WARNING: This review DOES contain SPOILERS!!
These Violent Delights
The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.
A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love… and first betrayal.
But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.
Our Violent Ends
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 a mission. 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.
These Violent Delights: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Our Violent Ends: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
And we're back with more books that BookTok forced me to read! In all seriousness, this book was amazing and I can tell why everyone on TikTok loves it so much. Of course, we love to support our amazing TikTok authors as well ❤️. These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends were the books that I never knew that I needed until I read them. Normally, I don't like reading things that are overly romantic (although recently my tastes have changed 😂) but Roma and Juliette's story was EVERYTHING.
First of all, the setting is GORGEOUS. 1920's Shanghai? Yes please! I loved how Chloe describes her worlds. Through her words, she was able to perfectly paint a picture in my mind of exactly where the characters were. I especially loved her descriptions of the buildings Roma and Juliette go into. I seriously felt like I was right there with them!
Both of these stories have an incredible plot. Of course, if you know the story of Romeo and Juliet, you will be able to follow along pretty well. Even if you don't know the classic Shakespeare story, you will definitely be able to enjoy the story! My favorite thing about retellings is being able to see the similarities between the original story and the story that the author puts on the page. TVD and OVE are perfect because they follow the story of Romeo and Juliet, but Chloe completely makes the story her own.
I loved the emphasis on the side characters that we really don't get to see in Shakespeare's writing. Especially Tybalt! Now, I am a little partial since I played Tybalt myself in a Shakespeare Upside Down production that my school put on 😆. And who wouldn't want to be Juliette! She is an incredible character who shows the many sides of being a female and a female protagonist. Roma is quite literally the most perfect love interest to ever be written in the history of modern literature, let me tell you. He is the definition of "lover not a fighter." It was absolutely devastating to see him turn into a cold person in OVE, but he comes back and all is well. I liked that this story included more of Marshall and Benedikt. I was super interested with them in TVD, so I was pleased that OVE featured more of them.
Both of these amazing books had me on the edge of my seat for the entire time. I was turning pages with an inhumane speed. I did want to throw both books against the wall at some points (looking at you, OVE) but I think that's part of what makes a book so amazing. Now, should I have seen the ending coming from a mile away? Yes. Was I still shocked? Absolutely. Go devour this book right now, nerds! I cannot recommend it enough!
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