This book was amazing! I do enjoy a retelling, and this is a retelling of romeo and juliet. I loved this book, and cant believe how young the author is. I expect great things in the future!

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



★★★★★ 5/5

Set in 1920's gang-run Shanghai, you're either a member of the Chinese Scarlet Gang, or the Russian White Flowers. With a blood feud raging between the gangs, only your own gang controlled territory is safe. 

That safety becomes compromised when reports of a monster lurking near the Huangpu river begin to spread, as well as a contagion sweeping over the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers members alike. No side is safe from what is coming, and as more and more people begin succumbing to the madness, Shanghai is dying along with its people. 

Juliette Cai (the Scarlet Gang's heir) and Roma Montagov (the White Flowers heir) are not only enemies, but they were once friends, and closer than that - lovers. After a betrayal that tore them apart, they can and never will be that again, both have responsibilities to their families and gangs. Yet when their fathers task them both with finding out what is taking down Shanghai's people, there is no other choice but to work together and try and save their city and their people.

I knew I was going to love this as soon as I read the synopsis, and sure enough, barely 50 pages in, I was sold. From the Romeo and Juliet retelling, to the enemies to lovers trope, These Violent Delights had everything I could have wanted and more, including fantasy elements.

I also loved the historical and political side to it (shoutout to that history class I took last year that required a lot of research and came in very useful whilst reading). Gong doesn't shy away from the theme of colonisation, and rightly so. It's done in a way that not only highlights the foreigners in Shanghai, but what they bring with them and change about the place they now inhabit.

For a debut, it's strong and promising and doesn't let down at all throughout. The narrative voice is cleverly crafted between multiple POV's, and the story never feels flat or boring with nothing too heavily described either. The secondary characters are also fully fledged and given their own time to shine, not only benefitting both Juliette and Roma, but the plot as a whole. 

It's an incredible story and definitely one of my favourites from this year. Chloe Gong for this first book alone, is already on my favourite authors list, and one I'm eagerly anticipating more from. Including the sequel! After the ending of These Violent Delights, fall 2021 seriously cannot come soon enough!



Did I like the book? Yes

Did I love it? Yes! I loved everything, from the plot to the characters, I genuinely couldn't find a single thing I didn't like about it.

Would I recommend it? Yes! And I will be recommending it to anyone who wants badass characters, a Romeo and Juliet retelling, or simply a well done enemies to lovers story.

I have to preface this review with how unbelievably talented I think Gong is, her writing is atmospheric and breathtaking. And to say that this is her debut novel? Even more impressive. The only thing stopping me from giving this a 5 star review is the pacing, it felt a little slow around the 60% mark and I found myself wanting the plot to further a bit quicker. However, everything else was wonderful. I felt as if I really was in Shanghai surrounded by gangs, murders and monsters. Gong's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet was refreshing and thrilling. The characters could stand on their own two feet, without needing the original Shakespeare characters to lend to their development. I particularly enjoyed the changes she made, from names to plot twists. It's the perfect example of what a retelling should be, inspired by the source material but different enough to hold merit as its own piece of creative work. The ending especially exciting, without getting into spoilers I'll leave it at saying I was on the edge of my seat. A brilliant read overall.

An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

PHEW.
Where do I start with this book? There is a lot to unpack here, and all of it is highly positive. It's been a while since I enjoyed a book SO MUCH. I went into this book with high expectations, and this book delivered and how.

My favourite part about this book was easily the writing. Often told from a third-person omniscient perspective (which is actually my least favorite perspective because it's not easy to pull off) this book manages to avoid ALL the issues that usually come with that POV. Most of the time the perspective was pretty close, and was used as a tool to really get the reader into not only the characters but the scene as a whole. We not only got a lot from the main characters through this perspective, but also from the side characters, who I will get to in a bit.

The writing was so IMMERSIVE. every scene was established vividly, and I felt the history, the setting, the violence come alive in front of me. There were parts that made my skin crawl, and parts which made my jaw drop open. I read this book in a couple of days despite its length, and despite my slow pace, because it was that much of a page-turner.

Coming to the characters, I did not expect to like Roma so much. I knew right off the bat that I would love Julliete, but I adored Roma too. Both the leads were strong, interesting, and worked so well together. their sizzling chemistry, their constant banter and their yearning was an instant hit for me. The rest of the cast was extremely well fleshed out and I cared for all of them as much as I did for the main characters.

The plot was intriguing and kept me guessing till the end, and the ending was cathartic, yet heart-breaking and the final scene made me want to read the sequel immediately.

Chloe Gong has indeed presented a fantastic debut, one which has a lot of heart, passion, and of course, guns and knives. The attention to detail, the research and the twists kept me hooked till the very end.

Reading vlog to come soon.

A Romeo and Juliet retelling with a twist. Set in 1920s Shangai a tale of two gangs fighting to take control of the city and the heirs are trying figure out whats cause people to attack themselves.
I really enjoyed this book, it had great characters and world building!

I loved this.

I always enjoy a good reimagining, this one of the classic Romeo and Juliet but not how you ever could think of them.

A fantastical setting, two rival gangs, two heirs to thrones drenched in blood. But a monster lurks and a common enemy changes many things....

The beautifully crafted and creatively imagined backdrop absolutely makes this story - our Romeo and Juliet stalk the streets of Shanghai tracking death, dancing around each other, in an intensely addictive narrative that doesn't pull punches...the rivalry determined by history yet tempered by an attraction neither can ignore. Twists and turns, a vibrant and descriptive prose, plenty of cleverly layered characters and an ending that keeps you on the edge of your seat all adds up to a brilliant read leaving you desperate for more.

Highly recommended

The book’s title alludes to Romeo and Juliet, and the plot does not disappoint.

Set in 1920s Shanghai, These Violent Delights chronicles two star-crossed lovers, Roma and Juliette, the respective heirs to the two rival criminal gangs operating in the city, one the Scarlets made up on native Chinese and one the Whites made up of immigrant Russians fleeing the communist Bolsheviks. Thrown into the mix are radical communists trying to overthrow capitalism and the British and French colonials vying for power in the vacuum of the Kuomintang.

The story opens with the appearance of a supernatural monster rising from the city’s river that causes its onlookers to rip out their own throats. This common cause, nay plague on both their houses, sees former lovers Roma and Juliette reunited to save their city from the monster.

I enjoyed the allusions and the general plot. Enough was also left open for these two characters to return in future instalments...

So much angst! I loved this book and I loved the relationship between Juliette and Roma! The way they hated each other but it was obvious they had some unresolved feelings made the book for me. I don’t usually like pre-existing relationships but this really worked.
The plot was a bit slow and that did hurt my enjoyment a bit, but overall a great debut!

Advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger Warnings: blood, violence, gore, character deaths, explicit description of gouging self (not of their own volition), murder, weapon use, insects, alcohol consumption, parental abuse.

I was so happy when my request to read the ARC was accepted. It is definitely one of the best things that has happened to me in 2020 as These Violent Delights is one of my most anticipated reads of 2020. I do want to flag that this book is quite a dark read and there is a chance that it would trigger people. Out of the triggers of this book, what affected me the most was the insects and gore. I didn't know that going into the book, but I found that the author listed the triggers on her Goodreads post so that's why I listed the same ones here. For future readers to be aware of. With the gore, it didn't trigger me once I knew what was going to happen, but it was the insects that creeped me out the most. I had a nightmare from this book the first night since I started to read it, but whilst it was unpleasant, I liked the fact that I was thinking about this book a lot. After I knew that the gore and insects were triggers, I was able to read more of the book in reading sessions as opposed to taking breaks from the book.

The plot of this book is intriguing. Romeo and Juliet with gangs is interesting and then on top of that the mystery of the monster/madness that's killing people made me want to read the book in one sitting. I wasn't actually able to do that but I read it every moment that I could. The beginning is fascinating because it starts as the monster begins attacking Shanghai. It grips the reader because it draws them in with the mystery. Then with the introduction to the main characters, you are drawn in further because you want to know just how closely of a Romeo and Juliet retelling this book is. The middle of the book slows down in pacing as the puzzle pieces join together, but the ending goes out with a bang. All the action, betrayal, death with a cliffhanger for the next book. I did enjoy the journey that this book took me on but at times I did find the story to be predictable but I didn't mind it. I am really intrigued to see what will happen with the next book!

The world building was marvellous. I felt like I was in 1920s Shanghai with the two rival gangs, the Huangpu river, factories, communists, the annoying foreigners of the British and the French, the aftermath of WWI, as the world was a mixture of modern and traditional Chinese culture. The descriptions of the food as made me incredibly hungry. I finished reading another book before I started this one, and both books had delicious descriptions of xiaolongbao that I started craving it.

My favourite character was Juliette. I loved her characterisation. She is the heir of the Scarlet Gang but has to deal with patriarchy and sexism from within her family. She grew up in Shanghai but has spent 4 years in America before coming back at the start of this book. She has the knowledge of how Asians are treated there and has moulded into a sharp weapon. She is both kind and ruthless depending on the situation, and knows how to handle herself. She also knows so many languages that I wish that I was a polyglot like her. I loved everything about her because I understood her motivations and feelings. On top of all that she has a complicated history with Roma, the heir of the rival gang the White Flowers. I didn't mind Roma. I liked him but I didn't love him. I do think that Juliette is the star of the show. Roma's background is not as explored as Juliette's, and most of it involves her. It was interesting seeing his story as the heir to the White Flowers because it's a different struggle that he has to go through. As most the story is focused on those two, the side characters of Marshall, Beneditik, Kathleen, Rosalind, Tyler, weren't really explored too much. I could describe some aspects about all the characters but not what makes them people. Marshall is Korean and a bit of a flirt, Beneditik is obsessed with drawing the perfect circle, Kathleen is trans, Rosalind is a burlesque dancer, and Tyler is spoilt by the Scarlet Gang because he's a potential heir after Juliette and you know... patriarchy. I am interested in seeing what will happen in the future with these characters, especially as there is the possibility of a m/m romance.

With this book being a Romeo and Juliette retelling, it's safe to say that there is a romance between Roma and Juliette without any spoilers. There is a tragic history behind the characters as there is a blood feud between the two families which both characters have lost close ones to. The relationship is one of yearning and (quite obviously) a forbidden love. Roma and Juliette are enemies at the start of this book, and I liked seeing them develop as the story progressed. I am really intrigued to see what will happen next for the pair due to the ending of the book.

Overall, I really loved this book. I can't wait to read the sequel and learn what happens next. I would highly recommend this book!

A loose retelling of Romeo and Juliet, set in Shanghai with a sinister fantasy twist? Yes please!

This book is not a romance. Its part mystery, part thriller with a tiny bit of romance thrown in. And if I'm being honest, I didn't find the romance particularly believable or compelling and it was my least favourite part of the story.

The creepy vibe is fantastic, and the plot is well constructed, if a little slow. I wasn't blown away by the book, but I did enjoy it - especially the breathtaking ending!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

First things first when it comes to this review: ignore my rating. Whatever I point to in this review as what I didn’t like is entirely personal so really shouldn’t affect whether you want to read this book (unless you’re certain your taste is exactly like mine, which I would be surprised about, not gonna lie).

So anyway. These Violent Delights is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet but set in 1920s Shanghai, where the Montagues and Capulets are rival gangs: the White Flowers and the Scarlet Gang. Romeo and Juliet become the heirs to those gangs, ex-lovers with a betrayal in their past. Juliette has just returned from America, where she has spent the last four years. When rumours of a monster, and a contagion, start spreading (sort-of-pun not intended), Juliette and Roma each start investigating before, inevitably, they are forced together in their pursuit of the answers.

There are many reasons to like this book. It’s very fast-paced – there’s no hanging around before the action starts happening – and, as someone who has a very short attention span, I really appreciated that. There’s nothing worse for me than a book where things don’t start to happen until late on. So I liked that here. And it was action that kept you hooked for sure – it was the mystery that kept me reading this book.

And then there are the characters. I loved the twist on the Romeo and Juliet rivalry, and I liked each and every one of the characters. Yes, I had my favourites (are we at all surprised?) but there wasn’t any character I didn’t enjoy reading (actually, scratch that. Tyler could choke, but other than him, and he only really got one chapter’s worth of POV). If the mystery is what drew me in here, the characters were what made me want to read the second book. The characters and that cliffhanger.

So if there was all that good about it, why didn’t I love it? I think, primarily, is that I just didn’t get along fully with the writing style. It was very flowery and full of metaphors, and that’s not a writing style I often get along with. I prefer something I find easy to read. That’s not to say this was somehow hard to read, but there was almost too much going on in the writing to pick out what was actually happening. But, like I said up top, all of these things are entirely personal. You can never know how you feel about a writing style until you actually try it.

The second thing I was less keen on was Juliette and Roma having an angsty backstory. Don’t get me wrong, it did grow on me, and at times added some interesting tension. But. As much as I profess to like second chance romance as a trope, I think I prefer it in romance novels, and almost no other genre. Here, I was just somewhat bored of the straight people drama. I’m not sure it added much to the story for me.

Final point: I think I’m just growing out of YA and I have been thinking this for much of this year. In this case, I wanted there to be more depth to the historical worldbuilding, like there would have been in adult lit. Conversely to my previous point that I appreciated the pace of the plot, I almost wanted it to slow down a little and build the world more. But this is something I find in YA more generally, so something I should have expected. And here, I think it was more of a mood reading thing than anything else.

But despite all that, I would still recommend this book. And, if you were on the fence about reading it, please do! I’m definitely going to (happily) be in the minority rating-wise for this one (and I already am, I think…).

Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Chloe Gong for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow where do I even start… Do you like Romeo and Juliet? Enemies to Lovers? Monsters? Gangsters? Because if so this is definitely the book for you. I first came across These Violent Delights over twitter where I saw loads of people tweeting about how they couldn’t wait for it to be released so I looked it up on Netgalley and voila they provided me an ARC!

These Violent Delights is set in 1920s Shanghai, a city divided into factions by rival gangs and colonial powers. It is a gripping retelling of Romeo and Juliet featuring Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai, the two heirs of the rival gangs the Scarlets and the White Flowers. The two have not seen each other for years after a betrayal that left them sworn enemies, as if their blood feud wasn’t already enough. However, with a monster reeking havoc spreading a deadly contagion, they may need to put aside their differences to ensure there is a city left to rule over...

Upon entry into the story we are immediately greeted with the first deaths of the madness, a handful of White Flowers and Scarlet Gang resorting to tearing out their own throats in what seems to be a fit of madness. We get straight into the thick of it, accompanied by Chloe Gong’s beautiful writing. As the story progresses we flash back to the past to learn more and more about what happened to sour the past love between Roma and Juliette, and it is told perfectly bit by bit, with some bits truly coming as a shock at the perfect time.

Gong truly brings the characters to life and makes them more dimensional than I remember them being when I read the play. I loved reading about them and was rooting for them, hoping that it wouldn’t end like the play. This is one thing that I think Gong does really well, she has managed to take an extremely well known story and not only perfectly apply it to her own fantasy but to also manage the expectations you have having known what happens in the play. Gong still manages to shock the reader, going against expectations and maintaining the element of surprise, she truly brings the traditional story under her own reins and makes it new and exciting.

However, we still do get nods towards important plots from the play, if used in different ways such as the balcony scene, the potion and the dagger to name a few. Gong does really well to throw back to certain things you think will happen and then shock you by taking it in another direction. It’s almost like she’s teasing the reader by dangling important plot points from the original and then changing the game.

I also like the way the focus switches, we gain an insight into most of the characters minds because we follow them all for different important scenes in the third person. This means that you get to know more about them and what motivates them and how they feel. We’re also given an insight into how both gangs work, and more importantly the gang inner circle members are actually incredibly smart, they speak multiple languages and switch between them, scheme and plot and I love seeing that. I think that my favourite characters are probably Juliette (who we follow for most of the book), Kathleen and Marshall.

Juliette is truly a badass female main character, recently returned to Shanghai rumours of her ruthlessness follow her around, some of which we see firsthand in her encounters with others throughout the book. She is incredibly smart and conniving, and I love it because you see how she came to be that way, and you really get to grips with her internal struggle.

Gong’s writing is absolutely beautiful, not only in how she writes the surrounding but also in how she writes her characters and their feelings. Throughout the book you feel the angst surrounding Roma and Juliette, and it is perfect. The way she describes it is perfect and really has you rooting for them despite the feud and the madness descending on the city. But the way Gong also describes the surroundings is beautiful, you feel as if you are there in the city running for your life, I loved it so much because it made it feel so real in my imagination.

I really cannot wait for the second book, and when the first comes out on the 17th November I would highly recommend that you buy it. This story is going to do big things so don’t miss it! Reading has even made me want to read the Romeo and Juliet play again despite not liking it too much. Let me know what you think if you do buy it!

“This was her life, this was her city, these were her people, and because she loved them, she had sworn to herself a long time ago that she would do a damn good job of being who she was because she could be no one else.”

I was granted this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author and publisher.

A Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai with feuding gangs and monsters... Is it any wonder I immediately jumped at requesting this?! Just wow.

These Violent Delights follows the story of two heirs to rival gangs - Juliette Cai of the Chinese ‘Scarlet Gang’, and Roma Montagov of the Russian ‘White Flowers’ - and the mysterious goings on of Shanghai. The hostility from the two gangs leads to murders occurring on the streets, gang members shot for trespassing, or worse. Madness sweeps Shanghai, people are tearing out their own throats and sightings of monsters has everyone on edge. Despite a brief love affair 4 years previously, can Juliette and Roma put aside their differences to solve the issue at hand, hunt down the monster and save the lives of their people?

I’ve found that Shakespeare retellings can be, for want of a better word, iffy. But this? HOLY SMITHEROONS THIS WAS AMAZING! Without a doubt, this book is going on my all time favourites list. Gong has excelled in every aspect of her debut and has left me wanting more more more!

Juliette Cai is a determined and dangerous young woman - a badass in all sense of the word. Something I love about her character is that despite spending time in America to gain her education, she is still loyal to her family and eager to succeed with them, to prove herself. She can handle a weapon without issue and yet she has this vulnerability to her that is so endearing and makes you want to delve into her head to see what’s going on. She’s unapologetically herself and you couldn’t ask for anything better.

Roma Montagov is rough around the edges. He wants to be successful and prove himself, yet he struggles. He must work for his place as heir, it isn’t a birthright, it’s a privilege. However, despite this ruggedness, he is caring and gentle - and still holds onto his feelings for Juliette, regardless of what his words or actions are. There are small moments scattered throughout this book, so cleverly embedded, that are so beautiful and gives you a deeper insight into Roma’s character.

As with any story, the side characters really help elevate Juliette and Roma.
For Roma, his friend Marshall and his cousin Benedikt are brilliantly portrayed - they do say that opposites attract and this is 100% the case for these two. There are hints to their story together in this book and I can only hope we see more in the sequel!
For Juliette, it’s her cousins Rosalind and Kathleen Lang. My favourite has to 100% be Kathleen who is the perfect combination of loyal, intriguing and snarky. Kathleen is trans and the way it’s approached is brilliant. There is no sugar coating, just pure positivity and I love it. Rosalind is a great character, however I didn’t feel the connection to her like I did Kathleen.

Now, the ending. OH MY GOD that ending. Absolute brilliance that has left me on the edge of my seat and oh so desperate for more. Any non-standalone book is designed to leave the reader wanting more, yet some can fall flat. These Violent Delights certainly doesn’t. It’s left me wanting to demand the sequel immediately!

In summary, These Violent Delights is perfect for those who love betrayal, yearning, rivals helping each other for the common good and good old mystery. Nothing is entirely predictable in this book. You think you’ve got it and the rug is pulled from beneath your feet in the best way. Chloe Gong’s debut novel is an absolute masterpiece that I cannot recommend more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks once again goes to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book.

★★★‪‬¾ / 5

I very much enjoyed this book, down to the plot, the characters and the setting, I loved the rivalry between the Scarlets and the White Flowers, even more I loved the relationship between Juliette and Roma and reading about their shared past. The one of the only things stopping me from rating it 4 stars was that I didn’t fully love the beginning, other than that this book was extremely enjoyable.

I can't say anything without mentioning the skill Gong displays when retelling Romeo and Juliette. Every element had purpose, a nod to the original. The story follows Juliettw and Roma, heirs to rival gangs and old lovers. They drank and played under the cover of moonlight when they were fifteen, only to go their separate ways when Roma betrayed Juliet , resulting in her Nurse being killed and Juliette being sent to American. Having returned four years later, Juliette wants revenge, but a mysterious madness might just force Juliet and Roma to work together one last time. With Paul, the son of a business man who asserts himself as a love interest, a scientist, vicious cousins and a masquerade ball, I was constantly amazed by the interpretation, it was done to such a high quality that I was in awe while reading.


Suspense drives this book. There is a madness lurking in the shadows, causing people to tear their own throats out. The book begins with a monster attack, bring the acting to the forefront of the narrative. You never quite know what's causing it, or who is behind it, and every time I thought I had the answer, I was proven wrong. One thing I loved about this book is the switch between narrative techniques. For most of the chapters, we are inside a characters mind, but every so often we're brought back into the action with an omniscient voice, making the reader a spectator of monstrosity that Roma and Juliette will later investigate. This really flushed out the story.


The characters in this book were written very well. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is love-struck, dependent on the men around her. In These Violent Delights, Juliette is driven, never taking no for an answer, and determined to prove everyone wrong. Tyler, her viscous cousin, wants her place as heir, but Juliette will stop at nothing to prove to her father that the Scarlet's are hers for the taking. She doesn't always make the right decisions, but she stands by them. This Juliette is empowering, violent and a force to be reckoned with. We also have Kathleen, another favourite of mine. She comes across as gentle , quiet and kind, but she's the perfect battle companion. Her mind is her best weapon, and she's often seen thinking fast on her feet, getting information needed to control the epidemic of madness.


On the other hand, Roma maintains the essence of lovers innocence that Romeo is known for. He's lost his fathers favour, wants the blood feud to end, and would be happy to live out his days with his loved ones in a cottage somewhere remote and safe. But that doesn't mean he's to be pushed around, he's as dangerous as a loaded gun, with sharp instincts and brute force. One of my favourite scenes was when Roma, tired of being underestimated, puts a character back in their rightful place by challenging him in the fighting ring. When Roma's not enacting out his duties as heir, he's surrounded by Benedict and Marshall, two of my favourite characters. They bicker and joke, but they support one another, and I loved reading the scenes between them.


The tension between Roma and Juliette was well written. If you're looking for a book that sees old lovers holding weapons at each others throat while they're forced to work together, then you better preorder yourself a copy of this book. My favourite moments were of these two fighting one another, holding a knife and a gun at one another, suppressing the past and focusing on the monster at large.

Set against the backdrop of 1920s Shanghai These Violent Delights is a stunning debut which tell the story of two rival gangs, the scarlet gang and the white flowers and a infection causing residents to go mad, which felt apt considering the current pandemic. Dark and gritty, this book really excelled at the setting, it felt so immersive and like you were on the streets of Shanghai with the characters. The political backdrop of the 1920s was also fascinating, Shanghai is very much a city divided and the politics (both between the gangs and different nationalities) was one of my favourite parts of the book.

We follow our two main characters Juilette Cai and Roma Montagov, both respective heirs to the rival clans as they have to come together to solve the mystery of a mysterious monster causing havoc in the city. They are former lovers and watching them hate each other while also question some feelings that may linger from the past was so angsty and satisfying!!!! I loved Roma, he was different from your typical YA bad boy, he felt almost melancoly and was a big softie. However the only issue I had with this book and the reason I didnt give it 5 stars was Juilette's character. She just felt a little clunky to me, but considering this was a debut novel I can defiently forgive it and didnt hinder my enjoyment of the book but I felt she was just a little too dichotamous, one minute she would be this badass ruthless killer (which i think grated on me a bit because it just didnt feel quite believable) and then she would switch to feeling liek a completely different character. I think it's important to allow female characters to be multifaceted and complex but some of the transitions between different aspects of her character didn't feel very smooth.

The other character we follow, and one of the strongest parts of this book in my opinion was the side characters!!!!!!!!!!!! I love Beneditik and Marshall, Beneditik is the nerdy one who likes drawing and his generally queiter and Marshall is his outgoing conterpart who flirts with everything he comes accross and is the epitome of a finger guns bisexual. They were such an iconic duo, constantly bickering and getting them selves into shennanigans, plus I think we might be getting a romance between them in future books and i'm very excited and invested in that because FRIENDS TO LOVERS IS ALWAYS SUPERIOR!!!!! We also have Kathleen, who is Juilette's cousin, who was such a great character, and probably the one I related to most! She is also trans, which I though was great to see represented, especially in a book set in the 1920s.

I thought the plot was so interesting and engaging (although it did take a little while to get going), it reminded me a lot of the diviners so I think if you like that series you will love this!! Also what an ending T__T

These Violent Delights is the perfect title for this book, it is violent at times, but what a delight it is to read!

Shakespeare revellings have, in my experience, gone one of two ways and i'm always wary when i start a new one. I needn't have worried with TVD as it feels vibrant and charmingly modern despite being set in the 1920s.
1920's Shanghai is not a time period I had read about before but I was completely enamoured with the setting. It felt incredibly glamorous and dangerous in equal measure

The plot is well established, the writing fantastic and the characters well developed.

I believe this is Chloe Gong's debut novel which is seriously impressive too. "These Violent Delights" deserves a huge amount of hype and i really hope its gets it!

Chloe Gong’s debut novel is pretty much my dream gangster book—it’s like a YA cross between Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 movie version (yeah, the one with baby Leonardo DiCaprio, you remembered it right) and everything I loved about those tropey Tumblr aesthetics of guns and cigarettes and strings of pearls back in the day. Take Gatsby, take Romeo and Juliet, mash them together with blood feuds and bloody knuckles, and there you have it: THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, which truly do have violent ends.

Honestly, if you’ve seen this cover, you sort of know the vibe of this book already. It’s glamour and gore and gang-related violence, all painted with the dazzling sheen of 1920s Shanghai.

Juliette Cai is the heiress of the Scarlet Gang, freshly returned from America and ready to take up the mantle as Shanghai’s most ruthless former flapper.

Roma Montagov, the Russian heir to the rival White Flowers, is Juliette’s ex-lover—and her greatest enemy. He betrayed her once, and Juliette will never give him the chance to do it again. But despite the power Roma wields, his position within the White Flowers is shakier than it appears…

Juliette and Roma don’t have time to dwell on their past, because rumours begin to emerge of a mysterious monster stalking the streets of the city—making gang members on either side tear their throats out with their bare hands.

Juliette and Roma are hugely intriguing characters in their own rite, but their friends and allies are just… chef’s kiss. Chloe Gong has created an unstoppable crew who need to just shut up and stop fighting because together they could take over the world!

And 1920s Shanghai is just a place I want to be. Like, take me there. Now. I want to experience those streets! I want to sit by the Huangpu river with Juliette and maybe see her kill a man! I want to hang out on the roof of a tea shop with Roma and check out his collection of decorative knives (because you know that boy has more than one). What I don’t want is to suffer the terrifying plague afflicting people on both sides of the gang war, because that shit was gross.

Not in a bad way! The descriptions were intense, but not overdone. Like, there’s only so chill you can make a paragraph about someone’s throat being ripped out, you know? But that whole plot was incredibly well fleshed-out and left me guessing the whole time, even when I was sure I knew what was going on. And even when I really did and I had things figured out, the way Chloe Gong reveals stuff leaves you gasping, even if it’s the same conclusion you came to yourself. It’s a talent!

There was something pared-down about the writing style in a lot of places, which I think worked really well. I went into this expecting something really flowery and dramatic and Shakespearean, I guess, but that isn’t what I got—and I was happy about it. I was carried along by the perfect pacing, the ebb and flow, the effortless shift from one character’s consciousness to another’s.

And, oh my goodness, we can’t discuss this book without talking about the romance. Now, I’m not a massive romance person. I’m super picky about that sort of plot, and I was worried this was going to turn into some kind of insta-love fest that would leave me rolling my eyes in despair.

But no. This was just hatred and yearning and aaaaah. This is true enemies-to-lovers—two people who hate each other, who have reason to despise one another, but who also have this powerful, all-encompassing need to kiss each other’s faces off. The fury? The passion? The incredible I-hate-you-I-love-you dynamic? I WAS STARSTRUCK.

Basically: read this book. That’s all I’m going to say here. To THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, I give five stars. I have no idea where the sequel is going to go, but I’m excited about it.

These Violent Delights was, as the title suggests, such a deliciously violent delight of a book. It took me only a number of days to read it and when I wasn’t reading the book, I was thinking about it. When I wasn’t thinking about it, I was putting together mood boards and playlists about it. I was consumed by Juliette and Roma’s dangerous world of gangs, monsters and flapper girls in glittering dresses.

Characters
Juliette is a stand out character in this book! She is tough and ruthless. I had a lot of respect for her as a character. She embraces her elite status as heir of the Scarlet Gang and does her best to protect her people from the madness ravaging her city. She is strong-willed and sharp as a knife. It’s great to see an ambitious female lead in a book about gangsters. Women are always pushed aside in these types of narratives, treated like an accessory, but I love the fact that Juliette uses her beauty and status to her advantage to assert control over the Scarlets and be the heir she was always meant to be.

Roma is such a complex and layered character. He is surprisingly reluctant in his violence which contrasts so beautifully with Juliette’s viciousness. Roma is softer but that doesn’t make him weak. He can take anyone anytime in the fighting ring (loved that scene) but would rather choose to make the world a better place. I really appreciate it when authors include softer male love interests and it’s great to see when these seemingly strong characters also show some vulnerability.

Kathleen was such a breath of fresh air in this book. I loved reading from her perspective so much and admire her for her loyalty. Her story is so important and I am so glad that Gong included her in this book. It was wonderful to see those around her accept her for who she is and embrace her with love. We need more characters like her to take up space in books traditionally held by white cis-het characters.

I adored Benedikt and Marshall and seeing their connection flourish on the page and I cannot wait to see their relationship develop in the second book. They provided the necessary comic relief in this story and I loved reading from their perspectives.

It’s great to see such diversity in her characters!

Rep: Chinese, Transgender, LGBTQ, Korean

10/10

Atmosphere
You could cut the tension in this book with a knife and I loved it! I was constantly FEELING whilst reading. I felt the suspense, the urgency, the yearning. Gong manages to capture the atmosphere of a specific scene so well with her excellent writing. I sometimes had to put the book down just to process what I had read.

By the end of the book I was so emotional. I was on the edge of my seat, my heart beating a mile a minute. I stopped every few pages to catch my breath. Her descriptions are vivid and oh so detailed. It was easy picture the scenes before my eyes as I was reading and it completely enthralled me.

I appreciated the fact that Gong included the tensions between the East and the West throughout the book. I found the scene where she spots a western-style vase in her own home particularly striking. It makes one think beyond the book how the West has shaped the rest of the world and how people have pushed down parts of themselves and their culture just to fit in.

10/10

Writing Style
Gong’s writing is impeccable! The beautiful words flowed off the page and had me hooked from beginning to end. Her writing is engaging and magnetic. I have so many passages marked as my favourite and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy so I can annotate it!

The world building and historical setting was executed with the greatest care. By the end of the book I was well versed in the political tensions surrounding Shanghai in the 1920’s.

10/10

Plot
The plot was well-paced and compelling from the start. Gong takes Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and turns it completely inside out in the most imaginative way. I loved tracing the small references to the original play all throughout the book. The political undertones were so intriguing and perfectly filtered into the more supernatural vein of the plot.

The plot did lull at times but the characters more than made up for it. Scenes between Kathleen and Marshall or Marshall and Benedikt brought a temporary relief to the tense atmosphere with some quieter, more playful scenes.

10/10

Intrigue
Because this book is a retelling of an already familiar tale, one can usually sort of guess what would happen but Gong manages to construct a story so unpredictable from Shakespeare’s original and I am obsessed it!

I must admit that I’m not the best at always figuring out who done it and I didn’t have a clue as to who or what the monster could have been. Then ending took me by surprise and I loved it! The foreshadowing was excellent. The puzzle pieces just had to be put together at the right moment.

I was really taken aback by that ending though! The suspense is killing me and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. Can it be 2021 already?

10/10

Logic
The plot’s loose ends were tied up neatly by the end (except for that CLIFFHANGER, holy moly) and the mystery surrounding the madness was explained in detail and made a lot of sense. I never felt lost or confused by the plot and could easily read the book without having to look things up or think too much about the intricacies of the madness.

10/10

Enjoyment
In conclusion, I truly enjoyed These Violent Delights more than any book I’ve read in the past few months. These Violent Delights ripped me out of my reading slump and made me excited about reading again. The enemies to lover trope in this book was PERFECTION and I was so engrossed in reading that I forgot the world around me.

I am obsessed with Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov and their longing stares across rooms. Gong’s world is so captivating and just want more and more. To soothe the gaping wound that that ending left in my heart, I’m binging Peaky Blinders for the rest of the weekend whilst crying over my favourite new characters from this masterpiece of a book.

10/10

AVERAGE CAWPILE RATING – 10/10

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!