"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 🖤

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.