I read everything Rebecca writes. She is my go-to author and total guilty pleasure. I was thrilled to get my hands on my first advance copy from her, and this story did not disappoint. From the very beginning, the fast pace pulled me in, and I loved how the story never slowed down.

I really enjoyed both Heathcliff and Cathy. Their connection was intense and gripping. This is definitely not a romance that takes its time to build slowly. It is fiery and passionate from the start, and honestly, I loved that about it. The blend of mythology and folklore was fascinating, and the setting of Old Sheldon Church added the perfect amount of atmosphere and mood.

The chemistry between the characters was amazing. The romantic scenes were incredibly well written. They were steamy, emotional, and full of heat. I could not get enough of their energy together.

Cathy’s story really broke my heart. Her family was beyond cruel, and it made me so angry I wanted to step into the story and protect her. Heathcliff had that same moody and dark edge we expect, but this version of Cathy stood out even more. She is stronger and more rebellious than in the original, but their bond still felt deep and real. It was like they were meant for each other no matter what.

This was fine - I enjoy a Wuthering Heights retelling (most recently having read and loved The Favourites by Layne Fargo, which is a VERY different retelling), and love seeing how modern authors put their own spin on it. I would argue perhaps this was a bit TOO modern for me personally? Heathcliff in my mind's eye is not the type of guy to ever use the word rizz... I enjoyed the pace & setting, but unfortunately just found some of the language choices really jarring, which really pulled me out of the story.

I probably would recommend to someone maybe a TINY bit younger than me that maybe appreciates the language choices, but I do think perhaps that's just me being a millennial girlie, and I think the story itself was well written and enjoyable.

First off thank you Netgalley and Rebecca for allowing me to read this!
This retelling of Wuthering Heights was definitely intriguing. I enjoyed the spice and dynamic between the main characters. The reason it's a 3 stars is the ending fell flat for me and the slang characters used especially in the beginning felt a bit forced. The slang definitely took me out of the story a few times.
Overall, it was a quick and fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

I love retellings of classic literature, so I was definitely very interested to see how this modern take on "Wuthering Heights" fared. I have a couple of books by Rebecca Kenney on my TBR, but I haven't actually read anything by her, nor did I realize that this was the third book in a series (how does this keep happening to me??). That being said, I was still able to follow along with the plot and actually really want to read the other two books in the series now. It was a bit jarring to see modern language intersect with these classical characters (Heathcliff says "rizz" in the first couple of pages of the book....lol), but other than that I thought it was a fun, supernatural adventure with some well-written spicy scenes and lots of fun side characters that I look forward to seeing again.

Really great concept and interesting story. I enjoyed the characters and the romance. The ending fell flat for me and felt boring. I think the premise could have been expanded upon and more developed. Reading the description I was hoping for more southern gothic, but I still enjoyed it.

Ruthless Devotion is a wickedly delicious retelling of Wuthering Heights and I ate this book up! The book started off with a bang quite literally and I was here for it!

This story was fast paced, which I loved and appreciated it. I enjoyed both Heathcliff and Cathy a lot. This is not a slow burn love story by any means, but I'm so okay with that. Sometimes a girl needs more than a slow burn. They had amazing chemistry and the spicy scenes were so hot and left me wanting more. Their passion swept through the pages and sucked me in.

"The glossy black tangle of hair is mine. His dark-lashed eyes are mine, and his tongue teasing the inside of my mouth is mine. All of him is mine, no matter what happens."

I mean how could I not love that quote!

My heart broke for Cathy. Her family who was supposed to love her did not and what they put her through was horrible.

The ending was action packed and I was here for the ride. I did worry if Heathcliff and Cathy would get their HEA. I guess you will have to read the book to see.

Final thoughts, over all it was a fun read full of supernaturals, shock, spice and a love story that made me smile throughout the book.

*I received an ARC from Netgalley for my honest review*

Thanks to sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for this arc.

This was so good. Rebecca strikes again! She adds another winner to the series. I couldn’t put it down and finished it very quickly. Definitely recommend ❤️

I finished Ruthless Devotion on my lunch break today. Oh my goodness, I think it’s my favorite of this series!!! I LOVED every moment of it! I was so excited to see the characters from the other books come back and have big roles in this story. The mythology/folklore of it all was perfect and I enjoyed the setting of Old Sheldon Church; I’ve been there (before they put the fencing up), so I could perfectly picture the setting and atmosphere of it all. Cathy and Heathcliff are just uuuuggghhhhh everything. 5 Stars. I’ll be telling everyone to read this, stocking it at my bookstore, and anxiously waiting for the next installment!

Thank you Sourceboojs Casablanca and Net Galley. And of course thank you Rebecca.

I have had the opportunity to arc read many of Rebecca's books and I'm always blown away by her ability to retel and old tale and spin it with a new and relatable story. I lived Withering heights. I lived being able to compare the 2 and chuckle at the likeness or when I recognized something. This dark retelling was amazing and the spice was written as always with perfection ... RK is an auto buy/ arc request author for me. And she delivers everytime

Thank to netgalley for the eARC of Ruthless Devotion.
As a longtime fan of Wuthering Heights and Romantasy when I saw this I knew I had to read it!! I love this retelling of Wuthering Heights where Heathcliff is just as brooding and moody as the OG but Cathy is so much stronger and defiant that she is in the original yet still whaterver their souls are made of are the same! The lore or Irish Gods and supernatural beings is woven into this story beautifully, my only complaint is that i wish there were more!

I'm obsessed with the series! This book did NOT disappoint. I'm begging Rebecca Kenney to never stop writing.

If you love the classics, you love steamy romance, and some paranormal elements thrown in, I'm telling you do NOT miss this series!

I would give it 10 starts if I could!!!

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

NetGalley Arc review!

When I say I want some darker, modern southern gothic this is what I'm talking about.

Rebecca has always had a gift in this series of wrapping up modern issues with this classic retellings and this one is no different. The small town cult vibes are immaculate, the modern version of Cathy and Heathcliff's relationship was well done, and the focus on the religious cult and lack of empowerment through those groups is well done in a modern environment.

If you're here for a standard modern retelling, you best expect the paranormal twists. Double for being a Rebecca title and triple for the Gilded Monsters series. Lines are beginning to cross and while this is overall a stand alone, having the context from the previous two are highly encouraged. As a fan of overlapping universes, this is so addicting to me and I'm always excited to see how these classics will be twisted to a modern setting.

As with the previous entry into this series, it is so nice that Rebecca touches on sensitive issues - with addiction and alcoholism, emotional and physical abuse, religious trauma and processing - in a respectful, healing way. The reality isn't strayed from but it's handled in a way that isn't patronizing or victimizing for those in the cross hairs.

All that said, I do have a nitpick:

Cathy owning herself even when the world around her says otherwise and even her very being, it's so very nice to see she has at least a bit of a spine when it comes to her body. That said, it was a little frustrating that she became so attached to Heathcliff so quickly. Things did work out but is was a little concerning personally.

That's it. That's really all there is. I am very happy to be able to get my hands on this early as it was a fantastic entry to a series I'm falling more and more in love with at every title.

Ruthless Devotion is the third book in the Gilded Monster series, and it doesn’t hold back. The book is a captivating and darkly enchanting retelling of Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights, infused with elements of paranormal romance and Southern Gothic allure.

If you’re a fan of dark, atmospheric romance with a touch of the supernatural, this one definitely fits the bill. Cathy Earnshaw, the main character, has an eerie ability to sense when death is near, which gives the story an unsettling vibe from start to finish. 💀

Then there’s Heathcliff—mysterious, complicated, and a little bit dangerous. Their relationship is tense and full of that love/hate dynamic that keeps you turning the pages. The setting is also really atmospheric, with the swampy, isolated town adding to the overall mood of mystery and tension. 🌲

I think what stood out to me most was the way the book explores the darker side of love and obsession. It’s not a light, fluffy romance, but more of an emotional rollercoaster where characters have to face their pasts and deal with some heavy stuff. 💔

Tropes:

😈Forbidden love
🖤Dark, brooding hero
🥀Emotional trauma
🖤Obsessive love
🤫Small-town secrets
✨Supernatural powers
🔥Love/hate relationship
🌙Gothic vibes

I also have to say—Rebecca Kenney’s writing never fails to pull me in. Her ability to create these intense, layered characters and draw you into such atmospheric settings is one of the reasons she’s an autobuy author for me. I know I’m going to love whatever she writes! 📚❤️

As far as rewrites go, this one was not really my favorite. I feel like the spicy scenes came on too soon and way too fast. I was not in the moment with them, and it did not feel all that believable.

This book was so hard to put down! I immediately hated how the characters were treated by their families and was rooting for them. The MMC and FMC are both strong characters who stayed really consistent throughout the whole book. I wish that we got to see their relationship developed a little bit more though. It felt like they jumped right in and were head over heels for each other.

It seemed like it started really fast, which I was worried about at first, and I didn't know where it was going to go, but by the end it felt like everything wrapped up so nicely and none of the story felt like filler.

Overall, this book was a really good story told mostly around 2 characters with what seemed like minimal input from other characters. (The main characters were my favorite so I didn't mind this.)

We need more from this series ASAP! Rebecca does it again. Everything she writes is phenomenal and sucks you in. Her words are magic and you aren't able to put her books down. This one will take the day away from you, beware.

"Ruthless Devotion" by Rebecca F. Kenney is the third installment of her *Gilded Monsters* series. The cover is stunning, and the story is dark, vivid, and emotionally gripping, with an excellent dual POV. The characters, particularly Heathcliff, the bad boy hero who falls first, are captivating. This thrilling retelling of *Wuthering Heights* is packed with secrets, trauma, and intensity. Expect to be completely hooked when it releases on July 22, 2025!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

She's a banshee. He's a necromancer. She can predict death. He can bring back the dead.
Ruthless Devotion is a spicy, supernatural, modern day retelling of Wuthering Heights.
It is a third book in Gilded Monsters series, but can be read as a standalone. The characters from earlier books do make an appearance in this third book, and you could get more out of it if you had read the first two books.

First of all, this book totally surprised me. I did not expect to like this as much as I did, as I usually prefer medieval fantasy. The writing is super captivating and brings out A LOT of emotions. The story is touching, and easily relatable if you have ever felt like an outsider forced to fit a perception of "normal".

The characters might seem a bit shallow in the first chapters, but we get past it once we get to know them and they actually turn out deep and complex.
The plot is captivating and nicely paced. It keeps you tight in its grip and during the highest points your heart racing.

There's a lot of spice, a lot. And it starts right away. But it's done well, and there is an actual, interesting plot alongside the spice, and it doesn't overtake the plot. I would have thought the instant spice takes away tension, but it doesn't. He falls for her first and there's proper yearning, the melts-your-heart kind of yearning.

There are very strong religious elements in this book, and a kind of cult vibe with flock mentality. They do not accept outsiders, or anyone sligthly different from their opinion of acceptable. It goes quite fanatic even in the end, and really got under my skin. I related to the FMC so badly. I was truly impressed by the depth and emotional impact of this theme.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book, and struggled to keep my hands away from it.

Content warnings
Abusive family relationships, violence, blood, murder, human sacrifice, religious cult, brainwashing

This book was not for me, to raunchy and the source material was barely there and not much of a retelling of wuthering heights. The slang in the dialogue also took me out of the story.

While this was but my cup of tea, I would like to thank NetGalley and Rebecca Kenney for letting me read this book early!

🦌

Descriptive and atmospheric, filled with Irish ancient lore and issues of a modern community.

South gothic is an immediate plus point for me lately, but it didn't work as perfect as I hoped. I'm more of a slow burn fan and even as everything seemed logical and balanced here, the book didn't had a kind of plot development I love.

The worldbuilding is memorable and mesmerising, I couldn't get enough of it. Enjoyed each piece of new information or occurence of magic we had.

Sadly, the romance felt just a bit flat. Interesting, exciting even - sure, but not deep. Although again, maybe it's just my taste for reasons and a built up story of a relationship.

I enjoyed this book in general and am adding other books of the series to my tbr, can't wait to see more of the lore!

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Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablenca for providing me with this free eARC in exchange for my honest review!