I think this was a fun book overall! Wicked Pursuit is second generation of Katee Robert's Wicked Villains series, but it's not necessary to read that series in order to enjoy this new one. It was a super quick spicy read. I would definitely check out the content warnings since a few things may be rough if you're not ready for it, but it's fine for any seasoned dark romance reader. I also HIGHLY recommend reading it with the playlist because it makes it all so much more fun. Ruby is messy, but in a fun way. It's got a fun reveal and I can totally see this as a future comfort read.

Divine Intervention is super compelling. It's a very different tone from Wicked Pursuit so reading them back to back gave me a bit of whiplash, but I really got into the story. I had read Sing Me to Sleep which is part of the universe of this book so I already understood some of the world building and I think that helped a lot because otherwise I could see it being kind of confusing. I think it's fun that there is a supernatural element at the auction. I think the relationship between the three of them could have been developed more, but I have that issue with a lot of triad pairings, especially for shorter books.

Overall they were both easy reads that I had a good time with. My rating would be 3.5, but rounded to 4.
eARC courtesy of Sourcebooks

Thank you Netgalley & source books for the e-arcs. Wicked pursuit I give 4 🌟 & divine intervention I give 2 🌟. Wicked pursuit is a red riding hood retelling. Divine intervention is a goldilocks & 3 bears retelling.

Wicked Pursuit Divine by Katee Robert 4\5
ARC
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️💫

Wolf is a stalker who kills people she has sex with.
Ruby is a mafia princess. One day she is unfaithful to her boyfriend Luke and since then everything has gotten out of control. An unknown number started writing to her, she separated from her boyfriend of two years “whom I really love”, people she later leaves dead with, they are harassing her and she doesn't know who he is. Although he likes everything that happens.

What the fuck??

I was shocked by what happened in chapter 11. I really wanted to abandon it but a plot was put in there without stopping, which obviously contains it. It was something that no reader could have expected, I still don't believe it. I need more of these characters, Katee never fails with those amazing hot scenes.

......


Divine Intervention by R.M. Virtues 2\5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

DNF

Tlallie was turned into an angel? It is a confusing book, very descriptive, it contradicts many of the things the characters themselves do. From the beginning I didn't connect with the characters, the world has a lot of information for a short book.

“This was Cahuani, who was everything Anthony would never become. “Anthony was a storm, but Cahuani was the calm sea before it.”

What I can say is that I liked the tension that people bring and I really liked the sexual scenes.




Thanks to the authors and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

"Wicked Pursuit" delivered an engaging world, strong characters, and a fresh take on dynamics with Wolf. The smut was well-done, and Ruby’s character stood out—I wanted more of her story. Both Wicked Pursuit and Divine Intervention had untapped potential and could have benefited from being longer.

"Divine Intervention" had a unique mix of angels, demons, and witches tied to the Black Rose Auction. While the concept was intriguing, the world-building felt underdeveloped, and the pacing rushed, especially at the end. Tlalli deserved more focus, and while the poly romance was interesting, its development felt too fast.

Thank you to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of this!

I LOVED the first book by Katee Robert. I love a stalker, look at her and die romance so this was right up my alley. The suspense was well written and was very hard to put down. The second book whoever was extremely hard for me to get into. It was almost a DNF multiple times. I had a very hard time with it including magical elements while the first boom was in the “real” world. The second book leads me to not want to pick up another book by R.M. virtues. I would and have read more books by Katee Robert.

Wicked Pursuit was an absolute ride! It had me hooked from the start—the tension, the twists, and the spice were so well done. I loved every second of it and couldn’t put it down. The dark, obsessive romance was such a page-turner.

Divine Intervention wasn’t quite my vibe, but I still appreciated the creativity and the unique dynamics between the characters. The mix of mythology, magic, and revenge definitely made for an intriguing story, even if it didn’t fully click for me.

Overall, this collection delivers exactly what it promises—dark, decadent, and dangerously addictive.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC of these two books!

I was thoroughly captivated by Wicked Pursuit; it was a spellbinding read that kept me up late into the night. Even though I had an inkling about Wolf's identity, the story was so well-crafted that I just had to keep reading until the end.

I must admit, Divine Intervention didn't captivate me quite as immediately as Wicked Pursuit, but it still proved to be a decent read once I got into it. While I wasn't entirely sold on the FMC using the term "Papa Bear", it kind of made me cringe, it's more of a personal preference that may not bother other readers. I believe that with more depth and development, I would have appreciated this story more. It felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story and had to scramble to understand what was happening, which was a bit of a challenge. But overall, it was a decent story. I just had higher hopes going in after having enjoyed Wicked Pursuit so much.

I would give Wicked Pursuit a 5/5 and Divine Intervention 3/5.

A two-fer...

In Wicked Pursuit by Katee Robert, its a modern day, steamy Little Red Riding Hood retelling.
No one does it quite like Katee Robert. Get it. Read it. Fan.

In Divine Intervention, its a modern day Goldilocks retelling. Steamy.
Recommend this two-fer.

I was hooked on the characters from the start—every interaction had me grinning. The plot twist blew my mind, and the chemistry between the couple was off the charts. One dynamic could’ve been a turn-off, but it worked because both characters were into it. Can’t wait to see where the rest of the series goes!

**Wicked Pursuit: 4.5 Stars**
A thrilling, suspenseful stalker romance with a twist. Despite the FMC cheating at the start, which was a bit of an ick, I enjoyed it. The Black Rose Auction added a great touch, and I’m excited for more.

**Divine Intervention: 2.5 Stars**
This one didn’t grab me. The plot was hard to follow, and the connection to the Black Rose Auction felt weak. The characters didn’t click for me, and the story felt disconnected from *Wicked Pursuit*. I gave it 2 stars.

A mob princess with a taste for doing things she shouldn’t acquires a stalker who will unalive anyone who touches what’s his.

Hot hot hot! Katee Robert’s books are always so entertaining and just what I need and want, even when I didn’t know it. I loved the interesting take on Little Red Riding Hood; truly well done! While I figured out the plot twist very early on, the predictability of it never took away from the story. I also liked how Red had history with Wolf; it made their romance and connection all more believable.

If you want a read that sends you to take a cold shower—or read one-handed—these spicy scenes will certainly do that for you. 🙂‍↕️

- stalker romance
- dark romance
- mafia romance
- hidden identity
- masked man

3 stars
——————

Wicked Pursuit brings us back to Carver City with a spice little novella featuring the next generation. A super spicy Red Riding Hood retelling, I found this entertaining.

Emphasis on spicy. This book was mostly spice, which is fine. The background plot took a backseat, but I found that the explanation of the auction was really well done and I really understood what was happening. I loved the twist and I really enjoyed the characters.

Despite reading so many Katee Robert books, there is still something about her writing style that just bothers me. It feels a little too simplistic and just doesn’t hook me.

2 stars
——————

Divine Intervention is the second book in the Black Rose Auction series, but you would hardly know it.

There is a LOT of world in this one to absorb and really quickly, given how short it is. This definitely would have benefitted from being a longer book to really establish itself. The auction is sort of an afterthought in the book, with only mentions in regards to the chalice. There is little explanation of what the auction is and how it works, so you would be lost without the first book. I appreciated the small nod to Ruby, though.

I liked the ex boyfriend’s dad trope, but the characters were pretty hard to follow because there were just so many of them. The spice was definitely good, and I appreciated the background plot, but nothing really stood out to me in this one.

——————

Overall, an interesting series that I will probably keep reading.

I am not sure what type of time I was expecting from this but WOW it blew every expectation and idea out of the water! There were times I audibly gasped and had to put my Kindle down because the plot twist absolutely TWISTED. These writings are paced very well, fast enough to keep you reading consistently, but slow enough to not feel rushed. I had not read works by these authors before and reading these an ARCs was such a treat and I have added more books from them to my TBR. READ THESE ASAP!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, Ms. Robert and Mr. Virtues for the opportunity to read an ARC of this combined title. An honest review was requested but not required.

Frankly this cannot be reviewed as one title as it is two separate novellas wedged together, connected tenuously by the Black Rose Auction.

Starting, then, with Ms. Robert's, Wicked Pursuit. Ruby is the daughter of Belle, Gaston and Beast from her Wicked Villains series. Ruby is ALL grown up but her parents (and the rest of Carver City) seems to think she's still a good girl. And so like all spoiled mafia daughters, I mean, good girls, she's acting out. Ruby's version of acting out is, apparently, having sex with strangers in dive bars, but whatever. She breaks up with her vanilla boyfriend and indulges in dangerous fantasies with her homicidal stalker, Wolf. (This is a very VERY loosely inspired version of little Red Riding Hood.) There is a twist, and Ruby and Wolf end up at the Black Rose Auction.

Despite Ruby's alarmingly bad decision making process, the plot was good and the relationship between her and Wolf definitely held my attention. The Auction was a major plot point in the book which I liked, if this is going to be a series. It was a fun read overall and I'd give it 4 stars.

On to Mr. Virtues. The connection between Wicked Pursuit and Divine Intervention is tenuous at best. The Auction doesn't feature prominently in Divine Intervention, even though the entire story is supposedly set there, which made it harder to understand what was going on. To the best of my understanding, there were angels and demons/Puri attending the Auction and both groups hoped to recover a chalice with mystery powers, for mystery reasons. One of the divine beings, Tlalli, is disenchanted with her role and her "ex" and ready to jump ship.

The worldbuilding was very hard for me to follow, especially with such a cold start. It was difficult to keep interested initially. Things did warm up between the characters, but the plot never did - I felt like far more happened interpersonally than with the purported chalice, not to mention the Auction in general. The Concierge and the Reaper seemed to have actual roles in Wicked Pursuit, but in this story they barely appeared; would two rival factions really be allowed to steal (or attempt to steal) Auction items without their resultant involvement? I liked Tlalli's character but felt little for either Cahuani or Elias, and the repeated use of "Papa Bear" as a title used in all (ahem) situations was a bit off putting. Apparently this was a VERY VERY VERY loosely inspired version of Goldiloc(k)s, albeit with only two bears. Perhaps the author shines brighter in a full-length story setting but I didn't feel this novella was a good fit with the other one and frankly, I didn't really enjoy it as is. 2 stars.

This was a delicious read from start to finish. I loved "Wicked Pursuit" and absolutely devoured "Divine Intervention," which had such a fun twist on angels and demons. These are two great pick-ups for romance readers who want plenty of spice but love a good fairy retelling, too.

How did I miss the Kickstarter for this collection?!?! Anyway, I’m glad I was approved to read these two delightful stories! Massive fan of Katee Robert, I love her flair and cool spins and twists in her stories. RM Virtues is a new-to-me author, and I loved this spin on Goldilocks!

I will read anything Katee writes. Her stories are always so interesting and hook me right at the beginning. We all know Katee does great spice, probably the best around, but I keep going back for the story lines. I'm so excited for the gen2 wicked villains.

Wicked Pursuit
Yet another Amazing Katee Robert masterpiece! I was so excited for the next gen Wicked Villains cast, and this most certainly didn’t disappoint. Not only do we get a few quick moments with our favorite OG’s, we got a compelling story full of drama and intrigue! I absolutely was mesmerized from the start, and audibly gasped at least a few times throughout the story. I hope get get a bit more of our girl and her man in the next.. next gen.. stories!

Divine Intervention
This was a solid story. Virtues creates a complex world that might be intimidating but wasn't overly hard for me to get sucked into. There was intrigue and deception, and spice without a ton of drama!

Katee Roberts is an automatic read for me. To hear that she was contributing to a multi-author spicy series was incredibly exciting! This story, as does all of her work, surpassed my expectations. Roberts has a way of writing spice that, even if I don't particularly find myself liking a particular kink, I still LOVE reading it. Ruby and Wolf were fun and absolutely wild main characters. Their development over the course of a relatively short book was a rollercoaster to read about, and I would love to read more about them. I can't wait to read the other installments in the Black Rose Auction series! Divine Intervention here I come!

*Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for this one!*

Wicked Pursuit:
I was so excited to jump back into Katee Robert’s stories! Based back in the world of Carver City (Wicked Villains series), this one is based on Little Red Riding Hood. And it does center around a child from the Belmonte family.
So if you wanted to know a bit more of the political/family references you could read The Beast (number four in the Wicked Villains series) beforehand.
However, it’s definitely not required, you can still read this separately I feel like.
I flew through this one. I do enjoy Katee’s writing style. So first off- the main build- up is the stalking. I did enjoy this part. However, I felt like the black auction part was missing something. I think I just wanted a bit more scenes from the black auction. And the cheating aspect did give me a bit of an ick. Otherwise - normally this would be a higher rating for me.

Overall- if you’re a fan of Katee Robert you’ll love this.
Tropes:
- touch her and die
- Stalking
- Masks
- political intrigue

Divine Intervention:
Loved this one! I have never read this author before. I felt the story-line was very unique. Loved how this world had angels, demons and witches. I felt like I wanted more relationship build up. But I'm a sucker for an enemies to lover relationship and overall this was fun. I did enjoy the heist aspect of the story.

Tropes:
Ex’s dad
supernatural polyamorous romance
Black romance
Witches, angels and demons
Enemies to lovers

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Review is just for Wicked Pursuit:
I’ve loved Wicked Villains series, although I ended up lapsing on posting reviews of the series, especially as trade special edition deals were later announced. But the prospect of even a glimpse at the second generation with Wicked Pursuit was exciting. I have to say “Uncle Hook” is perhaps my favorite update, although the fact that this series follows the daughter of Isabelle, Beast, and Gaeton (of The Beast) was definitely an attraction. Ruby is a quintessential Robert heroine, rather badass with more than a tinge of morally gray. She’s very much a rebel against the gilded-cage she’s been raised in and reeling from the stable security of her previous stifling relationship, and I love how she faces danger head-on.
I knew going in that this was a stalker romance, which I didn’t know if I’d like, but I trust Katee Robert with almost anything, particularly in this mafia-meets-fairy tale/mythology world she’s created. And while I wasn’t sure about “Wolf” at first, I could understand why he appealed to Ruby, and their dynamic, for all its dangers, was appealing in a twisted way. And no matter how bonkers or out there, Robert always ensures there’s an underlying nature of consent, even if she’s playing with dubcon or noncon as a facet of the relationship dynamics.
The plot here isn’t super-complex, but it’s a lot of fun, with a few twists along the way. The “spice” is the primary draw here, but the emotional connection in such an intense situation is also pronounced, along with the wider political and atmospheric stakes within a larger context.