A heart-wrenching sequel to these violent delights that will have you screaming, banging your head.

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for giving me the opportunity to review Our Violent Ends which was a book I had been waiting for for quite a bit of time, and here I am, reviewing it which is very exciting!
It was so interesting to see the relationships between the characters grow, including that of Roma and Juliet. Chloe Gong did it once again! She made me fall in love with Roma and Juliet once more, and it feels like my love for them is renewed. The character and relationship development, the heated arguments, the banter, and most of all, love. It was all so tragic and wholesome at the same time.
And let us not forget about Marshall and Benedikt. Seriously I shipped them so badly.

Not only was the romance so spot on that I fell back into a void of darkness once the epilogue came, but so was the plot. The return of the monster reigns devestation in Shanghai. Civil war between the nationalists and communists is brewing. As the return of the monster brings destruction, both Roma and Juliet have to put aside their differences and work together. And the first step is to face their feelings.

I am going to miss Marshall and Benedikt. Roma and Juliet. Oh how hard it is so separate myself from them and say goodbye.
@Chloe Gong. What have you done to me! How can I survive?

I absolutely loved this book, a very intense and fitting sequel to These Violent Delights, was definitely worth the wait to read. Would definitely recommend!

My Rating: 4 Stars

With how things ended in These Violent Delights, the atmosphere must have cooled down, peace restored at least temporarily, but Shanghai was growing more chaotic with the Nationalists, Communists, and the Gangs trying to control the city. What once felt like home became a smothering place steeped with hate, greed, and the blood feud. Our Violent Ends is a tale about two blood-soaked roses who would burn the world down with their love.
This book was more political than TVD, but I enjoyed the anticipation and the slow burn romance that broke my heart yet left me satisfied with the story. I expected a lengthy epilogue given the slow progress of the plot, but I was sad to see it end with a small one. And I'm gonna repeat it again, this book is a million times better than the original Romeo & Juliet. These Violent Delights duology is one of the best retellings I have ever read to date and highly recommend it to everyone.

(Thanks a ton to H&S and NetGalley for giving me the eARC.)

These Violent Delights was easily my favourite book of 2020, and its time on the NYT Bestsellers List suggests I’m not alone in that thinking. In Our Violent Ends, the drama is amped up another notch; Juliette walks on a tightrope, her every move scrutinized by Tyler as he searches for any hint of disloyalty. Roma chooses a path of darkness, hatred burning inside him alongside the twin flame of love. When a new threat emerges, Roma and Juliette are forced to team up once more; will they find a way to save the city the love even if it breaks their hearts in the process?

Before I get onto anything else, we have to talk about Alisa. What an absolute legend! I loved her in TVD, and she shone in OVE. Her interactions with Roma are pure gold, those with Juliette just as good (I’d say better, but I fear Roma might kill me for that one). The other relationship dynamic I adored was that between Juliette and Marshall; we’ve seen plenty of it in memes, but it’s something special to see it play out on the page.

“What are you afraid of?” Roma Montagov asked.
Juliette’s lips parted. She exhaled a short, abrupt breath. “The consequences,” she whispered, “of love in a city ruled by hate.”

Every time Roma said dorogaya? Knife to my heart. There’s something painfully beautiful about the love between Roma and Juliette, its inevitability but also the way they’re afraid of daring to believe in it, as reflected by the quote above. I must say I felt as though their reconciliation came a little soon, but I guess it’s a long book and drawing it out further would’ve made it longer still. Speaking of reconciliation, I want you to experience it yourself so I won’t say too much, but the reunion of Benedikt and Marshall? Not to be missed. Expect quality Benmars content in this sequel!

The mystery is the one aspect of OVE that I felt somewhat let down by, just because I didn’t think it was as strong as in TVD. Part of that is probably the fact that the big mystery came in TVD and OVE was very much just tying together residual threads from TVD. There were solid moments and twists I appreciated, but a certain level of predictability was present in the overarching mystery.

I can’t conclude without bringing up the ending…?! Yeah, that’s all I’ve got. This has been an incredible duology to experience and I’m so excited for more from Chloe, starting with Foul Lady Fortune (and don’t even get me started on Immortal Longings because what can I say, Antony and Cleopatra plus Chloe Gong? It’s the most enthusiastic yes from me). Our Violent Ends crescendos into a pulsating climax, leaving everything on the line before (quite literally) going out with a bang.

3.5

OK, book 1 was not my fave, but I enjoyed it. I was hoping to be absolutely blown away with the ending and climax of book 2, especially after the cliffhanger of book 1. However, I enjoyed the politics and the mysteries and the relationship between our Roma and Juliet...but the ending just fell flat and was rushed for me. I will give this duology another go in the future, but I felt a little disappointed by the end.

But, the writing of setting the scene was beautiful, I loved the historical elements thrown in with the fantasy!!

Our Violent Ends is the second volume in Chloe Gong's duology that cleverly blends fantasy and history into a richly layered story with more than a hint of Romeo and Juliet. The book picks up where These Violent Delights ends, taking us back to a vividly described 1920's Shanghai where the feud between rival gangs the Scarlets and the White Flowers, is still in full force. The city is on a political precipice with tensions between the Communists and the Nationalists bubbling ever closer to boiling point and violence on a scale that would make the gang warfare seem pale in comparison. As if that is not enough, a supernatural threat that could destroy the city is also making its presence felt. It is no wonder that Juliette Cai feels like a thread ready to snap, she has destroyed her relationship with rival gangster Roma in an attempt to keep him safe, but fate seems to conspire to keep drawing them back together and it seems like their only hope of saving the city they both love will be to work together, something that is not going to go down well with either of their families.
Full of action and intrigue, this book definitely moved at a much faster pace than its predecessor, which is understandable since much of the world building and exposition was by necessity in These Violent Delights, and I certainly enjoyed it even more than the first book. There was a greater focus on the relationships between characters, and not just the romantic ones, which drew me into the book more and made me more invested in the outcome of the story. I applaud the author for her skill in setting a scene, the ambiance throughout the book is incredible, she brings the era and setting to life with mastery.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Our Violent Ends is the stunning conclusion to Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights duology, a fast-paced book where the stakes are higher than ever, with a few lovely quiet moments (both of romance and friendship) every now and there.
 
The way Chloe is able to portray in such a perfect way the atmosphere of Shangai during the 20s never fails to amaze, creating the perfect scenery for a story that thoroughly intertwines fiction and real historical events. In this second installment, in fact, the hunt for the monsters (or better, the blackmailer that controls them) is often obstructed by political intrigues and secret schemings inside both the White and the Scarlets.
While there is truly a lot happening throughout the curse of the book, it’s never tedious: there is something exciting in following all the different threads of the plot and discovering how they connect with each other, until every mystery is fully unveiled towards the end (*for once* I was able to guess almost all of the plot twists). 
 
But it’s the characters that truly enrich and empower this story. Especially Juliet, whose character is deeply explored in this book, showing the motives behind her decisions and actions, how she yearns for power because in her world power means safety for her and the people she loves, and how she wishes to protect her city, her people, in spite of all odds. 
And while I deeply loved all the friendships between them (Marshall and Juliet are seriously peak comedy), the main romances were the game-changer: Benedikt and Marshall are so well written as these two idiots so deeply in love, and their special bond never failed to made me giggle or sob- mostly because the way Marshall is always ready to risk it all for Ben, and neither of them seems able to conceive a life without the other.
Obviously, our favorite star-crossed lovers Roma and Juliet were amazing as ever, even if the similarities between them and the original Romeo and Juliet in this book were often too much for my poor heart. What I adored the most is how it’s perfectly highlighted that they are the definition of “two parts of the same soul”, each recognizing their other half even if bathed in blood and hatred, both constantly aching to be reunited. 
 
If you are looking for a Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet retelling with an interesting twist and marvelous characters, I can’t truly recommend These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends enough: Chloe Gong’s talent is truly unmatched.

This book and Treacherous [Taylor‘s Version] releasing in the same week… much to think about 🧐

The positives:
↣ Chloe Gong certainly knows how to create a vivid setting and background. No matter where the characters were, you felt like you were there, too. The dark, mysterious and glimmering aura of 1920s Shanghai truly jumped off the page.
↣ The commentary on colionalism and foreigners thinking they can take whatever they want was subtle but so impactful, too. The author wove in the true history of the city so well with her Romeo and Juliet retelling.
↣ If you want heartbreaking and tormenting romances, this book will serve them all to you. Roma and Juliette as well as Marshall and Benedikt really pulled out all the angst in this sequel, it tore me apart.
↣ I came to care for all the characters, not only the two protagonists but also the side characters. Juliette was probably the most fleshed-out, but I liked Roma, Benedikt, Marshall and Kathleen, too. They were all so different and special in their own way. Juliette was so strong and resilient.

The negatives:
↣ The plot in this sequel was not very well crafted and balanced. There was too much happening at once and I never knew what to focus on. There were the monster, the Nationalists, the Communists, the blood feud… They all tried taking the spotlight, but it only resulted in none of them getting enough attention.
↣ The solution to the mystery was very predictable. I saw all the revelations coming from a mile away. That didn‘t take away from my enjoyment, but it might for others who expect a more thrilling mystery.
↣ While I did enjoy the romances in this book, I did not particularly love the fact that most of the time was spent with a misunderstanding keeping them apart. It was angsty, as I said, but angst can go too far. After a while the constant back-and-forth and lying just got a little tiring. I wanted them to clear the air sooner. Their dialogue was also a little cheesy and over-the-top at times, for my liking.

Seeing as this is the author‘s debut, this was a very solid first duology and I cannot wait to see what she will come up with next.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC of this book.

A great ending to this story! If you enjoyed the first book then this one will not disappoint.

I really enjoyed following Juliet and Romas story together. The blood feud between their families, gangs and each other was written so well, I was kept on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.

I loved all the characters in this book, especially Marshall! I wish Roma had more of his POV though, I loved his character even more.

It was quiet slow and a tad repetitive but it really did pick up and the action and drama was great.

As much as I knew how the ending would inevitably end I didn’t like how it actually ended. It seemed rushed and it wasn’t the epic and emotional finale I was expecting, none the less it was still a very good conclusion to this duology.

I will definitely read more of Chloe Gongs work in the future. Thankyou Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Chloe aging for the EARC.

3,5/5 rounded down

I’ll start by saying that I really really loved this book, that I thoroughly enjoyed the duology, that it gave me hours of fun and emotions. I loved it very very much. It entertained me in a way few books did this year. I was also disappointed by it in some areas, and I think this disappointment is proportional to the amount of love I have for these books. It was hard to put that in a stars rating form, this is not a system that really allows you to express strong but conflicting emotions. I ended up giving it 3,5 stars, but I don’t feel fully in accordance with it… This will have to be enough! On to the reviewing.

I had really enjoyed These Violent Delights when I read it in January, despite a few minor flaws, especially in the pacing. I was extremely excited about Our Violent Ends and fully expected to give this sequel 5 stars. This was on its way to get confirmed as I got through the book. The pacing was way better than in the first book, and though I still struggled with it at times, it didn’t keep me from enjoying the book.

I loved Our Violent Ends for many reasons. The focus on gangs and politics is something I enjoyed a lot more than the monster-related plot, and I was glad to get more politics and less fantasy in this sequel. In These Violent Delights, I had loved how certain aspects of the writing really echoed Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. In this sequel, Chloe Gong does it again. Among the little things I noticed is the fact that the characters often talk to themselves, which felt to me like monologues in theatre! It’s something that can feel unrealistic if not done well, but in Our Violent Ends, I really thought there was the right amount of these. It was one of the many details that made me go “…oh!” which added a new part of fun to the reading experience. Another thing I enjoyed was the part Shanghai plays in this duology. This is something I had loved in the first book as well, and it happens again in this one, though in a different way. This book gets more political, it’s about division, conflict escalation and civil war. I loved that the monster storyline retreated a bit to leave room for the rest and highlight the fact that in addition to being a real insect-like monster roaming the streets, it was also an image for the cruelty that lies within the city and its citizens.

These are only a few of the things I loved in Our Violent Ends. I completely fell in love with the characters in a way I had not really after reading the first book, I felt more invested in their relationships. This sequel achieved great things, one being making me obsessed with it. I think it’s a success when a book manages to stay in my thoughts while I’m going through my day, working and doing other things. I was loving the characters and story so much that I was making up little scenarios in my head and trying to imagine what could happen next! To be honest, up until the last 10%, I was very into it and loving this, despite the little flaws that I will talk about below. I loved that the characters got to spend more chapters together, reunited and interacting with each other. The time I’d spent waiting between the two books really did built excitement and I was so happy to be back in this story after a few months.

I had three issues with the book, but if it weren’t for the third one, I probably would’ve given this five stars. My first small disappointment is about Juliette’s character, and to a lesser extent the full cast of characters. Juliette is constantly described as someone who is feared, who doesn’t shy away from being cruel, but her actions don’t really show any of that and I found that a bit disappointing. The story would’ve benefitted from her being actually cruel at times, instead of complaining about being a bad person but in reality always doing the best thing possible in the situations she found herself in. I think this is also linked to the fact that Juliette is given more chapters in her point of view; if we’d heard more from the other characters, she’d probably be more nuanced. Overall, I think the main characters were probably too good. They never did anything unforgivable that couldn’t be explained by what was going on around them.
The second thing I didn’t like was Rosalind’s storyline, and more specifically the way it was incorporated into the story. I won’t get spoiler-y but I really thought the revelations about her were completely underwhelming and would’ve needed more development to really have a strong impact on the reader. Sadly I just ended up not really caring about her anymore, instead of growing more interested in her character. There was potential here but the execution wasn’t the best.

Like I said, at that point in my reading I was extremely excited about what would happen in the next chapters and so these two issues didn’t matter much and didn’t keep me from enjoying the experience and feeling like I was being taken on a journey towards a very climactic ending. I felt like the resolution of the duology would bring everything I was expecting in terms of surprise and catharsis and so it was okay for me at that point that the characters were being a little too nice and that Rosalind became one that I didn’t care much about. I was absolutely certain that the rest of the story would provide everything I needed to completely love this book and give it five full stars!

I’m so sad to say that this didn’t happen. To me, the last 10% were a huge letdown. So much happens in so few pages, I was not given the time to appreciate any of it. I expected a very emotional ending and felt like the promise wasn’t fulfilled at all. The ending was very anticlimactic to me, also using a trope that I personally don’t love and that really didn’t fit this specific story. I went in fully expecting to be destroyed by this conclusion, and I’m disappointed to say that it lacked emotion. As I want to keep this review spoiler-free, I will not say much more about this. Endings are very important to me, they need to wrap the story up nicely, to give you the feeling that everything that had to be told has been told. For series, especially, as they give you time to build excitement, an ending has to be intricately crafted.
Even though I have a lot of affection for this duology, I cannot just ignore how this conclusion made me feel and it really leaves a stain on my overall love for these books!

I would still recommend These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends to many readers who enjoy historical fiction, low fantasy, and impossible romances. This series had many wonderful things, it gave me hours of joy. The amount of excitement I got from these two books was probably a bit excessive, but I’m very happy to say that I’ve started the year with the first book, and that the second one has been living in my mind up until now (probably will for the months to come!).

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this eARC!

Content warnings: blood, violence, gore, character deaths, murder (including mass murder), war themes, torture, weapon use, insects, alcohol consumption, parental abuse, transphobia.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this arc.

The first book left off with quite a cliff hanger so I was intrigued to see what would happen in the second book. Whilst I enjoyed the writing style I found this book to be quite slow and so it took me a while to get through it. I really loved Marshall's character and so enjoyed reading his parts. Overall it was an ok book and a nice end to the series.

An fantastic follow up to These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends is an imaginative and brilliantly written retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in 1920 Shanghai. The setting is vividly imagined, rich in culture and blended with fabulous fantasy elements. In this instalment there is not quite as much focus on the monsters of Shanghai, more so the continued feud between the White Flowers and the Scarlets and the added tension from the Communists and Nationalists. This is a city teetering on the brink of a civil war that could potentially destroy the gangs. There is a lot more attention to the politics of the world and exploration of the characters and relationships introduced in book one. It is quite an intense story and there is a lot going on but the author’s fluid writing style makes it easy to follow and the unexpected plot twists and turns creates a compelling and intriguing read.

Although the story centres on Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai, there are some brilliant side characters. I adored the connection Juliette had with Marshall and the lovely relationship dynamic between Marshall and Benedikt which really stood out for me in this novel. The enemies-to-lovers romance is done to perfection, one minute they are absolutely furious with each other and the next consumed with passion and the chemistry between them is palpable. The undercurrent of tension present throughout the storyline gives the uneasy feeling something bad is about to happen. I was rooting for Roma and Juliette throughout and willing it not to end in tragedy as in the original tale.

A beautifully written series with wonderful characters and set against the amazing backdrop of Shanghai. The ending is action-packed, explosive and although it is left a little open-ended it ended satisfactorily. I really enjoy duologies and this one was really well done with great pacing. I’m looking forward to the release of the 1930s spin off series next year, featuring a character from this book.

Thank you to the publisher for the eARC for review. My review will be published across my social media platforms nearer to the publication date and Amazon when published.

If you enjoyed the first book These Violent Delights then you will most definitely need to read this sequel to find out what happened to Juliet the and Roma.
I was so upset with the ending and it was torture to have to wait this long to read the sequel and so I was happy to be able to get to read the earc (thank you).
Both main characters are still reeling from the heartbreak and betrayal at the end of the last book but there's no time to waste as a bigger problem arises and they need to work together to solve it whilst keeping their arrangement secret from both clan families.

A great, well written sequel with strong world building from the previous book and characters that feel like they could jump off the page. Definitely a must read if you enjoyed the first book by this author. Looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

The amount of heartbreak I experienced while reading this is truly horrific. It should be illegal to write lines, passages and quotes that are not sad in theory, but when put into the context they can make you want to bawl your eyes out. Prior to the end of this book, I cried at least 5 times. It took so little to break me. I couldn't understand why. It pains me to even think about this book and the whole duology. Chloe Gong did it again with the angst and the tension in this book and she even brought it 5 levels up. I felt every moment between the characters, especially our main two. My only wish now is for Roma to call me "dorogaya" and for Juliette to stab me. I think that would be enough for my happiness (even though I would probably cry at both of those events).

The parallels to Shakespeare's story in this sequel were even more prominent and even more heartbreaking. This whole book was heartbreaking, who am I kidding. Chloe Gong managed to burn my predictions to ashes and then spin her own original plot lines into this story so well. I wasn't even able to predict the most obvious things, because they were so hidden. I didn't managed to recover in almost two weeks after finishing this. I can't listen to Forever by Lewis Capaldi, because even thinking about that song makes we want to cry myself to sleep.

The stakes are so much higher in this book and you can feel it. At first, it feels like life is back to normal and that everyone can relax, but we all know that isn't the case. There are so many unresolved things between the characters and the fate of Shanghai is still hanging by a thread. The historical setting and the events really brought the story to another level, even though I'm not really knowledgeable about that time period or part of the world. It wasn't that confusing and it made the story even more dangerous and dramatic.

I'm avoiding saying anything about the characters, because if I start I will only be talking in spoilers, but.. Oh my god, what Chloe Gong did with these characters is remarkable. Seeing everyone's perspective and how in the wrong they were or how much they were struggling ruined me. EVERYONE DESERVED BETTER. EVERYONE. My favorites were still Roma and Juliette and I would die for them. Everytime they had a scene together or apart I was going wild. I couldn't help myself. There has to be a drug in the text somewhere, because I was obsessed.

The only thing I'm going to say about the ending, specifically the last chapter is that I loved the point of view. There isn't a single better person to tell that last chapter. I also loved how it set the stage for Foul Lady Fortune. And that's all about the ending, because I could cry again from pain. Also, I read the final 10% twice, because my poor brain couldn't comprehend what was happening and I actually laughed the first time reading it because I was in denial. That's it. I will say no more.

The only couple downsides to this book was the whole situation surrounding the villain again. The lack of their presence though the book made it less believeable and it felt underwhelming, even thought I guessed their identity almost instantly. And I guess that I wanted the ending to make me feel more emotions the first time I was reading it. I was a bit confused regarding certain characters decisions and felt like something was missing, but after my denial evaporated and I faced the reality, it did make me emotional. I just wish I never reached the ending.

Set in Shanghai at a time ravaged by political unrest and gangs. This brings the romantic retelling of star crossed lovers Roma and Juliet to it’s thrilling conclusion. Unlike the first book the focus is not so heavily dominated by the monster. Instead we see political unrest and the two gangs, the scarlets and the white flowers, all vying for control of Shanghai. The complexities of the politics are described well by the author. The development of not just Roma and Juliet’s relationship but also the cousins of both makes for an incredibly romantic and heartbreaking story. The authors use of quotes from Shakespeare while setting the story in the backdrop of Shanghai makes this a fantastic book that is thoroughly enjoyable.

Its difficult for me to put into words just how much I adore this book. I was hooked from the opening line, so excited to be reunited with Roma and Juliette, and I was not let down in the slightest. Chloe Gong is an incredibly talented writer, and if you liked These Violent Delights, you’ll love Our Violent Ends.
The balance of plot and character development was masterful, and I truly felt as though I was in Shanghai with the characters, watching their movements.
The ending absolutely crushed my soul, and I will need months to process everything that happened.
Our Violent Ends is far more than just a Romeo and Juliet retelling - it’s an entirely new, beautiful and heartbreaking story.

I quite enjoyed These Violent Delights and was intrigued by what this second and final book would bring.

And it was okay?

I really enjoyed the characters still but I found the first half to be so incredibly slow, the dialogues between Juliette and Roma were a bit over the top, and the ending left me a bit meh. It was a good book that ties the story off nicely, but I guess I just expected a little bit more.

I really enjoyed this sequel to These Violent Delights which is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. I actually like this more than the first book since I find the other side characters get more plot time. As it’s a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, this can be read as a stand-alone. Actually the book should have been just the one rather than split into two since everyone knows the story of Romeo and Juliet. Overall a brilliant read and highly recommend.

I was both expecting this to be better than the first book, and also not. Luckily, it was a little better.

In this book Chloe's writing did improve, and since all of the character and world introductions were done in the first book, she had time to develop them in this one.

With that said, I am still not a fan of Roma and Juliette as a couple. They spent most of the time regressing back to enemies and then suddenly they jumped from zero to one hundred in no time at all.

But as individual characters they did grow. Not to a level that would endear me to them, but to an acceptable one.

Marshall and Benedikt were cool too, their relationship was a lot more believable than Juliette and Roma's.

Meanwhile Alisa (aka my favourite character in the series) got a bigger role, especially at the end. She's only 13 at the start of Our Violent Ends but she shows more bravery than everyone else put together.

The pacing was good in places and slow in others. The first half had a lot of repetition from the previous book so that part felt slower while the second half had new elements added so it moved faster. But it was a quick read for me either way.

As for the ending...I liked it. I was hoping it would go one way, and I can't say if it did or didn't because it's sort of an open ending. But I'm choosing to believe that it ended the way I imagined.

Throughout the book we also got a spinoff teaser. Will I read that too? Probably, especially if Alisa makes a few cameos.

3.5 stars

*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*

After reading and loving These Violent Delights last year, I had to request this one once it was available on NetGalley and I am so happy that I got approved for it. I am also very glad that I read These Violent Delights again before diving into the sequel because I realised that I had forgotten some key points in the story that could have led me to be either confused or super lost. I loved the fact that from gang violence and an almost explosive plot, this one dived deeper into the political aspects of things too. I know some people might not appreciate it but I truly did. I will say that the pace could have been better in setting things into play.

Also, there might be spoilers about. So if you haven’t read the first book, please, don’t read this review.

Let’s talk about characters. We left off with a great divide between Roma and Juliette and this book went deeper into exploring that divide and how it shaped them. I loved that Chloe Gong never sacrificed the core of any of the characters and we also got to see characters other than Roma and Juliette and their story. I will say that I am still not quite sure about Rosalind and what was going through her mind but everything else worked out so well. They were more fleshed out and I loved the glimpses we get into their dreams and desires. Roma was so well written, his upbringing making it absolutely necessary for him to be okay with violence but him never really wanting to hurt, never wanting to shoot first made this whole story more heartbreaking than it needed to be. Of course, this particular trait was a hindrance to him too which was also shown. Juliette and her need to be the one on top, to not seem weak in front of the Scarlet gang was so real at times but also I wanted to smack her too? It was great.

The good thing that Gong managed to do was escalate the stakes and introduce different players to the game. It heightened the tension and made things messier and I also got to read about the historical aspect of it. I googled some stuff because I was interested in how it all played out in real life and that made this book meatier, if that makes sense? More points of views meant that the scale of the plot got bigger and it made things more devastating in the best way possible. I will say that the pacing struggled a bit here and there but overall, I think this was a solidly paced book.

Now, we all know how Romeo and Juliet ended and how painful that could have been. So, yes, be prepared for the ending. I might have shed a tear or two near the end but nobody saw it so it didn’t happen. The ending is pretty realistic despite being so dramatic. Also, the last pov was heartbreaking to read and that’s all I will say on the matter.

Overall, I really loved the duology and can’t recommend it enough to people who have a fondness for Romeo and Juliet and who are interested in being told the same story through very different lenses. It was great to see the growth of the author as I read these two books. The plot expanded and became more explosive in the second book and the characters also got more space to breathe and to be seen. So, yes, this was a damn good read.