Things I enjoyed: authentic voices, the setting, the time period, the romance

things I struggled with: the magic ish element, the bug things, seems like something that would have caused worldwide panic and caused a massive genocide to occur or something but somehow no one outside the bubble ever finds out? Definitely visually appealing and creepy but I would have liked to see more logic in their use as a plot device.

A beautiful ending to an exquisite retelling. Despite knowing how the story of Romeo and Juliet ends, the twists and bends to the source material had me constantly second guessing just how Roma and Juliette would meet their fate (that duel, anyone??). The inclusion of political unrest between the Communists and Nationalists provided an intriguing backdrop and helped reinforce just how much violence permeates this world and that of the original play.

What I liked best, and which still carries on from Book 1, is just how much agency everyone has. Instead of believing that only through death can they preserve their love, Roma and Juliette choose to keep fighting for their love. Love for each other. Love for their city and for its people. But of course, Chloe Gong makes her characters far too clever to simply go out with a bang, so while this story has all the makings of a tragedy, what we're left with is an overwhelming, burning sense of hope.

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong is a captivating and romantic tale that is a perfect fit for readers who crave a dark and adventurous story with a strong focus on LGBTQIA+ representation, particularly those who enjoy enemies-to-lovers romances and fantasy elements, as it delves into the complex and tumultuous world of 1927 Shanghai, where secrets, politics, and monsters threaten to tear apart the lives of its protagonists.

The sequel to Our Violent Delights is SO satisfying. It’s a great adventure with lots of nods to Romeo and Juliet. Juliet and Roma are at odds at the start of the story because of certain events at the end of book 1. There’s a new strain of monsters on the loose in Shanghai and new threats from Nationalists and Communists, all while the tension between the White Flowers and the Scarlet Gang heightens. Juliet and Roma are forced to investigate the monsters together-the gangs have been blackmailed by a mysterious unknown entity. It’s a really satisfying story with so many ups and downs. Highly recommend!

Unfortunately this duology, while having a very interesting plot, just wasn’t for me. I felt the prose often got in the way of the story. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me a chance to read and review.

Loved this ending to the duology! I enjoyed the multiple povs -and the ones added- and really like the twisty ending.

I jumped right into this and feel it *might* be better than the first book. The pacing was strong and concluded with all the feels. I loved learning about the history and politics of that time period in Shanghai. My students love this series!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing this advance reader's copy for an honest review.

First, ughhh the ending! It was so good that it hurt so bad! An amazing twist on Romeo and Juliet! However, at times the story stalled with the plot building! Either too much was going on at once or nothing was going on

I am pretty sure Chloe can do no wrong. I've never read a Gong book that I don't absolutely devour and love.

“These violent delights have violent ends, you have always known this.

Chloe Gong somehow masterfully took a story that I think was originally quite dull, and reimagined it to be anything but dull. I think this conclusion to the Romeo and Juliet retelling was a clever balance of familiar yet new. From the first page up until the absolute last page I was hooked. Chloe is just one of the strongest writers of our generation and I absolutely love being able to read the stories that come from her brain.

DNFd because I just couldn't handle the pacing again. I really was hoping it would improve from Violent Delights

I won’t lie. I sat on the sequel because I was afraid to read it. I was afraid that Chloe Gong was going to destroy me by hurting my favorites. And she did! But In the best way. I LOVED this book and I’m so glad I read it.

I will read everything Chloe writes forever.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

I don’t know what it is I am missing with this series but despite really wanting to like it, I can’t get into it. The setting doesn’t feel authentic - neither the time period nor the Shanghai location - and I don’t think it’s any better served by being a R&J retelling. That said, Kathleen is my favorite character and so I do want to read Foul Lady Fortune.

I'm kicking myself in the butt for waiting so long to read this follow-up to These Violent Delight. I absolutely loved every single excruciating, angst-filled, tension-ridden moment, and it was a treat to spend time with these characters (despite the emotional roller coaster it put me through). Chloe Gong's ability to weave history and fiction (with nods to Shakespeare) into a tale so compelling is true magic, in my opinion, and I'm so glad I finally read this conclusion.

A perfect second book to this duology. I cannot recommend it enough and am very excited to buy it for my high school library.

Another propulsive, romantic, lush installment in Chloe Gong's ouvre. Returning to our favorite characters, setting, and feuding felt like coming home (albeit to a pretty dysfunctional one), and I was gasping and turning pages through the twists along the way.

It took my mind a while to get into this book, but it's because the duology is so intricately written. I loved it. The drama, the thriller aspect, the play on Shakespeare's original play, all of it tied together to make for a really good end to the story.

It was such a satisfying conclusion to These Violent Delights! Highlights: strong female characters, interesting setting, monsters and a neatly wrapped up story. Start with These Violent Delights, then finish with Our Violent Ends and finally keep your eyes open for anything that Chloe Gong writes!

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley. Published November 16, 2021.

The emotional damage….

I was a little hesitant because I only liked the first one, but this one blew me away.

Great characters, story, and world.

All I can say is I love this duology!