I absolutely loved Desperate Measures when it originally released and was so excited to see that it was getting a deluxe edition! Yasmina (Jasmine) has always lived in a golden cage. When her father’s man Jafar stages a coup, the owner of her cage changes hands. But Jafar wants Yasmina and the games they play are incredibly satisfying to them both. When a dark threat tries to steal Yasmina away, will their bond be strong enough? 

I love how Katee Robert poses the questions of what if Jasmine was interested in Jafar instead and what if Ali (Aladdin) is not the hero that we think we know. I also love how queer this entire series is and it starts here with Yasmina and Jafar. Queerness and villains have been intertwined before, but Katee takes it to an incredible level of steamy romance. Katee masterfully writes about the power exchange between them, the importance of consent, and how Jafar stops everything at Yasmina’s safe word. The romance between Yasmina and Jafar is explosive, spicy, and satisfying. The politics and world-building of Carver City are fascinating and readers meet characters who will feature in later books in the Wicked Villains series.  

The deluxe edition includes beautiful new artwork, annotations from Katee, and several bonus short stories. Katee’s annotations are excellent and provide additional insight into the story and their writing process. I loved this return to the story that started it all and can’t wait to see future deluxe editions (because who doesn't love a villain written by Katee Robert!).

Thank you to Katee Robert, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.