4.25⭐️

The authors note at the end of this book completely gutted me. My heart goes out to the author and her husband Tom. When she said “like Sebastian and Helene, Tom and I choose love no matter what the cost, We stay, we feel, we treasure every day, every month, every year. And I comfort myself knowing when the end comes, it’s not really the end. Because we will find each other some way, some how. I promise.”

Looking back at this book and seeing it through Evelyn’s perspective wrecked my heart. Life is never a guarantee and the pain of 100 lives of watching your love die over and over and over again is incredible heart shattering. This book makes you want to grab the ones you love and hold them so tightly they might pop. This is an incredible take on Romeo and Juliet’s love story that you don’t want to miss. I thought the ending was going to be much different than what it was. I was ready for my heart to break. I was anticipating something very very different. I’m so happy it didn’t go that route.

My heart still hurts for Evelyn, I love love love the inspiration for this story. It’s heart wrenching but her perspective is simply beautiful.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Evelyn Skye and the publisher at Random House for the incredible opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback. All opinions and thoughts on this book are my own.

This took a little while to get into - and I almost gave up! But in the end it was beautiful and hopeful and I'm glad I stuck with it. I feel like the vignettes from the past should have been muuuuch shorter as they really have absolutely nothing to do with the plot. I mostly skipped them though, so no harm no foul.

This book was a spin-off on Romeo and Juliet with time traveling back to the past and present times. Helene is getting out of a messy divorce and is working on writing a book. She decided to move to Alaska to leave the past behind. While in Alaska, she meets a man named Sebastien who looks just like the hero from her books. He seems to recognize her as well but acts harshly towards her because he is trying to protect her from something. This one was a little far fetched for me and the time traveling was a bit too much. I enjoyed the author though and what she had to say about her husband. He suffers from a fatal disease but they live life to the fullest. This made me have a better understanding and respect for the author and her story. Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC!

If Goodreads had a half star option, this would be 3.5 stars for me. I really liked the concept of this book. However, the overall execution of it fell a little flat for me. I found the writing and the characters to be overly simple and wished for more of the flashbacks in time. The flashbacks coming from Sebastien were too short and simplified going from love to death sometimes within the same page and similarly Helene's were too short only focusing on their first meeting. I would have loved to see full chapters that explored their previous incarnations and really fleshed out their characters and eternal love that way. By the end the climax seemed a bit too easily wrapped up and a bit predictable, although I did like the ultimate ending. For me, the author's note did put the book into more perspective and that put my rating at 3.5. Would recommend for those looking for a light mostly romantic story.

A great story for every hopeless romantic out there who believes in soulmates!! This story takes you through centuries of romance between star crossed lovers who despite tragedies always find their way to each other again.

This is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet where Romeo does not die and lives forever, but he is cursed with Juliet being reincarnated over and over again as new women just to lose her too soon everytime. I loved getting to revisit all of Romeo’s loves across places and time. I would have liked more romance between Sebastien (Romeo) and Helene (his latest Juliet) as it was “instant love” and always closed door, but it was very sweet and had a heart warming ending reminding readers that the we should treasure every moment we have with those we love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray Books for the Advanced Reading Copy in exchange for my honest review! Out 8/1/23

🦇 The Hundred Loves of Juliet Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫

❝ Perhaps a life well lived isn't measured in months or years, but in love. In kisses and gentle twining of hands, in fiery embraces and soft, whispered affections. ❞

❓ #QOTD Who were you in your past life OR do you believe in soulmates ❓

🦇 Helene escapes her ruined marriage to hide away in Alaska, committed to turning the romantic vignettes she's written over the years into one cohesive story. Each tale stars the same man with the same blue eyes, scar, and quirks; a man Helene dreamed up before playing Juliet in her high school production of Romeo and Juliet. She doesn't expect to encounter the real-life version in small-town Alaska. There's nothing make-believe about Sebastien, though, who refuses to get close to her. Helene doesn't know the stories she's written were once theirs. Once real-life Romeo and Juliet, they're cursed to find each other time and time again, only for Sebastien to lose his reincarnated Juliet each time. But what if their star-crossed curse is a blessing; a reminder to focus on their present lives?

💜 Evelyn Skye's writing is bound to snatch you out of reality before dragging you into Helene and Sebastian's history. Her language is descriptive, imaginative, and heartfelt, beautifully tragic whether we're focused on Helene and Sebastien's present or one of their past lives. Though I was skeptical about a Romeo and Juliet retelling at first, this is no typical retelling; it's a continuation of the original story. There aren't any overt paranormal elements or supernatural forces at work, either; instead, we're given a true love story. A story that proves fated love, true love, can defy anything.

🦇 For the record, I try to avoid giving half stars. Skye's writing perfectly blends fantasy and romance to create a beautifully portrayed tale of magical realism. We get glimpses into Helene and Sebastian's past lives, both in Helene's stories and through Sebastian's journals or flashbacks. However, there isn't as much character development for Juliet as I'd hope, mainly because the bulk of her development occurs before we met her, when she leaves her husband to move to Alaska. Sebastian's character development comes in his realization that he is worthy of happiness; that perhaps he cursed himself all along. While the tension in the first act and romance in the second act are quick to capture readers, the third act drags, loses momentum, and seems out of place within the story. The "solution" to the curse felt like an easy way out, too.

🦇 Recommended to lovers of the Bard, fated romance, and a little grumpy versus sunshine tension.

❝ Maybe the purpose of all those crazy stories that have been struggling to get out for nearly two decades was to show me what it's like to be loved. Both someone loving me, and me accepting and loving myself. ❞

✨ The Vibes ✨
❤ Shakespeare Retelling
❤ Soulmates
❤ Closed Door
❤ Romance (With a Sci-Fi Twist)
❤ Tragic Love
❤ Grumpy vs Sunshine
❤ Cursed Love

🦇 Major thanks to the author @evelyn_skye and publisher @randomhouse / @delreybooks for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #TheHundredLovesofJuliet #Netgalley #DelRey

This was so fun! I’m a big Shakespeare fan so the star-crossed lovers trope had me hooked! I’m totally here for the Romeo and Juliet retelling and while I would’ve liked more romance between S&H it was such a unique story and one that I won’t forget for a long time!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars rounded up!

First, I would like to say that I found the premise of this book to be so unique. Also, the author's note at the end was beautiful and heartfelt. It made the story feel even that more impactful. Helene and Sebastian were raw and beautiful and tragic and everything in between. I loved the historical aspect that explored their relationship through the ages. I do wish the curse had been fleshed out a little more/explained a little more. At times the pacing of the novel felt a little off; almost too slow for my take. However, overall this was a solid and romantic story. The ending was so good.

This was a fascinating, imaginative retelling of the Romeo and Juliet story!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is Romeo and Juliet reimagined. Imagine Romeo is cursed and can never die. Imagine Juliet comes back reincarnated. They meet and fall in love and then she dies. Then she comes back again reincarnated. They meet, fall in love and she dies. Over and over again. This is that story.

The Hundred Loves of Juliet
By Evelyn Skye

I was prepared for this to be a light romance, what I would call a "beach read". To my surprise I was drawn in right from the beginning and by the end I was hoping for more.

This is the story of Helene, fleeing from a bad marriage and a so-so career as a journalist, and ending up in a small town in Alaska to start her life over and attempt to write a novel. There she immediately meets Sebastien. To her shock, she feels that she knows him, not as someone she has met before, but as the protagonist she has dreamed of and written about since she was twelve years old! And here he is in the flesh!

When she approaches him, Sebastien brushes her off and runs away. He too has felt the connection and fear has driven him off. For their story is not just beginning, but it is repeating a cycle that has gone on for hundreds of years.

The story of Helene and Sebastien is built upon the story of Romeo and Juliet. It is intriguing. Are they fated to repeat this cycle due to a curse? Can the cycle be broken? Can there ever be a happy ending?

The book becomes even more poignant when reading the author's note at the end. I thank Ms. Skye for sharing her personal story and for writing a book which will appeal to readers everywhere

Romeo Montague has been cursed to live basically forever, regularly meeting up with the reincarnations of his beloved Juliet. Doesn't sound like a curse, does it? Except every time they do meet and fall in love, Romeo loses her tragically, violently, within two years. Sometimes just days later. This time, her name is Helene and she is determined to rebuild her life and pursue her dreams in Alaska when she stumbles into his path. Romeo is desperate to keep her at arm's length, but the wildness of Alaska has other plans for them.

This is such a sweet story! It's pretty simple, not much actual "fantasy" except for the premise of the curse, so don't expect any overt magic or paranormal elements. Helene is a genuine character, at times fierce and at others so vulnerable it hurts. Her life is a mess, but she's doing her best. Sebastien is a little flat but his backstory is also pretty painful to read, and I'll admit that several lines of prose in this book punched me right in the heart. I enjoyed the ride, straightforward as it was, and I liked the choice of ending, though others may scream about it! I do wish that "breaking the curse" had been a bit stronger of a plot point.

Thank you to Evelyn Skye, Del Rey Books, and NetGalley for my advance digital copy.

Thanks so much for the review copy. This was a wonderful love story. This was not my typical type of book but I’m glad I took a chance on it.

Helene is recovering from a smarmy soon-to-be-ex-husband and the loss of a job promotion, so she decides to head to Alaska in January (as people from California do!) to write the novel she has always wanted to write. Ever since she was a child, she has written short stories involving the same leading man but with different female main characters. On her first night in Alaska, Helene runs into none other than her leading man, in the flesh! Is it fate? Apparently so, as Helene is about to discover. In spite of Sebastien's best efforts, he cannot keep Helene from showing up in his life. Cursed hundreds of years ago when he was Romeo and she was Juliet, Sebastien has to keep finding his one true love and losing her to death not long after. Those "stories" of Helene's actually took place when she was Juliet in all of her past lives. Will these two finally be able to break the curse and live happily ever after?

Ahhhh....there is nothing quite like a story about fated one true love, is there? Even though the book left me with many questions, I thoroughly enjoyed the fantastical elements and wanted to keep reading to see how it ended. The author's note at the end of the book is poignant, and explains why she wanted to write this book. Are there some cheesy, improbable moments? Yes. Did I love it anyway? You'd better believe it! I always knew I was a sucker for a good time travel book, but apparently I'm just as much a sucker for fated one true love stories.

Recommended for adults. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I tried several times to get into this book because the premise seemed really great. And I will give Evelyn Skye this, I loved her details. They were gorgeous and I absolutely loved the setting. I think that with a little more buckling down on the plot, this book would have hooked me. I loved the use of transitioning the main character's stories into the historical moments that the couple were together throughout time. My biggest problem was that every plot point felt expected, and we were just waiting for the writing to catch up. I also felt like all motivations were apparent from the get go and there was no mystery or suspense to what was happening. Do I think that this book had a lot of potential and that the settings were great? Absolutely. Would it be something I would pick up again? No. I had a lot of trouble getting into it, and I wish I could have liked it more. However, when I read the author's note about her husband, I teared up and found it to be so beautiful. Sometimes when you write a book, you write it as a love letter to the people who matter most to you, and the audience is only secondary to what you meant to accomplish with it. I look forward to seeing this author improve and grow onward in her writing career.

This was such an interesting concept for a book! Without giving away the story, this book had magical and time-travel aspects, but ultimately this was a romance tale through the ages. I thought that it was so uniquely-written and I would definitely read other books by Evelyn Skye.

Engaging premise hooks you from the start and fans of Romeo and Juliet will fall in love with Helene and Sebastian- as they fall in love with each other, again!

I LOVED this story and the whole reimagining of Romeo and Juliet with a touch of magic. It was like a whole bunch of love stories in one and it kind of reminded me The Time Traveler’s Wife. I really enjoyed the characters and the different settings. The ending was exceptional and after reading the Author’s Note I loved the book even more. Definitely add this one to your list!

I love Romeo and Juliet and always love a good retelling!! This was a sweet book and great for slow burn romance fans. Loved the reincarnation piece. I feel like some of the book was rushed and would have liked more character development, but overall this was a fun book!! 3 stars!

Title: A Mixed Bag of Romance and Fantasy

Rating: ★★★☆☆

"The Hundred Loves of Juliet" by Evelyn Skye is a unique blend of romance and fantasy that had the potential to be an extraordinary read. While it had some captivating elements, I ultimately found myself torn between moments of enjoyment and moments of frustration. The concept itself is intriguing, and the author's world-building skills shine as she creates a magical realm where past lives intertwine. One of the strengths of the book lies in Skye's ability to evoke emotions and create meaningful connections between the characters. The romance aspect was beautifully portrayed, with heartfelt moments that tugged at my heartstrings. I enjoyed the exploration of love in various forms, spanning different time periods and cultural backgrounds.

Moreover, the author's writing style is engaging and easy to follow, making it a relatively quick and enjoyable read. The pacing was generally well-maintained, with a good balance of action and introspection.



Additionally, the character development was lacking depth. While Juliet was the focal point of the story, I struggled to connect with her on a deeper level. The supporting characters, although interesting in their own right, didn't receive enough attention and remained somewhat one-dimensional. Furthermore, the pacing stumbled in certain sections, particularly during the middle of the book. Some scenes dragged on unnecessarily, resulting in a loss of momentum and my interest waning at times.

In conclusion, "The Hundred Loves of Juliet" is a decent blend of romance and fantasy that presents an intriguing concept. While it has its moments of emotional connection and engaging writing, the repetitive plot, shallow character development, and pacing issues prevent it from reaching its full potential. If you're a fan of reincarnation tales and don't mind some predictable elements, this book might still provide an enjoyable escape.