Thanks #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #TheHundredLovesofJuliet by Evelyn Skye in exchange for an honest review.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book which is why I requested this ARC. Mrs. Skye delivered what I was needing in a Romeo and Juliet retelling. I loved how she wove the historical stories into the main contemporary romance. The message of enjoying the moments you have with your loved ones was also very clear and told in a way that didn't feel like it was talking down to the reader. This really made me want to reread R&J and find other retellings to see how they handle the more gut wrenching moments and how they manage to pull off an HEA for R&J.

A deeply personal star-crossed love story and loose Romeo & Juliet retelling based on the author's own relationship loving a man with a fatal diagnosis that makes you ask is love worth the risk no matter how much time you may have together?

Helene is running away from a broken marriage and trying to start over in Alaska when she runs into the man who she's based all the heroes in her stories only to find he wants nothing to do with her. Sebastien knows immediately that Helene is his fated lover, Juliet who he has found throughout the years in many different reincarnations only to have their love repeatedly end tragically.

Forced together during a freak storm the truth of their connection eventually comes to light. Helene is skeptical at first but old journals slowly convince her and has her trying to get Seb to give their love another chance.

Spanning centuries and continents, this is a love story for the ages and perfect for fans of books like The time traveler's wife or The invisible life of Addie LaRue. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This was good on audio read by Aspen Vincent, Joe Arden and the author who share's her personal connection to this story at the end of the book. Definitely sure to be one of my favorite romances of 2023!

The Hundred Loves of Juliet is an incredibly, achingly beautiful and heartbreaking, sweet love story for the ages. Literally.

I am sure I will be repeating what others have already said. This was a fantastic read. The book pulled no punches. I was crying from the first chapter. This is not just a mere retelling of Romeo and Juliet. This is a story that is steeped in tragedy and hope throughout the passage of time.

Romeo gives everything he has to every iteration of Juliet. His fear for her life is palpable and it makes you almost want to keep them apart to keep their magic alive. Helene is an angel. She is the optimist Sebastien needs even though it is hard for him to accept. She is formidable in her outlook on life and her power is in her unchanging personality over the course of hundreds of years despite numerous demises. Sebastien knows what he has when she enters his life that fateful July 10th. He loves totally and completely and will tear himself apart for Helene in any way.

I loved that Helene and Sebastien were somehow different this time around. We couldn’t tell what it was at the time, but their relationship was charged from the first moment they met. I loved the dual POV and I loved the time jumps. I really enjoyed the aspects of Helene’s memories masquerading as her vignettes and that they were the key to their journey.

This story is about time and how we choose to spend it and who we choose to spend it with. It’s about deciding the type of lens we want to view our life with. It’s about looking over your shoulder and looking to the end. It’s about how guilt and fear can guide our lives. But most importantly, it’s about hope.

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. It is worth all the tears you will shed. If you like books about star crossed lovers, classic tales that you wished you could’ve changed the ending to, and timeless love, you will surely love The Hundred Loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye!

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Just over here drying my tears, after reading the Author’s Note for how this story related to her real life!

I enjoyed this fast-paced modern take on Romeo and Juliet but did have a hard time distinguishing the fantastical aspects of the story versus the realistic storylines. The dual points of view were appreciated, especially Sebastien’s :)

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing - Ballantine, and Del Ray for the opportunity to read the eARC of "The Hundred Loves of Juliet" in exchange for my honest review!

Sadly sweet & terribly romantic💓💔💞💕💞...

Author Evelyn Skye wowed me with the poignancy and sweet mixture of immortal love and constant shadow of doom in her The Hundred Lives of Juliet. Sebastien, the modern sea captain who embodies a Romeo that time cannot destroy, is such a fantastically tragic hero. His sorrow and willingness to sacrifice himself were just the most romantic thing and made this one of the best romances I've read all year! The author's note at the end of the story also moved me to no end. Despite all the grief and fear of loss that haunts this story, I found it uplifting and inspiring.

Thanks to Del Rey, Random House and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion which will be shared prior to publication on July 30 with Goodreads, Bookbub and Barnes & Noble, and on publication day with Amazon.com and kobo.

This was a cute concept. Was engaging the first 50% then slowed down. Stuck with it and the story got good again. I wasn't sure if it was a standalone as it got closer to the end but appears to be. The author shares what inspired the story which had me in tears. Great love story.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC! Sadly, I was not a fan of this one. The writing felt very weak and simple and the characters were pretty flat and not fleshed out. It was also a retelling that’s been done quite a few times and there’s nothing in this one to really set it apart from others.

Wow! Wow. I finished this book in a day. Literally it’s 2 am and I haven’t been able to sleep until I finished it. So so so so so good.
I’ll edit this when I’ve had a moment to collect my thoughts and get some sleep

This was nothing like I thought it was going to be. What a beautiful novel! It is more than a modern day Romeo and Juliet, a must read.

Review will appear on Shelf Awareness.
--
In her first book for adults, Evelyn Skye (Three Kisses, One Midnight) spins a mesmerizing tale of heartbreak and hope spanning centuries to give Romeo and Juliet the happy ending they deserve.

Helene Janssen abandoned her dead-end job and cheating husband in Los Angeles for a remote Alaskan fishing town in January. She's been writing snippets of stories all her life, centered on the imaginary friend she created in middle school, which she now wants to turn into a novel. But then the man who stars in her short stories walks into the bar where Helene finds herself on her first night in Alaska. When she approaches Sebastien, though, he responds with brusque rudeness and flees the bar. Sebastien, for his part, is shaken. He is in fact the immortal Romeo, who didn't die the way Shakespeare would have everyone believe but lives on, cursed to fall in love with Juliet's reincarnations only to lose her to an early death over and over. He had found Helene, the newest Juliet reincarnation, ten years ago and had chosen to leave her to her own life for a chance of happiness. But fate clearly has other plans. Together, Helene and Sebastien might have a chance at breaking the curse once and for all.

Tender and passionate, The Hundred Loves of Juliet celebrates the intensity of living in the moment and of believing in the immense power of love. Readers will fall in love with Sebastien and Helene as they fall in love with each other.

--Dainy Bernstein, postdoc in children's literature, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Discover: In this reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, the two lovers challenge their star-crossed status by living and loving in the moment rather than dreading an inevitable end.

This became a Did Not Finish for me. Not at all what I expected from the blurbs, and after reading about 75 pages / 20% of it, the writing and the plot were turning me off.

I loved the premise of this book and enjoyed the theme of “love while you can because you never know when someone might leave you.” The theme struck me even more when I read the author’s note about her husband’s illness. It was well-written, but I couldn’t give it more than three stars because the stakes/conflict felt lacking. The entire Merrick storyline seemed completely implausible. I just couldn’t buy in to the idea that he had enough money and cared enough to chase her to Alaska and Europe and file a bunch of lawsuits. My skepticism of that situation took away from my enjoyment of the book.

Thank you for the opportunity to review it.

ARC kindly provided through NetGalley though all thoughts are my own.

This is a lovely story about love through the ages and the hope that it returns again.

Helene escapes her terrible ex husband to Alaska to write her first novel. upon arriving she comes face to face with her past. specifically the man she'd been dreaming about since she was a young girl. He's rude and dismissive but underneath he knows her too. he always had. Helene is Juliette coming back to haunt him. Again.

I'm not a huge Romeo and Juliet fan but this was a lovely reimagining of it. I really enjoyed reading it and it kept me engaged throughout. I'd consider this a "soft" book. not too tragic. not to comedic. but very romantic in a soft way. I definitely recommend to those looking for a summer love.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Ballantine and NetGalley.

This is supposed to be a fresh take on Romeo and Juliet. I'm not sure how I feel about rewrites of classics, but this was a good attempt. I did struggle to connect with the characters, so it was not a favorite. However, I appreciated the author's creativity!

A wildly imaginative concept, yet the execution left something to be desired. I adore the idea of Romeo and Juliet's legendary story spanning the ages, he immortal and her spirit constantly being reincarnated following each untimely death; this premise promised a unique and bittersweet look at destiny. Unfortunately, I found present-day incarnations Sebastien and Helene to be a bit bland, and I wanted more from Sebastien in particular than musings on their complicated relationship and the curse that surrounded it. By contrast, I enjoyed dipping into each of the vignettes throughout history, several of which I'd gladly read more from, especially rumored vampire Marius and suspected witch Cosmina in Transylvania during the 17th century. The Author's Note at the end which includes Skye's inspiration for writing the story is incredibly moving and lovely, the definite highlight of the book.

Helene realizes it sounds crazy but she knows this man, this crabber, that she happens to run in to in a bar in Alaska. Of course, her life is in a tailspin now that's she has left her cheating husband and job to come write her book she's been meaning to get around to in frigid cold Alaska. Sebastian may act like she is crazy, but knows that Helene is correct- she *does* know him but it's a hell of an explanation. Starting with the TRUE story of Romeo & Juliet and covering hundreds of years of love and loss, Skye asks can the greatest love story of all have a better ending?

What I loved about the book- the traveling. If can only travel through the pages of a book, this is a good one. I also liked the different iterations of Sebastian and Helen's love story. However, what I didn't like, was the connection to Romeo & Juliet. I think it would have been a much more interesting story if they weren't connected to (imo) not a great love story but were just two people that got stuck in different time lines trying to find each other.

Book Name: The Hundred Loves of Juliet
Author: Evelyn Skye

ARC
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey for an ARC of Evelyn Skye’s The Hundred Loves of Juliet

Stars: 4.5
Spice: 2

Standalone
Fast Paced
Plot-Centric
Dual POV
Cozy Modern Fantasy
Romeo & Juliet with a Twist 😉

- Topics
- Greif and Loss
- Tragedy
- How to Use the Time Given to Us
- Optimism Vs Pessimism
- Curse Vs Blessing
- Being Present
- Tropes
- Soul Mates
- Love at First Sight
- Curse
- Past Lives
- Pregnancy
- Billionaire MMC
- Thoughts.
- Cute and Cozy
- I loved Sebastian’s POV
- Slow 10% then Boom Your Hooked
- Couldn't Put it Down
- Authors Note will Make You Cry

I was curious about this one since I was always fond of Shakespeare plays, especially Romeo and Juliet. Usually retellings are about the same but this one was very unique! I definitely give props to the author for doing something new.

The book is told from two point-of-views and they come from Helene and Sebastien. Helene meets Sebastien by chance in Alaska and realize that she remembers him even if he doesn’t. Their story is told through present and past events. I thought that the past events were done really well and were some of my favorite parts. As with any retelling there is also tragedy. It was interesting to see how their love spanned time and what Sebastien had to go through to get to where he was, same with Helene.

Even though I did like this book I still didn’t fully connect with the characters or story. The writing style wasn’t really my favorite and sometimes it felt choppy.

Overall, this was a good read. It kept me intrigued for the most part and was very unique. I also enjoyed the author’s note and how she came up with the plot for the story and how it fits into her own life.

Is this a time slip novel or a love story for the ages? Or both? Helene, a writer, is at a bad place, especially with regard to her relationships when she up and moves to Alaska and meets.....Sebastien, the man of her stories, But are they stories or memories? Turns out these two have been a couple through time, over and over again in different forms. This moves gracefully between those, for want of another word, incarnations. It's sweet and charming but with a touch of melancholy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

4 1/2 stars. I had no idea what this book was about before opening the first page. I was almost instantaneously absorbed into the wonderfully unique story involving Romeo and Juliet, and their various incantations.

I was so surprised by how deeply emotional this book made me feel. It's beautifully written, has a very innovative story, and was just a breath of fresh air to me.

I'd never read anything by this author before but will definitely check out her other books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC. All opinions are my own.