Wretched (Never After)

Wretched (Never After) by Emily McIntire is a dark romance novel that twists a familiar fairytale villain into a modern antiheroine at the heart of a dangerous underworld. Part of the Never After series of fractured fairytales, it combines crime, passion, and moral ambiguity in a contemporary setting where loyalty and betrayal collide. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy gritty, high-stakes love stories with morally grey characters and a sultry, suspenseful atmosphere.​

The story follows Evelina Westerly, the sharp, ruthless daughter of a crime family, who serves as the brains, brawn, and botanist behind her father’s drug empire. Focused on perfecting her greenhouse operation and relentlessly seeking revenge for her sister’s death, Evelina has no interest in romance—until a charged one-night stand with a mysterious stranger upends her carefully controlled life. When that same man appears in her world under a different name as the newest employee in the Westerly operation, their attraction ignites a dangerous cat-and-mouse game where hidden identities and conflicting loyalties threaten everything at stake.​

This dark romance leans into themes of power, vengeance, identity, and the possibility of redemption for people branded as villains. The tone is intense and edgy, with steamy scenes, sharp dialogue, and a plot that blends emotional tension with criminal intrigue. Fans of contemporary mafia romance or reimagined fairytales with adult twists will find Wretched a bold, addictive read that stands out within the Never After series.​