Charming Devil
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
**SPECIAL DELUXE EDITION WITH STAINED EDGES, CHARACTER ART, AND MORE.**
He’s the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen…and the most dangerous. Eternally young and full of a brilliant passion that may ultimately be the end of me: my perfect Dorian Gray.
The painting that’s kept Dorian Gray flawless for over a century is beginning to fall apart, rotted by his life of reckless decadence. Desperate, he seeks out the only person who might be able to save him: a talented young painter descended from Dorian’s first love.
Baz may have the same magical gift as her ancestor, but she’s vowed never to paint anyone’s likeness again. Haunted by the memory of the terrible price her talent can exact, she swears she will not be swayed—not even by the seductive words dripping like venom from the lips of the most beautiful man she’s ever met.
Yet as Dorian tries to persuade Baz by any means possible, they become aware of a darker, deadlier magic awakening around them. Dangerous forces, long dormant, have been stirred by Baz’s presence…and are determined to have her no matter the cost. As tensions rise and desire flares ever-hotter, Baz and Dorian become trapped in a complex web of conflicting motives, messy emotions, and a growing, desperate passion that may well consume them both.
An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray with a magical twist.
RICH BONUS FEATURES INCLUDE:
• Sprayed edges
• Gorgeous b&w interior art
• Additional scenes
• And more!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kenney follows Beautiful Villain with a steamy modern tribute to Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray that replaces Wilde's wit and transgressive sexuality with a heaping dose of angsty romantasy tropes. Baz Allard, a 20-something artist in Charleston, S.C., is the last surviving descendant of Basil Hallward, the painter of Dorian Gray's magical portrait. She meets the immortal Dorian when he asks her to paint him a new one, as the original has begun to decay and he worries his hedonistic life is under threat. Baz refuses Dorian's initial offer, but he persuades her to give him two weeks to convince her by taking her under his wing and showing her all the pleasures life has to offer, while also introducing her to influential people in the art world. The story moves at a steady clip and has plenty of heat and magical intrigue to hold readers' attention. Wilde fans, however, will likely be disappointed by the central relationship: the dynamic between brooding, bisexual bad boy Dorian and Baz, who comes off as a manic pixie dream girl, has more in common with Twilight's Bella and Edward than the original Dorian and Basil. The result is best suited for die-hard Kenney fans with no attachment to the classic work she's riffing on.
