Unfortunately, this Shakespearean reimagining falls incredibly flat, made even less memorable by the sea of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ retellings in which ‘Fair Rosaline’ swims. Its dullness is almost impressive considering this is a take that includes a private party, catacombs, and in fact a veritable human trafficking ring headed by church representatives for which Romeo is essentially a honeypot. The only true saving grace was Sheila Atim’s excellent narration giving life to Solomons’ otherwise lackluster words.

Despite my opinion, my gratitude to Netgalley, RB Media, and Recorded Books for the opportunity to listen to this ALC in exchange for an honest review.

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 didn’t know what to expect out of this one but I enjoyed it! Entertaining enough and a well told story. Not going to be a favorite, but it was good

An interesting, if a bit dry, take on Romeo and Juliet. I found the author’s note at the end more interesting than the book itself.

2.5 stars.

I applaud the narrator. Without her, I would have put this book down. It was slow. So very very slow. I was so excited for a feminist Romeo retelling but it just didn't deliver for me.

I gave the audio a fair chance but couldn't really get invested in the story. I don't think it's the narrator's fault rather the story was too slow, Rosaline too whiny and it felt we were not getting anywhere. I was bored and after I few tries I gave up around 20% in.

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I love the different perspectives of classic stories. This one did not disappoint. Very clever and well written. I enjoyed it. Thanks NetGallery!

I really need to stop reading anything involving Romeo + Juliet when I well and truly despise that play.

AND YET…here I am. Reading this. And really letting this drive home that Romeo was the quintessential FUCKBOI. Like, damn. He absolutely sucks.

Interesting take on a very, VERY minor character and giving her life and control over the narrative of this tragedy. I enjoyed her wanting to take down this terrible FUCKBOI and relying on the women in her life, but eh.

It didn’t need to be this long.

This was an interesting take on a character that is only just briefly mentioned in Romeo and Juliet. I thought that the character and story made sense, and made me hate Romeo even more. I believed that this was actually what could have happened with these characters parallel to the story of Romeo and his Juliet.

"She did not want to be hidden behind a wall. She wanted the world, all its glories and its sorrows and rottenness"

A Romeo and Juliet inspired novel - I'm 100% down! This book is beautifully written.
Natasha breath life into an almost forgotten character of the original play. We see a stong woman with passion and drive. Rosaline is a character I like, she takes it on herself to help Juliet.

”Young men’s love, I fear, lies not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.”

The narrator was very good! A great choice to bring this stroy to life.

One of my favourite versions of this story.

I'll admit, I have never read Shakespeare. So I don't really know the story of Romeo and Juliet. Going on blind, I found this book fantastic. I was hooked from the very beginning! I highly recommend this book that is mainly about Romeo and Rosaline. Now I was to read Romeo and Juliet! This is an un-telling.

Many thanks to RB Media, Recorded Books and Net Galley for an audio copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to RB Media, Recorded Books and to NetGalley for an ARC of this Audiobook.

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 marriage. 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.

I really loved the narrator too. She did a fantastic job of reading this book.

I really enjoyed this Romeo & Juliet telling from Rosaline's point of view! I enjoy lots of retellings and I've always loved R & J and it was better than expected! Definitely recommend!

Fair Rosaline is a beautifully written retelling of Romeo and Juliet. I loved how the author filled in the gaps in the story and allows the reader to see what might have been going on behind the scenes.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book. The narrator was perfectly cast to bring Rosaline to life. I didn’t want to turn it off and was dying to see how things would turn out for Rosaline and Juliet.

I also love the cover image. It’s one of my all time favorites!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Fair Rosaline follows an emerging theme I am loving in fiction where women who were overlooked or misrepresented in famous fiction get their due in retellings. I’m loving the extra attention given to characters like Rosaline when it’s done well, and Solomons definitely does it well.

Fair Rosaline paints such a poignant portrait of what women dealt with, and the options they were given historically. The description of female rage and pleasure was really gripping to read, and I loved that there was a lot of character development. I just loved exploring the world of Romeo and Juliet from a different angle. I think the author did a fabulous job of creating atmosphere and focusing on Rosalind’s story outside of Romeo. It was captivating and I would highly recommend.

Just finished up "Fair Rosaline." It's a pre-Romeo and Juliet tale with a twist – imagine Romeo as the charming villain, weaving a tale of seduction and deception. Rosaline, caught in the crossfire, discovers the unsettling truth. Will she save her cousin Juliet from the same fate? Wonderfully feminist and full of unexpected turns, it's a compelling read! Highly recommend for a fresh spin on Shakespearean drama. I did not love the narration as the narrators dialect was hard to understand at times.

I am not the biggest Shakespeare fan, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about this book. I am pleased to say that I really enjoyed it. This focuses on Rosaline who is just a side character in the original Romeo and Juliet. In this story, Romeo is a f---boy who makes women fall in love, takes their virginity, and. then drops them for a new woman as soon as he gets bored. I cannot tell you how effectively this book made me hate Romeo. He was awful. And poor Tibalt,. I just wanted to give him a hug. I'm glad that Rosaline was able to figure out what was going on. It's just a shame that so many women had to suffer before the truth came out. Startlingly like reality though. Much better than I was expecting.

Fair Rosaline is a retelling, or as the author tells it, is an "untelling" of Romeo and Juliet. The lead, character, Rosaline, is just a mention in the Shakespeare play, who tells the story with a feminist perspective. Here Rosaline and Juliet are victims of a villainous Romeo. It flips the tale from a tragic love story to a tragedy where young women are not protected from the adults around them. The fact that a book that takes place during the plague was written during COVID lockdown. I enjoyed the listening to the audiobook. The narrator is perfect for the writing style. Don't miss the Q&A with the author at the end.

As a lifelong Romeo hater, I am kind of obsessed with this book. It's a sort of Romeo and Juliet untelling - it took the characters and story we all know and added context in a feminist perspective. In the original text, Rosaline is a bit of throw away character, mentioned a few times in referencing Romeo's former infatuation before Juliet but not given much depth at all. Natasha Solomons takes this character and adds nuance. Do you remember how you felt when you first learned how young Juliet was, especially in comparison to Romeo and Count Paris? Solomons basically takes that feeling and makes a whole story out of it. If you loved Hamnet and/or Hester, definitely check this one out!

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

Interesting idea and we'll executed. Good pacing. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book