Wretched (Never after Series #3) by Emily McIntire Summary
Aperçu de Wretched (Never after Series #3)
In "Wretched," Emily McIntire flips The Wizard of Oz into a deliciously dark crime thriller where drug empress Evelina faces off against undercover agent Nicholas. With 141,000+ Goodreads ratings, this villain-protagonist romance challenges moral boundaries while redefining female power in fiction.
- Wretched reimagines The Wizard of Oz as a dark contemporary romance
- Emily McIntire's third Never After book features a morally grey heroine
- Evelina Westerly is a ruthless botanist running her family's drug empire
- Nicholas Woodsworth works undercover as a DEA agent infiltrating the Westerlys
- The enemies-to-lovers plot explores attraction between opposing moral worlds
- Wretched contains graphic violence and explicit sexual content throughout the story
- The Never After Series offers standalone fractured fairy tale retellings
- McIntire balances suspense thriller elements with steamy romance in Wretched
- The novel explores whether love survives when both partners embrace darkness
- Evelina seeks revenge for her murdered sister while running criminal operations
- Wretched questions if redemption exists for characters with criminal pasts
- The book portrays a powerful female villain as the romantic lead
À propos de l'auteur de Wretched (Never after Series #3)
Emily McIntire is the #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of Wretched and a leading voice in dark romance fiction. Known for her signature blend of steam, slow burns, and morally complex characters, McIntire has captivated readers with her Never After series—twisted fairy tale retellings that explore forbidden love and dangerous obsessions. Wretched, the third installment in this acclaimed series, showcases her talent for reimagining classic stories with darker, more sensual themes.
Beyond the Never After series, McIntire has authored the Sugarlake series and Defying the Stars duology, demonstrating her versatility across romance sub-genres.
Her compelling storytelling has earned features in People Magazine, Cosmopolitan, and Daytime Chicago. A stage IV breast cancer thriver, she uses her platform to uplift others while continuing to deliver emotionally charged narratives. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages, cementing her status as an internationally recognized romance author.
FAQ sur Wretched (Never after Series #3)
What is Wretched by Emily McIntire about?
Wretched by Emily McIntire is a dark romance novel that reimagines The Wizard of Oz with morally complex characters. The story follows Evelina Westerly, a ruthless botanist running her family's drug empire, who has a one-night stand with a mysterious man who later appears as an undercover DEA agent infiltrating her organization. As attraction battles disgust, they must navigate their dangerous chemistry while their missions threaten to destroy them both.
Who is Emily McIntire and what is her writing style?
Emily McIntire is a #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author known for her dark romance novels featuring steam, slow burns, and morally questionable characters. Her books have been translated into over a dozen languages and she specializes in fractured fairy tale retellings through her Never After series. McIntire is a stage IV breast cancer thriver whose work has been featured in People, Cosmopolitan, and other major outlets.
Who should read Wretched by Emily McIntire?
Wretched by Emily McIntire is ideal for readers who enjoy dark romance, morally grey characters, and enemies-to-lovers tropes with high heat levels. Fans of fractured fairy tales, undercover romance storylines, and powerful female villains will appreciate this book. However, readers should be comfortable with graphic sex scenes, violence, and themes involving drug empires and criminal activities.
Is Wretched by Emily McIntire worth reading?
Wretched by Emily McIntire delivers a compelling dark romance with strong character development and intense chemistry between leads. Reviewers praise the suspenseful storyline that goes beyond typical romance, featuring a badass female protagonist and complex moral dilemmas. The book successfully balances steamy romance with thriller elements, though some readers wanted a more expansive ending. It's particularly worth reading for fans of unconventional heroines and morally complex love stories.
How does Wretched by Emily McIntire reimagine The Wizard of Oz?
Wretched by Emily McIntire transforms The Wizard of Oz into a contemporary dark romance by reimagining the villain's perspective. The story features "Flying Monkey" heroin produced under metaphorical yellow brick roads, with Evelina as a wicked woman running the drug operation. Rather than following Dorothy's journey, Emily McIntire centers the narrative on the morally grey antagonist, exploring themes of power, corruption, and redemption through a criminal empire lens.
Can Wretched by Emily McIntire be read as a standalone?
Wretched by Emily McIntire is the third book in the Never After series but functions as a complete standalone novel. Each book in the Never After series reimagines different fairy tales with unique characters and storylines, requiring no prior knowledge of previous installments. Readers can start with Wretched by Emily McIntire without reading Hooked (Peter Pan retelling) or Scarred (The Lion King retelling) first.
What makes Evelina Westerly unique as a romance protagonist?
Evelina Westerly stands out as a morally grey female villain who serves as the brains, brawn, and botanist behind her family's drug empire. Unlike traditional romance heroines, Evelina is ruthless, bat-shit crazy, and puts guns to people's heads while seeking revenge for her sister's murder. Emily McIntire portrays her as simultaneously great and terrible, struggling for her father's approval while maintaining her role as his secret weapon.
What is the main conflict in Wretched by Emily McIntire?
The central conflict in Wretched by Emily McIntire involves the collision between Evelina's criminal world and Nicholas's undercover mission to destroy it. After sharing an unforgettable one-night stand, they discover their opposing roles when Nicholas infiltrates the Westerly drug empire under a false identity. The tension escalates as attraction wars with disgust, forcing Nicholas to choose between his duty and loving a wretched woman.
How steamy is Wretched by Emily McIntire?
Wretched by Emily McIntire contains extremely graphic sex scenes that reviewers rate as "6 out of 5 peppers" on the spice scale. The sexual content is explicit enough that readers recommend using noise-canceling headphones for the audiobook version. Emily McIntire's signature steam and slow burn style is prominently featured throughout, making Wretched by Emily McIntire suitable only for adult readers comfortable with high heat levels.
What are the main themes in Wretched by Emily McIntire?
Wretched by Emily McIntire explores themes of moral ambiguity, questioning whether someone inherently bad can be worthy of love. The novel examines daddy issues and the desperate need for parental approval, as Evelina struggles to gain her father's recognition despite running his empire. Additional themes include revenge, redemption, the grey areas between right and wrong, and how hatred can transform into love when two dark souls recognize their shared darkness.
How does Wretched by Emily McIntire compare to other Never After books?
Wretched by Emily McIntire follows the same fractured fairy tale formula as Hooked (Peter Pan) and Scarred (The Lion King) but features a female villain protagonist unlike the previous male-centered stories. Each Never After book by Emily McIntire maintains dark romance elements with morally questionable characters and high steam levels. While all are standalones, Wretched by Emily McIntire particularly stands out for centering a ruthless female antagonist and incorporating criminal thriller elements alongside romance.
What content warnings apply to Wretched by Emily McIntire?
Wretched by Emily McIntire contains graphic violence, explicit sexual content, drug trade storylines, murder, and morally corrupt characters. The book includes scenes of Evelina threatening people with guns, seeking revenge for her sister's death, and operating a criminal drug empire. Readers should be aware of the dark romance genre conventions, including potentially triggering content related to organized crime, undercover deception, and characters who commit violent acts.
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Thèmes clés dans Wretched (Never after Series #3)
Citations de Wretched (Never after Series #3)
"This isn't just a retelling-it's a complete reinvention..."
He dismisses love as "a chemical reaction that people pretend is more."
"The poppies are a means to an end,"
"trying too hard."
Eveline Westerly is not someone who can be saved.
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Cree par des anciens de Columbia University a San Francisco
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"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
Cree par des anciens de Columbia University a San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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