Such a cute read! I love a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, and this was such a unique take on the infamous love story. The characters were adorable, but I do wish the ex-husband made more of an appearance throughout the book - but loveeddd the ending!

Helene has decided to move to Alaska to escape her horrible ex husband, her stagnated journalism career and her desire to write a novel; her first night there she sees him - the man who has literally been in her dreams since she was a teen. Helene has written short stories about Sebastien ever since she played Juliet in a school play - and now, in Alaska the very same man is standing before her.

It turns out that when the real Romeo and Juliet died and were cursed - Romeo didn’t die - he actually become immortal and Juliet did die but is constantly reincarnated into women with consistent characteristics that he falls in love with (and always recognizes and meets on July 10th - the night of the Capulet ball). Unfortunately the curse makes it so that they are still star crossed lovers - Juliet always tragically dies within a short time after they fall deeply in love. Now they are in present-day Alaska and Sebastien has to decide how to handle another round of Shakespearean-level tragedy.

I have to say - this plot is totally my kind of book and I texted my book soulmate (law school best friend) as soon as I started reading it to tell her about it. I thought the idea was fun and cute, (I love that Romeo and Juliet keep falling in love through different eras) and I read the book super fast. The end fell slightly flat for me but it’s a great beach read and while a bit predictable a super enjoyable romance. Also I highly recommend reading the Author’s Note as to her reasons for writing it, this is a book about undying love.

This is a 3.75 star read (which I will round up)

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC

There's a publisher's note at the beginning of the book & the author's note at the end. I highly suggest that you read both of them before starting with the book. This will give you the depth of the inspiration behind this story & how love, no matter what, can be truly immortal.

This book exceeds all timelines & is way ahead of its time. A story about fated lovers who find each other in every lifetime but are separated again & again until they meet again to repeat the same thing.

It's truly a work of art. I loved how the story is presented with both past & present POVs. Not only how will Helene & Sebastian's love keep you on the edge of your seats, but the dangerous sub-plot will not let you finish the book until its over.

<i>Thank you Netgalley & Publisher for the the in exchange for an honest review.<i>

This Romeo and Juliette retelling travels through time, rekindling this love over and over again across centuries.

Helene(Juliette) is divorcing her husband and has moved to Alaska to start her writing career with a clear head. When she goes to the local pub, she is shocked to see her imaginary love interest in the flesh, Sebastian Montague(Romeo). However, when she approaches him, he seems not too pleased to see her.

This book is all about undying love, which I adore. But it did miss a few marks for me. The characters and conversations did not feel genuine to me, so I wouldn't say this is my favorite read. However, that's just my opinion!

Out August 1, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

3.5 but rounded up because of the authors note. This was one of the sweetest books, but don’t read her note until the end. I wish there was more with the ending and I definitely could see the potential in the being a true 4/5 star read for me. Definitely one to recommend for readers of “The Time Travelers Wife”, “The Seven Year Slip”, and Matt Haigs “How to Stop Time”.

Romeo and Juliet, re-imagined in a more modern day, fantasy setting. I enjoyed this book, it was a very cozy love story with some creativity to freshen it up (not that the original story isn't perfect as is!).

Helene meets Sebastien, who appears to be created right out of her imagination. Helene is determined to uncover the truth about Sebastien even though he is trying to keep the truth hidden from her. As the past threatens to emerge and endanger their future together before they even get started, they realize they will have to fight to create a happy ending for them.

Thanks to #NetGalley, Evelyn Skye, and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the eArc of #TheHundredLovesofJuliet in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

The Hundred Loves of Juliet is a modern day retelling/reimagining of the classic Romeo and Juliet story. Helene has loved writing stories her entire life. Within these stories, Helene crafted the perfect hero. He was everything she wanted in a friend and a relationship. One day, she travels to Alaska to escape a messy divorce and finally work on the novel of her dreams and meets Sebastien. He is her hero come to life down to the scars. As she tries to figure out about Sebastien, he tries to hide more from Helene.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the story. I thought the characters were fun and I loved the dual POV. The only thing I wasn’t too crazy about with how they handled the drama at the end. Without giving away spoilers, it just felt a touch rushed. We focused so much on the romance that it just almost felt like it was an after thought. Overall, I thought it was a sweet story with a sweet ending. I would read more by Evelyn!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love Romeo and Juliet retellings and this book delivered a retelling that is unique and perfect for the hopeless romantics. The only reason that I'm giving it four stars is that in certain parts I wanted more depth. It's a cozy, love story that had me giggling and kicking my feet.

This is a sweet romance between Sebastien and Helene, who first found one another long ago in Verona when they were Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, and who have subsequently been reunited in life after life in subsequent centuries. Sebastien believes they are cursed--perhaps by his ill-fated friend Mercutio: him, to live forever and suffer as each new incarnation of her dies shortly after they meets and fall in love.

Sebastien has tried to leave this incarnation of Juliet alone. Somehow, though, she has discovered him in a way that seem to have broken the pattern of her past lives and she remembers vignettes from her past lives--specifically, all the meet-cutes they have had over the years. Is it possible in this life, they have broken the curse? And if not, is it enough to cherish the time they have together, knowing that Helene could die at any moment from the curse?

It's as enjoyable to see Romeo and Juliet meet over and over, in a variety of settings, personas, and time periods as it is heartbreaking to see how they are repeatedly torn apart. Sebastien is simultaneously hesitant to fully let his guard down since he is just waiting for her to die again, and determined to embrace every moment he has with her. This adds a bit of texture to the romance.

Otherwise, the story is rather simple. Most of the side characters are relatively flat, and the hurdles you would expect in the story are surprisingly easily overcome. None of this takes away from the enjoyment you'll experience when reading this gentle romance, though, so pick this one up for a pleasant escape.

The Hundred Lives of Juliet by Evelyn Skye is an adult Romeo and Juliet retelling with a twist. We follow Helene as she decides to move far away from her cheating husband to get a new start to her life. Settling on a rural Alaskan town, Helene runs into a stranger in a bar. Only he isn’t a stranger. He is a man Helene imagined when she was in eighth grade. Sebastien recognizes Helene too but due to his dark past, he wants nothing to do with her. But fate seems to have other plans.

I went into this book pretty blind, only knowing it is a Romeo and Juliet retelling and I think that’s the best way to go in. The secrets get revealed super early in the book so I don’t want to spoil anything but this is very different from anything I have ever read before. While the story was unique and interesting, I did find myself not enjoying a lot of it. This is an adult book but it felt very YA while reading it, especially Helene. I was curious enough to read to the end and while it was a fine end, I just wanted something more. I feel like not many questions were answered despite this book being a decent length. There were also several things that just did not make sense why they were happening.

This wasn’t a book that worked for me but I know other people will enjoy it. It is a good bridge book between young adult and adult as there is nothing really explicit in it and the characters feel very young even though they are adults. I did really enjoy the author’s note. It added a little to the story knowing the kind of inspiration behind the book.

Another super cute read. I really enjoyed this one more than I thought I would considering it’s not really the genre I read. That is why I am working on getting out of my book comfort zone.

A woman fleeing her disastrous marriage discovers that she is part of a legendary love story that spans lives, years, and continents in this modern-day reimagining of Romeo and Juliet.

When Helene was young, she dreamed of the perfect man and filled her notebooks with stories about him and about love in its purest form. But after a messy divorce, she has let go of such naive fantasies. She has moved to a small town in Alaska, where she is ready to write her novel and build a new life without romance. Fate has other plans, though.

Helene soon meets Sebastien Montague, a handsome fisherman who is her invented hero-made flesh, down to the most idiosyncratic details. But how can a man she created possibly exist in the real world?

While Helene tries to discover the truth behind his existence, Sebastien is determined to keep that truth from her, for he is a man scarred by serial tragedy, hiding a secret that has broken his heart time and again. Yet the shadows of the past emerge, endangering Helene and Sebastien's future before it even begins--and it becomes clear that it won't be easy to forge a new ending to the greatest love story of all time.

I walked into this not sure whether to expect the true Romen and Juliet tragedy that we are all used to or something else. It was something else, and I REALLY liked the concept. I thought that the author did a fantastic job coming up with a really cool twist on their story.

Meet Helene. She has decided to divorce her hubby and move from California to Alaska because something in her heart is calling her there. Her first night in town she runs into Sebastian at a bar. She is stunned because this is the guy that she has written about since she was little. He is here in the flesh. She walks over to meet him and when their eyes meet, she sees recognition in his eyes. However, reality then comes crashing down and he runs out the door before engaging in a convo with her. She is confused but determined to not let this encounter ruin what she is wanting to accomplish here which is to write a novel.

Meet Sebastian. He has just run into Helene at the local bar, but he doesn't know her as Helene. He knows her as several different names including Juliet. Yes THAT Juliet. Sebastian has lived for 700 years and the one steady throughout his time in this world has been running into Juliet's soul in several different times. Each time has ended tragically. So he has decided that he will do what he has done the last time he saw her, he runs away. He decided that he will do ANYTHING in his power to not have Helene in his life as he is terrified to let her in and then have her die. But fate has different plans for them. Helene and Sebastian end up being forced to stay together during a blizzard where secrets are revealed. Their feelings for each other come to fruition and the question they both have to ask themselves is- Is this love worth it?

This was a different spin on a love story that I really enjoyed. I ended up reading it within a 2 day period. The author did a great job incorporating both POVs and giving you a nice visual of each time period that Romeo and Juliet were together. The few "issues" I had were the fact that Sebastian gave up his friends at the drop of a hat to go travel with Helene, and we never heard from them again in the book. Also, Helene came around a lot faster than you would think to the fact that she is a reincarnated soul. Overall, though this was an easy, enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley and DelRey (Random House) publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a beautiful, emotional, sweeping Romeo and Juliet retelling, and more. I loved the way this book alternated between the present time and the stories of the past. It was magical. The story is inventive and takes the classic tale of Romeo and Juliet and the idea of star crossed lovers to a new level. Helene and Sebastien were great characters and you really feel for the situation they find themselves in. Helene, newly in the middle of a messy divorce, is trying to reinvent herself and leave her past behind. The range of emotions she goes through as her life is in the midst of change felt so real. Sebastien is hiding out in the wilds of Alaska. As all star crossed lovers do-they can't help but find each other.

I loved the imagery in this book. This is the first book I have read by Evelyn Skye but her voice is unique. The magical elements, especially in the first half of the book were so well done. The anticipation of how it was all going to tie together kept me on the edge of my seat as I read this in 2 days. The second half didn't have the same magical elements as the characters were dealing more with the present tense predicaments they were in. While still great, the first and second halves did feel like slightly different books with the past not coming back into play as much as it did in the beginning. I had no idea where the story was going or any prediction of how it would all come together but was pleasantly surprised with the ending. With this, I thought the end wrapped up too quickly and wasn't as detailed as other pieces of the story were. Overall, I loved it and reading the author's note made me love this story and appreciate it's inspiration even more.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey Books for the ARC.

Interesting premise, but unfortunately it fell a little short. I think my expectations for this book were just too high because I was so excited to read it, but it didn't live up to its potential. The beginning was really slow and took a while to get into and for a while I was really enjoying it. Unfortunately there were just some things about the writing style and characters that I couldn't completely connect to the book. It was still interesting and there were some great moments, just not fantastic.

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