These Violent Delights

If you have a phobia about insects you may want to pick up a different book. It's amazing but just wanted to put that out there. The best way to go about a retelling in my opinion is to change enough so that the story has a sheen of freshness and then there's a point you go "oh yes! I remember now!" So Romeo and Juliet. In 1926. Shanghai. A murderous monster. And a madness that causes people to rip out their own throats? Yipes! It's a bonkers theill ride filled with heart and vengeance and unflappable flappers and I loved every bit of it.

I dont usually write book reviews because I feel books are so subjective. What one person loves another might not. But this is one I felt I had to review. The premise is fantastic. Romeo and Juliette in a gangster filled Shanghai in the 20s with a water monster? Sign up me. The problem? It takes about 100 pages to really pull you in. Its written from multiple points of view at times but they all could be written from the same character. The author does a lot of telling and not enough SHOWING. For a lot of sentences I found myself mentally rewriting them to how they would have flowed better. That being said, in the end I did enjoy the book and I will be reading the sequel. The author is I believe only 22, I dont think she has truly found her voice yet, and she has all the makings to have her future work be FANTASTIC with just a little tweaking.

In this marvelous, ambitious reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, talented wordsmith Chloe Gong takes readers on a sweeping, sublime journey, where something sinister lurks just below the surface of the glitz, the glamour, and intrigue of 1920's Shanghai. Set in this dazzling "Paris of the East," the story begins with our main leads, Juliette Cai, the daughter of Chinese gangster royalty, and Roma Montagov, the son of Russian émigrés who fled during the Bolshevik Revolution, who remain at the epicenter of an ongoing blood feud between their respective families, the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers. While the Cais have typically ruled Shanghai with an iron fist for generations, the Montagovs, with their gradual but steady climb to power, threaten to usurp the Cais' longtime stranglehold over the city. As this feud begins to rack up a higher body count in the streets day-by-day, the underworld faces its own threat against other emerging power players, such as the Foreign Concessions, the Communists, and the Kuomintang, with all these separate factions jockeying for control over Shanghai. From page one, I was immediately hooked with Gong's exquisite, spectacular prose, her cast of unforgettable characters, jaw-dropping plot twists, and an wholly immersive, beautifully-rendered world of 1920's Shanghai, which was intricately, wonderfully bought to life. The sizzling, slow-burn romance between Juliette and Roma, while they grapple against past mistakes, missed opportunities, and blazing hopes that could very well lead to a secure future or complete ruin, is sure to delight readers - since one can't help but root for them as these rival heirs attempt to defy their starcrossed fate. Though, Juliette and Roma are also supported by an equally standout, secondary cast of characters including: intense but sensitive Benedikt Montagov, hilarious, devil-without-a care, #sinammon roll Marshall Seo, and viciously loyal Kathleen Lang. I for one, am certainly looking forward to the next installment of THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, as Gong is simply an extraordinary YA talent to keep in mind, with this stunning, historical fantasy debut.

The premise of this story was intriguing and it had so much potential but it just lacked the punch I expected. There was no point I was completely enthralled with the characters or the writing. The female lead had such potential, she was very strong but I was hoping to see that strength displayed with a bit more dimension, she lacked the vulnerability that would have made her strength shine. The romance element was a small part of the overall arc of the story which I liked but even that was lukewarm. This story had so much potential but I feel it missed the mark on so many opportunities. Very wordy but unnecessarily so. I don't mind words when they are used to create an atmosphere but at one point I skipped 25 pages and didn't miss anything of importance. The cover design is gorgeous and the premise was a truly imaginative remake of the classic.

Finally...I'm done!!! I am definitely one of the minority in loving this book. This is a book that was so hyped up I HAD to snag it, especially since I love a good retelling. Well for me, this failed immensely. I was so excited to start this as it's a Romeo and Juliet retelling and I haven't read one like this yet. This had such a great premise but I struggled to even WANT to read this as it is just so boring. It's not just a slow burn....it's a yawn fest. This is touted as a historical fantasy, romance and mystery. I really enjoyed the historical aspects and the darkness of this ... hence the 3 stars. BUT the mysterious madness takes 95% of the book to come to light with nothing happening except a lot of talk and breaking-and-entering. As far as the romance goes...you get subtle references to Roma and Juliette's history but that's about it. There is no build up, no love/hate flirtations .. just bland scenes .. even when they finally come together it's quick and boring. I am so disappointed with this one and won't even bother to finish the series.

As a lover of Shakespeare and the original play, I couldn't wait to read when I found out about Chloe Gong's debut novel retelling the classic tale in 1920s Shanghai. I was also particularly excited at the implementation of AAPI representation in the story. From the first page, I was blown away by the intricacy of this book - Gong effortlessly weaves in complex social and political elements in a story about star-crossed lovers and monsters in an already chaotic city. These elements come together in a beautiful and symphonic way that is such an easy page-turner despite its many layers. Any lover of historical novels, romance, YA, Shakespeare, or even just excellent writing should absolutely treat themselves to this book - I promise it will be worth it. I'm waiting patiently for book 2's release after that suspenseful ending!

THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS is a delightful Romeo and Juliet retelling that takes readers to the dark and dangerous streets of 1920’s Shanghai filled with gangsters, street wars, betrayal, and bloodshed. Much as you would expect between the Montagues and the Capulets, or, in this case, the Montagovs and the Cais. There are monsters, there is madness, there is romance, but the highlight for me was the inclusion of so many realistic themes, including (but not limited to) colonialism and political unrest. Historically, so many countries were vying for political domination over China, primarily the Russian Communist Party, which played directly into the feud between these two families. Also important to part of the storyline is the conflict between laborers and the government, which resulted in the subsequent beginnings of the working-class revolution. I loved that not only did Gong give readers a dark and delightful fantasy, but she took it a step further and infused her tale with so much period history that it felt like the best history lesson in the history of history lessons. A page-turning, bloody, can’t-put-it-down history lesson. Bottom line — THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS was a gritty, gory delight filled with plenty of twists and turns. It’s light on both romance and fantasy, but most definitely heavy in politics and conflict. In true Shakespearean fashion, the ending most definitely is a tragedy, though I certainly won’t go into any detail. Suffice it to say that there aren’t any rainbows and butterflies at the end of this tale, but there most definitely is blood. And bugs. *eARC received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

My book came damaged but I kept it anyway since I could still read it and if you kept the cover page on you couldn't notice. I was still upset, though.... What an ending! The story was a little slow in the beginning and it took me a bit to get into it. This is a big book and, even after reading some reviews, I was expecting more romance than there was, yet this is a modern-day retelling of "Romeo and Juliet". Can I just say that Benedict and Marshall are EVERYTHING. I KNOW there was something between them...there had to be. I can't be the only one who saw it. This was a beautifully written novel and an amazing first novel (how is this a first novel?!) If you are into an old classic retelling, with a lot of politics, gangs at war, and angsty romance then this is the book for you! I might read the second novel just for the ending of this one and to find out if the love interests end up together (finally); I mean they have to, right?

A clash of Chinese and Russian gangs in the city of Shanghai where a madness has forced two ex-lovers to set aside their differences to save the people they love and the city that's theirs. I love the way the author adds the reference of Romeo and Juliet to the characters induces the reader to feel creeped out by the madness that's running amuck in the city. Great characterization and human feel to them, but also keeping the essence of ill-fated love. Wished for more stolen moments, however, excited to see more of Roma's dark side in the sequel. The monster reveal was a bit disappointing to me as was the action scenes in the end. Was expecting more fight between the antagonist and the monster. The blood feud of the gangster caught more of my attention than the antagonist. The real MVP of the book, however is a runner-up between Kathleen and Marshall. Overall, very well done.

Absolutely amazing. There are a lot of reasons why I adore this book and for one it’s hard to limit it to one review(non spoiler of course) but let’s try for that arc🤞🏽Juliet Cai is one of the strongest female leads I’ve ever read it about, hands down. Now people tend to say this a lot, but there wasn’t a moment where I was worried she wouldn’t stand for what she believed in. Even when she was wrong she dealt with her mistakes with such class and dignity, it is absolutely inspiring how a heroine can be so self aware and proud even in the hardest of times. When death was all around her and the home she loved and knew so well became engrossed with foreigners, she still stood for what she believed in. And Roma, my sweet sweet Roma, is one of the most beautifully written characters ever. He gives you the sense of being able to rip your heart out and melt it at the same exact time. I don’t understand how. And his voice is just so persistent and loud, I could hear him while reading so clearly. And Marshall...that’s for you to read and find out. Trust me, you’ll love him. The writing was also nothing short of amazing. It’s set in the 1920s so I was a bit hesitant because usually I don’t ever feel a sense of genuineness with dialogue in other stories. But wow Miss Gong knows what she’s doing and please never stop. I found myself highlighting the most simple movements and gestures because they were described so beautifully. I wish I could give this story a million stars, but alas Amazon and goodreads haven’t reached that level yet(this book has though). I suggest you read this book 100% please give it a chance and I hope you love it with all you got. Have an amazing day and stay safe!

If you have a phobia about insects you may want to pick up a different book. It's amazing but just wanted to put that out there. The best way to go about a retelling in my opinion is to change enough so that the story has a sheen of freshness and then there's a point you go "oh yes! I remember now!" So Romeo and Juliet. In 1926. Shanghai. A murderous monster. And a madness that causes people to rip out their own throats? Yipes! It's a bonkers theill ride filled with heart and vengeance and unflappable flappers and I loved every bit of it.

I dont usually write book reviews because I feel books are so subjective. What one person loves another might not. But this is one I felt I had to review. The premise is fantastic. Romeo and Juliette in a gangster filled Shanghai in the 20s with a water monster? Sign up me. The problem? It takes about 100 pages to really pull you in. Its written from multiple points of view at times but they all could be written from the same character. The author does a lot of telling and not enough SHOWING. For a lot of sentences I found myself mentally rewriting them to how they would have flowed better. That being said, in the end I did enjoy the book and I will be reading the sequel. The author is I believe only 22, I dont think she has truly found her voice yet, and she has all the makings to have her future work be FANTASTIC with just a little tweaking.

In this marvelous, ambitious reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, talented wordsmith Chloe Gong takes readers on a sweeping, sublime journey, where something sinister lurks just below the surface of the glitz, the glamour, and intrigue of 1920's Shanghai. Set in this dazzling "Paris of the East," the story begins with our main leads, Juliette Cai, the daughter of Chinese gangster royalty, and Roma Montagov, the son of Russian émigrés who fled during the Bolshevik Revolution, who remain at the epicenter of an ongoing blood feud between their respective families, the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers. While the Cais have typically ruled Shanghai with an iron fist for generations, the Montagovs, with their gradual but steady climb to power, threaten to usurp the Cais' longtime stranglehold over the city. As this feud begins to rack up a higher body count in the streets day-by-day, the underworld faces its own threat against other emerging power players, such as the Foreign Concessions, the Communists, and the Kuomintang, with all these separate factions jockeying for control over Shanghai. From page one, I was immediately hooked with Gong's exquisite, spectacular prose, her cast of unforgettable characters, jaw-dropping plot twists, and an wholly immersive, beautifully-rendered world of 1920's Shanghai, which was intricately, wonderfully bought to life. The sizzling, slow-burn romance between Juliette and Roma, while they grapple against past mistakes, missed opportunities, and blazing hopes that could very well lead to a secure future or complete ruin, is sure to delight readers - since one can't help but root for them as these rival heirs attempt to defy their starcrossed fate. Though, Juliette and Roma are also supported by an equally standout, secondary cast of characters including: intense but sensitive Benedikt Montagov, hilarious, devil-without-a care, #sinammon roll Marshall Seo, and viciously loyal Kathleen Lang. I for one, am certainly looking forward to the next installment of THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, as Gong is simply an extraordinary YA talent to keep in mind, with this stunning, historical fantasy debut.

The premise of this story was intriguing and it had so much potential but it just lacked the punch I expected. There was no point I was completely enthralled with the characters or the writing. The female lead had such potential, she was very strong but I was hoping to see that strength displayed with a bit more dimension, she lacked the vulnerability that would have made her strength shine. The romance element was a small part of the overall arc of the story which I liked but even that was lukewarm. This story had so much potential but I feel it missed the mark on so many opportunities. Very wordy but unnecessarily so. I don't mind words when they are used to create an atmosphere but at one point I skipped 25 pages and didn't miss anything of importance. The cover design is gorgeous and the premise was a truly imaginative remake of the classic.

Finally...I'm done!!! I am definitely one of the minority in loving this book. This is a book that was so hyped up I HAD to snag it, especially since I love a good retelling. Well for me, this failed immensely. I was so excited to start this as it's a Romeo and Juliet retelling and I haven't read one like this yet. This had such a great premise but I struggled to even WANT to read this as it is just so boring. It's not just a slow burn....it's a yawn fest. This is touted as a historical fantasy, romance and mystery. I really enjoyed the historical aspects and the darkness of this ... hence the 3 stars. BUT the mysterious madness takes 95% of the book to come to light with nothing happening except a lot of talk and breaking-and-entering. As far as the romance goes...you get subtle references to Roma and Juliette's history but that's about it. There is no build up, no love/hate flirtations .. just bland scenes .. even when they finally come together it's quick and boring. I am so disappointed with this one and won't even bother to finish the series.

As a lover of Shakespeare and the original play, I couldn't wait to read when I found out about Chloe Gong's debut novel retelling the classic tale in 1920s Shanghai. I was also particularly excited at the implementation of AAPI representation in the story. From the first page, I was blown away by the intricacy of this book - Gong effortlessly weaves in complex social and political elements in a story about star-crossed lovers and monsters in an already chaotic city. These elements come together in a beautiful and symphonic way that is such an easy page-turner despite its many layers. Any lover of historical novels, romance, YA, Shakespeare, or even just excellent writing should absolutely treat themselves to this book - I promise it will be worth it. I'm waiting patiently for book 2's release after that suspenseful ending!

THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS is a delightful Romeo and Juliet retelling that takes readers to the dark and dangerous streets of 1920’s Shanghai filled with gangsters, street wars, betrayal, and bloodshed. Much as you would expect between the Montagues and the Capulets, or, in this case, the Montagovs and the Cais. There are monsters, there is madness, there is romance, but the highlight for me was the inclusion of so many realistic themes, including (but not limited to) colonialism and political unrest. Historically, so many countries were vying for political domination over China, primarily the Russian Communist Party, which played directly into the feud between these two families. Also important to part of the storyline is the conflict between laborers and the government, which resulted in the subsequent beginnings of the working-class revolution. I loved that not only did Gong give readers a dark and delightful fantasy, but she took it a step further and infused her tale with so much period history that it felt like the best history lesson in the history of history lessons. A page-turning, bloody, can’t-put-it-down history lesson. Bottom line — THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS was a gritty, gory delight filled with plenty of twists and turns. It’s light on both romance and fantasy, but most definitely heavy in politics and conflict. In true Shakespearean fashion, the ending most definitely is a tragedy, though I certainly won’t go into any detail. Suffice it to say that there aren’t any rainbows and butterflies at the end of this tale, but there most definitely is blood. And bugs. *eARC received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.

My book came damaged but I kept it anyway since I could still read it and if you kept the cover page on you couldn't notice. I was still upset, though.... What an ending! The story was a little slow in the beginning and it took me a bit to get into it. This is a big book and, even after reading some reviews, I was expecting more romance than there was, yet this is a modern-day retelling of "Romeo and Juliet". Can I just say that Benedict and Marshall are EVERYTHING. I KNOW there was something between them...there had to be. I can't be the only one who saw it. This was a beautifully written novel and an amazing first novel (how is this a first novel?!) If you are into an old classic retelling, with a lot of politics, gangs at war, and angsty romance then this is the book for you! I might read the second novel just for the ending of this one and to find out if the love interests end up together (finally); I mean they have to, right?

A clash of Chinese and Russian gangs in the city of Shanghai where a madness has forced two ex-lovers to set aside their differences to save the people they love and the city that's theirs. I love the way the author adds the reference of Romeo and Juliet to the characters induces the reader to feel creeped out by the madness that's running amuck in the city. Great characterization and human feel to them, but also keeping the essence of ill-fated love. Wished for more stolen moments, however, excited to see more of Roma's dark side in the sequel. The monster reveal was a bit disappointing to me as was the action scenes in the end. Was expecting more fight between the antagonist and the monster. The blood feud of the gangster caught more of my attention than the antagonist. The real MVP of the book, however is a runner-up between Kathleen and Marshall. Overall, very well done.

Absolutely amazing. There are a lot of reasons why I adore this book and for one it’s hard to limit it to one review(non spoiler of course) but let’s try for that arc🤞🏽Juliet Cai is one of the strongest female leads I’ve ever read it about, hands down. Now people tend to say this a lot, but there wasn’t a moment where I was worried she wouldn’t stand for what she believed in. Even when she was wrong she dealt with her mistakes with such class and dignity, it is absolutely inspiring how a heroine can be so self aware and proud even in the hardest of times. When death was all around her and the home she loved and knew so well became engrossed with foreigners, she still stood for what she believed in. And Roma, my sweet sweet Roma, is one of the most beautifully written characters ever. He gives you the sense of being able to rip your heart out and melt it at the same exact time. I don’t understand how. And his voice is just so persistent and loud, I could hear him while reading so clearly. And Marshall...that’s for you to read and find out. Trust me, you’ll love him. The writing was also nothing short of amazing. It’s set in the 1920s so I was a bit hesitant because usually I don’t ever feel a sense of genuineness with dialogue in other stories. But wow Miss Gong knows what she’s doing and please never stop. I found myself highlighting the most simple movements and gestures because they were described so beautifully. I wish I could give this story a million stars, but alas Amazon and goodreads haven’t reached that level yet(this book has though). I suggest you read this book 100% please give it a chance and I hope you love it with all you got. Have an amazing day and stay safe!

Fun, unique, fast-paced. Lots of Romeo and Juliet references interspersed throughout but you don’t need to have an in depth understanding of the play to enjoy this book. By subverting a lot of Shakespearean tropes a great story emerges. And by subverting tropes I mainly mean making Romeo and Juliet strong, independent badasses instead of whiny, dumb teens.

This was a great spin on the Classic R&J. Retellings fascinate me because there is so much that can be altered just enough to make my reader heart soar. A new favorite and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Amazing , show-stopping , one in a million , brilliant , never been done before - I’m running out of adjectives 😩 I have so much to say but my brain cannot even fathom how much I love this book. It’s a strong debut and the entire TVD universe has me by the throat. Chloes prose is so enchanting and romantic that I fell in love with her writing style and descriptions from the very first page. The intricate and beautiful descriptions created such a vivid image in your head that it’s very easy to journey around Shanghai with Roma And Juliette. I loved the tension between them especially how headstrong Juliette is and her intense ability to despise Roma (something I could not do 🙇🏽♀️). The characters are all so well developed and 3D, each not being like the other. Chloe weaves in transphobia and Kathleen’s story so respectfully placed and so smoothly, I was so pleasantly surprise because in the writing it came out like it was second nature to her - it’s very easy for rep to be forced but that wasn’t the case here. I love , LOVE , let me say it one more time - LOVE benedikt and i will fight anyone who disagrees with how amazing he is. The plot is so unique , especially the monster, I’ve never read a story that has had that type of monster so that was fascinating and it left me on my toes about how they’re going to possible defeat it. I also loved the political intrigue. As a history and political junkie , I found that this novel wasn’t advertised with political intrigue but more romance and it’s the entire opposite in the book. So, whilst I was upset there wasn’t enough romance - I was elated that western imperialism , communism and capitalism were all discussed. I think I’ve said too much but please buy this book. It’s more amazing than I can put into words!!

Chloe Gong has masterfully crafted a reimagining, a retelling, of William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliette so ingenious even the avid haters of the play, will change their mind. [Source: me, a former Romeo & Juliette hater.] Miss Gong's beautiful writing will take you to places of agony, heartbreak, joy, laughter, and anger, and you'll close the book needing more down to your very bones. 1920s Shanghai + a love story for the ages + monsters, what more can you want?

I don’t usually leave reviews but this story honestly deserves one. It was captivating and had me on the edge of my seat gripping the book tightly (not to tightly I didn’t break my book I promise). There was a perfect amount of tension between the leads to get your heart pounding and I honestly loved how the Juliette was perfectly flawed, headstrong and completely capable of handling herself. I think Chloe did an excellent job fleshing out the main character and supporting characters. She gave us a cast that has me wanting to dive more into the world she’s created and follow the lives of these people. This was just such a fresh retelling of a classic story. It was a story I had to own the physical copy of and have sitting on my shelf so I could admire it. I don’t know what there’s not to love about this book and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for an interesting and dangerous world to jump into that can offer you love , mystery , action and a cast of characters you’re bound to fall in love with.

The underlying mystery of the who dunnit made this book so much more enjoyable. The tension between the two main characters past relations also made them coming back together to help save the world of their gangs much more enjoyable. I definitely want to see more of Roma in the second book than we did in this one. I almost feel like this book was a little too centered on Juliette. I also want to see more of the cousins in the sequel too. I think they're more badass than we realize.

This is R & J meets Game of Thrones in a way. There’s a blood feud and murder . It’s the perfect retelling.

24 y/o female here. It wasn't the best book I ever read, but it was a fun and easy read. Appropriate for teens and pre-teens. I wouldn't go out for the next book unless I ran out of other things to read. The author writes well and does a good job of setting the scene in their writing.

I hoped to find a new series...read the description and was hopeful. Its probably just a matter of character preference, but I didn't like any if the characters. And you have to like them to continue reading...i forced my way to the end.

Incorrect book inside. This book is not “these violent delights” by Chloe gong as advertised. It’s some religious fiction book, not a happy chappy being scammed like this.

Once I saw this book and read what it was about I knew that I had to read it. Throughout the book I was pulled deeper into this amazing story and fell in love with the characters. I absolutely loved this brilliant twist on the original Romeo and Juliet story and recommend this book to fellow readers.

This novel is literally the best thing to happen in 2020. I can't believe Chloe Gong is a debut author?? She writes like a seasoned professional. JUST WOW! The plot is riveting, the characters are engaging, and you will not be able to stop reading this book!! My one complaint...THE CLIFFHANGER MAKING ME WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL.

The book was in mint condition and it was actually pretty good. The cover was appealing to me. The bit about two gangs placed in the early 1900’s intrigued me. I can’t wait for the second book to come out!!!

This was a whole ride, I completely loved every page. The reimagining of a classic tale that anyone could recognize into a fast-paced, delightfully violent (hehe) adventure that will keep your teeth on edge.

I had super high hopes for this book and I was not disappointed! The writing was amazing and I absolutely fell in love with the characters! I had so much fun (and stress lol) picking up on who each character's shakespearian counterpart was and predicting where the story would go. Even if you know every detail of romeo and juliet, I don't think you'll be able to predict all the twists and turns this book takes, and I cannot wait for the sequel to find out how everything will wrap up

Im so upset. This was good. I’m still upset though because of that ending! Like how you just going to go full throttle like that in the last 8 percent!

Just amazing! This book is phenomenal! Juliette is such a great I loved so many of her lines and the story itself was a blast!

The Kindle version sold in this link is not These Violent Delights. It's a very bad version of a book by Flannery O'Conner.

New author to me and it was awesome. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Love Roma!!

The backstory of the 1920s Shanghai is pretty intriguing on top of the overlay of a modern day Romeo & Juliet story. Looking forward to the sequel.

I would let Juliette Cai step on my throat. 10/10 would absolutely recommend!!! Miss Chloe Gong is one to watch in the years to come. <3

It did take me a while to finish reading, however, it was good read. Just kind of slow.

I need a closure with this book. I needed there to be an ending not a continuation. Or if there is a continuation I needed it to be happy not stressful lol

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING. GET IT. BUY IT. READ IT.

This is an amazing retelling of Romeo and Juliet that had me hooked the entire time. It is never slow and an astonishing first novel by Chloe Gong. I need the sequel now which is unfortunate considering it was released last week and so I certainly have some time to wait!!!

As a Shakespeare fan, Chloe Gong absolutely did the original story justice while giving the freshest take I’ve ever seen. This story took “enemies to lovers” to a whole other level. Add this to your To Be Read list immediately! I can’t wait for the sequel later this year.

this is a perfect gift for my teen niece who loves to read!

I loved this book, I loved the characters and the storyline and the banter as well. It lured me in from page one and I loved watching the story unfold. I cannot wait for the second book, especially because of the cliffhanger!

These Violent Delights was so amazing. It was different from and book I had ready yet gave me so many other fantasy vibes (which I really loved). This book had such a good romance and the representation was *chef’s kiss*.

I have to admit I bought it solely based on the title. Went into it blind and absolutely loved it!! Can't wait for the second book!

I chose a 5 star rating because the of the ending. I liked the Characters and the fact that there was a monster in it to. I really liked this book!!!

interesting plot

One of my all time favorite books! Couldn’t put it down! The imagery is amazing and each of the characters is so complex. Definitely recommend!

This book was so good, can’t wait for the second book!

Great book followed by immediate depression when I realized the sequel is not released yet.

I loved this book! It’s engaging, fast-paced, the characters are amazing and overall the story is so exciting! I also loved the author’s style. Great read!

the book was fantastic, a little slow at the beginning but maybe just fallen out of my fantasy phase.

Such a good book! And a beautiful cover. I can’t wait for the sequel!!

I absolutely loved this book it was amazing if you haven’t bought it yet you should

amazing book

Excelente me encanta Amazon mis productos llegan rápido seguros

im in love with this book

I had high hopes going into this book. For one, the beginning is very well written....but dont let that fool you. Once you clear the first 10% of this novel the writing degrades to purple prose and endless walls of text that deliver little to the ongoing plot. Not to mention the glacier slow pacing and overly metaphorical paragraphs that do nothing but draw attention to the poetic nature of the prose rather than prolong the story in a meaningful way. I know I'm sounding harsh here because longwinded paragraphs of text just bog down the pacing to an otherwise great book. An editor would have cut a good 100 pages from this novel and tightened the pacing and therefore the tension. The prose felt very soap-opera-ish and the tension portrayed in the book felt manufactured as a result. The ongoing gang war and the mystery to find and stop the monster are ripe with tension from the start. The first 3 chapters really set the tone for this novel and establish what would be in store for our cast of characters. Only the narrative gets sidetracked with lengthy exposition about colonialism in China, Communism, and culture clashes. These elements are presented strongly in the narrative, but they aren't incorporated that well with the plot that Gong has created here. These historical elements are mentioned in a very essay-like manner. Each time they came up it interrupted the flow of the novel. It was like: the gang war was getting worse--but let me stop tell you about Communism. The monster is out there: but let me stop and tell you about colonialism. Outside of Juliette, the rest of the characters were flat. Lots of people die in this book and nobody really reacts to any of it. No one is put off by a monster brutally killing people in the city. Everyone just kind of sleepwalks through their roles here until stumbling upon something interesting that could have been presented earlier in their aimless wandering. The descriptions of 1920s Shanghai felt no different than Shanghai today and the plot would have played out the same without the historical backdrop. At the end of the day, I liked the book, but it could have been better. This book is like a meal that looks and smells good but when you bite into it, it's cold and slightly overcooked.

Review first posted at Girl Who Reads. A free copy was provided in exchange for an honest review. A blood feud exists between two rival gangs in 1926 Shanghai. Juliette Cai has returned to assume rule over the Scarlet Gang, and her main rival is Roma Montagov, leader of the White Flowers. Gangsters on both sides soon are clawing out their own throats, and there are whispers of a contagion or madness spreading. Juliette and Roma have to combine forces, or there will be nothing left to rule. We're introduced to the gangs right off the bat, as well as our Romeo and Juliet. Some lines are borrowed from the Bard, but this isn't a West Side Story rehash located in a different place. We have the culture of 1920's Shanghai, the different underworld figures, and the supernatural all in the prologue. From there, the novel is addictive, with so many details about the city, its politics and the gangs that I feel like I'm there. Juliette is trying to get to the bottom of the madness while she's also fighting misogyny and the subtlety of familial relationships and piety inherent in her Chinese culture. Roma has a Russian background, but the White Flowers progress more by merit than bloodlines. Either way, the tension between them and their families is a palpable thing. That distracts them from the monster in the river and the insects; reading about it makes me want to scratch my scalp as well, it's so vividly described. There is so much action in the second half of the book, with shifting loyalties and the weight of the past between Juliette and Roma as they try to figure out the truth of the monster and save Shanghai. It doesn't help that they can't openly cooperate and that there are those willing to bring them down in the name of advancement within their gang. I turned pages so fast and groaned in frustration when it hit the end. Then there was another twist I wasn't expecting that made perfect sense, and another groan with the last few lines. There's going to be another book following this one, which is wonderful, but it was the end of this one and I wanted more book to read! Romeo and Juliet fighting a monster in 1920s Shanghai works so well, even when it looks like it shouldn't. Trust me, you want to read this one.

These Violent Things is one (of many) books that I had on my personal most anticipated reads of the year. This is Chloe Gong’s debut novel, and I think she has an incredible writing career ahead. I feel that this was written with great planning and research of the times, cultures, and people. Although this is fantasy, she remained true to the themes she chose to represent. The plot felt well planned and paced, so that story was constantly moving forward. Her writing style allows the reader to enter her world, to see and know the characters, while creating various emotions with her details. As a Romeo and Juliet retellling, I say she did an amazing job recreating the world and events. I love Juliett’s character! She is a strong, intelligent female protagonist. There is ownvoices for queer representation and is a beautiful addition to the story. As a debut, I am giving it four stars for creativity, themes, representation, and writing. This is a strong debut and I look forward to reading more from ths author in the future.

No one is safe. No one is immune. 1926 – Two rival gangs, the Scarlets and the White Flowers, rule Shanghai with an iron fist. Communism and colonialism are ever present challenges, but their biggest threat is each other. That is until seven people die in gruesome, unexplained ways, and sightings of a repulsive supernatural type creature are reported. As the death count and terror rises, Roma (White Flower) and Juliette (Scarlet), once friends and lovers (torn apart by betrayal and the blood feud that exists between their families), must put aside their hatred to stop the ‘madness' penetrating their city. Because if they fail, everyone will die. A sea monster slithering out of the Huangpu River and infected people with a sickness that drove them crazy enough to kill themselves, before disappearing into the murky depths once again, played on my worst fears. The very idea of something foreign invading the brain and taking control gave me the heebie-jeebies. Chloe Gong did a masterful job with the action, horror, and gory scenes. I really felt the city's dread, panic and urgency the entire time I was reading. The setting was a unique one with interesting politics, seediness, corruption, and violence, but there was also beauty to be found even in the darkest of times. The gang culture aspect – the rules, customs, practices, code of conduct – and the rivalry and blood feud that existed between the two families was equally fascinating and appalling. Roma and Juliette were constantly pulled in two directions, with betrayal, bloodshed, and very personal losses on both sides – torn between love and loyalty. And These Violent Delights ended on, not one, but two explosive cliff hangers, both of which will have far reaching consequences. The fall-out is going to be epic! But I'm afraid I had some issues. My biggest was that a lot of the dialogue was somewhat confusing and disjointed, and just didn't strike me as how people speak or behave. There were ill-timed jokes and teasing too that didn't fit with the seriousness of the situation, as well as unnecessary conversations that neither furthered the plot or revealed anything about the character's personalities. What’s more, the language was far too modern for the time period. The emotions felt off too. Characters cared more about how they were going to clean bloodstains from their carpet than the horrors of people ripping their throats out in front of their eyes. I also struggled with Juliette. She was such a bitch and a bully, and no matter what the situation she always responded with threats and/or violence. Roma, I liked, but I have no idea what he saw in Juliette. The main characters had zero romantic and sexual chemistry. What's more, the promised Romeo and Juliette romantic sub-plot was almost non-existent, which was one of the main reasons I was drawn to this book. The two characters shared all this history that was barely touched on. I feel the story could've benefitted from flashbacks to their first meeting, early friendship/relationship. Maybe the author intends to step-up the romance in book 2, but at 449 pages I expected more from this volume. I'm an adult who has always loved YA but I feel I was too old for this and that it is better suited for a teenage and new adult audience. There's no question that These Violent Delights has been a phenomenal success for Chloe Gong, and I'm thrilled that a NZ based author is doing so well, and I wish her every success. I'd like to thank Tandem Collective Global, Hachette NZ, and Chloe Gong for the gifted copy.

This book was a tad slow for me. It took a while for me to connect with the characters. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated the plot and the writing, but the characters didn’t draw me in as quickly as I expected. However, despite that, I believe this is a solid debut and Romeo and Juliet retelling. Retellings can be tricky. There has to be a balance between new content and the story the audience knows and loves. I think Chloe Gong maintained this balance exceptionally well. She successfully created her own magical, unique spin on a popular and well-known story! That's no easy feat. It was fun to make connections between her version of the story and the original--especially with the characters! Where this book truly shined was the way the author depicted colonialism. Throughout this book, we see Juliette's increasing frustration with all of the white foreigners moving to Shanghai with plans of taking it over. It was heartbreaking to read how helpless the people of Shanghai felt against the foreigners. Shanghai was their home, yet they could do nothing to protect it from people who sought to make it their own. I also loved how the author wrote about Juliette's struggle to fit in. Juliette lived in the US for several years, which has caused her to question how she fits in in her homeland of Shanghai. In conclusion, I recommend that everyone give this book a try. I can see why so many people loved it. I'm eager to see what happens in the next book!

So this was a really intriguing and original book. It was touted as a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. And it definitely has those tones to it. But it is so much more than that. It is a monster story, and a historical fiction, and a family story as well. It has so many different aspects to it. The author used very vivid descriptions, it was as if I was in the actual places that the story was taking place. Because of this however, it was a long book, and not the easiest read, which is why on my blog it is getting a 4.5. Even with it being a little difficult, it was still a read that when I picked it up I was sucked in and didn’t want to put it down even when I had to go back to work or sleep or whatever. It is because of this though that I didn’t finish it when planned. I had set aside about 4 days to read it, but it took longer to work my way through it, but that was because I didn’t want to miss anything by skimming at all. I will put it out there that it is not a finished book. While all of the problems seem to be solved, there is a bit at the very end, along with the line: To Be Continued, so there will be more. I will definitely be up to see what happens, because I want more. But I think it is important to know that when you go into this book, because it is a big book, and like I said, a bit of an intense and deep read. Still, I loved the setting, Shanghai in the 1920s, and it was so interesting to look at all the things that were really going on there historically and see them fit into the world the author has created. A beautiful story, one I can’t wait to continue.

These Violent Delights is set in a truly cosmopolitan Shanghai in 1926, where crime, debauchery, and political conflict runs rampant. We are introduced to the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers, the former comprised of ethnic Chinese members of high society, and the latter made up of Russians who’ve fled the Bolshevik Revolution. Gong’s Shanghai is a divided city, with various political parties and gangs fighting for dominion, and in the middle of it all is a monster that preys on its members left and right. Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov – lovers turned enemies and heirs of the two reigning gangs – set out to uncover the mystery of the city and save itself from doom, and in the process stand to lose themselves and everything they hold near and dear. Shanghai is a living breathing character in this story. Gong manages to transport the reader to the crime filled streets and inside the scheming gatherings, and gives us a taste of the time and place so vividly. The political implications and conflicts of the time provides such a concrete backdrop for the mystery and the tension of the overall story, and definitely raises the stakes for the main characters’ actions. There’s also an underlying exploration of ideas of colonialism and foreign occupation, and I really appreciated how in Gong’s world things were not always black and white, and there was no clear right and wrong, or superior moral judgement. These Violent Delights is getting a lot of buzz, and it deserves all the praise. Chloe Gong’s original, seductive, captivating Romeo and Juliet retelling is an instant recommendation for any fantasy fan, especially if you like fast paced and dark mysteries woven in magical, mysterious settings

Words cannot even begin to describe how much this book means to me, nor how incredible it was. There were so many reasons for me to love These Violent Delights, and I loved it for all those reasons and more. Going into this book I was pleasantly surprised and I'm so happy to say that my expectations were completely and absolutely exceeded. The characters, the integration of history, fantasy, and Shakespeare, the quality of writing and the interweaving of issues into the plot truly made it above and beyond exceptional to me. We’ve all heard of Romeo and Juliet, but just wait until you meet Juliette Cai. I think I need to begin here by really stressing that These Violent Delights is far more a reimagining than a retelling of Shakespeare's R&J; it incorporates all the key elements of the play into a new world. Juliette Cai, besides being a badass, is the perfect example. We see her struggles as the heir of the Scarlet Gang both as a woman and as someone who feels slightly distanced from her culture given her American education. Chloe Gong does an amazing job of portraying this and there was a lot I could relate to as a Chinese-born girl who has lived in New Zealand for most of her life. On the other side we have Roma Montagov, heir of the White Flowers. While in many ways Juliette has moved on from her past—or rather, tried to—Roma is still stuck, unable to forget. The contrast between these characters adds so much to the story, and I'd be lying if I didn't say that every interaction between Roma and Juliette is pure gold, and I'll be screaming about the angst for many days to come. There are many other amazing characters that won't get a mention here simply because it would make this review go on for pages and pages, but a special shout out to Alisa Montagova—Roma's little sister—is in order. The writing style needs a mention here because it was just so good. So much was effortlessly incorporated into the main plot without feeling like an unwanted intrusion, whether it was banter and jokes, the use of all the languages (it's so upper-class 1920s but I love it dearly, plus it highlights the multicultural nature of Shanghai), or the way discourse about identity and colonialism was dispersed within the fantasy. I have huge respect for the fact that hopeless fountain kingdom was the writing soundtrack for this book, and the Shakespeare references had me cackling. It's entirely possible to read and enjoy this book without having read R&J, but it's an additional layer to the book that enhances the package. The plot is extremely clever, from the overarching mystery to the little things, like two slips of paper in one pocket (if you know you know). In my notes I have written that dorogaya deserves its own bullet point, which it does, so while I can't give it its own paragraph because that would be a step too far, I can begin my conclusion by mentioning it and hoping you will read These Violent Delights to find out what I'm on about. In other news, this was a rare instance of me being satisfied with the ending, it felt like a good place to stop and leaves the right number of loose ends for book two. There is something truly special about this book, and I will certainly remember it. It's no mean feat to be able to tie 1920s Shanghai with rival gangs, a monster, and Shakespeare's R&J, but Chloe Gong has managed to do it absolutely brilliantly. I can't wait for book two and I will certainly be following her writing career for many years to come.

“𝙒𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙧 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡? 𝙒𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙖 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙖 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝, 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙡—𝙚𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙧 𝙠𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙬?”—Chloe Gong Shanghai, 1926, is the setting for this Romeo and Juliette retelling. The Scarlets and White Flowers have fought each other for generations. But when a madness sweeps through the city, and whispers of a monster become more than just rumors, Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai must put aside their blood feud and work together if there’s any hope of saving the city they love. Romeo and Juliette? Shanghai in the Roaring 20s? Violent mobsters on two opposing sides? A blood feud? What’s not to love...right? Except, this story just didn’t do it for me. I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately it fell flat. The setting was excellent. Chloe Gong put an obvious amount of effort in portraying some very real issues with a deft hand, keeping true to historical events in China during the 1920s. It’s obvious she did a significant amount of research in writing this. So...what? I appreciated the themes. I enjoyed the history. But I really did not FEEL the emotion I look for in a compelling book. Almost like too much effort was put into world building and not enough into the characters and plot. Too much work into telling me how everything was and not showing me the story and letting me live it. Perhaps it was a lack of my relating to the characters? Or a lack of excitement in the plot? Too much telling and not enough showing? It just felt a bit hum-drum. Or maybe it’s just ME? That’s possible too. This just wasn’t the book for me. But it was still a quick, entertaining read. “𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙞𝙩, 𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙜𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙪𝙥𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙝𝙖𝙞 𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙖𝙪𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙮.” I really appreciated Chloe Gong’s attention to detail. She portrayed Shanghai in the 1920s, addressing some very real themes, such as other countries trying to infiltrate Shanghai and take both its culture and its land. Issues like communism are addressed too, as that was sweeping China at the time. The political climate was front and center. Even Juliette herself felt like a foreigner in her own home country. All of these things made for a very real setting and enhanced the story, blending with the fictional portion of the plot, that of a monster sweeping through Shanghai, inflicting madness on its people. Juliette was a morally gray character. She killed when necessary. Especially if it meant protecting her family. While I liked her, I didn’t love her. Same with Roma. The romance between the two of them was a lot of telling, because it was something that happened four years prior. It ended badly in betrayal, creating bad blood between Roma and Juliette. This story was their chance to work together and move forward, and perhaps rekindle what was lost. While I appreciate the attempt at failed-lovers-reconcile-and-get-back-together trope, I would have preferred a clear-cut execution of enemies-to-lovers trope instead. It would have been simpler and allowed the reader to be present for the FULL development of the romance, rather than merely being told about what they once shared in hindsight. There was enough blood feud between them that they could have started the book as enemies and progressed from there, getting to know each other so that the reader tagged along for the development. I just didn’t see the need for a full romance arc between them to be in the past when it could have all happened in the present. I wanted to be there for that. Not be told about it later. So that’s probably my biggest gripe with the story. Overall, I think a lot of people enjoyed this one, so I think it just wan’t quite my taste. The ending definitely finished on a cliffhanger, and left some strings untied, and not necessarily in a satisfying way either. I don’t know. I’m not so sure I’ll be bothering with the second book. I enjoyed this one, but only just. MY RATING: 3/5⭐️

Sometimes historical fiction with a splash of fantasy can be tricky to pull off. However, Chloe Gong does a splendid job of submerging readers in 1920s Shanghai in These Violent Delights. World-Building World-building is crucial when doing a novel that falls into the historical fiction genre because, as readers, we are already somewhat familiar with periods. So, the structure has to be sound; it has to be believable and ground the reader in the story. When anyone thinks of the 1920s, they think of gangsters, prohibition, speakeasies, and flapper dresses, and Gong gives that to readers. Gong builds up this retelling of Romeo and Juliet with incredible detail and a believable plot of warring gangsters. There probably were many Romeo and Juliet romances in real life. The point is that it is believable. The reader does not have to suspend their belief when reading the story because it is grounded and plays on the era’s romanticization to grip the reader. There is such excellent detail that went into creating this world and it has this sharp edge to it to highlight the danger around every corner. This is, after all, a story about mobsters and monsters. Nevertheless, that detail, the color that Gong paints into her storytelling creates a beautiful painting, with shadows in all the delicate and places to add to the romanticization and mystery of the 1920s. Characterization & Diversity What also makes this a good retelling is how different it is. Gong took liberties to the romance of Romeo and Juliet by having the lovers be enemies. Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov are so different from their parent story in the best way. It is always great to see the story retold cleverly and uniquely, and that is what Chloe Gong has done with her story. Gong gives readers something new and unique. Juliette is rougher around the edges, more brutal, but she was always a bit cleverer than Romeo and it is great to see her intelligence elevated to new heights here. Juliette is not the only character to shine here. Gong brings new life to this cast of characters. Everyone from the original play is here, but there is diversity and tension in their voices and characterization. Gong gives the LGBTQ community some strong representation. It is subtle in the context of the story, once again, this goes towards bringing out the realism, but it is evident to the reader which is great. Final Thoughts There is so much about this fantastic novel. From the brilliant characterization to the vivid world-building, These Violent Delights is a unique and standout retelling of Romeo and Juliet with a marvelous fantastical twist highlighting the tension throughout the novel, giving the story an exceptional edge.

Proceed With Caution: This book contains violence, gore, death, murder, and self-mutilation and termination. The Basics: These Violent Delights is a retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, set in 1926 Shanghai. It centers on Juliette Cai, heiress to the Scarlet Gang, and Roma Montagov, heir to the White Flowers. The Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers are the two gangs who run Shanghai and have been feuding for years. Then a monster calls and the two must team up or everyone dies. My Thoughts: These Violent Delights was one of my most anticipated releases for 2020. I am a sucker for all things Romeo and Juliet, and this one sounded especially exciting. Flappers in Shangai! Rival gangs! Contagion! Monsters! All great stuff! Sadly, it just did not work out for me. I found These Violent Delights to be dragged out and boring. I was interested in the very beginning as we're being introduced to our characters and the plot. But then it felt like nothing was happening. It was the same scenes over and over as people rip their throats out, Juliette demands answers, laments about being betrayed four years ago, shoots some people, rinse, repeat. The middle could have been tighter to keep readers engaged and the plot moving along. There's also next to no romance in These Violent Delights. The backbone of any good Romeo and Juliet retelling is the dramatic relationship between the two leads. We're told that Juliette and Roma had a short-lived but intense relationship when they were fifteen, which ended in tragedy. Roma betrayed her. She betrayed him. Now, they're older, reunited, and there's no spark at all. They're working together to find a cure for the madness and stop the monster spreading it, so there's definitely some high stakes and adrenaline and...nothing. The plot of These Violent Delights was interesting though. People are succumbing to a madness that causes them to claw out their own throats, effective killing themselves. Is it drugs? Is it a disease? Is it contagious? This is the second plague by insects book I've read this month and find it fascinating and disturbing. However, I was not a fan of the literal monster spreading the insects. For me, it felt like too much. Creepy bugs are creepy enough. For those of you who don't read epilogues, the epilogue is where it's at in These Violent Delights. The final battle happens and all seems like it's going back to normal, but then...nope! There's a surprise! I actually really enjoyed the epilogue, despite it ending on a huge cliffhanger. Is it enough to make me excited for the sequel? No. But it intrigued me enough that I might pick it up just to see what happens.

Triggers: violence, gore, bugs, death I Liked: *Where do I start? Aesthetics: from the title to the cover…the darkness, the monster…ALL of it. It is perfection and matches the story to a T. Whoever did the cover design…BRAVO. *All the historical content about Shanghai in the 1920’s with foreign powers trying to take a piece of the city was well done. I learned a lot! We also get Juliette’s perspective of being a Chinese young woman being raised in America and the racism she experienced there. *Romeo & Juliet always made a good gangster story, two houses that hate each other. The same vibe in the original is alive in this version except for maybe the romance part. Roma and Juliette have a bloody, heartbreaking past – but their lifestyles don’t allow them to dwell on feelings like that. So in that sense it wasn’t as close to the original but I loved it. *Speaking of romance…there isn’t much of it. The two lovers have basically been torn apart and are given a second chance at love but wow…there is so much keeping Roma and Juliette apart. There is a lot of heartbreak between them, when they do finally acknowledge the past though, it’s further into the story. *The monster or virus that is infecting Shanghai makes this story darker and brings some gore to it. And I enjoyed it a lot. There is a mystery and the two gangs have to find out where this “virus” is coming from and who are the major players. *All the characters are great – but Juliette shines like a diamond that can cut glass. And she wouldn’t be afraid to cut anybody! She is hard edges, she is going to rule the Scarlet Gang one day, she can fight, she can kill and she’s smart. Random Notes: *This is not a full retelling of Romeo & Juliet because it’s going to be a series, so I really want to know more about Juliette’s cousins Kathleen and Rosalind! It almost felt like the story was going to wrap up like the original and then there is a twist…and made an opening for a sequel! *Pacing wise – for me it dragged a little in the middle but it picked up speed right after. Final Thoughts: This is how I like my Romeo & Juliet – dark and violent! This had action, mystery, a race against the clock to stop a virus killing people (quite violently) in the city of Shanghai. It has politics, gangster drama and so much heart break. It touches on identity, family bonds and betrayal. This is an amazing retelling of a classic and I cannot wait to read the sequel.

I was never much of a Shakespeare fan, but a retelling of Romeo and Juliet with rival gangs? How can you pass that up? Roma and Juliette are heirs to rival gangs (White Flowers and Scarlets respectively) caught up in a blood feud in Shanghai. Although on opposite sides, both gangs have common enemies: a monster killing their people and foreign groups (British, Americans, French, and Russians) attempting to take over their land and cities. There’s too much bad blood between the current heads of the families to work together, but Roma and Juliette are intelligent enough to understand cooperation is required to eliminate these common threats. Each (especially Roma) is also trying to prove to their fathers and gang members they’re worthy heirs. Although they had a brief relationship four years prior, I honestly wasn’t feeling the connection between these two. I liked Roma and admired the fact he wanted to take the White Flowers in a different direction in the future, and his relationship with his sister is adorable. Juliette is a different case entirely for me. Most of the time she comes across as a petulant child too hot-headed to ever be in a position of authority, and her cousins sense it. She tends to shoot first and think later. My favorite characters are easily Roma’s cousin Benedikt and Marshall (he has some killer lines). They support Roma no matter what and stand by him. This is an action-packed, bloody, gory tale, which I didn’t mind, but other readers may appreciate trigger warnings. Although I enjoyed many aspects of the plot, some didn’t work as well for me, but that’s just personal preference. On the other hand, the diverse cast thrilled me, and I was actually shipping two male characters over Roma and Juliette and hope to see more of them in the sequel. At over 400 pages, These Violent Delights is a chunk of a read, but an impressive debut (the author is still in college!) with important and timely overall themes. I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I had some pretty high expectations for this book, but I never expected it to fly above all of them. These Violent Delights is a refreshing take on Romeo and Juliet, taking place in Shanghai, in 1926. It follows Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai, the heirs to two rival gangs, locked in a blood feud. But when their city is overrun by madness, they must work together to stop it. The first thing that amazed me about this book was the writing style (this was only the first of many things). The writing in this book is beautiful, and includes so much depth in every line, without feeling extremely dense and too-flowery. It sets the tone for the book, creating a dark atmosphere with a bite. Speaking of the atmosphere- the setting is absolutely astounding. I can’t imagine the amount of research that went into creating such a vibrant and grounded world. While there are some fantasy aspects, they are so well developed that it only made the world feel more real. I will admit, it took me a minute to get fully into the book (maybe 50 pages or so), but once I was invested, I was obsessed. You would think an almost-500 page book might take some time to read, but I couldn’t put it down. There was always something interesting happening, and those last 100 pages??? Yeah, there was no chance I was stepping away from that. One thing I really enjoyed about the plot of this book was all of the unique twists on the classic Romeo & Juliet plot. I loved how all of the original characters were adapted, and I especially loved how These Violent Delights differed from the original while still having great references to it. Okay, but can we talk about some of these characters for a moment? Forget Roma and Juliette (we’ll get to them later)- but Marshall, Benedict, Kathleen, and Rosalind??? 1) I loved seeing all of the representations in this book 2) They’re just so well-developed and I love them all. Even when I may not like a character, their beliefs and motivations are incredibly realistic and interesting, so I love them anyway. … but also I do really like most of them. Now, let's talk about Roma and Juliette. Roma is our Romeo, he seems cold and cunning but secretly cares so deeply about those he loves. Then there’s Juliette. She’s ruthless and violent and dedicated to her people. They are great protagonists, and I adore them so much. But also let's talk about them as a couple, because this is a Romeo and Juliet retelling so that’s kinda important. One worry I get with Romeo and Juliet retellings is that it’ll rely on insta-love. But this book most certainly does not. Not only is the main relationship enemies-to-lovers, but childhood sweethearts-to-enemies-to-lovers, so we get a whole extra level of angst. If that isn’t enough to make you want to read it, I don’t know what is. I absolutely love them together and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book! These Violent Delights is a book you cannot miss. This novel is astounding in every way and I can't recommend it enough. 5/5 Stars

This is a very loose retelling of Romeo and Juliet, pitching the star-crossed lovers as the respective heirs to two rival gang families in 1926 Shanghai. They're also exes with complicated lingering feelings for one another rather than current sweethearts, with their secret relationship mostly confined to the novel's backstory. Oh -- and they're brought back together again to investigate a mysterious plague that's turning people across the city into monsters and causing them to rip their own throats out in a bloody public spectacle. As one might imagine, the ensuing plot is pretty different from Shakespeare's version of events, to the point where the similar character names can be more distracting than enriching to the reading experience, and I almost wish author Chloe Gong had veered even further away from those parallels. I also have a little difficulty in accepting or relating to teen characters who have each proudly and remorselessly executed traitors and opponents in the past, although I grant that that isn't the most unrealistic element to this title. Still, the overall concept has a certain delirious fun to it, and the book is packed with #ownvoices observations on racism and colonialism as well as some neat queer representation on the margins. It's a great and promising start from a young debut writer, published as she finishes her senior year of college. I'm not sure that I necessarily need to return to this series for the announced sequel, but Gong is clearly a talent to watch going forward. [Content warning for insects, body horror, and drug abuse.]

This is a fast-paced Romeo and Juliet YA novel loosely retold as enemy mobsters turned monster hunters in 1920s Shanghai. Romeo is Roma, a Russian heir to the White Flowers gang while Juliet is Juliette, a Chinese heiress to the Scarlet gang. There are plenty of references to the original play, some tongue in cheek and others are paraphrased quotes. Other than the references and plays on the original characters’ names (Mercutio is a Korean man named Marshall who is with the Russian gang and Tybalt is Tyler, Juliette’s power hungry cousin), the similarities end there. This is mostly a mystery rather than a tragic romance (although we get hints of romance and tragedy throughout the book). The people of Shanghai are killing themselves because of a monster. The majority of the novel focuses on the mystery and uncovering the source of this monster while the ticking time bomb of death and destruction lurks. I loved the worldbuilding. I learned so much about 1920s Shanghai from the foreign influence, the Communist party, the role of organized crime, and how quickly things changed in the city after the International Agreement. This book is gorier and more gruesome than I had expected, but it is perfect for people who enjoy stories about monsters. There is some resolution at the end but a major cliffhanger that will lead to a sequel. My only disappointment was knowing that the story didn’t really end because it’s hard for me to keep up with series with all the books I have in my TBR. #bookwormproblems But for people who really enjoyed this book, a sequel is great to revisit the characters and mystery.

These Violent Delights were high on my list of want to read this year, and I sad to say it was not as enjoyable as I expected it to be. A Romeo and Juliet retelling, a mysterious monster that plagues the city, and all set in 1920's Shanghai. Sounds like a unique story to pick and up and read, right? I can think of a couple of reasons why it fell flat, at least for me. The hype, though, meant to spread the word and get everyone buying the book usually puts me off picking it up right away. You get some people raving it fantastic, others trashing it, and you can get your opinion made up before you pick up the book. The high expectation of it is a retelling of something trendy, so you expect one thing and get something different. So I was anticipating a high degree of swoony romance; I did not get that; instead, our two lovers are in feuding gangs, and a sting of betrayal surrounds them. I was expecting the monster to be, well, a dragon now that just from where the story is taking place. The beast never gets named, and instead, we get a healthy dose of bugs being spewed out as the source of the mysterious attacks. I also wanted to expect a lot more action with a title like these violent delights, but most of that happened in the last 20 percent of the book. The cover is stunning, which if you love unique covers, you will love this, the writing is exceptional for a debut author, and it did keep me invested to the end, so it was enjoyable, just not mind-blowing amazing.

Disclaimer: I received the e-arc from the publisher and then bought my own copy! Thanks! All opinions are my own. Book: These Violence Delights Author: Chloe Gong Book Series: These Violence Delights Book 1 Rating: 5/5 Diversity: Asian ownvoice main characters Recommended For...: ownvoice readers, ya readers, fantasy lovers, classic retelling lovers Publication Date: November 17, 2020 Genre: YA Fantasy Recommended Age: 16+ (violence, gore, death, romance, monsters) Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books Pages: 464 Synopsis: The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal. But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule. Review: I really loved this book! The book had me hooked from page 1 and I read the whole thing within a couple of hours. The book is fast paced and a whirlwind from start to finish. The romance was amazingly well done and I love stories where the couple already has dating history. The character development was well done and the world building was amazing as well. I also really liked the story and how it evolved from a Romeo and Juliet retelling to a monster book! The only issue I really had was that the monster wasn’t well utilized in the book in my opinion. I liked how it was concepted and how it sounded, but I didn’t see much of it in the book until the end and then it became a bit more complex that had me bewildered. Verdict: I loved it! Highly recommend!

Excuse me for one moment, I need to peel myself off the floor before I try to form any coherent thoughts about this book. *Deep breath* Okay, this was my most anticipated book of 2020, and it might actually end up being my favorite read of 2020 as well! These Violent Delights hit the spot for me on almost every aspect of the story, from the cast to the plot to the themes. Not to mention the GORGEOUS writing! I love retellings that feel reminiscent of the original, but are inspired by it rather than following most of the plot points. These Violent Delights did this perfectly -- the plot felt original in its own right, but there were still enough nods to the original Romeo and Juliet that my Shakespeare nerd heart rejoiced (the balcony scene! The duel! Paris!). Also, a monster terrorizing the city and a mystery about who's responsible?? Yes PLEASE! The cast of characters might be my new favorite fictional #squad. From the whip-smart and deadly Juliette to the secretly soft Roma, from the wisecracking Marshall to the sweet yet cunning Kathleen, the Scarlets and the White Flowers totally drew me into their world. I would have perhaps liked to see a little more of the White Flowers, since Juliette's perspective is the most frequent one in the book, but they'll probably get more fleshed out in the sequel. I also loved the themes of imperialism woven in throughout the story, especially in Juliette's POV. My favorite fantasy novels are the ones that also contain important social commentary, and this one is no exception! The different political factions and nationalities in the city made for some super interesting conflicts that brought up questions about national identity, ownership, and how "soft power" such as trade relations can still be insidious. Overall, this was a truly stunning read, and I think I'm going to be dealing with this book hangover until the sequel arrives! Never mind -- it's a small price to pay for the brilliant rollercoaster Chloe Gong just took me on. Thank to Simon and Schuster for the e-ARC!

1900's gangsters in Shanghai? A mysterious monster causing madness? The intersection of colonial oppression in China amongst French, British ,Russians and the politics of labor? PLUS a retelling of Romeo & Juliette where in the lovers of heirs of their respective crime families-- the White Flowers and the Scarlets? Yes, that would be kirsten catnip, thank you. I love Romeo & Juliette, and I love fantasy that transports us to actual historical periods, teaches a lesson, and then uses the fantastical to drive home deep emotional themes in new ways, riffing off of reality. These Violent Delights offers up quite a potential for all of that. We have Juliette Cai the daughter of the Chinese Scarlets crime family, back home after 4 year away after a terrible attack on her home and betrayal. There's also Roma Montagova, the nominal, but no longer powerful, heir to the Russian White Flowers. Both of them operating around the docks and harbors of a Shanghai where Communists are agitating the laborers, and foreign powers are squatting over their Western buildings on the Bund waiting to pick over the leftovers of conflict. As in many city-based books there's a lot of tooing and froing...and that is true of These Violent Delights as well, both Juliette and Roma cross over into each other's territories, and Juliette's sister henchmen also are sent on investigatory trips when a mysterious madness begins taking over the city, causing people to kills themselves. I wanted more...more Roma and Juliette (the book only really picked up for me about two thirds of the way through) investigating, working through their difficult past, more about Katharine and her mysterious name change, more about Marshall and Ben's relationship....but when the monster is discovered, things end abruptly with nothing resolved, and many questions unanswered, and that's why this lost a star. I am not a huge fan of slow build up to abrupt cliffhanger, I would like something resolved, thank you very much, or I feel like the author has been promising something that is not delivered. Don't get me wrong, this Shanghai is awesome, and Juliette and Roma have lots of angsty potential, but I felt like we spent too much time treading water as they thought about their fears instead of dealing with the actual fears themselves together. Anyway, I may or may not go on to the next book, its hard for me to forgive cliffhangers, and I may wait until the series is finished and read the descriptions to see if it is worth my time.

“Those who do not care, those who are violent, those who delight in that which is terrible, they thrive. They come outside. The city has not grown more violent. It is a matter of its people changing.” In order for me to review this book as best as possible, I would have to dissect it. Let’s first talk about the good things I liked/enjoyed about this book. I do want to commend the author for her ideas, her heart, and her effort into writing this book. You will see in her writing that she really did her research to be able to portray the history of Shanghai and not just simply talk about it. Her writing made it easy for me to visualize the 1920’s of Shanghai and it was outstanding. She built the world really well and even showed you the lifestyle, the culture, and even the fashion of the historical Shanghai. Reading about the history made me feel like I was transported into that era and place. However, that’s where it ends. “If she understood politics, then she understood society. And if she understood society, then she would be well equipped to survive it, to manipulate the playing field around her until she could have a chance of living her life in peace.” Prior to reading this book, I saw tons of reviews and they all spoke highly of it. I learned that it shows the historical era of Shanghai, it was apparently full of action and that it was inspired from Romeo and Juliet. It gave me these expectations and made me look forward to seeing everything that people loved about it. Unfortunately, it did not satisfy me enough. I was frustrated and really disappointed because of how hyped it was. ** WARNING: Might be SEMI-SPOILER: At first, I was frustrated with the translations because some of the dialogues were written in a foreign language without English translation. I respect that it was necessary to do the foreign dialects for the sake of the plot, but having to stop reading to look up the translation was quite frustrating, and it wasn’t a one time thing, I had to do it multiple times. Another thing that was disappointing was that I thought by the time I reached halfway, the action between the blood feud would pick up because it was built up so much in the first half of the book. Sadly, this did not happen until the last 150 pages (or even less) of the book and it was very frustrating for me. It felt like I was reading a school paper rather than a fantasy novel. Moreover, the timeline about the madness that they were facing was extremely jumbled. It was all over the place and it honestly felt flat considering this madness was like a “pandemic” in their world. You’d think that there’d be more thrill and action happening, but nah. I was expecting there’d be more of that because that’s what the synopsis was all about but I didn’t get what I needed. Now for the Romeo and Juliet inspiration, I loved how she tried to reinvent or incorporate this in the story but it also fell short. Even the ending was not what I hoped it would be and in my opinion, what actually happened in the ending was not better. Also, I would like to add how much the main characters were confusing. I discussed this with friends of mine that I buddy read it with and we agreed that their personality changed a lot. In one chapter, this character would be this because that’s what he/she believed in, then read a few paragraphs later and the personality turned 360 degrees because it’s also her belief?? Point is, I did not completely understand the traits of the characters because there was no certain explanation of who & what he/she wants to be referred to. I ended up liking two sub-characters rather than the main characters because they made it “fun” somehow with their banter. Overall, this book had such a great potential. I hope that the sequel will be better and be more balanced in terms of historical facts and the plot. I’m not sure if I would recommend this so I guess that’s up for you to decide. Happy reading! (For those who are particular with star ratings, I'm giving it a 3.)

I struggled with what to rate this book. If I could give half stars, I would say 3 1/2. These Violent Delights is set in a culturally rich Shanghai in the 20s. Chloe Gong takes elements from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and creates a completely new story with the familiar characters of house Capulet (Cai) and Montague (Montagov). I really love the setting. It feels vibrant and full of life. The seedy aspects of the gang’s terf with the burlesque club and fighting rings really sets the mood where the action is taking place. I feel like the overall period piece aspect of the story is a bit off. It doesn’t really feel like the 1920s with the characters attitudes or speech. It feels too modern to me-not because of the excellent LGBTQ representation or the racial diversity, which are awesome to see-but because it just doesn’t seem all that fleshed out. The reader sees Juliet refer to her “ditzy flapper” act several times, hmm but I honestly don’t remember ever seeing a good example of her behaving this way. The Communist uprising is happening behind the scenes, and is probably the biggest factor anchoring the text in the 20s. I wish that maybe one of the more minor characters, like Kathleen had become a Communist sympathizer-or had more thoroughly infiltrated their ranks-to add a richer layer to her story. Or Rosiland! Honestly, they were hard for me to keep track of who was who at first. They feel fairly flat to me. Kathleen was fleshed out the best between the two, but there was a lot left to be desired, especially when they had their own POV chapters. Juliette was probably the most fleshed out character. Roma was often very bland. I think this is due to the reveal on why he launched the attack on the Cai compound. We don’t get this payoff until close to the end of the novel. Roma’s development up until that point is really boring. What are his motivations for anything, really? In some ways, I feel like both Roma and Juliet have too similar in structure with the family dynamic. Both are on shaky grounds as heirs, but at least we see Juliette really fighting for her place. Roma is just ambivalent. Which is fine! I’m okay with the idea of Roma not wanting or caring to be the heir. It isn’t until his sister is infected he has any real drive. Which brings me to how sad I am that Alisa isn’t really an interesting character at all. We just are expected to care about her because she’s Roma’s sister. She could have had a richer story, or rather this plot line could have been given to Marshall. It would make sense to have Marshall/Mercutio be the tragic trigger point for Roma to finally spring into decisive action. I also was not a fan of the conclusion. Part of it was I did not realize this was not a stand alone, so I was surprised when it ended rather abruptly with a cliffhanger and a lot of unresolved drama. This review does seem very critical for a 3.5-4 star rating. I love the idea and essence of the book. I really am rooting for Gong to be successful in this endeavor! It is such a fun and interesting premise for a book! I just think the characters need a bit more work in their depth.

These Violent Delights is the Chinese, gangster Romeo and Juliet retelling I didn't know I needed. In 1926 Shanghai, debauchery reigns surpreme, and power is fought for by several different factions, none so bitterly as the White Flowers and the Scarlet Gang. Scarlet Gang Heiress Juliette Cai has returned from America after four years abroad, and she's determined to prove to her father, and her people, that she is fit to lead, but a complication arrives in the form of Roma Montagov, heir to the White Flowers and her ex. Juliette must face Roma, the boy who betrayed her, and even more difficult--to trust him--as a monster spreads madness across all of Shanghai, taking down White Flowers and Scarlet Gang Members alike as it spreads like wildfire. As Roma and Juliette get closer to the truth, they uncover a sinister scheme motivated by greed, imperialism, and vengeance that could turn the entire city upside down, and they must put a stop to it all before they lose their own minds. These Violent Delights was more or less a 4.5 read for me but I have no issue bumping that up to a 5 star rating. I think the most impressive part about this book is just how well researched it was. Gong effortlessly transports the reader into the social context and political landscape of not just late 1920s Shanghai, but of China as a whole, as western powers attempted to take advantage of the lands vast resources and in effect attempted to erase the vestiges of Chinese society altogether. I loved how Gong portrays the resistance to imperialism through Juliette and the rest of the members of the Scarlet Gang. I also really enjoyed the plotting and all of the twists and turns in this story. This stabby Romeo and Juliette retelling has all the yearning, muder and betrayal between these two trademark characters. Gong's writing style is refined and flawless, in my opinion, and she manages to bring out a new and refreshing interpretation of Romeo and Juliette that is just so much fun. These Violent Delights is a story about lost love, greed, and imperialism, and I absolutely recommend it!

I have read a fair amount of Shakespeare retellings and this one is by far the most intriguing. And the most ambitious. Despite being set in the 1920s, it touches on a lot of topics that are very modern: colonialism, gender identity, sexism. There are plot reversals that, if you're like me and spent the majority of middle school and high school having Romeo and Juliet thrust down your throat ad nauseam, are just plain delightful. For example, Juliette twists the "What's in a name" quote by describing how she bastardized her Chinese name into what it is now in order to be more palatable to American sensibilities. Juliette has also finally been given her own cadre in the form of two additional cousins, one of whom is transgender. Her past companions were typically just her Nurse and hot-headed Tybalt (in this case, Tyler), while Romeo had Mercutio, Benvolio, AND Balthasar (now Marshall, Benedikt, and younger sister Alisa). However, what I enjoyed most is how much agency Chloe Gong has given Juliette. No longer is she just a lovestruck teenager rebelling against her family. Gangster Juliette is a force to be reckoned with. She is stubborn and clever and unforgiving. She is merciless. She isn't a lonely beacon of goodness amidst unrelenting violence. She is a product of it. This isn't a Romeo & Juliet story. It isn't even a Juliette & Roma story. It is a story about Juliette and whoever is lucky enough to deserve her time of day.

Wow! That was absolutely gorgeous. From the very first page until the very end, I was invested in Juliette and Roma's story. It was romantic and so deliciously forbidden. Gong takes a classic tale and makes it all her own. The best thing about These Violent Delights is that it takes place in 1926 Shanghai. Juliette is the heroine you've longed for-she's strong and fiercely independent. I loved her immediately. I think readers will love this because it has a hot trope, enemies-to-lovers! The best kind, in my humble opinion. Honestly, I wasn't a fan of the original play of Romeo & Juliet. Gasp...I know! I'm terrible. For some odd reason, I always end up loving the retelling of the classic tale. However, Gong's version is by far my favorite. I'm in love with it. I can't wait for the second book to come.

I'm a sucker for any type of Shakespeare retelling, and this book was no different. A Romeo and Juliet retelling in the 20s in Shanghai? What more could I ask for? The writing was stunning. Absolutely stunning. It was so beautifully executed. Pure literary genius. I cant say enough amazing things about the beautiful language and words weaved together in this book. Juliette Cai is such a fiery strong yet such a vulnerable character. The mask she wears is extremely convincing. Roma Montagov, even with his family, definitely wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to Juliette. I saw what was going on between them a mile away. I also saw Paul, even though I was tricked at first, that he was the one behind it. Between his father and him being so insistent about a vaccine, it was such a clue. That cliffhanger ending has me raging right now!! Though I give huge props for Juliette and tricking Tyler and Roma and Benedickt about Marshall's death. She is truly a kind spirit stuck in a crappy situation with a stupid cousin that needs his butt whooped! I hope Tyler gets what's coming to him and that Juliette and Roma get their happy ending

Mind. Blown. I don't know how exactly to put into words what I'm feeling right now- I'm feeling quite A LOT- but know this: I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS BOOK I DON'T KNOW HOW I'LL EVER RECOVER. These Violent Delights is aptly titled if I do say so myself. It's the perfect blend of violence and delightful writing. The beautiful, addictive prose! The magnificent cover! The brilliance! The 1920s depiction of Shanghai that is both brutal and yet enchanting! All. The. Feels. THE FEELS. I don't know how Chloe Gong did it but I. Want. More. I NEED MORE. All the things this beautiful, terrifying, brilliant book put me through. I can't. I'm gonna be honest, this review is going nowhere. I suck at writing reviews for books I love. Wait, scratch that. I suck at writing reviews for books I'm OBSESSED with. And These Violent Delights is definitely an obsession. What am I to do with my life now?! I love Juliette for being unapologetically herself. She's so fierce I want to be her bestfriend. Roma is just breaking and melding my heart with his Roma-ness. I'm in love with his Roma-ness. Marshall and Benedikt were perfect. PERFECT. I want more Kathleen. Tyler can just keel over and die. Chloe Gong created a world filled to the brim with violence, excitement, intrigue and FEELS. All the feels I don't know what to do with. I am in desperate need of book two.

(Disclaimer: I received this book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.) These Violent Delights defies expectations and words. Set in 1926 Shanghai, Chloe Gong's debut is a blood soaked setting full of feuds, betrayal, and Imperialism. I have never loved Romeo & Juliet, but These Violent Delights is now cannon. Featuring emotion fueled scenes of yearning, tension that cuts with dagger edges, and walking that fine balance between betrayal tinged nostalgia, These Violent Delights is a stunning debut. Gong integrates elements from the original, transforming them into angst heavy scenes leaving readers in pieces. From the beginning, These Violent Delights is captivating. The writing is expressive and gorgeous, weaving you in a web of detailed world building, hidden moments, and layered complexity. While you don't have to have read Romeo & Juliet beforehand, if you do you will be rewarding with an experience where you are constantly shrieking at Gong's masterful re-interpretations. But where These Violent Delights burrowed its way into my heart was the characters. Juliette is no doubts about it, a major badass. With looks that could wither crops, hidden weapons that you'll never find, and a smile that conceals her true motivations, Juliette is dangerous. She has steel in her bones and fire in her veins. But what I love about her, is that there's also a vulnerability to her, a knowledge that weakness gets you killed. That opening our hearts ends in bloodshed. That dreams cost blood and no one escapes unscathed.

2.5 stars I was really looking forward to reading These Violent Delights, but this story disappointed me. I was bored for most of the first half of the book, but then it picked up and I became very interested in learning what was going to happen next, characters grew on me, I started to feel invested in the relationships between certain characters, and I found a few moments to be quite funny - it felt like the author finally found her groove and even the quality of the writing improved. Some of the lines in this book were so beautiful and there were times I was anxiously turning the pages, but near the end, it kind of fell apart. Some needed things happen unbelievably easily, a big-deal moment is sloppily handled by characters who are supposed to be some of the best in their field, the explanation of how the madness came to be and spread felt flimsy, at best, and a few things that happened in the final scenes didn't seem realistic/plausible enough. I think Chloe Gong shows a lot of potential, based on her writing style, so I'll keep an eye out for her future books, but this one just didn't do it for me.

WOW. These Violent Delights is one of my most anticipated reads (and debuts) of 2020, and what a debut it is!! I was, of course, hooked by the concept (Romeo & Juliet inspired set in 1920s Shanghai) and the cover, but this story is so much more. There are incredible points, for instances, about western colonial powers in the city and the Chinese Communist Part gaining traction. I had a feeling I would love These Violent Delights, but once I started reading, I realized that no matter how much I love it, there was no way I would want to read the book in one sitting. It is a book that requires time for readers to really become a part of this city and the characters. You get to muse over the chapters and inhale everything slowly, kind of like dark chocolate melting on your tongue. I loved how ALIVE Shanghai is in These Violent Delights. Chloe Gong wrote the city as if it is its own character. She uncovers the less-than-pretty parts of Shanghai and how it looks so shiny on the surface, yet the city is slowly splitting apart. During this period (1920s), Western imperial powers, such as France and England, are dicing up Shanghai. There are clashes of cultures and power struggles that can be seen both on the surface and underneath the pretense of “only business.” Also, because of the pace of the story, which you would definitely want to take the time to soak up all the details, I felt like I became even more submerged into this world Chloe created. GAH IT IS SO GOOD. Roma, Juliette, and all of the main cast of characters (ex. Marshall Seo, Benedikt Montagov, Kathleen and Rosalind) are so well created and fully formed. They all had depth and flaws and motivations. Plus, there is a transgender character and a queer relationship! However, I liked that these characters were more than just this—they were more than transgender or queer. They were beings with their own stories to tell and each of them were critical to These Violent Delights beyond being a “token” character. If you tell me what I see when I hear their names, there are always specific attributes and images that come to mind. I especially loved Kathleen and Marshall, which I am really not surprised about because they are definitely the type of characters I am drawn to. The funny guy who uses humor to deflect, and the quieter character who does not always like the limelight but is more important than others would give them credit. Whenever Kathleen was there, I was like yesss Kathleen!! It’s all in the ~tension~. I seriously loved the banter between Juliette and Roma (honestly Roma is tired and Juliette is wired). I much prefer reading a romantic relationship that does not have as much of a physical element than more emphasis on the emotional. I love the deadpan humor, and the fact that Roma and Juliette both speak like 10 bajillion languages each and every time they say anything to each other in any of these language there is ROMANTIC TENSION IN EVERYTHING THEY SAY. It is absolutely beautiful to witness. I snorted so many times. In the 1920s, Juliette and her crew witness Shanghai being torn apart by Western imperial powers that have infiltrated the city. It is truly something else to see Juliette’s home and how it is changing from her perspective. There is a line about a powerful white man and her disbelief is palatable through the pages of this book. The commentary is usually from Juliette and her frustration/anger about these people sauntering in and believing that they are superior. There is also some nice commentary on the US and the idea that the country is the “land of dreams,” which becomes a harder and harder thing to believe, even for the most optimistic. Lastly, I appreciated that the commentary on imperialism was not pounded into readers. It was more sly commentary that could slip past someone. The world and the characters of this book are absolutely magical, and I never want to leave!! I already know I will need to do a reread! As I mentioned before, reading These Violent Delights is like savoring dark chocolate (I love dark chocolate can you tell)—you truly can never get enough! ABSOLUTELY HIGHLY RECOMMEND! If you love enemies-to-lovers, family and friend dynamics, immersive/atmospheric world building, Chinese history and the Jazz Age (1920s), or when a character(s) are desperate to save their family not matter the costs, These Violent Delights is definitely the book for you!

A mesmerizing and vivid retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in the gangster world of Shaghai during the roaring twenties. A unique and utterly enthrawling fantasy filled with forbidden romance, underground clubs, uncivilized negotations, and a mysterious creature spilling forth bugs. A crazy and altogether different work of fiction that is completely transportive! Blurb: The Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers have been at odds with each other forever, but when an evil force overtakes the city, killing White Flowers and Scarlets alike, Juliette and Roma decide to put their pasts behind them and join forces to find a cure for the madness. This book is dark, twisted, and empowering. I didn’t expect the supernatural elements caused by mysterious monster or the second chance romance aspect of Juliette and Roma’s relationship. Both characters are strong, loyal, and likeable, despite their association with the mob. There were also a lot of feminist undertones and I love that the author created such heroic Juliette and a softer Romeo. This book is unlike any retelling I’ve ever read. A dark and refreshing take on the most famous forbidden love story of all time

I'm very impressed with this Romeo and Juliet retelling. Set in Shanghai in the 1920s, rival gangs control half of the city. The Scarlet Gang are Chinese and the White Flowers are Russian. During the time when many foreigners try to control and govern Shanghai while some of the people as well as the gangs try to stave off the growing communist society. I really like how the gang's heirs are very adept in learning multiple languages - Shanghinese dialect, Russian, French, English. Once lovers when they were young, Roma and Juliette are heirs to the rival gangs. They work together to figure out the mystery surrounding the madness that's killing their members and rumors of a monster. I love how Juliette is a total bad ass who knows how to fight using knives, is very skilled at shooting and hand to hand combat. Her and Roma's relationship is unstable, but they work through their mistrust and differences to try and save their city. When is the sequel coming out??? I can't wait!

I started out loving this book, I enjoyed the retelling of Romeo and Juliette. I devoured the first couple of chapters, and than it fell apart, I started becoming lost following the plot; however, periodically I did become drawn into the story, but not enough to give the book more than three stars. Another area that bothered me was several of the characters mainly, Juliette and Roma were supposed to be lovers but I saw little connection or romance between the two. There is supposed to be a following novel as a conclusion and I am not planning on reading the book.

I preordered this book simply because people seemed to be enjoying. I really did not know too much about it other than the fact it is a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai with rival gangs. That is really all I needed to know. Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights follows two rival gangs - the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers - in 1926 Shanghai as they are forced to navigate their blood feud amid an outbreak of “madness” or a contagion as well as rumors of a monster. The story centers around Juliette Cai of the Scarlet Gang and Roma Montagov of the Russian White Flowers. Despite their history, the two must put aside their differences to work together to save themselves and their community. Stakes are even higher for Roma who is trying to save his little sister. However, working together turns out to be even harder to fathom for the two because Roma was Juliette’s first love who also betrayed her. I honestly loved the cast of characters that Chloe Gong creates in her story. While Juliette and Roma are the main focus, they both have their own friends and family that stand out. Starting with the Scarlet Gang, I love Juliette’s attitude and how fierce she is. I really appreciated how Gong incorporates how being sent away before impacts who she is and how she thinks about her home. Juliette is willing to do whatever it takes to protect the Scarlet Gang. I really enjoyed seeing her interactions with her family. Kathleen and Rosalind Lang were interesting characters. I hope their trials and motivations are explored a bit more in the second book too. However, I think we can all agree that Tyler Cai sucks. The White Flowers were no exception to the wonderfully written characters. Roma struggles with being heir to the White Flowers, but ultimately, like Juliette, he does what he has to. It was interesting to see how he thought about violence and fighting compared to Juliette. She may be more aggressive and impulsive compared to him, but Roma has no other choice when it comes to saving his sister. I also enjoyed seeing how Roma and Juliette kept each other in check or balanced each other. Just like I wanted more with the side characters from the rival gang, I cannot wait to read more about Marshall Seo and Benedikt Montagov. I am excited to see where their relationship goes. This cast of characters is even more important because they are very inclusive. Gong does a lot for representation here by including characters who are Chinese, Korean, Russian, queer, etc. Kathleen is also transgender. I hope the next book also expands on this more and addresses her possibly transphobic father. Juliette and Roma’s relationship was one of my favorite parts of this book. I trusted everyone else’s opinion and did not even read the full synopsis, so I did not even know that the two had a very complicated past. I was genuinely so surprised when it was revealed that their relationship was lovers to enemies. There are so many more layers to that though. It was more like friends to lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies. I was overall really impressed with the author’s writing. It was very engaging and atmospheric. I was really taken by surprise, especially since I did not love Romeo and Juliet. My only minor critique is that the pacing felt off at times, which could be why some people have commented on it being boring. I think in the second half of the book the story really picks up and is worth it in the end. This book becomes even more unique since there is a monster lurking and causing havoc. I do not understand how Gong makes all these layers work, but they really do. She makes this retelling her own unique story, but in a way that also includes more representation and comments on other important topics like colonialism and gender. I like that she addresses foreign and Western colonialism as a threat to everything Juliette knows and fights for. I do highly recommend These Violent Delights. There are some minor things keeping it from being a five star read, but I expect book two will make up for it. The characters, plot, writing, and atmosphere are all unique, rich, and engaging. Chloe Gong is incredibly talented, and I cannot wait to read more of her future works. *Content warnings: Blood, violence, gore, character deaths, explicit description of gouging self (not of their own volition), murder, weapon use, insects, alcohol consumption, parental abuse, transphobia*

Shanghai in the 1920s. Two rival gangs shoot each other on sight. A monster is indiscriminately killing the people of Shanghai. The heirs of the rival gangs, Roma and Juliet, work together to stop the monster. At heart, this is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. The author elevates the tale with vivid depictions of Shanghai in the 1920s. The city is brought to life in all its gritty glory. The characters are well depicted and relateable. Entwined are issues about gender, race and culture. Although this is labeled as Young Adult, as an adult I was drawn in at the very beginning. My main criticism is that the ending doesn't wrap up the loose ends. Instead the events will be continued in a subsequent book. I was given a free copy of this book and I am leaving my honest review

This book is a Romeo and Juliet retelling that takes place in 1920s Shanghai and deals with rival gangs and an outbreak taking the city by storm. . Phenomenal. Amazing. I need the sequel immediately. I took my time reading this book because I wanted to savor it and really feel immersed in the world and it definitely paid off. I really enjoyed the historical setting and the tension the outbreak caused. I appreciate Gong's commentary on the way people from Europe came to Shanghai to take over parts of the city and while we might not consider that colonization in the traditional way, it still has major impacts on the people who were already there. If you're looking for a fast-paced romance, this isn't it but I think it works for the story and I also think we might see more romance in the sequel.

OH MY GOSH. What a story! A layered upon layered historical fantasy thriller with a touch of romance and a Romeo and Juliette retelling... it really doesn't get any better than this. All of my favorite genres rolled up into one! These Violent Delights is one of a kind. We follow a gritty band of gangsters, misfits in their own right, including Roma and Juliette, both heirs to their gang apparent, who are trying to uncover the origins of a mysterious madness running manically across the city of Shanghai. With little to go on and the blood feud still raging between Roma's and Juliette's gangs, the heirs are forced to find a way to covertly work together. But can they? Their blood-stained past and romantic history could make things difficult on top of the growing number of native political & civil factions and the endless stream of foreigners trying to take over their city. Almost poetic at times, the writing is purely magnificent. Gong beautifully strings words together creating a stunning masterpiece so exquisitely detailed and intricate. There is lots of slow yet intense build-up and then everything seems to happen all at once and doesn’t stop! A web of intricately detailed plot lines that all come together in one seamless swoop after swoop after swoop. It's largely character-driven and political and gave me Six of Crows vibes. Seriously, what a story. AND OMG THAT ENDING! Hurry up book #2! Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my advanced ecopy.

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster and Chloe Gong for destroying my entire week... I mean, providing me with a free Advanced Reader Copy of These Violent Delights in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the company or its affiliates in any way. *** I have never been happier to have a platform that could potentially reach an author than I am now. Because I need to tell Chloe Gong this… How very dare you?! How dare you have the audacity to write a book this devastatingly good. I lost nights of sleep staying up to read These Violent Delights and then I lost even more sleep after finishing because I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Now, I understand that These Violent Delights literally came out today, but can you please hurry up with the sequel? I currently have the biggest book hangover that I’ve ever had. **WHAT I LIKED** I understand that saying everything isn't the best review, so let’s dive in to why this retelling is even better than the original. *GASP* Romeo and Juliet was written by Shakespeare himself, so how dare I say that?? I find a lot wrong with the classic, and I know in this modern age, I’m not alone in thinking that. So, Chloe Gong came in, shook some things up, and just made it better. - It’s a slow burn romance. Which is just *chefs kiss* perfect. It happens to be my favorite kind of romance, and it completely fits the story since they’re rivals. - Juliette is a bad ass. Juliette is described as being a killer who is violent and ruthless with questionable morals. While that might not seem like everyone’s cup of tea, her morals are still there – they’re just questionable. Not only is she a female in the 1920s, she is also trying to control a gang of men who would drag her down the moment she came into power if they were not fearful of her. She does what she does in order to protect the only three things she cares about: her city, her gang, and her people. And she does it all in a pretty dress (and a garrote wire necklace, of course). - There is so much diversity. So much. There is a trans character, which Gong handles impeccably in both letting us know that the character is trans and not using her gender as her only (or even primary) character trait. There is a queer relationship which I was honestly rooting for more than Roma and Juliette because they characters are so freaking adorable with each other. And again, Gong didn’t make their relationship or their sexual orientation their main character trait. I’m fairly certain she even gave one of the characters OCD, but it’s not definitive, because again… it’s not their main trait. She created real dimensional characters that just so happen to be diverse. Of course, there were also powerful females and POC, being as it was set in Shanghai. - Ooh, so mysterious. Chloe Gong did something that I absolutely love in novels and is one of the biggest factors that cause me to devour books. She added mystery, but not just on the large scale of the main plot (“is there a monster and what is causing the madness?”). She added small mysteries (like why do Roma and Juliette hate each other so much?) throughout the entire novel, and answered them along the way, just pulling me along for the ride chapter after chapter. - Call backs to the original. One of my favorite things about retellings are the small call backs to the original story, and Gong did this in such a fun way. There was of course a masquerade ball (which was so exciting!), she has a Rosalind and a character with the last name Voronin, which I just can’t accept is coincidence with Rosaline and Fair Verona in the original. - And my favorite thing about the entire book… her writing. Oh, Chloe Gong, I will forever pick up any book that you write, because your writing style is immaculate. I take a lot of notes while reading because my memory is quite awful, and I have note after note about how much I love her words. Mostly, I love how she describes characters. She doesn’t describe their looks, but more so their emotions and personalities in such a beautiful way. For example, in describing Juliette’s cousin she wrote “A boy with steel skin and a heart of glass.” I just… I have no words to describe how HER WORDS make me feel. Who… the AUDACITY CHLOE GONG! **WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE** For a review to be good, it has to mention what you didn’t like about the book right? But, I mean, what is there to say against These Violent Delights? “Oh, it’s unrealistic that a female would be in a position of power in the 1920s.” Well, GONG ADDRESSES THAT. “Oh, it’s unrealistic that LGBTQA+ characters wouldn’t be harassed in the 1920s.” Well, GONG ADDRESSES THAT. Anything that remotely crossed my mind as “suspending belief” (of course, outside of the realm of a monster existing and causing madness), Gong addresses fully and reasonably, taking away any doubt that this story could definitely exist in the real world… again, despite the monster. So, while I mentioned it already, my only true beef with this book and Chloe Gong is the audacity to create such an amazing story that it caused me to lose many hours of precious sleep, to the embarrassing point that my husband had to remind me that the next day would be hell if I didn’t just put the dang book down. And this book hangover is harsh. I’m not quite sure there’s another book out there that’s going to be able to pull me out of this one. ** FINAL RECAP ** YOU HAVE TO READ THIS *violently throws the book in your face*

First things first, I’ll say that this book is fantastic. I finished reading it yesterday (an amazing christmas gift) and I’m still obsessed with it. The work with characters is just wonderful: they’re all multifaceted, each with different, complex morals and personalities that are relevant to the plot. The relationships are phenomenal, I cannot stress that enough. I’ve been basically living off LGBTQ+ romances, since I am part of the community myself and stories with that focus tend to be more interesting and relatable to me, but “These Violent Delights” had been recommended to me several times through the past few months and since I adore the enemies-to-lovers trope, I decided I could give it a try. Plus, a Romeo & Juliet retelling where they’re from rival gangs in 1920s Sanghai does sound pretty interesting by itself. And I wasn’t disappointed: this book is everything it promised to be. The plot is intricate and it feels like Gong’s words hold you on your chair, bed, whatever and don’t let you leave until you finish. Something that was very well handled by Gong was the use of point of views. As a writer myself, I know how difficult it is to nail the point of views in order to control the pacing of the story, but also not using this resource too much, which could bore the reader, and the way this was handled in this narrative was a master work I congratulate Chloe Gong for (that feels weird to say, since she certainly isn’t anxiously waiting for my approval or anything like that, but this is a review after all, so I guess this kind of comment is appropriate in the context). If you’re looking for a book that’s, well, an emotional rollercoaster, both in the plot and the character work as well as their interactions, then you should definitely pick up this book. It also tackles topics like the characters’ moralities, how there’s not a single, widely accepted truth, but that the truth can be changed depending on the point of view, and… mwah! Chefs kiss! This was added in my list of favorite books on Goodreads as soon as I finished. 100% recommended!

This seriously may have just become my favorite read of 2020! First; the characters. Juliette Cai is the heiress to the Scarlet Gang and she is, quite frankly, a badass. She just returned from studying abroad in New York. She speaks Mandarin, English, French, and Dutch among other languages. She is settling back into her position as the heiress, which her cousin has been trying to take. She is independent, confident, and knows exactly what she wants! Then comes Roma, the heir to the White Flowers, the rival gang of The Scarlets. He is such a wonderfully complex character, in my opinion., His exterior is all tough but inside he just wants peace. Roma and Juliette have history, they were each other's first loves before Roma betrays Juliette. But they put the past aside to work together to destroy a monster that threatens to terrorize their city (Shanghai) by spreading a mysterious illness which causes people to tear out their own throats. I love the chemistry between Roma and Juliette. There is LQBTQ+ representation which we LOVE TO SEE! I also loved that the book touched on some pretty important political things like imperialism, white supremacy, and communism. Following along with Juliette and Roma, as well as some pretty amazing side characters, was such a thrill! I already cannot wait for the second book! I need so many answers, especially after that CLIFFHANGER. EEK!

Take a cup of history flavored with Shanghai, China in the 1920s, half a cup of rival gangs with a violent history of killing each other, a quarter cup each of varied foreign intervention and rising Chinese communism. Blend well, then add a dangerous romance and top with a truly horrific monster that seems to appear and disappear at will. Let age nicely for 400+ pages before tossing a couple dandy gotchas, setting you up for a sequel. This describes this book nicely. It's a dandy, not only for the setting, but for how the plot elements blend, confuse and reveal. I'm definitely on board with what comes next.

How dare you! How dare you give me hope, then rip my heart out, and then give me a glimmer of hope back!! And yes I realize this is a Romeo and Juliet retelling, and so I should expect certain things but still. Needless to say I loved this. The whole setting, 1920's Shanghai, the gangster families, the monsters, and the characters I just loved them all. Juliette and Roma are not....the nicest people, yet you can see the softness every now and then. Mars and Benedict were thoroughly enjoyable and I will forever ship them. The ending left me desperately needing the next book.

Thank you Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. When you tell me, "Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920's Shanghai with rival gangs", I'm going to pick that book up immediately! I was not disappointed by this retelling, it was the perfect combination of action, deception, and love, while having a sinister edge. The setting, 1920's Shanghai, was immersive and the characters were dynamic and wholly fleshed out. I never questioned the motives of our two main characters, Roma and Juliette, because it was clear what their driving force were from the very beginning. Juliette and Roma often led with their emotions, though Juliette was clearly more outwardly driven to hasty decisions, whereas Roma was more inwardly reflective. I also found myself growing attached to many of the side characters and adored Kathleen, Benedikt and Marshall One of my favorite aspects of this story is the examination of colonization and racism during the 1920's. There was an emphasis oh white settlers trying to take over and "enlighten" the surrounding community. It was disturbing but a driving factor for a few of our characters. At one point a British character tells Juliette she speaks English so well, stating that she doesn't have any trace of an accent, as if this is what dictates someones ability to understand and have a grasp on the English language. Further, this character was pointing out that the only way for certain language to be accessible is if the speaker passes as native speaking. There was also and interesting emphasis on the ways in which Western culture has shaped Juliette and how she often chooses to stand out by wearing and leaning into Western culture. I appreciated this aspect of the story. My one complaint was that the pacing felt a little off to me and there were moments I had difficulty suspending my disbelief. That being said, I am intrigued by how the next book in this series will play out, especially with many of the questions I have surrounding certain characters and their possible betrayal.

This book WRECKED me. The note on my phone where I was recording my thoughts is soooooo long. I was serious when I said I hadn't read a book this good since Chain of Gold. This book is Chain of Gold level. Seriously, it has Cassie Clare level angst. I laughed, I cried (seriously, I have a video of me crying because of this book). The writing is impeccable, the atmosphere is incredibly immersive. I mean, I've never been to Shanghai, but I almost feel as if I had now. And the roaring 20's vibes? *chef's kiss* so good! Let's talk first about the characters because that was undeniably my favorite part. I am a character-driven reader. I will not deny it. Five pages into this book, I had written, and I quote, "I already love Juliette" in my notes. Juliette Cai (pronounced like sigh, not kai) has my entire heart. This girl is my soulmate. Or, if not, we would be best friends. Or she would hate me. There's not much in between with Juliette. She is ruthless and decisive, but she is also so relatable and so so kind and loving to the people she loved. And Roma. Soft boy Roma. I also love him so much. He is so precious, and he just loves Juliette so much. I think, if Will and Jem were one person, it would be Roma Montagov. And don't even get me started on their relationship. This had June and Day level angst and drama. My new OTP, without a doubt. Benedikt and Marshall. That's it. That's the review. Their interactions had me literally screaming. I had to close the book more than once. They are just too cute. They don't even get together in this book, but it is coming, and it is why I need the sequel now. Pulling another quote from my notes, this one in all caps, "OMG MARS AND BEN AHHHHHH THEY ARE SO CUTE AND SO PERFECT TOGETHER IT HURTS MY HEARTTTTTTTT I LOVE THEM SO MUCH," dramatic? Maybe. But accurate? Yes. And Kathleen Lang. My new fave. Ugh, I can't choose. I just love all these characters so much! But seriously, I love Kathleen. She is so kind, which is not often a trait you see in gangsters. But she is also so badass! She will get the job done if there is a job to be doing. And she and Juliette have the perfect sister-like relationship. Seeing them together made me want to go hug my sister. Ok, moving on from characters, let's talk about the writing. So atmospheric, so immersive. I don't think I usually talk about the actual writing style of a book too much, but I need to with this one. The comparisons Chloe Gong made were so unique, but I always knew exactly what she was talking about. I could literally see the scenes play out in my head, like a movie. Speaking of which, this would make a fantastic movie! The way Chloe Gong described her characters made me feel like a really knew them. She did an amazing job of getting deep within their heads and portraying it all to the reader without ever saying anything outright. This book is actual art. And that ending! Like I said, I cried. I haven't cried from a book since I reread Clockwork Princess. Everything came together so perfectly in the end, and just when you think it's over: surprise! There's more! I will literally buy anything Chloe Gong writes. Like seriously, I would pay to read her grocery list. Now, I have hardly anything to complain about with this book because it is utter perfection. But will say it is very political. I was a little confused at first, but I kept reading, and it all came together very nicely. It is not overly complicated, but if you feel yourself getting a little confused, please stick with it!

To be honest, a few chapters, in the beginning, were kinda slow. BUT I think it’s important to give it some time for the atmosphere to engulf the readers and the characters to enchant them. Surely enough, I didn’t have to wait for long before the scream began, yep it was a literal scream completed with blood and terror. Then it was a rollercoaster after that. Moments of me panicking over what’s going to happen next while trying not to think about how disgusting this particular thing was. I loved the way TVD didn’t hold back from all the displeasing details because I needed it. It made the story felt real, I just couldn’t get enough of it! The suspense gripped me until the very last page, it was both maddening and intoxicating at the same time. Then we have such brilliant characters that made me fall in love with each of them. Juliette and Roma’s slow-burn romance was one of the highlights of this book. IMO, it’s quite hard to write a slow-burn that’s both beautiful and addicting. Many times before, I found some that were disappointing nearing the end of the story but that’s not the case with their love-to-hate-to-love relationship. I loved every moment they spent together, whether it was in a dire or civil situation, their electrifying spark always made me crave for more. The sexual tension!! Their power as a couple!! PERFECTION. Overall, These Violent Delights was a spectacular YA historical debut! Once it kicked off, I didn’t think I was ever truly coming down from those shocking twists. Gangster, 20th century Shanghai, romance, and a mysterious monster wrapped within the stunning cover and completed with Chloe Gong’s powerful writing; this book is perfect for those who are looking for an exciting and unique read with East Asian representation.

As many other reviewers have said...I had high hopes for this book. The premise and setting alone promised a fantastic story. Unfortunately, it was extremely slow to start and there was a major lack of chemistry between the main characters. And the heroine was just not likeable. There was also a bit of an anti-American vibe that didn't sit well with me. However, the pace and excitement did pick up during the last half, therefore, the first half earns 3 stars while the second half is an easy 4.

I get Crazy Rich Asians vibes from this book with the opulence displayed by our lovely little gangsters and I love that. It’s seductive, fun and downright exciting. Juliette is a dangerous young woman with a penchant for violence and weapons whereas Roma is the opposite, but will do whatever it takes to protect those he loves. Together they make a perfect duo for the most perfect tragic love story ever written. I have to say I’m incredibly attached to all the characters in this novel and will be absolutely heartbroken if the author chooses to end the second one in the way that Shakespeare ended his novel. Admittedly it would be a slight cop out to not end it that way, but they are adorable characters and deserve happiness. However, despite my love of the characters and their incredible diversity (hello LGBTQ representation) the setting is truly what takes this book a step above the rest. The level of intricacy involved in the setting of this novel really allowed me to feel as though I was in 1920’s Shanghai and I have never even been to modern day Shanghai. Additionally, the cultural conscientiousness was very well done in my opinion and in a way that adds a great respect to Asian culture and the traditions celebrated by those with ties to the culture. Truthfully I have no other words to describe it other than it was amazing and only those who have read the novel will entirely understand what I mean. To be honest I can’t speak highly enough about this book and I’m also incredibly impressed by Gong’s writing being that she is literally my age. I cannot wait to read more of her work and get to see what she continues to come up with in the future because I know she’s just getting started.

( No Spoilers ) This story is a dark twist on Romeo and Juliet that feels vibrant, modern, and even exciting. Set in 1926 Shanghai, is a blood soaked setting full of feuds, betrayal, and Imperialism. I loved all of the characters but especially liked Roma and Juliette. Definitely recommend if you're looking for a historical fantasy story with some violence, forbidden romance, monsters, and an angsty romance! This Violent Delights book is a great debut for Chloe Gong, and I am sure there will be more to come in the future.

one the best books i’ve ever read! juliette and roma’s relationship is so well developed and you see them struggle with their “hatred,” their past, and the blood feud dividing them and their people. every single character—marshall, benedikt, kathleen, rosalind—all have unique, full of depth personalities and i just loved them all so so much. from the first page, chloe’s writing had me captured and in love and wanting to read more. there were plot-twists, amazing banter, and well-thought out plots that tied together to make this book the piece of art it is. the ending (don’t even get me started, i’m going to cry again) was AMAZING and i don’t know how i’m going to wait for the sequel without losing my mind. i 100% recommend this book, it truly is something special <33

Chloe Gong’s debut novel is a triumph. It honestly BLOWS my mind that this is her debut novel and that she’s an undergrad. She created such a rich and complex story; I might be just a little bit scared of her and her brilliance. Something that, in my opinion, she did masterfully was taking some of the most iconic moments of Romeo and Juliet, and using them in a new and fresh way that seamlessly fit into the story she was creating. There were so many moments while reading where I could clearly see the Shakesperian influence, but it was done in a way that was so different and unexpected. It’s difficult to pull inspiration from Shakespeare and not simply imitate, but Chloe took that inspiration and made it into something completely new. It really was done brilliantly. One example of this that I thought was particularly clever was the use of the poison from the original story. Without giving much away, I thought that the way Chloe incorporated it was very smart.

This book has everything I could want and more... - Romeo and Juliet retelling - Shanghai in the 1920s - Friends to lovers to enemies to sorta-allies to friends back to lovers - The use of iconic R&J elements in new ways - Trans character who isn’t deadnamed or outed. (And also possibly the first non-white trans character I’ve ever read?)

First off let me just say, I'm a sucker for retellings. So, when I hear "Romeo and Juliette's retelling set in 1929 Shanghai," not gonna lie I jumped and jumped hard. With that being said, it took me two tries to read this book. Not that it wasn't good, because it was great, once you got fully into it. But what I expected vs what I got made me put it down the first time. The second time, however, I flew through the book and just needed more, and was very upset with how it ended. So glad there is a part two coming sooner rather than later. My only gripe with the story is that you already have to have a familiarity with the Romeo and Juliette love/hate relationship because the story builds on that foundation of knowledge already had.

I'm debating the 5th star. We'll see after subsequent books. I wish that no one planted the seed that this was a Romeo and Juliet story. There are moments of similarities, but this book stands in it's own right. If I had to make a comparison this is like a really well played game of chess and the game isn't over yet. I am looking forward to seeing some of the minor characters evolve. They are set up for greatness.

This book was incredibly boring. Juliet is a jerk. The relationship between the two characters dry as dirt. Not to mention the pretentious tone of the whole novel. Do not recommend.

This is one of those books that I was influenced by bookstagram to read after seeing it all around. I love the idea of the Romeo and Juliet vibe and thought that it was executed so well by Chloe Gong. I was intrigued about the madness and trying to solve the mystery. I also found myself rooting for Juliette and Roma.

Woooow this book was brilliant! And bloody! I loved the 1920s Shanghai setting; I loved the politics, talk of foreigners, gangs, etc. Juliette was completely ruthless! The romance between her and Roma was angsty with a great slow build up (or build back up, because there's a history there). Definitely eager for more!

I’m probably biased because I love a good ol’ Shakespeare retelling (see my undying love for 10 things I hate about you), but These Violent Delights has been my favorite read of 2021 and has already seized a place as one of my favorite books. The angst! The romance! The gangsters! The drama! It was all so beautifully wrapped up into an exciting, captivating story. I loved the whole idea of this novel as soon as I read the premise. Gang against gang in 1920s Shanghai, a forbidden romance, a bold and daring heroine who isn’t always brave and tough, people loving who they love and being who they are regardless of societal norms, it has it all. I wait patiently (read: desperately) for the sequel.

3.5 stars Took me a while to get involved, but the latter half of the book really picks up. The cliff hanger leaves you wanting more, so I'm looking forward to the next book.

If I could take a pill to experience something for the first time again, it would be for this book. Chloe Gong is AN AMAZING author. She has SO much going on, so so many plot twists. The book is fantasy, romance, historical fiction, coming of age, scifi, everything at the same time. She talks about assimilation, internalized racism, imperialism, economy and poverty, femminity and so much more. Also Juliet is a badass and I would definitely be partners in crime with her. I CANNOT wait for the sequel! please write more books chloe, you are so talented!!!

I loved this book. Had a strong female protagonist that fought. All the side characters added to the story in a positive way. The back stories were adorable and made me want to cry a little. The enemies to lovers story was amazing. Definitely a better version of Romeo and Juliet. Probably my favorite Romeo and Juliet retelling.

As a horror fan, I'm delighted to say that "TVD" is excellent and disgusting. In 1920s Shanghai, Chinese Juliette Cai and Russian Roma Montagov must work together to stop a madness that has people tearing their own throats out.

This was so close to being a five star read. 1920s Shanghai and two star crossed lovers in the middle of a gang blood feud. Throw in a race against time mystery that must be solved and I was hooked. Some of the characters were flat or barely developed. But that could easily be fixed in the next book.

This is the only retelling of R&J that I’ve ever read or even really ever heard of and it was good but slightly disappointing. I’m hoping These Violent Ends wraps up some of the outstanding issues I had with this novel.

This book was AMAZING! Historical fantasy has become a favorite genre recently, and this book did not disappoint!! I loved the spark between Roma and Juliet that grew continuously throughout the book and the representation was *chef’s kiss. I finished this in two days while in college (whoops) but it was WORTH IT! Cannot wait for Our Violent Ends!!

The layers in this book are so so so so so well done! It's a retelling of romeo and juliet for sure, but if you think you know what's going to happen at any given point...promise, you don't. How is that possible with a plot that is 400 years old?! Please read this book.

Amazing! I cannot stop thinking of that ending😮

Love this book 10/10 recommend! This book has an amazing lovers to engines to lovers story line! I ship Roma and Juliet together so hard! They are one of my favorite books couples! This books also has a huge plot twist that I didn’t see coming! This book is definitely one of my favorites!!!! And I can’t wait for the sequel!

I got this book through Owlcrate and I am in love. Romeo and Juliet is my least favorite of Shakespeare's plays and I am always on the hunt for a retelling to make it bearable. THIS IS IT, Y'ALL.

My love for this book is unexplainable; the story is beautifully written, it highlights the culture of 1920s Shanghai, and the ending leaves you on the edge of your seat. Well done work, can't wait for the next book!

Probably one of the best spins on Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet. Retellings have always been my favorites because there is so much that can be altered for the plot-line and still make it. Definitely a new favorite for me, and I can't wait to see what happens it’s the second book!!!

This is one of, if not the, best adaptations of Romeo and Juliet I've consumed. Rather than just your normal retelling, it takes the premise and uses it as the background for an amazing historical fiction fantasy thriller. You really need to read this book.

This book was amazing! It has everything I could ask for: badass female protagonist, lovers to enemies to lovers, and a bit of a fantasy element! It was so amazing and I wish I could go back and forget it and read it for the first time all over again!

I Love this story! The perfect enemies to lovers trope, and I can’t wait to read the second book! I think it’s great for all ages.

Incredible!

honestly one of my favorite books of 2020 so far! the writing is so well done and the relationship between juliette and roma had me always on the edge of my seat like “what’s gonna happen now?”. i cant wait for the sequel

I loved the characters and setting! I also thought the pacing was good and it is quite a thick book. But I got through it with ease and tore through the last quarter in one evening!

Chloe did marvelous for her first book. Communism. Gangs. Growing China with no official government. Roma and Juliette hating and in love.

Really enjoyed getting to know each character. Can't wait to see the sequel and find out what happens to the city and characters now.

i will sell my soul for the sequel. i am losing my mind over how good this was omg that ENDING. idk how imma make it to november omg.

This book is amazing and has great representation! I love love it so much and the author is a beautiful person

These Violent Delights is a powerful and heartbreaking YA novel.

This is the PERFECT book for anyone wanting to get into or back into reading

highly recommend if u like YA historical fiction & chinese history!

Loved it

My favorite book!

These Violent Delights is a complex, atmospheric YA fantasy reimagining of Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai! Gong incorporates much of the history and the unrest of the city during that period and gives it all a fantasy twist. The book is exquisitely written (it’s very hard to believe Gong was a freshman in college when she wrote it). The book’s diversity is also wonderful, with many different ethnic backgrounds represented, as well as LGBT and trans representation. As for the plot, the story follows two rival gangs as they struggle to deal with a strange madness that is overtaking Shanghai and killing their people. Rumor has it that the madness is caused by a monster that comes out of the river. Juliette and Romo are both heirs to their family’s blood feud, but they find themselves working together to unravel the mysteries of the madness. Throughout the book, you learn about the complicated relationship that Romo and Juliette have shared and the deep betrayals that drove them apart. And, of course, you discover the truths behind what is causing the madness and why. I loved the way the story follows some elements of the original Shakespearean tale while definitely veering into new territory as well. This led to a few surprises, especially at the end of the book! If you’re a fan of elaborate fantasy reimaginings, historical fiction with a twist, or just fantasy in general, you should definitely pick up this book!

I wanted to love this more. It's very interesting and that ending was everything I wanted for book 1 but it just didn't completely grab me. I cared more about Juliette then I did Roma and I think that's where it lost me, being a loose Romeo & Juliet story I wanted to be all about both of them, but I will absolutely be picking up book 2 when it comes out.

It took me longer to realize that it was a Romeo and Juliet type trope. Which makes it even better! I love Chloe’s writing style and her world building.

Shanghai ports and a terrible monster in the prologue piqued my curiosity. A retelling of Romeo and Juliet with rival gangsters in Shanghai and a mysterious string of strange deaths. Roma and Juliettte are two nineteen-year-old gangster heirs that love each other but are meant to hate each other. Shanghai is being terrorized by a strange monster that causes madness and death. The two heirs are desperately trying to save their gangs and territories from the madness, communism and other foreigners threatening to take control of Shanghai. They don’t want to cross paths, but Roma and Juliette realize they need each other’s information to solve their problems. Two strong main characters that are conflicted bring angst and empathy to this retelling, 4 stars!

Apparently I'm the girl that just doesn't get along with highly anticipated reads. I originally picked this book up because it sounded like an awesome premise. A romeo & Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shangai. I'm a massive fan of storytelling set in Asia but man alive, there is just no world building whatsoever. I didn't feel transported to another time, I didn't really get a feel for the culture or the way of life. I really needed more in that regard. The characterisation was weak. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. Juliet was written as a strong and independent woman but I just found her incredibly winey and childish. As the heir to the Scarlet gang she seemed more interested in maintaining her poker face with Romo. Likewise, he was the same but male. Never felt any affection for either and for a romantic retelling, it felt a bit soulless. The first couple of hundred pages was a complete info dump and to say I was exceedingly bored was an understatement. The book didn't need to be as long as it did and a lot of the narrative was endless descriptions and no action.

I was kindly gifted a copy of this ebook by Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So thank you so so much! When I initially heard about These Violent Delights, all I knew was that it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in a 1920’s Shanghai. For me that was enough to get excited and immediately pre-order. I have always been a huge fan of the forbidden romance/enemies to romance tropes, so Romeo and Juliet was always up my street. I didn’t know much more about this one until I received the ARC, so I was extremely pleased to find that not only was it an R&J retelling but also containing a murder mystery, monsters, and gangsters. The thing that really captured me was the writing style. I was immediately drawn in to the 1920’s Shanghai and politics surrounding the story itself. I found it informative without even realising, with the rich descriptions I felt as if I were there myself at times. In regards to the story I really enjoyed it, it dived right into the action and was easy to follow, there was little hidden in regards to the gory deaths and that made it all the more exciting. Although we immediately knew the cause of these deaths it was still surrounded in mystery and remained that way until the very last page, being 464 pages (according to Goodreads) the expectation would be that we would get an early reveal or after some time it would become a little predictable or even dare I say it a bit boring. But I was still as hooked as I was when I first started. The one thing I love about the mystery's is trying to predict the killer, but I had no chance with this one. Characters were introduced so intricately that you didn’t question their motives until everything became clear at the end. Throughout the book various plot holes arise, mentions of the past we do not know about but so desperately want to, they are revealed neatly at the end in a way which fits the story, rather than simply info dumping. I loved the ending, it was suspenseful, everything came to together and set up book 2 perfectly. My only issue is that by reading this ARC I now have even longer to wait for the sequel! I liked being able to recognise the characters from the play, being such a big family on both sides I found it easier to keep track of each one and their relevance to the plot. I felt we saw more of the Cai’s rather than the Montagov’s, so although I feel I have a pretty good idea of Juliette’s family with Roma I still feel a little unsure. But I am hoping this is something that can be looked into more in the sequel. However I do have to say that this replicates their relations to their family perfectly. We become immediately aware that although both are in line to take over from their family only one is more comfortable doing so. Only Juliette was trying to fit into the role which was almost being taken from her, whereas with Roma, I can’t recall more than a single instance that he was actually at his family home, unstinting to continue on with the reigns being passed onto him. Speaking of characters, I enjoyed the diversity. I will admit I did get a little confused with Kathleen’s past, when they spoke about the death of a sister, I assumed it referred to Kathleen in her being transgender. However when another sister was mentioned I did get a bit lost. I am planning to re-read this once the book is released, and since I have a physical copy I think it will make it easier to keep track of what may have happened. I loved the closeness of both families, Roma with his cousin and friend, and their slow building romance between them. And also Juliette and her cousins. Aside from Roma and Juliette I think Marshall and Benedikt’s relationship was a big favourite of mine, I loved the friendship and the banter they had, but also when it was suggested there was more to it. Ultimately the build up between Roma and Juliette was so frustrating, but at the same time I don’t think it could have happened any other way. I loved how long it took for them to trust each other fully again, with the combination of not knowing what had happened between made it all the more interesting to read on. Overall I loved the book, I felt it was executed perfectly and was more than I was hoping for in every way. I do have some theory regarding book 2, there was a mention of a traitor but nothing more was said so I am hoping this is going to be a bit plot point in the sequel. I have an idea on who I think it may be, so time will tell! My only issue that I had, and it was a relatively small one considering was with the bugs. Naturally we don’t know a lot about the bugs however, I wanted to know how they knew that by killing the host the bugs would also die. There was a lot of talk of killing this monster to save everyone (which was pretty important) but no one really thought about what they would do if the bugs weren’t affected, or even if they couldn’t kill it. Again its not a bit issue at all, I am pretty hopeful we will find out more in book 2!

Wanted to like this but didn't. Stopped at page 273 and skipped to the end. - I liked the non western take on the story, colonialism and how this affected the blood fued and their livelihood. The action/fast paced scenes were really good but these were few and far between. - While the descriptions of the settings are beautiful, sometimes its OTT and reptitive. The description of Juliette hating Roma every time they met was repetitive. Similarly, the character descriptions at times were lengthy: eg- half a page is dedicated to how two of the side characters type/write. Its not relevant to the story. - The book relies on our pre-exisiting knowledge of R+J. I wasn't invested or cared about the romance (mainly lack of), or hate, between them here because I wasn't a part of that journey. A prequel telling us what happened between them would have been better than being told though snippets, sometimes during dialogue which broke the flow. All the characters were also quite bland, so I didn't care about the ending unfortunately.

This is a brilliant retelling of Romeo and Juliette set in Shanghai in 1926. Roma Montagov, heir to a Russian mafia family, the White Flowers and Juliette Cai, daughter to the head of the Chinese drug cartel, the Scarlets. Roma and Juliette met young, fell in love but were cruelly separately by Roma's betrayal which led to deaths on both sides. Juliette leaves Shanghai to live the high life in New York while Roma remains behind. Juliette returns and tensions between the rival families are at an all-time high. However, a new threat arises with dire consequences for both the White Flowers and Scarlet gangs. A mysterious affliction is sweeping through their members and making them claw their throats out in a sudden onset of madness. Roma and Juliette must set aside their animosity and distrust and work together to find a solution. Their investigation uncovers a powerful supernatural foe at the heart of the contagion. As the deaths pile up, tension rises between the ex-lovers which force them to confront their unresolved feelings and the trauma of their pasts. Will they find the solution before it's too late and can move past their differences to rekindle their love? This was a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read for me as I loved the attention to detail given to the backstory and world-building at the start which set the stage for a gripping and addictive plot. The fresh take on the Shakespearean story was incredibly creative and I found that both the main characters as well as the supporting roles were beautifully written with complex backgrounds, motivations and diverse personalities. The sexual tension jumped off the page and the visceral love story between Roma and Juliette was both riveting and emotional to read. I loved the Shanghai backdrop with its rich Chinese customs and cultural references as well as the historical elements of the rise of communism and the interference of foreign powers of that time which were incorporated into the plot. This added more depth and realism to the story.

Are you kidding me. Are you kidding me. This book was superb. It took me an embarrassingly long time to notice this was a Romeo and Juliet adaptation.... but it was that and more. The richness with which I was transported to 1920s Shanghai. This book was gripping, and so much truth rang out from the pages. I lively the characters had a solidness, a grittiness, and a soft underbelly to them. They were hard because they needed to be in their given contexts, and Chloe still managed to put across their vulnerabilities. I just, this was a really really good read. 🥺😍🥰

It is fantastically written - it is engaging and the characters are so enthralling, and have the added benefit of being unapologetically morally grey. The pacing of this is spot on, you get caught up in the flow of action immediately and it doesn't ever feel sluggish or like its moving too quickly for you to keep up. It's absolutely perfectly paced. So, the premise - Romeo and Juliet but make it gangsters in Shanghai, is such a good concept. You feel the tension between the two rivals leaping off the page, but also there is a weariness to the blood feud. Everyone seems to be looking for an out, but no one wants to be the first to let up. There is an abundance of tension, pulling the two principle characters in a range of different angles constantly, and it keeps the sense of urgency throughout the novel. I thought the characters were very well shaped - they weren't simply mirrors of each other. Roma and Juliette had different, but complementary, outlooks on the world and their own backgrounds bleed into how they react. I felt like I could see some people I knew in this book thanks to how well Chloe Gong had shaped their characterisation - and I mean, there is a very annoying entitled, white Brit in this novel who I'm pretty certain I've met. He was spot on. Juliette was vicious, and proud, and so exciting to read about. Roma was sympathetic, and quite sweet, but determined and equally harsh when he needed to be. I found this to be incredibly readable. It was so easy to keep track of what was happening but I never felt lulled into boredom. The fantastical element was woven in well, it seemed to flow very naturally through this world and made the retelling of 'Romeo and Juliet' feel fresh and new. Honestly, I can't sell this enough. It's beautifully done

I liked the idea of this book alot when I picked it up, the setting of 1920s Shanghai, the gangs bloodfued and the mysterious monster related madness that has infected the city grabbed my attention immediately. But the more I read the more I lost interest. All the characters felt shallow and one-dimensional and the plot felt more and more predictable, most likely this is enhanced by its retelling of the most famous romantic tragedy in English literature. A great idea but not executed to its full potential in my opinion.

primeiramente, so deixando claro que essa avaliacao é do paperback em si, nao da historia ou da autora. o livro é RIDICULO DE ECONOMICO. eu paguei 70 reais por um livro que nao vem com UM BRILHINHO NA CAPA, UMA PARTE EM AUTO RELEVO. as folhas sao literalmente DA COR DE JORNAL, tem um cinza feio e inclusive tem cheiro de jornal. estou extremamente decepcionada, se soubesse que estaria dando 70 reais por um livro com qualidade de 10 eu com certeza faria outra escolha. isso é literalmente um roubo.

This book was on my tbr for so long and I finally got round to reading it and WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED! I loved the whole childhood sweethearts to enemies to lovers between Juliette and Roma. Plus Juliette is an absolute badass I love her. This book had an incredibly captivating story and I could not put it down. The side characters as well were just amazing. Can’t wait for the sequel!

feeling as connected to characters so early on in a book as i did with this one is rare. from the get go the reader is well and truly inside their heads and both juliette and roma have such strong voices that it’s incredibly easy to root for them. as a person who enjoys character driven books more than plot driven ones as a whole, i can say that this book did both amazingly.

If you have a craving for historical fiction that isn't based in Europe, this one is a good pick. The history of early 20th century China is fascinating and These Violent Delights creates a great sense of atmosphere and tension.

This book was so beautifully written. The twist and the characters were so enthralling and the ending had me like 😮🤭. It’s an amazing read and you should defined get it if your in to plot twists and to enemies to lovers. This is one of my all time favorite reads EVER

Absolutely adored this book. The twist of the classic Shakespearen tale was the highlight of my 2021. The characters were excellent and the setting, 1926 Shanghai, made it very culturally inclusive which I enjoyed.

My daughter loved this