I’ve read Romeo and Juliet countless times due to my past as an English high school teacher, and I enjoyed this unique retelling from Rosaline’s perspective. She is only referred to briefly in the play, yet she is given a vibrant life in this novel.

I recommend this for people who enjoy Shakespeare and feminist retellings.

More of an untelling than retelling, this story of Rosaline sheds light on one of the more mysterious characters from Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. Not much is known about Rosaline, but this feminist prequel brings depth and understanding to her character, and reveals more about Romeos character, too.

Although she is an unseen character in the original R&J, her role is important: Romeo's unrequited love for Rosaline leads him to try to catch a glimpse of her at a gathering hosted by the Capulet family, which is where he first spots Juliet (who also happens to be Rosaline’s cousin). In the play, Romeo reveals that Rosaline has renounced love and vowed to lead a life of chastity. That original text never gave her the avenue to reciprocate and freely express her emotions, romantic or otherwise, and while her fate beyond the story is unknown, the implication is that she remained alone. This book explores her feelings and choices, and gives readers a better glimpse into who Rosaline Capulet truly is.

Turning everything you ever knew about Romeo on its head, this book is a must-read for lovers of Shakespeare, retellings, and historical fiction.

In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Rosaline gets barely a passing mention, but by using what she knows about this Rosaline and Shakespeare's other Rosaline/Rosalind characters, Natasha Solomons builds her lead for "Fair Rosaline." Detailing the whirlwind romance between Rosaline and Romeo, this novel creates a new way of looking at the relationships between some of our most famous characters. And, while Shakespeare purists might bemoan any attempts at altering our views of these characters, the point of books in this vein is to place a different lens on the story. Also, while we deride some books like this as "fan fiction" (although I love that term and don't personally see it as a negative), plenty of beloved books fit under this umbrella like Rhys's Wide Sargasso Sea or Miller's Circe or even O'Farrell's own take on Shakespeare, Hamnet.

While there's some unevenness to the pacing, I appreciate this sort of wild ride through Rosaline's life and it may have made me appreciate Tybalt and Benvolio a bit more than I did in the past. Kudos to Solomons for exploring themes of exploitation and power imbalances while also having a strong theme of women supporting women.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

My Fair Rosaline is a reinterpretation of Romeo & Juliet told from the perspective of Rosaline, a very minor character from the original. After finishing this book I can’t help but wonder who the intended audience for this was? Fans of the original? Can’t be because this story takes the entire concept and throws it into left field. *SPOILER ALERT* Romeo is part of a trafficking ring. He’s the seducer that lures the girls into the world of icky men run by the church. To add an extra layer of ick, the author chooses to leave the characters at their original ages, meaning Juliet is 13 when she meets very adult Romeo. This story left me feeling uncomfortable long after it ended.

I was introduced last year to & Juliet, and I loved a fun feminist retelling of an otherwise depressing story. I misunderstood the synopsis and the very bright colour. I thought Rosaline was going to get the & Juliet treatment sans Britney Spears discography and boy was I in for something entirely different.

There wasn’t a single redeemable character. The males were all disgusting for obvious reasons but every female character was complicit and cruel. Rosaline did not have a single character trait. Things happened to her but she rarely was in charge of a situation. If her B-level love story is all that any of us can hope for, well we are all doomed.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Natasha Solomons books for a while now, so I was thrilled to receive a copy of her retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet from the perspective of Rosaline.

In Shakespeare’s telling, Rosaline is very much offstage, in Ms. Solomon’s she is front and center and ready to play. Rosaline’s beloved mother has died of the plague and her father has decided it is cheaper to send her to a nunnery that to find her a willing husband and have to produce a dowry. Enter Romeo the stuff of many a fair maiden’s dreams, at first Rosaline is enamored and then, not so much. She sees the selfishness and arrogance in Romeo so she breaks off the relationship, but then Romeo sets his sights on her thirteen year old naive cousin Juliet and Rosaline knows that she must step in to prevent a tragedy. With the usual cast of characters, Nurse, Tybalt, Paris, Mercutio and of course the Friar this retelling should be familiar, but is not as the characters and motives are viewed by a different lens, Rosaline’s and she has something to say. the Capulets and the Montagues will never be the same.

I enjoyed the different take on Romeo and Juliet and the motives of the main characters. I would highly recommend this for someone who like alternate views of beloved classics.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher Sourcebooks Landmark and the author for the chance to read and review this book.

Happy pub day to Fair Rosaline, Natasha Solomons’ latest novel!

Fair Rosaline focuses in on the character from
Romeo and Juliet that I have the most curiosity about: Juliet’s cousin Rosaline, the girl that Romeo was infatuated with first. Ever since first reading the play I’ve wondered who this character really was, because we only get to hear about her through other (male) characters. What happened to her? How did she feel about her cousin falling in love with Romeo so quickly after being in love with her?

Solomon weaves together a story that tries to satisfy all of these questions for me. And for the most part, it worked. What I liked the most was that she made me see characters in a different light. I’m not a huge fan of Romeo to begin with, but I absolutely loathed the Romeo of this novel. Conversely, I adored Tybalt, and I found that to be a refreshing change. Solomon mostly works her story around the existing structure of the play, but has to make a few small changes to make her story work. I did think that this novel was much too long and would have benefitted by being edited for length. I was also driven mad when the word “wherefore” was used to mean “where” and not “why.” But otherwise, I thought this was a really decent take on a character who is fairly hidden in Shakespeare’s play.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Captivated is too small and weak a word to describe Natasha Solomon’s stunning novel FAIR ROSALIE, an incredibly creative and marvelous fresh perspective on the legend of Romeo and Juliet, Through the eyes of Rosalie Capulet, cousin to Juliet, I have walked the streets, been overwhelmed by the stench, endured the boundaries, and delighted in relationships with kindred spirits. Throughout, I enjoyed lyrical, beautiful prose, taut plot, and the nearly unbearable tension in the knowing and the not knowing what will happen next. This book is a masterwork, a genuine contribution to book clubs and readers everywhere. I am recommending it to all I know, pressing it into their hands: “You must read this book.” I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

I got sick but I wanted to review on what I've read and I will say I love the premise and I loved that it paints Romeo different and that he is going after her cousin so she needs to save her.

This was a FANTASTIC feminist Romeo & Juliet "untelling" told from the POV of Rosaline that sees Romeo as a predator who preys on younger women and critiques the society/culture that drove young women into the arms of men like him when faced with few choices. I loved how the pandemic/plague was a key part of the story, driving the plot in clever ways and how the author sprinkled actual lines from the play throughout the story. Great on audio with an author interview included at the end and perfect for fans of Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!! This was my first book by Natasha Solomons and definitely won't be my last!

Fair Rosaline is a clever, well-written take on one of the most famous stories of all time: Romeo and Juliet. Unlike most other retellings or adaptations, Natasha Solomons takes the perspective of Rosaline, Romeo’s love interest before he meets Juliet. Solomons incorporates a modern point of view and sensibility without it overwhelming the story or language, as well as interesting historical detail that grounds the story in ways the play does not in its high drama. Rosaline’s family dynamics and relationship with her younger cousin Juliet and cousin Tybalt, both of whom we see in a different light than often portrayed, are fleshed out while Romeo is shown differently as well. Solomons explores what life was like then beyond the more focused original story, layering in complexity around gender, family, and manipulation.

At not quite sixteen years old, Rosaline Capulet should not have needed to attend the burial of her mother. Yet, thanks to the plague making its violent way through Verona, Rosaline is left with a father who does not always treat her with the respect she deserves. No sooner do Rosaline and her father leave Verona for the relative safety of the nearby hills does Rosaline learn of her father’s wish to banish Rosaline to a nunnery to avoid having to amass a dowry for her. After much pleading, Rosaline is granted a meager twelve nights to live what life she can before she is locked into the convent to which she has been sentenced, and in that short time Rosaline experiences more than she ever thought possible.

This novel is an excellent fit for readers who enjoy Shakespeare reimagined in more accessible vernacular. Its story describes both events that precede Romeo and Juliet and the famous tale itself, and it is presented using a blend of contemporary and Shakespearean style language. Though this design can be challenging for some readers, it offers a high class feel for Shakespeare aficionados. As Rosaline is the focal point of the story, she becomes a richer character than she is in Shakespeare’s famous work, and her strength gives the famous tale a more robust feel than it has on its own. Though there are times when the book’s presentation requires strong focus, the plot is engaging throughout, and Rosaline is both a complex and relatable character who is true to many of Shakespeare’s other writings.

Fans of Romeo and Juliet will see Romeo through different eyes by the conclusion of this book, especially as he shifts from dashing hero to feared villain. References to unprotected sex out of wedlock, abusive relationships, and the suffering that came from both the plague and overworked mothers appear throughout the novel, and they may prove to be intense for more sensitive readers. Overall, this narrative gives readers a glimpse of the famous Romeo in a new and unforgiving light, and it is an enjoyable tale for readers who appreciate the depth and breadth of Shakespearean literature. This is a unique addition to library collections for young adult readers, and it is a daring companion to Romeo and Juliet.

As a staunch Shakespeare lover, I was so excited for an “untelling” of Romeo and Juliet focusing on the Rosaline perspective… this was not that. The plot was overwhelmingly out of left field and I felt the narrative read very much like a teen drama, with VERY adult themes (ie a pedophile ring with Romeo as its leader?) The idea for this book was brilliant and I was so looking forward to it and found myself incredibly disappointed. Would have loved to see a strong FMC Rosaline standing up to Romeo and having her own moment in tbe spotlight (much like in the tv show of that name that came out recently).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

Fair Rosaline is a feminist retelling of Romeo and Juliet told through the eyes of Rosaline.

I'm always a fan of a Romeo and Juliet retelling, since there's such flexibility for thematic exploration in the story, and this retelling definitely leaned into that thematic exploration. In all, I kind of felt like the characters weren't real. Or, at least, they weren't particularly unique, but rather operated on some distinct character archetypes to better tell the story. I'm not sure that this is a fault, especially since any enrichment of Rosaline's character is infinitely better than the absolute lack of character she gets in the source material, but it was an interesting thing I found myself kind of mulling over as the story played out. In some ways, I do wish that Solomons had pushed this story even further or gone a little darker. It just sort of felt... normal. Like I wanted it to carry more weight in the end than it did.

Even so, I did really enjoy this read. It was quick and easy, and it certainly gets you thinking. Plus, Rosaline gets a voice, a trend that's becoming more popular with R&J retellings and which I am all for!

When reading a literary retelling of Romeo & Juliet from the perspective of Rosaline, you expect certain things. Romeo probably doesn't come off very well, for one. Juliet might get her fair share of criticism. But I wasn't expecting to ~feel things~ for Tybalt...

So yeah, this is a retelling of what many consider the "greatest love story of all time" from the perspective of the girl who got dumped right before those lovers met. And, as it turns out, he was a real POS. As the book opens, Rosaline's mother has just died, and Rosaline's father has decided that the best thing for her future is to send her to a convent. He gives her a two week grace period before she has to enter. She decides to cram in all of the living she'll miss out on into those fourteen days, including sneaking into a Montague party where she meets Romeo. The older man seems to have a second sense for sniffing out vulnerable girls. Rosaline is drawn deeper into his machinations, and when she breaks free, he immediately latches onto her cousin, Juliet. As Rosaline desperately tries to save her cousin, the only person she can confide in is their other cousin Tybalt, her closest friend and childhood companion.

If you know Romeo & Juliet, then you know the outlines of the story after this. But, because it is a retelling, the reader desperately hopes for a different ending for the characters we've come to know in a different way. This isn't an easy book to read; Romeo is a predator who's already gotten away with so much, while Rosaline and Juliet are truly 13- and 15-year olds who don't have the maturity or the familial support to push back. That said, it's always worth the effort to take another look at the works of art that form part of our understanding of literature in general.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

This is an untelling of Romeo and Juliet, the greatest love story of all time. The first time Romeo Montague sees young Rosaline Capulet he falls instantly in love. Rosaline, bereft with grief over the loss of her mother is determined to spend her final days doing everything she will be missing out on, before her father sends her to live at the convent. She meets Romeo at a masquerade party, and falls hopelessly in love with him. He compromises her virtue and promises to marry her, but keeps putting off the wedding date. Knowing her days are numbered, before she must enter the convent, Rosaline begins to doubt Romeo's love for her. She breaks off the match, only to have him immediately turn his attentions toward her thirteen-year-old cousin Juliet. Rosaline realizes that it is not only Juliet's reputation at stake, but her life .With only hours remaining before she will be banished behind the nunnery walls, will Rosaline save Juliet from her Romeo?

This feminist revision of the story paints Romeo as a predator with a history of seducing and then discarding young girls. Because it never explicitly states in the original version of Romeo & Juliet what his age actually is, this could very well have been the case. I thoroughly enjoyed this prequel to Romeo & Juliet. It was a fresh & original idea and I loved how she brought Rosaline to life. I definitely recommend this one!

Fair Rosaline is dark, ugly, and exposes the possibility of a very, very sinister side of Romeo and the Montagues (and basically everyone besides the Capulets.) While yes, Rosaline is still a great heroine, there were too many convenient plot holes- and said plot leaned heavily on the guilt of men all being disgusting pigs, rather than being a tale of youthful folly with tragic consequences. I find it difficult to believe that Romeo (and Juliet) was anything more than a dumb teenager who made selfish choices, so this was much more sinister than I expected.

Though I do give credit to Solomons for her writing and creativity, personally I felt that the plot was too far out, and things tied up in an unsatisfactory manner- both too convenient (again) as well as unrealistic based on the way Rosaline had been portrayed through the novel.

Overall, not a win for me. Rosaline is such a wide-open character, so I love seeing interpretations of her potential, but the deviation from the classic tale was too out of left field for me.

I really loved this book! I love the concept of a Shakespeare "untelling", especially about a typically forgotten female character. It was an easy read/listen, but the writing was beautiful and propelling. I highly recommend it!

4.5 stars. This absolutely gorgeous re-telling of one of Shakespeare's tragedies, comes from the perspective of Juliet's older cousin, Rosaline, who, you will remember, Romeo was in love with first.
This novel is brave and bold and dares to challenge this "love story". Because after all, all told this was a 3 day affair between a very young girl and a much older young man, that ended in the deaths of 4 people. I promise that this story has a much better ending than Shakespeare's.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Landmark Sourcebooks for this e-arc.*

Thank you @netgalley & @bookmarked for early access to this book. It publishes on Tuesday, 9/12!

Here we have the story of Rosaline Capulet, a very minor character in the original story of Romeo and Juliet. She was Romeo’s lover prior to Juliet, and in Solomons’ story Romeo is an absolute villain. Rosaline becomes privy to this, and then makes it her mission to stop him, and ultimately, save her younger cousin from his grasp.

In an effort to be completely transparent, this book bored me half to death lol 🙃 I found myself never wanting to pick it up, and it took me a long time to get through.

I typically loooove retellings, but I think I’ve noticed that I prefer a retelling with a modern spin. Obviously, Romeo and Juliet is a very old story, but I was just hoping the writing would flow a little better and it would feel lighter.. but it didn’t. It was very wordy and dry, in my opinon.

I did, however, like the very last part that tied everything together. I also liked the feminine perspective and tenacity in this version of the story.

I think it’s important to note that just because I didn’t enjoy this doesn’t mean it wasn’t well done. If you love Shakespeare, you very well might love this book - it just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and the author for providing me with an advanced digital copy for review. The opinions below are my own.

This novel was a delectably dark and innovative feminist twist on a Shakespearan favorite. We have always assumed that Romeo and Juliet were two young star-crossed lovers, fated for doom. But this retelling portrays Romeo as someone much more sinister and predatory in nature. I mean, this man is a walking red flag. His penchant for young girls leaves behind a wake of misery, torment and even death. The entire town seems culpable in enabling his behavior. That is, until one of his jilted conquests takes matters into her own hands to protect her younger cousin, Juliet, from certain peril. Enter Rosaline.

In the original play, we are only told of Rosaline through mere mentions or lewd jokes. It was refreshing to hear the story told through a new perspective. Rosaline is not like the other girls: she is mischievous, a bit sassy, has an independent spirit and has darker skin than is favored for her era. I liked seeing her character develop throughout the story. She begins as a somewhat naive and disenchanted girl but by the end, she is a strong and devoted woman. Her bond with Tybalt was especially endearing. I didn’t think it would be possible to feel empathy with the character who had for so long been rendered as a villain but surprisingly, he proved to be one of my favorites.

It was a little slow to ramp up but I became emotionally invested more and more as I read. During the second half especially, I couldn’t put it down. I really wanted Chris Hansen to pop out from behind some trees and tell Romeo to “have a seat” while he shamed him with the lurid details of his indiscretions and hauled him away. Rest assured, though…the ending proved quite satisfying. The writing felt accessible yet appropriate for the period. I also thought the author did a great job of painting the setting and adding specific thematic details that added to the foreshadowing (i.e. the bees/honey).

I would recommend this book to anyone, especially those who are fans of Shakespeare and can appreciate artistic liberties being taken to the original work. The cover is also deserving of a round of applause and I need a copy for my shelf immediately upon publication.