This is a great book that breathes new life into the iconic story of Dorian Gray. From the very first page, I was captivated by the rich, atmospheric prose and the compelling characters. The book delves into the dark and seductive world of Dorian Gray, whose portrait has kept him flawless for over a century but is now deteriorating due to his life of reckless decadence. The storytelling shines in this novel, weaving together themes of art, magic, and desire with finesse. Baz's internal struggle and the haunting past that drives her reluctance to use her gift add depth and complexity to her character. The tension between Baz and Dorian is amazing, and their chemistry electric. The twists and turns kept me on the edge of my seat, and the intricate web of conflicting motives and emotions left me eagerly turning the pages.

This is a must-read for fans of dark, romantic fantasy, and Rebecca Kenney has truly created a mesmerizing masterpiece that will stay with me long after the final page.

CWs: lots of violence, sex, anything with dark romance, mentions of parental death, gruesome, bloody death, body horror, homophobia/biphobia (on page and in characterization).

So, I will give credit in this having a male character who is shown to have sexual attraction to multiple genders. As well as the FMC. However, the good part ends there, in the same breath, Dorian is promiscuous and flagrant with his partners, until super-special-FMC of course. I’m not against sex at all, but to have promiscuity in a bisexual character kind of fulfills a negative stereotype about queer people, especially bisexual and pansexual people. And Baz’s bisexuality is pretty minuscule and offhandedly mentioned. I don’t think she needs to date women on page, or at all, to be queer, but this is just felt tacked on and half-assed/

The writing was very readable/consumable, but Anne Rice and Rachel Harrison are two examples off the top of my head that write the same atmosphere but with better representation and more bearable characters.

This book wasn’t awful, or the worst book I’ve read (that honor belongs to the Scarlett Letter) but it isn’t the best, far from it. I wouldn’t have continued this book except well, it’s kind of like really trashy reality TV. It’s fun to read.

Dorian’s an ass, Baz is very NLOG/pick me coded. She reminds me of someone who would roll her eyes every time she sees teenagers squealing over One Direction, she just comes off as holier-than-thou to me. Dorian comes off as the guy who thinks every woman in the room wants to be with him (within the first few chapters, this guy hounds Baz for a date, and when she turns him down, he just says “see you at seven!”).

Maybe it’s a genre thing, dark romance really isn’t my thing, I prefer cuter things and I think this really fits the dark romance genre really well. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, it’s just not to my taste. For people who like that genre, this book is perfect.

The plot and magic system isn’t generic at all, it’s inventive, not totally unique but pretty inventive. In its outline, it’s good, but it just fell to too many clichés for me. I didn’t like it.

The concept in this book was an extremely clever take on Dorian Gray. I liked the idea that his sins in life would reflect upon his portrait, so “timeless” he might be but still he is affected within life.

Desperate to “fix” his portrait and longevity, he seeks out Baz, a talented artist with the magical ability the original artist had (family relations). Baz takes some convincing to help Dorian, which was to be expected. Baz doesn’t trust easy, a complicated past taught her to be careful. Yet, she is still unable to fully block out the charm that Dorian presents,

The main storyline flows nicely and organically but I can’t like the underlying plot is just as captivating. The characters balance each other well, Baz can be a bit headstrong with her thoughts and ideas which comes off as closed minded at times but I felt like towards the end, she did have some growth. Dorian, is wealthy, influential and of course charming, he has used that to his advantage in the past and it shows,

Their imperfections balanced and they were capable of showing them in time. It’s an easy and fun read,

Ohhh Dorian. Who could ever deny you?!?
This is a fun take on the infamous painting of the one and only Dorian Grey. He’s lived for so long, so wrongly, that he finds his life in actual danger. He must find an ancestor of his original artist and convince them to save him…all while coming head to head with some supernatural stick dogs.

Thank you net galley and source books Casablanca for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

When I think of a retailing of Dorian Grey this is not what I expect, but I loved it. I could not put it down! I read it in under 24 hours. The pacing and the characters were great and couldn’t help but to want the, to win!

An Absolutely phenomenal continuation to a great series. Who doesn’t love a morally gray hunk? I really loved the concept of this book. It’s not super often you find people willing to take classical literature and do something amazing with it.

A Decent Retelling, But Some Elements Fell Flat
"Charming Devil" had a lot of potential, and it definitely had its moments. I enjoyed the fresh take on the classic "Picture of Dorian Gray" story, with the gender-bent Basil and the magical twist. The author's writing style is engaging, and the pacing kept me turning the pages.
However, some aspects held me back from fully loving this book. I felt the chemistry between the main characters could have been stronger. While their relationship developed, it lacked the spark I was hoping for. Additionally, some of the plot points felt a bit rushed, and I would have liked to see more depth in certain areas.
Overall, "Charming Devil" is an enjoyable read for fans of retellings and those looking for a light, magical romance. While it didn't completely blow me away, it was still a decent story with some interesting ideas.

I have never read the source material for this retelling, but I don’t think that’s necessary to enjoy this book. Baz harbors a powerful secret that haunts what brings her joy, her art. She has lived with such powerful guilt but strives to live a content life. Baz tries her best, and I can admire that. Though I wanted to shake her at many points. Dorian was a hypnotizing figure, but I liked that Baz fought to look beyond. For a good chunk of the book, it felt like there were two stories at once. I'm glad that all of the dots connected by the end. There was a satisfying conclusion with intrigue leading you to anticipate the next book in the series.

This is a Dorian Gray retelling. I definitely enjoyed this author's variation of the original story. I found the relationship between the characters to be interesting and they held my attention throughout the story.

I loved this ARC! Dorian Gray is one of my favorite classic characters and Rebecca did a fantastic job incorporating everything Dorian into a current timeline. Perfect job and I can't wait for the paperback to come out so it can go on my trophy shelf!

absolutely love all of this author's retellings. it was a little slow in some parts, but it was still really good. spice was popping.

Received as an ARC, and though yes I loved the book and in so many way it had me captivated and couldnt stop turning the pages some of the scenes had me stopping just because I didnt enjoy it, now Im not saying anything bad by it im just saying some spots bored me. But thats okay, that was only one small thing.

The rest of the book, OMG! I loved it, easy to get lost into, the characters where believable and the plot had me sucked in, I felt like I was living in the pages and feeling what the Characters felt. Also if you liked The picture Of Dorian Grey then this book is right up your ally, the author has a way of capturing your attention and keeping it,

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC! I always love the spicy retellings by Kenney! I can never get enough, and this one did NOT disappoint! I couldn’t put it down once I started reading it. I loved Dorian, of course, but Baz got on my nerves throughout the book. I hope Kenney keeps up this universe and adds more classic retallings!

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley

Baz is an artist with magical powers that only manifest when she paints, a clear moral compass and a tragic past. Dorian is a caricature of a person who is blinded by selfishness, indulgence and apathy for others. After a chance encounter with one of Baz’s ancestors, Dorian has immortality but in order to keep it, he needs Baz’s help. Rather than show is true self, he gives her the fake Dorian he’s shown everyone for decades and Baz can see right through it.

I loved this book, as I do all of Rebecca Kenney’s novels. I love banter in novels, to me it gives the characters depth and this novel hit a home run. I typically dont like slow burns but I loved this book so much, I forgot it was supposed to have spice, I just loved the story.

If you love paranormal/ supernatural spicy romances with a retelling twist, this book (and truly all RK books) are for you!

This was a fun and clever retelling of a classic tale with a modern day setting. I did enjoy it a little more than the previous in the series- though standalone they are apart of a larger connected world.

I enjoyed Dorians character, but the mfc Baz was irritable at times. The twist at the end was nice! But I felt left with several questions in the end.

Another retelling from RK that made me want to watch the movie! I really enjoyed this version you've written. I loved the HEA, I enjoyed the thought process this provoked. The question of good vs bad.

I wish there was more spice, but I loved the relationship development between Dorian and Baz. Great book, Rebecca!!

Forever a fan!

I love classics (and I really do love Oscar Wilde), but I also love retelling, continuations, and ‘fan fiction’ so when I saw this ad read the synopsis I was immediately interested.

Despite my preference for preferring ‘continuations’ in a similar writing style, Charming Devil pulled me right in.

Clever and with a very cute cat (Screwtape - is this a nod to CS Lewis’s titular character in The Screwtape Letters?), I found Charming Devil to be a fun and enjoyable read.

This was my first time reading Ms Kenney’s work; I will absolutely read more.



Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the DRC

Wow this was so much fun! I absolutely love a retelling of the classics, and the Picture of Dorian Grey is one of my favorites, so this was calling my name. The premise immediately hooked me, and I loved the clever folklore tie-ins and the dark, mysterious plot balanced with a complicated romance. The universe Kenney is building, with appearances from other literary characters, is a delight—I’m a sucker for stories that blend iconic literary figures in creative ways. The main characters, especially the FMC (and her cat!), kept me completely invested. I’m eager to dive into the other books in this series to see where this universe takes us next, and go back and read the first.

I loved this book more than I expected. It was so well written and there was a lot going on but it never got overwhelming and it moved seamlessly. I'm definitely going to need to go back and read the first book even though it is t necessary to read this one.

I’ll admit, initially, I was a little put off by the idea of a retelling of The Portrait of Dorian Gray without the queer elements included. I should have known better, because of all the novels I have read by Rebecca Kenney, I have never once been disappointed by the respect for the source material and the execution of a well written story. This was no different. Particularly so when we consider that it isn’t so much a retelling as it is a continuation of Dorian’s story. Being the immortal man that he is. Hallward’s painting still exists, albeit is reaching a point of decomposition due to Dorian’s hedonistic and fast-living ways, that Dorian is forced to scour the world for a new painter, one who can achieve what Basil did before them thus allowing him to continue his frenzied debauchery.

He ultimately finds his new artist in Baz, a painter that has been forbidden from ever painting the likeness of another human being due to a bloodline ability that tethers the subject’s soul to the painting. A gift, or curse, that Baz was informed of far too late and only after her parents both passed on does, she truly understand the whispering premonitions that have plagued her for her entire life. Naturally, she wants nothing to do with Dorian – who, in the modern era, is a pompous and social media in touch influencer.

Dorian, however, is convincing in the way that he can creep into Baz’s mind, coaxing her into a life she’s craved for much of her adult life, and ultimately coerces her into a Faustian bargain that, once fulfilled, would give them both what they desire most: Dorian, a way to continue his hedonistic and immortal ways, and Baz, an entrance into the right avenues of the art world.

Overall, the book was well-written and enjoyable for me. I loved the characterization of a modern Dorian Gray, and I even enjoyed Baz as a female-contemporary to Basil. Albeit, her tendency to try and encourage her beliefs and understandings onto others became a bit of a nuisance until quite a bit into the novel. I think Baz’s sensibilities are justified, however, given what she’s experienced and the way she’s steeled herself to the world as a result.

What always enraptures me in anything written by Kenney, though, is the world she crafts. Even when the setting is modern, or the world we know, there is a particular edginess to it that makes it undeniably different. And this was no exception. There is a unique mythology that comes along with the Gilded Monsters and a secondary villain to Dorian that contributes to a compelling story full of twists, turns and just the right amount of spice.

As always, I would like to thank NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca and Rebecca Kenney for the opportunity to read this in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Five out of five moons, no question. And a further emphasis that if Rebecca Kenney writes it, then I will read it.

Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕 | 5/5