Desperate Measures by Katee Robert is an intense and steamy romance that puts a dark twist on classic fairy tale characters. The story follows a forbidden romance between the protagonist and a powerful, morally gray figure. Robert’s writing is bold and captivating, with sizzling chemistry between the characters and a plot that keeps readers on edge. The book blends elements of suspense, passion, and tension, making it an engaging read for fans of dark romance and reimagined fairy tales.

Every single wicked villains book is a win and having a Jafar and Jasmin book I can say most 90s girls wanted this so bad and this book delivers. This series has been an obsession of mine for a while and I’m so glad they’ve been published traditionally

This whole series is great and I’m so glad it got picked up and rereleased. If you love to see the villian get the girl in a spicy retelling of your favorite childhood stories, you’ll love this!

Robert expertly balances the darker themes of control and power with a surprisingly deep emotional undercurrent. The chemistry between Jasmine and Jafar is electric, with plenty of spice and boundary-pushing moments that will keep readers hooked. The book leans heavily into the themes of consensual power exchange, making it a compelling read for those who enjoy their romance with a darker edge.

Fast-paced, wickedly hot, and utterly addictive, Desperate Measures is perfect for readers who love villainous love interests and morally gray heroines. If you’re looking for a book that blends fairytale elements with intense, taboo romance, this one is a must-read.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an arc.

I love Katee Robert's books and this was one of the first I read from her a while ago when it was indie and it was amazing. I love that it is a villain getting the girl and it is just the right level of darkness. This was one of the first books that introduced me to darker romance and increasing spice so it will always hold a special place for me. I can't wait to continue rereading this series as I love it so much and it only gets better from here.

As a big Katee Robert fan this special edition preview was a treat after finishing the Wicked Villans series. The cover and colored character art is absolutely stunning and I cannot wait to see the physcial copy. The bonus chapters are the perfect short read after missing the characters of Carver City, and the spice is written so well. I hope to see editions like this in all of the books to collect them all!

I love a retelling, especially a spicy retelling, of a classic story. There was such good banter between Jasmine and Jafar, along with such great chemistry ugh couldn’t have asked for more!

I love Katee Robert’s books so I was excited to read Desperate Measures, a dark fairytale romance retelling. This is Aladdin like you’ve never heard it before.

I enjoy rooting for the anti-hero. Jafar as the hero of the story? I love it. If you are a fan of Katee Robert, you’ll enjoy this.

The only caveat I would give is to read the author’s notes on her website if there are any triggers for you.

Trigger Spoiler - I don’t love BDSM, captive heroine, and daddy kink, which are heavy in this story. But that’s a me issue and not a reflection of the story, which is really well done.

✅ Alternate retelling of Aladdin, with a dark tone
✅ Jasmine & Jafar. Jafar has taken over Jasmine’s father’s business and Jasmine is his prize
🌶️: yes, this is Katee Robert (her genre is romance erotica). THIS IS NOT DISNEY. 100% Headphones if you audiobook this

I have to say this one did not really hit for me. If I'd read it as fanfic I'd have thought it was a little silly but perfectly fine, but as a book it's quite flat and honestly a bit tedious, IMHO. I wasn't invested in the characters and the whole thing seemed all premise (Jasmine and Jafar mafia romance kink club!) and no substance.

4.25*

It might have taken me about 2 days longer than it should have to finish this, but that was NOTHING to do with the book.

Jasmine and Jafar AU with a tonne of kink? Sign me up.

I was here for all of this.

It's actually pretty difficult to find books that have solid and well written kink scenes AND a decent plot.

This has both, and it has side characters that I'm desperate to know more about.

Yes, I really did need this.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

A good book. Filled with spice. Well written and entertaining. If you like morally grey men who are dominant as hell, and sassy ladies this is the book for you.

I want to thank NetGalley for this chance to read this book i love her work and i was so excited to see i got accepted to read such an amazing book. I first heard of Katee Robert and her books from a reading app where she had this series as a story to pick what they could say and the outcome of the story. I read most of the series but needed to read this one. I for one love the idea of the villains that are normally ignored and put as evil and bad but a twist to it where they get the girl and the one girls were with in the cartoon versions were evil or the bad ones now. I love that its a twist to the stories i grew up with. Jafar i never liked him but here i mean wow. The rest of the series have been amazing and Love her books and cant get enough. Is there a 10 star on here because that is what i would rate this.

So. Delicious.

Katee is such a unique writer that pulls off the most jaw-dropping ideas, including smutty Disney villain retellings. Welcome to Wicked Villains and Yasmina and Jafar.

This delux edition comes with bonus storys you may have read before in the "Wicked Villain Shorts." They give you a taste of the characters after the end of the book which is one of my favorite things.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Read for: age gap

4 stars
3 spice

HOT HOT HOT

I love the Jasmine & Jafar remix! Katee always manages to write actual plot and engaging stories while keeping them full of hot scenes. I love it and can’t wait to read more!

I loved reading this book again! It has been a while since I first read it, so while I know at least one thing was changed (besides her name), because it was mentioned in one of the annotations, I don't really remember those changes. So I had such a blast reading this story again!

Yasmina has lived a very contained life, what amounts to a cage, and when her father is caught up in a coup, she ends in another one. Her need for freedom, but her ability to live a life outside of what she's been sheltered in, well, as the annotations noted, that was something only time could help.

Her relationship with Jafar, with their kinks and desires, fighting with their positions in this world, before and after the coup, was so much fun to read! Their fighting and banter had me flying through the pages, and while consensual non-consent isn't my thing, it is theirs, and I'm glad that they have that together!

I'm not sure if I've read the proposal scene before, but it was such a delight to (and I do have hope that the Sabine Valley series will be returned to) and their kink questionnaires, and seeing how good they are together, make me glad that we're getting this republished version.

Loved reading this book again, and I can't wait for the rest of the re-releases of this series, and the spin off series with the 2nd generation!

I read this book with the old cover and hardcore requested it only because the new one looks so good. Did I enjoy it? Idk, there is something profoundly unsettling about reading smut inspired by characters from my childhood animated favorites. I don't know that I've ever really loved a Katee Robert book, but I think they're fascinating to study if you're interesting in writing this genre.

This book was okay.
I will be honest,there doesn't really seem to be much love/romance between the main characters. I found them calling each other "daddy" and "baby girl" gross/off-putting.
I was super excited about the storyline but I wanted more plot and the sex scenes were not realistic enough. I love erotica but keep it real.

Katee Roberts never disappoints when you’re looking for dark romance. The romance bookseller at my local Barnes and Noble recommended Desperate Measures after we chatted about the genre for a while. Really, all she had to say was “Aladdin retelling” and I was sold.

In this retelling, though, Aladdin in the bad guy and Jafar is the love interest.

This is an enemies to lover dark romance with lots of steam. Desperate Measures the first in the Wicked Villains series.

This gorgeous edition of Desperate Measures by Katee Robert (thank you @sourcebookscasa for the #gifted copy! ♥️) includes annotations by the author, steamy black and white art inside and additional scenes that weren’t in the original printing.