This book as me all in.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the e-arc!!!

As a long time fan of Wuthering Heights, the chance to read a reimagined version of this doomed love story was an absolute must. Heathcliff is the OG of broody, angry hotties (just now realizing how much he has influenced my taste in fictional men 🤔) and Cathy is the OG misunderstood girl in love with the wrong guy. Kenney still nailed these two foundational personalities but made them both traditionally tragic as well as two people you want to root for to get out of their respective terrible situations and be together forever.

This book had so much fun stuff, old gods, eldritch horror, action, suspense, religious fervency, mystery and of course STEAM. Cliff and Cathy are hot hot hot together. I honestly can't think of a dark romance/urban fantasy type story that I have I enjoyed as much as this one in recent history. I really and truly hope you all pick this one up, it will have you glued to your seat. Great writing, great pacing. I think fans of Harley LaRoux and Opal Reyne would also like this book. I am going to go back and read the first two in the series now just because Kenney definitely has writing chops.

Give this one a try!

Wuthering Heights but make it spicy, supernatural, and cults.

The opening dialogue made me cringe but I pushed through and found myself obsessed with this book. I loved the use of Wuthering Heights as a backdrop for this fun read. I have read, and loved, Wuthering Heights but I don’t think it’s totally necessary to have read that to enjoy this.

Our main protagonists, Cathy and Heathcliff, are victims of circumstance. Both of them have supernatural abilities and due to familial dynamics are forced to be people they don’t want to be. They’re both constantly kicked down and don’t ever seem to be given a break.

But these two together! Holy moly! Talk about turning up the heat! They’re earthshaking (literally iykyk) when together, from their sexy times to their fights and everything in between. I was giggling and kicking my feet at all their interactions.

There’s some lovely world building that happens too, however, this is advertised as an interconnected standalone but really, I felt like I was missing something by only reading this one. It seemed like I should’ve had some sort of working knowledge of the series and why should I know or care about characters from the previous books showing up. It feels like there’s an overarching plot I need to be aware of within the series. Guess I’ll have to check out the other two!

All that to be said, I enjoyed my time with this book. And will keep an eye out for more Rebecca Kenny books in the future. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read this!

I don’t remember how I found Rebecca Kenney’s Charming Devil, but I did and I’ve wanted to read it ever since. I haven’t yet because I’m a procrastinator and it’s never available on Libby when I check and I’m weird about holds in that I worry I won’t want to read the book when it’s my turn, so I’ll either pass on it to make sure I’m giving the book as fair a chance as I can or I do check it out and run the risk of making somebody wait longer than they have to if I don’t read it right away or at all. I know it’s silly, but I try to be mindful about my library holds. Anyway, I had the chance to get an early copy of Ruthless Devotion from the publisher and I thought it would be a good opportunity to read Rebecca Kenney even though it wasn’t the book that me aware of her and while I’m not super attached to Wuthering Heights and co, I have read it and since I’m attracted to heroes like Heathcliff, I thought why not? And I am so glad that I did because I flipping loved Ruthless Devotion!

I felt locked into this book the moment I started reading and it was so easy to connect to Heathcliff and Cathy. I loved them and was rooting for them to get their freedom and happy ending so hard! I won’t lie, there were times when they really frustrated me and made me nervous, but they also warmed my heart and put big grins on my face too.

Honestly, the way Heathcliff and Cathy’s relationship made me feel was just reflective of the book as a whole which as I say that, it seems kind of like a “Duh!” statement, but there’s a lot of plot to this book in addition to their romance. Ruthless Devotion took me on an utterly wild ride where it made my heart pound and race, it had my clutching my kindle and on the metaphorical edge of my seat, flipping the pages as fast as I could, unable to tear myself away because I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next! I was completely invested in Heathcliff and Cathy, their story was beautiful and amazing, and Ruthless Devotion is definitely one of the best books I’ve read this year. I am just so intrigued with this fascinating supernatural world that Rebecca Kenney has created — it was very exciting and I can’t wait to see even more of it not only with the previous two books in the series, but any that come out the future!

I absolutely-fucking-lutely LOVED this book. Loved, loved, LOVED it! First though, huge shoutout to NetGalley & Rebecca F. Kenney for the ARC! Ok, back to my fan-girling.
Ruthless Devotion invoked a sense of nostalgia and a weird sense of homesickness in me that's hard to understand. I grew up bouncing between North Florida and Southern Maryland and lived in the middle of nowhere Georgia for a little while at the beginning of college before I joined the military to GTFO of there. I lived near weird towns like Wicklow and knew people or knew of people that belonged to secretive, cultish churches like the one Cathy's town was involved in. I don't think any of them were hiding ancient Celtic gods or people with supernatural powers though...that would have been better than what those churches were actually hiding to be honest...Rebecca's description of Wicklow and the surrounding area was so clear that I could smell the red clay dirt and that very specific scent that the south has right before it rains on a humid day. I can picture the beautiful Spanish Moss scattered across the trees or the kudzu growing wild everywhere. Her writing weirdly made me miss a part of the country l honestly can't stand. I find myself actually wanting to travel back East just to see the landscape she described because it was so vividly accurate.
In terms of storyline, if you're a fan of Wuthering Heights, True Blood, Midnight Texas, The Skeleton Key etc. you'll enjoy this book.It is billed as a standalone but part of an interconnected series and I decided to go into it without reading the first two just to see if you really could read it as a standalone...and the answer is yes. Characters from previous books do appear so I guess you're technically spoiled about how things end up for them in certain aspects, but I didn't feel like I missed out on anything when they appeared. Rebecca does a great job at explaining who they are, what they are and enough info for new readers to understand that Cathy and Heathcliff aren't the only supernaturals out there. I do own the first two books and will definitely be reading them immediately because l'm very curious about their individual stories. I'm also curious if there's a bigger, overarching storyline with the gods that's explained in one of the earlier books. And speaking of the gods...I'm so happy we have the Celtic gods (with a cameo, or at least a named cameo of a Roman god) as the stars of the show. My family background is mostly Irish and Scottish so l grew up reading Celtic mythology and folklore rather than Greek mythology (though, I learned all about that in school) and I personally don't think we get enough of it in the mainstream... at least not stuff more on the accurate side.
Cathy and Heathcliff are an explosive, Romeo & Juliet-esque romance that burns hot and quickly from the second they meet. I mean, I was definitely a bit taken aback by how quickly Cathy jumped his bones, but you know what, you do you (or, well, Cliff). Is this something I'd recommend in real life? No. But in book world? Definitely. Do it, lady! I did find myself getting annoyed at how naive and trusting Cathy was towards all the psycho religious folks in town but then I remembered that that's totally normal behavior for people that have been in a cult and/or super sheltered their entire life. Something that seems so obvious to me - like, girl, they're about to sacrifice you, mmkay...took her so long to figure out. If it had been any other time in history I would have had a hard time getting over how clueless she was, but after witnessing what has happened to our country over the last decade - I get it.
There were definitely some twists (I guess you'd consider them twists) that I didn't see coming towards the end that were pretty damn brutal. I really wasn't expecting Rebecca to go there, but she did. Thank god there was a necromancer around...which, I'd like to also point out how cool the way Cliff's power and the Vague were explained. That's a truly unique take on the "inbetween"
"limbo" whatever you want to call it, and the way it was explained was easy to understand and picture.
I feel like l've probably babbled enough here so I'll once again just say how much I loved this book. It's great to see something other than a 'Beauty and the Beast' or 'Cinderella' retelling for once, and even better when it's full of Celtic myths and monsters.

I will literally read anything that is even slightly adjacent to Wuthering Heights and this is a full-on contemporary (erotic) retake. Told from both POVs of Cathy and Heathcliff, this is the third novel in the Gilded Monsters series. All other books are takes on other classics, and you don't have to read them to enjoy this one. Just know going in that this is not the gothic romance we're all used to.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this digital e-arc.*

If my husband doesnt follow me through the woods like the mmc did im not keeping him 🤣 rebecca set the bar for the men

Confession time. I have never read Wuthering Heights. In this instance, I don’t think that works against me at all. I was able to approach this story without having any preconceived notions for how the story would flow. Honestly, it made me want to go read the original to see if any of the themes are different. While we are confessing things, I also haven’t read any of the other books in this series. This is book three but can easily be read as a standalone (as proven here).

This story has an interesting magic system that seems to draw from British mythology. It was also rife with southern conservative church focused culture. This created an interesting dichotomy with gods being buried under a church and blood sacrifices, while there were prayer meetings and deacons going out into the community. There were also necromancers, vampires, banshees, and other magical creatures. Somehow this is all woven in a semi-believable manner. The imagery relating to the woods and the water brought it all together.

Heathcliff and Cathy felt a little rushed as characters but their chemistry made it work. I can imagine that they play a greater role in future books, which would help flesh their characters out a little more. They seemed the most complete when they were on the page together, or referencing the other. Without the other to play against, it felt like I was missing chunks of their backstory. It might have been the tension and steamy spice between them. It is hot.

I am curious how the other books in this series all fit together since this one worked so well as a standalone. After meeting characters from earlier books, I found them intriguing. Overall, I was entertained by what this book offered and expect I will go looking for more.

Thank you to Rebecca Kenney, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an advanced copy of this eBook.

Happy release day to this book!
Thank you Netgally for the ARK.

Wuthering Heights turned paranormal and spicy. This book is one of those where you can’t help but read it in one sitting. The story had a good pull in but the FMC was a little annoying at times. This story had so many little twists that I didn’t expect to happen and kept me on my toes.

2.75 STARS

Overall, this was a quick and easy read that I wanted to love so much more simply because I do truly enjoy some of the other books by Rebecca. However, I think the characters fell a little flat for me and although occasionally I love a good instalust, I just was not feeling it here. I think if the characters were given just a little more breathing room to develop upfront, it would have felt better for me. What I did like were the fantasy elements as I don't see too many instances of banshees or necromancers as main characters and I did like that there were some fun character inspirations and crossovers. If you just want to dive into a quick read with lots of spice and vibes, this is still a solid option.

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

Rebecca Kenney knocked it out of the park with the third installment of her modern classics series Ruthless Devotion. Who could resist a contemporary southern gothic retelling of Wuthering Heights? Not this girl. So much fun, and as much as I love the Brontes, Wuthering Heights has always been a pain point for me so I actually like this version better.

-Southern Gothic
-old gods
-Banshees (and more Celtic mythology)
-Necromancy
-interconnected standalone‘s

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Absolutely loved. So far Ruthless Devotion is by far my favorite of the series so far.
I haven’t read Wuthering Heights but I have to now. But now I need to especially after reading the bonus scene at the end of the book.
I need more of Heathcliff and Cathy. ( Rebecca’s version)
Their love story is none like any other. It’s almost like a Romeo and Juliet but without the heartbreak.
And I cannot wait for book four.

Thank you NetGalley, Casablanca and Rebecca for the ARC of Ruthless Devotion!

I absolutely love RK’s books and this did not disappoint!!
This book had me in a chokehold from the very moment I opened the first page, and it had my heart racing the entire 384 pages. 👏🏼 I was reading well past midnight because there was so much drama and action. I loved how Cliff immediately took to Cathy from the very minute she jumped him and he never gave up on her. Their tortured souls were meant for one another, and they battle until the very last minute to save themselves. Their heated passion was super addicting, and I couldn't stop reading. I loved the ending, as well. They got what she wanted and what he needed, and it was so simple but yet so beautiful.

Please make sure you look into the triggers as there are several!!

If you love a dark fantasy with tortured souls and forbidden love, you’ll love this one. 🫶

Full disclosure, I've never read Wuthering Heights so I have no notes about how this does as a retelling.

This is NOT a slow burn, and to be honest, I was here for it. Variety is the spice of life and all that. I can enjoy reading books with different tropes.

Cathy is a banshee and Heathcliff is a necromancer. They're each stuck in their own ways. I couldn't help but fall for these two broke kids trying to escape their shitty small town. There was some small bit of other woman drama, but Heathcliff only ever had eyes for Cathy. They fell hard and fast. This felt so believable for two kids in their early twenties.

This series is interconnected standalones. I haven't read the first two books and I had no problem understanding the plot and worldbuilding. Overall, it was an enjoyable book.

Well, this book is spicy from the jump and wastes no time pulling you into its eerie, atmospheric world. From the first chapter, I was hooked by the layers of mystery, supernatural tension, religious undertones, and cultish secrecy.

Though it is marketed as a Wuthering Heights retelling (which I haven’t read), the story felt wholly unique and refreshing to me. The world-building is immersive, the pacing solid and the magic system – rooted in dark folklore – is fascinating and well written.

Cathy is a banshee forced to suppress her urges and live under the church’s oppressive gaze. She longs for freedom, but her family treats her like a burden and an abomination. Heathcliffe, a necromancer, is similarly trapped – used by his adoptive family, the Lockwoods, for his ability to raise the dead beyond repair.

When they meet, they form a bond through their desire for liberation and their abilities. While Cathy weeps the dead, Heathcliffe allows them to rise. Their dynamic is sinfully delicious – dark, magnetic, and filled with desire.

There’s a chilling plot surrounding an ancient pagan god trapped beneath an old church. Will it destroy their shot at freedom? Is the sacrificial lamb enough to keep it contained – or not? 

If you’re into dark fantasy with Southern gothic vibes, folklore, cultish undertones, forbidden love, and supernatural beings, you’ll love this! Every chapter had me completely engaged.

Thank you, Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley, for the advanced copy of Ruthless Devotion.

This has been my favorite of the Gilded Monsters series, and while this can be read as a standalone, it defintely helps to read the other two so you know more about the other characters who show up throughout the novel. Beautiful Villain followed Jay and Daisy from The Great Gatsby (four stars from me); Charming Devil was a Dorian Gray retelling (only three stars from me). Ruthless Devotion was a retelling of Wuthering Heights, and I loved it. If you are going into these looking for the original masterpieces, stop. These are spicy retellings (I use that term very loosely here) with a paranormal spin. You do not get the angst and tragedy is you do with the original. Do yourself a favor and drop all preconceived notions of what you HOPE this book will be. The Gilded Monsters series is a fun series that use classic literature characters and some of their actions to spin a world of its own. That being said, I will forever love any version of Heathcliff. The novel is written in dual POV but I didn't feel like there was a ton of overlapping and repetition. This was a fun read, and I'm excited for the next installment of the series.

3.5⭐️

Overall this was an interesting, unique retelling! I loved the fantasy and religious element of the story and thought it was super compelling. I didn’t feel as connected to the romance between to the two main characters because it is insta-lust and I just didn’t feel very invested in them as a couple.

I hadn’t read the previous books in the series and I feel like I missed out because the characters from the other books are fairly prominent. I would recommend reading the previous books in the series before this one!

*Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This is book three of the Gilded Monsters series. This is a spicy retelling of Wuthering Heights in a paranormal way. The world building is detailed and imaginative. This book has strong, well-developed characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages. This story is well written and will draw you into the characters emotions. You feel all their angst and love. You’ll want to read the entire series! This review is based on an early review copy I was sent by the publisher, but this didn't affect the content of my review that I am voluntarily providing.

This book is feral, in the best way.

If you're into banshee folklore, dark humour, and a story that spirals into beautiful chaos, Ruthless Devotion delivers. It’s not your average retelling; it’s twisted, eerie, and deeply rooted in myth. The banshee lore alone had me hooked.

I’ll admit, the beginning didn’t fully grab me. Some passages felt clunky and hard to sink into. But once the story found its rhythm, it took a turn. Darker, faster, and way more intense than I expected. The plot twists hit hard, and the ending left me weirdly satisfied.

The characters are eccentric and unpredictable, which made the ride all the more fun. I get why the reviews are mixed, but for me, the messiness worked. Especially that ending. It was wild, strange, and kind of perfect.

The concept of this book is interesting but the writing skills weren't there to support it. The dialogue felt way too internet slang like and didn't flow well and conversations seemed blunt. The male main character was also unlikable and his inner monologue was not fun to read, he was very negative and had a big problem with seeming like he knew he was the main character and would have an attitude or do things just because they seemed cool not because they mattered or were true to his personality.

I was so excited by the premise of this book but it was just absolutely not something I enjoyed. There are major parts of the lore and supernatural abilities (Cathy being a banshee!? Brilliant) that were so interesting to me but I just hated Cathy and Heathcliff as characters and the insta-over-the-top-lust they shared. I love Wuthering Heights and having Heathcliff and Cathy hookup immediately upon meeting, and I do mean immediately, just killed the tortured yearning I was expecting and wanted. I think there is definitely an audience for this book, I just don’t think it’s me.