These Violent Delights: the fierce, heart-pounding and achingly romantic fantasy retelling of Romeo and Juliet

I was kindly gifted a copy of this ebook by Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So thank you so so much!When I initially heard about These Violent Delights, all I knew was that it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in a 1920’s Shanghai. For me that was enough to get excited and immediately pre-order. I have always been a huge fan of the forbidden romance/enemies to romance tropes, so Romeo and Juliet was always up my street.I didn’t know much more about this one until I received the ARC, so I was extremely pleased to find that not only was it an R&J retelling but also containing a murder mystery, monsters, and gangsters.The thing that really captured me was the writing style. I was immediately drawn in to the 1920’s Shanghai and politics surrounding the story itself. I found it informative without even realising, with the rich descriptions I felt as if I were there myself at times.In regards to the story I really enjoyed it, it dived right into the action and was easy to follow, there was little hidden in regards to the gory deaths and that made it all the more exciting. Although we immediately knew the cause of these deaths it was still surrounded in mystery and remained that way until the very last page, being 464 pages (according to Goodreads) the expectation would be that we would get an early reveal or after some time it would become a little predictable or even dare I say it a bit boring. But I was still as hooked as I was when I first started. The one thing I love about the mystery's is trying to predict the killer, but I had no chance with this one. Characters were introduced so intricately that you didn’t question their motives until everything became clear at the end.Throughout the book various plot holes arise, mentions of the past we do not know about but so desperately want to, they are revealed neatly at the end in a way which fits the story, rather than simply info dumping.I loved the ending, it was suspenseful, everything came to together and set up book 2 perfectly. My only issue is that by reading this ARC I now have even longer to wait for the sequel!I liked being able to recognise the characters from the play, being such a big family on both sides I found it easier to keep track of each one and their relevance to the plot. I felt we saw more of the Cai’s rather than the Montagov’s, so although I feel I have a pretty good idea of Juliette’s family with Roma I still feel a little unsure. But I am hoping this is something that can be looked into more in the sequel. However I do have to say that this replicates their relations to their family perfectly.We become immediately aware that although both are in line to take over from their family only one is more comfortable doing so. Only Juliette was trying to fit into the role which was almost being taken from her, whereas with Roma, I can’t recall more than a single instance that he was actually at his family home, unstinting to continue on with the reigns being passed onto him.Speaking of characters, I enjoyed the diversity. I will admit I did get a little confused with Kathleen’s past, when they spoke about the death of a sister, I assumed it referred to Kathleen in her being transgender. However when another sister was mentioned I did get a bit lost. I am planning to re-read this once the book is released, and since I have a physical copy I think it will make it easier to keep track of what may have happened.I loved the closeness of both families, Roma with his cousin and friend, and their slow building romance between them. And also Juliette and her cousins. Aside from Roma and Juliette I think Marshall and Benedikt’s relationship was a big favourite of mine, I loved the friendship and the banter they had, but also when it was suggested there was more to it.Ultimately the build up between Roma and Juliette was so frustrating, but at the same time I don’t think it could have happened any other way. I loved how long it took for them to trust each other fully again, with the combination of not knowing what had happened between made it all the more interesting to read on.Overall I loved the book, I felt it was executed perfectly and was more than I was hoping for in every way. I do have some theory regarding book 2, there was a mention of a traitor but nothing more was said so I am hoping this is going to be a bit plot point in the sequel. I have an idea on who I think it may be, so time will tell!My only issue that I had, and it was a relatively small one considering was with the bugs. Naturally we don’t know a lot about the bugs however, I wanted to know how they knew that by killing the host the bugs would also die. There was a lot of talk of killing this monster to save everyone (which was pretty important) but no one really thought about what they would do if the bugs weren’t affected, or even if they couldn’t kill it.Again its not a bit issue at all, I am pretty hopeful we will find out more in book 2!

These Violent Delights is a loose reimagining of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Set in 1920’s Shanghai, the blurb gave me high expectations! ’Gangs, romance, monsters?! This book is a bit of me’ I thought. Having said this, it took me longer than usual to read this story and, despite having finished it, I am still unsure how I feel about it.I must start by saying that it is nice to read something set in Shanghai. I certainly haven’t read enough literature set in China. I knew very little about China (And, by extension, Shanghai) when I first picked up this book, and can confidently say that I have learnt a lot.Gong herself admits in the Author’s Note that much of the book is based on history. The 1920’s was a time of political unrest in Shanghai, and it really was split (Although not by a blood feud, but by colonization of particular areas). Shanghai grew lawless and really was controlled by gangsters. Hunger, wage depreciation and terrible working conditions did incite hundreds of strikes. Finally, Russian refugees, fleeing the Russian Civil War, did constitute a large population of Shanghai’s citizens. What I found particularly inspired was the connection Gong drew between the story and the reality. In the story, people were dropping dead because of a monster. In reality, people were dropping dead because of the aforementioned riots, gangs and starvation.I also knew very little of Romeo and Juliet (Excepting the basic plot that young people are taught in school) This review really is highlighting my lack of knowledge! However, surely -being based on this Shakespearean tale- there is no need for a sequel. Without spoiling the story, neither of them die in this book. Everyone knows that Juliet and Romeo die in the original tale, ending the feud between their families. Anticipating that the second book in the duology, Our Violent Ends, will bring about their deaths in much the same manner, there is no driving desire to read it.

This is a brilliant retelling of Romeo and Juliette set in Shanghai in 1926. Roma Montagov, heir to a Russian mafia family, the White Flowers and Juliette Cai, daughter to the head of the Chinese drug cartel, the Scarlets. Roma and Juliette met young, fell in love but were cruelly separately by Roma's betrayal which led to deaths on both sides. Juliette leaves Shanghai to live the high life in New York while Roma remains behind.Juliette returns and tensions between the rival families are at an all-time high. However, a new threat arises with dire consequences for both the White Flowers and Scarlet gangs. A mysterious affliction is sweeping through their members and making them claw their throats out in a sudden onset of madness. Roma and Juliette must set aside their animosity and distrust and work together to find a solution. Their investigation uncovers a powerful supernatural foe at the heart of the contagion. As the deaths pile up, tension rises between the ex-lovers which force them to confront their unresolved feelings and the trauma of their pasts. Will they find the solution before it's too late and can move past their differences to rekindle their love?This was a 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 read for me as I loved the attention to detail given to the backstory and world-building at the start which set the stage for a gripping and addictive plot. The fresh take on the Shakespearean story was incredibly creative and I found that both the main characters as well as the supporting roles were beautifully written with complex backgrounds, motivations and diverse personalities. The sexual tension jumped off the page and the visceral love story between Roma and Juliette was both riveting and emotional to read. I loved the Shanghai backdrop with its rich Chinese customs and cultural references as well as the historical elements of the rise of communism and the interference of foreign powers of that time which were incorporated into the plot. This added more depth and realism to the story.