I've read her Suspense romances, Historical romances and Paranormal romances, but now Christina Dodd has presented her readers with a Comedic, sarcastic retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. And it is hilarious. But it still has serial murders, sword fighting, family feuds, romance, poetry, and great characters. It starts with the supposition that Romeo and Juliet did not die and they lived happily ever after, parenting seven children. Rosie, the oldest, nauseous from the story about her parents love at first sight romance, wants nothing to do with love at first sight or even marriage. Three times she had been engaged and has instead found her fiancees their soul mates. Suddenly her parents are being threatened by Duke Leir Stephano, three times a widower, demanding Rosie as his bride. This is when she does fall in love at first sight, but not for her fiancee. And when Stephano is found dead, she is the prime suspect. She must become a sleuth to find the real murderer. Can't wait for the next book in the series.

I was gifted with an Advanced Reader's Copy from the publisher via Net.Galley.com. This is my honest, unbiased and voluntary review.

A cute "what if" about the daughter of Romeo and Juliet (yes, that Romeo and Juliet). Rosaline's (Rosie) voice is uniquely her own from the start. She is the first born of the famous couple who did survive their respective deaths, got married and had numerous children. Rosie, at 20, is outspoken, smart and unwed. She has successfully avoided three betrothals until her current one to duke Stephano...and then all goes wrong.

An enjoyable read and I really liked the personality and grit that Rosie showed. I'd recommend it!

A Daughter of Fair Verona was a delightful read! I loved the reimagining and continuation of Romeo and Juliet's life, and this was such a fun take on continuing their legacy with far less sadness. The murder mystery aspect provided some excitement, and the banter between characters was on point. My only warning, this does end on a cliffhanger!

This was really fun and original but tbh Rosie drove me a bit nuts at times. I just wanted her to be smarter than she was - although she has the crime solving down, her ineptitude in knowing/seeing/understanding love was a little frustrating. Though I guess that's the true folly of the story. I'll likely continue with the series and would recommend for anyone looking for a nice bridge book that has little to no spice for later teens. The only thing they may struggle with is the language, but give it a few chapters and it starts to flow.

4 stars.

A Daughter of Fair Verona takes a more modern storytelling style and inserts us into a Romeo and Juliet-adjacent book in which the title characters are alive and well, and their daughter is now the focus. The mystery is fine, but I wish the focus had been romance or mystery, not both. I don't think either element got enough time to shine. A fast and easy read.

This book was a lot of fun in many ways, with a couple of very funny moments, and some clever writing. However I was constantly pulled out of the story due to the switch-ups in language style, which I found jarring. There was also a huge amount of exposition in the last part, leading to an abrupt ending with no real conclusion. But it was a very easy read with a fun concept!

What a fun read! This will fit well with other YA/emerging adult novels like The Lady Janies series or Gwen and Art are Not in Love...with an added murder mystery twist.

What a delightful historical romp! Imagine if Romeo and Juliet had NOT died at the end; imagine that they are parents of SEVEN children! This story is told by their oldest daughter, Rosaline, who her parents are trying to marry off. I loved “& Juliet” on Broadway (another retelling, that one from Juliet’s point of view) so I was really interested to read another twist on the most famous family of Verona.

Rosaline’s voice is very modern, but that’s part of the fun. She has avoided marriage so far (she’s almost 20 and considered an old maid already), pawning off three other betrothals by finding each of the men a better match. Now she’s betrothed to a despicable older man, Duke Stephano, whose latest wife, a friend of Rosaline’s, has just died suddenly. Rosaline does NOT want to marry this guy! And when he dies by dagger at their betrothal ball, suspicion falls on Rosaline. At the same time, she is shocked to find herself in love at first sight with Lysander, a young man from Venice.

It’s a combination murder mystery/rom-com. A Daughter of Fair Verona was a lot of fun - just the light reading I needed, after struggling through a rather long, heavy book that didn’t enthrall me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books/John Scognamiglio Books for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Christina Dodd had the inspiration to take on a love story that everyone knows and extend it to a sequel. With great ambition she settled on Romeo and Juliet. Imagining that Shakespeare had taken some poetic license with their story and the couple was real and lived in Verona, Dodd began with the next generation of Montague’s. Rosaline as the oldest child and named for Romeo’s first love, is smart and good at escaping marriage. She has almost reached 20 and has managed to fob off three fiancés.
Hopeful groom number four has politically maneuvered Romeo into an engagement between him and Rosie. Duke Stefano’s reputation is that of a brute that has killed all his wives with poison. Rosie is desperate to get out of the engagement but Stefano is pushing for a quick wedding. Two days later at the engagement party, he is murdered and Rosie is blamed.
Rosie decides to investigate to regain her good name. Along the way will she finally find the passion that her parents are so famous for or will she be forever burdened by her good sense.

An incredibly well written, historical fiction/murder mystery reimagining of the Romeo and Juliet story featuring their daughter. Great on audio and perfect for fans of Claudia Gray's Jane Austen cozy mystery series. This was a fun, entertaining and imaginative story that was hard to put down with great sarcastic humor interspersed throughout! Highly recommended. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was an entertaining read full of energy, sass and strong female characters.

I really enjoyed how this story followed on from one of Shakespeare’s most iconic stories: Romeo and Juliet. The twist to their story and their enduring relationship felt fresh and light. And it was great to see their new life from the point of view of their sassy daughter, Rosaline.

Rosaline is a stand out, bold and chaotic character who throws herself into everything and brings a modern attitude to a historical setting. There are also some familiar faces from Shakespeare’s story, such as Friar Lawrence, plus some new faces including doting lovers, fierce rivals and Italian nobility.

The novel strongly captures Renaissance Italy - from the glittering parties, apothecary shops, and marriage culture.

This was a refreshing, entertaining read that takes a well-known and well-loved story, and infuses it with a modern and novel twist.

I was so excited about the premise only to find out it wasn’t even relevant to the story at all. Romeo and Juliet are mentioned in chapter one and then almost never again in any real capacity. Plus, the writing style gave me a headache as it was a mix of old time and modern language, which ended up just coming across as confusing. I’d probably skip this one.

If Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet didn't end in death, what would have happened? The "happily ever after" everyone wanted. Then 20 years later, we would get The Daughter of Fair Verona. Romeo and Juliet now have 6 kids and another on the way. The oldest, Rosaline (call me Rosie) is practical, hates poetry, and has managed to get out of her previous betrothals by matchmaking the men with women they were better suited for. She's smart, can do math, studies alchemy with the Friar who married her parents and promises he doesn't make those pesky sleep-like-death potions anymore. But when Duke Stephano insists on a betrothal, Romeo can't say no and Rosie doesn't know how to get out of it. It's rumored the man has murdered each of his three wives, no one likes him, so what is Rosie to do?

Nothing as it turns out. He's found dead at their engagement party, a knife in his chest. Which would be great, especially since Rosie meets a guy she's sure is her True Love the same day. But people start thinking she's the one who killed the Duke. More bodies follow and Rosie, her Nurse (who's gotten a lot tougher since her days trying to keep Juliet in line) and Prince Escalus need to find out who is killing people before Rosie is attacked by a mob- or gets killed herself. Rosie wants to be able to marry her love Lysander and not get killed, Prince Escalus really doesn't want a mob in his city, and Nurse was hoping at some point her job would involve less drama. Will anyone get their wish?

This was a fun rom-com historical mystery. Rosie's description of what actually happened to her parents instead of Shakespeare's version in the first few pages will have you laughing out loud (you've been warned!). Rosie herself is a delightful mix of snarky humor, self-awareness, and Montague temper that sometimes overrides good sense. And while she may be a good matchmaker for others, let's just say I saw what was coming her way by the time they'd hauled the first dead body out while she didn't figure it out until the surprise scene at the end. Everyone has blind spots for themselves I guess.

Solving the murder was a fun combination of Rosie, Nurse, Prince Escalus, Lysander, Friar Laurent, and others each combining knowledge and clues. What was kind of fun was even when you had a good suspicion of who did it, you still didn't know who did it or why until the end, even though all the clues were there for you.

I enjoyed how Christina Dodd played with the world and the characters, allowing Rosie's parents or the Nurse to be blind to something until Rosie realizes they are just pretending to not see it. Romeo teaches all his children sword skills and Juliet pretends not to know until she gets mad at him and then says he better make sure to step up the secret training- and Romeo and the kids realize they aren't as sneaky as they thought they were! There are beautiful descriptions of what it would be like to walk down the streets, what you'd see and smell and experience, that I loved. The foods and wines leap off the pages in wonderful descriptions.

The one thing that took a little getting used to was the odd combination of more 'historic' speech with very modern language. I'm still not sure how I feel about that. I'm glad the whole book didn't go for a 'Shakespeare' feel to the language, since that would have slowed the pacing and this worked really well as a fast paced romantic comedy. The older' language tended to stay in more 'formal' situations, which worked, but sometimes it inched out into others, which didn't. The more modern language mostly stayed in casual interactions, which worked, or when Rosie is talking to us as a narrator, which worked, but then sometimes bled over into other situations, where it didn't. That's the reason I'd give the book an actual rating of 3.5.

Overall a fun read. Fast and humorous, with entertaining nods to Shakespeare if you look but nothing that won't ruin things if you aren't a big Shakespeare fan. Definitely note- this is book one of a series. The mystery gets solved, but there will be further adventures to look forward to!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Rome and Juliet had survived and had say 7 children and one of those children was a marriage avoider who is betrothed to a man and that man gets killed at their betrothed ball and now said daughter is out to find who the killer is to clear her name, well wonder no longer this book is for you.


It takes a story we all know and love and gives it a fun twist.


This book took me by surprise I think I expected one thing and while I did get that the ending just chanced my whole perspective of what this series is going to be about, but in the best way.
I think Rosaline is a strong character and does well to carry the story, she’s been sheltered all her life but the choices she makes are while still naïve not ridiculous or annoying and make sense for her character.
The side characters are well developed and all have a personality outside from just being a support to Rosaline and that’s very refreshing.
And the mystery kept me on my toes and I didn’t know who the killer was until they were reviled.
As for the love triangle, I feel as if she has a more stronger connection to one character and their interactions are one of the reasons I kept reading, but that ending I didn’t see coming at all WOW. I need answers.



Solid 3.5 stars



Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

What a surprise! I had no idea what to expect, but I never imagined this from one of my favorite Romantic-Suspense authors. Christina Dodd has created a wonderful medieval world and filled it with fantastic characters. The evil Duke Stephano, the handsome rogue, Lysander. and the pragmatic, brooding Prince Escalus. All are interesting, each in his own way. Rosie as the daughter of Romeo and Juliet should have romance flowing through her veins, but she is a different romance heroine, one who prides herself on her brains and not her heart. Until her heart is stolen by a handsome rogue.

As the oldest daughter of famed romantic couple, Romeo and Juliet, Roslind Montague has a lot to live up to. But, alas, she has had several betrothals, but is yet a virgin at the ripe old age of 20. She is just happy watching over her brother as sisters. She feels no need of that messy emotion, love. But her father has yet again betrothed her to another man, and this one is not to her liking, at all. He has had several previous wives, and they have all died, and not naturally. Rosie is very concerned that she is going to be added to that rather long list. On the night of her betrothal ball to Duke Stephano Rosie collides with Lysander and, wham, Love at First Sight! How is this going to work out? Well, there is help from a prince, a tomb and a sleeping potion involved, but this isn't a repeat of history, but a whole new direction to the story. Oh, beware the cliffhanger, it's sure to have you pre-ordering the next book!

My thanks to the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.

First, I loved the twist on the POV by Rosie, daughter of Romeo and Juliet. She provides a keen insight and sarcastic voice yet also abides as the dutiful daughter, obedient to her parents. Having put off getting married, she finally must succumb to becoming betrothed as she reaches the age of twenty. However, it is to a thrice widower whose wives died of mysterious circumstances with him under suspicion. At the betrothal party, Rosie meets a young man and falls madly in love, however concedes to respect her parents wishes for her to marry. But then there is a murder of the prospective groom and Rosie is under suspicion until she is rescued by the Prince of Verona. But then there are others that die, what is going on in Verona? I must say that this is a different kind of story, and if you are not familiar with Shakespeare, you might have some trouble connecting to the story. It was not riveting, however trying to figure out who the murderer was became interesting. I did like the character Rosie and the modern spin as she was relatable to a teenage of today. This book was just okay. many thanks to #netgalley #adaughteroffairverona #christinadodd #kensington for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The original fictional story of Romeo and Juliet has been changed and brought up to their date... twenty years after we assumed Romeo died. He did not. They went on to be married and as much in love today as then. They have become aristocrats, parents of seven the eighth on its way. in the community of the fictional Verona. Their oldest daughter now almost 20 has grown up to believe you will meet your one true love and know it immediately, so much so that Romeo and Juliet promised their daughter to bethrowthal twice before and Rosie found the men their one true love... her younger sisters...not her. She has not lost her virginity and it has become an outrage in their small community, most not understanding why she hasn’t been shipped off to a nunnery by now. Everyone knows everyone’s business. She has become spinster material. Her father has promised her to the Duke Stephano, the same Duke who it is assumed poisoned his first three wives. The last one only a month ago. Yet he is determined to hurry up and marry Rosie. He had so much money it didn’t matter she didn’t have a dowery to offer, the Montagues owned so much land to grow their grapes and produce the finest wines in all of Verona. So they have planned the betrothal ball. Comes the night of the ball what does Rosie do now, out of eligible sisters albeit she is one of seven children. No more. Girls to marry off. What happens next. There are so many twists and turns before the end. A very interesting, page turning ride to the end.Special thanks to the following for allowing me to read an unedited early copy. Opinions are my own honest opinions. Thanks to
#NetGalley,
#KensingtonBooks
#ChristinaDodd
Publication Date: June 25, 2024”

I enjoyed this story so much. It was witty, cute, and fun. The beginning started a little cliche with the backstory dumping but it got better once through all that. The ending wasn't too surprising but I feel they are MUCH better suited. I was rooting for them to begin with. My biggest gripe was that Rosie sounded more like she was 15-16 not 19-20. I'm excited to see how the story progresses in the next book.

An entertaining mystery with charming characters. I loved the fresh humorous twist and found it to be very engaging.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The novel offers a fascinating reimagining of Romeo and Juliet, portraying them as alive with a large family of six children, plus one on the way. Rosie, their eldest, is the protagonist, caught in a dangerous engagement to Duke Stefano, known for the mysterious deaths of his former wives. Despite this, Rosie’s affections lie with Lysander, a nod to A Midsummer Night’s Dream that I found delightful. The plot intensifies with a stabbing and a poisoning, casting suspicion on Rosie. The blend of historical fiction with Shakespearean flair is expertly done, and while the prose is verbose, the humor makes it thoroughly enjoyable. Rosie’s asides to the reader are particularly charming. The twist at the end leaves the door open for more, making this book an absolute must-read.