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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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.
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.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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.
emotional
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
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 Rebecca Kenney, SOURCEBOOKS, and Netgalley for giving me a chance to read this before it’s published.
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
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 because it starts out pretty slow to set the story up, but once things pick up its super enjoyable!
This book is definitely intended for a mature audience, with multiple spicy scenes that are descriptive. Nothing crazy kinky, just descriptive.
I 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.
If i'm being perfectly honest, it was a little tough to get into because it starts out pretty slow to set the story up, but once things pick up its super enjoyable!
This book is definitely intended for a mature audience, with multiple spicy scenes that are descriptive. Nothing crazy kinky, just descriptive.
I 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.
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 thought 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! ♥︎
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 thought 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! ♥︎
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
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
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thoroughly enjoyed this Southern Gothic retelling of the classic, Wuthering Heights. Heathcliff and Cathy could rule or ruin the world together. This was a fantasy wrapped in the religious trauma of the Bible Belt, but in this town, demons are real, and they are gods who want out. Cathy is unfortunately caught in the crosshairs of every waring faction of this silent war. Her supernatural gifts make her a target of the church, the gods, and the family of Heathcliff, who would burn the world down to save her. With both of their supernatural heritages warring, the church and the families closing in, the pace is quick and frantic as they try to escape. This is a romance willing to alter reality in this sweeping struggle to stay alive. Heathcliff and Cathy are meant to be and doomed to whatever fate they create. It is a fun adventure that both dark romance and fantasy readers will enjoy!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse
Moderate: Body horror, Violence
Minor: Alcoholism
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5/5.0 ⭐️
4.0/5.0 🌶️
RELEASES JULY 22, 2025
Phew! What. A. Read. I devoured this book in the span of around 3 days. It is a darker romance book with fantasy elements and follows Cathy, who is a banshee, and Heathcliff, who is a necromancer. Put them together and what do you get? Spice, tension, and over protectiveness.
Cathy just wants to be accepted and loved as she is, but she doesn’t get to know or understand that feeling until Heathcliff comes into her life. That man fights for her even when she can’t fight for herself.
If you want a dark retelling of Wuthering Heights with fantasy elements thrown in, this is the book for you! (As with all darker romance books, please read trigger warnings)
Thank you to NetGalley, Rebecca Kenney, and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC
Thank you to NetGalley and Rebecca Kenney for the eARC!
I am a sucker for a good retelling, especially one that adds new elements like this one does. While I haven't read the original Wuthering Heights, Ruthless Devotion brings all the yearning, star-crossed love anyone could ask for. It is very heavy on insta-lust, which quickly turns into insta-love. While not my favorite tropes, I do appreciate their use here
This book is a part of interconnected stand-alones in the Gilded Monsters universe, so while not necessary to enjoy the story, I would recommend reading the first two books, as they provide some background on other characters that appear
I am a sucker for a good retelling, especially one that adds new elements like this one does. While I haven't read the original Wuthering Heights, Ruthless Devotion brings all the yearning, star-crossed love anyone could ask for. It is very heavy on insta-lust, which quickly turns into insta-love. While not my favorite tropes, I do appreciate their use here
This book is a part of interconnected stand-alones in the Gilded Monsters universe, so while not necessary to enjoy the story, I would recommend reading the first two books, as they provide some background on other characters that appear
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
This book had everything I didn’t even know I needed—southern gothic vibes, creepy cult secrets, and a romance that’s as unhinged as it is meant-to-be. If Wuthering Heights had a baby with The Vampire Diaries and raised it on dark fairy tales and smut, Ruthless Devotion would be it.
Rebecca Kenney brings a whole new kind of magic to a classic in this twisted, wildly original retelling. The Lowcountry swamp setting? Chef’s kiss. Dark, haunting, dripping in death and mystery—you can practically feel the humidity and hear Cathy screaming through the trees. Gothic romances aren't my usual but I had a lot of fun reading this!
And Heathcliff… whew. He’s raw, obsessive, a complete emotional disaster, and yet somehow completely magnetic. This is an insta-smut book where the emotions come later but when things finally go there, it’s intense (although maybe feels a bit too fast for such strong feelings). Overall, it's tender and hot and messy in all the best ways.
Also, the little crossover cameos from Kenney’s other books?? SO fun. Spotting familiar faces in made everything feel even more alive (or undead 👻).
If you’re into dark, chaotic love stories full of southern folklore, forbidden romance, and twisted fairy-tale energy, Ruthless Devotion will absolutely devour you.
Rebecca Kenney brings a whole new kind of magic to a classic in this twisted, wildly original retelling. The Lowcountry swamp setting? Chef’s kiss. Dark, haunting, dripping in death and mystery—you can practically feel the humidity and hear Cathy screaming through the trees. Gothic romances aren't my usual but I had a lot of fun reading this!
And Heathcliff… whew. He’s raw, obsessive, a complete emotional disaster, and yet somehow completely magnetic. This is an insta-smut book where the emotions come later but when things finally go there, it’s intense (although maybe feels a bit too fast for such strong feelings). Overall, it's tender and hot and messy in all the best ways.
Also, the little crossover cameos from Kenney’s other books?? SO fun. Spotting familiar faces in made everything feel even more alive (or undead 👻).
If you’re into dark, chaotic love stories full of southern folklore, forbidden romance, and twisted fairy-tale energy, Ruthless Devotion will absolutely devour you.