Disclaimer: I was provided an early copy of the book by the publisher. This has not influenced my opinions of the book. My review remains impartial and is based on the early copy, which may differ from the final, published version.

Our Violent Ends is the sequel to Chloe Gong’s outstanding Romeo and Juliet retelling These Violent Delights. Set in an elaborate, energetic 1920s Shanghai, Our Violent Ends continues to follow the heirs of two Shanghai gangs, the Scarlets and the White Flowers while new threats, powers, and dangers emerge.

Our Violent Ends undoubtedly demonstrates Chloe Gong’s proficiency and growth as a writer. Where These Violent Delights has been described as daring and dazzling, Our Violent Ends has proved to be thrilling and explosive from the first page to the last and is laced with vivid, engaging imagery, an energetic plot, and characters written in a deliberate way that keeps readers wanting more.

Throughout Our Violent Ends, Chloe manages to effortlessly capture the energy and life in a specific moment in time with her writing, which she uses to make these moments and stories feel mind-blowingly real. Not only can Gong capture the energy and life in her stories, she can also seamlessly paint vivid and cinematic pictures. Our Violent Ends reads like an early Scorcese movie in all of the best ways, it is dramatic, stylized in a way that is neither overt or underwhelming, leaves us drawn and connected to the world, characters, and story. Additionally, the character and plot development intertwines human emotions with political storylines to sculpt an addictive and breathtaking book.

A phenomenal sequel.
This book had everything necessary to keep the readers at the edge of their seat. The first book seemed to have very similar feedback of how it was more plot driven rather than character driven. I can assure you Our Violent Ends contained both in the most amazing way.
This duology has easily become one of my most favorite reads ever. The plot was neatly carried out, with the devouring enemies to lovers romance between Roma and Juliette that caught my heart in shackles. Chloe Gong is one of the most talented authors of this generation, a huge thank you to her for creating such an amazing story that has left me stressed, heartbroken and immensely satisfied.

I enjoyed reading this fast paced, gripping, action packed book set in the back drop of gang wars in Shanghai around 1920s. The book is dramatic. It might break your heart into pieces but you might like it. It is a rollercoaster ride with gun fights, knives to the neck, enemies turned lovers and it was difficult to put down. I recommend this book to all action fiction lovers.

Anyone thinking of writing an enemies to lovers story, go take notes from the queen, her royal highness Chloe Gong because this book was let’s just say eventful. It was amazing, leaving my jaw on the floor. It took me a while to read for all the times I had to put the book down since everything was exciting and unreal. I had too much hope for the characters which really broke me by the end, but the overall story was a rollercoaster of emotions.

One of the best things in the second book compared to the first was the enemies to lovers content. I mean dramatic shootouts, knife to throat and gun to head, “I hate you” and then not even two lines later a whole make out scene before they realize what’s happening. (small tiny spoiler: it had a missed opportunity with a one bed trope). Other than that, the drama and the events were perfect.

In my opinion, Roma and Juliette exist, them being the symbol of love and full offence to Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliette are nothing.

Holy smokes, this was amazing. Gong really pulled out all the stops to write this sequel and I was so enthralled the whole time. While I enjoyed “These Violent Delights”, I felt as if there were elements that could have been refined, specifically: characterization, pacing and writing voice. However, I had faith in Gong as she was a debut author who, I believed, with experience would hone her craft in a way that was well balanced but unique to her. I was not disappointed. So much happens in this book and yet reading it doesn’t feel like a chore. Every chapter, Gong weaves in more tension and the stakes become higher; you just have to know what happens next. Unlike the first book, I didn’t feel a lull in the story nor did I feel like anything was stretched longer than it should have. In the calm between the storms, Gong’s romantic prose shined, making me wish that the first book had more moments of tenderness. Not only did she improve upon pacing, Gong really fleshed out the characters in this novel. I, as a reader, began to care more about Kathleen, Benedict and Marshall. I was invested in their own struggles and enjoyed the moments where Gong let us slip into their perspective. The characters became more dynamic and, more importantly, you could see their evolution from the start of the duology up until its final pages. The ending is bittersweet, but one cannot expect anything less in a Romeo and Juliet retelling. More importantly, the ending fits the characters and I couldn’t be more satisfied with how Gong chose to close this chapter in these characters lives.

Personally, I’ve already been recommending this series to friends and customers alike, I think everyone is sick of me talking about this series. I can’t wait for this sequel to be out so that I can urge people to binge it like I did and for newcomers to discover this duology. Gong deserves all the hype that has been circulating Booktok and I can’t wait to see what’s to come.

4.5

Many authors face underwhelming sequels, but this did not disappoint. In fact, I found this better that These Violent Delights. Chloe Gong's development as an author is clear in this book as she manages to mesh the politics, and relationships and fantasy elements together seamlessly. Not only that but she manages to handle multiple point of view changes throughout each chapter and throughout the entire book in an organised manner, none of it felt forced or unnecessary.

The first book took me a while to get into, but this one, as I've seen other people say, had me hooked straight from the beginning. Maybe it's because I was anticipating the sequel, maybe it was because I was already invested in the story, but either way, this story starts quickly and drags you along for the ride.

The characters in this book are *chef's kiss* I loved them so much. Yes I loved them in the first book, but as with any series, they get better over time and learning more about them made me love them so much more. After the way things ended in the first book, most of the characters we see are going through it. The way that their relationships were broken down and rebuilt and the ways that these characters were emotionally wrecked and reformed throughout the sequel was done impressively well (but also emotionally wrecked me). With such a large cast of characters it can be hard to make sure each character gets enough screen time (page time?) to show their full development, but Chloe Gong used those almost 500 pages to do it, and she did it well.

This was a very satisfying sequel to a wonderful first book and I cant wait for other people to get their hands on this book so I can yell at them about the entire thing (but mostly the ending :') As I said, I was emotionally wrecked.)

4.5 Stars

"These violent delights have violent ends."

We all know how the play Romeo and Juliet ended so it was a given that I was a nervous wreck long before picking up Our Violent Ends. I loved These Violent Delights (see my review here) and I care too deeply for the characters that I wouldn't and couldn't think of how will I manage if Chloe Gong choose to end this duet the same way the original play by William Shakespeare did. (For the record, you will not get a confirmation from this review whether Chloe Gong followed the same ending or not.)

Our Violent Ends was a wild and beautiful ride from start to finish. Chloe Gong didn’t bother with pleasantries and just jumped into action from the very start which was an amazing way to keep the readers alert and paying attention. I may or may not have had multiple heart attacks while reading this - the violence, gore, hate, tension and angst was through the roof!

Like the first book, the story relied heavily on politics and monsters and was written with beautiful metaphors. The political intrigue was more apparent with more players on the board vying for power and control. The plot was full of substance and was very close to the reality of Shanghai's history in 1927. Racism, homophobia, colonization, blood feuds and civil war were some of the topics in addition to the romance. Bring out google translate, you would need it.

The dialogue was wonderful and some of my favorites were between Juliette and her Dad - although I wouldn't want to have their kind of relationship personally, I still found it entertaining that made me laugh.

"I said I wanted you dead, [...] I never said I didn't love you."

The romance - chef's kiss! Roma and Juliette's wheel of enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers to enemies kept on turning but it never gets old. There's so much intensity and angst compared to book 1 and I must say this is an enemies to lovers done so well. The side character's romance was also beautifully done and I wished there was more.

"Keep fighting for love. It is worth it."

My favorite character development in the duology is defintely Kathleen's. I was rooting for her eversince These Violent Delights and she made me so very proud. Her storyline was inspiring, she's one hell of a character to watch out for.

Our Violend Ends was a great ending that I would highly recommend. I shed a lot of tears and emotions reading this story, I would warn you to brace yourself but nothing will ever prepare you for this ride.


Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster Canada and Netgalley for providing me an advanced digital copy to review.

One of the best books I've ever read. Our Violent Ends is the sequel to These Violent Delights, a Romeo and Juliette retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, and I'm not kidding when I say it is one of, if not the best sequel I've ever read. The story had already hooked me from the minute I finished the first chapter. I feel like this was better than the first book, as much as I loved it, for many reasons.

The plot for sure picked up a lot faster, there was always something going on and there was always a new conflict to solve. The plot twists though!! I definitely didn't see them coming, and I found myself gasping out loud while reading this at 2 am. This whole book was an emotional roller coaster, that is the best way to describe it. I found my heart pounding one minute, and then my cheeks hurt from smiling the next.

I have to say, the characters were definitely my favourite part of the book. Chloe Gong has the ability to write easily loveable characters that you get attched to. No spoilers of course, but let's just say Roma and Juliette fans will be pleased. I feel like a lot of the characters did a lot more growing this book in a way, they all found themselves along the way. I loved how the multiple points of views were used in this book, it was effective, and you will find that you get to learn more about some characters that you maybe didn't know a ton about before.

As far as the ending goes, I had no words. I think I sat there for a good minute or two processing what just happened, that's all I will say. And yes, I cried.

By far one of my facourite duologies. I'm just gonna sit here and wait until November for you guys to read it, and when I get my hands on a physical copy, I'm gonna annotate it so much.

This sequel to "These Violent Delights" is a worthy finale to the "Romeo and Juliet" retelling. Building on what she's established in the first book, Gong expands the themes of imperialism while smartly incorporating elements from the beloved Shakespeare play. The characters are well fleshed-out and interesting, even when difficult to love. There is no doubt that Chloe Gong has a brilliant career in front of her.

These Violent Delights is often put at the top of recommendation lists for readers who love a good 'enemies to lovers (and back and forth)' arc, and I have to say that this sequel totally lived up to the standard set up in book one!! I mean, who doesn't love tension you could cut with a knife?

While Roma and Juliet are obviously the stars of the show (as they should be), the side characters get a lot more developed in this book. Rosalind, Kathleen, Benedikt, and Marshall each get more time to become full characters and I really enjoyed seeing this story from their perspectives. They aren't just companions to Roma and/or Juliet - they have their own secrets and heartbreaks and roles to play in the revolution that Shanghai seems poised to begin.

Something I love about this book is that I was never bored. There was always a new development, right off the heels of the previous event. The pacing was excellent and I ended up ripping through it. Additionally, I love that this duology is very much a romance - it is a Romeo and Juliet retelling at the end of the day - but it also manages to bring in the politics and past of Shanghai - colonialism, communism, nationalism, etc. The time and place of the story are explored thoughtfully, and while I found it confusing to follow the politics of who's-on'who's-side-when, having that element in there elevates these books beyond just a cheesy enemies-to-lovers story.

Overall, this book was the continuation of the duology that I hoped for, and that I knew Chloe Gong would deliver (what a queen). I was left wanting more, yet still satisfied with the journey these characters went on! I think that the many fans of These Violent Delights will love how the story continues.

PS; I can't stop thinking about that ending..

Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 Stars!!

This was such an action-packed and enjoyable read! When I first read the first book in Chloe Gong’s duology, These Violent Delights, earlier this year, I was left a little disappointed as it fell a little bit flat for me (even though I still enjoyed it). However, I was overjoyed when I received an ARC for the sequel, Our Violent Ends, because I saw so much potential in the story and Chloe’s writing. & my faith was not misplaced! Our Violent Ends had me hooked from the very beginning. The action started and didn’t stop once! Chloe’s writing showed significant improvement in this book, and I continue to be impressed by her beautiful prose and character work. I’m so excited to read more of what she writes in the future.

Even if you think you know where the story is going, I promise you definitely don’t. Chloe Gong keeps the reader on their toes the entire time.

I love retellings, and the story of Romeo and Juliet will always have a special place in my heart. This book took this classic story and twisted it in such a new and refreshing way. I don’t want to give anything away, but you will definitely be satisfied with this book if you loved These Violent Delights. You will laugh, and you will cry! I’m so excited for everyone to read this incredible book when it comes out on Nov. 16.

Holy emotions.

This highly anticipated sequel to These Violent Delights did not disappoint. While I found this book to be very different from the first, I absolutely loved every minute of it. Because of the unique change of pace in the second book it prevented the series from being repetitive and kept me on my toes on every chapter. I swear there was at least thirty times where I gasped out loud because I could not believe the direction she was taking the book in. Yet somehow, it all still tied together beautifully and came full circle. I really don't know how Chloe Gong was able to pull it off.

The politics, the romance, the characters, everything was a masterpiece. Juliette and Roma continued to have amazing and utterly unique banter all throughout this book, which I often find to be rare in the second book of an enemies to lovers romance. The side characters all remained fantastic and I enjoyed reading about every single one of them, and loved reading about how all of their separate stories intertwined throughout the novel.

Overall, this book is going to keep you on your toes, and hopefully be everything you hope for in the conclusion of the these violent delights series (I know it was for me!)

Overall: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot: 4.5/5

I loved These Violent Delights and was so excited for the sequel, and it absolutely did not disappoint! Chloe Gong is such a talented writer. And what a great way to end this duology! I cannot wait to see more of her work!

The monster is back and this time there is more of them!

I loved Our Violent Delights - drove to 3 bookstores to find a copy during the week it released love, so when I got the notification telling me that I was being given an ARC for this sequel I immediately got imposture syndrome. Me? I am not worthy, did they get me confused with Oprah or Reese Witherspoon?
There is no greater gift than being able to read a sequel early after the incredible debut left me on a cliffhanger.

Picking up where Our Violent Delights, the threats and extortion come quickly at the start of Our Violent Ends as the two rivals gangs fight to protect their city.

The will they/won't they slow burn romance between Juliette and Roma continues, and just knowing that the story was based on Romeo and Juliette had me on edge the entire story, but this was not just Juliette and Roma's story. The side characters continue to be heavy involved with their own side plots. Gong is not a hot and heavy romance style writer, what this story lacks in romance is made up for by the intricate plot and detailed lives of all the main characters.

A complete emotional rollercoaster.

Before reading Our Violent Ends, I had high hopes, as I loved These Violent Delights and that became my favorite read of July, and Chloe certainly met, and exceeded my expectations on OVE. I can assure you that OVE will make you cry, laugh, and smile so bright your cheeks start to hurt, ( in a good way of course ).

There are a lot of things that stand out to me in both TVD and OVE. To start, the frequent switch through multiple POVs. I think it was incredible to read through not only the lead characters Roma and Juliette, but also the supporting characters like Kathleen, Benedikt and Alisa. I think the frequent change of POVs helped with the suspense and pace of the book. Also, Roma and Juliette's love story. I would say I enjoyed reading about Roma and Juliette's story more in Our Violent Ends than These Violent Delights. That is because, I feel it was more complex and detailed while keeping within the YA category. Of course I need to talk about the ending. It will definitely keep you thinking all night, wondering and creating multiple possible outcomes. It kept me rereading the final few chapter and desiring for more.

The These Violent Delights duology were the first books I've read that are retellings. I didn't know what I was going into when reading the books, but I'm definitely glad I read them!
Thank you #Netgalley and #SimonSchusterCanada for an ARC of Our Violent Ends exchange for an honest review!

Everything about this was beautiful. I was hooked from the first chapter and loved every minute till the end. Thank you Chloe Gong for writing this masterpiece!!!

Last December, I found myself sure that no other book could interest and have me in such a chokehold as These Violent Delights did. I was correct until Simon & Schuster Canada was kind enough to accept my request to receive an eARC of Our Violent Ends in exchange for an honest review, which I am here to give.

I was blown away by this book. Chloe's writing style helps you put in the shoes of the multiple different characters in this story. This book also delves into the political conflict rather than the supernatural. Relationship conflict is also tapped into, which has you constantly pondering who is TRULY allied with who. This facet pulls at your heartstrings through betrayal.

Aspects that I admired in OVE that were not as present in TVD were chapters from the POVs of supporting characters like Kathleen, Alisa, and Benedikt. I also enjoyed reading Roma and Juliette's story in this book much more than in These Violent Delights due to their relationship exploration being so much more profound.

But, I can not leave out my FAVOURITE part of the book, of course. The ENDING! Honestly, how could you, Chloe? The ending permits your beliefs, assumptions, and hopes to run free and create multiple possible outcomes. What is also achieved by it is that it has you reflecting all the characters’ dreams and greatest desires, as well as what they would be willing to do to achieve them.

Our Violent Ends was such an incredible book, and I can not wait for others to embark on this journey!

How dare you Chloe Gong! That ending. What did I ever do to you?!?!

I may have squealed in delight when I received the email saying I was approved for this ARC and then promptly pushed aside my very large TBR to read this immediately. And by immediately I mean in one sitting it was that delicious.

The pacing was on point. The book constantly shifts POVs between Juliet and Roma and other secondary characters which helps to keep the story moving. Book two picks up shortly after where we left off in the first. The things I love about the first book are evident in the sequel, including the way Chloe seamlessly integrates history, by including issues of colonialism, race and economics in 1920s Shanghai).

My dislike of the fantastical element continues more so in this book. There just weren't enough moments where I was really afraid for our characters' well-being because of said monsters (not the individual(s) and/or group(s) that controlled them. I know they served the purpose of acting as a catalyst for bringing two warring parties together but it still remains my least favourite aspect of this duology.

That being said, I still absolutely LOVED this book.

The dynamics between the two gangs made for an emotional rollercoaster and a lot of unexpected surprises. The romance between Juliet and Roma was much more compelling in this book than the first. Particularly because Juliet has to deal with the consequences of her actions at the end of the book and how that affects both her family and Roma. On the flipside we watch Roma grapple with what Juliet did. Roma really comes into his own and steps up in terms of being worthy of such a badass heroine.

Nevermind the fact this may crack the list for my Top 5 favourite books I’ve read this year, I think this may be my favourite Romeo and Juliet retelling I’ve ever read. Do yourself a favour, if you like YA romantasies be sure to pick this duology up!

I look forward to reading what Chloe publishes next (fingers crossed for more historical-type fiction!!!).

My thanks to #Netgalley and #SimonSchusterCanada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Publishing for providing me with an eARC of “Our Violent Ends” via NetGalley for me to read and review honestly.

Our Violent Ends is a beautifully written conclusion to the "These Violent Delights" duology. The sequel takes place in late 1920s Shanghai, where our beloved characters are once again faced with a river monster that has only evolved since their last encounter. The book is well-paced; it had me hooked from the start and eager to keep reading. I loved so many aspects of this book - from the rich culture to the fantastical elements, to the ever so intriguing historical politics. The plot and character development were done so well, I've grown more attached to these characters than I had after reading the first book. I especially loved how Gong was truly able to set her book apart from other Romeo and Juliet retellings through the reshaping of the play's characters and making them her own. I was not prepared for this emotional roller coaster but I sure hope you are.

Chloe Gong has outdone herself with Our Violent Delights and has only made me more excited for her upcoming duology in 2022, Foul Lady Fortune.

Oh my god. This book was absolutely amazing. I will admit my heart was breaking a lot but the plot twists, the development of Roma and Juliette’s love story , the characters development, everything was so amazing. It is so obvious to see Chloe Gong’s growth as an author in this book. It is so well written and I honestly didn’t expect it to end this well. Be aware that this book will most likely make you tear up once and a while but as Roma and Juliette would say, the ending gives hope that their story is still to continue. Out of “These Violent Delights” and “Our Violent Ends” I honestly preferred this one. The amount of romance in this book is on point and the overall fights in Shangai are extremely interesting. I honestly hope that this won’t be the last time Chloe Gong writes about Roma and Juliette but if it is then she did an excellent job in concluding this duology.