My favourite book in the Gilded Monsters series so far! I absolutely loved the relationship between Heathcliff and Cathy, and the connection they had throughout it.

The way that this book brought in the previous two was quite enjoyable. It was nice to see those characters again and get a clearer picture of what is happening in this universe.

Looking forward to the conclusion of this story!

Thank you Rebecca for the eARC of this book for an honest review.

My review is also posted on my GoodReads account.

This book is dark, fast, and totally addictive. Ruthless Devotion is a gothic, magic-laced retelling of Wuthering Heights—but you don’t need to be familiar with the original to get completely pulled in. I haven’t read it myself and still devoured this.

Cathy and Heathcliff are both damaged, both dangerous, and both completely obsessed with each other in the best way. The first chapter hooked me right away—gritty, mysterious, and full of eerie magic that lets the dead come back. And their first meeting? Hot. I was absolutely rooting for these two from the start.

The setting is super atmospheric—swampy, culty Southern gothic vibes with a magical twist—and the chemistry between the leads is 🔥. It deals with heavy topics like family abuse and trauma, so heads up for that. But it’s also snarky, fast-paced, and completely unputdownable.

If you like intense romance, morally grey vibes, and a side of necromancy, you’ll probably love this. I’ll definitely read more from Rebecca Kenney.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars !! I really enjoyed the author's book Beautiful Villain so I jumped at the opportunity to read this one. I was especially excited to read it since it was a fantasy retelling of Wuthering Heights, which is one of my favorite books. It grabbed my attention right away and kept me hooked most of the book. There were some times where I felt a little disconnected but then I got hooked all over again. I loved that some characters from the other books in the Gilded Monsters series make an appearance more than once in the book. I would highly recommend giving this one a read if you enjoy a fast paced Romantasy with great writing and lots of spice.

Thank you Netgalley and SourceBooks Casablanca for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I DEVOURED this in less than 24 hours! It pulled me out of a several month long slump.

It's third in a series but can be read as a standalone. I haven't read the other books in the series but will now! This was easy to read and fast paced. Loved the lore, I'll be reading the other books to get more.

This book is ruthlessly delightful; though Rebecca Kennedy has been an author I enjoy usually, this novel took me by surprise. This novel is a retelling of the classic Wuthering Heights; though, other than names, and location, that’s where the similarities end. The twists within Rebecca’s work are focused on erotica and the paranormal, which are some of my favorite things to read when done well. I have read the other two books in the series, though technically it is a standalone, I would suggest reading the pre-existing installments before this one.
Cathy and Heathcliff (though his name leaves more to be desired), become absorbed in the southern gothic horror show that is their lives as Cathy senses death and Heathcliff is friends with death. Every trope that I enjoy is in this novel; forbidden romance, paranormal activity, cults, a little smut here and there. I think that the violence could have been focused on more for a horror feeling, but for what this novel is; delicious and reminding name a little of Crimson Peak, I throughly recommend it.

Some of the plot was a little confusing but mostly it kept me intrigued and wanting to continue to know how all the pieces fell into place. I enjoyed the link to old mythology and Cathy really was such a badass. The connection between Cathy and Heathcliff was very instalove which I’m not a big fan of.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the writing style. I also felt like the spice wasn’t exactly necessary as often as it happened. They just KEPT hooking up. It started and ended with that and I just like more plot in my books.

Overall it was good. Not for me but it was a fun read.

I picked up this ARC based off of its description and had good hopes for it. Sadly, I was left hanging a little bit. I know it was based on Wuthering Heights, which I haven't read, so the story might have had less impact on me because of that too.

The story gets told from the perspective of Cathy and Heathcliff, who both have supernatural gifts. They're both part of families or communities that don't mingle at all because of their history.

I honestly had a lot of struggles with this story, and it starts right at the beginning. Cathy and Heathcliff meet when Heathcliff makes a delivery to Cathy's workplace. Without establishing anything, no connection, no chemistry, no nothing, Cathy instantly jumps him. Like you are kissing and fornicating with a random stranger on the job? I know you have your 'condition', but girl... As the story progresses I think it stays about that same. It irked me that they supposedly were super connected, they want each other, but I felt like they barely had any relationship at all on the pages. Apart from him saving her over and over again.

I also noticed, especially in the first 50% of the book that the Cathy chapters are substantially longer as compared to the Heathcliff ones. I thought this was a pity, because I felt more in sync with Heathcliff as a character. Although generally, the characters really didn't speak all that much to me either.

This was book 3 in a series, but I definitely could be read as a standalone, so it gets some points for that. Maybe it was a wrong book, wrong time situation, but I feel like this book just... lacked for me personally.

And to end I want to thank Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and Rebecca Kenney for providing me an eARC of this book. As always I write this review voluntarily and my opinion is solely my own. I hope this book finds its intended audience, because it wasn't really me.

Ruthless Devotion
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“I love things that are raw, wild, crooked, unfinished. They're so much more honest than things that are cultivated, symmetrical, punched out of identical molds.”

“That's what I love about her— she's wild as the cold wind, sharp as broken shells on the beach, tough as the old Southern oaks.
She's like the Spanish moss on the trees— lacy and fragile from a distance but wiry and rough up close.”

This is an arc read and this book releases July 22nd.

This is the third book in the Gilded Monsters series and is a dark, Southern gothic romance reimagining of Wuthering Heights. Cathy Earnshaw is a banshee trapped in a religious cult like town in the American South who try to convince her she has the devil inside her because she is haunted by loss and cursed with supernatural abilities that foretell death. When Heathcliff, a mysterious necromancer, arrives in town, he brings secrets that could change everything for her but she can’t fight the feeling he’s the other half of her soul.

I am yet to find a Rebecca Kenney book I’m not totally fucking obsessed with, she is the queen of fairytale / literature reimaginings with the perfect amount of spice, darkness and morally grey men. Anyone who knows me, knows Wuthering Heights is one of my favourite classics of all time so this really excited me and this book did it so much justice as was like reading a top tier horror movie. The premise was so different, the characters had depth and the romance was INTENSE, such a darkly fun retelling that you’ll devour.

Thank you Rebecca Kennedy and NetGalley for the ARC and opportunity to read Ruthless Devotion.
Ruthless Devotion is a retelling of Wuthering Heights with a fantasy and southern gothic twist. Cathy is a supernatural that lives alone with her drunken abusive father who is part of a cultish church. Heathcliff, a necromancer, is from a family that Cathy has been warned to stay away from, but when they meet, they are instantly drawn to each other.
I was captivated from the very beginning with the unique twist and elements of magic intertwined in this tragic romance. The love story between Heathcliff and Cathy was beautiful and heartbreaking, both hurt by trauma in their life and finding comfort with each other. Irish lore is a large portion of the magical element in the book, and I enjoyed this fresh take on a fantasy romance. The story is well written and has a nice balance of plot, character development and spice. I would recommend, if you enjoy fantasy, trauma and forbidden romance.

Withering Heights is my favorite classic (If I’m being honest, I’ve only read like… 4). Is this retelling like a pure retelling with the same plot points? No. Is it still good? YUP!

I like how Kenney has made the main characters more likable. I’ve always loved Heathcliff and now I LOVE Cathy. Because of this book, I’m now interested in looking up Irish mythology. So thank you, I’ve had another hyperfixation unlocked.

I love the world building - I like that it takes place in South Carolina. It makes it a bit more real for me. I love the darkness of it. I love the chemistry. I love the POV.

I deducted a point solely on one thing — I think it should be a bit longer to explain a bit more some of the mythology folklore.

Southern Gothic Dark Romance, be still my heart


I love this series, and this book is my favorite by far!

It’s perfection. I originally rated this 4 stars, but I’m gonna change it to 5 because it’s everything I wanted for this series.
A cult in a backwoods South Carolina town trying to keep a Celtic god dead and buried.
I live in the Bible Belt, so I felt Cathy’s struggle of being stuck somewhere you don’t belong.

Now, Heathcliff? Idk if I can even write about him and keep it PG, but I’ll try. Tall, dark, and handsome, stalker, cocky. My new book boyfriend

And their love, an all consuming dark type of love, a mix of gothic and primal. Exquisite.

Favorite quotes

“Not you,” he growls. “Her taste, her smell, the shape of her ass, her flimsy little fingers, her breathy voice, that wispy hair…not you. Everything, every day, since I dropped those crates off at your aunt’s fucking store— everything is not you. That’s all I can think about until I see you again, and then…you fill up the world. Everything is you.”


“I want his fingerprints on my bones, his breath in my throat, his blood under my nails.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this eARC!
I am not familiar with the original story this book was inspired by, so I can’t judge it based on that. Overall, I did enjoy the story for what it was. Really enjoyed the beginning and getting into the story was easy. Cathy and Heathcliff jumped each other’s bones at first meeting !! Wasn’t expecting that but not mad about it lol! It did kind of fall flat for me in the middle, but got back into it at the end when Cathy’s secret was found out. I kind of enjoyed Cernunnos character a little bit not gonna lie lol. I’m happy with Cathy and Heathcliff’s happy ending but wish we got to see more of it!! They’ve suffered enough. Again, thank you NetGalley and publishers for this eARC!

⭐ 4.5 | 🌶️ 4

A solid read with a brilliant blend of paranormal and fantasy elements — and let’s not forget the spice 🔥

This one came in HOT. It was hella spicy and full of that delicious “he fell first, he fell hard” energy (Heathcliff, I’m looking directly at you 👀). His character arc was one of my favourite parts — flawed but deeply devoted, and honestly, I was eating it up.

I loved the overall worldbuilding and the plot kept me engaged throughout most of the book. That said, a few of the inner monologues and bits of dialogue were on the cheesier side, and the ending felt a little rushed or maybe just overly fluffy? I couldn’t quite pinpoint what lost me a bit near the end, but it did fizzle a little for me.

Still, a spicy and satisfying read that I’d definitely recommend if you’re into fantasy romance with a side of intense devotion.

Thank you to the Rebecca Kenney and Sourcebooks for the eARC!

This was an absolutely fantastic New Adult Romantasy!!! I did not know I will love a fast and furious burn this much compared to a slow burn. The FMC and MMC are charming! and their chemistry is absolutely sizzling. This has so many super natural beings and Gods, that I was absolutely gripping the edge of my chair with whats next? Banshee! Necromancy! Vampires ah!!!

Add this to your TBR!! Rebecca Kenney killed it with this one! If you want a book that doesnt end on a cliff hanger and gives you all the happy feels then its a must read for you.

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca for letting me read this ARC!

This was my first read from Rebecca Kenney, and it definitely will not be my last. I love her writing.

It's dark and moody, but it also had me giggling at times.

Cathy and Heathcliff's story is insta-love, which I don't normally like, but it works in their case. They're both tortured and troubled by their supernatural abilities and also by their families. It makes sense that they would connect quickly.

I did not expect what happens to Cathy and Heathcliff at all. I thought it was going to be predictable, but I was very wrong. And I'm glad I was because what did happen was so much better for the story.

I loved all the lore, the concept of supernatural beings, the twists and turns, and the connection between Cathy and Heathcliff.

I'm guessing the first two books in this standalone series contain characters that appeared in this story, so I'll definitely be diving into those next.

I've never read Wuthering Heights, but Rebecca's retelling makes me want to bump it up on my list.

HUGE Thank you to Rebecca Kenney and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

This was my first Rebecca Kenney book and I was little concerned about starting with book 3 in this series, but that was all for nothing. It is absolutely NOT necessary to read the others in this series to thoroughly enjoy each one individually. I can tell that the others characters make an appearance and that they each have their own stories to tell, but it did NOT take away from Cathy and Heathcliff.

I loved how fast-paced and wonderfully HAWT this book was. I never, for one second got bored. I am not well-versed in ANY of the stories or folklore that Rebecca references in the story, but it was intriguing anyway. I imagine, that if I had even an ounce of background knowledge in the mythology I would have loved it more.

We get our happily ever after, but not without a twist, a turn, and super cool dramatic ending.

**** My rating is actually 3.5 ⭐️ ****

If someone had told me that this wuthering heights retelling had supernatural and mythological beings in it, I probably would have jumped to reading it sooner!

If i'm being perfectly honest, it was a little tough to get into at first because it starts out pretty slow to set the story up, but once things pick up its super enjoyable and I wound up binge reading it.

This book is definitely intended for a mature audience, with multiple spicy scenes that are descriptive. Nothing kinky, just descriptive about what they're doing, appealing to spicy book lovers everywhere.

The fight with the god was intense, and it was so well written. The scenes where Cathy's body is metamorphosing is going to live in my head rent-free. Not because I loved the idea of poor Cathy being reformed from the inside out, but because the scene was written in a way that I got the chills picturing the scene and its so great when things are so well written that it could play out like a movie in your brain, and i'm so glad that Heath and Cathy got their perfect little HEA.

I really enjoyed this book overall! I would absolutely recommend it for someone looking to spice up a classic tale with a little ooh la la, and a lot of supernatural. Even being a Wuthering Heights retelling, it really has the potential to be part of a series of interconnected stand alones if Rebecca chose to write stories for Jay Gatsby's crew of supernatural mentors.

3.5 ⭐️ I liked it enough. Full disclaimer I’ve never read or seen wuthering heights so I cannot confirm that it is a retelling of any sort. I also never read the others in the series either. However it was still enjoyable and I didn’t feel lost or anything. I will say that it wasn’t really a romance for me. Just a bunch of lust and then they magically couldn’t live without the other so that was meh for me. But it kept me engaged and i didn’t mind the quick read.

This was fun but pretty average in terms of the quality of the romance.

I liked the fantasy aspect a lot in this book maybe because it made a lot more sense and things were tying up.

I’d definitely say that these are not written to be standalones even though the couples are different in each book. Characters from previous books make appearances and have a major role in the overarching plot.

ೃ⁀➷ Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC! ♥︎

What. A. Read.
Ruthless Devotion by Rebecca Kenney is a gothic retelling of the classic Wuthering Heights. Full disclosure—I’ve never read the original, so I can’t compare the two. But considering this is now the second Wuthering Heights retelling I’ve read (the other being The Favorites by Layne Fargo—highly recommend!), I might finally need to pick up the classic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this version. The blend of fantasy, folklore, and supernatural elements is so unique and compelling. I was hooked from the very first page. Cathy, the FMC, is bold, badass, and unapologetically herself. Heath is intense and wild, and his connection with Cathy is a force to be reckoned with. The book is full of tension, emotional depth, and vivid characters. Honestly, I didn’t expect to love it this much—but sometimes going into a story with no expectations makes it even better.

This is actually the third book in the Gilded Monsters series, and I didn’t realize I was reading out of order—this was my first Rebecca Kenney book. While it works well as a standalone, some characters from earlier books do reappear, so I imagine things would have clicked into place more easily if I’d started from the beginning. That said, I never felt too lost.

Truly didn’t expect to fall so hard for this story. Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC and the chance to read and review. All opinions are my own.

#RuthlessDevotion #RebeccaKenney #NetGalley