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A review by plot_twist_tiff
Ruthless Devotion by Rebecca F. Kenney
4.0
Book: Ruthless Devotion by Rebecca F. Kenney
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4 stars!
Series: Gilded Monsters Book 3, can be read as a standalone, but see review for more info
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casabalanca for a copy of this eARC!
I was very excited to receive an ARC for this book. It is my personal mission to have as many people as I can read The Sea Witch, one of Rebecca F. Kenney’s indie books, and I was ready to dive into this series of modern-day retellings with a supernatural twist.
I will admit that I have not read books 1 and 2 of this series, which are Great Gatsby and Dorian Gray retellings, respectively. This book is a spin on Wuthering Heights. While it is probably a good idea to read books 1 and 2 prior to this, there are enough context clues to figure out what is going on and who the books 1 and 2 characters are. However, it is important to note that the characters for books 1 and 2 appear several times and play a large part in the climax of the book. I do plan to go back and read the first two and will read the fourth when it releases.
Cathy has it rough. She is involved with a very religious cult who despises the supernatural. Cathy is also a banshee, and finds herself having fights of the supernatural and overcome with a desire to mourn the passing of the individuals in her town. Heathcliff is in a complicated relationship with his “family”, tasked with performing small resurrection jobs for them using his necromancy abilities, and he is, in many ways, trapped in this with limited means of income, no social security number, no identification, etc., but he wants something different.
My only real issue with this book was that it was instalust that quickly became instalove. I would’ve loved to see a slower development of their relationship. I do understand that, with 384 pages, we need to work quickly, but I don’t felt like I read the development of their relationship – it was just suddenly there and they knew they were the ones for each other.
I think where this book really shines is the interesting world. It takes place in our modern-day society where the supernatural flirts alongside us, although most people are not aware of it. Add in a small town twist, and we are following Cathy and Heathcliff as they try to escape their town and build a new, better life for themselves.
There is a fair amount of romantic, paranormal suspense in this story. If you enjoyed Harley LaRoux’s Souls trilogy, this has similar vibes, in my opinion. We have a whole host of supernaturals, the influence of old gods, religious cults, sacrifices, the works.
This book isn’t a literary masterpiece, and I don’t think anyone should approach it expecting one. It is, however, a fun, quick, and spicy read that still has an interesting plot to keep things moving (a sometimes rare combination!). I like it enough that I plan to work backwards to read book 1 and 2, and I believe the next one is a Phantom of the Opera retelling, which I can’t wait!
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4 stars!
Series: Gilded Monsters Book 3, can be read as a standalone, but see review for more info
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casabalanca for a copy of this eARC!
I was very excited to receive an ARC for this book. It is my personal mission to have as many people as I can read The Sea Witch, one of Rebecca F. Kenney’s indie books, and I was ready to dive into this series of modern-day retellings with a supernatural twist.
I will admit that I have not read books 1 and 2 of this series, which are Great Gatsby and Dorian Gray retellings, respectively. This book is a spin on Wuthering Heights. While it is probably a good idea to read books 1 and 2 prior to this, there are enough context clues to figure out what is going on and who the books 1 and 2 characters are. However, it is important to note that the characters for books 1 and 2 appear several times and play a large part in the climax of the book. I do plan to go back and read the first two and will read the fourth when it releases.
Cathy has it rough. She is involved with a very religious cult who despises the supernatural. Cathy is also a banshee, and finds herself having fights of the supernatural and overcome with a desire to mourn the passing of the individuals in her town. Heathcliff is in a complicated relationship with his “family”, tasked with performing small resurrection jobs for them using his necromancy abilities, and he is, in many ways, trapped in this with limited means of income, no social security number, no identification, etc., but he wants something different.
My only real issue with this book was that it was instalust that quickly became instalove. I would’ve loved to see a slower development of their relationship. I do understand that, with 384 pages, we need to work quickly, but I don’t felt like I read the development of their relationship – it was just suddenly there and they knew they were the ones for each other.
I think where this book really shines is the interesting world. It takes place in our modern-day society where the supernatural flirts alongside us, although most people are not aware of it. Add in a small town twist, and we are following Cathy and Heathcliff as they try to escape their town and build a new, better life for themselves.
There is a fair amount of romantic, paranormal suspense in this story. If you enjoyed Harley LaRoux’s Souls trilogy, this has similar vibes, in my opinion. We have a whole host of supernaturals, the influence of old gods, religious cults, sacrifices, the works.
This book isn’t a literary masterpiece, and I don’t think anyone should approach it expecting one. It is, however, a fun, quick, and spicy read that still has an interesting plot to keep things moving (a sometimes rare combination!). I like it enough that I plan to work backwards to read book 1 and 2, and I believe the next one is a Phantom of the Opera retelling, which I can’t wait!