Dorian Grey. We know the tale...the painting that takes on the corporeal vices, sins, damage and gluttony that the beautiful Dorian indulges himself in so that he can retain his youth Eternally. We get a fun modern-day jump in this retelling so that we can see what's become of a dorian after 170 years.

There's a fascinating way in which his supernatural "gift" is bestowed by way of the painter and I found that twist quite unique. How the torrent of his indulgences and sinful life has recently begun to literally eat away at the painting is also a wonderful take! He needs to prevent it and the way our story almost becomes how our FMC has to "strike a deal with the devil" is something I truly enjoyed.

My favorite moments were when we see his impacable facade have the slightest crack and when he allows himself to truly feel and not tether any feelings of pain, guilt, sorrow, regret, to his painting. Baz trying to open his humanity back up, to not treat others as disposable or feed his narcissism, is what is more at the heart of the story. There is a subplot that focuses more on the supernatural that I found a bit confusing but I just loved the focus on Baz and Dorian, so I was engulfed in those moments.

The center of this story deals with philosophical questions as well as reflection on one's life and Dorian has lived much but has he squandered it? Can he look past his fear of aging and death and what is he without that allure? It's a heartbreaking fear when we see him come undone.

He has cut himself off from letting anyone in and even though he is like the sun everyone revolves around, ultimately he is lonely. I loved the complexity of Dorian.

Also a wink to Rebecca on the connections to Gatsby from Beautiful Villain! This may not be quite as traditionally gothic in tone but if you want a supernatural splashed modern twist to Dorian Grey than look no further! Like his admirers, I too was a moth to Dorian's effervescent flame. He's fascinating and enigmatic but beneath the facade and beauty, he's hiding pain and fear, and I was irrevocably drawn to him.

As a reader of Rebecca's indie published books I'm loving these traditionally published books just as much! The story line is sticking true to Rebecca's style! I appreciate the details and research of the original story that went into Charming Devil. Can't wait to read the next one!

A sinfully seductive retelling of The Portrait of Dorian Gray, Charming Devil drips with decadence, danger, and desire. Rebecca Kenney breathes modern life into the myth of eternal beauty, infusing it with slow-burning romance, forbidden art, and the heavy weight of legacy.

Dorian Gray is still immortal, still flawless—on the outside. But the painting that’s held his secrets for over a century is unraveling, corroded by his unchecked hedonism. His last hope? Baz Allard, a fiercely independent artist and direct descendant of the original painter, Basil Hallward. Baz has inherited Basil’s rare gift... and his curse. She’s sworn never to paint another soul. But when Dorian comes begging for salvation—with charm like velvet and a heart wrapped in shadow—her vow starts to shake.

What follows is a spiraling descent into magic, madness, and irresistible connection. As Baz and Dorian dance around temptation, danger slinks from the corners. Something ancient stirs, and whether it’s curse or conspiracy, it wants them undone.

And at the bleeding center of it all is Dorian himself—tragic, terrifying, and endlessly magnetic:

"You want to peel back the layers? Snip away the skin, carve off the flesh, snap the bones and look inside? You want to see the rotted, putrid organ pumping away in my chest, feeding my carnal form? I can show it to you... Are you brave enough?"

Kenney doesn’t flinch from the grotesque or the tender. This story asks: can a soul this fractured be salvaged? And more importantly, should it be?

If you like your love stories laced with doom, your art haunted, and your characters beautifully broken, Charming Devil is your next obsession.

Perfect for fans of: gothic romance, modern myth retellings, morally grey men, and soul-deep longing.

I absolutely loved this book! Well written and I loved how Jay remembered all of Daisy's quirks! I also really enjoyed a lot of a banter, especially Nicks! Hes hilarious! I was not sure about her friend Jordan but honestly friends like her are the ones you really need in your corner!

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to really get into this one. The characters felt bland and uninteresting and unrealistic, honestly. I sort of felt like I was reading a parody more than anything else with the inclusion of TikTok. I felt TOLD rather than SHOWN that Baz & Dorian had any sort of romantic interest in one another. I really, really wanted to like this one, but it just fell flat for me.

First let the thank NetGalley for letting me have a e arc of this book! That being said apparently my Barnes apparently had this book early and I picked it up as soon as I saw it (for me Rebecca Kenney is an auto buy).
Unlike with beautiful villain I have never read the story this one is retelling. Actually I think it might be fun to read a picture of Dorian gray now and see if I can catch any parallels from this book! But this story is fun and exciting and I love how it ties to the last one! I’m excited because charming devil introduces an overarching story for this series! I’m very interested to see where that leads! Baz is a lovely complex character and I adore her relationship with Dorian! I can’t wait for the next one!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC.

I liked this one a bit better than the vampire Gatsby retelling, though it has a lot of the same issues. The Irish folklore used to explain the painting was a nice touch, with Wilde being a Irish writer and all. As much as the romantic leads are both queer, it feels weird to take a very homosexual novel (for its time) and make the central couple a traditional m/f pairing. The biggest issues I had with the book is how little is done with the supernatural threat until the final, rushed conclusion, as well as the use of modern pop culture stuff that dates it horribly. Dorian as a TikTok influencer, when that app is still in limbo here in the States, so is kinda cringe. These things are used so frequently to shove in your face that it's a modern retelling, when simply using current tech like cell phones and laptops, being able to video-call someone near anywhere, would establish that without dating it so much. I will also say, I like Baz as a character, but Dorian remains insufferable, and kinda still a terrible person by the end.

I really love the author and her retellings. This one was a good time but not necessarly the best one I've read so far :) I kind of could not connect with characters properly.

Honestly my biggest complain is making Dorian Gray blonde, lol. I loved Dorian, but the FMC drove my crazy and not in the good way.

3.5 stars

As The Picture Of Dorian Grey is one of my favourite classics, and Rebecca Kenney is one of my auto-read authors, i jumped at the chance to get this ARC! I love Rebecca’s writing, so this new novel seemed right up my alley.

However, i would say i still much prefer the author’s fantasy books—though Charming Devil was <i>good</i> i felt it lacked something to be at the level of some of my favourite RK books. Maybe it was simply that this wasn’t a fantasy, as i do strongly prefer books set in different worlds, or maybe it was that i found the plot to be a smidge predictable. Either way, my qualms don’t change the fact that this was a good book—just not one i would immediately recommend from the author.

Regardless, i truly did enjoy the Dorian Grey aspects of the story, and the man himself. Dorian was perfectly flawed, extravagant in every way, selfish, and decadent. I thought Rebecca did an excellent job of depicting someone who had let his long life corrode his care for others, especially with his backstory with Basil.
I felt like Baz could have had a little more character development (or even more time to let her personality shine though) because in comparison to Dorian, she felt a little one dimensional, but she was also a really interesting character and very strong in her decisions, which i liked. I would have preferred more time spent on their relationship (or a higher page count to do so), as i felt the last 25% or so had a very fast pace.

All in all, this WAS a good book, and one i enjoyed reading, though by far not one of my favourites from Rebecca.

The Picture of Dorian Gray has always been one of my favorite classic literature books. This is a fantastic retelling of that story with some magical elements added. Dorian, as we know has been kept alive and young by very special painting. But that portrait is showing lots of wear after so many many years. He wants to have his portrait redone by a woman named Baz. She is a descendant of the person who painted his original portrait. However she is scared to use her talent to pain portraits, knowing the havoc her talent can create. Will Baz be able to resist Dorian's charms? Or will she fall under his spell and do his bidding? I definitely recommend this wonderful book and author.

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.

🌟 4
🌶️ 3

Modern retelling of Dorian Gray!!! Aaaaa!!!

🎨 Modern retelling of Dorian Gray
🎨 Painter FMC
🎨 Dangerous and mysterious mmc
🎨 Morally grey mmc
🎨 must work together
🎨 tension & spice
🎨 easy to read

Honestly I was worried that the story wouldn’t do Dorian justice! And I’m usually very picky about retellings, but it’s not always about staying true to the story but to the character or vibes etc. and in this case I totally imagined Ben Barnes in his depiction of Dorian Grey the movie 👀 if you asked me what the story version is meant to look like I couldn’t tell you 😂

This was an interesting retelling with an easy to read vibes, satisfying spice, in an urban fantasy/ modern world with magic setting. Recommend.

I wanted to like it - I really did, but I haven't gotten far enough to mark it as "Read". This book piqued my interest because of it being a retelling of Dorian Gray, but it was so far removed from the original that I was struggling with reading it. Instead of weaving the original into modern times, the characters felt out of place and didn't held their own. Dorian Gray being a TikToker and filming hauls and routines was my final straw.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks and Rebecca F. Kenney for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a review.

I love this author so much, and was so excited to receive an ARC of Charming Devil! I really liked this book, and the romance in it was perfect. Definitely was not expecting the ending, and can't wait to continue reading the series!!

❛𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘮.❜

.

This book is a retelling of the famous classic, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and because I haven't read it I cannot compare these two.

So, the story follows Dorian Gray seeking help from a descendant of his past lover, Basil, when his painting starts to deteriorate. But because she had made a vow to herself that she wouldn't do any portraits because of what happened when she was a child, he makes her a deal.

I honestly loved the characters on their own.
Baz (a nickname for Basil. Yes, she was named after her ancestor..) had tattoos, one side of her head shaved & dyed hair and piercings. It was pretty neat to have a FMC who had this alternative look.

The side characters were also interesting—flawed in their own ways, but still entertaining.

I loved the magical/folkloric aspect of this book, and the reasoning behind Baz's abilities/gift.

What I wasn't particularly feeling was the main characters' romance.
Idk.. I didn't feel anything between them. The 🌶️ was hot ngl. But the pairing as a couple? Eh.
I do love Dorian's character development! Baz saw something in him and because of that he was able to change his debaucherous lifestyle.

I tried so hard, but every time I started this book, I got bored and ended up putting it down. I typically love books by this author, so I think this was a one off that I just couldn’t get into.

I really did not vibe with this. I wanted to love it, but I honestly did not feel the chemistry between the characters and it just turned me off to the entire book

*Charming Devil* is a captivating retelling of *The Picture of Dorian Gray*, and as someone who has long been fascinated by Dorian Gray's character, this book was a delightful and thought-provoking experience. From the very beginning, I was drawn to the complexity of Dorian’s character, whose mysterious nature and haunting beauty have always intrigued me. In Oscar Wilde’s original work, Dorian's tragic fate always left me wishing for a different, happier ending. *Charming Devil* offered a fresh perspective on this classic tale, allowing me to revisit a beloved character while exploring the “what ifs” that had always lingered in my mind.

The novel’s modern take on Dorian’s eternal youth and the moral consequences of his actions kept me hooked throughout. The author skillfully captures the essence of the original character—his charm, allure, and the dark complexity of his soul—while introducing a new layer of depth. In this retelling, Dorian is not just a beautiful and enigmatic figure; he is also someone grappling with the weight of his choices and their impact on those around him. This added emotional depth made the story even more compelling.

What I particularly appreciated about *Charming Devil* is how it explores the idea of self-destruction in the pursuit of perfection. In Wilde’s version, Dorian is cursed by his own vanity, but in this retelling, the author brings a sense of inner conflict that makes Dorian's journey feel more relatable and human. The novel explores themes of morality, beauty, and the cost of immortality in a way that feels fresh and poignant, offering readers a deeper emotional engagement with the character.

While the book honors the source material, it also takes creative liberties that make it a unique read. The pacing was well-done, with a good balance between introspection and the external plot, keeping me engaged without feeling bogged down by too much exposition. I found myself empathizing with Dorian in ways I hadn’t before, especially as he navigates his moral dilemmas and attempts to reconcile the price of his immortality.

In conclusion, *Charming Devil* is a beautifully written and emotionally resonant retelling that takes the best elements of Wilde’s original and adds layers of complexity and heart. If you’re a fan of *The Picture of Dorian Gray*, this novel is an excellent way to revisit the iconic character while delving into new themes and a potential path for redemption. It’s a must-read for anyone who has ever been intrigued by Dorian’s tragic beauty and the eternal question of what it means to live forever.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.1/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
KU AUS: Yes - coming out next year!

Charming Devil - @rebeccafkenneybooks
Coming out Feb 11 2025.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. @netgalley

This book is a Dorian Grey retelling with a wicked twist. It's a billionaire, monster, dabbling of paganism, age gap, immortal, magic, enemies to lovers style romance with a morally grey pansexual 🖤 MMC.

Dorian Grey is picture perfect. The most visually appealing man you've ever seen. Flawless in every way. It's not just his looks that are gorgeous it's his lifestyle. He lives a life of luxury and recklessness. He lives as if he can never die. And the truth is he can't. Thanks to a painting that captured his soul over 100 years ago. The portrait absorbs all his misdemeanors, all the negative emotions, all the harm that he does to himself. So Dorian lives without restraint until the day he notices the painting is starting to deteriorate.

Baz is an artist. One who vows she will never paint another portrait ever again. Not after what happened the last time. Not after she realized how easily she can hurt people. Baz has always felt a connection to the supernatural, a pull greater than the magic her ancestors gave her. When Dorian walks into her life begging for her to help save him she refuses. She won't do it, but Dorian is determined to sweeten the deal. Then the game begins.

I really like the original story of Dorian Grey. The way the painting takes the toll. The themes of moral decay and consequences of vanity. The question of whether a life is worth living forever if there is no love, if there is no consequence, when you can live forever, go wherever and do whatever you please does living lose its value. I think Rebecca channels this in a really interesting way. The influence of the supernatural elements of this story really changes the way we look at the story. I also really enjoy the way it overlaps into the bigger picture of the world. You can see how the series is going to come together with Beautiful Villain, and the rest of the stories to come.