The tag line of "Knives Out meets Bridgerton" really drew me to this book and I can say that it really delivers on that promise. I loved this. It was such a fun mix of historical romance and cozy mystery set in Romeo and Juliet's Verona. The references to the original Romeo and Juliet made this so much more entertaining and it really played up the more humorous plot points.

It was so fun to follow the eldest daughter of Romeo and Juliet as she stumbles her way through a murder plot and a love triangle. Rosie was such a great character to follow. She was so witty and smart, and I just really enjoyed her point of view.

While there wasn't a ton of romance in this first book, I can't wait to see where that plot goes in subsequent books. The banter is great and both love interests are so intriguing.

Overall, I absolutely adored this book. It was so fun, funny and absolutely entertaining. I just really can't wait to get my mitts on book 2.

Thank you to Netgalley, RB Media and Recorded Books for the audio arc of this book!

This book was my first from Christina Dodd, and was absolutely delightful! I loved reading about a Verona where Romeo and Juliet lived and had a large, loving family. Dodd’s writing is infused with humor and wit as she writes from Rosie’s narrative. I guessed the direction the story was taking, but the way it played out in the end gave me a big surprise. I definitely hope that Rosie’s story continues because I did not want the book to end where it did!

I listened to some of the book on audio as well, and really enjoyed the narration by Suzy Jackson. She did a great job brining Rosie to life and bringing out the humor in the book.

Thank you to the author and Kensington Books for providing with me a copy of this book, and to NetGalley and RB Media for providing me with a copy of the audiobook. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

A cute start to a series, and I’m glad it’s a series, because I’m now very invested in Rosaline‘s decision. I loved her sass.

This is the story of Romeo and Juliet's eldest daughter. In this story, Romeo and Juliet lived and had several children. Their eldest daughter, Rosie, grew up to be a matchmaker. The mysteries of her betrothal are told in this entertaining story.

I liked this but I think those with an understanding of Romeo and Juliet will enjoy and appreciate this more. There were characters I didn’t recognize from my limited recollection of the original story, but that’s not a reflection of the narrative or the writing. This made me want to read the original which is high praise!

I listened to the audiobook and I think Suzy Jackson did a wonderful job bringing Rosie Montague to life. The book is a fun satiric rom-com with a little mystery, and I really thought it was a fun read. Set in the time of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" - Verona in the early Renaissance period. Our narrator and heroine is Rosie Montague - daughter of said Romeo and Juliet - who now finds herself in yet another unenviable position - yet another betrothal of marriage.
On the day of the official betrothal, Rosie suddenly finds herself enamored by another (a gatecrasher); her betrothed is murdered; and she is the prime suspect. But Rosie is no ordinary fair maid - she is intelligent, independent, obstinate, and determined to find out who killed her betrothed to clear her name. This is a very enjoyable read - the chapters are short and concise, filled with humorous dialogue, narrated by a self-deprecating heroine, peppered with themes found in many a Shakespearean tome - jealousy, greed, envy, revenge, hatred, love and ... mean girls! I think fans of My Plain Jane would enjoy this book and its humor. With the ending as a kind of cliffhanger, it looks like this will be a series and I would definitely read another in the series. It is one I would add to our school library collection.

Thanks NetGalley for the audiobook arc copy to review.

🎧 A Daughter of Fair Verona- Book #1 Daughter of Montague

✍️ Christina Dodd-new to me author

🗣️Suzy Jackson-does all the voices and Rosie's siblings were hilarious. The standouts were little Cesario, Rosalind, and Prince Escalus. Their voices were the most distinct, but I could easily tell the difference between all characters. The reading style brought the story to life and the pacing flowed easily with the story. The narration and the author were in sync, and they fit together. The narrator paused and announced every time a new chapter came. The audiobook had a table of contents which helped me follow along easily.

🏃🏾‍♀️Run time 8:23

🗓️ Publication 6-25-24, Read 7-8-24

Genre: Historical Fic/Romance, Mystery/Suspense

🌍 Setting: Verona

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for this ALC💛! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Tropes:
❤️ arranged marriage
❤️ Romeo + Juliet retelling
❤️ family drama
❤️ love at 1st sight
❤️ no sex
❤️ virgin h
❤️ secret identity

⚠️: murder, ends in cliffhanger

POV
1st person- h Rosalind

💭 Summary 💭: Rosaline "Rosie" is the oldest daughter to Romeo and Juliet Montague. They didn't die after the family drama and forbidden marriage. Rosie is 20 and on her way to becoming a spinster because she finds brides for her betrothed every time her parents setup someone for her. Duke Leir Stephano is her newest intended who lost 3 wives under questionable circumstances. At their betrothal ball Stephano is killed and Rosie meets Lysander her love at first sight. Rosie is accused of killing Stephano so she investigates to find out the truth.

Heroine: Rosaline Montague-clever, independent, and rebellious. She works as Friar Laurence's apprentice at the apothecary.

🎭Side cast: Lysander-love at 1st sight w/ Rosie; Prince Escalus-prince of Verona; Titania-most recently deceased wife of Stephano; Isabella-the prince's younger sister who befriends the Montagues; Nurse-Rosie's protector/guardian.

🤔My Thoughts: This was a good start to a new series retelling Romeo and Juliet. Only the first few pages discuss Rosie's parents love story, and the rest is Rosie's plight to marry. I liked that its told from her POV because she's direct with a little sarcasm. I didn't really like Lysander because I don't trust him and he's not good enough for Rosie. Prince Escalus is seductive and cunning, but he's hiding something too. We do the murder mystery solved, but a case of mistaken identity causes havoc at the end. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Range of emotions: 😬🤔🙄
Spice🌶️: 2/5
Narration🎧: 4/5
Emotional😭: 2/5
Couple❤️: 3/5
Overall Rating ⭐️: 4/5

Do I recommend: Yes, especially if you love Shakespearean retellings with poetry and misunderstandings.

What a fun and funny book this was! What if Romeo and Juliet <i>didn’t</i> die? In this story, the most famous love story continues with Romeo’s and Juliet’s oldest daughter, Rosie, trying to get out of another betrothal. There are great references to other Shakespere work throughout, an interesting and beguiling mystery, and an opportunity to see the world’s most tragic love story reinvented.

Suzy Jackson did a fantastic job bringing this story to life!

"A Daughter of Fair Verona" by Christina Dodd is a rom-com and a cozy murder mystery with a bit of thriller, too. It is Book 1 of the Montague Daughters series. I'll definitely read the others!

This book is a take-off on Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". Except in this book, they didn't die. Romeo and Juliet married young and had a big family of children over the next 20 years. Roselind, at nearly 20 years old, is the oldest, and she is quite old to still be unmarried (for this time period), but it isn't through her parents' lack of effort. This is set in Verona, Italy, in the 14th or 15th century.

This is so humorous! It has very witty banter! There are interesting and likable characters. Wow, there are even twists!! I really enjoyed it! There is a bit of unfinished business at the end, but it's not too bad.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 5/5
Pacing - 5/5
Unputdownability - 5/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Narration - 5/5 by Suzy Jackson
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 38/8 = 4 6/8 rounded up to 5.

Thank you to Netgalley, RB Media, and Christina Dodd for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

The thought that Romeo and Juliet didn’t die, survived and really were madly in love is such a fun concept. They have raised a lot of children, but their first born has yet to find a husband (or rather has yet to say vows, as there are several betrothals). This story is of a brief period where Rosalind (Rosie) is involved with three men in a week and all the while being accused of being a murderer by the community.
It was a fast read with humor and the Bard history.

Clever concept, the characters were witty and the story was fun to listen to. I enjoyed it more before the murder mystery unfolded, would have liked it more if it was more of a pure rom com.

The narrator for the audiobook was fantastic. Great expression, voices, accents.

At first I wasn’t sure about this novel but then quickly enjoyed the novelty of it. An interesting premise. Narrator was very good.

Thank you @netgalley @kensingtonbooks @christinadoddbooks for the #gifted ARC ofr A Daughter of Fair Verona.

I will literally read any and all books even loosely based on Romeo & Juliet. Throw in a gorgeous cover & I’m holding up my SOLD sign.

This cozy mystery was so bingeable and well written. In this story, Romeo & Juliet did not tragically die. They lived on & grew their family with 7 kids. This is the first in a new series in which the eldest daughter Rosaline/Rosie is at its center.

Rosie absolutely does not want to be betrothed to anyone. So, each time she is presented with a suitor, she sets off to find a better bride & succeeds in making the matches so that she may remain single. However, her latest match is a Duke who can’t be passed off so easily. He’s been married three times before & each of his previous wives died in mysterious ways. Rosie does NOT want to be the next. Lucky for her, at her betrothal ball, the Duke is found murdered & there is not shortage of people with motives for wanting him dead. Problem solved, right? Not exactly. Everyone associated with Duke begins to die, disappear or go mad soon after his death. Now we have a murder mystery that Rosie must solve before she meets the same fate.

This story is said to be like Knives Out meets Bridgerton & I couldn’t agree more. That is perfect mashup to describe this book. And it’s a great thing that I love both!

This is the single best retelling-inspired book based in the Romeo & Juliet world that I’ve read in a long time. Rosie was such a fun, clever & headstrong character. Dodd’s writing really shined with her exceptional humor & wit.

My only beef is that when I started this book, I did not know that it was going to be a series, so, I was left screaming at the end & I cannot want for Book 2!

#ADaughterOfFairVerona #ChristinaDodd #HistoricalFiction #History #Romance #Fiction #Adult #Retellings #Historical #Mystery #Thriller #Italy #June #2024 #ARC #Review #NewRelease #TBR #MustRead #Bookstagram #Bibliophile #Bookdragon #Read #Books #Reading #Shakespeare #RomeoAndJuliet #Verona #Montague

Thank you Erewhon and NetGalley for this ALC.

I really liked the premise of this "spin off"/ "retelling of Romero and Juliet. It's pretty refreshing to "see" what could have been. Which brings me to my next point, kudos to Dodd to the nod to scholarly texts that suggested that Romeo and Juliet could have been fine, if they had spoken to their parents, as some scholars suggest.

The plot is interesting, and fast-paced. Gender issues are at the forefront of this plot, however, in the end it kind of boils down to "one thirsty b against one thirsty b."

Rosie is the 1500 old spinster who needs a husband, finally finds a husband, and there is a twist with that that's pretty fun; however, it's the undermining of Rosie as the feminist that does it in for me.

The narrator pronounced a few words incorrectly that threw me off, but overall she gave a great performance!

Still, an overall good read.

Christina Dodd brings to us a tale of fair Verona, a continuation of the story of Romeo and Juliet. Unfortunately I have little to say of this work. I find the characters annoying, and the unoriginal repetitive work appalling. The only character I really liked was the young six year old boy Cezario. The rest I find annoying, boring, as well as basic. I wish I could have enjoyed this read, I was excited, and let down horribly.

A creative extension of the famous tale of star-crossed lovers introduces us to an intrepid young woman fighting to make her way in life. Rosaline is witty, fierce and clever and meeting her was a joy.

The overall feel of the book was one of modern sentimentality, but the historical period was still central to the story. This gave me a sense of disjointedness at times and kept me from really sinking into the setting. The romantic machinations felt a bit strained and the mystery element was almost superfluous.

I think you’ll love the feisty heroine, and the creative story. The narration was really well done. Thank you to NetGalley, author and the publisher for my copies. These opinions are my own.

I came across the synopsis of this book a few months ago, and with it being compared to Knives Out, I was immediately intrigued and added it to my to-be-read list. So when I received an audio approval from NetGalley, it was a pleasant surprise!

This was my first Dodd book, and I'm eager for this series to continue. At first, I had a hard time getting into the story, but around halfway through, I was fully invested. It's a cozy murder mystery with a touch of romance and humor. Rosaline's disdain for her parents love had me laughing out loud. And the "twist" at the end caught me off guard. Suzy Jackson did an excellent job as the narrator with her comedic timing and delivery. I can't wait for the next installment in this series. I believe it would also appeal to young adult readers, not just those who enjoy historical fiction/romance novels.readers.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher RBMedia

Christina Dodd's "A Daughter of Fair Verona" is a delightful and engaging novel that reimagines the lives of Romeo and Juliet, now parents to seven children. The story is told from the perspective of their eldest daughter, Rosaline, who finds herself caught in a mystery when her latest fiancé, Duke Stephano, is found murdered. Rosaline is a clever and independent young woman, and her journey is filled with wit, family drama, and a touch of romance. The characters are well-developed, and the plot is full of twists that keep you hooked. The historical setting adds a unique flavor to the story, making it a refreshing take on a classic tale.

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator’s clarity, crispness, and spot on inflections made for a smooth listening experience.

The story itself was quite interesting. Set in a historical context, it presents an alternate narrative where Romeo and Juliet survive and have numerous children. The plot centers on their eldest daughter. Now at the age of 20 and still a virgin—a point emphasized perhaps too frequently—she hesitates to marry, not wanting to leave her family. However, when her fiancé is murdered at their betrothal party, she is accused of the crime, and a quest to uncover the true culprit ensues.

While the modern tone of the dialogue felt out of place for a historical novel, the overall story and mystery were engaging. I found this book much easier to listen to than to physically read.

Thank you, NetGalley and RB media for the advanced copy of this audiobook.

This was such a cute and witty rom com set in a Shakespeare play! The story is set after Romeo and Juliet did not die and ended up living happy lives with their seven children. Rosie is oldest and brightest of all the children who can't seem to keep her nose out of everyone's else business. Rosie doesn't want to get married until she finds true love and that might have just happened while also attempting to solve a murder mystery that is gripping her fair town of Verona.

The description of Knives Out meets Bridgeton is so spot on! I loved it when Rosie broke down the fourth wall and addressed her "dear readers" to bring the story to life. While I enjoyed Rosie's character and the overall story I felt that the it did dragged in some parts and the forced Shakespeare references was little overkill in some parts.

I listened to the audiobook and the performance by Suzy Jackson was absoultely amazing!