*Thank you to the publicist at Simon & Schuster for sending me an ARC to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR "THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS"
Picking up from These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends returns us to the amazing and cutthroat city of Shanghai. I really enjoyed how the story played out as a reverse to the first. In the first book, we were really focused on Juliette's POV and her hatred for Roma after his "betrayal", but then the second book takes the complete opposite view, with Roma hating Juliette because he "betrayed" her, when it's not entirely as it seems. I think it was a really well thought idea and it read wonderfully.

I'm really happy we got to see a new side to Roma in this book. I felt like in the first book we never really saw the powerful and callous character that was advertised in the book(if only glimpses) and he was softer while Juliette was the brutal one. But the tables turned in the second, and we got to see the darker side of the White Flower heir. While some characters I learned to love even more in this second book, there were some that I really lost interest in, the twins in particular. They just became very annoying to follow and their choices left me confused. I was also a little disappointed about how at the very end of the story, some of the side characters were sort of forgotten(or very briefly mentioned) and just seemed to disappear. Two characters in particular I really fell in love with and they just left and were only vaguely mentioned when I would have liked to see them stick around until the end. I just think some parts are unfinished, and I was left wanting more.

Overall, though, the pros out way the few cons I had and I'm so very pleased to have been given the chance to read it. Some very unexpected plot twists and plenty of great politics are in the book as well, so if you are into that, then you would love this duology. Chloe Gong managed to put together another gorgeously written masterpiece. Such a satisfying end to this outstanding duology.

4.5/5 Stars

This book is so much more then I hoped it would be. I ended up loving this much more then the first book. There is so much more depth within this book as it develops the world building and characters. This book goes more into the lives of the other members of both the Scarlet and White Flower gangs. Really getting you to know and understand more of the beloved secondary characters Marshall, Alisa, Kathleen, Rosalind, and Benedict.

This book had me on the edge, making it almost impossible to put down. The storyline seemed much more developed then the first as it seemed to move away from the typical Romeo and Juliet retellings. While the first book is targeted as engines to lovers this one is even more so. Like legitimately the definition of enemies to lovers. Chloe has done an amazing job in getting you so invested with her world and characters! I loved this book from start to finish and cannot advocate for this series enough.

Finally getting around to this review!!
OKAY, first of all, I liked this one so much more than the first book! I found it was a lot more detailed, continued the story in a really action-packed and fast-paced way, and had more romance than the first time around. Juliette and Roma's character development is much more believable and nuanced than in the first book, which I found was lacking some background to set up the story. While the ending was a nice twist on the classic Romeo and Juliet tale, I was a little frustrated with it but also happy with it. It made me feel things that's for sure. An excellent excellent sequel! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced ecopy!

THANK YOU Simon & Schuster Canada and #NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of Our Violent Ends in exchange for an honest review. (This review is spoiler free for both These Violent Delights & Our Violent Ends - if you haven't read the duology yet have no fear).

FIVE STARS.

I'm stunned by Chloe Gong's follow up to These Violent Delights, which left me in heavy anticipation of whether the blood feud between Juliette and Roma's respective gangs would be resolved, what would become of the city of Shanghai and the gangsters influenced by the divisive nationalists, communists, and imperialists, and OF COURSE I was dying to know how the personal lives of Juliette, Roma, Marshall, Benedikt, and Kathleen would end up.

From the first page, Our Violent Ends sent my heart straight into my throat. I was torn between wanting to read this book incredibly fast and wanting to be able to experience reading this for the first time as long as possible. (Reading in one day won out - I had to know what would happen!) I was tense the whole time I was reading this book - there were such high stakes and I was so invested in the story. The pacing of the story in this book was even better than the last, (the backstory was established in the first book which certainly helped), but the events flowed well between and it made the book hard to put down. Her writing was BEAUTIFUL. Mostly, I LOVED the characters. The chemistry and the tension between Juliette and Roma was incredible, and I loved the development of Marshall, Benedikt, and Kathleen's storylines. I also loved every nod to Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet - her spin on the tragic romance was unique and wonderfully done.

OKAY I won't say anymore because I am trying very hard not to be spoiler-y and I am still processing the ending. But this book made me cry and I will be rereading. I can't wait to see what Chloe Gong writes next & to talk to people about this book!

If you liked These Violent Delights, you are going to LOVE this sequel. It was so well written and Chloe Gong really delivered all the excitement and suspense that I felt was missing a little bit from the first book. It's such a fantastic end to the duology and I was not prepared for all those plot twists!

Juliette continues to be such a strong, badass character and her relationship with Roma was so well written. All the angst and forbidden love between them was just so fun to read. If you love a good enemies to lovers story, this one is one of my favourites for sure and I really highly recommend it.

The only negative thing I can say is that there were some slower parts that I had a bit of a hard time getting through, which was the same thing that happened in the first book, but overall I really really liked this book! I'm so excited for everyone to read this! I want to hear all your thoughts!

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with an e-Arc of this book!

In my review for These Violent Delights, I said, and I quote, “Rumor has it, in the depths of the Huangpu River, you can find my heart ripped out and torn into shreds.” Well, this time around, my heart has actually been taken out of the river, stitched back up together, carefully massaged, stabbed with every dagger that Juliette owns (which I’m sure is many), and then wrung out, not necessarily in that order. I don’t know how many more times Chloe can alter my brain chemistry before I am a completely new person.

I’m going to say this in the most non-spoilery way possible: This book was a rollercoaster. I felt every emotion on the spectrum and then some. Chloe probably invented new emotions for me to experience while reading this book.

The pacing for this book is definitely faster than that of These Violent Delights. You’re thrown right into the action, because there’s no need for context. Along with the volatile historic backdrop (you’d do well to do some research on 1927 Shanghai + China as a whole), the tensions between characters are higher, you, the reader, are more anxious because this is the second book of a duology based on Romeo and Juliet, and everything is just that much more suspenseful. It’s a high pressure reading experience for sure.

Seeing as this is a Romeo and Juliet retelling, I’d be remiss not to mention the central romance: Roma and Juliette. I don’t know how to articulate into words the amount of feelings I felt while reading about them. Every single line they spoke to each other, every time they were mentioned in the same paragraph, I could feel the tension. I definitely let out some squeals, gasps, and other related noises while reading about them. This implies there’s a lot of angst, which there is, but I can promise you that there is at least some happiness. So, do with that what you will. Just know that you will be rooting for them so so much.

One of the things I wanted to see more in These Violent Delights was more perspectives from characters other than Juliette, whom I do love. In this book, I definitely got what I wanted. I got to do more of a deep dive into Roma’s character and motivations, along with his feelings throughout *gestures at all the things happening*. Moreover, we get more Benedikt, Marshall, and Kathleen! Benedikt and Marshall are absolutely adorable - and that’s all I’m going to say because I’m afraid if I keep going I’ll start running my mouth and reveal something. Chloe has created such a vibrant cast of supporting characters, and I (pun intended) support them all. One that I hold particularly near and dear to my heart is Alisa, because I too am an annoying younger sister who just wants everyone to get along. So that’s some #representation in there too.

That is actually a perfect segue into my next section, which I touched upon in my These Violent Delights review, but: the representation in this book is amazing. I can only speak to the Chinese representation, but I love how Chloe wrote the essence of being Chinese in this book? Obviously there’s lots of different ways to be Chinese and to expect her to be the almighty arbiter of representation is pretty unrealistic, but I thought she did a pretty good job! There’s even the depiction of the setting. A lot of the times, Asian cities are depicted in this incredibly exotified, Orientalist way, but Shanghai is just Shanghai. It feels like a living, breathing, very chaotic city, which it was during the time period that Our Violent Ends takes place.

Moving on, the linguistic representation of this book is so cool to see. Pretty much all the main/side characters in the book are multilingual, and seeing how their character dynamics are established through which language they decide to speak in. Also, Juliette speaking Korean with Marshall pushed the Juliette/Marshall best friends 4eva agenda which is always nice.

I’m sure many of you, as I did before I got my hands (or rather screens) on this book, are scouring these reviews to see how this book ends, and I’ll say this. I remember being on Chloe’s twitter and seeing a tweet that Chloe liked around the lines of, “a good tragedy provides closure. It leaves the readers thinking that it was tragic for a purpose.” That, I think, aptly represents how Romeo and Juliet, the play, ended. Does it represent how the book ended? I can’t say. And not just because I don’t want to give spoilers, but because the ending of this book was so emotionally charged that I cannot assign a single connotation to it. You’ll have to read it to find out.

Now, if you need me, I will be curled up in a corner, re-reading my annotations, and listening to my romajuliette playlist.

“It was a city divided by names and colors and turfs, but all bleeding the exact same shade of violence”

Wow. This book started off with a bang, I honestly knew that this was going to surpass the first book and definitely be my favourite before I even finished chapter one. I was already feeling all the feels and emotions and I just knew I was in for a ride.

Roma has turned himself into someone to be feared, killing scarlet gang members as a way to cope with Marshall’s ‘death’ and extract revenge. Juliette is living with the consequences of this lie to keep everyone safe. Chloe Gong really turned the tables and now Juliette is in Roma’s shoes this time. If you think you are prepared you aren’t!


“In the event of my death, release them all”

The story continues with the news that the scarlet gang is being blackmailed for months wanting money in exchange for not letting out another monster, in fact there are now five monsters.

“No longer is the madness a contagious matter. The madness strikes at will now”

This book was absolutely amazing, where it started off is very far from where it ended. I feel this book was a lot more plot driven, we learn a lot more about the politics of Shanghai but at the same time we also get a deep dive into all of the characters. I feel I learned a lot more about each character and I grew attached to all of them, this book definitely will have a special place in my heart for a long time with this amazing group of characters.

“These violent delights have violent ends”

This book has such pace and cadence that no other retelling has which is why I have nothing but good things to say. When reading a retelling it is hard to follow usually since the characters and plot are not new to you, but in both TVD and OVE I found myself still surprised, and impressed with the depth of the characters. My only gripe with the title is that the formatting was off on my kindle and all the drop caps/ chapter heads didn't display properly, but that is easily fixed so no worries! I will be posting a full review on my socials around pub date!

A high stakes conclusion to a thrilling YA duology.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Our Violent Ends and I thought it did, in general, a good job of wrapping up the story set in place in These Violent Delights. Despite this, I enjoyed the first one more, but I can’t say whether or not that is an objective indication or not: I read the first book last February, when I had just gotten back into reading and the typical books I picked up were quite different: I read quite a lot more YA, for example, then than I do now. Disclaimer done!

One of my favourite parts of both books in the duology is without a doubt the characters. The author is not afraid to create big and bold personalities for her characters, and, consequently, they are all very distinctive and recognizable. It is very easy to fall in love with them upon meeting them (or instantly loathe them), and root for them through their ups and downs, even when they may be on different sides of situations. She also puts in place great character development, and it is easy to see the nuanced growth in many characters from the start of book one to the end of this book. Some personal favourites of mine are - without spoilers! - Juliette (of course), Roma, Benedikt, Alina, and Kathleen. I am also very excited to see (again, no spoilers!) the character who is hinted to be the lead in her next book, and I thought the set up for that was super intriguing and definitely wanted me to read more. Sometimes, when authors try to set up more spin off novels it feels inauthentic, but the lead into the sequel series felt very natural and deserved at the end of Our Violent Ends.

As well, I really enjoy Chloe Gong’s prose. She alternates between her standard writing style and a slightly more formal, poetic prose during specific mood setting chapters, and I thought that this was a very interesting way to show world-building and create atmosphere.

I think my most major gripe with this book were pacing issues, particularly in the first half of the book. While the book’s ending was riveting and fast-paced, the first half and a bit was very, very slow and disengaging. As well, it felt as though the plots introduced in book one were significantly more disjointed than in the previous book, which led to a jarring feeling when switching between chapters and perspectives. I also feel like a certain plot thread was left a bit to the wayside in this book, which was a bit unfortunate. I think the plot Gong decided to focus on here was stronger, but I wish she had wrapped the other plot up a bit more in the first book so it wasn’t as confusing why so little was happening with regards to it.

Without saying any spoilers, the ending of the book was fantastic. Knowing this was a loose retelling, I was very interested to see what choices Gong would make in regards to how the book closed, and I was extremely impressed! The ending was without a doubt the strongest part of the book - I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! As I mentioned before, it also does a good job of setting up the spin off series that is currently in the works.
I encourage you to seek out the reviews by Chinese and Korean readers for a more nuanced review of the cultures represented in the novel. As a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, I found the representation of the queer characters to be very well written, however I would again encourage you to seek out MLM and trans reviewers for more nuanced interpretations of the specific identities represented in the book.

Overall, this was a very strong conclusion to Chloe Gong’s debut duology. If you enjoyed These Violent Delights, its sequel is definitely also worth a read!

Loved the book as a whole, the characters and the plot were all well thought out, but a few things really didn't right, with the spy being who it was, it didn't feel like there was enough set up for it. But the thing that I really didn't like, was the ending. I love the two main characters and wished they had gotten a better send off, and even if they left it a little open ended, it really wasn't. I wish they had a better send off as this was their last story.

Overall Rating: 5 stars

This was seriously one of the most stressful books I’ve ever read, but I loved every second of it. These Violent Delights was one of my favourite reads of this year so far and ever since I finished it I’ve been itching to read the sequel. While I did love These Violent Delights, I found myself way more invested in this book. It took me a little bit to get adjusted to the world in the first one, but with Our Violent Ends, I was addicted right away.

I’m so obsessed with the way that Chloe Gong took the themes, plots, and characters from Romeo and Juliet and shaped them into her own. Every single character in this was so well thought out. Juliette is literally the coolest person ever. I became so much more attached to the characters in this and it definitely hurt. And oh my god don’t even get to start on Roma and Juliette’s relationship. “Enemies to lovers” is certainly one of the most popular tropes in Young Adult literature at the moment but I have a hard time finding books in which it’s actually done well and here, it’s done perfectly. The chemistry and tension between Roma and Juliette are off the charts. The scenes between the two of them in this were literally everything. We were given the content we deserved! Romajuliette fans you will not be disappointed, I promise.

Aside from the characters, the stakes in this were incredibly high, my heart was racing so fast while reading. I may have even audibly gasped a few times. The plot and writing grab you in and don’t let you go. As for the ending, I swear Chloe Gong took my heart out and stomped on it. I cried for way longer than I should have afterward. It’s going to take me a while to fully process it, I’m never going to get over it.

This was everything I wanted it to be and more for the conclusion of one of my new favourites series. It had me going through almost every emotion out there, I swear. And again, these characters literally have me in a chokehold I love them so much. It was everything I wanted it to be and more for the conclusion of one of my new favourites series. Please go get yourself a copy in November, you won’t regret it.

"It was this city, divided by names and colors and turfs, but all bleeding the exact same shade of violence."

Upon finishing this book I went through a myriad of emotions. I was heartbroken, hopeful, distraught, and longing for more. Our Violent Ends ripped my soul in the best way possible.

These Violent Delights was a stand-out read for me, I simply cannot compare it to any other books out there because it stands in a category all its own. The characters become so real, their problems and heartache portrayed so vividly that you can hear their voices and see their faces as you read. Chloe Gong truly gifted us a masterpiece when she began typing on her keyboard and the story began to form.

Looking back on all the passages I highlighted and all the moments that captured me the most, they were the moments when the characters break down to their truest self. Watching Juliette realize she is living a facade, seeing Roma grapple with whom he loves and the pain they caused him, or reading as Kathleen finally embraces who she really is, these were moments so beautiful and accurate to the human experience that I couldn't help but pause and reread those moments and try to cherish them for just a bit longer.

Not only did Gong create an unbelievable cast of characters, but she also painted such a stunning portrait of life in Shanghai in the 1920s. The hustle and bustle of the city mixed with the political and social unrest created such a unique story for these characters to exist in. We saw the characters pushed to their limits and Chloe did a fabulous job allowing us to experience the animosity that was occurring in Shanghai through their adventures. The added plot point of the bugs infesting the bodies of men and women alike painted a raw picture of how easily humanity can be changed and influenced in the name of preserving peoples or saving one group from another. We see so many dichotomies in this book, but most importantly, The Scarlets against the White Flowers. Their struggles with each other can be extrapolated to represent so many issues within our own modern society, and Juliette and Roma must figure out if they can separate what they grew up in with who they are now.

"'I'm not saving this city because it is good,' she said carefully, 'Nor am I saving it because I am good. I want it safe because I wish to be safe. I want it safe because safety is what is deserved, goodness or wickedness alike.'"

The stakes are increased, tensions are high, and the end is almost here. Our Violent Ends was exactly what I needed to end Juliette and Roma's story. It was poetic and justified and packed just the right amount of punch to have a lasting impact on readers. Chloe Gong's writing style is evocative and magical, and I loved finding the small references to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I am eager to see what she comes out with next, because I am sure it'll be truly extraordinary.

Fans of historical romance and enemies to lovers, look no further than Chloe Gong's stunning duology, These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends.

"Only he knew that if he screamed I hate you, what he really meant was I love you. I still love you so much and I hate you for it."

my heart aches. i can’t believe i got the chance to get an ARC to this book, i’m so so grateful (but also pissed, didn’t need to get into a big roller coaster of emotions rn <3) to simon and schuster Canada, ily guys.

ANYWAY. `our violent ends’ e was an extraordinary book!! no slow moments, lots of ennemies, daggers and gun, but also cutesy stuff. it was a perfect mix of both. i was "ohh" and "ahhh"-ing in every chapter and i was SO invested in this intense book.

i suck at doing proper book reviews but i recommend These Violent Delights so so much if you like retellings, fantasy, ennemies to lovers, LOTS of threatening scenes, and also the most loveable, badass, iconic et funny characters ever. Juliette and Marshall owns my heart like wtv marry me already yk

i can’t wait for y’all to read it this november, brace yourself and take the day off. you’re going to want to binge it in a day.

I was kindly given an e-ARC of this book through NetGalley to read and review.

Let me just start out by saying that if you think you are prepared for this book, no you’re not.

The highly anticipated sequel of These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends is a fast-paced, high-stakes, heart-wrenching ride, and I loved it.

Picking up in the new year of 1927, the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers, more specifically Roma and Juliette, are once again enemies and the city is once again in upheaval. Monsters are still on the loose and the city inches ever closer to civil war. Juliette teeters on a precarious edge as she keeps secrets, tries to maintain her place as heir, and save her city from monsters and ruin. Roma is reeling from the shock of betrayal from Juliette and vows to do whatever it takes to make it right. As our star-crossed lovers circle around each other, they must do what they can to save not only their city and way of life, but also their hearts from destruction.


Chloe Gong does it again.

This sequel is wild, my friends. It is everything I wanted it to be. Chloe Gong is an expert at creating tension and high stakes. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book. Even though I know the story of Romeo and Juliet, I never knew exactly what was going to happen in this book and I loved that.

There’s a very particular writing style in these books. It jumps from different perspectives mid-chapter, but in a way that isn’t confusing, and in fact, I think, serves the storytelling quite well.

I think what’s unique about her writing in this duology is that it has a narration quality to it, and it reminds me of the prologue speech in Shakespeare’s R+J a little bit. I just absolutely adore how Chloe Gong went above and beyond in this retelling, capturing the story in vivid detail while making it into something entirely new and exciting.

She uses language that feels robust and fantastical. Every word and sentence structure feels intentional and purposeful, it all really helps the storytelling and makes it feel complete and fully realized.

In addition, her use of character is gorgeous. These people feel real and visceral. They’re wonderful re-imaginings of the original characters, and each is integral to the story and the chain of events that leads to the ending.
They are quick to grab you and make you fall utterly in love with them and fear for their safety.

I love Roma and Juliette so much, their whole relationship and every interaction is just, chefs kiss

I also really loved how she changed some of these characters and their roles, particularly Rosalind, Benedict, and Marshall. I think the changes were really good choices that upped the storytelling. As an actor, my mind works in a particular way that causes me to think about motivations and tactics, and the changes made to these characters created such strong motivations for their actions, it was really juicy to read. I loved it.

Another really wonderful aspect of this retelling was the world. It was one of my most favourite parts of this book. Chloe Gong mixes real history with fiction to create something so vivid and personal.

I really loved the choice to set this story in a city with such rich and also quite violent history. It enhanced the retelling, adding amazing detail to the story, creating conflict for the characters and a direct involvement in how the story played out. It just fits with the classic story of Romeo and Juliet so beautifully. But, we also got a story based/inspired on some very real events, and that led to some representation and conversations around some incredibly important themes such as colonization and human rights. It was a really great addition and so wonderful to see in this story and I really appreciated that.

This sequel is on fire. It’s tense in the best way and will have you questioning where it will go. It twists and turns and hardly lets up right until the end and you’ll be sitting on the edge of your seat the entire book.

At times, I had to set this book down and take a breather because the stakes are just so high all the way through, but it made me feel so many things and I was so gripped and attached to the story and the characters.

When I tell you that you aren’t ready for this book, it’s because I think it will exceed your expectations and probably drive you a little bit feral.

I cannot wait to see what Chloe Gong comes out with next. This duology has cemented her as one of my favourite authors.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

If you’re familiar with the story of Romeo and Juliet this duology is a blast to read, it takes the original story and amps it up to a whole other level. I highly recommend it.
Our Violent Ends comes out on November 16th and it’s one you don’t want to miss.

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for an eARC of ‘Our Violent Ends’!

This book is brilliant. Period. Read it, read it, read it.

I honestly do not think I can say enough good things about this entire duology—and even then it would not do justice to this incredible piece of writing Chloe Gong has given us. The setting. The history. The diverse cast of characters and viewpoints. All the little nuanced references from Shakespeare’s original ‘Romeo and Juliet’ (and I am sure I only caught half). The never ending twists and turns that constantly kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat. No joke: the full final 200! pages had me on the verge of a heart attack from the pure STRESS of it all!!! 😱 And then that beautiful, poignant ending.

Again and PLEASE: Read. This. Book. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (I cannot give it enough stars!)

I finished this in ONE day. Absolutely AMAZING. I think may even like it more than the first book of this duology, These Violent Delights. Chloe gong has now been added to my list of favourite authors. As well as This duology, going into my list of favourite series. And I can't wait for Foul Lady Fortune to come out. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a digital ARC of "Our Violent Ends" in exchange for an honest review.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book from Netgalley.
Wow, wow, wow.
Those are really the only words I have to describe this book. This book took everything that was wonderful about the first one, and just turned it into such a beautiful, character-driven story that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Which is honestly quite difficult for a retelling to do.
I won't post any spoilers here, but I will say that while the characters absolutely made this book, I was also totally enraptured by the political and historical landscape. It serves as an amazing (fictional) snapshot during a tumultuous time in Chinese history - and one that I know very little about. It definitely made me want to do some serious googling.
Anyways....I loved it.

Our Violent Ends

5/5 Stars

Shakespeare has been real quiet since Chloe Gong wrote THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS and OUR VIOLENT ENDS. He’s quaking seeing the power Chole Gong has over us.

If I could give this book more than 5 stars, you bet your asses I would be giving it an unlimited amount of stars. I almost cried when I realized I was reading it. There’s nothing that beats the feeling of this level of excitement for a conclusion of a story, but the bittersweet tang of knowing that it’s coming to a close.

I couldn’t put this down, and when I did have to put it down, it’s all I could think about. This book put me through all the emotions, all five stages of grief, made me cry, made me yearn with our favorite characters. I genuinely felt like a girl with a corkboard and red string trying to piece the plot twists together, it was great.

Once again, this book was written with the prose of a true poet. The descriptions, the dialogue, the banter, the underlying emotions, my heart can’t take anymore but can’t get enough of this beautiful duology.

I can’t get over this book, It was darker than These Violent Delights, but in the best ways. It had more political intrigue, more betrayal, more regret, more hate, more yearning, more love. It reminded me why I love romance in books, it made me feel with the characters.

This is forever, forever a book I wish I could read for the first time again and again.

Astra inclinant, sed non obligant

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to have an ARC of this beautiful retelling in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars
Our Violent Delights is a worthy conclusion to this duology and overall a gorgeous story. My thoughts on it are very similar to my thoughts on the first book. My main point is simply that I love Chloe Gong's writing style. This book specifically was full of gorgeous quotes. I'm a huge fan of Chloe Gong's commitment to incorporating social issues into her stories, and I love the way she retells Romeo and Juliet. She chooses to leave/change the perfect amount of details, and usually references the things that she changes, which is super satisfying as a reader who has also read Romeo and Juliet. My main complaint for These Violent Delights was simply that I didn't think there was enough romance for a Romeo and Juliet retelling. I found the romance in Our Violent Ends to be much more satisfying, and there were quite a few moments that literally had me on the brink of tears (not always even because they were sad, but because they were so beautifully written and I was getting nervous about the ending). The only thing I really didn't enjoy about this book was the miscommunication during the first act due to Juliette's lie at the end of the last book. Don't get me wrong, it was well written, and all the character's motives made sense, I just hate the "miscommunication/lying for the greater good" trope. Lastly, I'll briefly mention the ending. This duology is definitely one that should be read without spoilers, so all I'll say is that I am satisfied with this ending, as I know I would have been no matter what. I trust Chloe Gong's writing enough to be confident that she could have ended this series in almost any way, and I'm sure she would have done it justice. Overall, I'm really glad I picked up this duology. Admittedly, it took me a while to really get into These Violent Delights, but Our Violent Ends had the perfect amount of tension, and had me hooked from the very first page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

An excellent conclusion to this duology. Chloe Gong takes Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and transplants the tale of star crossed lovers to post-colonial Shanghai on the verge of revolution. Fast paced, romantic and devastating!