Charming devil

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. (Feb.)

A recent inheritance brings Baz new opportunities to follow her muse and paint in a new city. Then the decadent and persuasive Dorian Gray appears, seeking a portrait from Baz, even though it's not a style she paints. It's more than dislike for portraiture that keeps Baz from painting likenesses: she has a dangerous magical ability that killed her father. Dorian knows of her ability, though, as it is the same one that Baz's ancestor (the man who was Dorian's first love) wielded to allow him to live hedonistically for over a century. Dorian has two weeks to change Baz's mind about saving his life and portrait from destruction. Magic and danger swirl around every corner, bringing them closer together as other supernatural forces seek to use Baz's inherent power for their own desires. However, Dorian must decide how far he will go to change Baz's mind to use her gift and how much more of himself he can stand to lose. VERDICT This second "Gilded Monsters" book (after Beautiful Villain, based on The Great Gatsby) is a clever, magical, and sexy twist on Oscar Wilde's The Portrait of Dorian Gray.--Jenna Harmison