read however I feel like it just maybe was not for me or what I am used to reading. It took me a while to get through however I did enjoy the retelling of the story and thought it brought a fresh insight to it.

Enjoyed this retelling of Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff and Cathy had great chemistry. I enjoyed the magical elements of the book. I was pulled into the book from the beginning. I am going to have go back and read the other books in the series.

Tropes & Themes:
🖤Southern Gothic
🖤Wuthering Heights Retelling
🖤Necromancer & Banshee
🖤Religious Cultism
🖤Paranormal Elements
🖤Irish Folklore

This book features a unique magic system rooted in Irish folklore, complete with a Banshee, interesting Gods, and necromancer elements. It's a loose Wuthering Heights retelling, and while I jumped in without reading previous series books (fair warning, past characters do show up if you're spoiler-averse!), it was still a great read. Overall, I loved the cultish, dark southern gothic atmosphere of the story!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Rebecca Kenney's modern supernatural retelling of Wuthering Heights was a mixed bag for me. The premise was great and it jumped right into action. We learn how much Heathcliff and Cathy have struggled to exist. For various reasons, both of them have been cast as outsiders, both used by but never really loved by their families. As the supernatural happenings continue to escalate, Cathy and Heathcliff find themselves at the center of a storm they didn't see coming. Forced to fight for their very lives, they wonder if they will ever be able to share a real life together. If you're a fan of supernatural reads, you may appreciate this one. For me, I struggled with the interpretation of some other classic literary characters they encounter, Gatsby and Daisy, that made it hard for me to believe, even in a supernatural sense. Her writing, pacing and plot are all interesting so do yourself a favor and give it a whirl.

2.75 stars rounded up!

Although, I'm not familiar with the source material (Wuthering Heights), I only know of it, and I haven't read previous books in the gilded monsters series, I still had fun. While I prefer cutesy fairytale like stories, this one was quite darker, I still found bits that interested me.

Frankly, I didn't connect with Cathy, nor Heathcliff. Romance-wise, they had lots of great moments, though. I just didn't care. The stuff they did for each other? WOW. That's some soulmates shit. And it had quite a few spicy scenes worth of looking into.

There were a few bits that I'd call cringe, but it was nothing awful. Just little hiccups occasionally.

Near the end, main characters from the previous books of the gilded monsters showed up more, and I have to admit, I am so going to check them out too.

Thank you, #NetGalley for providing me with the ARC.