Our Violent Ends

@ Chloe Gong: hey queen. girl you have done it again. constantly raising the bar for us all and doing it flawlessly. i’d say i’m surprised but I know who you are.
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words cannot even BEGIN to describe how much I love this book, these characters and the universe Chloe Gong has created within These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends. I was nervous, at first, about reading OVE, thinking perhaps my expectations were too high going into it but they FAR exceeded. Long story short, without heading into spoiler territory, if you enjoyed These Violent Delights, you’re going to LOVE Our Violent Ends.

Chloe Gong really created something so, so special in this duology and I’m going to miss this world and these characters more than anything *cue violin music.* No, but seriously, i’m heartbroken this story is over but so happy with how it was wrapped up.

Thankyou Chloe for this wonderful creation. And, of course, to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was by far the easiest 5 stars I’ve given to a book in 2021. This was AMAZING. Chloe gong’s writing was phenomenal and I think I could gush about the writing and the duology in general for hours and hours.

First of all, I decided to pick up these violent delights in 2020 on a whim. It was being promoted everywhere and people around me were giving it positive reviews and nothing less. So of course, curiosity got the best of me and I decided that I was going to read it for myself. I had NO regrets. It was phenomenal I do not have any other way to describe this book.

Juliette and Roma are characters that will stay and stick with me for a very long time, many years to come. In fact, I read our violent ends in one sitting, it being one of my remaining most anticipated books of 2021. I devoured this in a few hours.

First of all, Juliette and Roma are brilliant characters. I do not have any other way to describe them. Chloe is a genius for being able to convey such thorough emotions between the two, I usually don’t cry in books, but there was a different type of emotional longing between the two. It was beautifully written and if I could, I would want to re read this all over again and experience it first hand for the first time. I couldn’t give this anything below 5 stars. I loved Juliette and Roma, both their relationships with each other and those around them. Juliette is fierce, she’s determined and she knows exactly what she wants. I admire that in a character and Juliette was everything I loved and more. I can’t believe chloe managed to top book 1. I love romantic books mixed with mystery/fantasy and this duet gave me exactly what I wanted. Juliette will be a character I remember for a very long time I just love her that much.

Next, Roma. Where do I even begin. Oh Roma. He was brave and kind hearted and everything you’d want in a perfectly flawed hero. He knows exactly what he wants but he’s conflicted between right and wrong, love and loss. His character was written beautifully, i especially loved his relationship with Alisa his younger sister. Roma made me swoon. It’s rare that I get attached to male characters in books, so when I do I know he’s something special. Roma’s journey from book 1 to book 2 was amazing. He knew it wasn’t easy and was always stuck between the right thing and the wrong thing. But of course, as the story goes, you cannot fall out of love immediately, so his emotions and love for Juliette only got stronger in this book. Gong has a way with words. So much so, that while reading the conclusion to chloes book, it genuinely felt like Juliette and Roma were soulmates, and no matter how many others you’d force onto them it would never work.

Finally, Juliette and Roma are everything to me. I adored these characters and I loved the morally grey side of the others. The gang conflict between the Russians and the Chinese was very well done. The setting in Shanghai was phenomenal, so much so, that I began doing my own research of this world and the locations mentioned. Of course, while Roma and Juliette were the state of this duet, I cannot help but praise Chloe for her writing her side characters the way she did, because I got very heavily attached and now here I am. Marshall was amazing, Alisa was brilliant and Kathleen and Rosalind were amazingly written. Benedikt was beautifully written, flowed but with such a big story to tell, Marshall and Benedikts story brought tears to my eyes.

In the future, I will definitely be picking up chloe’s future books. I’m sad that Roma and Juliettes story has come to an end, but I do know chloe has many plans for her writing in the future, and I couldn’t be more excited. If I could give this more than 5 stars I would. But 5/5 , an amazing story and it’s been an honour going on it with Roma and Juliette and everyone else in this world.

Honestly adored this book and cannot believe that the series is done! The entire thing was a delightfully beautiful read, amazing characterisation and frankly the language just blew me away. I am a fast reader anyway but I think I've broken all of my reading records with this one - putting it down simply wasn't an option for me at all so reading it in (basically) a single sitting was my only choice.

I loved how the story developed beyond the ending of the first book, with the madness coming across in a whole different way but while These Violent Delights seemed to focus principally on the madness itself (and the very disgusting, descriptions of it) this definitely had more of a focus on the relationships, the characters and their contribution towards that ending.

That ending. Adored. With it being a R&J retelling, there's always going to be preconceptions about what was going to happen but it wasn't at all predictable or unrealistic and I truly adored every second. Books don't often leave me breathless and wordless but this one definitely did. I'll be posting a more in detail review on my blog in the coming weeks once I've had the chance to fully digest everything (and potentially reread it, immediately!)

How can I describe this book by anything other than pure perfection . Right from the beginning till the very end, everything about this book was worth every second I have spend on reading this book .
Chloe is one of my favorite authors and she proved why right in this book .

The way the story picked up pace and beautifully connected to the first one making you feel like you are reading one book and not two books , few months apart.

We saw all the character develop to a level where they were their brilliant perfect versions , Roma who in the first book was refusing to get his hands dirty in the fued became a dominant personality here due to the betrayal which made his character so much more enjoyable , juliette my perfect juliette who was now in conflict of protecting her love while also being the perfect heir just stole the show as always , we see the side character Ben, Marshall katheleen , rosalind and alisa so much more in their book .
While writing a fantasy book like this chloe also maintained the historical accuracy , so that if you remove Roma , juliette and the monster from the book it would stay the perfect piece of history
The ending just broke me and my heart into a million little pieces and I'll thank chloe for that always.

All in all this book was a masterpiece, should be read my everyone.

Trigger warnings : blood , gun and knife violence , insects, death , murder ,

This is a non-spoiler review.

I wanted to start my review by saying that any rating less than five stars would not suffice for this book. It was amazing. I’m going to try not to keyboard smash my way through this review of Our Violent Ends because this book has rendered me speechless to the point where I don’t have enough coherent words to write this review, but I am certainly going to try.

Miss Chloe Gong is a phenomenal writer with such a way with words. She took a classic and warped it (in a very good way) to an enthralling duology that was completely original, raw and unique. Intriguing plot? Check. Exceptional character growth? Check. The worldbuilding of 1920s Shanghai? Beautiful. Romance? Epic (and dangerously so.) Plot twists? Oh, they’re there all right. An overall marvellous book? Yes!

The These Violent Delights duology has lodged its way into my heart, and their characters are so beloved. It would be impossible not to love them. And hey! For those familiar with the original text of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, there are a few easter eggs here (and even in the first book.) ( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛) I can’t wait to see what else this woman has up her sleeve because you can bet I’ll read them all.

If you’re still here after reading this review and have not picked up These Violent Delights yet, run along now and read this book before the sequel drops this November 2021! It is definitely one that is not to be missed.

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

Personal Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 Stars

Trigger Warnings: mentions and descriptions of blood, violence, gore, character deaths, explicit description of gouging self, murder, weapon use, insects, abuse.

Book Statistics:
Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Year of Publication: 2021
Pages: 494

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me an ARC of 'Our Violent Ends' in exchange for an honest review.


Firstly, I would like to say that 'Our Violent Ends' is one of the best books I have read all year.

I loved 'These Violent Delights' so much when I read it in January and I immediately craved for the second book.

The characters in this book always spoke to me in a different way and I got attached pretty easily from their first lines.

Now, with Our Violent Ends, that love skyrocketed to an extreme level.

This book made me smile, laugh, cry and just ache for more.

The way the plot was crafted to fit this story perfectly made me grasp every time new information was presented to everyone involved: the characters and the reader.

The pacing was perfect and the way Gong writes, provided from me, my attention to the book in every paragraph, page, word.

Juliette Cai is with certainty, one of my favorite female characters of all time, I adore Roma with my whole heart and the entire cast got me "hooked" in a level where other fictional characters never could.

I considered myself a fan of Gong's from the moment I finished 'These Violent Delights' but the admiration and respect this story "brought" out of me for Chloe, is recognizable to say the least, from the way I rave and talk about this beautifully dark and mysterious story to everyone around me.

I could talk about this masterpiece of a book for hours but I wanted to keep this short and appear collected when it comes to my review but for now this is all I have to say.

Thank you again to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this beauty of a book and thank you to Miss Chloe Gong for writing such a beautiful story with such amazing, real characters.

To love is to dare. If we are brave enough to love, it can make a difference.

My rating:5 stars
Did I like it: Absolutely!
Do I recommend it: Hell yeah!

Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution and the blood feud is even deadlier than before. Juliette Cai has to choose between loyalty, love and logic to save her city and those she loves.

Roma Montagov has gone dark after tasting the sweet sour taste of betrayal. The only thing that drives him is now spite and the goal of extracting his revenge from the heir of the Scarlett gang.

Benedikt Montagov is a shell of who he used to be. After the events of these violent delights, its as if he's lost himself. Benedikt Montagov only wants vengeance.

Kathleen Lang, has always lived in the shadows. Maybe she'll come out of it as a hero. Maybe she won't come out of it at all.

Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution and our characters either march along with it or get lost in the war.

Chloe Gong presents an even stronger sequel to what was a very strong debut. The author has matured in her writing style and has corrected her mistakes from the previous books.

Our characters, are truly morally gray. Whatever they do, they do it for themselves. Roma is willing to fight a war for love while Benedikt is ready to wage one. Juliette allows her lover to hate her to protect her position as the heir to the Scarlett gang. I am in love with each and every member of the cast.

Admitting, I wasn't a big Roma×Juliette fan in book 1, for me it was one Miss Katherine Lang and Mr Benedikt Montagov who stole the show and they keep their strong domineering presence in this book as well but Roma and Juliette steal the show with their intelligence and strong development.

Juliette is the best protagonist I have read in a long time and I absolutely love her.

Moving on, the writing style, I have no words. Chloe Gong is a literary genius, her smooth writing style, the way her words sing and the beauty of her prose is unparalleled. This book was not made with failure as an option.

Now let's talk about the pacing, the first book in the series had an issue with pacing, going slow at times whilst moving uncharacteristically fast at times. But Our Violent Ends doesn't repeat it. This is a fast paced novel with tricks and twists hiding in every page. The pacing is perfect and the author has maintained her grip on it throughout the book.

Next up, the plotwists, finally I've found a book with plotwists that don't feel unnatural. There's a beautiful amount of foreshadowing in the chapters before the plotwists hit and it still left me reeling.

And the authors capability to capture human emotions in her words is something I've never seen before. Our violent ends is brimming with angst, joy, sadness and grief. This is everything I've wanted and so much more.

Chloe gong truly delivers on my expectations.

This book is filled with betrayal, heartbreak and angst, I devoured it in 1 day and I suppose everyone else will too.
Also I will wrap Benedikt in a blanket and protect him from every evil in this world.

I also loved the utilization of the actual Romeo Juliette story and the changes the author has made rendering this a true retelling. Original, captivating and heartbreaking.


Best release of 2021. This is the book that deserves all the goodness in the world.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.

Recovering from the events of These Violent Delights, Shanghai is at war once more. The rival gangs of the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers are locked in a fight to the death, with the blood feud even stronger than ever. Roma Montagov, the heir of the White Flowers, wants revenge for the death of his friend, and his hatred for Juliette Cai, heir of the Scarlet Gang, outweighs his love for her. But it's not just the gangs that have power in the city, the Nationalists and Communists are at loggerheads, there's a blackmailer which access to the remaining monsters, and a powder keg ready to explode. Will Juliette be able to win Roma back, proving Marshall is still alive, and that all she wants is to help the people of her city - she doesn't care for the feud. Or are the star-crossed lovers too far apart to find happiness, and what will the consequences of their love be for the people of Shanghai?

I am in utter awe at this book! I was late to the party when it came to These Violent Delights, but enjoyed it, and when I was approved for the sequel the other night, I sped through the book I was reading, and immediately started Our Violent Ends, even though I should've read other books with more pressing deadlines. In this book, the fight and suspense is even greater, as are the consequences of the actions of our heroes. The love between our star-crossed couple, Roma and Juliette, has been dimmed slightly by the actions Juliette had to take at the end of book 1 to prove her loyalty to her people, but it's no less heartbreaking for them to see each other. When they are forced to work together, by their fathers no less, it's reopens old wounds, and the pain and longing between them was tangible. But this time, they aren't just up against their family - though Tyler does stick his nose in where it doesn't belong. The safety of their people and the city of Shanghai is at stake, and it seems like these two, along with their friends, may just be the only people with their heads screwed on right to help everyone. The city is rife with corruption, and revolution is on the horizon. I adored seeing the growth in our main characters, and the way they found their way back to each other. Every page of the book was full of emotion and I didn't know how much I could take as I rushed through the last few chapters. Would they have a happy ending, or are they fated to repeat the ending of the source material? Well, I don't want to spoil anything, but I loved it all, and couldn't have asked for more. I hope that Chloe's new series focuses on some of the characters we see in the epilogue here, and I'll be very impatiently waiting for it!

this book… is everything to me… i can’t even explain. i laughed, i cried, i squealed, i gasped. ive never had a book make me sob crying while it wasnt even a sad chapter but there’s a first time for everything!

firstly… everything i loved about chloe’s writing style and the shanghai she created in these violent delights immediately transferred over into our violent ends. i constantly felt like i was in shanghai with them, because i was able to picture the world so perfectly and almost feel the tension alongside the characters. chloe has such a beautiful and mesmerising way with words that it’s incredibly hard to believe she’s the same age as me.

secondly. oh my god. the pretentious high school english student slash theatre kid is back. the way this is written is beyond phenomenal. i know romeo and juliet front to back, sidewards and inside out because im a little freak but i could never, NEVER, tell where this was going. chloe sticks to the core story and themes of r+j but the way she made it her own while sneaking little twists and turns in is truly incredible.

im running out of synonyms to explain how much i loved this btw can you tell?

lastly, just props to ms gong for catching me off guard not once, not twice but THREE TIMES. truly embarrassing. i was so invested in romajuliette being losers that things snuck up on me. the first reveal snuck up on me so hard i had to put my ipad down for an hour and just contemplate life.

thank you to netgalley and hodder & stoughton publishers who provided me this arc, i owe you my life

Once again we a transported back in time to the 1920s in Shanghai...

Juliette and Roma had thought all was done and they had saved their precious city. BUT they were wrong! Once again they have to work together. However, this time will be different. The previous year resulted in causalities and betrayal... There won't be the cooperation and it won't easy like last time. One is out for vengeance, the other is protecting them by ensuring the hatred remains for their own safety.

I recently read the first book and was overjoyed when I was accepted to read this book now! This book does NOT disappoint and Gong is really pulling at those heart strings! The writing and character development in this duology has been brilliant! Even the side characters like Rosalind and Kathleen have grown and change with the ever changing tides within the city they are living in.

The ending of this book left me in tears for two reasons. 1. because it is over and I don't know what I'm going to do.2. because it was such a beautiful book and the way it ends was just too much.

I loved the way Gong plays with dialogue from Romeo and Juliet into her books, I think this has been so clever and given the original story an extra something.

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.

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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!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for approving me of an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Our Violent Ends is one of my (if not the most) anticipated books of 2021 ever since I first read These Violent Delights last year, so I'm so grateful for the opportunity of reading this book early.

Chloe's writing in Our Violent Ends is phenomenal, and all my expectations of this book were met, so I really couldn't ask for more. One thing I have always loved about this series was how Chloe created such an interesting cast of characters and the way the dynamic between each of these characters were written. Our Violent Ends just strengthen that love I have, and I love that we get to see more of these characters' back stories and understand them better in the sequel.

The romance you ask? The romance is absolutely devastating and beautiful and I'm still reeling even after finishing this book last night. Roma and Juliette are some of my favorite characters of all time, and their story in this one is definitely one for the books. I loved how their story intertwined with each other and how strong their love is to one another, but at the same time still remains true to their characters. The angst? Legendary. Miss Chloe Gong if you're reading this you're paying for my therapy for absolutely destroying me with the romajuliette diaries (just kidding I love you thank you for writing these characters etched to my heart already)

The pacing of the plot was perfect, and Our Violent Ends take this story to a whole new level. I also really appreciate how historically accurate the book is just like in TVD and I appreciate the commentaries on colonialism and privilege that she wrote in this one.

This book, at the heart of it is an epic love story, not only because of Roma and Juliette but because of all the characters and elements involved in the story. Our Violent Ends is definitely a wonderful ending to a wonderful duology and I definitely feel like we got the closure we needed after finishing this. I really could not wait for November to come so I could gush more about this book to everyone. To Chloe, thank you for creating this wonderful world and these wonderful set of characters.

p.s thank you for the marshall juliette bestie agenda<33 my life is complete now

The long-anticipated sequel to Gong's debut novel 'These Violent Delights', 'Our Violent Ends' picks up in the middle of a crossroads in Shanghai - the blood feud has only gotten worse amidst high political tensions. Juliette Cai, heir to the Scarlett gang, is living a double life - lying to everyone, including Roma himself, about the exact events that had occurred at the conclusion of the previous novel.

Initially, I was fearful that OVE would simply be a repeat of its predecessor due to its (genius) cyclical structure. My fears were completely misguided: this novel is the perfect sequel. Gong's stunning characterisation, with each character being fully developed with their own quirks, interests and love interests, is combined with a fast-paced plot, full of twists so complex and well-developed that it leaves your head spinning. This book was simply a masterclass in writing - every scene felt as though you were watching it happen in front of your very eyes. I felt as though each character was someone in my own life, someone who was stood in a room with me yet someone I knew everything about.

Chloe Gong, readers, has written one of the best Young Adult Novels of the decade. In some ways, it calls back to the various series that shaped Young Adult fiction for me - the combination of high-stake rivalries with recognisable political tensions. Run to bookstores on 16th November 2021, because I promise you in ten years time you're going to be able to want to say you were there way back when she published her second Novel.

I have so many questions to ask Chloe, but I will leave with this. As a half Chinese 18 year old with family in Shanghai (and one who dabbled in writing), this series is one that will forever be close to my heart. Thank you for giving me places and faces that I recognise :)

As always, a huge thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for this unbiased review.

Where to start… this book was like poetry, i felt like i was reading Shakespeare. The writing was absolutely beautiful it was art, pure art.
The development of the characters was perfect, everything was meant to be and it felt right and true to the first book.
To be honest I felt like I was reading a classic, everything so into place and very rhythmical. The deterioration of power coincided with the rising of love, because what is more powerful than love itself. Chloe Gong is a genius I think we could truly study her book at uni.
The plot was breathtaking, the quotes in here are worthy of the most famous classic of all time. I think I fell in love, this book makes you fall in love with love itself because it represents hope and hope springs eternal right ?

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong is an adrenaline-fuelled story to the continuation of These Violent Delights. I am so thrilled to be back to 1927 Shanghai where gangsters rule the city, chaos that ensues by the insect infested monsters and an inevitable war to seize power over the city. This book feautures one of my most favourite enemies to lovers couple, Roma Montagova and Juliette Cai and they're just so adorably cute but in a murder-y way.

I was absolutely over the roof when immediately upon requesting this book on Netgalley UK, I was instantly approved and it was out of the question to start reading imminently. Even by the first sentence, I was hooked and completely immersed, eager to find out what will happen to the characters and will they survive whatever might befall them.

This book is so action packed to the brim that there wasn't even a single word at all that made me bored. I was so invested with this story of Roma and Juliette, hoping for the best of both of them as they defy against the odds in the name of love. I just really love both of them so much and they deserve the world instead of constantly being tumbled down by the city and their allegiance to their gangs that are taking a toll on them.

I was completely scared as I was approaching the climax-the end. Because we all know how Romeo and Juliet ends but I refuse to be drowned by my fear as what I was hoping for came true after all. For that, I thank you so much Chloe Gong for not wrenching my heart to a million pieces.

After I finished reading this book, I feel empty yet whole inside. This book was so worth waiting for and everything is absolutely just phenomenal. I'm so happy that I got to read 3 months before the book is due to come out. This book is very painful at times but this is the kind of book that you can feel both happy and in pain at the same time. I absolutely recommend you to read this amazing and lovely book once it comes out November 16! If you haven't picked up this series please do so and do now linger and wait to read Our Violent Ends because believe me, you totally need this book and series in your life!

Chole Gong has the raw talent of captivating her readers and destroying them in every possible way (Ms Gong, fuck you for that ending). She creates a wonderful cast of diverse characters from scratch and adds redeeming personality traits that make you instantly root for them. The plot was fast-paced, humorous in the right places (I laughed during multiple occasions and read extracts out loud to my younger sister who asked me if we could keep Juliette) and, at times, made me question everyone's sanity (including mine of course).

This whole duology has been an amazing ride and I'm grateful to be part of this fandom and witness this phenomenal writer's way with words.

THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS SUPREMACY <3

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.

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.

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.

This is…. A masterpiece??

Miss Chloe has a way with words that rips your heart right out of your chest, throws it against the wall and then scrapes the remains together and places it back in your chest with just a dash of hope left over.

This book and duology is my favourite of the year, without a shadow of a doubt. It’s slick and gut wrenching and heart breaking and sumptuous.

Thanks Chloe, for the beauty that is this book and these characters. I will carry them with me for always.

Telling you that I absolutely love These Violent Delights means I don't have words to left to express how much I loved Our Violent Ends. I finished Our Violent Ends few days ago, and I feel like I could write 30 pages long thesis about this duology, yet at the same time I have no words. Anyway, I will do my best to describe my feelings.

After finishing the duology I can safely say that I consider Chloe Gong to be a writer-genius. Her storytelling captivates me, makes me hold my breath, makes my heart ache and my soul full of joy at the same time. Honestly, since I finished the book, I don't know what to do with my life. I have an urge to shout from the rooftops, turn around and scream, laugh enough to woke all my neighbors. I honestly can't wait for everyone to read this masterpiece, so I have someone to talk to and get it all out. Reading a book this great early is a blessing and a curse at the same time because I need to keep my mouth shut when in fact I want to talk about Our Violent Ends 24/7. The most perfect storm is raging inside my heart now.

Juliette, Roma, Benedict, Marshall and more grew into my heart. There they took root, and I am never going to let them go. Juliette is such a great protagonist. I love the fact that she is the baddest B out there. She is not afraid to act. She does not hesitate to make touch decisions. I love her strength and resolve. She follows her heart to do what was is best for her people and for her city. Overall, she is a girl who would do anything to save the people she loves. She cares more for Roma, his sister, her cousins and the friends she made along the way, than the blood feud and being a gang leader. ​I absolutely root for that.

Benedict and Marshall, aka. Benshall have been engraved into my heart as well. Yeah, Chloe Gong writes the best couples.

Roma and Juliette's relationship takes the whole enemies-to-lovers trope to the next level. I love their dynamics. Their bickering is to die for. They are a couple which makes you to be on the edge of your seat the whole book and desperately hope for a happy ending. No, I'm not going to tell you if they get it. I can just say that it is a retelling after all and that the ending was absolutely perfect. Ominous and confusing, I know. I don't want to spoiler anyone, and I think it's the best to go into this hell of a ride totally unprepared. And you are not prepared for what's coming. Trust me on that.

The second book has it all. There is pain, there is anger, yet there is also longing and hope. Since the very beginning, the blood has been shed, betrayal has cut deep and sides have been chosen. Our lovebirds seem to be finished with each other, no longer wearing their hearts on their sleeves, yet they are not allowed to escape each other and quit playing the game. Their masks are back in place as a new threat torments both Scarlet gang and White flowers, and ultimately the whole Shanghai. There is not a single moment for them to take it easy and rest. Stakes are high. Revolution is coming. Chaos is unleashed and Roma with Juliette are in the center of it. There is a lot of tension and heartache between them because of what Juliette did in TVD.

Roma. Oh, my sweet boy. He definitely grew some claws here. Due to the previous events, he became much darker. He seems cold on the outside, but there is an invisible storm raging inside him, which occasionally shows throughout the book. He just can't figure Juliette out. Her actions seem so conflicting for him. In sum, nothing adds up. Roma questions everything he knew about Juliette, or at least thought he knew about a girl he loved and worked with, and that truly haunts him. He is devastated by the previous events and the current situation. Juliette and Roma are on the opposite sides again, and Roma knows Juliette has to be eliminated. But for him, that’s easier said than done, as his feelings are not completely gone yet. Overall, conflicted - ruthless and kind - Roma is my favorite thing.

These two are an enemies-to-lovers couple that are... mad for each other. Importantly, they are also deeply rooted into me. I feel like they own my soul, and I don't mind. I'll never ever let them go.

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that if someone loved These Violent Delights, they are going to devour Our Violent Ends with a bated breath. While reading, I laughed, I cried, I almost forgot to breathe. Our Violent Ends and Roma and Juliette's circling of one another kept me on my toes. It is perfect. It is tense. It is everything I could wish for and more. It's everything I ever wanted ❤️❤️❤️. I don't know what to do with my life now when the duology is over 😭.


Thank you Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! You made my year!

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!

"Father, I crave violence"

Author: @thechloegong
Genre: Historical & Fantasy Fiction 💖

Thank you @netgalley for the arc copy, i don't know how i would've survived waiting till november. I didn't know how net galley worked but with my amazing friend, I built up my profile for 2-3?? days and then requested our violent ends. they know many books i read in those days 😭😭

I think you all know how much I loved These Violent Delights. I loved the setting, the characters,the romance, everything. I didn't think that the sequel would surpass that love. OH BUT IT DID! Gong hit it out of the park with this explosive sequel! ❤❤

As the city decended into chaos once again, this time, the stakes were much higher.
The romance was mind blowing and the plot will never make you feel even a little bit bored. Some shit was going down in every chapter and I was here for it 👀 The characters development bro- 🤌🏼🤌🏼

Chloe Gong SNAPPED with this book! TVD eas already a masterpiece and to outdo it? it's truly remarkable 🙌

At the end of this book, I was left well, broken. I cried an embarrassing amount of time in the duration of the book and the end.Then scream about the "how, why, PLEASE GOD WHY" to my friends who also got the arc. 😭😭 @thechloegong I'm sending you my therapy bills and the bill for the empty box of tissues that my mum threw at my head for being a weirdo. 😀

If you have not read tvd, i suggest you go now or else I'm coming over to beat you up. I'm kidding... unless? no, im kidding... un- 😳
pre-order our violent ends coming out in november besties<333

"So, we incite chaos."

WOW.
Chloe Gong has done it again; she never ceases to amaze me. Her writing style is just immaculate and I never once felt bored throughout the book. Our Violent Ends is a great sequel and I couldn't have asked for a better way for the duology to end. The angst in the first half of the book, *chefskiss*. My heart will forever ache for Roma and Juliette.
I do wish Benedikt and Marshall's relationship was explored a little more in depth.

Our Violent Ends is a raw and powerful retelling of a classic and, in my opinion, you MUST read this duology at least once in your life. Chloe Gong has created a special place in my heart for her books after this duology, so you can bet I will read anything and everything by her.

a HUGE thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending an eARC via NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

This is the perfect follow- up to an already perfect story, dropping us back in where the first book left us. Although a retelling, the twists and reveals in this book did nothing but catch me by surprise again and again, to the point where I had to set my kindle aside and just process the reveals I was reading. Her writing is phenomenal once again, the character development just so fun to read and the angst... No one is doing enemies to lovers, mutual "unrequited" love and blood feuds quite like Chloe Gong is. I literally lost track of how many times I cried in the week I read this, just moved by the story she handed us on a silver platter.

I was incredibly fortunate to receive this book in return for a honest review.

Our Violent Ends really set itself apart from other Romeo and Juliet retellings and hooked me from the first page. Gong included elements of the play that we all know and love while crafting a new story that kept the reader on their toes for the entire novel. Additionally, it also improved upon the first in the series, which, while being an incredibly enjoyable read did have a slower start than its sequel. This novel certainly did not have this problem and had an expert control over its pace. There was an incredible balance of plot, conflict and a development of such loveable characters. The tension remains at a constantly high pace while rewarding its reader with not one but two engaging romances. It is inclusive, has rich world building and maintains its well thought out plot.

The author has become an instant buy for me from now on with a use of well loved tropes and excellent characters. I can not wait to see what is next for Gong - I will be preordering this book when it is released and all releases after this one.

This book was incredible in so many ways. It may be the most stressful book I have ever read, but in the best way possible - I simultaneously could not pry my eyes away from the page and could not read any further for fear of what would come next. From the very first chapter I was completely hooked, the writing is so immersive I felt as though I was along side Roma and Juliette in Shanghai, feeling their pain, their happiness, their worries. The balance between plot and character development is so well done, and only made my love for the characters grow exponentially, I am completely certain that they will live in my heart for much longer. The POV switches give the reader such great understanding of each side, and are done so seamlessly throughout the book, creating the perfect emotional rollercoaster.

The ending of this book tore my heart in two and changed the trajectory of my life forever, and Chloe Gong managed to do it so perfectly I can't even complain.

Our Violent Ends exceeded my every expectation; it is a truly phenomenal sequel and a brought a beautiful end to this duology. I was so deeply invested in this story and its characters, I was holding my breath anytime something went wrong, I cried, I laughed, I screamed, overall I loved it - I cannot see another book making me quite as emotive as this did.

"Because five years ago, juliette was the one tracking these all over the house."
"She had to stop growing so fond of White Flowers. It would be the death of her."
I SOMEHOW LANDED MYSELF AN ARC OF OVE AND I AM SOBBING AND DYING AAAAAH
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Firstly thank you to netgalley and hodder and stoughton for giving me an arc! all the opinions in this review are my own.
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CW: blood, violence, gore, character deaths, explicit description of gouging self (not of their own volition), murder, weapon use, insects, alcohol consumption, parental abuse
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5 FREAKING STARS OBVIOUSLY AND MY WHOLE HEART AS WELL TO OVE.
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OKAY NOW WHERE DO I START- OVE ENDED ME IN THE BEST AND WORST WAY EVER AND I MEAN IT WHEN I SAY THAT I SHALL NEVER RECOVER. THIS BOOK HAD EVERYTHING FROM ROMANCE, POLITICAL INTRIGUE, ROMA-JULIETTE *sob*, BENSHALL *sobs*, ALISA MY QUEEN, SO MUCH BLOODSHED, EPIC CHARACTER ARCS AND MINDBLOWING PLOT TWISTS. now where do i start sigh, *trying to form coherent words* asdfghjklzxcvbn
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deep breaths, here we go
OVE is a lot romance heavy when compared to its predecessor, and rightfully so, the spotlight on the couples did not overpower any part of the plot at point of the book. Chloe gong is a master at storytelling, and the action and intrigue clubbed with our benshall, roma-juliette soft moments and alisa and kathleen being absolute queens makes this book the BEST successor to the masterpiece that was these violent delights.
PLOT: the plot almost felt like an extension of tvd, which was absolutely amazing. so much happening and never a dull moment throughout the story. the multiple povs throughout made the story so much cinematic (istg miss chloe with her descriptions SLAY ME) and multidimensional. one of my absolute favourite parts of the plot was how all the side characters got so much screentime and was given almost equal importance as our protagonists. finally, the entire journey from 1926 shanghai to 1927 shanghai was so well developed and thrilling, along with so many plot twists along the way. i am not gonna lie i called majority of them in ove but that might just be my skills, I really do think they were pretty solid plot points which played a major part in deciding the course of the story.
ROMANCE: i think i speak for everyone when i say that we are *thriving* for more roma juliette and benshall content after tvd, and we just want our babies to be fine and happy and be soft TOGETHER. so im pleased to announce that ove delivered this in spades. SO MUCH CONTENT I CRY-
CHARACTERS: While tvd was mostly about Roma being soft and angsty about juliette, ove follows our badass queen being oh-so-soft and loving. the complete character arc of juliette cai from being stabby and emotionless to the end of ove will have you crying your heart out of love and so much pain. Roma was as usual the sweetest boy, ready to sacrifice everything for juliette but he also learned how to accept himself as who he is and not think he is any less that dmitri or the other white flowers. Benedikt gives me pain, he went through so much and like a freaking king, you cant help but be proud of ben and want to give him the biggest hug. MARSHALL MY MAN WILL WIN YOUR HEART IN OVE. HE IS EVERYTHING. PERIOD. ALISA AND KATHLEEN WENT THROUGH SO MUCH AS Roma's sister and Juliette's cousin respectively, but the growth we see in both of them as individual strong women is massive and so well done. the other characters also played equally important roles and were portrayed so well.
FRIENDSHIPS: I needed to do a separate part to mention the absolute best found family and friendships we get to see in ove. I KID YOU NOT when i say this but all our babies are so wholesome together and you will want so much more.
ENDING: we dont talk about that. period.
without spoiling anything, i will say that the ending is bittersweet to say the least (kashvi's roma juliette fanfic is the the only thing keeping me alive now-) and it is absolutely foolish of you if you think that things are not gonna be pain especially for a book named *OUR VIOLENT ENDS*
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finally, ove was an emotional rollercoaster from the start to the end and even though it was sheer pain and i have no tears left now but i shall keep rereading and sobbing to help mY tvd heart thrive. THIS IS THE BEST SEQUEL AND FOR SURE ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF 2021 AND PROBABLY OF ALL TIME. chloe's growth in writing was so evident in this book and i am so grateful that this exist. CHLOE GONG IS THE QUEEN AND OVE IS A FREAKING MASTERPIECE. PERIOD.
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quick advice: go in prepared and have an emotional support group ready to scream after things go down. @paperplanes_plottwists on ig, hit me up to scream <3
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(pardon typos, my emotions about ove and all over the place)
rep: ownvoices Chinese protagonist and characters, Chinese trans girl main character, gay main character, Korean main character

‘I still love you so much that I hate you for it.’

Ever read a book you didn’t like at first? Struggling to get through and in the end longing for the sequel? And then loving the sequel tremendously?

In These Violent Delights, I found the pacing too slow, and the writing too lyrical for an action-packed book, but I simply devoured the pages of Our Violent Ends. It was so much easier readable then its prequel, and I was immediately engaged to this story and couldn’t let go. There was such a thin line between love and hate throughout the book, and I constantly sat on the edge of my seat. I adored Roma and Juliette, and rooted for them to finally be able to love each other, instead of continuously wanting to kill another. Although I cared for them so much, Kathleen stole the show, taking more and more charge of her own life, being who she wanted to be, becoming such a powerful girl! And last but not least, those two cute cinnamon rolls I have a soft spot for. One of them being in so much pain, the other one protecting the other as much as he could. I loved the missing, the aching, the longing and I wanted to know desperately if they’d finally kiss. Small spoiler alert: YES, they did 🥰!!!

Thanks so much Chloe Gong for drawing me into this series while at a certain point, I almost DNF’d These Violent Delights. So glad I didn’t though!

wow. WOW. okay. i’m pretty sure i am in shock right now after /that/ ending so this review maybe be absolutely all over the place but, oh my god, did i love this book. i personally struggled a bit with the first book and this book felt a lot more put together, maybe because the various layers of plot had been given the time to develop in the first book. as ever, chole gong’s writing style is phenomenal, and the combination of the scarlet gang and white flowers, the monsters and the communist and nationalist revolutions made for a complex and genuinely interesting plot, regardless of what the characters added to it. that being said, the characters in this book were incredible and messy and loveable, getting to see everyone deciding what their “destiny” was was so satisfying and so much better than anyone becoming a puppet of the revolution. i loved both rosalind and kathleen’s plots, seeing them decide what family, love and loyalty means to them was a wild and wonderful ride. i’m very happy with the path ben and mars took, but i was even more obsessed with roma and juliette’s relationship. there were some simply amazing moments with them in all different aspects (which i CANNOT wait to gush about when everyone has read ove), they have to be one of my most favourite book couples just from how perfectly they’re written here. this is a book full of love, hate and so, so many surprise twists that i could never guess - it’s a masterpiece.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
• “It was this city, divided by names and colours and turfs, but all bleeding the exact same shade of violence”
• “Lovers turned to strangers, and it cut deep enough to bleed”
• “These violent delights have violent ends”
• “And what was love when all it did was kill?”
• “Nothing in this world is complicated, just misunderstood”
• “It is love that will survive after everything else has perished”

Wow. Even waiting a few hours after reading this, I’m still shocked by the ending.
This sequel was everything I was anticipating and more. There was so so much happening and I loved it! I was a little late to read TVE - I read it only 3 months ago!! I thoroughly enjoyed diving back into Roma and Juliette’s world. ☺️
The pace of the book was perfect, equally fast but slow when it needed to be. I really liked the multiple POV’s from each main character and I really liked Alisa’s take on the plot too :) Each character was so carefully constructed and I loved the intensity of each one too.
There were so so many plot twists I did not see coming at all which made me more excited to continue reading! This is such a good duology and it had the perfect ending too (even if it is shocking!) It was the perfect way to say goodbye to the characters and now I’m super excited to see everyone else read it too!!
Juliette, the one and only, was amazing - I loved her growth throughout the book too and how she grew up too, wanting to trill defend her city and fight for love. Roma, the king, was also amazing!! I loved reading his POV so so much and seeing him also fight for what he believed in too.
Ahhhh Ben and Marshall - BEAUTIFUL! I love their scenes and their ending was also perfect (I’m trying so hard not to spoil anything here)

I only have a few minor cons and these are probably only because I read it as an e-book. The chapter lengths were quite long, which I’m not a huge fan of… I did however, like how they were separated slightly by the multiple third person POVs throughout each chapter. I’m also annoyed to say but I really disliked reading it on my phone - I’m very grateful to have been accepted to read this arc but it just took some of the joy of reading the book on such a small screen. I can’t wait to read it in a physical copy ahh 😆😆

I will end my review here for fear of giving anything awayyyy
It is sad to say goodbye to these amazing characters but this book is 100% the way to do it 😌
THANK YOU MISS CHLOE FOR THESE OUTSTANDING BOOKS I am incredibly excited for more of your books :) 🤍

“What’s a little light stabbing between lovers?”

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The year is 1927, and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution. After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. One wrong move, and her cousin will step in to usurp her place as the Scarlet Gang’s heir. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of the Scarlets is to have him want her dead for murdering his best friend in cold blood. If Juliette were actually guilty of the crime Roma believes she committed, his rejection might sting less. Roma is still reeling from Marshall’s death, and his cousin Benedikt will barely speak to him. Roma knows it’s his fault for letting the ruthless Juliette back into his life, and he’s determined to set things right—even if that means killing the girl he hates and loves with equal measure. Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and though secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma’s cooperation if they are to end this threat once and for all. Shanghai is already at a boiling point: The Nationalists are marching in, whispers of civil war brew louder every day, and gangster rule faces complete annihilation. Roma and Juliette must put aside their differences to combat monsters and politics, but they aren’t prepared for the biggest threat of all: protecting their hearts from each other.

Juliette, as always, is QUEEN. Still unapologetically herself, she fights tooth and nail to keep her place and title in the Scarlet Gang, whilst balancing the heartache of pushing her love away in such a brutal way, accepting his hatred with a heavy heart. I loved getting to see the sassy Juliette we know and love, but this story really brought out more of her vulnerability and really added to her character. She loves her family, loves her people, but would gladly turn against them for the greater good. Juliette is certainly put through her paces in OVE.
Roma is on the warpath, desperate to enact revenge on Juliette for murdering one of his own. But his head and his heart are in permanent conflict that has him second guessing himself. He had a rough edge to his character but there was always a hesitancy in joining in with the harsher moments. Well, that hesitancy is gone! There’s this roguish, tough edge to Roma now and it’s refreshing to see him in such a way. There are moments of the softer Roma too - I’ll admit, he was melting my heart - that just gripped me.

I really loved that we got to see more of Rosalind and Kathleen on the Scarlets side, and more of Alisa, Benedikt and Marshall on the White Flowers side as well. I felt like we saw mainly glimpses of them before but this time around, we really got to look into their heads, see how they tackled the trepidatious events that popped up.

My biggest thought after finishing OVE is this: HOLY CRAP. I laughed. I cried. I sobbed. I went on a rollercoaster of emotion and I loved every bloody second of it. Numerous times the rug was pulled out from under me - even when I had an inkling that something was going on, I’d find myself utterly shocked at each revelation as it unfolded. The violence in this book, perfection. The grief and anguish and fear? Brilliant. The romance? MY HEART IS A PUDDLE OF GOO AND I’M LIVING FOR IT. The ending got me too. I found myself just utterly overwhelmed in the very best way. I didn’t want it to end, I wanted there to be more and more to see, more and more to delve into.

There’s no words that can adequately describe this story but here’s one that’ll do: masterpiece.

Overall, Our Violent Ends is another FANTASTIC book from Chloe Gong that just has me desperate to read more!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on 15/11

In Our Violent Ends, we follow the story of Juliette and Roma, two heirs of rival mafia families. I don't want to spoil the ending of the first book, but if you know how the ending of the first book went, this book picks up from the last mystery we get from the first book. However, in this book, unlike the first book, Roma and Juliette were tasked to work together and basically find out why the monsters came out.

Let's break it down into parts because at least I get to organize my thoughts hahah!

I reread the first book and continued my reading with this book, courtesy of Netgalley UK (thanks heaps, my man Netgalley) because I feel like I need to distinguish the difference between the first book's writing/plot/everything about it, and the second book.

World-building was already established from the first book and I feel that Chloe Gong made this story hers starting from the first chapter of this book. It wasn't like her first book. I feel that her first book was like a dip in the water of how she decided to go on with the whole Shakespearean retelling of Romeo and Juliet duology. The first book was very atmospheric and it talks about how the 1920s Shanghai was going through the dark period of having a civil war within the Kuomintang political party. However, because the first book has set the world so vividly, I feel that Chloe Gong decided to just write and deliver whatever that she feels necessary.

Because of that, we get character developments and we see personalities shine throughout the book. From Roma, to Juliette, to Kathleen, to Rosalind, to Marshall, to Benedikt, to Tyler, to Alisa, to Dimitri. EVERY SINGLE ONE LAH! EVERY 👏 SINGLE 👏 ONE 👏 OF 👏 THEM 👏 DELIVERED 👏 WHAT 👏 THEY 👏WERE 👏 SUPPOSED 👏 TO 👏 DELIVER 👏 <b>OHEMHHHGEEEEE</b>

I'm not sure how many times I have muffled my scream in the middle of the night when I was reading this arc. I was screaming with joy, anger, annoyance, of butterflies because this book gave me feelings that I needed in this boring dull world. Okay, I might exaggerate slightly there. but you get what I mean.

There were a lot of plot twists and mysteries that I felt were fun to come out theories with. It was as if I was playing a part of their gang finding out who were the bad guys in the book. Some I could have guessed from the first book (Chloe Gong subtly inserted it in the first book if you guys can catch up with it hehehehe), but there were also some that I did not see coming. I gasped a lot of air that I think my brain got a lot of oxygen from breathing in the air too much because some of them weren't shown even in the first book!

I have two deductions after reading this book, which are:

1) Chloe Gong is a very smart lady and she delivered. SHE DE-LI-VERED! She knows that if you read the first book and you might not like it, she's going to make sure that you will feel left out when those who liked the book enough, continue with the duology. And she makes sure that you get what you wanted from the first book, in the second book. Do you want more enemies-to-lovers angst because it's not enough from the first book of the duology? You will get it. Do you want more friends-to-lovers tension? You will get it. Do you want a badass queer rep and almost basically carry the whole plot character arc? You will get it.

2) This book ended beautifully. After a few nights of sleeping on the ending in my mind, I can conclude that this was the ending that both Roma and Juliette needed.

However, there are a few plot holes that I feel were not answered that left me with a lot of questions that needed to be answered. I'm not sure if Chloe Gong will answer it in her next book if it has anything to do with this duology. I'm staying hopeful.

And with that, I thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for this review copy. Absolutely love this book 😘😘

Our Violent Ends

Firstly thank you to NetGalley, PUBLISHER & Author Chloe Gong for giving me the opportunity to read and review this fantastic book.

I will admit I have been sitting on my copy of “These Violent Delights” for some time patiently awaiting “Our Violent Ends” so that I could read them in succession.

I’m glad I waited. This fabulous re-telling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is cativating and magical. The authors attention to detail spins a world the reader can become entirely engrossed in and allows for the story to flow effortlessly.

Our main characters are centred around two rival gangs, we meet “The Scarletts” Juliette, Kathleen and Rosalind and on the other “The White Flowers” Roma, Benedikt and Marshall. These characters are brought to life in the story by means of their personalities and quirks which makes each easily likeable.

Throughout this duology I laughed, cried and had warm fuzzy feelings along side the characters. What more can you look forward to in a good book?

I was on edge at parts during this book with not knowing what would come next. I wish I could time travel to 1920s Shanghai just to experience it. In fact I’m adding Shanghai to my bucket list of places to visit.

Fantastic read. 😊

“Eyes, look your last! Arms, take your last embrace! And lips, O you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A dateless bargain to engrossing death!”

#Fantasy #YoungAdult #YA #Romance #HistoricalFiction #RomeoAndJuliet #Shakespeare #Retelling #Fantasy #ForbiddenLove #StarCrossedLovers #Bookstagram #BookLife #NetGalley #Duology #BookLove #ScottishBookstagrammer

I have no words right now. I didn’t think it was possible, but I love it even more than These Violent Delights.
This book is beyond beautiful and I somehow fell even more in love with the characters than I already was.
Nothing could be done or added to it that would make it any more perfect, and I honestly cannot get over how BEAUTIFULLY IT IS WRITTEN!!!
This has set the standard for all YA books and I don’t think another one will come close. Ever. It has to be one of the best duologues I’ve ever read/will ever read.
The ending has left me needing more. When I say needing, I mean it.
I don’t think I’m going to stop thinking about this book for years (no, I’m not exaggerating) and if Chloe Gong doesn’t continue writing masterpieces I think I might die (maybe a slight exaggeration).

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book.

Ugh. If you loved book 1 you are going to be blown away by this next one! Ah I was so excited to get a copy of this book as I absolutely adored the first book and wow. I literally laughed and cried reading this and I just want to thank the author for writing these absolute masterpieces! Beautifully written and leaves you with the bittersweet knowledge that love is the bravest thing we can do.
I’m still reeling and I have so many emotions finishing this book!

I really loves „Our violent delights“ and is was soo excited for the second book. The similarity to Romeo and Juliet has me i the edge of my seat. You suffer with the characters and you can’t help but pray for a happy ending. The Cover from the second book is quit similar to the first one and one can easily see that they belong together. The end of book one destroyed me and that’s why I started with the second part straight away. Chloe Gong has a wonderful, tense and emotional writing style. You are immediately back in the Story and I couldn’t put the book down for a second. The pages just flew by and within a day I had finished the book. The setting in the 1920s in Shanghai is very interesting and, in addition to the characters, it ensures that it never gets boring. Volume two has some similarities to volume one, but that didn’t bother me. The whole book is full of action, romantic and dramatic. Absolutely worthy of Romeo and Juliet.

Here we are accompanying Roma and Juliette again and I was excited to see how the author will dissolve the end of volume one. I love the moments between Roma and Juliette. My heart melted because the two are just meant for each other. The love between these two was noticeable on every page and you just cheered for the two of them. Even if I like them together, Roma and Juliette can also stand completely on their own. Both are strong, brave, resourceful, and so much more. In this volume the characters come to life even more. They feel so real.

After reading I was breathless and absolutely speechless. I didn’t know what to feel, how to deal with the end. It couldn’t have ended any other way and I was absolutely satisfied with it. Chloe Gong has managed to give a great series an absolutely worthy ending. Whoever liked „Our violent delights“ will adore „Our violent ends“. This is one of the best series I’ve read lately.

Definitely a Must-Read

"These violent delights have violent ends"

I'M SCREAMING!!! Even after the end of These violent delights I wasn't prepared for this. The plot takes of few months after the first book where Juliette tries to save Shanghai from monsters (again)🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉🐉.

"And what was love if all it did was kill?"

We know more about backstory of the rest of the characters. There's many POV - again it was great. This book was a masterpiece, I couldn't put it down. It was so beautifully written that I felt like I was part of this story. I can't praise it enough. Perfect summarizing to the story.

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

This book was so stressful. Here's my literal facial expression while reading this book plus few fitting emojis: 😰😰😰😰😱😳😢😩😩😩😩😍😍😤😤😤🥲🥲🥲🤬🤬😬😳🥺🥺🥺😱😱😱😱😱🤯🤯🤯🤧🤧🤧🤧😭😭🥲😭😭😭
⚔️🗡️🫀🫀🗡️🗡️🗡️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️🐉🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🐉🐉💥💥💥💥🔥🔥🔥🔥🤌🤌🤌🤌

But the ending tho.😭🥲😭🥲😭🫀🗡️♾️/5⭐

Thank you NetGalley for providing digital advanced copy in exchange for honest review.

In Our Violent Ends Chloe Gong wraps up her Romeo and Juliet homage set in slightly fantasy version of 1920s Shanghai, begun in These Violent Delights. And without providing any spoilers, anyone expecting a completely happy ending when the source material is a Shakespearean tragedy just doesn’t know their Shakespeare.
Our Violent Ends opens soon after the events that ended These Violent Delights. Although everyone thought that the madness-inducing monster had been vanquished it turns out that someone still has the formula and is blackmailing both the Scarlet and White Flower crime families. Roma blames Juliette for the death of his good friend Marshall Seo but readers will know that his is not exactly the case. The two clearly still have feelings for each other but when the book opens are both completely enmeshed back in their families’ blood feud. But they are once again forced to work together to try and identify the blackmailer. At the same time as all of this is going on, tension is rising in the city between the Nationalist forces of Chiang Kai-shek and the Communists.
While the first book hinged on the actions and impacts of a madness inducing monster, Our Violent Ends is much more grounded (although no less violent). The monsters are back but under someone’s control, and used as one tool in the growing tension in the city. The largest set piece in the book is centred around the very real massacre of Communist forces and their supporters by the Nationalists aided by local gangsters (called the Green Gang) that took place in April 1927. And while the monsters do play a small part in this fictional retelling of that story, the real monsters turn out to be the power hungry leaders of the various factions.
Once again, while Gong references characters, events (even a fake suicide at one point) and the occasional quote from Romeo and Juliet, this is not the Shakespeare play. Juliette Cai, in particular, continues to be a kick-arse, take no prisoners heroine, but one who is concerned about the direction that her family in going in, a position that quickly puts her at odds with her father, even before her attraction to Roma Montagov is factored in. This volume also gives more depth and action to some of the side characters – particularly Juliette’s companions the sisters Kathleen and Rosalind, and Roma’s offsider Benedikt. And knowing that there is going to be some tragedy coming for at least some of those characters makes for a tense, page-turning read.
Through the two books Gong delivers a rich and deep view of 1920s Shanghai, from the wealthiest areas in the Foreign Concessions, to the markets and factories. And through an only slightly fantastical lens, is also able to explore and reveal some of that city’s bloody and violent history. And while she leaves a few threads dangling, as is only right in a complex narrative, Gong brings this two volume story to a satisfyingly tragic conclusion in Our Violent Ends.

“Keep fighting for love.”

Guys, I don't know what to say.
Our Violent Ends was everything I asked for, and even more. This book made me suffer but in the end, it was worth it. I LOVED everything. Every moment, every twist, every single damn word. But above all, I loved the characters. They fought for what was right, they fought for the good of their people, and they fought for themselves. Juliette, Roma, Ben, Mars, Kathleen, Alisa. I already miss them so damn much and when you feel that way, you know the story owns a piece of your heart and will stay with you forever.

"A rose is a rose, even by another name," He whispered. "But we choose whether we will offer beauty to the world, or if we will use out thorns to sting."

If you loved These Violent Delights, buckle up for the sequel, because Chloe Gong has taken things to the next level and in my opinion, has made Our Violent Ends even better than her debut.

We already had a strong premise that was executed extremely well and coming out of the first book we had political turmoil and a love for all of these characters. Our Violent Ends took those emotions are played with them throughout the almost 500 pages of this book.

The characters are still complex and I love each and every one of them, even if I actually hate them (I'm looking at you Tyler) I laughed, I gasped and I cried AND I would do it all over again.

I got sucked in to the atmosphere of 1920s Shanghai from the first page and I didn't let me go till the emotional end.

Really, this book has it all. Whether you are looking for political intrigue, lush settings, fast paced and engaging plots or lovable characters and relationships you can really root for, this series has it all.

The amount of talent this author has at such a young age, and only two books into her career makes me beyond excited to see what comes next. Its needless to say that I will pick up everything and anything she writes after this.

So go preorder this

A truly spectacular finale to this duology (?) that has captivated the reader minds of so many young people across the world.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Earlier this year I read These Violent Delights, the first book in this duology. It was a great book that left me begging in the end for me; if you read the These Violent Delights I assume you must have felt the same. However, the beginning was very slow and it took me three weeks to get through the first 200 pages. I was expecting the same effect for this book.

I misjudged. Not only did I finish the book in give or take 24 hours, it was one of the best books I've ever read. Each chapter contained a part that left me wanting to read more. Wheter it was focused on Roma or Juliette or one of the "side" characters like Benedikt, Marshall, Kathleen, etc. It was a book not only filled with astonishing and breathtaking writing but also a love story that brought me to my knees.

The storyline was enthralling and while I lacked some love for the main couple in the first book, they took my breath away in Our Violent Ends.

It is a well deserved five stars from me and I am looking forward to what else Chloe Gong will bring to the table in the future.

If you think These violent delights was amazing, wait till you read Our violent ends!!The book grips you from the starting through the end, making you feel hundreds of emotions including volcra like screaming and few rivulets of tears and daily sessions of thinking about this masterpiece and the characters.

The book is a sequel to These Violent Delights, a Romeo and Juliette retelling set in 1920s Shanghai. The blood feud between the The White Flowers and The Scarletts, the two rival gangs is always high and filled with angst, and Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, the heirs of the gangs wants to kill each other (not actually since they have a past together, but the amount of times they have shot at each other says differently). After the events of the first book they are forced to work together again, they decide to set their past and feud aside to save the city from the monster who is ready to destroy the city.

None of the characters are same after the first book, Julliete has decided to protect the city even if it costs her love, Roma had accepted his role as the heir and is now set to kill his lover, Benedikt has lost his people before but after the death of his closest friend he is ready to start a war. Kathleen, always thought of as sweet and kind, is stepping out of the shadows, making her own name and destiny.

Chloe’s writing is beautiful and ethereal and just makes you feel as if you are there in Shanghai watching the characters kill each other and it's just so vivid, rhythmic and perfect.
The politics X fantasy plot of the book was so beautifully executed and really captivating. While the pace of the first book had been slow Our Violent Ends just throws everything at you one after the other.

The knife to throat, romance while still hating each other and fighting the world for each other scenes ate indescribable, but my forbidden love and enemies to lovers trope loving heart was satisfied.

I know a lot of people love Juliette more than Roma , but for me Mr. Roma stole all the show, his character arc, his development and how he will do anything to protect people he loves even if that means going in harm's way to save them.

Also a big thanks to Benedikt, Marshall and Kathleen for just existing and blessing us with their presence. They are my precious babies and I'll protect them till my last breath.

Alisa Montagov is an awesome side character, her dialogues and actions just makes you laugh and somehow gives the reaction the reader will do in the situations.

In conclusion, buy this book, love this book and cry over it

thank you netgalley and hodder and stoughton for providing me an arc of this book

Our Violent Ends is a bittersweet ending to the duology started in These Violent Delights. This sequel pulls readers back in from the first page and takes them on an emotional rollercoaster starting a few months after book one's end. The romance is full of chemistry. The action is ramped up. The ending is highly satisfying. If you haven't yet picked up this series, this is your sign to do it now. Highly recommended!

Oh my gosh this book broke me ! The emotional roller coaster picked me up and knocked me down again and again. Loved it. Highly recommended.

After the masterpiece that was These Violent Delights I had high expectations for Our Violent Ends, and Chloe Gong met every single one of them.

The cliffhanger ending of These Violent Delights makes you dive right in Our Violent Ends with no time to catch your breath. The monster is back, Juliette and Roma are enemies again, Shanghai is on the brink of a revolution, there are so many things happening at once and everything is so well orchestrated. This book is so full of angst and stress and hurt (with a side of comfort, but mostly hurt). Gong manages to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last chapter. All the while using all the best tropes. Gong takes the enemies to lovers trope to the next level, sprinkling new and lovely 'dagger to the throat' and 'are they gonna kiss each other or kill each other' moments that we all loved so much in the first book.
The relationship between Roma and Juliette is even more complex than in the first book, in all the best and worst ways. These people drove me absolutely mad with all the angst and repressed feelings.
And I loved getting to see more of the secondary characters. Just like in the first book Kathleen and Marshall own my heart, and it was so great to see them being even more developed in this second book.

Our Violent Ends really was a wonderful ending to this duology, so well crafted and beautifully written. I really can't believe this is Chloe Gong's first duology. These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends are such wonderful books, and to think they're only her first books is mindblowing. It makes me even more excited to discover all her next books.

Thank you netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the arc. I absolutely love this book so much and I will continue to let it break me over and over again. The book had such a good balance between the mystery, politics and romance. I love how we got a little bit of everyone’s point of view, that gave a lot of insight on their actions.
Another thing Chloe Gong absolutely nailed is the undeniable chemistry between the characters, sometimes I look back and doubt if certain characters really had chemistry but the love between Roma and Juliette was palpable. I love following along the characters thoughts and emotions and this book only solidified my love for them even more. There were twists which took me by surprise and added to the whole brilliance of the book. Definitely a new all time favourite book, Chloe Gong could not have made my heart any more full.

Thank you to netgalley and chloe gong for allowing me to read this book early it was a dream and honour

A sequel just as good if not better then the first. Waw this was absolutely amazing full of everything I was looking for, violence and romance and plot twists .
I am in awe of chloe's writing
The ending was very well done and open to interpretation and it will stay on my mind forever


I cannot wait for everyone else to read this

I still don’t know how to properly review this book. ‘Our Violent Ends’ was an absolutely brilliant conclusion to Chloe Gong’s duology, but it has also broken me, and I can’t stop think about this book even if it’s been days since I finished it. I feel so lucky that I got to read it earlier, but I will be definitely re-reading this duology.

‘Our Violent Ends’ was an emotional rollercoaster. There’s been so much happening throughout the whole book, and it felt even more instance than the book 1 in the series. But it was more than action, we get to know here even more the brilliant cast of the characters, and I loved them so much. It was a great spin on ‘Romeo & Juliet’ that became such a unique and brilliant story.

Without giving too much, it was both heartbreaking and mindblowing, and I would totally recommend this book to everyone.

This is a book of epic proportions. It has something for everyone, I think - and manages to weave in original sentiments from Shakespeare’s play while maintaining that vivid originality otherwise lost in most retellings. There is a perfect split between the romance, the fantasy and the politics of it all, making it almost impossible to attribute just one genre to this future classic.

Our Violent Ends is the gloriously decadent follow up to Chloe Gong’s spectacular (and bestselling) Romeo and Juliet reimagining, These Violent Delights— Which is even more thrillingly heart-stopping and unputdownable than the first!

“These violent delights have violent ends…you have always known this”

It’s 1927 and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution. After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from their families’ blood feud, Juliette has been on the warpath. One wrong move and her cousin will gladly usurp her. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of her family is to have him hate her for murdering his best friend—if she were actually guilty maybe it’d sting less.

Still reeling from the death of his best friend and with his cousin barely speaking to him, he knows it’s his fault for letting Juliette back into his life. But he’s determined to make things right, even if it means killing the first girl he’s ever loved.

When a new monstrous danger emerges in the city (as well as whispers of civil war and the annihilation of the city’s gangster rule), Juliette and Roma are forced together to once again end the threat —but neither are prepared for the biggest threat of all: protecting their hearts from each other…

This was absolutely incredible! The setting was still phenomenally detailed and just as decadent and gritty as These Violent Delights but, the pacing was definitely faster (as was the tension-filled, action packed plot) and I absolutely LOVED it!

Everything was bigger—the stakes much higher and it was a rollercoaster of emotions the entire way, honestly I couldn’t put it down.

Roma and Juliette were exquisitely written though, more complex than the first book. The level of detail in the emotions and motivations of not just them but, several characters (Rosalind and Benedikt in particular) really brought them to life and gave realism to the narrative/plot. This may just have surpassed the Bard’s as my favourite depiction of Romeo and Juliet—EVER!

Overall, Our Violent Ends was heart-stoppingly explosive, bittersweet and utterly unmissable. I urge all YA historical fantasy lovers and Shakespearean aficionados to give this series a read, you won’t be disappointed!

Also thanks to Hodder&Stoughton and NetGalley for the e-arc.

Our Violent Ends is a fantastic conclusion to Juliette and Roma's story. This book takes the classic Romeo and Juliette story and turns it into something new and compelling: the setting of 1920s Shanghai is rich and immersive, the politics and mystery of the plot are gripping, and the star-crossed romance delivers a heart-breaking story of tragedy and hope.

A huge, huge, thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC! Honestly when I got the email I just stared and then laughed. I was in shock.

On to the book! Wow. When I read These Violent Delights I was unsure whether I wanted to pick up Our Violent Ends. I had enjoyed the first book but I felt like it dragged a little. I think I was just having a bad week when I read it. Marshall was the main reason for me wanting to continue the series, especially when I realised he had survived and hadn't died as his counterpart had (thank you Chloe!). I loved Mercutio in the original works too and I don't think I would have continued on if Marshall had died.

ANYWAY.

Our Violent Ends. I started it yesterday and I finished it yesterday. I was hooked! The story was amazing, the characters were amazing. I was so invested in everybody. At one point I thought the blackmailer might have been Rosalind and Kathleen's father, he seemed very suspicious but gradually I worked out who the true culprit was and I was not disappointed. Roma and Juliette exasperated me so much, it was clear how much they loved each other and they just wouldn't see it. I felt like screaming at them to just kiss and damn everyone else. I am so happy that I read this book and there is a definite spot on my bookshelf for these star-crossed lovers.

Also don't even get me started on Benedikt and Marshall. Those two own my heart.

You can find my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4258420347

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I am not kidding when I say this is the best book of the year that I have read. If you thought These Violent Delights was amazing then Our Violent Ends will blow you away. Chloe Gong has fully cemented herself as one of my favourite authors ever and I will buy absolutely anything she writes.

This books picks up pretty much from where the first book ended and takes you on a whirlwind ride of monsters, politics, romance, betrayal and so much more. Each aspect was perfectly balanced with one another to create a phenomenal book.

I'd first like to start off with the politics and the intrigue surrounding that. The book delved a lot deeper into the Communists vs Nationalists (which involved many a plot twist!) as well as the rising tensions and conflicts between the Scarlets and White Flowers; as well as tying it in with the monsters. I loved the spying and the betrayal! The amount of betrayal in this book shot me in the heart every other page, it was expertly done and created so much tension and depth to the plot.

As for the romance, we had various romantic sub-plots (all of which were infused with action, weapons and violence.) RomaJuliette will forever be a favourite ship of mine, there was so much tension and many beautiful quotes between them, though as this is an arc I cannot share any. Those who have read book one will also know another romance that was involved in the cliffhanger of book one and while I will say that one scene left me super disappointed with how it turned out, though under the circumstances I guess it makes sense, it was redeemed majorly throughout the rest of the book.

The number of plot twists in this book was crazy, my nerves were turned up all the way during the last 100 pages. Many tears were involved, too. This book has a lot of well written action which has you on the edge of your seat in fear for the characters, I was so unsure as to how each scene would end and some of them ended in my jaw dropping.

The ending of this book was so beautifully done and I wouldn't have it any other way. So a warning for potential readers: prepare yourself for the last 100 pages. I mean it. You. Are. Not. Ready.

Finally, I would also like to say that the epilogue does set up for Foul Lady Fortune (which I will sell my soul for an arc of.)

Overall, this was an incredible book which I will without a doubt reread many times over. - 5* (and all the other stars in the universe.)

‘Our Violent Ends’ was one of my most anticipated releases of 2021 and it did not disappoint! After reading ‘These Violent Delight,’ like many other people, I was DESPERATE to get my hands. And when I did, it did not let me down. Chloe Gong’s writing has only grown stronger since her first book and leaves you with vast amount of heartbreak. Personally, I think that rating this book less than 5 stars would be a disservice to it. I absolutely adored this Romeo and Juliet retelling—Juliette and Roma’s story was one that I very much enjoyed, and I am so thankful to have been able to read it!

Wow!! What a phenomenal conclusion to the duology! I found the first book to be a decent start but Gong managed to up the stakes and wrote a fantastic ending for our beloved characters, Juliette, Roma, Marshall, and Benedikt. I was blown away at how the plot twist and turned. This retelling was original and I loved the allusions to the original Romeo and Juliet source material, without relying too much on its plot twists.

As with the first book, I loved the Chinese history that was interwoven within the novel. As well as the social commentary throughout. I loved that Gong brought awareness to those issues.

The writing was fantastic as always. The prose is so evocative and I’m always left mulling over some of the passages because they were so beautiful and thought-provoking.

The ending was bittersweet but it was one of the best endings I’ve ever read. It was a punch to my gut but in a good way, if that makes sense?

Overall, this was a fantastic conclusion to the duology and I can say that this cements Chloe Gong as an author everyone should keep an eye on.

THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK. JUST... WOW.

These Violent Delights was in my top 3 books of 2020, so when I was approved for an arc of the sequel I couldn't contain my excitement. And it DID. NOT. DISAPPOINT. Our Violent Ends builds on the events of the first book and somehow makes it even better, and I am still reeling hours after finishing the book.

As with the first book, the number one thing that made me fall in love with it was the characters and their relationships. Roma and Juliette own my whole heart, every single one of their scenes had me screaming (often out loud) with all the beauty and tragedy, love and pain mixed into one. I once again loved the side characters too, loved that they had their own storylines that tied into the main plot but allowed them space to breathe as their own fully formed characters, and I spent the whole book wishing I could reach into the pages and keep each one of them safe.

Of course, it's not all about the yearning, with our characters thrust into a revolution that was looming throughout the first book but is now fully in motion. Chloe Gong perfectly balances the politics with the personal storylines, the political landscape fleshed out without ever feeling too info-dumpy. It's heavy at times, this conflict that is consuming the whole city, and the stakes are so much higher than they were in the first book.

And that ending? Woah. I was left guessing right up until the very end, my heart beating way too fast throughout the last couple of chapters. I knew going into the book that it was going to cause me pain, but I wasn't sure of the exact form that pain would take, but it certainly delivered. But even as it was ripping my heart out, I was still utterly in love with this book.

Our Violent Ends made me laugh, made me cry, made me smile so wide my face hurt, and left me curled in a ball wondering how I'm supposed to ever read another book after this. It is absolutely a new all-time favourite, and I will be eagerly devouring anything and everything Chloe Gong writes from this point on.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
One of the things that truly sets this book apart from other Romeo and Juliet retelling is its unique ability to reshape the borrowed characters and make them anew. While this book maintains a high stakes conflict, the characters still drive the book. The balance of plot and character development was extremely well done, and if I thought I loved the characters after reading the first book, I was proved completely wrong. Our Violent Ends had me so insanely invested in this characters I was holding my breath every time something seemed to go wrong.
this book was woah… like really wow. if you liked these violent delights, your mind is going to be blown reading this book. it was AMAZING. Chloe gong’s writing is so beautiful and i can’t describe how it made me feel except that it was just so good. the characters and relationships between them were so well written and the scenes they all had were perfect and i am going to miss them all so much. i can’t wait for everyone else to read this book because you guys are going to lose your mind and you know how i know that?? because i did the exact same thing. i honestly can’t remember the last book that made me feel this many emotions all at once and i so was anxious to see what happens at the end the whole time and that ending ,, well i can’t say much without spoiling but wow Chloe gong I will be mailing you my therapy bills ☺️ anyway, I am so excited to read foul lady fortune now and finally, 5 stars is honestly not enough it deserves more

Just want to first say a big thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

First things first, everyone know's the story of Romeo and Juliet but this book still absolutely ruined me. I don't know why I went into reading this book hoping that we would get a happy ending to the story.

I really enjoyed reading the first book so was excited to get my hands on an arc for the second and final novel in this duology. This novel has you hooked from the very start and there was a perfect balance of world building/plot and character development that it felt like it wasn't too much and was a nice balance to keep the story going. I have to admit that this book was a lot better than the first one and can tell how much the author has grown as a writer.

Wow.

It's been such a long time I've read a book where the sequel became more of a favourite than it's predecessor. Where I've welcomed pain, and completely trusted the authors process without rushing forward to find out if what I fear is about to come true. Chloe Gong's These Violent Delights was one of my favourite books of last year, and Our Violent Ends is not only an amazing, satisfying, painful and tense read, but it's my favourite out of both books.

I'm in awe, I'm still capturing my breath, but I guarantee I'll be back to read this book again and again. At it's core, there's still the same romance, the one which reminds you to throw caution to the wind for what you want, and yet the terrifying threat of the city, the families, and the monster still looms. The pacing, the descriptions, the emotions... they're all chosen with such purpose, making it a powerful and enjoyable read. I found it so hard to walk away from when life demanded me too, but the ending was worth the wait.

I love way in which Chloe Gong reshaped both the story and characters in which we know, allowing us to be tricked and surprised as the story progresses. It puts things on it' head we think will happen, shifting and changing to keep us guessing, adding jabs and punches here and there to keep us on the edge. The angst in this, the tension littered through out almost broke me, at several points I shifted in my comfortable position, as if needing to be prepared to launch myself.

The use of character switching was much more powerful, it allowed you to get a greater view of the city and the story itself, and often rips you away from moments where you come to close to the truth before it's ruined. You also feel the city more, it becoming it's own character, breathing and thrumming through out the read, making you feel for the setting as well as the people within it.

The story hurts. The ending, as beautiful as it is, ripped my damn heart out. But, I also really enjoyed it. Every step of the way I felt so much, I was so inside the book I felt I could see everything happening. I wanted to shout and shake characters meant I was all in. I felt such a range of emotions I'm still processing from the whiplash of it all. But mainly, I'm happy, beaming almost, that I've got a new favourite to add to shout at people.

But, be prepared when you get your hands on this (which you definitely should) it's a ride. It's also painful and brilliant; emotional and downright terrifying at times. It's epic, like the source material, but with an entirely new spin and a gush of fresh air which is welcomed.

<i>“Why do you pause?” Juliette mimicked bitterly. Softly, she set him down, brushing his mussed hair out of his face. “Because even if you hate me, Roma Montagov, I still love you.”</i>

It's a masterpiece. A firm favourite of mine. Five stars, hands down.

Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton for the advanced copy, and also to NetGalley.

More than anything, this book reminded me that at the heart of it all, daring to love is bravest thing we can ever do. Chloe Gong has built a tale wondrous enough to rival Shakespeare. Following from the events of These Violent Delights, the phenomenal retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in 1920’s Shanghai, we once again follow Juliette of the Scarlet Gang and Roma of the White Flowers as they must now navigate new dangers – powers and threats so dangerous that the two star-crossed lovers must put aside the blood feud and work again once more.
With the characters feeling the aftershocks of Juliette’s actions in the first book, I desperately wanted to see more of Juliette and Roma, especially together in the same room. I wanted to see how the two would grapple with their undeniable connection with one another amid a new vicious animosity. Where the first book simply alludes to Roma and Juliette’s lovers-to-enemies relationship in a series of flashbacks, the gift of These Violent Delights is that we have witnessed their relationship oscillate between lovers to enemies, trust to distrust, tenderness to venom. This makes their dynamic in Our Violent Ends harder-hitting and we feel their emotions and desires more tangibly and acutely. Having gone on that journey with them, we understand the complexity of their relationship – the push of their familial duties in tandem with their pull to one another – which makes every interaction between them so delicious and satisfying, the two coming together like water upon hot oil. What makes Our Violent Ends so brilliant and compelling is that Chloe knows what readers want and she knows that we are familiar with the events of Shakespeare’s play. And so she does give us what we want – except that Chloe simply takes her time with it, in a slow, teasing and deliberate way that will make you crave for more.

completely left heartbroken by this spellboubding and angsty sequel, one that draws you into the star crossed romance, the politics of 1920s Shanghai and the tense events that follow

I read These Violent Delights at the end of 2020, and was obsessed and desperate for the sequel. When I requested Our Violent Ends on NetGalley, no part of me thought I would be approved for it, but I was! This review will contain spoilers from These Violent Delights. I adored this book and I think it was a good ending, and one of the only ways this duology could end.

Our Violent Ends picks up a few months after the ending of These Violent Delights. Roma and Juliette’s roles seem to have been reversed, with Roma truly stepping into his role as the White Flowers heir. Juliette is still keeping Marshall hidden from both Roma and Benedikt, which fuels Roma’s hatred for Juliette as he believes she killed him. At the end of These Violent Delights, Juliette discovers that there are five other monsters that could be released , threatening the city of Shanghai. After the first monster attack, Lord Cai and Lord Montagov, Juliette and Roma’s fathers, meet and demand Roma and Juliette work together to discover the origin of the monsters and destroy them. This forces them back into close proximity and they have to deal with their true feelings for each other. Our Violent Ends shows how far people will go for love and to protect those they love.

‘Because even if you hate me, Roma Montagov, I still love you.’

Similarly to the first book, Our Violent Ends revolves a lot around the politics of Shanghai, and if anything I think it is even more so in this book. The Nationalists and Communists have a large part in this book. It was very interesting to me, as a reader who doesn’t know much about the political parties in Shanghai in the 1920s, as Gong takes inspiration from reality and incorporates it within her book. Loyalties are tested and spies are revealed in this gripping novel.

‘I am grateful that our roles are not switched, for I would have dove headfirst into the Huangpu should I be left in this world without you.’

The characters in this duology are my favourite, each of them is unique and complex in different ways. Their relationships with each other are constantly changing. I loved how Marshall and Juliette grew closer in this book, and the banter between them always amused me. I loved seeing Marshall and Benedikt properly come to terms with how they felt for one another, whilst Benedikt believes Marshall is dead. Kathleen and Rosalind are quite complex characters and I loved exploring their individual storylines, and trying to piece together what was happening. Roma and Juliette’s relationship is, hands down, my favourite. I couldn’t stop reading as I needed to know what was going to happen. The tension was high, and the author writes it incredibly well. The romance in this book had me swooning, crying, and on the edge of my seat. My heart has been on an emotional rollercoaster whilst reading the final instalment of this duology.

‘I would rather the two of you not burn the world down each time you choose each other.’

My heart was crushed by the ending, but I would read this again and again. The emotions I felt during this book were unreal. This duology has made Chloe Gong an automatic-buy author for me, and I can’t wait to read the rest of her works!

After the events of These Violent Delights Juliette and Roma are back to opposite sides of the war. Roma despises her for killing Marshall & Juliette can never tell him the truth for fear of the repercussions, but there are bigger things at play. The monster is back, only this time it seems to be able to attack at will, containing the bugs instead of letting them run free, and both the Montagov's and Cai's are being blackmailed to ensure they aren't let loose. With tensions high Roma and Juliette are forced to work together once again to find out the identity of the blackmailer, they just have to not kill each other first. Alliances will be tested and new bonds will be forged, but it's not just the monsters that the gangs have to be wary of, and before long Roma and Juliette will have to decide how far they are willing to go to save the city they love.

Juliette, my knife wielding, danger facing, unapologetically feisty bitch... I can't tell you how much I love her. We really see her grow as a person in this book. We see her constant struggle with Roma, we know she still loves him and it broke me a little inside having to see her put on a face of indifference around him, when all she wanted to do was tell him the truth. But through it all, she does whats right, for her, for Shanghai, and for the people she loves. I'm not saying some of her decisions didn't have a hint of self-preservation, but as someone who has always had to fight for her right to be in the room, included in the conversation, whether or not she was the heir, she shows restraint where others would not.

Roma, as much as I love him, made me want to slap him multiple times in this book. Maybe it's because we had insight into Juliette's actions, knowing that she didn't really kill Marshall, and the reasoning behind why she had to fake it, but there were multiple times where she saved him, or someone close to him, and he was so blinded by rage that he couldn't see past his belief that Juliette acts for her own preservation and nothing else. His heart being ripped open has almost made him a shell of the caring and open person we saw in book one, instead he now longs for revenge, for blood and has turned into the White Flowers most efficient killer.

This story may be Juliette and Roma's but it wouldn't be the same without Gong's exquisite cast of side characters. Rosalind and Kathleen, Benedikt and Marshall, Tyler and Dimitri, they all have extremely pivotal parts to play in the story, each have their own stories to follow, their own beliefs and actions, you will love and hate them in equal measure, but you can't deny that they each stand out to you. I found myself as invested in their stories as I was Juliette and Roma's, and desperately wanted most of them (sorry Tyler and Dimitri) to get their happy endings.

Our Violent Ends may be set in 1920's Shanghai, but it has lessons and consequences that reach to the modern day. It shows the generational differences that were still seeing now. The likes of Juliette, Roma and even Kathleen saying, this is going to be our world, let us at least have a say in how you leave it to us. Juliette fights so hard to be heard, for people to understand that the Scarlet's surviving alone is not enough, they need the people to function as a gang, but the elders didn't care about that cause it didn't directly effect them. As well as this Gong really highlights the struggle of colonialism and like Juliette, I found myself getting extremely frustrated in parts. At their inability to listen, to learn and move with the times. To realise that their country is being sold off in parts, and if they worked together they had the chance to stop it. The fact that she was willing to walk away from everything and leave the gang without an heir to throw her weight behind her beliefs, for someone so bloodthirsty to fight so hard for peace means a lot.

I adored everything about this book. The pacing, the plot twists ( and boy were there some fucking big plot twists), the descriptions of the characters and places all written in Gong's lush and engrossing writing style come together to make one hell of an unforgettable read. Shakespeare fans will notice the little nods to the bard that Gong throws in, she does a fantastic job with sticking fairly close to the events of Romeo and Juliette but making sure Roma and Juliette's story is wholly it's own, and one that will certainly stick with me long after I've finished. It's a love that overcomes war and petty grievances to bring together and save a city that was being pulled apart by differing warring factions.

The TENSION between the two of them was off the charts, some of my favourite parts of this book were their interactions when they are forced to work together, Juliette falling into the role of the indifferent and no fucks given Scarlet Heir, and Roma just getting so exasperated at her actions. Parts had me cackling, parts had me heartbroken, but being able to see their relationship getting built back up, their journey from lovers to enemies to lovers has to be one of my all time favourites.

Now for the ending! As much as I want to hate the author for they way she ended the book, there was just no other way to do it. It was epic in every single way, but also a little sad, heartwarming and bittersweet. I made the grave mistake of fishing this book at work and my cry of 'fuck off' was swiftly followed by a deluge of tears that succeeded in confusing my colleagues, luckily though I buddy read this with Leah and instantly jumped on twitter to scream about what I had just read. I still can't quite get it through my head that this is a debut series. Gong has cemented her place as one of my all time favourite authors, and has ensured that I will be eagerly anticipating any of her future works.

Wow, just Wow.
Chloe Gong really outdid herself here, it was everything I wanted and more (with a touch of pure pain) but these characters all just became so much more loveable and admirable and the plot is just so. good.
I really can't say much without spoiling this but every fan of these violent delights will just adore this book! I can't wait to see what Chloe does next!

I was not ready for this book.
This book broke me in the best way possible, I was always a fun of Romeo and Juliet but this book just took it to another level.
I loved everything about it even the fact that at the end I was sobbing like a baby

HOW IS THIS EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE?!?! I cried so much over this book, I look like I was attacked by bees!!!


I don't even know where to begin with this. I am so utterly wrecked by this, I will never be the same again. For one thing, this was so incredibly well-written. The plot, the descriptions, the plot-twists. Just AMAZING!! It was bad enough that I was crying uncontrolably, but to have my mind completely and utterly blown, at the same time....it was just so damn cruel Chloe Gong!!! And, somehow, I am eternally greatful for it...what a sucker!! There were so many moments that ABSOLUTELY KILLED ME. There's a reason this book is called, Our Violent Ends...because it was definitely my violent end!!! However, nothing killed me like that cruel, cruel ending!!! Without getting into spoilery details, you will cry, it will be ugly, and you won't be able to stop. Word of advise, DO NOT finish this past midnight...you will not sleep a wing afterward. I am still not okay. I may or may not be experiencing deep, unrelenting emotional instability....and so will you. Guaranteed!!


**There is absolutely NOTHING I didn't like about this book. This entire series. That's how good both books were.**


Sufficed to say, the characters were just as good, if not even better, than in the first book. Every one, from hero to villain, was so well-written, so fascinating and natural, I forgot that I was reading about fictional people. (Admittedly, this happens with most of the books I read, but even more so with this one.) The Romuliette content was *chef's kiss* from start to end. The tension, the fighting, the looooove. 💜😭💜😭💜 Like seriouly...so, so good!!! In fact, I loath that I can't write exactly what I am referring to, because it's all gooooood stuff. But alas, I am no asshole, I will not spoil such a masterpiece and ruin it for you. Now for my other favourite pairing in the series, Benedikt and Marshall, the content was just as good as Romuliette's. So good I'm holding back tears writing this. Again, I can't get into too much detail without spoiling, so you're gonna have to wait and read for yourselves, but one thing I can say is, the ship support between Romuliette and Benshall (is this a good enough ship name) filled me with warm and wholesome joy!!! Another thing I can say is, how precious the Marshall x Juliette friendship was. They clicked like they've been friends forever!! ...Aaand I'm about to start crying again...Marshall is still my favourite (duh), and I CANNOT BELIEVE I actually felt bad for Tyler....Uncool, Chloe Gong. Uncool.

Our Violent Delights, by Chloe Gong, is an incredible sequel to her debut novel, These Violent Delights. I was hooked from the very first page, with the writing progressing so much that I felt as if I were in Shanghai in the 1920s, despite knowing little of the city in that time (soon to be changed).

The politics and plot were main focuses of the novel, ensuring a fast pace throughout, but the character development was outstanding, expanding on my love for not only Roma and Juliette, but Benedikt, Marshall, Celia, Kathleen (!!!), Ailsa and so many more, and I am going to have to reread the duology MANY times to visit them.

The depth of Chloe Gong's writing was incredible, and you learn so much about the characters, with multiple POV's adding so much to the book. The retelling used the basics of Shakespeare's tale, and created a whole new story, which was so beautiful and heartbreaking and I loved it so so much!

The writing was phenomenal, and had me terrified in many sections of the novel but the ending (the ending!!!), WOW. I was so numb once I finished it, but it is honestly a perfect ending and I feel finished off the duology perfectly.

5 stars does not do it justice; thank you Chloe Gong for writing this incredible book

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This book messed up my emotions in many ways. I was surprised at how fast I got into the story again and I soon realized that I had missed the characters a lot, especially Roma and Juliette.
The story continues a few weeks after the events of These Violent Delights and even though our heroes killed the monster in the first book, there is a new threat coming right away.
I was already hooked on the first chapter and excited to see how this wonderful story would end.
The setting in Shanghai was very compulsive and a cool twist to this Romeo and Juliette retelling. Everything seemed very authentic and even though the political circumstances were a bit hard to understand at first, I had no problems getting through this book thanks to the beautiful storytelling of the author and the loveable characters.
Juliette was as fierce and clever as in the first book. Yes, she is a bit stubborn and there were times where I just wanted to scream in her face (in a polite way of course), but this is exactly what makes her so likeable. Also, she never disappoints with a new plot twist.
The situation between Roma and Juliette at the beginning of this book is a bit complicated because he still thinks Juliette killed Marshall in cold blood. Nevertheless, this gave us readers one of the best lovers to enemies stories ever. The dynamic between these two protagonists is literally everything and I just couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know what would happen next. Their story is stressful, emotional and heartbreaking- but in the best way possible.
I also adored the side characters and I loved that we finally got to know more about Marshall's and Benedict's relationship. I don’t want to tell you too much but I really liked how the author included their story in the main plot.
At this point, I don’t want to talk about the ending because I still haven‘t realized what happened. All I can say is that I truly recommend this duology to everyone who loves a thrilling urban fantasy story packed with loveable characters and a lot of heartbreak.

Monsters once again roam the streets of Shanghai, but this time Roma and Juliette have been brought together by unexpected forces to eradicate them - their fathers. With civil war looming and forces beyond the gangsters' control at play, will a frosty (and temporary) ceasefire be enough to prevent the city from becoming a bloodbath? Or will these warring star-crossed lovers set Shanghai on fire themselves?

There are plenty of twists readers won't see coming (no mean feat in a retelling) as well as some great nods to the original play. Our Violent Ends bubbles with tension - not just within the plot, where stability in Shanghai balances on a knife-edge, but between Roma and Juliette themselves. The blood feud is more dangerous than ever. The original Romeo and Juliet have it easy by comparison; the warring Capulets and Montagues have nothing on the Scarlet and White Flower blood feud.

While the premise will definitely draw people into this series (it's a masterclass in how to pitch a novel in one sentence!) it's very much not the only selling point. Both books are exquisitely written. Gong's use of language has ranked her firmly among my favourite writers and I will automatically buy whatever she writes next. Every character from book one is developed further, with their own goals and character-arcs.

I'm writing this review carefully as I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say it has a perfect ending to an amazing sequel.

I wasn't really sure what to expect from Our Violent Ends - These Violent Delights was SO good and one of my favourite novels last year, and I was worried the sequel wouldn't be able to live up to my expectations. Instead, it surpassed them. I can't wait to see (and buy) whatever Chloe Gong writes next.

I was provided with an advanced copy of Our Violent Ends via NetGalley for review.

OUR VIOLENT ENDS and OH MY 😭😭 was it everything I wanted it to be and more I’m so so happy it kept up its stamina from Book 1 and just know guys your going to be in for a treat. Of course I can’t say anything it’s the second book and we ain’t all about the spoiler life
I’m pretty sure this is the end.well unless chloe Gong has got something up her sleeve for more hehe

I can’t tell you how happy I was to be back in one of my favourite fantasy books again and to be with all the character who I just fell even more and more in love with in this second book too

This arc was provided by Hodder & Stoughton via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Crying shaking throwing up 🥲
My biggest clown moment of 2021 was thinking I would somehow survive this book unscathed. I’m pretty sure reading this raised my blood pressure to the point of permanent damage but oh well it was worth it.

my heart has just been wrenched out. I literally barely have words.
This book was phenomenal and dare I say, I enjoyed it more than I loved These Violent Delights?! I’m so in love with the characters and the plot and the side characters. I found myself so thoroughly invested in Marshal and Benedikt’s storyline as much as I was in Roma and Juliette.
This was a beautiful end to a beautiful trilogy and it was such a well written book, I will surely be thinking about it for a long time, especially after that ending oh my god.

Our Violent Ends was a brilliant finale to the These Violents Delights duology. As a Romeo and Juliette retelling, a certain ending was expected from this book and Chloe Gong has managed to used these expectations to play us, and keep us on edge until the very end. The characters were all so uniquely characterised, just like the city of Shanghai, which once again was presented as a proper entity, suffering from all the misfortune happening on its territory. This book was a page turner, filled with plot-twists making the reader always want to read more, and the romance, the tension between our main character was palatable. The writing was stunning and full of metaphors, presenting the city of Shanghai in a different light, and the monsters were just as gory, if not more.

Tense, atmospheric & deadly - welcome back to Shanghai!

I enjoyed These Violent Delights far more than I expected to - transporting the star-crossed lovers to a gangster-filled & glamorous Shanghai of the 1920s (with a hint of the fantastical courtesy of a monster spreading deadly insects). That book ended with a monster-shaped cliffhanger and with Roma & Juliette back to loathing more than loving - I was keen to see where Our Violent Ends took them.

Although I didn't reread These Violent Delights first, it feels like Chloe Gong's writing has improved (not to say it was ever bad) - I was pulled into the story straight away and back into the world of 1920's Shanghai. Roma and Juliette continue their missions to uncover who controls the monsters that are terrorizing the city and how it all connects to the wider conflict between the Gangs, the Nationalists, Communists & the foreigners.

One of the things I liked about the first book was how much depth the world had- it wasn't just a simple retelling with rival gangs, there was a depth to the characters and to the politics. Our Violent Ends is a fitting title as we see the old world of the gangsters - the ruling Scarlets and White Flowers- start to fall apart as the greater forces of the Nationalists and Communists set their sights on Shanghai.

The motivations of the characters are all believable and varied as loyalties and blood ties are tested by the new world order- I like that, in there own way, all the characters are trying to do what they think is best and even when their decisions or actions make them "villains" - you can see why they've chosen them.

Without giving away spoilers, I will say that I wanted more info about what happens to some of the characters after the climax - but if it means more sequels then I'm ok with waiting.

Tense, political & atmospheric and filled with characters you'll love and loathe Our Violent Ends is a fantastic conclusion to the story of the star-crossed lovers Roma & Juliette.

What can I say about this book that hasn’t already been said?
What a fitting ending to this duology. Without spoiling anything... this didn’t end exactly as I thought it would, but it was a more perfect ending than I could ever have imagined.
If you loved the writing of THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, settle in, because Gong’s writing has levelled up significantly. It was already lush—now it’s dripping with rich description and weighted by a carefully meted-out emotional character that carries us effortlessly through a dramatic, heart-stopping finale.
I really enjoyed seeing the resolution of each character arc—even though I’m pretty familiar with R&J, I had no idea where anyone was going to end up, which is just how I like it!
All in all, a thrilling resolution that’s left me dying to see what Chloe Gong does next,

This book broke me. You think These Violent Delights was bad ... oh, my sweet summer child, you ain't seen nothing yet.

I love a good bit of Shakespeare, and one of my favourite things about TVD was how skillfully the main plot points of the play were included, but tweaked to fit the new setting, so that even though I'm pretty familiar with the play I was still genuinely surprised. That continues here - so many points I thought I knew how it was going to play out, but then my expectations were turned on their head.

All the favourite characters from TVD are back (well, the ones that survived!) One of the things Chloe Gong does so skilfully is writing morally grey characters that I actually care about - more difficult than you'd think, imo.

If you're reading this, you've probably read TVD and so don't need me to convince you to read the series. If you haven't, then go pick up These Violent Delights now so you can join me in being broken after reading the conclusion to this duology.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars
Our Violent Ends is the sequel to These Violent Delights, a Romeo and Juliet inspired story set in 1927 Shanghai.
I absolutely loved the first book and couldn’t wait to read the sequel the moment I got approved for an eARC! The atmosphere, the setting, time and period in this book was everything. If you loved the first book, this one will blow your mind!

The scheming and the mystery solving is a bit like in the first book, but less present. They have much more on their plates now with the Nationalists and Communists almost at their doors. Because of this, it doesn’t seem like the same is happening as in the first. A lot more focus is on the politics and thus it has a very different feel to it in the best possible way. With the switching POV’s the storytelling was very effective in showing you every side of the story and understanding what was going on in every corner of Shanghai.

Roma and Juliette are both very much like in the first book, but with much more at stake some of their personality shines a bit more. Both are still cunning, calculating, confident and intelligent, but much more do you see the love they have and what lengths they’re willing to go to protect those they love. I was a bit sad that Rosalind and Kathleen were a bit less present in this book, but have hope to see more of them in the next book. I absolutely loved the character arcs of Marshall and Benedikt!! I adore those two! Also, I loved seeing more of Alisa in this book. Most shocking almost was that I felt bad for Tyler in this book…

Honestly, I was super invested in all the characters and kept holding my breath every time something was happening. Loving all the characters also made reading about the relationships and friendships fill me with wonderful joy. The romance was just *chef’s kiss* and I think I liked the friendship between Juliette and Marshall the most of all friendships, it was just precious.

Soo much happened in this book, the twists that I did definitely not see coming and that ending… I full-on sobbed reading it! I can’t really put into words what it made me feel. It is almost like I went on a rollercoaster ride and felt every possible emotion known while reading this book and the ending was just a big fat crashlanding!

Overall, I absolutely loved everything about this book! It felt like more than a retelling, creating a new narrative with wonderful characters and a beautiful and heartbreaking plot.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
tropes: enemies to lovers, faked death
tw/cw: blood, for, violence, suicide, abuse, torture

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!
I was so beyond excited to finally read this and it did not disappoint. This book was so full of conflict and surprised me at every turn. The romance was so beautifully written and the historical Shanghai setting was so incredibly vivid. I also adored the fantasy elements of the book although they were definitely more of a focus in the first one.

-spoilers-
OMIFREAKINGGOD MARSHALL AND BENEDIKT FOREVER HAVE MY HEART
Alisa’s character development was really cute
The string as wedding rings >>>>
Dimitri and Rosalind? was never gonna work out tbh
Celia Lang is my icon stan her

I knew right from the start that I was going to have my heart broken while reading Our Violent Ends and that came true. The angst in this was impeccable, flawless and literally the best thing I've heard. There are some specific scenes that are burnt into my mind and I am sure I will not be forgetting them for a long time. Chloe Gong's writing shines through in this beautifully devastating sequel to TVD, which has become one of ,my favorite reads of this year. There were so many moments that I had to stop reading and let out a scream because of what was going on.
Reading Our Violent Ends was a thrilling experience and I wouldn't change it for anything.

This is my review of the arc of Our Violent Ends
ARC received from Netgalley and author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

So i just finished Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong this morning, and i had to sit and stare into space for 30 mins straight with tears streaming down my cheeks . It was either this or bashing my head into the wall.

I really think this book was better than tvd (yeah EVEN better, its THAT good). The plot was more developed and rest of the characters were more developed. Saying this i have a confession; i didn't really feel a connection with Roma in the these violent ends. His character felt very 2 dimensional to me and the only time he came alive was when he was with Juliette. Moreover, he was secondary to her character, like his sole purpose of existing in tvd was just Juliette. But in OVE? No sir! Roma was phenomenal !! He was written with so much depth i fell in love with him, just as juliette fell in love w him. Don't even get me started on Juliette and Roma together!!! They were, to simply put, HOT!! MY MOMMY AND DADDY! and some of the tropes chloe included??? *evil laugh* You guys are not ready for this book.
I was so happy to see some other surprising povs in here! It tied the whole book together and made me love some unlikable characters (really hate you for that miss chloe).
Now, the ending DESTROYED ME. absolutely utterly straight up broke my heart. And i love chloe for it.
To summarise this was a F*CKING MASTERPIECE, SHATTER YOUR HEART AND SOUL KINDA BOOK.

When I read the 1st book, I couldn’t wait for the this one and now that series is over I just want to cry because the ending damn it. I knew it was going to happen but still there is this hope we have right.

The character so well written and also the loose ends were tied in so perfectly. The story was written in such a beautiful way.
I couldn’t stop reading it.
The ending just broke my heart.

When I found out that my request for this arc had been approved, I was so so excited. I posted about it on Twitter, something that I don’t usually do, and I told a lot of my irl friends about it as well. It shot to the top of my tbr, and the next moment I was in a situation where I could freely choose what to read next, I of course chose this. These Violent Delights was one of my favourite books of 2020, and I needed to see if its sequel would hold up.

To say that it held up would be an understatement!

I adored every single one of the major characters! Juliette continues to be iconic and one of the coolest protagonists I think I’ve ever read about. She could stab me and I’d say thank you. The events of the previous book have affected Roma and Benedikt deeply. Their anger and hatred and Roma’s conflicting feelings for Juliette felt raw and real and were handled really well. In the first book I found that I loved Roma more than I’d expected to, and that love didn’t diminish at all while reading this one.

Books with multiple narrators where you love all the characters and enjoy reading from all of their perspectives are hard to come by, and with so many characters getting at least a couple of chapters from their pov in this there is a risk that some will work better than others, but this was never an issue for me. Roma and Benedikt’s anger, Juliette’s balancing act, Marshall’s aid from the shadows, and Kathleen, Rosalind, and Alisa’s own perspectives on what was happening, and in Kathleen’s case her views on the changing political climate of Shanghai, were all captivating and all drew me in. I even enjoyed Tyler’s chapters, and he’s one of the villains! Writing a strong villain pov chapter is no easy task but Gong made it look effortless. There are also a handful of passages in here with no character focus, where the narration pulls back and gives a more objective description of events. Again, this is something that can be difficult to get right, and Gong absolutely pulled it off.

Have you ever been reading a book during a spare five minutes, reached an Important Scene, and had to stop reading so you could come back to it later when you had more time and could give the scene the attention it deserves? This book was good enough that I was reading it during every spare moment I had, and this exact scenario happened to me a few times. Benedikt and Marshall were the culprits more than once. On a related note, anguished declarations of love are *chef’s kiss*

This is a Romeo and Juliet retelling, and it’s an example of how to do a retelling right. A lot about the story in this duology doesn’t come from the play, and Gong weaves her own story in with aspects of the play so well it feels like this is what the story was always meant to be. Gong also managed to make me way more invested in Roma and Juliette and in their relationship and in them being okay than I’ve ever been in the characters of the original play. It’s all fun and games until you remember that the Romeo and Juliet retelling you’re reading is in fact a Romeo and Juliet retelling.

If you haven’t picked up this duology yet then please do it, you won’t regret it and you will wonder why you didn’t pick it up sooner! I can’t wait for my preorder of the finished copy to come in so I can finally hold it in my hands.

ever since reading these violent delights last year i have been waiting patiently for the sequel, so intrigued as to how chloe gong was going to finish the story of a play we all know incredibly well. let me tell you i was not disappointed, the action, the drama the romance!! 5/5 stars, i can’t wait to read what she writes next!!

I enjoyed These Violent Delights, but as any debut author it was a little hard to get into and be convinced of Roma's and Juliette's relationship, but oh my god, this book. This is a significant improvement from the first book and absolutely destroyed me. I absolutely loved this book and it makes me so happy to see Chloe Gong grow as a writer as finished this book in one sitting. I fell even more in love with the side characters, compares to the first book and the all hold a special place in my heart. I can't wait for this book to be out into the world, so I can have a physical copy in my hands.

Gong has surpassed my expectations. Book one was a dark, seductive ride that thoroughly broke my heart - and book two just stomped all over its smashed pieces. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

once i knew i'd received the our violent ends ARC (god, you should've seen me), i had to immediately start it and i couldn't put it down until i was done. this sequel is everything i was looking for, and more.

first things first, the characters. we get to know a different, darker side to roma, which was one of my favorite things about this book. the sexual and romantic tension is going to drive y'all insane. juliette never fails to entertain me - somehow this book made me love her even more. as for the side characters, you're going to end up loving them just as much. i've adopted marshall as a comfort character and realized i relate to benedikt a huge amount. their relationship is not going to disappoint you either mwahahah.

the plot had me glued to my screen - i was so scared for everything, everyone. chloe gong really went and blew up my expectations. GOD, I WISH I COULD JUST SCREAM ABOUT IT.

it took me this long to write a review because, in all honesty, i loved this book so much i didn't want to "let it go" so soon. and i was still recovering from that ending, which i loved a lot, by the way (even though it had me crying for days).

one of the best books i've read this year! and out very soon! :)
(i need that benmars short story to live)

i feel like i'm a piece of glass that has been broken, not with a stone but with mere words.

Picking up right where These Violent Delights left off, Our Violent Ends is a perfect sequel that wraps up the journey of the two heirs of rival gangs who now have to face new dangers and challenges whilst navigating through the path of love and betrayals. If you were awe-struck with how good the last book was, then you are up for a ride with this. I did not think that my already very high expectations could be exceeded to such great heights. The first thing that caught my attention was how I was instantly captivated with just the first chapter, which was not the case with These Violent Delights. I was just a lot more invested in knowing what happened next that I ended up thinking only about it all day.

I immensely enjoyed how the after-effects of Juliette’s actions in the previous book were shown to us. From Benedikt grieving Marshall’s death and Roma trying to do everything to make him look and feel like a While Flower to Juliette’s burning urge for Roma while also trying to sustain her secrets from everyone, everything was just better from the very start. Though the main plot focus remained on trying to eradicate the monster that had returned, this book also touched upon the uproar of Nationalists and Communists in Shanghai.

“These violent delights have violent ends. You have always known this”

I loved seeing all the characters, especially Marshall and Benedikt, grow in this book. They were just as good, if not better than before. Everyone had great dimension which made them human, and sometimes very relatable. Where do I even start with Roma and Juliette? The amount of tension between them just made you want more. I think it is safe to say that this duology has one of the best executions of the crowd favourite enemies-to-lovers trope. I’m going to stop at that note because I want everyone to experience the rest themselves.

I was also very fascinated by the historical parallels that Our Violent Ends had with real history. Again, as a sucker for brutal history, the brewing civil war and repression and rise of certain groups was very interesting to read. In all sense, these were more terrifying than the lurking monster because they showcased true human nature.

“I will fight this war to love you, Juliette Cai. I will fight this feud to have you, because it was this feud that gave you to me, twisted as it is, and now I will take you away from it.”

Overall, Our Violent Ends is a perfect conclusion to the dark tale of the rival gangs, full of politics and depictions of how truly evil humans can be. But at heart, it is a storey about fighting for love and finding a miniscule ray of hope and the future in a world full of danger and darkness.

I highly recommend you pick up this duology because it is sure to leave you enthralled and shocked to the core but surely satisfied at the end.

“Keep fighting for love”

Content Warnings: Blood, violence, gore, death, murder (including mass murder), alcohol consumption, parental abuse, war themes

Representation: Chinese MC and SCs, Trans woman Chinese character, Korean mlm character, mlm character

I received an arc from Hodder & Stoughton via Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. This did not impact my thoughts in anyway. All the quotes used in this review are from an advance reader copy and may differ in the final publication.

Firstly, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review!

If you enjoyed These Violent Delights you'll love this.. I laughed, I cried (alot). I think it works so well because Chloe has such a unique take on the typical Romeo and Juliet retelling. The characters were even better than the first book, so well written and developed. And the plot was just *chefs kiss*

Did not disappoint!!

Overall - 4.5 stars (rounded up) ⭐

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


I am always wary when I LOVE the first instalment of a duology that the second won’t live up to my expectations - this was NOT the case with Our Violent Ends. It absolutely blew me away. The book gods listened to my pleas and I was lucky enough to receive an ARC, which I devoured immediately. Knowing that it is a re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet I’m not sure why I expected a different ending - but I’m still upset about it. I still haven’t emotionally recovered. 



The year is 1927, and Shanghai teeters on the end of revolution. 

After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on the warpath. One wrong move, and her cousin will step in to usurp her place as the Scarlet Gang’s heir.

 A new monstrous danger emerges in the city and to end the threat once and for all Roma and Juliet must work together. 



This book is so fast paced and action packed. By far one of the most stressful books I’ve ever read - but I loved every second of it. It had twists and turns and I most enjoyed the backdrop, taking us into the heart of Shanghai. 



And did I mention the twists and turns?!



If you haven’t read “These Violent Delights” then stop reading immediately and go grab it. Then pick up a copy of Our Violent Ends released 16/11/2021. You’re Welcome.

As always, a huge thank you to #netgalley and #hodder&stoughton for gifting with me with this ARC!

I am a total romantic at heart, and Romeo and Juliette is one of my favourite Shakespeare plays. Having absolutely loved These Violent Delights, I couldn’t wait for the conclusion of the duology in Our Violent Ends.

The 1920s Shanghai setting, the criminal underbelly of the city and the rivalry between the Chinese and Russian gangs, the broiling unrest and approaching civil war all contributed to the dark atmosphere in this novel. Roma and Juliette are both faced with difficult choices and dangerous situations to navigate. Their morally grey choices add a layer of complexity to the story that gives it a much grittier feel in comparison to the classic. The side characters are well developed and play more central parts in this sequel, and I’ll just add here that Marshall and Benedikt both hold a special place in my heart.

As this is a re-telling, I had the classic at the back of my mind while reading, and it felt like a wild ride, spiralling towards the inevitable end. I devoured the book in a couple of sittings, not wanting it to end, but unable to put it down. A beautiful read, which left me feeling raw and with a massive book hangover. Chloe Gong definitely delivered a brilliant finale to this story, and I can’t recommend it enough!
A massive thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Our Violent Ends was a stunning work that completely immersed me back into Gong’s vividly imagined and morally complex world.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, after falling in love with Roma and Juliette through These Violent Delights. The hype has been real, especially after that cliffhanger. My faith was proven correct though as Gong only raised the stakes in an emotional, brilliant and dark spectacle that filled my heart with joy and despair at the same time.

I loved how we were immediately thrown back in that gorgeously described world where the danger lurks just beneath the surface. Right from the opening page, there’s hints of colonialism and danger, with a nuanced discussion of these overarching themes running through the pages. I loved how Gong wove in strands of political discussion, as well as a wider narrative about colonialism and how that affects marginalised identities. Of course, I adored the way the patriarchy is dissected and taken down, as well as a thoughtful and romantic exploration of gender and sexuality.

As always, Gong has this magical touch to her characters that means you cannot help but fall in love with them. I loved the character development and the way the relationships unfolded over the course of the duology. No one is quite the same as they started off, irreparably changed by the events of these books and the way their political landscape is shifting. This shift is reflected in the writing, which feels strangely but beautifully ethereal and transcendent. There are moments packed full of heart and traces of hope amongst the bloodshed and slaughter that only seem to make the emotional impact hit much more. This is a brutal, bloody book though, with such suspense and tension all the way through. I just sped through the pages, watching the twists and turns unfold with shocking consequences.

All this culminates in an incredible ending. Without giving anything away, it is so ambiguous and beautiful. It felt just perfect, leaving enough to the imagination of the readers.

Our Violent Ends will rip your heart out. Gong has crafted an emotionally devastating masterpiece that beautifully ties the duology together.

Swish.
Can you hear it? Can you hear the sound of my soul leaving my body and departing for greener pastures?
I. Am. Dead.
This book was a mad, scary, rollercoaster, but oh my god it is the ride of your life. Once you start you can’t get off, the only thing you can do is hold on for dear life and just go go go.
I screamed. I giggled. I cried. I laughed. I cried again. I covered my eyes afraid of the words. I reread pages on the spot because I didn’t want to let them go. I couldn't. Not yet.
And that ending. That. Ending.
Now I'm here staring into space and I don't know what to do with myself. Am I supposed to just keep living my life without Roma and Juliette and Marsh and Ben and uuuuuugh?!
The only thing I can say is: go on, go read this beautiful series and come scream at me once you are done.

Thank you NetGalley, Hodder Books and Chloe Gong for gifting me an ARC of this book. I’ll send you all a note of thanks soaked in my tears, along with my next therapy bill (and yes, please, let’s do this again, I need more).

Wowwwwww, I have been waiting a whole year for this and I absolutely adored it! I loved the character development, the twists and turns that continued from book one, and I felt my heart break so much when I got to the end.

This is a phenomenal sequel to These violent delights, the plot starts a few months after and Juliette has saved Shanghai from monsters again. More POVs this time and it will keep you reading as it's fasted paced and at times stressful to read as you just need to know what happens next? Beautifully written you feel like you are part of the story. A perfect ending to the story! 5 stars A must read!

If I had to sum up this book in one word, that word would be: "exquisite". Really that's all there is to say about this book. I will be recommending this series to everyone and anyone, even the people on my lit course who look down on YA novels.

I can’t express how much I loved this books. Chloe had a great beginning as a writer and I can see her bright future. In the ending of this journey we live so many things. You will find yourself screaming, smiling, crying (a lot). Having some Bi panic because you will fall for both main characters Roma and Juliette…. This book was the best way the end the month. I’m definitely recommending this❤️