Very sad about this book, because Rebecca Kenney is one of my favorite authors. I devour pretty much everything she reads, but this one really let me down. I mean, a southern gothic Wuthering Heights retelling sounds right up my alley, but this just wasn't for me.

The dialogue was completely unrealistic, and there were a lot of continuity issues. There's one instance where the FMC leaves the house wearing sneakers, then a couple of hours later, mentions she's wearing boots, then another couple of hours later, the MMC notices her sneakers. Just a small issue, but when there are a lot of things like that, it really takes you out of the story. The introduction of the characters from the previous books in the series felt completely out of place and awkward.

The final straw from me was just how awful the male love interest was. He was so disgusting. He decided to lay a claim to FMC despite her not being interested. Then he started talking about how he was going to sleep with another woman (who had not consented to doing so) and talked about how desperate she was and described in detail what he was going to do with this other woman. Vile, vile, vile.

Thank you netgally and Rebecca for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I should start with saying that this is my first book from Rebecca Kenney. I didn't read the other books on this series. You can read it without reading the other books but I think you'll miss some of the world building.

This is a instant connection love story which isn't really my thing. I took me awhile to see the a connection between Cathy and Heathcliff. Overall the begining and middle part of the book where a bit slow for me. That's probably because I didn't read the other two books and missed part of the fantasy world and that I don't really like instant love. However the end of the book was really good. I couldn't put the book down. The action was good as well as how the story came together. It was really well done.

I would recommend this book to people who like instant love, spice and forbidden love with a gothic fantasy setting.

„No one has ever cared enough to go through this hell with me.“

4.25 ⭐️WHAT A RIDE! Okay, first of all - thank you Rebecca and NetGalley for approving this eARC!

This book was so much more than I expected. I went into it completely blind, didn’t read the TW, cause I like to be surprised. And wow, did I get surprised. From explicit content to blood sacrifices and resurrection? This was so good!

The characters had a really fast connection, definitely not a slow burn. More an insta burn in both the physical and emotional department.
Cathy, the FMC, is a strong woman with supernatural origins, who tries to hide her secret from the world. She lives in a small town basically ruled by a religious anti-supernatural cult. She doesn’t fit in, nobody understands or cares for her - until… Heathcliff comes around. He is a tall, strong supernatural being, who falls first and harder.

The whole story was so fast paced and easy to read, I finished it in 2 days, while traveling. The plot was really good. I felt like there was a constant flow of action-packed scenes with troubles, solutions, new enemies, but it all came together with a nice sweet ending. There are still some unanswered questions, which might get answered in a next book, who knows! I’ll be happy to read that, if it happens.


👻Supernatural elements
🕯️Dark gothic setting
☘️Irish folklore
⛪️Religious cultism
⚠️Toxic families
🌶️Very spicy
🔥Insta burn
💔Forbidden love

4.5

Immediately yes!!! I was all here for this one and couldn't wait to dive in considering I loved her last book!

While the angst wasnt really there this time around, the story, the passion, the touch her and die, the protectiveness of our hero was all I needed to be happy with this one.

I'm really enjoying these modern day retellings. The southern Gothic vibes which is great with fall coming soon is definitely my vibe. There was alot of action in here which would keep your jaw slacked, some sexy scenes, and even seen past characters make an appearance and play a vital role in the ending of this story.

I still need to go back and read the first book (look the hold at the library is long, I'm still waiting) but I'm excited to eventually get to it and see the other couples story. I can't wait to see what comes next from Rebecca.

Thank you for my early copy. All thoughts are my own.

Obsessed is an understatement. Spicy is an understatement. I need more of this authors work is an understatement.

I enjoyed this book immensely. The plot was captivating, the characters were fun and interesting, even the “bad” ones. I read this in one sitting because I couldn’t and wouldn’t put it down.

Heathcliff, THE MAN THAT YOU ARE, is now in my top 10, possibly 5, favorite book boyfriends. Obsessed I tell you!!!

5 stars!

OMG, this book was so much better than I was expecting! This was my first experience reading a book by Rebecca and I'm not disappointed. However, I will say that I should have read the other two books in this series before this one.

I feel like I was missing something for most of this book toward the end of it but that's just me. I'll admit that it's my fault since I read this book first. I tend to read books in a series out of order from time to time. It's not intentional, though, I promise. lol

I had been feeling the urge to read this book while trying to finish the ARC I was reading before this one and I'm glad I picked this book up when I did. I want to read the first two books in this series and if there's another book after this one, I'll be requesting the ARC for it when I find it. We'll see.

I love me a book with good smut and this book didn't disappoint in this area either. I find sometimes that the smut can draw me out of the story but it didn't in this instance. Thank goodness for that. Life is sometimes about the small mercies. lmao

Knowing me, I'm going to more than likely being purchasing this book when it comes out so I can have a copy of it. I won't be able to help myself. lol Yes, if it isn't obvious at this point, I'd definitely recommend this book as well.

I'm normally not into retellings of other books but I feel like this one hit the mark. I haven't read the other two books in this series yet but I know I will be now, even though there wasn't any question in my mind before reading this one. I can't wait!

This book started off strong with a fast pace that immediately pulled me in. I really appreciated how quickly things got moving. That said, the middle started to lose some momentum, and I found the plot a bit lacking.

I was definitely interested in Cathy and Heathcliff’s relationship, but I wanted more development and context between them—it felt like there wasn’t quite enough backstory to understand their dynamic fully. I also didn’t realize this was the third book in a series, which left me feeling like I was missing key details about some of the other characters. Even with that in mind, I think a bit more world-building would have helped, especially given the modern-day monster setting.

Still, I really liked Heathcliff as a character and would have loved to learn more about his childhood and backstory. And the spice? Very well done.

This book had me from chapter 1! The world building, the setting, the spice! Check and check! Rebecca Kenney is one of my favorite authors - her writing is easy to follow, with a seamless plot and witty banter. Ruthless Devotion was no exception: Wuthering Heights meets Southern Gothic romance. A must read - you will not be disappointed!

Note: This is the 3rd in the series; however, I haven't read the first two. It is not necessary to understand this novel. #1 and #2 have been immediately added to my TBR, though!

From the very first chapter I was locked in and ready for the ride. I was texting my book club by Chapter 3 about how crazy this was going to be and oh boy did it deliver. You had forbidden love and touch her and .... vibes. I literally read this book in a few days and that's something for me since I don't have a lot of time to read. Definitely pick this one up! So thankful I got to read an eARC. Looking forward to more from Rebecca Kenney

Okay, so Ruthless Devotion had me absolutely hooked with its Wuthering Heights-meets-dark-magic vibes! We’ve got Heathcliff, a broody necromancer with some epic extra powers, and Cathy, a banshee whose scream is anything but ordinary. Their families are sworn enemies, but of course, love doesn’t play by those rules — and I was here for their forbidden, enemies-to-lovers journey.

This world is laced with ancient gods, eerie cult-like religious undertones, and a seriously unique magic system that kept me turning pages. The atmosphere? 10/10 deliciously gothic.

My only gripe was the pacing — it felt like the book spent forever building up the tension and then suddenly hit the gas, resolving everything in what felt like a blink. The crescendo and final resolution felt a bit rushed after so much slow burn buildup, and I wish it had more breathing room to fully land.

That said, if you’re craving a romantasy with banshees, necromancy, family curses, and lush mythological layers, Ruthless Devotion definitely brings something fresh to the table.

🌙 Forbidden love
🌙 Dark cultish vibes
🌙 Unique magic
🌙 Gothic romantasy

If you love a tragic, intense romance with a healthy dash of mythology, you might want to give this one a shot!

#Romantasy #Bookstagram #RebeccaKenney #RuthlessDevotion #FantasyRomance #BookReview #BansheeLove

I really enjoyed this dark, southern gothic retelling of Wuthering Heights with a supernatural twist. It was deeply addictive in the best way and I was glued to the pages from start to finish.

Shunned by her town and the Church, Cathy Earnshaw has spent the better part of her life trying to avoid the townspeople's notice because she was born with a gift most don’t understand. Cathy is wild, and vulnerable constantly fighting a battle over her body and her fate. She is trapped and alone, living with an abusive father. Then along comes Heathcliff, brash, handsome and completely wrong for her. They have so much tension and just can’t stay away from each other. Their chemistry is intense and incredibly sexy. You just can’t help cheering for them. Their meeting initiates a chain of events that wipes away the thinly veiled hold they had on their lives and sets them on a collision course for disaster.

Kenney is able to bring the small town setting to life. There is a constant feeling of something dark lurking just beneath the town and its people. I really enjoyed the author's exploration of family, trauma and religious fervor.

I loved how deep and mysterious the lore was. It was such an interesting take on Irish mythology. Ruthless Devotion is an action packed, emotionally charged supernatural thriller alongside a huge dose of magic and romance. With a fast paced compelling plot you will not be able to put this one down. This is an interconnected standalone, and I have not read the first two books, but it had no bearing on my experience with this book.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

I couldn't put down this book. A cult + supernatural beings from folklore + a spicy love story...count me IN.

It's a gothic retelling of Wuthering Heights, which I have never read, so I can't tell you in which ways it was the same and/or different. That being said, I'm sure I prefer Rebecca's spicy version.

Amazing read from start to end.

5✨
3🌶️

I truly enjoyed reading this book - the writing was so beautiful and captured the romance so well. There was tension, there was spice, there was longing & banter. It hit every mark for me when it comes to what I look for in a romance novel. I also thought the overarching plot was really interesting, I found myself thinking about this book a lot when I put it down. I’m itching to read more from this world!

This series is WILD! The melding of Southern Gothic setting with Irish mythology remains chaotic, but utterly unlike anything else I’ve read. And Kenney’s prose is just so so good. Thoughtful, visceral, elegant. I have never read Wuthering Heights, but I loved how gone for each other Cathy & Heathcliff were. Such a raw and wild connection between them, as well as a palpable yearning for freedom. Plus cameos of characters from the previous books! I am convinced these books would make an incredible TV series.

Cathy has been raised under the harsh control of an alcoholic, religious father. Miserable as is, but made even worse by the fact that she’s a banshee, forced to wander and grieve local deaths. Heathcliff is the adopted son of the local outcasts - the Lockwood family - in addition to a powerful necromancer. When their paths cross the two are immediately drawn to each other. As they make plans to escape their circumstances, dark forces converge around them. Will they escape with their lives?

🖤 Wuthering Heights retelling
🖤 Banshee x necromancer
🖤 Small town romance
🖤 Southern Gothic vibes
🖤 Irish folklore
🖤 Religious fanaticism
🖤 Dark gods
🖤 3rd in a series of interconnected standalones
🖤 Open door spice, level 🌶️🌶️🌶️

🪾As someone who hasn’t read the source material I really enjoy reading the summary afterwards and identifying the similarities. Every time I find myself thinking “Oh that’s so clever how she reimagined that part!”

🪾 There was not just one bonkers intense ending….there was easily two. Holy smokes the last third is such an adrenaline rush where the stakes just get higher and higher, and poor Cathy in particular really goes through it! Thank goodness she gets an HEA!

Rebecca Kenney’s Ruthless Devotion is a deeply emotional and gripping contemporary romance that explores the magnetic, and sometimes dangerous, pull of loyalty, desire, and healing. With raw vulnerability and a fierce edge, Kenney delivers a romance that doesn’t shy away from trauma, power dynamics, and the long road toward trust. Kenney’s writing is intense, intimate, and atmospheric. She crafts scenes with a cinematic quality—equal parts brooding and tender—and her prose is infused with deep emotional resonance. The dialogue is sharp and emotionally charged, perfectly balancing sensual tension with heartfelt introspection.
The central relationship in Ruthless Devotion revolves around two complex, wounded individuals: a stoic, possessive protector and a fiercely brave heroine reclaiming her autonomy. Both characters are scarred—physically and emotionally—but over the course of the novel, they begin to unravel each other’s defenses. Their evolution is not rushed; Kenney gives them room to stumble, to lash out, to retreat—until vulnerability starts to replace fear. The growth here is earned, and it makes their eventual connection feel all the more rewarding. I find if you are a fans of authors like Katee Robert, Ana Huang, or Sophie Lark—those who appreciate emotionally intense, spice-laced paranormal romance with depth—will find Ruthless Devotion immensely satisfying.

"...his soul and mine were cut from the same shimmering fabric, hewn from the same rock, dipped from the same pool. Where we souls come from, we share the same source. I am Heathcliff, and he is me. Anger and arguments, terror and tragedy, chaos and pain — none of that will change what we are to each other."

With Ruthless Devotion Rebecca Kenney ups the dark Southern Gothic vibes of the Gilded Monsters series. Horrific monsters of myth are deftly woven together with cultist communities, tortured souls and desperate romance to create a captivating tale. Definitely my new favorite story from Rebecca Kenney. 🖤

Another Rebecca Kenney book that knocks it out of the park! I am absolutely loving this Gilded Monsters series with retellings inspired by classic novels and tales. I mean, the great gatsby? Dorian gray? And here we have wuthering heights. I wanted to hate Heathcliff just as much as I did in the actual book but the elements that were woven in made me like him. A LOT! And Cathy… Cathy definitely gave off some damsel vibes at times but she was also a likable character.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

“Grief reminds us of the wretched truth that death is crawling ever nearer to us, grinning with crooked teeth, salivating for us, gibbering with eagerness, yearning to drag us down.”

I can’t express how excited I was to ARC read the 3rd installment of the Gilded Monsters series. AND WOOO boy this one took me on a fuckin’ ride that I was… not really prepared for, but in the best possible way. I’m obsessed with both Cathy & Heathcliff, their chemistry together is absolutely to die for. I *do* highly recommend reading Beautiful Villain & Charming Devil prior to jumping in here for the best reader experience. You’re just gonna have to trust me on this.

Tropes:
~Wuthering Heights retelling
~instalust but not instalove
~forbidden relationship
~toxic family

“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.”

Okay so listen!! This was my first time diving into a Rebecca F. Kenney book, and honestly? I came for the haunted retelling vibes and stayed for the unhinged church politics and Celtic folklore chaos.

Imagine Wuthering Heights but everyone’s got trust issues, supernatural trauma, and one wrong magical sneeze could get you banned from Sunday service. That’s the vibe. Cathy has secret spooky powers (girlboss behavior), and Heathcliff rolls in like “hello I have secrets too, let’s kiss about it.” Naturally, things spiral

The romance wasn’t exactly a slow burn, it was more like, “Hi, I barely know you but let’s emotionally combust on sight.” The chemistry between them hits fast and hard, with barely any time to breathe before things get steamy… and then slightly cursed. As for the church? Definitely not chill about it. Every time something even mildly supernatural happened, the congregation reacted like someone dropped a tarot deck on the altar.

I went in expecting angst and quiet yearning, but what I got was raw, immediate attraction wrapped in magical chaos and honestly, it worked. There’s no delicate build-up here, just two people colliding under pressure with secrets, power, and way too much tension

I am a sucker for a retelling, that being said, I wouldn't suggest going into this as a like for like retelling of Wuthering Heights with a modern twist. It was unique in its own way and was a very enjoyable read.

There were times where I wanted to scream at Cathy for being so delusional in her faith to her church and those a part of it (even though I can empathise that she has spent her life with these people, so why should she all of a sudden think they're part of a murderous cult???) I think it stems from my dislike of the 'he's not good for me, but I still want him' narrative. Especially when Heathcliff always had Cathy's best interests in mind and never did anything to suggest otherwise except for his lastname.

Healthcliff however, was a wounded soul who I wanted to protect with every inch of my being. He did not let anyone or anything stop him from going after what he wanted and it's evident of that even with those who have wronged him, he still has enough emotional maturity to understand why and deal with that (case in point, with his brother Hindley)

I wasn't aware that there were other books in this series as I was drawn to the premise of this book alone, so cannot fully comment on the requirement to having read them first. I could see where it may have been beneficial, but overall I was able to keep up with the story without having done so! I think some of my confusion towards the end of the book may have been easier to navigate if I had, though not enough to throw off the whole story.

Overall the story was suspensful and a page turner, I just wish there may have been more depth, as it felt like we got to the big conflict out of nowhere, the same with Cathy and Heathcliff's romance. But for the page number we had, it was a fun read and I would definitely consider reading more from the author.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourebooks Casablanca for the eARC!