Oh my goodness I cannot express how much I enjoyed this book. I rarely find sequels as engaging as the first book in a series, finding they’ve lost their magic, but honestly Our Violent Ends may even be a level up from These Violent Delights – which I didn’t think I’d say because TVD is one of my fave reads this year!

If I hadn’t needed to stop for sleep then I would have finished this in one sitting. It was just so engrossing! The pacing was so well done and I just had to keep reading and reading.

There were so, so few moments that didn’t work for me. Two were references to internet memes (come on, the story’s meant to take place in 1927! Internet meme references just yank you out of the story!!!) and the only other moment would be a spoiler so my lips are sealed.

I rarely say I’d read anything a writer reads, but part way through OVE I realised I would read anything Chloe Gong publishes. Excited to see that her next series is expanding on this world and characters, but really excited to see what else she does.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the giving me an ARC for this amazing book!

This is one of the best book I've ever read, a stunningly done sequel and conclusion. The angst went up an extreme notch in comparison to tvd and the tensions with gangs along with political movements brought much suspense. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It's full of plot twists and the banter is woven in at perfect times. The banter and the relationships (both romantic and platonic) are the best part of this book. In conclusion, Chloe Gong is an evil genius and Our violent ends has taken over my life. Do yourself a favor and read this duology.

Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me eARC of this book via NetGalley.

After amazing These Violent Delights I was not sure the sequel could be as good but I was so wrong. This book is even better! All the characters we came to adore in first book are back and they have even bigger problems to solve. Juliette, Roma, Kathleen, Marshall and Benedikt may have defeted the monster, but it was not the only one and with Shanghai politics playing a giant role in everything that happens we get such a complex story it was a real fun to read and try to figure out.

The real strength of this book are the characters. They all have grown so much since the beginning of first book, especially Kathleen was a real star in this one. I was really rooting for Juliette and Roma’s relationship and I am happy with how things turned out between them.

There were so many plot twists, betrayals, changing sides and so much action I read it in one sitting, literally could not put it down. Each time I thought I figured something out just around the corner was a plot twist that turned everything upside down and left me wondering (and worrying) how can this story end.

And that ending… it destroyed me and I am not even mad because it was such a perfect ending for Juliette and Roma’s story. I loved this book and can’t wait to see what else Chloe Gong is going to write because she just became one of my favorite authors.

I genuinely don't remember the last time I enjoyed a series this much! Everything about it was so perfect and damn, what a finale! Each character was so beautifully crafted but so flawed. Chloe managed to build a world and weave a tale to rival Shakespeare and I really look forward to whatever comes next for her - I will recommend this book endlessly.

Oh my gosh - this book was absolutely incredible. I wasn't sure how Chloe Gong was going to top TVD (which I just adored) but she did! OVE was a perfect mix of romance and intrigue and political plotting, and I really don't have a bad word to say about it.

I often have a gripe with Romeo and Juliet retellings for focusing too much on the whole 'lovers' aspect of 'star-crossed lovers' as opposed to the actual 'star-crossed' aspect - OVE doesn't fall into the trap. The blood feud between the Scarlets and the White Flowers felt real and dangerous enough to keep them apart, and the underlying political plot supported that rather than hindered it.

And the characters - they just shine in this book. We get more of everyone, and I particularly enjoyed Marshall and his plotline. The main romance between Roma and Juliette was just perfect (it was an effort not to scream at many different parts). I won't say much about the ending for spoilers' sake, but it was fitting.

I loved Our Violent Ends so much, it was my most anticipated read of this year and it absolutely did not disappoint. A thousand thank you's to Netgalley and Hodderscape for the chance to review this ARC, and a million thank you's to Chloe Gong for this masterpiece.

I did not realise it was possible for Chloe Gong to top her debut novel, but with its sequel, 'Our Violent Ends', she has given a masterclass in how to write a spectacular series ending. When I finished this novel, I felt a strange mixture of satisfied with just how perfect the conclusion to this story is and emotionally empty after having my heart brutally ripped from my chest. This pretty much sums up my reading experience - admiring the mastery of the writing whilst barely coping with the amount of tension the reader is exposed to throughout.

Following the events of the first novel, Roma and Juliette are at odds again (because of spoilery reasons), the divide between the White Flowers and the Scarlet Gang becoming even more violent as the bodies pile up. The more supernatural elements of the horrifying monsters are put more into the background in this sequel, replaced with examining the political machinations between the Communists, the Nationalists and the rival gangsters. Lines of allegiance are blurred and Shanghai is more dangerous than ever before. If you thought the first novel was bloody, you have not seen the half of it.

Gong has not given herself an easy task - she has to balance the political, historical elements of 1920s China, the origins in Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet', and keep five huge monsters relevant to the story. My goodness does she do it well! Every time there is a plot development, she twists Shakespeare's original story into something more thrilling and captivating, breathing new life into this well-worn tale. I cannot comment on too much without giving away spoilers but the evolution of the feud here, the backdrop of the start of the Chinese civil war, and the trajectory of Roma and Juliette's relationship, were all excellent.

We are certainly seeing a fresh new talent in writing for young adults in Gong's writing, unafraid to tackle difficult issues and not simplifying anything for her intended teenage audience. If you have not read 'These Violent Delights', get on it before November because you will want to read sequel this straight away - you will not be disappointed! 5 star-crossed stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher who provided an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars! Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Our Violent Ends, Gong transports us back into 1927's Shanghai for an action-packed, heartwrenching conclusion to her series.

I really enjoyed reading this. When I read These Violent Delights, I found myself not quite as much as everyone else seemed to be, missing some character depth and lamenting the pacing. Having read the sequel now, I can happily say the sequel fares far better. Chloe Gong has grown quite a bit as an author and Our Violent Ends took all the best parts of its predecessor and elevates them. She took a beloved classic and gave it some - badly needed - fresh paint and delivered a truly unique, emotional story.

Glamour and gore walk hand in hand in Gong's historical Shanghai and it's powerhungry gangs, as Juliette and Roma are left to pick up the pieces after their actions in the first book. While the gangs still war over Shanghai, Roma and Benedikt are out for vengeance for Marshall's death and Juliette is barely keeping it together. Meanwhile, Kathleen is struggling with her place within the gang. When the a new danger rears it's head however, the two heirs to the Scarlet and White Flower gangs are forced to work together yet again.

Like it's inspiration, Romeo and Juliet, the novel tackles quite universal themes of love, hate and violence but manages to layer another level of imperialism on top of it in a masterful way. Gong has a true gift for describing atmosphere and transports you right into a dangerous and dazzling historical Shanghai. Her prose has really matured since her debut and manages to be both simple and evocative.

As for the characters, I'm happy to say that they all feel way more recognizable now in voice and dialogue. I can't say too much here because this is an ARC, but I truly loved watching their stories unfold. Juliette is a truly great protagonists and I really liked the side-characters here too like Kathleen and Benedikt. The Romeo & Juliet inspiration is also more apparent here than in the first book without ever being predictable. Now the reason I only gave this 3.5 stars is because the romance left me feeling cold and I just found Roma to be bland, especially considering his inspiration being Romeo Montague, the OG drama queen. There were some truly beautiful quotes but I just could not bring myself to care.

For a first series however, I did find this to be an engaging, memorable read and I will definitely pick up Gong's future works. If you're a fan of the first book, the conclusion will have you on the edge of your seat.

our violent ends is the epic conclusion to the fantastic duology of a romeo and juliet retelling in 1920's shanghai. this sequel is the perfect conclusion to these characters' arcs in the story and i wouldn't have asked for a better one!

what a ride it has been verging so close to death so many times in a matter of a few hundred pages. i have finished reading a little over 2 months ago and my heart still aches. that is not to say this book a tragic ending—as one would expect from a romeo and juliet retelling—but i'm not saying it has a happy one either. i'll leave that up to you to decide.


• plot & pacing — the stakes are definitely higher here. roma and juliette are back to being enemies and they both have other enemies on their tails. i don't think i've felt bored at any chapter, the story was well-paced and considering this is a sequel and we're already accustomed to the world and familiar with the plot, it's much easier and more fun to follow the events that take place throughout. i feel like this has more to do with my attachment to the characters as well because even if they're sitting down doing nothing i still find it fascinating.

• characters & dynamics — roma montagov and juliette cai childhood friends to lovers to enemies/rivals to lovers to enemies/rivals again! what character development! what more could you ask for? not to mention ben and mars; their story served and was so angst-filled and emotional. chloe gong serves some popularly loved tropes that some can see as cliché but to me they work perfectly! i ate it up!!! i also enjoyed reading tyler cai, kathleen (she's probably my favorite), rosalind, alisa and all the other secondary characters really. everyone had a role and weren't just hanging by, so the story intertwined their arcs in a seamless natural way that was so much fun to follow.

• themes & nuances — i absolutely loved the politics being a more central theme in this book. the fantasy element definitely took a step back and the story veered more toward a historical fiction centered around politics than fantasy. it was so captivating and gripping to read how the revolution heated up and escalated and watch our characters discuss the stakes and conjure up plans when the civil war blossomed at the rise of the communists and nationalists and the rival gangs had matters fly out of their control. also thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of divided loyalties and conflicts that the characters face; the sacrifices we make for those we love and the layers and complexities of hatred, prejudice and humanity. it was so interesting to read the hopelessness and dread of facing a revolution.

• writing & prose — i didn't live in shanghai in the 1920's but the author made me feel like i was! the writing punctuated the atmosphere of the setting and the world at that period of time and i have a whole bunch of quotes highlighted in the book i can't wait to scream about when the book is finally released. chloe gong knows exactly what she's doing with each phrase.

• ending & wrap-up — the ending of this book is...intense, i will say. to my surprise, it was very satisfying in a bittersweet way. it was bleak and hopeful, neither tragic nor a happily ever after—well, depends on how you interpret it, really. i won't say more except it left me with warmth and heartache and a fanfic my friend wrote that included dumplings.


our violent ends is a character-driven heart-stopping tale filled with bloodshed, romance (so much pining), politics and the higher end of the stick when it comes to stakes in a young-adult romantic fantasy book. it broke me, put me back together, only to break me all over again. a favorite i can't wait to suffer through the rereads of!

i'm very looking forward to the foul lady fortune duology set in the same world following a 'familiar character' and i trust chloe gong enough to read whatever she writes in the future tbh!

content warnings: blood, gore, grief, torture, violence, death, loss of loved one, self-harm, suicide ideation, parental abuse, manipulation, poisoning, drug use and addiction, colonization, racism, weapon use, alcohol consumption, character deaths.

— digital arc provided via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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

After reading, and mostly enjoying, 'These Violent Delights' I was curious to see how things were going to end up for Juliette and Roma.

One of my main issues with the first book was that it felt unnecessarily padded out for the sake of making it a duology, so you can imagine my horror when I saw a predicted reading time of over 6 hours on my Kindle. 6 hours! I am a very fast reader so it didn't bode well.

In my opinion the same pacing issue exist with this installment. There's really nothing wrong with the plot, characters, setting etc it just feels too long for no reason and it makes it all seem a bit bloated.

The killer bug plotline returns. It grossed me out the first time and it's gross this time so I tended to power through those sections. There is also the political intrigue from the first book which works better but I'm not sure these two plot threads work together.

In all honesty I found myself glazing  over the non Juliette/Roma moments. I didn't feel like there was enough of these which is a shame because they really are the heart of the story. Less bugs and political machinations are more angst please. The Shanghai setting was portrayed really well and the sense of time and place is pretty much spot on.

At the conclusion of this series I'm left feeling 100% convinced by my earlier opinion that this story would have worked better as one standalone book.

Our Violent Ends is a faced paced sequel to These Violent Delights. Now firstly I want to premise this review by saying I wasn’t a massive fan of the first book. It was a solid 3.5 stars for me but I felt the romance was a bit meh. Anyway , the sequel is a definite improvement! More politic, more gripping and definitely heartbreaking! I loved the politics being a more central theme and the fantasy taking a step back. Definitely made me want to re read the first book

When I read »These Violent Delights« in January this year, I fully expected to adore this book. I thought the setting was pretty cool. Shanghai is a very interesting place that I didn't know much about then. I love the premise of a Romeo & Juliette retelling - the drama! The angst! - and what mostly made me pick up the book was that it's set in the 1920s. Even when the whole thing with the monster and plague hit a bit too close to home in 2020, it was a solid plot.
I really should have loved this book because those were all things I usually enjoy a lot. But I wasn't vibing with the writing. I didn't care for the characters that much. I can't really tell you why I just didn't.

But in »Our Violent Ends«? Everything I wished TVD would have been I got in this amazing sequel. I think Chloe Gong really grew as a writer between her debut and this book. Not that TVD wasn't a good book, but for me, it wasn't as great as I hoped it would be. »Our Violent Ends« on the other hand - absolutely incredible. I loved this book so much I don't even know how to properly put my feelings into words because while reading, I was just like: Ahhhh. This. Is. So. Freaking. Good!

»Our Violent Ends« was simply one of the best books I've read this year.
Everything that was lacking in TVD for me I got in »Our Violent Ends.« I needed quite a bit of time to click with the story in TVD, where I got hooked from the first chapter in »Our Violent Ends«.
With over 500 pages it's quite a long book for YA, but it was so fast-paced that I didn't want to put it down, and every time I had to put it down, my head was still with Roma and Juliette in Shanghai. I was just so invested in their relationship, hoping for the best and fearing the worst. I mean, it's a Romeo and Juliet retelling, after all. You know what to expect. But I am glad that while it's recognizable as a retelling, Chloe Gong still put lots of twists to the original story, and for me, that was what made this book so great. I knew what to expect, but I was also fully prepared to be surprised, and Chloe Gong delivered. While reading, I was nearly always on the edge of my seat, and especially during the last third, the book stressed me out. So much. But I also couldn't put it down.
I didn't know anything about Shanghai's history before I started the series, but now I am definitely interested in reading more about it because the historical setting was so gripping. It felt like the first book was more about the madness spreading (and stopping it), while the second book was a lot more political. I was so captivated by the whole story, it was so thrilling and devastating to read how the situation in Shanghai heated up and escalated.

As I said, the book was fast-paced, but it was also well balanced with slower scenes, where we saw the characters struggling with their feelings after what happened in TVD. I am a really big fan of the romance in »Our Violent Ends«, it was just *chef's kiss*.
But I wasn't invested in Roma and Juliette. I also loved all of the secondary characters and their storylines. Everyone was important, had a purpose and everything just came together really nicely at the end.

To sum up, I loved this book so so much and can't wait for the release date in November to get a physical copy for my shelves and maybe reread the whole series because I think I'll appreciate the first book more now that I know how Roma's and Juliette's story ends. And what a great story it was. The character development, the writing, the pacing. Everything was so well done and I can't recommend this book enough and I especially can't wait to force everyone I know to read this book.

4.5 stars

Our Violent Ends is the explosive sequel to These Violent Delights, a duology filled with gangster blood wars, top tier romantic angst and political drama set against a backdrop of 1920s Shanghai. I thought book 1 was really good, but Our Violent Ends really stepped it up a notch and was an absolutely fantastic conclusion to the duology.

No-one (in YA) writes romance like Chole Gong - it takes quite a lot for me to be invested in a YA fantasy relationship but I can say with my whole heart I love Roma and Juliette. The drama and the tension and the angst and the pining are all so good!!!! In this book we start out with Juilette having made a choice at the end of book 1 that leaves Roma hating her, but they are forced to work together again to investigate a mysterious blackmailer threatening to release the remaining insect plague that terrorised the city in book one.

I also really love Roma and Juilette seperately as characters. Roma since book one has been a favourite of mine, something about him just hits different from other generic YA fantasy love interests - his character has a more melancholic tone and he is such a sweetheart even when he hates the world. In book 1 I didn't love Juilette that much, I thought her writing and characterisation were a little clunky, however in this book that was vastly improved and I loved her character so much more and some of the hard choices she had to make were truly heart-wrenching.

I also adore the side characters in this series. Marshall and Benedikt are probably my favourite characters in the series and I loved their storylines in this book - again the romance and angst is so good and I am a sucker for childhood friends to lovers. I loved how certain reveals happened (if you have read book 1 you will know haha) and Marshalls charm and cheekiness combined with Benedikts serious yet sweet characters make them so much fun to read about. I also really love Kathleen and her arc in this book, the way her character growth and becoming confident in her identity tie into the politics of the city is done masterfully.

I really love the atmosphere of the series, the authors prose really makes you feel as if you are immersed in the 1920s in a Shanghai at war. The glitz, glamour and horror juxtaposed with each other work so well and make for a delightfully addictive read. I also love the themes explored in this book, the sacrifices we make for those we love, the needless bloodshed of a city at war and how hatred and prejudice are often at the root of evil both human and monstrous. Additionally I really liked the politics explored in this book, how the gangs (scarlet flowers and white roses) are becoming obsolete and the rise of the communists and nationalists - resulting in a civil war that is completely out of the control of our characters; compared to the gang wars and blood feud which they are familiar with and feel in control. Especially through Juillette's character we explore the feeling of helplessness and futility as events spiral out of the control of the gangs and the stakes become much greater.

The ending of this book especially is a really intense ride, and I thought it was a very satisfying end - bittersweet and in tone with the rest of the story but with a note of hope despite what looks like a bleak future.

In conclusion an excellent ending to what is in my opinion one of the best YA duologies on the market, ticking loads of important boxes like (multiple) romances to die for, important themes of morality and the nature of war, thrilling action and an amazing cast of characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.
After the dramatic events in These Violent Delights, tension runs high on the streets of Shanghai. The blood feud between Scarlets and White Flowers is at its peak. The angst that I missed in the first book was delivered perfectly in this one. The sequel is filled with action, political intrigue that leaves the reader breathless with anticipation. I thoroughly enjoyed the divided loyalties and conflicts that the characters face. Chloe Gong has done an excellent job in capturing the hopelessness and dread faced during a time of revolution. That being said, this duology veers more toward a historical fiction centred around politics than a fantasy. If you go into this book expecting a fantasy plotline with heavy romance, you are bound to be disappointed. Personally, I enjoyed reading about the politics and the action filled scenes and didn't care much for the romance. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Our Violent Delights is a stunning sequel that would definitely appeal to the readers who enjoyed These Violent Delights.

First of all THANK YOU for the ARC. God (and my friends) only knows how many times I’ve tried to get one, how much I complained each time I didn’t win one of Chloe’s giveaway. So really, thank you.

Wow, what a wild ride this book was. I really love how Chloe works with the classic, bending it to her will. I’m a huge Romeo and Juliet fan so it’s really nice to have it in the back of my mind while reading These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends.

I really feel that the author has captured the essence of the characters while also adding layers to them. I really love the dynamics between all the main characters. They are just very powerful and well written. I really care for them as if I knew them in real life.

I’m really romantic and this book gave me all the feels. I had to scream, sigh, cry and moan at each one of their interactions, their love declarations and their feelings. Now I’m staring into the void wondering if I’ll ever be loved in that way.

This book got me sobbing at 3am. It is a phenomenal sequel and a great ending to the duopoly. I’ll spend forever thinking about it and crying to my playlist.

5 stars!

Chloe Gong is out here once again breaking my heart. And like the simp that I am, I keep loving it. After the masterpiece that was These Violent Delights I was very nervous to read this and see where this story would go. I didn't think it could get any better, or any more heartbreaking or any more page gripping. Boy, was I wrong!

Our Violent Ends is the perfect ending to this story but be warned that it will break your heart and have you screaming from the very first page.

In 1927, Shanghai is on the verge of revolution. There are communists and nationalists and gangs. Oh, and monsters. After Juliette fakes Marshall's death in order to protect Roma from the blood feud, the tension is higher than ever and Roma promises there will be spilled blood in retaliation. The city is on the brink of war and the new threat of monsters doesn't help either gang when all they want is to end the threat.

After the heartbreaking ending of These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends starts by showing how those events have shaped our characters now and where their minds are at. It is a whirlwind of emotions and development. The pacing of this book is phenomenal and you won't want to put it down until you're finished.

This is one incredible duology and I shall rave about it until the end of the time. PLEASE GO READ THESE BOOKS!

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

I am a shell of the person I was before I began this book. Chloe Gong writes such incredible, vivid, characters and settings that it’s so hard to step out of her books when you read the last page.

Things I Liked:
♥ I absolutely love the way Chloe Gong immerses the reader in a historical setting without overloading the pages with too much information and slowing the story down. There’s a ton of detail, but it never drags.
♥ Roma and Juliette are really well rounded characters. I was excited to see how they dealt with the consequences of the end of book one and I wasn’t disappointed. I felt so connected to them and their internal struggles were so well written as they were pulled between wanting each other, hating each other, and their loyalty to the White Flowers/Scarlets.
♥ The side characters really shone in this book. Benedikt was especially amazing, but I would honestly happily read a whole book about any of them.
♥ Although I figured out who the ‘big bad’ kind of character and the spy were pretty early on, I really enjoyed watching how it all tied together. Chloe did a great job of sprinkling hints throughout without making anything too obvious, and it was really fun to watch them all add up.
♥ The ending?? I don’t know, I loved it and hated it. It shattered me into a million pieces and, though I’m not <i>happy</i> about it, I can’t deny that it was incredibly well done and exactly the ending the story needed.

Things I Disliked:
♡ This is not a personal dislike, but I would be remiss not to mention it given how the book is marketed. I, personally, would not call this a fantasy duology. It’s historical fiction, very heavy on politics and romance, with a couple of monsters. The monsters are even less prevalent in this book. I, personally, didn’t miss the fantasy at all, but I know there was some disappointment with book one given that these books are marketed as fantasy.

Overall thoughts:
Our Violent Ends confirms what I already knew going into it: this is my favorite duology of all time. It was such a beautiful story of love and hope, of grappling with who you want to be vs. who you were conditioned to be, and I can’t wait to step back into the world with Foul Lady Fortune in 2022.

Content warnings:
Death, violence, gore, kidnapping, whipping, mentions of suicide, pandemic-esque stuff/vaccinations, monsters, infestation

I'm done. That epilogue ended me, stabbed me in the heart and left me to rot. I have never been this destroyed over the ending of a book. NEVER. I'm actually in tears. I know that it's a recurring joke amongst TVD fans that Chloe Gong should pay for the therapy bills because of how much angsty pain she delivers, and I never needed it. Until now. Chloe, you did this.

-

Our Violent Ends follows up 4 months after the end of These Violent Delights, and I'm happy (and extremely distressed) to report that it's a spectacular read that truly brings you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions. All that secrecy, lying, grief, love, hatred, desperation just kept piling on and over each other, pulling at your wits until you're gasping for hope and are hanging by the page, by the line, just to see whether our characters will survive.

Speaking of, the cast is thriving. Our heirs are feuding with renewed fury... and love. Kathleen and Rosalind get fully-fledged subplots that soil their hands. Marshall and Benedikt dance around in their own love story.

As always, the way the plot twists and turns and how parts of the original play were adapted kept me gripping the edge of my seat. There was so much angst, which caused much anxiety and anticipation. But there were also many tender moments, which made my heart melt.

In this bloody, violent and heart-wrenching duology, one lesson rings true: it's easier to hate and cower in fear, but it's better to love and persevere.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

<b>TALENTED, BRILLIANT, INCREDIBLE, AMAZING, SHOW-STOPPING, SPECTACULAR, NEVER-THE-SAME, TOTALLY UNIQUE, COMPLETELY-NOT-EVER-BEEN-DONE-BEFORE</b>

Miss [author:Chloe Gong|18899059], MISS CHLOE GONG HOW DARE YOU??? It hurts too much. My heart aches too much. I have cried and I have laughed and I have felt too much that I don't even know how on earth am I breathing right now.

This book takes place four months after the final events of [book:These Violent Delights|50892212]. Shanghai is on the edge of revolution, a deadly civil war between the nationalists and the communists threatens to erupt at any moment. The blood feud between the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers is fiercer than ever. But a new deadly and monstrous threat can bring the city down before anyone is able to. In the wake of new events, Juliette Cai has to work with Roma Montagov, the boy she loved and who she chose to betray in order to protect him from the Scarlets.

One of my most anticipated sequel of 2021, <u>Our Violent Ends</u> exceeded every expectations. If you thought [book:These Violent Delights|50892212] is good, then this book is hands-down amazing. The plot, the character development, the romance, everything is just so incredibly executed with Chloe Gong's charming and captivating writing.

This is one of the most stressful YA book I have ever read. The plot is thick and complex. Events after events are laid on each other. Sometimes the conflict was too big I didn't even know how the characters was going to get out of it. But Chloe Gong surprised me every time. The events are often wrapped up so cleanly. Of course there are exceptions (the theft at the whorehouse) but overall the plot ended cleanly, without important loose ends. The title is lived up: the events are very violent, so you will not be disappointed

I love every single characters of the main cast. Alisa? My whole heart is hers. Marshall? Charming as fuck. Benedikt? Deserves every ounce of happiness. <s>Kathleen</s> Celia? Out of the world. Juliette? She can kill me a thousand times over and she would still be my goddess. Roma? He deserves the whole fucking world and I would commit massacres if he asks me to. Even Rosalind, who I don't <u>love</u>, I am still able to sympathize with her. That's how Chloe Gong wrote these characters. All of them are human, they make mistakes, and I love them the way they are.

The romance, OH MY GOD THE ROMANCE!!! No one is doing it like miss Chloe Gong: friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to reluctant allies-to enemies-to allies again-to lovers + dagger against the throat gun at the back + star-crossed lovers + forbidden romance + the ultimate betrayal trope + countless other I can't say due to spoilers.
I would sell my soul for Roma and Juliette. I would kill for Benedikt and Marshall. I usually say that my heart is a giant ice cube. RomaJuliette turns it into gaz (not liquid, gaz) It pains me not being able to see them again (@ChloeGong please give me RomaJuliette content I beg you.)

I can't believe I started this book expecting a happy moments, given miss Chloe Gong's level of angst and given the fact that this is a [book:Romeo and Juliet|18135] retelling. The angsty scenes broke my heart in a million pieces and crushed them in a million pieces even though when I know it was reasonable a thing like that happened. That epilogue took me tf out. Chloe if you want my death, congratulations, you have accomplished your mission.

In conclusion, it was a wonderful experience. Not every author manages to writing a conclusion as perfect as this one, making <u>These Violent Delights</u> duology my favorite YA series ever. Plus the fact that I now know who's going to be the protagonist of [book:Foul Lady Fortune|57190453] I can't wait to read more of Chloe, aka my favorite YA author.

<i>All my deepest regards to NetGalley UK and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange of my honest thoughts. It means very much. All opinions posted here are my own</i>

<b>Triggers warning:</b> murder, death, gore, violence, betrayal, a lot of awful people

<i>Find me on my bookstagram: @delilahfcirchild</i>

First of all, I would like to say thank you for the review copy, which was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley. This fact does not in any way affect my personal opinion of this book. This post contains advertising and the rights for the book belong to the publisher.

It's been a while since i have cried so much with a book. Chloe Gong decided to end Shakespear's career with one book. The story continues a few months after the events of These Violents Delights. Juliette is hiding Mars and Roma is set on vengeance. I want to be professional but this book just destroyed me. Heartbreaking, beautifully written. A raw exploration of politics and how hard and complicated it can be. Yet all the time i felt hopeful.

Oh my god.

I can't even begin to explain how good this book is. Five stars don't do it justice. I don't think I've slept since I got approved for this ARC. I have been staring at my keyboard with my mouth open for about an hour trying to start this review.

These Violent Delights was my top book of 2020. In a plot twist that will shock absolutely no one, Our Violent Ends has topped my list for 2021.

If you do yourself one favor this year, read this duology.

The summary (spoiler free): after making Roma believe she never loved him in order to save his life, Juliette has only one goal: maintain her position as heir to the Scarlet Gang. But as rumors swirl around Shanghai of a return of the monsters that decimated the city the year before, Juliette and Roma are once again forced to team up to try and uncover which new player is behind the monster threat this time. All this is occurring over the backdrop of brewing civil war. No longer is Shanghai only the domain of the gangsters - the Nationalists and Communists have come to play, threatening the very existence of the gangs.

Everything about this book is beautiful. I adore Chloe Gong's writing. The imagery she creates is incredible, and you can feel her love for Shanghai in every single word.

The setting: perfect. If I didn't know this was a fantasy I might genuinely have been convinced that monsters truly stalked the revolting streets of 1927 Shanghai.

The story: this sequel builds upon TVD in that it hints at aspects of Romeo and Juliet but never in a predictable way. Honestly, Our Violent Ends is anything but predictable. I haven't been hit by so many plot twists in a good while and God, I loved every single page of it.

The characters: my poor heart will never recover from this. My toxic reading trait is that I always passionately despise one integral character in every good book. Not this time. Every single character was given the space to grow in this sequel. Benedikt and Marshall - they already had my whole heart in TVD. Kathleen and Rosalind - wow, I can't say much without giving anything away but they both have STORIES TO TELL. But of course, this is Roma and Juliette's story, and that ending ... Chloe Gong my heart is yours please just take it and destroy it now so I don't have to feel anymore.

Our Violent Ends is a dark, bloody, lyrical retelling of Romeo & Juliet set against the glittering and deadly backdrop of Shanghai on the brink of revolution. It is the story of Roma and Juliette - but it is so much more than that. It is a tribute to the fact that hate spreads like wildfire with the littlest of ammunition. It can be the easiest choice to get swept up in the flames - but love will always burn brighter.

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton, NetGalley and of course Chloe Gong for providing this ARC!