I liked the idea of the retelling of the Romeo and Juliet story. There was something about this reimagining that just didn’t work for me. I was hoping for more, but this just didn’t deliver for me.

As someone who loves Romeo and Juliet and has been teaching the play for 10+ years, I’m always interested in a retelling/reimagining. I’ve always been fascinated by Rosaline, and she’s one of my favorite characters to talk about - who was she? So this book seemed like a natural fit for me!

Unfortunately, something about it just didn’t vibe with me. I got about 40% in and was not enjoying myself, so I am stopping here. It is very slow, and it’s possible there may be a great payoff, but life is too short to read books that you’re not excited to pick up.

I’m leaving this at a 3; for the right reader, this will certainly be a great book!

Wow. Wow wow, this was such an interesting twist on a classic! If you thought you knew the story of Romeo and Juliet, think again. This book turns the well-known tale on its head, showing us a much darker side of Romeo that completely changes how we see the events in Shakespeare’s famous play. I am such a sucker for retellings and this did not disappoint!

The story is told from Rosaline’s perspective, and she’s not just the forgotten girl Romeo loved before Juliet. She’s headstrong, independent, and sees through Romeo’s charming exterior in a way that’s both refreshing and chilling. The way Solomons paints Romeo as a manipulative predator with a history of going after younger girls makes the story feel disturbingly relevant today.

One of the things I loved most about Fair Rosaline is how it exposes the darker, more predatory elements of what is often seen as a romantic love story. The feminist angle is powerful, and Rosaline’s determination to protect Juliet adds a layer of urgency and tension that kept me hooked.

That being said, the story does take a bit of time to find its rhythm, but once it gets going, it’s hard to put down. The historical setting is richly detailed, and Solomons’ writing is both lyrical and sharp, adding depth to this retelling.

Thanks so much to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Fair Rosaline in exchange for my honest thoughts! I enjoyed it so much.

I wanted to love this book, as I tend to enjoy retellings of classic novels from a different POV. However, this one did not land for me, unfortunately. I found the prose style to be on the wordy side, which made it feel quite meandering and lost at points. The idea that Romeo was a paedophile/part of a paedophile ring that is capturing young girls and poisoning them also took away from the story that was meant to be retold.

reimaginings of rosaline have been rife for years. karen maine's 2022 hulu film was enjoyable for its humor, the short lived still star crossed for its silly adult melodrama. this book however has no strong or new perspective on the character and story. i found it rather juvenile.

Before Juliet there was Rosaline and before Rosaline there were others. In this reimagining of Romeo and Juliet from Rosaline's perspective, she is trying to fit as much life into her last few days of freedom before being cloistered in a nunnery. Romeo offers exactly the sort of fling--and possible escape--she's looking for. He's also a rake, something she realizes too late. But now Romeo has his eyes and silver tongue set on her thirteen-year-old cousin, Juliet. Can Rosaline save her before it's too late?

Romeo is definitely a full-on villain in this version, but that worked well for this feminist take showing how hard life could be for women in the time, with their only options being marriage, a nunnery, or work as a servant. If you view Romeo and Juliet only as a love story, you're probably not going to like Fair, Rosaline. I really appreciated how the tory tied into the original in creative and unexpected ways. After all Rosaline is attempting to save a girl who is preordained as doomed, right?

"Fair Rosaline" by Natasha Solomons is a bold and subversive reimagining of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" from the perspective of Rosaline, Romeo's initial love interest. Set in Verona, the novel presents a darker, more sinister interpretation of the classic tale, focusing on themes of manipulation, predatory behavior, and female agency.

Solomons portrays Romeo as an older, predatory figure who preys on young, innocent girls through seduction and manipulation. This stark departure from the traditional romantic hero adds a disturbing layer to the familiar story. Rosaline, the protagonist, is depicted as a headstrong and independent 15-year-old grappling with the loss of her mother and the prospect of being sent to a convent.

The novel explores Rosaline's brief romance with Romeo and her subsequent realization of his true nature. As Romeo turns his attention to her 13-year-old cousin Juliet, Rosaline races against time to save her from a tragic fate. This narrative shift provides a fresh and thought-provoking perspective on the well-known tragedy.

While the concept is intriguing and Solomons succeeds in telling a story of female resistance against predatory men in society, some readers may find the drastic reinterpretation of beloved characters jarring. The novel's dark tone and exploration of difficult themes make it a challenging but compelling read.

"Fair Rosaline" offers a complex, layered story that breathes new life into a classic tale, exploring new character relationships and the complexities of love, family, and duty. Though it may spark debate among Shakespeare purists, it provides a powerful feminist reimagining that is both captivating and unsettling.

Natasha Solomons' Fair Rosaline offers a bold and captivating reinterpretation of Shakespeare's classic tale, revealing Romeo as a predator and Juliet's cousin, Rosaline, as the true heroine. Solomons' lyrical prose and powerful storytelling shed new light on the age-old narrative, challenging readers to reconsider the nature of love and destiny. While the premise is intriguing and the feminist revision compelling, some may find the portrayal of Romeo unsettling. Nonetheless, Fair Rosaline is a thought-provoking and chillingly relevant exploration of themes of power, agency, and the darker aspects of love. Solomons' retelling is sure to leave a lasting impression on fans of literary reimaginings.

This had such a good premise but it became a bit tedious. I love Billy S and retellings, but this book has lots of distracting language inconsistencies and I wish I could have gotten over it more because this was SUCH a good retelling idea.

While I had high hopes for this novel, I did not like it as much as I thought I would have. It was okay in terms that it was well written but it did not hold my attention and did not draw me in how I thought it should have. 3 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free copy of Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons for my honest review.

In the moment I figured I would love this. Then I started it. I got like a quarter of the way into the book I think. I think I just got bored? Writing was fine and the story itself was fine, though I think the pacing may have been why I put this book down.

I think anyone who has read Romeo and Juliet can agree that it isn't the romantic story it is made out to be. Well, this book definitely doubles down on that, just told through a different voice, Rosaline, the woman before Juliet. I found this book to be pretty interesting, with some fresh takes on the story. The ending also left me speechless. Not my favorite, but parts will definitely stick with me!

This was ok! An interesting reclamation of a character whose always been on the sidelines of the story, but it definitely lost me about half way through. No spoilers, but some of the events were too modern feeling? I don’t usually mind anachronisms in this type of book but this went a little off the rails.

This is a wildly different take on Shakespeare's story! It's a more feminist, almost modern retelling, from Rosaline's POV. She is a pretty minor character in the original play, so Natasha creates her entire personality from scratch, and I loved her! Headstrong and self-reliant Rosaline is a great heroine! There are drastic changes to the story that I'm not sure if I loved and if you are looking for a faithful expansion of Shakespeare's work then this is not the book for you but overall, it's very well written!

Fantastic.

In one of my many close readings of Romeo and Juliet as a teen, I remember thinking Romeo can't be that great if he was JUST in love with another girl (Rosaline) and already "loves" Juliet. It is fantastic to see the other side of the story in this book.

This was a beautiful rendition of Romeo & Juliet told from the POV of Rosaline, who Romeo loved first. There’s something so special and interesting about Shakespeare retellings that focus on a side character, and the author did a great job executing her vision with this one. I truly felt for Rosaline and connected with her more than I ever did with the titular characters in the original play.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This book moved a little slow for me. I think the concept and idea is unique but the execution was a little flawed for me.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

When I saw that this book was available to request on NetGalley, I jumped at the opportunity to request it.

I have loved the story of Romeo and Juliet for a long time, so when I saw that someone wrote a book about Rosaline, I knew I had to read it.

This book was really good. Rosaline, Juliet's cousin meets Romeo Monague and is swept up in all of his declarations of love and marrage. Things go awry, and then he meets her cousin Juliet at a party.

This is not the side of Romeo we are used to seeing, but I really liked this book.
You get sucked right into the story of Love, Romance and deception. How will it end? Read it and find out.

A gripping retelling of Romeo and Juliet. We get to see the story from disillusioned Rosaline’s POV. Does she get to save Juliet?
Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.