Rebecca F. Kenney

Ever since I first read THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY years ago, I developed a low-key crush on him. I know he is so depraved that our minds cannot comprehend everything he has tried and done or had done to him, but there is something undeniably sexy about him. Maybe it is how often he "flings" himself down onto couches, chaises, chairs, beds, etc. Perhaps it's that tried-and-true attraction to a bad boy; he is the epitome of one after all. Who knows? I only know that I adore Oscar Wilde's book show more and find myself drawn to anything that is even remotely related to Dorian. You know where this is going, right? I discovered that Rebecca Kenney wrote a Dorian Gray retelling, and I had to read it. It mattered not that I had never read anything by Ms. Kenney. I was going to find a way to read CHARMING DEVIL, and I did.

CHARMING DEVIL was every bit as sexy and delightful as I hoped. I loved how Ms. Kenney set Dorian firmly in the modern world as well, to differentiate her story from the original and to establish Dorian's ennui after centuries of debauchery. Having Baz as a distant relative of the original portrait artist doesn't just give Dorian a reason to seek her out. It adds an extra complication to their relationship that increases the tension between them. The heat between the two crackles from the pages, and the story itself is quite engaging.

I admit that I was expecting CHARMING DEVIL to be something of a joke. Shame on me. CHARMING DEVIL was so much fun to read and highly addictive. I tore through all 379 pages in less than twenty-four hours and regret nothing. Ms. Kenney does Mr. Wilde's Dorian justice, as she portrays him as the sexy monster he is. I suspect that even Oscar Wilde would appreciate what she did with his character. She even has him flinging himself down onto furniture! It was so good that I want to read more from Ms. Kenney and plan to continue her Gilded Monsters series. show less

When I finished Rebecca Kenney's ode to The Picture of Dorian Gray, I knew I wanted to read more of her writings. Having just finished reading her ode to Wuthering Heights, RUTHLESS DEVOTION, I know we are soulmates. How do I know this? Because her modern-day retelling of my favorite novel of all time is pitch-perfect.

What so many people fail to understand about the OG Catherine and Heathcliff is the fact that they are victims and act as they do because of the trauma they experience and show more their shared desire for freedom. Heathcliff's trauma is more obvious because Emily Brontë shows the abuse he suffers from Hindley and Edgar, yet Cathy also has psychological scars that affect her actions. The stifling social mores of the time, her social status versus that of Heathcliff, and the overpowering sense of duty drilled into her by everything and everyone prove to be too much for her to overcome. Together, they find peace and healing; apart, they are nothing more than damaged souls trying to fit into a society that deems intelligence, wit, and independence as the purview of white, wealthy men.

Ms. Kenney understands this about Cathy and Heathcliff and incorporates this into her adaptation. Her version of Cathy and Heathcliff also suffer from abusive familial relationships and yearn to be free, something she does not obfuscate behind text. There are no doubts as to Cathy's and Heathcliff's suffering and subsequent self-esteem and other issues so common among abuse victims. These symptoms of abuse, and the fact that we see some of the abuse as it happens, make it easier for the reader to understand Cathy's wild side or Heathcliff's apathy,

Not only does Ms. Kenney nail Cathy and Heathcliff's personalities, but their romance is also perfection. It is unorthodox, wild, passionate, tumultuous, and everything that makes them who they are. The sex scenes are so character-appropriate that if Emily Brontë had added sex scenes to her novel, I imagine they would have been very similar to those that Ms. Kenney penned.

RUTHLESS DEVOTION veers away from Wuthering Heights by not including the second generation or the revenge plot, and that's fine. What she adds instead is more of that intriguing Tuatha Dé Danann mystery that was also an underlying issue of her Dorian Gray retelling. While I started both books for their retellings, the mystery at the heart of each of the two novels I've read piqued my interest sufficiently to make me want to go back to read the first book in the series and continue with future books. I want to know what is happening and why. That I may get another glimpse of Cathy and Heathcliff or Dorian and Baz will be an added benefit.

Consider me a full-fledged Rebecca Kenney fan from here on out. Wuthering Heights is a book I've spent A LOT of time reading, rereading, and analysing to help explain to others why I find it so powerful and romantic. Ms. Kenney's RUTHLESS DEVOTION puts into words everything I have ever felt for and about Catherine and Heathcliff, from their volatile relationship to their tragic ends. Moreover, she takes two characters I adore and gives them the ending they always deserved to have, had one been stronger and the other more patient. For that, she has my undying devotion. show less

Emerald Fennell, take note. This is how to turn a classic novel into something fresh - take dark themes and make them darker. This supernatural spin on Wuthering Heights was a wild ride from start to finish! I loved the world-building, turning Cathy into a banshee and Heathcliff into a necromancer, like two sides of the same coin, and the Deep South setting, where everyone is related and religion becomes a cult, is inspired. Even the opening line - 'It's fucking miserable outside' - is show more perfect.

The first person narratives of Cathy and Heathcliff also worked for me, and that's rare! They are not direct transfers from Emily's novel, either, which works better; Heathcliff calls himself toxic and says that he's never been the good guy, but he is only trapped by his circumstances rather than doomed, like OG Heathcliff. Cathy is more of a misfit, treated like a freak by her family, rather than a spoiled brat. Hindley as Heathcliff's brother, using him and lying to him, and Cathy's two-faced 'Aunt Nelly' also worked well.

The plot is insane and got a little too much for me in the final chapters, but again, I'm glad that the author took off on a darker, more fantastical flight of fancy rather than trying to convert the original story scene by scene. I was also confused by the appearance of Jay Gatsby and Daisy, and Dorian Gray, but get that they are characters in the same series. Maybe I'll read their stories next!

Sex scenes are never an attraction for me, and although powerful and relevant in places, I got the same old feeling that 'romance' novels have a 'spice' quota to fill. In one scene, Cathy and Heathcliff are trapped in a church after both have faced death and know that further danger is on the way - but that's still a good time and place to do each other? I may have started skim-reading at that point.

My own personal preferences aside, I absolutely loved the characters and story, and also the nods to the source material: 'Since I met him, he has simply been there. Like he already belongs in my life. We understand each other too well, almost as if I'm him and he is me, and our souls always knew we'd fit together someday.' show less

This version is not your sweet little retelling of a Disney classic. No, this version is dark and spicy with a male sea witch and a mermaid named Averil, who believes the prince she has saved is her heart's true mate. The only way for sure she is to know is to head to the surface and be with him and she must bargain with the Sea Witch of the sea in order to do so. With bargains made and Averil finally able to gain legs to be on land and with her prince, Averil finds that she could be wrong show more in her assessment of the prince and even more that the handsome Sea Witch is causing all sorts of changes in her feelings that make her even more uncertain of her heart.

I don't remember where I caught sight of this book. I can say it was not Book Tok because I had not seen it pop up there and if it had, I must have missed it somewhere lost within the many videos of reviews. I have always enjoyed books where the villain gets the girl. You may find them aplenty within the dark romances, but there are few that stand out. This book held my interest from the first page until the very last. I loved the characters, world-building, and storyline. It may have followed some of the storylines for The Little Mermaid, but it pretty much ends there. There are darker themes and sexual tension felt from the very beginning between Zoltan and Averil.

I love the twists this book brings. It is different and a quick read for anyone looking for something that won't overwhelm you. From what I have seen, this book is the first in a series. I don't know how many books are projected to be in this series, but nevertheless, I am looking forward to seeing how each one is. show less