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Wicked Villains · 2019

Desperate MeasuresSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?

by Katee Robert

Spice 5/5 (Scorching) · Darkness 3/5 (Dark) · 8 trigger warnings flagged · Series: Wicked Villains, book 1 of 7

Shelf note by Zade Masked

Desperate Measures is book 1 of Wicked Villains by Katee Robert, first out in 2019. The lane here is enemies to lovers and fantasy. Spice is scorching, with a lot of it on the page (5 of 5) and the darkness is dark, but there is light (3 of 5). We took the warnings from the Trigger Warning Database, a reader-run list. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.

First published: 28 May 2019 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 1 of Wicked Villains.

Desperate Measures tropes

On this shelf, Desperate Measures is filed under Enemies to lovers and Dark fantasy romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.

Desperate Measures spice level

Scorching · 5 of 5
Frequent, graphic, the point of many chapters.

More scorching books

Age rating: 18+, our call, not an official one. Spice 5/5, darkness 3/5.

Is Desperate Measures dark romance?

Yes. Desperate Measures scores 3 of 5 on our darkness scale (Dark).

Dark · 3 of 5
Harm is part of the romance, not a footnote.

Spice and darkness are separate scores. More dark books. How we rate.

Desperate Measures trigger warnings

Verified from author's content notes · Source: Katee Robert's book page (content notes), checked 13 October 2026. Flags grouped by us. Read the author's list.

Graphic (1) — open before you read

Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.

Moderate (4)

Harm, control, or obsession that is common in this lane.

Minor (3)

Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.

Full Desperate Measures trigger warnings

Wicked Villains reading order

Desperate Measures is book 1 of 7 in Katee Robert's Wicked Villains series. Start here.

  1. Book 1 Desperate Measures (this book) · 2019
  2. Book 2 Learn My Lesson · 2019
  3. Book 2.1 · novella Meg’s Punishment: A Learn My Lesson Bonus Short · 2019
  4. Book 3 A Worthy Opponent · 2020
  5. Book 3.1 · novella Tink's Special Punishment: A Worthy Opponent Bonus Short · 2020 not on our shelf yet
  6. Book 4 The Beast · 2020 not on our shelf yet
  7. Book 4.1 · novella The Wedding: The Beast Bonus Short · 2020 not on our shelf yet
  8. Book 5 The Sea Witch · 2020 not on our shelf yet
  9. Book 5.1 · novella Zurielle’s New Role: The Sea Witch Bonus Short · 2020 not on our shelf yet
  10. Book 6 Queen Takes Rose · 2020

Order checked against the Goodreads Wicked Villains series page on 9 October 2026. The Wicked Villains series in order.

Who it's for

Search the author's warning note Goodreads Romance.io StoryGraph Books like this

Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.

Missing a book? Suggest it.

Books like Desperate Measures

Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.

Books like Desperate Measures, with a reason for each

Questions readers actually ask

What is the spice level of Desperate Measures?

Desperate Measures spice level is 5 of 5 (Scorching). Frequent, graphic, the point of many chapters. Darkness is a separate score: 3 of 5 (Dark).

What are the Desperate Measures trigger warnings?

Graphic: Dubious consent. Moderate: Violence, Murder, Abuse, Blood. Minor: Death, Grief, Kink. These are book-specific flags from the author's own content notes, grouped by us, plus any community-sourced additions. Read the full list before you start.

Is Desperate Measures dark romance?

Yes. Desperate Measures scores 3 of 5 on our darkness scale (Dark). Harm is part of the romance, not a footnote.

What tropes are in Desperate Measures?

On this shelf Desperate Measures is filed under Enemies to lovers and Dark fantasy romance.

Who is Desperate Measures for?

For a reader who wants hate that tips over into wanting. Spice is scorching. Darkness is dark. Read the warnings on this page before you start.

What are some books like Desperate Measures?

Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: The Emperor's Enemy by Jasmine Mas; Leave Me Behind by K.M. Moronova; One Last Rainy Day: The Legacy of a Prince by Kate Stewart; The Order by Angel Lawson; A Crown in Shadows by Carissa Broadbent; A Dawn of Onyx by Kate Golden. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/desperate-measures.

Is Desperate Measures a standalone?

No. Desperate Measures is book 1 of 7 in the Wicked Villains series by Katee Robert.

What order should I read the Wicked Villains series in?

1. Desperate Measures; 2. Learn My Lesson; 2.1. Meg’s Punishment: A Learn My Lesson Bonus Short (novella); 3. A Worthy Opponent; 3.1. Tink's Special Punishment: A Worthy Opponent Bonus Short (novella); 4. The Beast; 4.1. The Wedding: The Beast Bonus Short (novella); 5. The Sea Witch; 5.1. Zurielle’s New Role: The Sea Witch Bonus Short (novella); 6. Queen Takes Rose.

How many books are in the Wicked Villains series?

The Wicked Villains series by Katee Robert has 7 main books, plus 4 novellas or bonus stories.

What is the Desperate Measures age rating?

We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 5/5 (scorching) and darkness at 3/5 (dark). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.

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