Really refreshing, new and unique take on a Shakespeare classic. If you love retellings and twisted endings, you'll love this!

I loved House of Gold, so I was excited to read Fair Rosaline. This was very different! Not bad, just different. I love a quirky re-telling, and this is an enjoyable read.

Very late review with this one but I had to make sure I have it the stars it was worth. Great book. I would definitely read more by the author.

Thank you NetGalley for approving me to read this. A very good read that had me hooked, once started I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend

I will preface this by stating Romeo & Juliet is one of my favourite plays, which is why I was so intrigued by the premise of this book. However, I was somewhat disappointed with how much Fair Rosaline strayed from the source material. With many characters so totally unrecognisable, Fair Rosaline reads more like fan fiction than anything of substance.

This was such a clever retelling, I really enjoyed the fresh take on the classic Shakespeare. Romeo is still a very dodgy guy in my eyes and this book just confirmed that.

I wanted to love everything about this book. The story and characters sounded compelling and a really interesting twist on a Shakespearean classic. I did enjoy it for the most part but it wasn’t as gripping as I’d hoped. There were a lot of points where I lost interest in the characters and plot but overall an interesting read.

I adored this book. It is such a good retelling of the original story, and seeing it from Rosaline's point of view adds so much depth and dimension. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone

I tried to read this quite a few times but unfortunately couldn't get through it despite it being exactly what I usually love!

I tried several times to get through this story and just found that I couldn't. I was mostly just annoyed by all the characters and felt like it was being dragged along by the hair.

It may just be I didn't like the writing style but it is rare for me to DNF a book.

A retelling of Romeo and Juliet told through the voice of Rosaline, Juliet's cousin, and a former lover of Romeo. I love the characterisation of Rosaline and the changes she accepts into her life in order to attempt to save the life of Juliet. Whilst the narrative stays close to the original it changes it in very interesting ways. We learn more about both the main characters and those who really only appear as grieving relatives in the original. I would love to read more abour those characters still with us at the end of this novel

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC.

I’m only basing 1 star review on the fact that I didn’t get chance to get into this and finish it due to various commitments.

I love the sound of the story it was trying to tell so I think it’ll be one I pick up in the future.

So I decided to read this because it’s sort of a retelling of Romeo & Juliet and I’m a sucker for these. It especially peaked my interest because it’s from Juliet’s cousin’s pov. And I really enjoyed it. Romeo was truly the worst and I hated him so much. The coercion and gaslighting and just conning young girls into believing they were special and then ruthlessly leaving destruction on his quest for a new victim.
Rosaline gave eldest daughter vibes trying to protect juliet and i loved seeing their relationship.
The narrator was so good at keeping me hooked even though it starts a little slow but i ended up listening to it late into the night.
I loved the ending and how it was a new beginning for them to heal and start fresh after everything they went through.

Brilliant!
I always thought Romeo was a bit of a Dandy and the tragedy of his and Juliet's 'love' story isn't played out to its fullest.

Reading this book, I knew it was fiction, but it really could have been Shakespeare's original plot.

A feisty, modern, feminine retelling of Romeo and Juliet, which really shows a darker, quite sinister side to the story we all know. Gosh what a nasty piece of work Romeo is! And what terrible norms existed back then regarding marrying off young girls in their early teens. This is almost a ‘Me Too’ version of the story, with a courageous Rosaline understanding the immorality of the situation and determining to protect her cousin. I gasped many a time throughout the book and willed good to triumph over evil. Definitely a great book to read alongside the original.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Bonnier Books for a copy in exchange for a review.

What a brilliant book retelling a classic love story. The author has the confidence and skill to take one of the most loved and referenced romances of all time- Romeo and Juliet- and rewrite it completely, taking apart what we've all taken for granted and replacing it with a modern fresh update. Loved every page.

I enjoyed previous books by this author but unfortunately this book was not for me. I didn't find the plot or the characters authentic.

I studied a lot of Shakespeare at university while I was completing my English degree and it’s safe to say that I hated Romeo and Juliet with a passion. I always thought it was a ridiculous romantic tragedy so, when I heard the concept of Fair Rosaline, I was sold. I thoroughly enjoyed this story, though the constant gaslighting filled me with anger. The novel is an ode to feminine rage, definitely proof that a woman scorned is not to be messed with. Romeo sucked, and Juliet sucked too. It was great to finally be able to read Rosaline’s perspective. I think Natasha Solomons has absolutely done her justice here - Rosaline was never the villain!

I’d definitely recommend this to people who enjoy reading twisted perspective versions of classics, and to people who just want to see vengeance enacted on sleazy boys.

Thank you to NetGalley and Natasha Solomons for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

An interesting take on a prequel to a classics this book looks at the story of Juliet’s sister giving you a different view of these 2 legendary characters. I found this book Intriguing and entertaining enough

📚 #NetGalley ARC review 📚

Title: Fair Rosaline
Author: Natasha Solomons
Release date: 31/07/23

Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnier Books UK for the chance to read this ARC ahead of its release.

So you think you know Romeo and Juliet? Think again!

I must confess - and apologise - that this review is so incredibly late. I read, and really enjoyed, Fair Rosaline way back in August...but it's been a difficult year, and that peaked in September. Writing anything was hard.

It's too late to join the summer hype train for this wonderful book, but I can show up now to add to the voices who say: read it if you enjoy Shakespeare but also like a feisty heroine and a clever twist on an old tale. I liked it so much that despite being given the e-version, I later bought my own hardback copy.

4/5 stars