The premise of this Romeo and Juliet retelling was certainly interesting, but ultimately was not one of my favorites. I enjoyed the little vignettes from past iterations more than Helene and Sebastien's present day story. While this book has good messages about breaking cycles and what it means to live a full life, I did want more closure and explanation about the curse. Without it, Helene and Sebastien's interactions felt more superficial. I did feel that the middle portion dragged, but I enjoyed the ending and the empowering moments that both Helene and Sebastien were able to have. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in romance or anyone who is processing grief.

This book is for all my HOPELESS ROMANTIC girlies and guys out there!! It's such a beautiful story of everlasting love, grief and loss.

Sebastian has had many names, but his first name was Romeo, yes, that Romeo. It turns out there is much more to the story than Shakespeare ever knew. Sebastian/Romeo is actually immortal, and his fated love Juliette keeps getting reincarnated without any recollection of her previous lives. Life draws them together with each life but cruelly only allows them a short time of bliss before a curse rips Juliette away from Romeo and he is forced to despair until she comes back to him again.

I thought this book had such a unique premise and was plotted so distinctively. There are some absolutely GORGEOUS quotes that had my heart melting. I loved the alternating POVs and how we also got to visit Romeo and Juliette in their different lives together. Their love is what you would expect from Romeo and Juliette, and I was swooning for them. I thought the ending was beautiful although I would have preferred a bit more structure and for the loose ends to have been tied up a bit more since there was such an emphasis on the mystery of the curse. I still have so many questions! I really enjoyed this book so much and authors note at the end had me in tears!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the gifted arc

This is a reimagining of the Romeo and Juliet story. What if Romeo didn't die? What if Juliet reincarnated and came back into Romeo's life? Except when she comes back and falls in love with him, she tragically dies again. And this happens over and over and over again. So, for hundreds of years, Romeo has to continually relive the tragic death of Juliet. That is the story of The Hundred Loves of Juliet.

It's an interesting and ambitious concept. It's also kind of out there, and you have to be willing to just go along with it because it's a little wild! I thought I could go along with it, but I just didn't ever connect with this story. The story focuses on the most recent meeting of Romeo and Juliet (known in this time as Sebastian and Helene) in modern day Alaska. But interspersed with the modern story are vignettes about their previous "lives" together. I struggled to connect with Sebastian and Helene in the present, and I found them both to be not super exciting characters.

Then I really didn't get pulled into the vignettes, as it felt like a whole bunch of separate stories thrown into this story. I know that the characters in those vignettes were Romeo and Juliet, but I just wasn't invested nor did I care what happened or how Juliet died each time. So I struggled to finish this one.

It was an imaginative and clever concept, but the characters and story fell flat for me.

I was very intrigued by the premise of this book—a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet that assumes a different ending to Shakespeare’s original tale. An immortal Romeo is doomed to meet Juliet, reincarnated with no memories of their past encounters, over and over again. I love the way the author weaved in stories from their history, and I appreciated her creativity in making each iteration feel fresh while staying true to the same basic star-crossed-lovers story. The story was subtly reminiscent, at times, of Matt Haig’s How to Stop Time or V.E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. That being said, this one did fall a little flat for me, but it is nonetheless a romantic read for fans of Shakespeare or modern interpretations of classic tales.

This is out of what I consider my typical genres to read, but I enjoyed it a lot anyway. The writing is amazing and the story brings you in. I enjoyed the retelling of a well-known story and the new spin that was put on it. Such a good read!

This wasn't my usual kind of book, but I enjoyed the spin on it. I thought the writing was well done and the author had clearly done their research on the topics they covered. I especially liiked all the different flashbacks to the old time periods.

What a great premise — Romeo and Juliet, reincarnated many times over the centuries, always drawn together and always linked in tragedy. In an added twist, Romeo is immortal and remembers all his previous loves. He knows, for example, that whoever Juliet is in any given lifetime, she will die within two years. Juliet, on the other hand, has no idea of their history together. Now in the 21st Century, writer “Juliette” and sea captain “Romeo” find themselves thrown together by fate and consuming attraction. Can they break the cycle?

Well, maybe, if he would just sit down with her and have a candid conversation. Clearly, he’s failed to do that before, only to watch his beloved-of-this-century die, usually horribly. You would think he’d learn from his disasters. Of all the failings of a typical romance novel, the stupidity of keeping secrets ranks top of my list. Even if “Juliet” thinks he’s delusional and doesn’t believe him, at least he would have given her a rationale for him walking away from her. Which he tries to do, but because she has no idea why, it doesn’t work.

I had other quibbles, including the passages supposedly diaries and so forth from past centuries but laden with contemporary sensibilities, that the heroine tries way too hard to be likeable, that the hero is an example of “female-gaze” and not a real person. Although the prose is for the most part pretty good, it slips into tone deafness all too often.

I suspect that this is a romance with fantastic elements, rather than a reincarnation/time-travel fantasy with a love story, and that science fiction/fantasy readers like myself will have a much harder time with it than romance readers. Regardless, I gave up around the 24% mark. I simply didn’t care what happened next as long as the characters were being so dishonest with each other and themselves.

This was a sweet reimagining of a star-crossed lovers story. The setting was great, I love books set in Alaska. There was a sort of time travel aspect to this, it reminded me a bit of The Time Traveler’s Wife. I did enjoy it, but there could have been a bit more depth to the story. But if you’re looking for a sweet surface level romance story this one should be great for you!

i loved the romeo and juliet vibes! this version of the retelling was really cool and interesting, i haven’t read any star-crossed lovers books in years and i was very excited for this. the concept for this book was fresh and different, which i loved!

Wow, just wow. I'm kicking myself for not reading this as soon as I got my hands on it. By far one of the best novels I've read so far this year. Beautifully written retelling of the classic story of Romeo and Juliet with all the twists and turns. This book is as if historical fiction and contemporary romance had a baby. I couldn't put it down and when it ended I wanted it to just keep going and going.

Evelyn Skye's "The Hundred Loves of Juliet" presents a stunning love story that captivated me from beginning to end. With a fresh and innovative concept, Skye offers a contemporary portrayal of Romeo and Juliet, exploring a potential future for this iconic couple. The author skillfully balances the modern setting while honoring their timeless history.

From the very first introduction, I became an ardent supporter of the courageous heroine, Helene. Her vibrant and resilient personality instantly won me over as she embarked on a journey to reclaim her life. On the other hand, my admiration for our reluctant hero, Sebastien, developed more gradually. As the story unfolded, I understood why the other characters held him in such high regard.

One of the aspects I adored about this book was its unpredictability. The romance unfolded at a natural pace, avoiding any sense of suddenness or rush. Each character received their moment in the spotlight, allowing readers to truly know them on a deeper level. The revelation of the greatest twist had me gripping the edge of my seat, eagerly devouring the remainder of the story.

"The Hundred Loves of Juliet" is a fast-paced and exhilarating read, brimming with freshness and originality. While romance holds a special place in my heart as a favored genre, I, like many readers, can appreciate a well-executed trope. However, every so often, a book emerges with such a distinct and inventive idea that it defies categorization and becomes something truly extraordinary. That is precisely what "The Hundred Loves of Juliet" represents to me.

I am immensely grateful to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with an advance reader copy (ARC) of this book. I offer this review willingly and without any external influence.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Hundred Loves of Juliet.

How could I not request this after the thrilling premise?

Romeo and Juliet's love story didn't end the way Shakespeare said it did.

Romeo lived! And Juliet is reincarnated again and again with disastrous ends in each life.

I'm so into this! Until I wasn't.

Sadly, this didn't work for me for a number of reasons:

1. The writing wasn't great, it was pretty cheesy and corny. The narrative read almost YA-like though there are plenty of great YA books out there.

2. There's no chemistry between Helene and Sebastien. Zip, Zilch. Nada.

3. The short story vignettes were unnecessary and read as filler.

4. After so many reincarnations, Juliet never once reincarnates as a person of color? Wow. What are the odds?

5. That nonsense about Merrick was just that...silly filler. It was like the author tossed in this not nice person to add drama and tension.

I wanted to like this a lot more. No, I wanted to love this, but I didn't.

I do appreciate the opportunity to read this before publication.

3.5 stars

When I heard this was a modernized Romeo and Juliet retelling, I jumped at the opportunity to read The Hundred Loves of Juliet. I loved the concept of the characters connecting again and again over time was well done, but struggled a bit with keeping track with the POV switches. Was fun though!

I was originally drawn to this book because of its setting in rural Alaska and the concept of a fictional character come to life. And the book delivered on both of those premises. But the overarching storyline of Romeo & Juliet reimagined, with the vignettes about previous incarnations of Juliet, and how this time might be different, made the book even more intriguing.

At first, Helene felt a bit impulsive and immature to me. I attribute that in part to the fact that the author has written more in the YA genre where such attributes are more common. However, Helene is also a woman who has very recently escaped a long-term relationship with a bully, and liberation of that nature often leads to a desire to throw caution to the wind and truly follow one's own dreams. She grows as a character, and in the end you see how much impact she has on Sebastien as a result.

FWIW, the Author's Note at the end was poignant and brought a personal touch to the whole story.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

When I heard Romeo and Juliet retelling, I knew I had to read this. The concept of the characters connecting again and again over time was well done. This story was more modernized than I expected but I enjoyed that.

At times, I had a hard time keeping track with the switching of point of views and trying to brush up on what I remember from Romeo and Juliet.

If you’re a fan of classics and time loop type stories I recommend checking this out!

The Hundred Loves of Juliet by Evelyn Skye is a captivating novel that beautifully weaves together the past and present. The story follows Helene, a divorcee who has given up on love, as she meets Sebastien, the man she had once only dreamed about. As their relationship blossoms, secrets from Sebastien's past threaten their future.

The novel explores themes of love and loss. The way the author blends the retelling of Romeo and Juliet with Helene and Sebastien's love story is super creative. One aspect of the story that fell flat for me was the conflict with Merrick (Helen's soon-to-be ex-husband). I can see the author's purpose for having this conflict, but it kind of felt distracting to the main storyline.

Overall, The Hundred Loves of Juliet is a heart-warming read that will leave you swooning. Skye has written a beautifully crafted romance that will appeal to fans of historical and contemporary fiction alike.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

With such an interesting premise, a retelling of Romeo and Juliet where Romeo (Sebastien) was immortal and Juliet (Helene) reincarnated, this held promise. Sebastien believes he is cursed, as every life of Juliet’s has died tragically shortly after they meet. He sets out to avoid Helene, but of course fate intervenes and they are thrust together.

I felt the delivery and the writing left me wanting more. The characters were one dimensional. Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers and yet Sebastien and Helene lacked chemistry. I never felt the tension or the pull between them. The extended storyline with Merrick, Helene’s soon-to-be ex-husband, seemed farfetched and I felt detracted rather than added to the story and the risk of Sebastien losing Helene.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

The Hundred Loves of Juliet was a heartbreaking yet heartwarming, beautiful story about how love is endless and not even time or death can break it. A bit cheesy at times, but wonderfully written, the alternating perspectives between Helene and Sebastian paired with flashbacks and "vingettes" from both of their perspectives add depth, detail, and insight into Romeo & Juliet's story like you haven't heard before.

It reminded me a bit of Fallen by Lauren Kate, The Time Traveler's Wife, and Outlander. I loved the settings, the descriptions, and the characters. Helene's optimism and Sebastian's grief were tangible, as if I was experiencing them myself.

3/5 stars to The Hundred Loves of Juliet - it would be 4 stars, but the pacing was a bit off, and one of the tropes can be difficult for some readers.

The Hundred Loves of Juliet was a unique story that kept me on my toes. It was fast-paced, emotional, and sweet, and it had light-hearted, funny moments as well. If you’re a fan of the movie The Age of Adeline, you’re sure to love this book. I loved that we got snippets of their love story throughout the ages. I could not put this book down, and I’m sure you won’t be able to either.

Also - the author’s note at the end may have been one of the most touching and beautifully written author’s notes I’ve ever read. And honestly, knowing what this book means to the author makes it even sweeter.

This may have been more of a 3.5 for me. I loved the unique story line and the idea of a true love that keeps coming back. I enjoyed the different vignette's that gave us a glimpse into Sebastien and Helene's relationship. I appreciate that there wasn't a lot of unnecessary angst (miscommunication etc.). It was a cozy romance- closed door, but I would've still liked to have felt a little more passion and connection between the characters. I felt there was quite a bit of repetitive information throughout and I found myself skimming. I would've liked a few more resolutions throughout the story- it seemed abrupt in parts. A mix of pros and cons, but I still found myself wanting to see how it all came together. If you are looking for a cozy romance with a unique twist on a classic tale, I recommend picking this up!