5/ I loved rereading this book and seeing the stunning artwork! Jafar and Jasmine are so good together and I think this is one of my favorite retellings ever. Jafar takes over Jasmine's father's business kingdom, and after years of dealing with her father's cruelty, Jasmine does not trust anyone, but cannot deny she has longed for Jafar for some time. Jafar wants Jasmine in every way and does everything to protect and love her, except give her the one thing she craves: her freedom. Jasmine wants to be able to choose for herself, something she has never been given to do. But she also loves the man keeping her locked up. Why can't she have both love and freedom?

AHHHHHHHHH! this short lil novel based off of my favorite disney movie ever (aka jasmine is the queen and we should all bow down) ignited my passion for dark romance again!!

and jafar is hot as hell (live action version not the ol creepy guy from the cartoons pls) so I’d choose him too 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

what I loved most about this one was that it was more of a retelling set in a modern world rather than a typical “villain gets the girl” romance!! and it weaved in so many characters like meg, hades, tink that it’s just BEGGING for a sequel!

this one was so succinct, spicy, and literally had all of my favorite tropes, vibes (and kinks too let’s be real 🥵🥵🥵) I cannot recommend this one enough

katee robert, you are my go to for all of my spice in the future thank yew 😘

rating: 5 stars
wine pairing: south african pinotage

I loved this story when it was first released and this new version is even better! The new cover, the added material at the end, and the author footnotes throughout all just add to the original story and make it that much better. Thank you Katee Robert and Sourcebooks for the eARC!

I loved this story when it was originally released and the re-release with this cinch cover, footnotes and artwork? Stunning. I'm obsessed with all the additions and revisiting what I loved and still love.

✨Book Review✨

Desperate Measures - Katee Robert

📖 As the first book in the Wicked Villains series we are introduced to Carver City and the reimagining of beloved characters who have more going on beneath the surface than we would have imagined. Jafar has just staged a successful coup and he has come to claim what’s his - Yasmine. She bargains for her freedom and loses, now she’s his. While part of her loves it, another part of her knows she’d do anything to escape her gilded cage - even betray the man who’s capturing her heart.

📚 I read this book a few years ago when it was originally published - but recently had the opportunity (thanks @NetGalley and @Katee_Robert ) to reread what will soon be republished with some rich bonus features! We’re talking stained edges, gorgeous art, author annotations, additional scenes and a kink inventory. This is an excellent way to dip your toe into Katee’s brilliantly created Carver City and the Wicken Villains that are within.

🌟 This book is as open door as they come - even if you’ve already read the original, don’t sleep on this updated version! You’re going to love the bonus content!

#BookReview #WickedVillains #KateeRobert #Yasmine #Jafar
#BookRecommendation #Bookish #BookLover

One of the steamiest books I've read in a minute 😍

It's definitely heavier on steam than it is on plot. If that's what you're in the mood for your going to love this. It's a quick pallete cleanser that will scratch your what if Jafar and Jasmine actually got together itch 😍

This was such a ride! Katee Robert is an automatic buy author for me and I was so excited to see this series getting re released! It’s probably one of my favorite retellings I’ve ever read. Jafar and Yasmina are so unbelievably hot. The chemistry is off the charts! And I love how she softens him as well. It’s so well written and the spice scenes are filthy and delicious. I love all the added features at the end of the book! That was so fun! And automatic 5 star and I can’t wait for the next one!

Ever wish Jasmine and Jafar got together? Then this book is for you!! It is soooooo hot and steamy I was waiting for my phone to catch on actual fire. And amazing villian retelling that I am currently obsessed with.

4.5⭐️
3🌶️

Have you guys looked at the DELUXE VERSION? Because it’s unmatched.

This is my favorite Katee Robert’s book and if you read it will be yours too.
I decide to listen to every Katee Roberta books available on my hoopla app because all her books are entraining and I struggle to find good audiobooks. However, THIS WAS AMAZING.
Like SO HOT 🥵 🤦🏽‍♀️
But also I have to confess that I was obsessed with Jafar growing up. SUE ME 🤷🏽‍♀️ Aladdin was boring, Jafar was a dangerous d@ddy and even if I didn’t understand it at that age, deep down I knew it.

I will forever think about this book.
Thank Katee for writing something spectacular and just for me 💀💀🤦🏽‍♀️

I absolutely love this Wicked Villains series - DESPERATE MEASURES (book 1) and LEARN MY LESSON (book 2) are my favorites. This is an Aladdin retelling with Jafar as our main man and Jasmine as his love interest. There's kink, extreme spice (underground sex club run by Hades, anyone?), romance, action, and humor. This is quick paced without any lag and tees you right up for book 2 that follows Meg, Hercules, and gives more backstory on Hades.

I can't say enough good things about this series and I am thrilled there are special editions coming out, which I am going to have to pickup!

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review (although I already have read and LOVED this book and will be buying the special edition copy!)

This was my first read by Katee Robert, and it did not disappoint. Very riveting. This twist on a familiar story keeps readers engaged from start to finish. I received this as an advance reader copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

Loved reading the engaging and amazing story. Even though Jasmine is attracted to Jafar, she still yearns for her freedom. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting story written by the fabulous and fantastic author, Katee Robert.

ARC Review of Desperate Measures by Katee Robert
* * * * *
A thrilling twist to a fairytale we know where the villan gets the girl, and the damsell becomes a woman with power...even when in the bedroom she is ready for his pleasure.

Yasmina is no longer under the controlling thumb of her father forcing her into a horrid marriage, but she is now under the control of Jafar. A man she does not want to admit that she desires, and he is not subtle in his wantings of her either. She's his. There is no room to argue.
She went from one cage to another, and this little bird desires her freedom more than anything.
From the penthouse views to the Underworld, Jafar introduces Yasmina to pleasure she has nver known, locking her in and keeping her as his. Safe and sound.
Only, what happens when this little bird escapes him?

Very delicious and naughty. Our princess fights for her freedom but also succumbs to her darkest desires and needs, with lover and friend. Some familiar names pop up and take part in this fantastic dark twisted romance filled with kinks and pleasure. Great little slips of artwork as well!
5 stars!

It is a twist on Aladdin, where Jaffar gets Jasmin instead of Aladdin. This is a very steamy book written incredibly well. I would say it is 70% steam and 30% plot. This book is an excellent slump-buster for the romance reader. It's hard to review this book without giving too much away, but if you want a steamy, he falls first book, this is the one for you!

A saucy take on a villain and princess...

Truth be told, Jafar in the Disney Aladdin movies never did it for me.
However, this saucy take on Jafar, the villain, well, I'm just seeing him in a Whole New Light.
This Jafar is dominant (but good with consent, cuz consent is foxy) and invested in pushing Jasmine's limits and she is only to happy to embrace her submissive side. Jasmine, the princess, is conflicted but down for the dark side.

Desperate Measures is hot as a desert and steamier than being rolled up in a magical rug.
Highly recommend. Word of warning, this is not a Disney version, this is a Katee Robert version.
You've been warned.

Desperate Measures by Katee Robert is a steamy, dark, and wildly unconventional romance that reimagines the classic Disney characters Jasmine and Jafar in ways you could never have expected. If you're looking for a light retelling, this isn’t it—this is an intense and kinky story that dives deep into the dynamics of power, control, and desire.

Jafar is dark, dominating, and dangerous, while Jasmine is independent, fierce, and surprisingly willing to explore her need for submission. The chemistry between them is electric, and their relationship, though unconventional, is one that keeps you hooked from the start. The author does a great job of creating a world where their desires, particularly around the "daddy" and "baby girl" dynamic, feel both believable and central to the plot. If that kink isn’t for you, this book might not be a good fit, but for those who enjoy exploring the edgier side of romance, it delivers in spades.

What really stood out to me was Jasmine’s development as a character. You might expect her to become reliant on Jafar given the intensity of their relationship, but she consistently pushes back, asserting her autonomy in ways that surprised me. Jafar, while domineering, recognizes the importance of her freedom, which adds a layer of complexity to their relationship. Their back-and-forth, both emotionally and sexually, was captivating, though I would have loved more of their history, especially the five years of tension they mention but never fully explore. It felt like a missed opportunity to add depth to their already compelling dynamic.

The book doesn’t shy away from explicit scenes, and they are well-written, with an emphasis on consent throughout. Jafar encourages Jasmine to embrace her desires, never forcing her into anything that makes her uncomfortable, which is refreshing in a story this intense.

While the pacing did feel rushed toward the end, and I wished there had been more build-up to their attraction, the book still delivered a wildly entertaining, sexy, and unconventional romance. I’ll definitely be continuing with this series. If you're ready for a read that will turn your childhood memories upside down and you're comfortable with darker themes, Desperate Measures is worth picking up.

There's nothing quite like a good retelling and Katee Robert does this dark telling of Jasmine and Jafar SO. WELL. The spice was top tier and the story was a fresh take on a classic. Desperate Measures is a story that I will absolutely read again and recommend!

Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I never knew how much I needed dark Disney stories before reading desperate measures. Now I can't live without them. Katee Roberts manages to not only mix a beautiful story with spice but she does it in a way that is so elegant. It doesn't feel like a erotic novel like many people are forced to believe. They have a world that is so much more and a story that is so much more.

5⭐️ 4🌶️
- MF
- CNC
- Primal
- Spicy Club
- Daddy Dom/Brat
- Group Play

I think this is my favorite Katee Robert book. I don’t remember if this was my first book by her but it is certainly the most memorable to me. So this rerelease was the perfect excuse for a reread. I think I might have enjoyed it even more this time around.

This book is spicy! And while I don’t think this book was particularly dark, it is certainly intense and those CW/TW should be heeded.

I loved this twist on a familiar fairytale. And while Jafar certainly isn’t a prince he isn’t the worst villain in the book. He falls firmly into the category of a morally grey MMC. But while he may be brutal and cruel to others he is such a softie for Yasmina.

I loved Yasmina. She had so much hidden strength and I loved watching her become more confident and powerful.

I really enjoyed the bonus content in the release. There was some stunning art and Katee’s annotations were fun and added a little something extra to this reread.

One of my favorite things I’ve overheard in a bookstore was one shopper hand selling a Katee Robert book to another shopper by saying, “they are a chaos peddler of joy and smut!” No lies detected. Katee Robert’s books are fun. They are a good time and they don’t make me feel bad about enjoying them because Robert is intentional in their writing. Desperate Measures, the first in Robert’s Wicked Villains series is being rereleased with a change to the main character’s name, lots of footnotes, and some artwork. I didn’t appreciate it when I first read it, I think Desperate Measures was the first Katee Robert book I read, but it’s the book where they really let themselves off the leash.

“This was the first book that I wrote out of spiteful joy, incorporating all the things I loved but that 2018 traditional publishing told me I couldn’t do and be successful.”

Yasmina’s father has undervalued her and essentially sold her to Ali in a strategic marriage. Jafar, her father’s second in command, has over thrown her father and claims Yasmina as his prize. But first, he asks for her safe word. Desperate Measures is filled with consensual non-consent, some light daddy kink, and power struggle fought partly through sex. Robert is one of the authors I point to when I talk about moving plot and character development forward through sex scenes.

I love hanging out in the worlds that Katee Robert writes. I really enjoyed the footnotes at the end of every chapter. If you haven’t read any of Robert’s books yet, this is a great place to start. If you have, this is a good edition to have on your shelf.

I received this as an advance reader copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.