I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the narrator added to the fun of the story and the premise. Rosaline (Rosy) is the oldest daughter of the not dead Romeo and Juliet. As such she finds herself as the only truly sensible member of the family. When her betrothed winds up dead, she is immediately under suspicion. As other citizens of Verona are poisoned, her skills with medicines and potions increase the suspicions of the town. The story ends on a cliffhanger insuring a second book. I can't wait.

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!

Romcom meets murder mystery. Fun, quirky, smart & rebellious FMC that’s the daughter of Romeo and Juliet. I really enjoyed this funny break away from my usual genres.

This book was SO much fun! I listen to the audiobook on a road trip and next thing I knew, the book was finishing and I couldn't believe the drive went by so fast. What if Romeo and Juliet never actually died and they had a family? Well this is that book! Rosie is the oldest daughter of seven children that Romeo and Juliet have and this is her story. A girl ahead of her time who doesn't want to just marry . A girl who enjoys adventure (and definitely not poetry) and is so not ready to settle down yet. There's a bit of a murder mystery thrown in there when her betrothed is sudden murdered. Honestly this book was hysterical and I giggled so many times. I seriously cannot wait for the second book.

*4.5 stars*

Thank you to Netgalley, RB Media and Recorded Books for the ARC.

This one just hit the spot. I was listening to it while doing an intensive Drama in ELT course where the cultminat89n of the three day course was setting to stage the play of Midsummer Night's Dream. Listening to this book at the same tine proved particularly meta. So, if you like snarky feminist takes on beloved classics, this book is for you. Also you if you like cliffhangers, this romance is for you. Thanks Netgalley for this ARC.

I'll admit I didn't really know anything about Romeo and Juliette other than the names.
I really liked the author's writing style in this alternate reality of Romeo and Juliette and their family. It was campy and didn't take itself too seriously, and I appreciate that.
Suzy Jackson was a fine narrator and did well with female and male voices.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

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.

The narration of the audiobook however was rough. The reader was fine. It was the volume. It was changing constantly. Otherwise the production was fine.

Rosie, the daughter of Romeo and Juliet, who are as it turns out not dead, has done her best to avoid marriage by finding better suited matched for her prospective grooms. She narrowly escapes her impending marriage to the older and seemingly vicious Duke Stephano, not by finding him a better match, but because he has in fact been killed. Now the question remains, who killed him?
I found this book to be hilariously outrageous and therefore somehow very fitting to Romeo and Juliet. This is of course not really a retelling, but a prolongation that takes some creative freedom with Shakespeare’s original characters.

If I had to categorize this book, I would say that it is a YA/NA romantic comedy, with a small murder mystery element to it, as this part of the story takes up less space than I thought based on the blurb. The language is a mixture of modern and Shakespearean (even with some very modern references, if I recall correctly) so I would not view this as historical fiction. I personally found the humor of this book hilarious. I would even say that it is the main element of the whole story. But as it might not be for everyone, I would recommend listening to or reading a preview of the book to determine if you like it.

There is a love triangle of some sorts between Rosie, prince Escalus and Lysander that ends in a cliffhanger. If I had known about this and had not received an ALC, I would have probably waited for the next part to come out, as I don’t like cliffhangers and I am not good at recalling book plots a year or so later when the next part of this serious hopefully comes out. I am kind of invested in this story, so I am really looking forward to seeing what will happen next.

This could have been a five-star read for me, if the story had not ended in a cliffhanger. As I don’t know how the story will resolve itself, I find it hard to judge, as my rating would depend on how well the continuation fits. So, it will be a four-star read for now.

This book is dialogue driven, so it fits the medium of audiobook really well. I liked the narrator and her different voices for the characters. I thought she had great comedic timing, which elevated the listening experience.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for gifting me this ALC of the audiobook to review. All opinions are my own. I was not paid to leave this review.

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.