Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

An enemies to lovers reimagining of Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai? Like any sane person I thought that sounded pretty cool. It's not simple story transfer by any means however, there are significant plot changes and the two main characters Roma and Juliette knew each other in their mid-teens (the book takes place 4 years after their initial meeting) so there's enough here that is fresh and new.

Juliette is the heir to the Scarlets and Roma is the heir to the White Flowers. The two gangs have a death grip on the city of Shanghai and predictably loathe one another. So far, so familiar. Juliette is a young Chinese woman who spent much of her formative years in America so has a very different outlook to some of her other family members. She also wears a lot of beaded dresses for some reason. Going out to a burlesque club? Beaded dress. Going out on a dangerous reconnaissance mission? Beaded dress! Going to assassinate someone? Beaded dress of course.

The story itself is...absolutely fine. It definitely suffers from some pacing issues and there's lots of fetch quest filler but I didn't find myself getting bored. I was pretty engrossed from start to finish to be honest. The main issue I had was with the central conflicts, it all just felt a bit busy. There was a supernatural element and an element firmly grounded in real history and I just didn't feel they worked very well together. The whole thing with the insects was just a bit weird although I did get a laugh out of the fact that Juliette's product saturated hair made it impenetrable to the killer lice? Yeah there are killer lice in this book and it is gross. I think it would have worked better with just one central conflict be it the rivalry between gangs, the communist uprising or the supernatural element as opposed to all three.

The enemies to lovers aspect is rather slow burn which I am not against but I just wasn't feeling the love from Roma's side of the pairing. I understood why Juliette was so cut up about their relationship but I didn't get the sense that Roma was even that bothered. Perhaps it was an issue with his characterisation as I struggled to connect with or visualise his character at all. I didn't really "get" him. I think if I had felt more insight into his character then I might have been able to buy into the love story aspect of the book.

I was surprised to get to the end of this book and realise it was going to be part of a series. I think it would have worked perfectly as a standalone but it seems standalone YA books are a rare breed these days. There were some plot points that didn't go anywhere. What was Rosalind in such a big humpf about? Who was the traitor? What's the deal with Kathleen? Perhaps these will be resolved in the next book(s?). Maybe the sequel will follow the predictable pattern where the conflict between the two lovers is reset with the other character taking their turn to be pissed off and angsty but time will tell.

I received a free ecopy of this book in return for an honest review. Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and to NetGalley for the opportunity.

This book is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Not the first retelling, but a particularly unique one for some very specific reasons. Unless there’s another version with a river monster as part of the plot, or I missed it in the original play because it was buried in the archaic English.

This retelling is set in 1920s Shanghai, where violence constantly erupts between the Chinese and Russian gangs, where the Communists trying to unionise the workforce and where the European merchants treating the Chinese population like a minority in their own country. Juliette Cai is the heir to the Chinese ‘Scarlet’ gang. Roma Montagov, the heir to the Russian ‘White Flowers’. Though previously close, they became estranged following attacks on both sides apparently initiated by Roma. When a plague begins to attack the local population, decimating both gangs, the two must join forces to investigate. This collusion, however, must be kept secret, at the cost of their lives.

I love that of the two, Roma is the gentler, less violent one, whereas Juliette is tough and business-like. It is sometimes true in life, that a woman in a man’s world must be tougher, but often fiction goes with a stereotype of female softness underneath a steel exterior. Juliette, here is hard core though. She does what needs to be done and doesn’t dwell on it. In contrast Roma is quite a tender soul, forced into violence in order to protect those close to him, but always looking for a better way.

I was quite intrigued by the friends on both sides. Juliet’s cousin, Kathleen, is a transexual, forced into posing as her own dead sister in order to live how she wishes. I felt like I wanted to know more about how she dealt with the alteration of power and prejudice compared with her early life. I desperately wanted to get to know Roma’s friends, Marshall and Benedikt better. I liked what I saw of them, and wanted to know more about their relationship with Roma and with each other, and why they were different from others of the White Flower gang.

I feel we do need to talk about the ‘ick’ factor. There are some seriously graphic and stomach churning scenes related to the plague in this book. Think more James Herbert than William Shakespeare. You are not going to want to be snacking during those scenes. This book could easily have been marketed in the horror section. I know I’m not the only reader to have been caught off guard by this aspect which I felt was downplayed in the descriptions.

As you can tell by my rating I did enjoy this book, but I felt it had been misrepresented somewhat. This wasn’t some soft romance. The romance was was there but it was buried in a hard core of aggression and some truly gross descriptions. This book doesn’t pull any punches and though at times it felt like hard work, it was worth it. If you aren’t worried about the odd stomach-churning scene, and you want a historical romance that embraces the violence of the times, this is a book you will enjoy.

The buzz? The hype? The excitement? IT'S ALL REAL.

4.5 stars, bumped up for that fantastic last 30% that had me sweating and swearing in the middle of the night.

My Highlights:

🌼 The concept! A Romeo-and-Juliet remix set in a 1920s Shanghai that's torn apart by rival gangs, a blood feud, imperial powers, mysterious deaths and a monster lurking in the Huangpu River.
🌹 An alternate historical sci-fi mystery that'll keep you on the edge.
🌼 Featured tropes: second-chance romance, star-crossed lovers, fierce girl/fierce (secretly soft) boy, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-???
🌹 A scathing, unflinching portrayal of colonialism and imperialism in 1920s Shanghai in the aftermath of the opium wars.
🌼 Plot twists I did NOT see coming.
🌹 Juliette Cai.

Also, if you're squeamish about insects....prepare yourself 💀

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are well rounded and very interesting. The way Chloe has written it is fantastic, the right amount of descriptions and dialogue kept my gripped throughout the whole thing.

I found it fascinating how the book could feel a certain way whilst going through an action scene, and then i could feel the aspects of a romance. I'm really looking forward to reading more of Chloe's work.

I've been wanting to read this book for so long! It was one of my most anticipated release of the year. Unfortunatelly I was overall really dispointed.
Before talking of what I did not like, let's talk about what I really enjoyed! First, it's an ownvoice AND a retelling. I knew from the begining that I would be interested: Romeo and Juliet but in Shangai? Yes Yes and Yes. Besides, the retelling was really interesting and I love how the author get inspired but not too much by the original work!

The themes are really important and the way Chloe Gong conveyed messages (about colonization for example) through the plot is really well done.

Unfortunately what got me lost then annoyed is the multiplication of the point of view. According to me some were really not necessary and it made the story chopped. Everytime I wanted to knox more I was cut by a point of view. And the latter seems to bring nothing to the plot.
The other thing that I lacked was the romantic tension between out two main characters. I was really expecting more because it's a retelling of Romeo and Juliet so my expectations were high and unfortunatelly this book did not meet them.

I have to say that I was really excited for this book. I mean a retelling of Romeo and Juliet with a diverse twist to it? Yes please. However for me I felt it wasn't just right. The characters were fine but I found that the chemistry wasn't all there, the pacing of the book was also quite slow in places and that I found I could easily put the book down.
I did however enjoy the storyline and I will say the characters individually were absolutely great I found that when they weren't interacting together there was more depth to them.

A good debut book.

I was really looking forward to that book but unfortunately i didn't enjoy it
I wasn't a fan of the writing style and the story was different from what i was expecting from the synopsis

"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and power,
Which, as they kiss, consume" - Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet.

The Violent Delights is a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in a 1920s Shanghai. It features two rival gangs, The Scarlet Gang run by the Cais and The White Flowers run by the Montagovs who have been in a blood fued for years. When a mysterious madness and rumors of a monster arrive in Shangtai, Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, heirs to the gangs and ex-lovers, try to set aside their feud and work together to save their city.

This was simply glorious. The premise of two rival gangs, a monster and a mysterious madness killing half the city, two ex-lovers working together to save the city... Just amazing! The writing was beautiful and immediately pulls you in. The story starts off with a bang and keeps you intrigued through the end. The betrayals and distrust makes that tensions are running high and that makes you even more hooked to the story.

The chemistry between the characters is the best and results in rooting for all of them. The ending left me absolutely speechless and can I just please have the sequel now?!

I really enjoyed this!! I didn't expect it to have a fantasy aspect nor it being this gory, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I liked the historical aspect - it was really interesting to read about Shanghai in that time period. I also of course loved reading about the characters!! THE YEARNING! I cannot wait for the next book because THAT ENDING WAS BRUTAL WHAT

Chloe Gong’s YA debut These Violent Delights is a fairly violent fantasy set in 1920s Shanghai with very deliberate and obvious echoes of Romeo and Juliette. The mix of influences and styles seems like an attempt to mash all of Gong’s loves into a single narrative. And when it is not too distracting, it works.
Juliette Cai is the heir to Shanghai’s Chinese-run Scarlet Gang. She has just returned from four years in New York, a place she fled to after a brutal attack by the Scarlet’s arch enemies the Russian-run White Flower Gang. The White Flower Gang is run by the Montagov family, and the heir to that empire is Roma, who four years before had been in a secret relationship with Juliette. At this point, the linkages to Romeo and Juliette are more than obvious, and do not take the introduction of Roma’s friend Benedikt or Juliette’s cousins Rosalind and Kathleen. But this story only uses the names, blood-feud family enmity and some unrequited sexual tension between Roma and Juliette, as the background to a totally different tale.
That tale involves a monster that seems to emerge from the river, a spreading madness that has people ripping out their own throats (hence the violence), and political tensions in Shanghai involving the gangs, foreign interests and the rise of the Communists. Roma and Juliette, despite their mistrust of each other, both family-based and personal, are brought together to investigate the cause of the spreading madness in the city. That investigation is made more critical when Roma’s young sister Alisa is struck down with the madness and has to be sedated to prevent her taking her own life. The bulk of the story then is this investigation made more difficult by the growing tensions on the streets of Shanghai.
As noted above, the links to Romeo and Juliette in this context while interesting (for example trying to pick how Gong has reinterpreted some of the quotes and references) can be distracting. The milieu and story that Gong has developed is interesting enough without this additional layer. In some ways it feels like a shorthand way of creating backstory for the two main characters. It occasionally feels like this is Gong’s attempt to imagine a sequel to Romeo and Juliette that is set four years later and imagines that rather than dying the two were given time to cool off and reset. But that would be ignoring aspects such as townsfolk ripping their own throats out or the fact that the Juliette in this story is a kick-arse, gun wielding investigator, who pulls off some Crouching Tiger-style action moves and has no trouble pulling the trigger when the need arises.
Putting the Romeo and Juliette homage to one side, These Violent Delights is an atmospheric, page turning, historical urban fantasy. This is a world in which people just accept that monsters are real and get on with trying to kill (or profit from) them. But Gong also captures the grungy and mercantile but glamorous world of 1920s Shanghai, thrown into political turmoil in the ongoing aftermath of the First World War. And just when it seems that Gong will not pull it all together in time… she doesn’t. While the main plot seems to be resolved, plenty of threads are left in flux and the stakes are raised again before the epilogue ends with a cheeky “To be continued…”. By that time Gong has made sure that readers will be back for more.

4.5

'These Violent Delights' is a 1920's Romeo and Juliet retelling with a big ass monster. If that doesn't sell it for you then I don't know what will. Maybe the amazing characters and relationships, the dynamic storyline and the incredibly well thought out settings. This novel is one of the best fantasy books I have read all year and I need the sequel right now please give me it.

The romance in this book was insane, the slow burn enemies-to-lovers was perfection, I think my neighbours hate me for screaming multiple times whenever Juliette and Roma were in any kind of proximity together. Also the second romance in this book is my favourite ever - if you know, you know.

The setting of this book was so atmospheric, I can see it so clearly in my minds eye. The streets of the White Flowers and the Scarlets are so different and I love the way the interactions were detailed on each side. The world felt so real to me, and I would not want to face that monster!

I really enjoyed this book, and I'm super excited for the sequel! Be sure to check this book out if you're a fan of fantasy romance, enemies-to-lovers and bad-ass protagonists!

Retellings of classical texts are absolutely my cup of tea, however Gong's novel did not meet my expectations. Although the author does a great job of portaying colonialism and of exploring the themes of racism and sexism, I could not get behind the romance, nor did I find the plot structure appealing (though I guess that the novel being part of a series is mainly to blame).

I was really excited about this book, and it delivered on everything I was hoping for and more. I loved the 1920s Shanghai setting, and Chloe Gong uses incredibly well-researched details to bring the setting to life. I also felt that it works really well as a retelling, drawing on details from Romeo and Juliet but reinventing them in a fresh and modern way. The characterisation is another strength, as the central cast is quite large and I felt invested in all of their stories. These Violent Delights is full of drama, romance and action. I can't wait for the next book!

I loved the setting! I’ve never read a book set in Shanghai, especially not in the 1920s. It was so atmospheric and interesting to read about.
The romance was really nice, I love the enemies to lovers trope so I enjoyed this quite a bit!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I really loved the idea of this - a retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in 20s Shanghai? What's not to like? But I just couldn't get into the story and the writing style was jarring for me. The narrative worked and was mostly engaging but I found it hard going. I'm sure others will love it though!

Romeo and Juliet is a play that I have a mixed relationship with, but the way this retelling was presented meant that I couldn't not pick it up. The dynamic between Roma and Juliette, as well as the background to why they are who they are and the history of the blood feud, was really well written and made the retelling element of the story even stronger than the actual source material. The way their characters developed, and this also applies to the side characters, was excellent, and I found myself wishing for a way to bring this to life just so I could soak in the awesomeness.

Juliette and Roma were both very strong characters, and it was very clear what their convictions were. There was nothing weak about either of their characterisations, and they carried the story and their dynamics with each other and the rest of the book very well. The side characters, namely Ben, Marshall and Kathleen, were very well written, and I especially liked how we saw them outside their relationships with Roma or Juliette, and their own personal goals and personalities.

Chloe Gong did an excellent job of bringing Shanghai to life and making it explode off the page. The complexity of this city during this time period was well-conveyed, as well as all the different forces at play and how they interacted. The infusion of the fantasy elements was well written, especially with how it played into the dynamic of the city itself. I also found the plot very, very compelling, and it was well paced to keep the reader hooked until the very end. The ending left me craving the sequel, which unfortunately I have to wait for, and the promise of how the original source material ends just adds to that anticipation.

I went into this book with high expectations, and it still managed to blow me away. It's got it all: complex, compelling characters; elements of the original story woven through masterfully while still being a completely unpredictable new story; a setting that flows off the pages; and most importantly, it's got a hook that keeps you reading until the last page.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This review will be posted on my blog on December 8th 2020, and an abridged review can be found on the Waterstones website.

This book was a little slow to get into at the start, but overall the plot was engaging and had me gripped. I thought the twists and turns within the book gave the right level of suspense. And the parallels to Romeo and Juliette were beautifully entwined within the 1920s setting.

My main complaint, and why this is more of a 4.5 star read than a 5 star read, was the build-up to the plot. In order to have the parallels laid out for the reader, the initial chapters dragged a little and I found my mind wandering. However, once this story came into its own I found it far more gripping and enticing.

These Violent Delights by Chloe Cong is a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai. Two gangs rule the buzzing city, the Scarlets and the White Flowers and, amid the blood feud, a new creature threatens the city… a mysterious monster who drives people to suicide. This common enemy forces Juliette Cai, the rightful heir to the Scarlet Gang, and Roma Montagov, the no-longer-favorite of the leader of the White Flowers, to reunite after their tragic affair four years ago.

“A love like theirs was never going to survive in a city divided by hatred. This would be the death of them all.”

― Chloe Gong, These Violent Delights
Going into this book, I didn’t expect to have any more surprises. I mean, absolutely everyone knows the classic Romeo and Juliette story and I’m sure we’ve all seen at least a dozen retellings of it. However, Chloe Cong did it. She managed to blow my mind.

First of all, forget all about naive and gullible teenagers who make poor choices. The new main characters are cold and calculating, truly heirs to rival crime empires. I loved the dynamic. Did I ever mention how much I love morally grey characters? Well, I do and because of that, These Violent Delights served excellence. Juliette and Roma are both experienced assassins who hate each other (well, at least Juliette hates Roma), which makes it all the better for us, the readers ― also, I loved the flashbacks to when they were younger (and in love).

“They are criminals—criminals at the top of an empire of thieves and drug lords and pimps, preparing to inherit a broken, terrible, defeated thing that looks upon them in sadness.”

― Chloe Gong, These Violent Delights
The plot was one of my favorite things. I have to say, making it an enemy-to-lovers with mystery-solving was a great idea. That (besides keeping the book interesting) gave space for the secondary characters to shine (I love Marshall, Kathleen, and Benedik so much).

I read the entire book in just one sitting alone in my dorm room (my flatmates thought I had died or something). But can you blame me? I mean, I’m a sucker for the ~vibes, and These Violent Delights delivered so much more. Also, enemies-to-lovers is always perfection. Initially, I thought, because I knew the original story, the retelling was going to feel a bit… flat. In the sense where I kind of already knew what was going to happen to the characters. So, it was so refreshing to see that the author changed a lot of things.

“Fight dirty but fight bravely. Do not fight those who cannot understand what it means to fight”

― Chloe Gong, These Violent Delights
Chloe Cong‘s debut was so well written. I loved how she portrayed Western Imperialism in Shanghai and how diverse the book is. We need more trans rep in historical fiction, that’s for sure. Oh, and the angsty scenes were just chef’s kiss. And sure, there were a couple of parts that were a bit more obvious than necessary. But, overall, it was a great first book (in both senses). I can’t wait for the sequel! (especially after that cliffhanger).

“These days Juliette,” he said, low and warily, “the most dangerous people are the powerful white men who feel as if they have been slighted.”

― Chloe Gong, These Violent Delights
Oh, and speaking of it. The ending. They’re always a hit or miss for me and, even more so at the first book of a series, I need to be hooked. I need to care for the characters and what’s going to happen to them. It needs to be coherent and at least a bit satisfactory. These Violent Delights checked all the boxes.

These Violent Delights by Chloe Cong is the ultimate Romeo and Juliet retelling. I recommend it to anyone looking for enemies-to-lovers with crime families, mystery-solving, and a 1920s setting (the flapper dresses!).

““You destroy me and then you kiss me. You give me reason to hate you and then you give me reason to love you. Is this a lie or the truth? Is this a ploy or your heart reaching for me?””

― Chloe Gong, These Violent Delights

An innovative Asian reimagining of Romeo and Juliet – with a few very definite changes. Set in 1920s Shanghai and looking at the gang warfare and the tensions between East and West, this had plenty of depth. I was unmoved by the romance – more second chance than enemies to lovers btw – but then I usually am. Overall I thought this was an interesting take and generally enjoyed the book though something was missing for me.

A Shakespeare retelling set in 1920s Shanghai with a monster running wild? Even though Romeo and Juliet is not my favourite play (histories take my heart!), I was excited to see the play adapted. The setting was exciting too - a gang war inspired by history between the Chinese and the Russians.

The mystery around the monster was really fun - and gruesome. I mean, victims tearing their own throat out? There are a lot of POVs, so the mystery had a lot of vital parts revealed early, shifting the focus to how order would be restored.

There are some very lyrically written passages where the writing pulls back from a close POV to be more general descriptions of the city. It was such a nice balance and meant the world was vividly drawn.

If the characters had other names, I probably couldn't have guessed this was a Romeo and Juliet retelling. It's a very loose retelling, more an "enemies to lovers of opposing factions" than Romeo and Juliet. For example, there wasn't a balcony scene (I'm guessing the brief conversation where he's outside and they're talking through a window was meant to be it) and it stops about half-way through. I'm guessing the second book will finish the book off? But it did make it feel less Romeo and Juliet-esque.

Usually this wouldn't be a problem - and I tend to like my retellings loose so I can't predict what's coming. However, this <em>is</em> a Shakespeare retelling, and I would have liked it to be more obvious, to be more of a bingo-card to tick off the famous scenes. I think if it hadn't been marketed as a Romeo and Juliet retelling, but just a historical fantasy enemies who are in love forced to work together, I might have liked it enough to give it 5 stars, but I was really distracted trying to fit it to the play.

Am I going to read the second book? YES - I want to see the final half of the play adapted.