These Violent Delights

Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Chloe Gong for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh wow where do I even start… Do you like Romeo and Juliet? Enemies to Lovers? Monsters? Gangsters? Because if so this is definitely the book for you. I first came across These Violent Delights over twitter where I saw loads of people tweeting about how they couldn’t wait for it to be released so I looked it up on Netgalley and voila they provided me an ARC!

These Violent Delights is set in 1920s Shanghai, a city divided into factions by rival gangs and colonial powers. It is a gripping retelling of Romeo and Juliet featuring Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai, the two heirs of the rival gangs the Scarlets and the White Flowers. The two have not seen each other for years after a betrayal that left them sworn enemies, as if their blood feud wasn’t already enough. However, with a monster reeking havoc spreading a deadly contagion, they may need to put aside their differences to ensure there is a city left to rule over...

Upon entry into the story we are immediately greeted with the first deaths of the madness, a handful of White Flowers and Scarlet Gang resorting to tearing out their own throats in what seems to be a fit of madness. We get straight into the thick of it, accompanied by Chloe Gong’s beautiful writing. As the story progresses we flash back to the past to learn more and more about what happened to sour the past love between Roma and Juliette, and it is told perfectly bit by bit, with some bits truly coming as a shock at the perfect time.

Gong truly brings the characters to life and makes them more dimensional than I remember them being when I read the play. I loved reading about them and was rooting for them, hoping that it wouldn’t end like the play. This is one thing that I think Gong does really well, she has managed to take an extremely well known story and not only perfectly apply it to her own fantasy but to also manage the expectations you have having known what happens in the play. Gong still manages to shock the reader, going against expectations and maintaining the element of surprise, she truly brings the traditional story under her own reins and makes it new and exciting.

However, we still do get nods towards important plots from the play, if used in different ways such as the balcony scene, the potion and the dagger to name a few. Gong does really well to throw back to certain things you think will happen and then shock you by taking it in another direction. It’s almost like she’s teasing the reader by dangling important plot points from the original and then changing the game.

I also like the way the focus switches, we gain an insight into most of the characters minds because we follow them all for different important scenes in the third person. This means that you get to know more about them and what motivates them and how they feel. We’re also given an insight into how both gangs work, and more importantly the gang inner circle members are actually incredibly smart, they speak multiple languages and switch between them, scheme and plot and I love seeing that. I think that my favourite characters are probably Juliette (who we follow for most of the book), Kathleen and Marshall.

Juliette is truly a badass female main character, recently returned to Shanghai rumours of her ruthlessness follow her around, some of which we see firsthand in her encounters with others throughout the book. She is incredibly smart and conniving, and I love it because you see how she came to be that way, and you really get to grips with her internal struggle.

Gong’s writing is absolutely beautiful, not only in how she writes the surrounding but also in how she writes her characters and their feelings. Throughout the book you feel the angst surrounding Roma and Juliette, and it is perfect. The way she describes it is perfect and really has you rooting for them despite the feud and the madness descending on the city. But the way Gong also describes the surroundings is beautiful, you feel as if you are there in the city running for your life, I loved it so much because it made it feel so real in my imagination.

I really cannot wait for the second book, and when the first comes out on the 17th November I would highly recommend that you buy it. This story is going to do big things so don’t miss it! Reading has even made me want to read the Romeo and Juliet play again despite not liking it too much. Let me know what you think if you do buy it!

“This was her life, this was her city, these were her people, and because she loved them, she had sworn to herself a long time ago that she would do a damn good job of being who she was because she could be no one else.”

I was granted this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author and publisher.

A Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai with feuding gangs and monsters... Is it any wonder I immediately jumped at requesting this?! Just wow.

These Violent Delights follows the story of two heirs to rival gangs - Juliette Cai of the Chinese ‘Scarlet Gang’, and Roma Montagov of the Russian ‘White Flowers’ - and the mysterious goings on of Shanghai. The hostility from the two gangs leads to murders occurring on the streets, gang members shot for trespassing, or worse. Madness sweeps Shanghai, people are tearing out their own throats and sightings of monsters has everyone on edge. Despite a brief love affair 4 years previously, can Juliette and Roma put aside their differences to solve the issue at hand, hunt down the monster and save the lives of their people?

I’ve found that Shakespeare retellings can be, for want of a better word, iffy. But this? HOLY SMITHEROONS THIS WAS AMAZING! Without a doubt, this book is going on my all time favourites list. Gong has excelled in every aspect of her debut and has left me wanting more more more!

Juliette Cai is a determined and dangerous young woman - a badass in all sense of the word. Something I love about her character is that despite spending time in America to gain her education, she is still loyal to her family and eager to succeed with them, to prove herself. She can handle a weapon without issue and yet she has this vulnerability to her that is so endearing and makes you want to delve into her head to see what’s going on. She’s unapologetically herself and you couldn’t ask for anything better.

Roma Montagov is rough around the edges. He wants to be successful and prove himself, yet he struggles. He must work for his place as heir, it isn’t a birthright, it’s a privilege. However, despite this ruggedness, he is caring and gentle - and still holds onto his feelings for Juliette, regardless of what his words or actions are. There are small moments scattered throughout this book, so cleverly embedded, that are so beautiful and gives you a deeper insight into Roma’s character.

As with any story, the side characters really help elevate Juliette and Roma.
For Roma, his friend Marshall and his cousin Benedikt are brilliantly portrayed - they do say that opposites attract and this is 100% the case for these two. There are hints to their story together in this book and I can only hope we see more in the sequel!
For Juliette, it’s her cousins Rosalind and Kathleen Lang. My favourite has to 100% be Kathleen who is the perfect combination of loyal, intriguing and snarky. Kathleen is trans and the way it’s approached is brilliant. There is no sugar coating, just pure positivity and I love it. Rosalind is a great character, however I didn’t feel the connection to her like I did Kathleen.

Now, the ending. OH MY GOD that ending. Absolute brilliance that has left me on the edge of my seat and oh so desperate for more. Any non-standalone book is designed to leave the reader wanting more, yet some can fall flat. These Violent Delights certainly doesn’t. It’s left me wanting to demand the sequel immediately!

In summary, These Violent Delights is perfect for those who love betrayal, yearning, rivals helping each other for the common good and good old mystery. Nothing is entirely predictable in this book. You think you’ve got it and the rug is pulled from beneath your feet in the best way. Chloe Gong’s debut novel is an absolute masterpiece that I cannot recommend more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks once again goes to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC of this book.

I can't say anything without mentioning the skill Gong displays when retelling Romeo and Juliette. Every element had purpose, a nod to the original. The story follows Juliettw and Roma, heirs to rival gangs and old lovers. They drank and played under the cover of moonlight when they were fifteen, only to go their separate ways when Roma betrayed Juliet , resulting in her Nurse being killed and Juliette being sent to American. Having returned four years later, Juliette wants revenge, but a mysterious madness might just force Juliet and Roma to work together one last time. With Paul, the son of a business man who asserts himself as a love interest, a scientist, vicious cousins and a masquerade ball, I was constantly amazed by the interpretation, it was done to such a high quality that I was in awe while reading.


Suspense drives this book. There is a madness lurking in the shadows, causing people to tear their own throats out. The book begins with a monster attack, bring the acting to the forefront of the narrative. You never quite know what's causing it, or who is behind it, and every time I thought I had the answer, I was proven wrong. One thing I loved about this book is the switch between narrative techniques. For most of the chapters, we are inside a characters mind, but every so often we're brought back into the action with an omniscient voice, making the reader a spectator of monstrosity that Roma and Juliette will later investigate. This really flushed out the story.


The characters in this book were written very well. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is love-struck, dependent on the men around her. In These Violent Delights, Juliette is driven, never taking no for an answer, and determined to prove everyone wrong. Tyler, her viscous cousin, wants her place as heir, but Juliette will stop at nothing to prove to her father that the Scarlet's are hers for the taking. She doesn't always make the right decisions, but she stands by them. This Juliette is empowering, violent and a force to be reckoned with. We also have Kathleen, another favourite of mine. She comes across as gentle , quiet and kind, but she's the perfect battle companion. Her mind is her best weapon, and she's often seen thinking fast on her feet, getting information needed to control the epidemic of madness.


On the other hand, Roma maintains the essence of lovers innocence that Romeo is known for. He's lost his fathers favour, wants the blood feud to end, and would be happy to live out his days with his loved ones in a cottage somewhere remote and safe. But that doesn't mean he's to be pushed around, he's as dangerous as a loaded gun, with sharp instincts and brute force. One of my favourite scenes was when Roma, tired of being underestimated, puts a character back in their rightful place by challenging him in the fighting ring. When Roma's not enacting out his duties as heir, he's surrounded by Benedict and Marshall, two of my favourite characters. They bicker and joke, but they support one another, and I loved reading the scenes between them.


The tension between Roma and Juliette was well written. If you're looking for a book that sees old lovers holding weapons at each others throat while they're forced to work together, then you better preorder yourself a copy of this book. My favourite moments were of these two fighting one another, holding a knife and a gun at one another, suppressing the past and focusing on the monster at large.

“These Violent Delights” is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, set in 1926 Shanghai. The Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers, respectively run by the Cais and the Montagovs, have been in a blood feud for many generations. Amidst political unrest, with the growing influence of the Communists, Shanghai is more divided than ever. And to top it all off, there are rumors of a monster spreading a madness.

This book was suspenseful, mysterious and full of action, which are really the bare minimum you can expect from a YA fantasy. But what makes it great is Gong’s ingenious writing and what makes it much more interesting than any other regular YA fantasy is the historical fiction aspect of it.
I was won over from the start when Gong didn’t play around and jumped straight into the story. The pace is relatively fast and despite the filler chapters, the reader doesn’t really have time to lose interest.
Now let’s get to the juicy part: Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov. Enemies and exes. The animosity was evident, but the tension was just as palpable. Two heirs from opposing gangs, with history that tore them apart once, forced back into close quarters to investigate a madness that’s turning Shanghai’s streets red. The result is explosive, but you all guessed that already. I definitely gasped several times.

This may be a Romeo and Juliet retelling but even if you didn’t like the play, you could still enjoy this book. There is so much more to it than just that.
“These Violent Delights” is an amazing debut novel, so make sure to pre-order or grab a copy when it comes out November 17th 2020!

These Violent Delights is the perfect title for this book, it is violent at times, but what a delight it is to read!

Shakespeare revellings have, in my experience, gone one of two ways and i'm always wary when i start a new one. I needn't have worried with TVD as it feels vibrant and charmingly modern despite being set in the 1920s.
1920's Shanghai is not a time period I had read about before but I was completely enamoured with the setting. It felt incredibly glamorous and dangerous in equal measure

The plot is well established, the writing fantastic and the characters well developed.

I believe this is Chloe Gong's debut novel which is seriously impressive too. "These Violent Delights" deserves a huge amount of hype and i really hope its gets it!

Chloe Gong’s debut novel is pretty much my dream gangster book—it’s like a YA cross between Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 movie version (yeah, the one with baby Leonardo DiCaprio, you remembered it right) and everything I loved about those tropey Tumblr aesthetics of guns and cigarettes and strings of pearls back in the day. Take Gatsby, take Romeo and Juliet, mash them together with blood feuds and bloody knuckles, and there you have it: THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, which truly do have violent ends.

Honestly, if you’ve seen this cover, you sort of know the vibe of this book already. It’s glamour and gore and gang-related violence, all painted with the dazzling sheen of 1920s Shanghai.

Juliette Cai is the heiress of the Scarlet Gang, freshly returned from America and ready to take up the mantle as Shanghai’s most ruthless former flapper.

Roma Montagov, the Russian heir to the rival White Flowers, is Juliette’s ex-lover—and her greatest enemy. He betrayed her once, and Juliette will never give him the chance to do it again. But despite the power Roma wields, his position within the White Flowers is shakier than it appears…

Juliette and Roma don’t have time to dwell on their past, because rumours begin to emerge of a mysterious monster stalking the streets of the city—making gang members on either side tear their throats out with their bare hands.

Juliette and Roma are hugely intriguing characters in their own rite, but their friends and allies are just… chef’s kiss. Chloe Gong has created an unstoppable crew who need to just shut up and stop fighting because together they could take over the world!

And 1920s Shanghai is just a place I want to be. Like, take me there. Now. I want to experience those streets! I want to sit by the Huangpu river with Juliette and maybe see her kill a man! I want to hang out on the roof of a tea shop with Roma and check out his collection of decorative knives (because you know that boy has more than one). What I don’t want is to suffer the terrifying plague afflicting people on both sides of the gang war, because that shit was gross.

Not in a bad way! The descriptions were intense, but not overdone. Like, there’s only so chill you can make a paragraph about someone’s throat being ripped out, you know? But that whole plot was incredibly well fleshed-out and left me guessing the whole time, even when I was sure I knew what was going on. And even when I really did and I had things figured out, the way Chloe Gong reveals stuff leaves you gasping, even if it’s the same conclusion you came to yourself. It’s a talent!

There was something pared-down about the writing style in a lot of places, which I think worked really well. I went into this expecting something really flowery and dramatic and Shakespearean, I guess, but that isn’t what I got—and I was happy about it. I was carried along by the perfect pacing, the ebb and flow, the effortless shift from one character’s consciousness to another’s.

And, oh my goodness, we can’t discuss this book without talking about the romance. Now, I’m not a massive romance person. I’m super picky about that sort of plot, and I was worried this was going to turn into some kind of insta-love fest that would leave me rolling my eyes in despair.

But no. This was just hatred and yearning and aaaaah. This is true enemies-to-lovers—two people who hate each other, who have reason to despise one another, but who also have this powerful, all-encompassing need to kiss each other’s faces off. The fury? The passion? The incredible I-hate-you-I-love-you dynamic? I WAS STARSTRUCK.

Basically: read this book. That’s all I’m going to say here. To THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS, I give five stars. I have no idea where the sequel is going to go, but I’m excited about it.

These Violent Delights was, as the title suggests, such a deliciously violent delight of a book. It took me only a number of days to read it and when I wasn’t reading the book, I was thinking about it. When I wasn’t thinking about it, I was putting together mood boards and playlists about it. I was consumed by Juliette and Roma’s dangerous world of gangs, monsters and flapper girls in glittering dresses.

Characters
Juliette is a stand out character in this book! She is tough and ruthless. I had a lot of respect for her as a character. She embraces her elite status as heir of the Scarlet Gang and does her best to protect her people from the madness ravaging her city. She is strong-willed and sharp as a knife. It’s great to see an ambitious female lead in a book about gangsters. Women are always pushed aside in these types of narratives, treated like an accessory, but I love the fact that Juliette uses her beauty and status to her advantage to assert control over the Scarlets and be the heir she was always meant to be.

Roma is such a complex and layered character. He is surprisingly reluctant in his violence which contrasts so beautifully with Juliette’s viciousness. Roma is softer but that doesn’t make him weak. He can take anyone anytime in the fighting ring (loved that scene) but would rather choose to make the world a better place. I really appreciate it when authors include softer male love interests and it’s great to see when these seemingly strong characters also show some vulnerability.

Kathleen was such a breath of fresh air in this book. I loved reading from her perspective so much and admire her for her loyalty. Her story is so important and I am so glad that Gong included her in this book. It was wonderful to see those around her accept her for who she is and embrace her with love. We need more characters like her to take up space in books traditionally held by white cis-het characters.

I adored Benedikt and Marshall and seeing their connection flourish on the page and I cannot wait to see their relationship develop in the second book. They provided the necessary comic relief in this story and I loved reading from their perspectives.

It’s great to see such diversity in her characters!

Rep: Chinese, Transgender, LGBTQ, Korean

10/10

Atmosphere
You could cut the tension in this book with a knife and I loved it! I was constantly FEELING whilst reading. I felt the suspense, the urgency, the yearning. Gong manages to capture the atmosphere of a specific scene so well with her excellent writing. I sometimes had to put the book down just to process what I had read.

By the end of the book I was so emotional. I was on the edge of my seat, my heart beating a mile a minute. I stopped every few pages to catch my breath. Her descriptions are vivid and oh so detailed. It was easy picture the scenes before my eyes as I was reading and it completely enthralled me.

I appreciated the fact that Gong included the tensions between the East and the West throughout the book. I found the scene where she spots a western-style vase in her own home particularly striking. It makes one think beyond the book how the West has shaped the rest of the world and how people have pushed down parts of themselves and their culture just to fit in.

10/10

Writing Style
Gong’s writing is impeccable! The beautiful words flowed off the page and had me hooked from beginning to end. Her writing is engaging and magnetic. I have so many passages marked as my favourite and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy so I can annotate it!

The world building and historical setting was executed with the greatest care. By the end of the book I was well versed in the political tensions surrounding Shanghai in the 1920’s.

10/10

Plot
The plot was well-paced and compelling from the start. Gong takes Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and turns it completely inside out in the most imaginative way. I loved tracing the small references to the original play all throughout the book. The political undertones were so intriguing and perfectly filtered into the more supernatural vein of the plot.

The plot did lull at times but the characters more than made up for it. Scenes between Kathleen and Marshall or Marshall and Benedikt brought a temporary relief to the tense atmosphere with some quieter, more playful scenes.

10/10

Intrigue
Because this book is a retelling of an already familiar tale, one can usually sort of guess what would happen but Gong manages to construct a story so unpredictable from Shakespeare’s original and I am obsessed it!

I must admit that I’m not the best at always figuring out who done it and I didn’t have a clue as to who or what the monster could have been. Then ending took me by surprise and I loved it! The foreshadowing was excellent. The puzzle pieces just had to be put together at the right moment.

I was really taken aback by that ending though! The suspense is killing me and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. Can it be 2021 already?

10/10

Logic
The plot’s loose ends were tied up neatly by the end (except for that CLIFFHANGER, holy moly) and the mystery surrounding the madness was explained in detail and made a lot of sense. I never felt lost or confused by the plot and could easily read the book without having to look things up or think too much about the intricacies of the madness.

10/10

Enjoyment
In conclusion, I truly enjoyed These Violent Delights more than any book I’ve read in the past few months. These Violent Delights ripped me out of my reading slump and made me excited about reading again. The enemies to lover trope in this book was PERFECTION and I was so engrossed in reading that I forgot the world around me.

I am obsessed with Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov and their longing stares across rooms. Gong’s world is so captivating and just want more and more. To soothe the gaping wound that that ending left in my heart, I’m binging Peaky Blinders for the rest of the weekend whilst crying over my favourite new characters from this masterpiece of a book.

10/10

AVERAGE CAWPILE RATING – 10/10

I was kindly gifted a copy of this ebook by Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So thank you so so much!

When I initially heard about These Violent Delights, all I knew was that it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in a 1920’s Shanghai. For me that was enough to get excited and immediately pre-order. I have always been a huge fan of the forbidden romance/enemies to romance tropes, so Romeo and Juliet was always up my street.

I didn’t know much more about this one until I received the ARC, so I was extremely pleased to find that not only was it an R&J retelling but also containing a murder mystery, monsters, and gangsters.

The thing that really captured me was the writing style. I was immediately drawn in to the 1920’s Shanghai and politics surrounding the story itself. I found it informative without even realising, with the rich descriptions I felt as if I were there myself at times.

In regards to the story I really enjoyed it, it dived right into the action and was easy to follow, there was little hidden in regards to the gory deaths and that made it all the more exciting. Although we immediately knew the cause of these deaths it was still surrounded in mystery and remained that way until the very last page, being 464 pages (according to Goodreads) the expectation would be that we would get an early reveal or after some time it would become a little predictable or even dare I say it a bit boring. But I was still as hooked as I was when I first started. The one thing I love about the mystery's is trying to predict the killer, but I had no chance with this one. Characters were introduced so intricately that you didn’t question their motives until everything became clear at the end.

Throughout the book various plot holes arise, mentions of the past we do not know about but so desperately want to, they are revealed neatly at the end in a way which fits the story, rather than simply info dumping.

I loved the ending, it was suspenseful, everything came to together and set up book 2 perfectly. My only issue is that by reading this ARC I now have even longer to wait for the sequel!

I liked being able to recognise the characters from the play, being such a big family on both sides I found it easier to keep track of each one and their relevance to the plot. I felt we saw more of the Cai’s rather than the Montagov’s, so although I feel I have a pretty good idea of Juliette’s family with Roma I still feel a little unsure. But I am hoping this is something that can be looked into more in the sequel. However I do have to say that this replicates their relations to their family perfectly.

We become immediately aware that although both are in line to take over from their family only one is more comfortable doing so. Only Juliette was trying to fit into the role which was almost being taken from her, whereas with Roma, I can’t recall more than a single instance that he was actually at his family home, unstinting to continue on with the reigns being passed onto him.

Speaking of characters, I enjoyed the diversity. I will admit I did get a little confused with Kathleen’s past, when they spoke about the death of a sister, I assumed it referred to Kathleen in her being transgender. However when another sister was mentioned I did get a bit lost. I am planning to re-read this once the book is released, and since I have a physical copy I think it will make it easier to keep track of what may have happened.

I loved the closeness of both families, Roma with his cousin and friend, and their slow building romance between them. And also Juliette and her cousins. Aside from Roma and Juliette I think Marshall and Benedikt’s relationship was a big favourite of mine, I loved the friendship and the banter they had, but also when it was suggested there was more to it.

Ultimately the build up between Roma and Juliette was so frustrating, but at the same time I don’t think it could have happened any other way. I loved how long it took for them to trust each other fully again, with the combination of not knowing what had happened between made it all the more interesting to read on.

Overall I loved the book, I felt it was executed perfectly and was more than I was hoping for in every way. I do have some theory regarding book 2, there was a mention of a traitor but nothing more was said so I am hoping this is going to be a bit plot point in the sequel. I have an idea on who I think it may be, so time will tell!

My only issue that I had, and it was a relatively small one considering was with the bugs. Naturally we don’t know a lot about the bugs however, I wanted to know how they knew that by killing the host the bugs would also die. There was a lot of talk of killing this monster to save everyone (which was pretty important) but no one really thought about what they would do if the bugs weren’t affected, or even if they couldn’t kill it.

Again its not a bit issue at all, I am pretty hopeful we will find out more in book 2!

I want to climb onto the rooftops of my house and scream to every single reader in the world to please grab this book and read it right now. I’m so so happy to have received the ARC of this book. It was everything a reader hopes to get out of a book, excitement, nail biting moments, grotesques, sweet moments and oh my god, the bloodshed. I dived into this book without realising that it’s a reselling. What a book. There were several moments when I pulled my hair out of fear of what would happen if the madness were to hit me. I can’t wait for the sequel.

Favourite quote from the book:

Page 20: Nothing of her memory had withstood the test of time. This city has reshaped itself and everyone in it had continued moving forward without her.

Chloe Gong's THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS is a stunning and intoxicating spin on the original story of Romeo and Juliet.

I adored this book from start to finish, the idea of a retelling of Romeo and Juliet intrigued me from the start and I actually think I prefer this to the original! The world created within this book is so vivid and luxurious, Gong's descriptive writing is on point and it made it so easy to believe that this world was real.

I loved how the mystery part played out within this book, I was constantly on edge and second guessing everything that each character said in hoped to figure out who this mysterious monster was.

I LOVED Juliette and Roma, especially the incorporation of their past into their present lives and the little flashback snippets we got made me want to SCREAM. The dynamic between the two families was so alike to the original story and throughout the book I thoroughly enjoyed picking out little details and comparing to the original story.

This books ending was explosive and I absolutely need book 2 right now. This book is set in a rich and vivid world, filled with unique and fun characters that I cannot wait to dive back into and discover what happens in book 2!

An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

PHEW.
Where do I start with this book? There is a lot to unpack here, and all of it is highly positive. It's been a while since I enjoyed a book SO MUCH. I went into this book with high expectations, and this book delivered and how.

My favourite part about this book was easily the writing. Often told from a third-person omniscient perspective (which is actually my least favorite perspective because it's not easy to pull off) this book manages to avoid ALL the issues that usually come with that POV. Most of the time the perspective was pretty close, and was used as a tool to really get the reader into not only the characters but the scene as a whole. We not only got a lot from the main characters through this perspective, but also from the side characters, who I will get to in a bit.

The writing was so IMMERSIVE. every scene was established vividly, and I felt the history, the setting, the violence come alive in front of me. There were parts that made my skin crawl, and parts which made my jaw drop open. I read this book in a couple of days despite its length, and despite my slow pace, because it was that much of a page-turner.

Coming to the characters, I did not expect to like Roma so much. I knew right off the bat that I would love Julliete, but I adored Roma too. Both the leads were strong, interesting, and worked so well together. their sizzling chemistry, their constant banter and their yearning was an instant hit for me. The rest of the cast was extremely well fleshed out and I cared for all of them as much as I did for the main characters.

The plot was intriguing and kept me guessing till the end, and the ending was cathartic, yet heart-breaking and the final scene made me want to read the sequel immediately.

Chloe Gong has indeed presented a fantastic debut, one which has a lot of heart, passion, and of course, guns and knives. The attention to detail, the research and the twists kept me hooked till the very end.

Reading vlog to come soon.

I loved this.

I always enjoy a good reimagining, this one of the classic Romeo and Juliet but not how you ever could think of them.

A fantastical setting, two rival gangs, two heirs to thrones drenched in blood. But a monster lurks and a common enemy changes many things....

The beautifully crafted and creatively imagined backdrop absolutely makes this story - our Romeo and Juliet stalk the streets of Shanghai tracking death, dancing around each other, in an intensely addictive narrative that doesn't pull punches...the rivalry determined by history yet tempered by an attraction neither can ignore. Twists and turns, a vibrant and descriptive prose, plenty of cleverly layered characters and an ending that keeps you on the edge of your seat all adds up to a brilliant read leaving you desperate for more.

Highly recommended

The book’s title alludes to Romeo and Juliet, and the plot does not disappoint.

Set in 1920s Shanghai, These Violent Delights chronicles two star-crossed lovers, Roma and Juliette, the respective heirs to the two rival criminal gangs operating in the city, one the Scarlets made up on native Chinese and one the Whites made up of immigrant Russians fleeing the communist Bolsheviks. Thrown into the mix are radical communists trying to overthrow capitalism and the British and French colonials vying for power in the vacuum of the Kuomintang.

The story opens with the appearance of a supernatural monster rising from the city’s river that causes its onlookers to rip out their own throats. This common cause, nay plague on both their houses, sees former lovers Roma and Juliette reunited to save their city from the monster.

I enjoyed the allusions and the general plot. Enough was also left open for these two characters to return in future instalments...

"In glittering Shanghai, a monster awakens."

Aah, I was so excited to get approved for this ARC, since this was one of my most anticipated books of the year. I love the cover, I love the synopsis and I love fantasy retellings. I was almost scared to start reading since I worried it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but I am relieved to say that it did.

The book is set in Shanghai in the 1920s, where the city is run by two rival gangs: the Chinese Scarlet Gang and the Russian White Flowers. After four years away, the heir to the Scarlets arrives back in town. Juliette Cai is fierce, proud and hates nothing more than Roma Montagov. But Shanghai is changing. There are sightings of a monster and whispers of a communist revolution among the workers. However, when a contagious madness starts killing people from both gangs, the two heirs must put aside their differences and work together.

I cannot believe this is a debut. The author's writing was atmospheric and I thought the worldbuilding was exceptional. Shanghai came to life in my mind so clearly, without any lengthy descriptions or info-dumping. I loved Juliette and her determination to prove her worth to her patriarchal family. She was strong-willed and totally ruthless. In contrast, Roma was quieter and more thoughtful. His hatred of violence was a surprise and I loved the reversal of gender stereotypes.

I also loved a lot of the secondary characters. Kathleen was intriguing and I adored the banter between Beneditik and Marshall. Despite being a retelling, the plot never felt predictable and I liked that it was a slow burn. I would definitely recommend this book and I can't wait to read for the sequel to be released.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazing! I do enjoy a retelling, and this is a retelling of romeo and juliet. I loved this book, and cant believe how young the author is. I expect great things in the future!

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.



★★★★★ 5/5

Set in 1920's gang-run Shanghai, you're either a member of the Chinese Scarlet Gang, or the Russian White Flowers. With a blood feud raging between the gangs, only your own gang controlled territory is safe. 

That safety becomes compromised when reports of a monster lurking near the Huangpu river begin to spread, as well as a contagion sweeping over the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers members alike. No side is safe from what is coming, and as more and more people begin succumbing to the madness, Shanghai is dying along with its people. 

Juliette Cai (the Scarlet Gang's heir) and Roma Montagov (the White Flowers heir) are not only enemies, but they were once friends, and closer than that - lovers. After a betrayal that tore them apart, they can and never will be that again, both have responsibilities to their families and gangs. Yet when their fathers task them both with finding out what is taking down Shanghai's people, there is no other choice but to work together and try and save their city and their people.

I knew I was going to love this as soon as I read the synopsis, and sure enough, barely 50 pages in, I was sold. From the Romeo and Juliet retelling, to the enemies to lovers trope, These Violent Delights had everything I could have wanted and more, including fantasy elements.

I also loved the historical and political side to it (shoutout to that history class I took last year that required a lot of research and came in very useful whilst reading). Gong doesn't shy away from the theme of colonisation, and rightly so. It's done in a way that not only highlights the foreigners in Shanghai, but what they bring with them and change about the place they now inhabit.

For a debut, it's strong and promising and doesn't let down at all throughout. The narrative voice is cleverly crafted between multiple POV's, and the story never feels flat or boring with nothing too heavily described either. The secondary characters are also fully fledged and given their own time to shine, not only benefitting both Juliette and Roma, but the plot as a whole. 

It's an incredible story and definitely one of my favourites from this year. Chloe Gong for this first book alone, is already on my favourite authors list, and one I'm eagerly anticipating more from. Including the sequel! After the ending of These Violent Delights, fall 2021 seriously cannot come soon enough!



Did I like the book? Yes

Did I love it? Yes! I loved everything, from the plot to the characters, I genuinely couldn't find a single thing I didn't like about it.

Would I recommend it? Yes! And I will be recommending it to anyone who wants badass characters, a Romeo and Juliet retelling, or simply a well done enemies to lovers story.

WHAT WAS THAT ENDING???!!!

I can't wait for the rest of the world to fall in love with this masterpiece of a YA urban-esque fantasy that is bloody, badass and utterly delectable. Chloe Gong writes about a 1920's Shanghai that is gritty and dirty in more ways than one, a city where only the strong and the shrewd survive. She's almost seamlessly blended this opulent setting to the premise of Romeo and Juliet, but I'll tell you, if future ganglord Juliette Cai had been a Capulet, Shakespeare's tragedy would've gone a whole other direction. (Hint: Tragic for everyone but bb Juliette)

The writing was to the point, at times veering into tasteful descriptions that really brought old Shanghai to life and I loved how smart this book was, showcasing the colonial impact from the eyes of those who were colonised. It will make you cry, having yourself depicted every bit as smart and clever as the ones who colonised you - and sometimes more - yet have to suffer under their yoke of power. It also depicted the beginnings of communism and how it seemed to evolve but the plus of all this political intrigue was that it came with a dressing of monsters on the side.

That cliffhanger ending destroyed me but makes me super excited for the next book! Bring it on, Chloe Gong!

I am struggling to get my head around the fact that this beautifully composed, heart-wrenching, invigorating read is Chloe Gong's debut novel. Not only is the setting lusciously rendered with layer upon layer of accomplished imagery but the characters are authentically drawn, forcing the reader to completely immerse themselves in the chaotic energy of 1920s Shanghai. I have taught 'Romeo and Juliet' to my students multiple times but Gong's re-imagining of the feud brought new life to the love, loss and pain of Shakespeare's play.

Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai are our central protagonists (antagonists?! The complexity and murky morals of these characters is amazing), representing the heir to the White Flowers and Scarlet Gang groups who, as with the original story line, are in a longstanding blood feud. However, a new madness is sweeping the city, striking down members from both gangs alike. I won't spoil the effect of the madness but be forewarned it is graphically violent, an equalising force striking down both factions and rich and poor alike.

Gong has skilfully woven the more fantastical aspects of this plot with the history of Shanghai, making this not only an enjoyable read but also fascinatingly educational. She also tweaks the story of the original play, making some really nice references to the source material (Roma writing off Montague as an implausible cover name because it sounded too Italian had me in stitches) but challenging reader expectations. Rather than this being love at first sight, the central couple are jaded past lovers which put a really interesting twist on the familiar tale.

Overall, this is a fast-paced ride of a novel with thrilling plot twists coming out of nowhere all over the place. I predict huge things for this book and Gong's future writing career as adults and young adults alike discover her fantastic debut novel. Also, I am not at all sure how I am going to patiently wait for the sequel of this book after THAT ending! A phenomenal read!

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

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

My favourite Shakespeare play has been Romeo & Juliet ever since I was in high school and we were assigned one of his plays every single year in English. Of course, this was never the assigned play but the overachiever in me went and read more than I had to and simply fell in love. When I saw this described as a Romeo & Juliet retelling set in 1926 Shanghai following a gang feud nothing was stopping me from deciding I had to read it, and I’m still so over the moon that my eArc request was approved and I’ve been able to read this work of art.

I was hooked from the first chapter, the descriptions, world-building, and characters pulled me in and I found myself getting invested really early on in the book. The writing started mentioning the monster and I was pulled in even further, obsessing over the plot before the bulk of the plot had even started.

Let me take a moment to focus on the characters, I’m such a character-based reader that I focus so much on them and I was not let down! I left this book-loving some characters, hating others, and feeling the betrayal they felt. While already knowing the characters from the play and other adaptations, seeing them in this setting held them in a whole new light, and Gong wrote them all so well that they were so individual from the expectations I held and I’m so thankful for that. The addition of a trans character who is never misgendered by family and who exists as a character outside her gender just filled me with joy, and she was able to become one of my favourites in a sea of characters I was destined to love. Then there were the characters I left this book despising and the fact she was able to write them in such a way that I felt this guttural reaction to them.

The writing itself was really great, the location descriptions made me feel like I was teleported there and I could see the lights of the city at night, the people on the streets as the characters moved along them and the rooms they found themselves in. The writing of the monster and the plotline regarding it was easy to digest but also really played on my mind. The descriptions at times made me have to react out loud in an otherwise silent reading period, just moved to loudly react by the writing on the screen.

I have to comment on the romance separately because as a whole hopeless romantic it broke me apart. Without wanting to add in any spoilers in my reviews, there were scenes between Roma and Juliette that just shattered me, leaving me in tears and highlighting words exchanged between them to revisit because the scenes were written in a way that made me ache and also yearn.

This book gave me well-developed characters, multiple sources of LGBTQ+ representation, and a world I want to revisit, knowing I’ll both be rereading this book upon release and the sequel when we’re blessed with its release. This book was an easy 5-stars and I was right to have said it was one of the 2020 books I was most looking forward to.

These Violent Delights, Chloe Gong (These Violent Delights #1)
Pages: 464
Format: E-ARC

Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis:
The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang - a network of criminals far about the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette's first love ... and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns - and grudges - aside and work together, for if they can't stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Review:
Thank you so much to Hodder for sending me an e-arc of These Violent Delights, I am so grateful for this opportunity.

I don't even know how to start this review. I finished reading These Violent Delights a couple of days ago and have spent every day since screaming about how much I loved it but when it comes to writing a review I am not sure the words I will write can possibly do my love for These Violent Delights justice. Can we first just address the fact that this book is Chloe Gong's DEBUT. Yes Debut. I honestly would not have thought this whilst reading it. Chloe, you have smashed it! This book is so so good guys, and definitely one to look out for. I was immediately drawn to this book when I realised it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling. I love a retelling at the best of times, however at the moment they are so common and I feel like I am reading the same retelling over and over again. NOT THIS ONE. These Violent Delights, for me, was such a unique retelling of a story that I haven't seen retold before. There were so many parts of this story where I could really see the links too Romeo and Juliet, the quotes, title, character names and the plot but Chloe Gong definitely does enough to make it so unique. I also did not expect the mystery element of the book to be such a large part of the plot, but I loved it! I found myself so invested in this element of the book so much!

I absolutely love the writing style that Chloe Gong adopts. From the very start, the style is so immersive and I could not put it down. I really felt like I was part of the story, I could imagine the surroundings and there were so many times that I just wanted to dive into the book and be part of the story. Apart from the monster. I'll stick to observing for those parts. I literally have 0 imagination, so when a book gives me the ability to visualise the world and the plot then I can categorically say that the author has an excellent writing style. It really does not happen often. Also, there is such a complex system in relation to politics and world-building, one that must have taken the author a long time to construct. This comes across so well in the writing, the complexity is mesmerising and I really loved it so much. I enjoyed reading the rivalry between the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers, I thought it was interesting to be told the back story as well as the current situation between the gangs. Team Scarlet!

My favourite part of this book was the characters, I honestly love them so much and they added to my enjoyment significantly. Let us start with Roma and Juliet. I love this relationship so so much. I enjoyed the way that Chloe teased the reader with the back story of Juliet, which I found to be so brutal. You do not find out the extent of their history until later on in the story. I feel like this really helped me to build a connection and relationship with them and become invested with their relationship. I found myself really routing for them and just genuinely wanting the best for them. Also, Kathleen needs a special mention. I love her so much. Skip to the next paragraph if you do not want mild spoilers. Kathleen is trans, yes trans. How often do you see that in a book, especially in a book of this genre. She really warms my heart and is easily one of my favourite characters. I love the awareness that Kathleen's character portrays for the audience of this book. I feel like she is such a realistic character, the portrayal of her trying to come to terms with who she is, the body image issues that she has. Also, Marshall and Ben. You beauties. Say no more. They are conveyed so well, I could talk about Kathleen all day. I mean I don't want to dwell on some of the other characters, but HOW CREEPY IS PAUL and HOW MUCH OF AN ARSE IS TYLER. That's it, I'm done, I don't want to give them anymore time in my review.

As I have already mentioned there are some very hard-hitting topics discussed within These Violent Delights. In my reviews I like to be able to make a potential reader aware of some elements that may well trigger them. So please be aware that there are also elements of bullying and racism within this book. It is by no means a large portion of this book but it is something to be aware of going in. Please know that Chloe Gong does all hard-hitting topics so much justice and is doing such a good job of raising awareness.

The ending of this book was cruel. How can it just end like that. I want more and I want more right now. At first I wondered how These Violent Delights could be turned into a series however I completely understand now and I AM HERE FOR THAT. But I don't want to wait so if I could have the next book now that would be fab. I honestly enjoyed this book so much and it really does deserve the 5 star rating I have given it. I have immediately preordered myself a physical copy and I am already really excited for it to arrive so I can reread it. These Violent Delights is definitely one to look out for. I cannot wait for it to be out into the wild so I can scream with everyone else about how amazing it is. PREORDER THIS BOOK GUYS IT IS SO GOOD!

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

The concept of this?? Amazing. The execution of it?? Even better.

When a madness plagues 1920s Shanghai, heirs to the cities two opposing gangs Juliette and Roma must work together to put an end to it before the entire city falls prey. A task made more difficult on account of their history as lovers before a betrayal ripped them apart. This Romeo and Juliet re-imagining is a vivid exploration of politics, loyalty and love.

I loved this book with every fibre of my being it was so good.

The imagery of this is so vivid that I was instantly transported into this world. The world-building, characterisation and plot all wove together so well there literally is no weak link to this book.

I am a sucker for good writing and damn this book has good writing. The kind of writing where I would read a well-written sentence and be like okay but that’s a sexy sentence. “This place hums to the tune of debauchery” that is one sexy, sexy sentence and the whole book is like that.

Roma and Juliette my god their dynamic is incredible, being the heirs to opposing gangs with a blood feud and having a history together created some delicious banter and tension and I was here for it. Genuinely in love with them.

I loved all of the characters like I obviously adored Roma and Juliette, but the other characters had such rich stories too that I was invested in all of their lives. Like Kathleen??? Would 10/10 die for her.

Overall, this book was an incredible blend of rich imagery, political intrigue and romance and I ate it all up. I cannot see where the story takes us next.

Romeo and Juliet? Enemies to Lovers? Monsters? Mobsters?

This is a fantastic and very imaginative re- telling, with a page turning plot and a cast of amazing side characters. The character development of Juliette and Roma is really well executed, and the novel itself wonderfully paced.

Would HIGHLY recommend to any upper YA/NA fantasy reader

I LOVED this book! I devoured it in no time, thoroughly engrossed by the world and characters. This is by far one of my favourite reads of 2020 and I highly recommend it for those who loved Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet but want an updated twist! 1920s Shanghai is a time and place I'd never read about before but Chloe's writing immediately drew me into it and I loved every minute of it.

Refreshing gory and gorgeously detailed - I loved every second of 'These Violent Delights'. Gong took a story that is often reused and retold, and remodelled it into a haunting beautiful and original masterpiece. 'These Violent Delights' tells the story of Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov as they navigate Shanghai in 1926, attempting to save their city from a madness wreaking havoc from the inside out.

Being a Shakespeare nerd, one of my absolute favourite part of this book was the clever references to the original play - the beloved balcony scene, the first party, Mercutio, and other little quotes that made me sit a little straighter with excitement.

The characters were wonderfully fleshed out, and I loved delving deeper into their motivations and dreams as the book progressed. I can't wait for more of them!!

The plot was fascinating, and left me gasping for breath at every reveal. Just when I thought the slate had been cleared, and the secrets unaired, another three popped up in its place.

I honestly cannot think of a single negative thing about this book - the pacing was excellent, the plot was enthralling, and the characters were diverse and endearing and I loved them so much.

The biggest of thanks to Netgalley, Hodder and Stoughton, Simon and Schuster and Chloe Gong for this ARC, I will be recommending this book to everyone.

I really hate writing 5-star reviews. They are the worst.

All I want to do is just make squeaky sounds, fangirl, and then scream a little more about how much I loved this book. When I finished These Violent Delights my mind was completely blank. This book left me so hollow inside, that I am struggling to get on with my next read. I have – of course – already pre-ordered my copy.

These Violent Delights was nothing like what I had expected and so much more. And I can assure you this story lives up to all the hype. This re-telling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliette takes place in a dramatically complex 1920s Shanghai, during the Western colonial period, with the Communists fighting against the Kuomingtang. The description of the period and the life in Shanghai at the time are so vivid and impressively detailed right from the start. The main protagonists Juliette and Roma, like the famous Veronese couple, are members of two rival families, Juliette Cai is the heir of the Scarlet Gang and Roma is the heir of the Montagov family and the Russian gang of the White Flowers. Shanghai is not only divided by these gangs and political factions, but also by the river Huangpu, where a deadly monster lurks in its water and whoever sees it is taken by this mysterious illness, this madness, which brings them to rip their own neck and kill themselves…

[insert here the sound of a vinyl record skipping]

Wait a moment. I don’t recall a monster in Shakespeare’s play?!?

Yeah… well, that’s what makes These Violent Delights mental.

I was completely oblivious to the paranormal element of this already incredible historical fiction, and I had found opium dens, rival gangs, and burlesque bar already enough to make this plot so action-packed. I would say, the descriptions of the settings were so detailed. I sometimes felt they were slowing down the natural flow of the story – but that’s just a personal thought. Still, I fell in love with all the side characters, who all had their own unique background stories and personalities. There was a great diverse representation and LGBTQ+ characters, as well as characters from different ethnicity. The main character, Juliette, is everything an heir of a gangster family should be, dangerous, reckless, rebellious and brave.

The last 40% of this story is a complete roller coaster of emotions. When finally everything starts coming together, and the build-up of the romantic tension between our Juliette and Roma rises, you will not want to put down this book. That (damned) epilogue felt like Juliette just hit me in the head with her gun and now I refuse to wait another year for the second book.

The fascinating description of the political reality of 1920s Shanghai is the best feature of this book, and it makes it a MUST READ. This novel would pass for a simple historical romance fiction, if not for the surprising horror element. It’s a brilliant debut and it’s amazing how the writer maintained this book for the YA audience, in spite of all the cruel and gruesome scenes. If you know Shakespeare’s original play, you will appreciate all the references to the original story. If you are also a fan of horror stories and paranormal, well, this book has the power to become your new obsession. It definitely became one of my best reads of this year.

I can’t wait to see what Gong’s mind has planned for the sequel.

YES YES YES!!!!! Asian authors dragging be back into young adult lit are the best. An excellent and absolutely captivating debut.

This novel is incredible! These Violent Delights is an entirely original and utterly addictive reimagining of a Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, full of violence, romance - and monsters!

Juliette Cai returns from America to find Shanghai changed, but she will still risk everything to keep her people, and her city, safe. When madness takes root and there are monster sightings on the streets, she is determined to get to the bottom of what is going on, before there is no one left to save. To do so, she will have to risk her loyalty to the Scarlet gang - and her heart - by putting the blood-feud aside and combining forces with her greatest enemy - Roma Montagov. Part-mystery, part monster story, part-romance, it's impossible not to be sucked into These Violent Delights.

This is the star-crossed lovers as you have never seen them before: dripping with blood, fury and power. When Roma enters a Scarlet-controlled club and finds himself face to face with Juliette, they already have a history steeped in violence and betrayal. Gong's characters are far from naive teenagers swept up in the rush of first love. They are battle-weary and angry, and determined to see the worst in each other.

Roma and Juliette aren't the only brilliant characters to be found amongst the diverse, exciting cast of These Violent Delights. Kathleen, Rosalind, Benedikt and Marshall each had their own secrets and storylines and I loved when the novel switched to any of their perspectives.

These Violent Delights is full of fun references to the original play, as Gong plays with names and has character's quote familiar lines of poetry, but this novel never follows a set path and there are so many twists and shock reveals along the way. These Violent Delights is anything but predictable.

These Violent Delights is a historical fantasy retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, set in 1926 Shanghai, China. Following Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, heirs to two rival gangs and ex-lovers, who have to solve the mystery of the monster and contagion spreading around which is ensuing deaths of members of both gangs.

There are so many reasons to like this book. It is super fast-paced and filled with action, which left me wanting to keep reading and reading to find out what happens next. It also contains my favourite trope of (lovers-to) enemies-to-lovers, meaning lots of tension and angst. It contains multiple POV's which I usually despise but in this book it did not bother me much nor did I dislike it which is very positive. There are also so many interesting and diverse side characters, of whom I hope we get to see more in the sequal.

In all seriousness though, the Chinese representation made me so incredibly happy while reading this book. Being of Chinese descent, I never really read any YA when I was a teenager that had Chinese main characters, so even though I am older now I still totally appreciate the representation in These Violent Delights. I also love the historical aspect of this book. Reading about 1920s Shanghai, I never knew that it was so interesting, with the societal dynamics between all the different ethnic groups residing there. I also love the accurate portrayal of the whites as colonizers and invaders in the book.

Juliette Cai is an amazing main character. She is ruthless and intelligent, thus practically embodying femme fatale. However, we also see glimpses of the identity struggles many Asian people that do not live in Asia face, which is feeling too western and not Chinese enough, or vice versa, since she was sent to live in America to get western education. An aspect which I wished was elaborated more in the book.

The Violent Delights is a breath of fresh air filled with twist and turns, while being very fast-paced and action packed. The plot and backdrop were very interesting and engaging, while also being written beautifully. And now, I will just be (not so) patiently waiting for the sequel.

These Violent Delights

If there was ever a go-to example of how to do a retelling of a classic story then THIS is where you should go.

These Violent Delights is a masterclass retelling and I was hooked from the first page. Set in 1920s gangster ruled Shanghai we have the White Flowers and the Scarlett Gang, two notorious rivals, each vying for more power than the other in an endless struggle.

Juliette Cai (pronounced Tss-eye and not Kai, thank you Chloe for confirming this on Twitter!) recently returns to Shanghai after four years away in New York. Juliette is the heir to the Scarlett Gang and has returned to resume her duties as heir.

Since her return, strange things have been happening, several White Flower men were found at the docks with their throats torn out and rumours of a monster coming out of the Huangpu River. White Flower deaths is no concern of Juliette’s, but when a member of the Scarlett Gang starts tearing at his throat in a club in Scarlett territory, well this has brought trouble right to her doorstep.

Roma Montagov, heir to the White Flowers perhaps more in name than favour arrives at the very same Scarlett Gang bar after investigating the death of members of his gang at the docks. He chases a man with mismatched shoes and finds him as he is tearing out his throat.

That’s not Roma’s only problem though as he is in Scarlett territory, face to face with Juliette. They left on bad terms after Juliette was betrayed and the Scarlett Gang suffered a massive loss through a hit organised by the White Flowers.

Tensions between the two heirs are high but they are drawn together by this new threat to their city. Working in partnership to solve this mystery, fighting their feelings for each other and the rivalry between their two gangs.

The world building is rich and enticing, Chloe Gong paints 1920s Shanghai so vividly, you can imagine yourself there. You just need to decide which side you’re on. 😉

It’s a refreshing, exciting and thrilling story for you to dive into. Just don’t go into the Huangpu River, monsters with silver eyes are rumoured to lurk there 👀👀.

A brilliant, brilliant story and the ending. THE ENDING. An audible ‘NO’ escaped my lips, oh Chloe! How could you?!

I need book 2 ASAP. PLEASE!!

A compelling new twist on the Romeo and Juliette tale of warring gangs and forbidden love. This is an incredibly clever idea, not without gore and violence, but then we're reading about the drug trade and gangs from Russia and China. Where the two gangs have spent their existence trying to outdo each other, Roma and Juliette from opposite gangs, must join forces to beat a hidden enemy that is indiscriminate in who it targets. A smart, attention-getting debut which will no doubt receive many plaudits.

I've been excited for this book for a while now. I'm subscribed to the newsletter (#Scarletgangftw) and just the description alone had me anxiously awaiting it, ready to pre-order the hardback just before release. When I spotted it on NetGalley, my hopes weren't high. I'd just been turned down for a historical romance from a publisher I'd not heard of, so figured I didn't have a cat in hell's chance of getting accepted for this one.

When I say I almost screamed, well I honestly almost screamed. I was so excited. I set it up on my Kindle (anyone else still using their Gen 3 kindles?) and eagerly hopped into the car. Whenever we stopped or I hit an exciting bit I eagerly rattled into off to my bemused partner who isn't a reader and finds my constant passion for books very entertaining.

I've read a lot of books recently that are going to print and I've recommended them to friends but this is the one I'm truly going to recommend. The one I'm likely going to get round to buying and passing around. It was wonderful. I cannot describe my love for this book enough

The description was magical - Romeo and Juliet retelling, set in Shanghai in the 20's with rival gangs - riveting. The characters were interesting, and I loved that it had nods to the original story, yet I found myself still unsure of what was going to happen. I'd say none of the twists were foreseen, but there was one or two - I won't give any hints though! No spoilers here!

It has fast paced action, wonderful writing and everything I could ever want from a book. There isn't a slow or dull moment. How can there be when people are dropping like flies every few moments in some of the most gruesome ways I've read in a long time. My partner and I are both fans of horror, and there's a particular moment, and again I won't spoil it, but it was very reminiscent of the kind of body horror I love in the John Carpenter films, think The Thing


The romance, the longing, all of it so delicious. I love a slow burn, a will-they-wont-they and this had it in droves. Ex lovers with barely suppressed feelings and buckets of angst?? Sign me the hell up! It ends just superbly in relation to the romance element as well. </p>


Rating -🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦/5



Best get to the rating, though I could honestly gush about this book forever. 5 pigeons in the coop out of 5, 10 out of 5 - if I had to recommend you buy a book this year, this would be the one I recommend. Sometimes I read a book and think it's great, and sometimes I read a book and know it's a comfort to me. I'll be posting a review soon of Serpent and Dove soon and that was the same, I knew from the first chapter it would be a comfort book for me, right alongside my Maas books, the Poison Study series and anything by Pratchett.</p>

I haven’t read anything historical in ages because I always get annoyed. But the synopsis, the cover and yes, Chloe Gong herself on her socials just spoke to my soul and I knew I had to read it. And well, I have three words for you: I loved it. I loved it so much. From the very first page, I was sucked into the story and it spat me out at the end with a craving for more.

Let me tell you, I was nervous as hell about this book because it’s a Romeo & Juliet retelling and I guess we all know how well that ends? So I was constantly on the edge, both because of the things I knew and because of the mysteries the author added.

I absolutely adored the setting of 1920s Shanghai. Everything is torn in some way: the city and its people. The city has been divided in several parts where gangs and foreigners rule. It’s a violent place with many faces, a whole, yet broken into many parts that can’t really fit together. But it is alive, it breathes. The atmosphere transported so well, I could imagine everything vividly, the dark alleyways, the homes, the docks. It felt very real.

And so did the characters. The protagonists are Roma and Juliette, the heirs of two rivaling gangs. Juliette has just returned from years living in America and thus has to find back into Shanghai, a city she knows so well but that changes constantly. Along with her, it is easy for the reader to find into the setting and the story. Juliette is smart and stops at nothing to achieve her goals, she’s strong in both mind and body and knows her way around people. She tells parts of the story, Roma the rest. While he is just as violent as Juliette, he seemed a bit softer to me and I found myself liking him immediately. I liked them both a lot, as well as their companions and their familiarity. And the romance! I always love a good enemies to lovers romance and this was definitely no different.

This book really was what I needed. It was a great joy to read, it had fun parts and serious parts, it has some fantastical elements and wonderful characters, it is violent but has soft moments as well. It discusses serious topics and focuses a lot on colonialism and its consequences. If you can stomach blood and characters brandishing weapons every two pages, make sure to pick this book up. Seriously, it’s SO good!

Firstly, huge thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This novel will be published on 17 November 2020.

I saw loads of people talking about how amazing this book is and knew that I had to see for myself. I thought the title of These Violent Delights was an interesting choice as it is a Shakespeare quote, however when I read the description of the novel it made so much sense. As a huge fan of Shakespeare, and books set in North East Asia, I was excited eager to see how this retelling would work. And boy did it work.

These Violent Delights is a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, where a blood feud between the Cai family (Scarlet gang) and the Montagov family (White Flower gang) has been ongoing for years and doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon. However, there are some very strange and dangerous things happening all over Shanghai which sees Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov needing to work together to stop a monster from destroying everything they love.

Over the years there have been countless retellings of the classic story of forbidden love on both page and screen. My favourite has always been Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation set in the early 1990s. However, These Violent Delights is such a unique retelling that Gong makes it entirely her own. I think what was most refreshing about this novel was the way the characters were portrayed. Juliette was certainly not the meek, lovestruck, girl who she is often regularly depicted to be. Instead she was both fearless and feared and would do anything for her beloved Shanghai. I also really loved how the whole Montagov family was portrayed too (although I may be a little biased as I’ve always been a fan of the Montagues more than the Capulets). I also got stupidly excited whenever I realised who a character was based on, there were a few penny drop moments throughout!

The plot was really interesting, especially as it wasn’t a direct retelling of the story so it felt very fresh and original, but also had a sense of familiarity at times when there was some overlap with the original. In particular, I did enjoy it whenever I recognised a line from the play. I wasn’t expecting the novel to have as much of a fantasy element that it did, but I loved it. I liked how the novel would shift to different perspectives to give the reader a full overview of what was happening in the city; which built suspense as you wanted to shake the characters at times to tell them what you knew because you saw the other side of things! It was also a great way to compare how both of the gangs worked and how they were viewed by the city. Without giving away any spoilers, the ending was not what I was expecting at all and the final line packs such a punch that the noise I made when I read it was not human.

I’m so happy that this novel was brought to my attention as it brought together two of my favourite things in such a fun and interesting way. I cannot wait to see what Gong does next as it’s clear from this novel that she has a very promising career ahead! In the meantime though, definitely check this novel out when it is published on 17 November 2020!

<i>Big thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC via Netgalley <3</i>

Hello, I am crying and an emotional mess all at the same time. Yes, it is a thing, NOBODY TOUCH ME!!!!!

I,,, this book. Chloe Gong. Just everything BLEW. ME. AWAY. And also: I. NEED. BOOK. TWO. RIGHT. FREAKING. NOW.

Seriously, can I have the sequel because HOW could it be over so quickly?!?!?

Yo, I just really loved this book. I flew threw it and was so invested, in the world and in the time period. Both of which were so transportive and immersive. Literally adored the Shanghai setting and also 1920s setting. Spectacular I tell you.

I also LOVED the writing. At first, we were not vibing, but by the end of the book, I was just so in love and in awe of Chloe Gong's talent uWu. The way the story was told was just so well done. I loved the mystery element, and yes I am still a scaredy-cat. Twas reading it at night and bruh I thought a monster was going to attack me lmao. This whole book is just genius though.

I also just want to applaud Chloe Gong for, ya know not only being a student and icon, but also on the incredible world-building. Which I absolutely adored. It was so well fleshed out and complex and I was just eating it up. I also really loved the social commentary, especially concerning communism and also on society in Shanghai. Brilliant.

The characters ahhhhh, I am eternally screaming. I literally loved them ALL. Roma and Juliette were my faves, I love them so so so much. But I also loved the side characters. I loved Benedikt and Marshall, who are beans and the best sidekicks *wink wink*. I also LOVED Kathleen, who is a queen. They were so real and I felt like I was there with them in the story, literally friends with them all. The dialogue was also great. I loved how it was set in the 20s but the language was not at all hard to comprehend.

But probably my FAVOURITE part was the *drumroll please*, can you guess? Indeed it was the romance. But this isn't just any romance. Literally I loved it so much it's not even funny. Like this could be UP THERE with my absolute fave OTPs. Because OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!! It was so good?? And am I deceased?? I'm just obsessed with the whole childhood friends to lovers to enemies (to lovers) set-up and it was so ~delicious~. I ship them so so so so hard. Mad I have to wait like a freaking LONG time for the sequel, but I am obsessed with them all the same. I just love how simple the romance was, yet the chemistry and dynamic were just so perfect that even though there is little of it, I still shipped them so hard.

I just,,, wow. I have not been able to think about anything else but this book since I finished it. It was fantastic and everything I'd ever want in a YA book. We got historical fiction, romance AND a hint of magic/urban fantasy. Love to see it.

Did I mention that I need a sequel? Because I want a sequel.

Also, this is for sure a favourite of the year, possible THE favourite of the year!!

Wow just wow. Where to begin with this book... first I want to take a moment to appreciate the beautiful cover. It is literally stunning and draws you in straight away.

Second let’s talk about the immersive poetic writing style. After reading the first page I was swept away in the narrative. Almost as if someone was speaking it to me and I was mealy listening as they conjured the tale of the beast in the river.

It’s so breathtaking. These characters have been given a new lease of life. This is not the Romeo abs Juliet you know. They are darker, grittier and have had time to grow up and understand the decisions and sacrifices they must make.

No longer is Juliet a weak girl. Instead she is a strong, independent woman. Able to walk toe to toe with any man and shoot him in the head if she so pleases. She’s at the top of her food chain and a key player in the game. I used to hate her but now in this retelling I find her refreshing and extremely likeable.

I really loved this book, it’s characters and it’s plot and I want the second one straight away. This is the problem with reading ARCs you have even longer to wait for the follow up.

These Violent Delights is an exhilarating reimagining of the classic Shakespeare tale, Romeo & Juliet. Set in 1920’s Shanghai and involving rival gangs instead of feuding families, Juliette and Roma are each heirs to their respective gang. Juliette, a former flapper, is the ex girlfriend of Roma. And with the mysterious deaths throughout the city piling up, Roma & Juliette realize they need to team up to solve the mystery before there is no city left to fight over. The writing is vivid and beautiful, just flowing off the page. It’s shocking this is only Gong’s debut novel. The character development is very strong. They all feel fully fleshed out. Plus, there is diversity throughout. The setting feels real with the detail truly bringing it to life. I enjoyed the blend of historical fiction and fantasy with the addition of the monster. If you’re looking for an original story with inspiration from Romeo & Juliet, look no further. And if you enjoy historical fiction with a dose of fantasy added in, this is the perfect novel for you. Be sure to check out These Violent Delights today!

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I loved it, loved it so fiercely that I know I would take a bullet for these characters. (well…hypothetically that is) I will cherish this and I cant wait for everyone to read it, so we can fan-girl over this absolute wonder of a Romeo and Juliet inspired YA Fantasy together.

Mysterious and heinous creatures are rising from the shadows of 19th century Shanghai, ruled by two ruthless gangs fighting against the onslaught of Communists and Nationalists threatening to end their reign, but the city threatens to fall apart as a contagious infection starts spreading, ensuing madness and panic, prowling for victims, causing them to viciously claw their throats out.

Juliette is the heir of the Scarlet Gang, cold and ruthless, putting anyone down in her path to the throne of power. She’s bitter about being sent away to America, but now she’s back and ready to rule, but not everyone in her family is as keen towards her leadership, rather preferring her male cousin (can someone please kill him for me and these sexist a**holes), deeming her too weak, too Americanised. However she’s adamant to prove them wrong, to shoot down any hesitancy, like the freaking bada** she is.😤

Roma is struggling. His chances of taking over The White Flowers slipping low. He’s fighting to stay aloft in ranks, his father’s disapproval of him tangible, his two close friends Benedikt and Marshall (WHOM I SHIP SO HARDD) the only one loyal to him.

Neglected heirs of opposing gangs are clawing tooth and neck to make place themselves at the top, hating each other, their hearts burdened with their brutal past, each of them content on forgetting the other, but the madness that is driving havoc in their city, attacking their gang members, minimizing their members, forces them to work together against the evil rising in Shanghai, which really gets the angst steaming and the inner turmoil brimming.

THE WRITING is painfully beautiful, the descriptions, the metaphors and anecdotes all incredibly astounding, it makes you hold on to the words like its your living salvation, its grasp strong and tight. The experience and rush it gives you as you journey through scrambling Shanghai, and the pure terror just pulls you in, latching you on until you are certain that the worst is over (it never is).😣

The characters are so wonderfully fleshed out, the multiple POV’s distinguishable from each other in thought and action, all impossibly captivating. I’m afraid I’m not able to convey just how addicting this book is, and how much I absolutely adored each character. ❤❤

That ending was painful to say the least. It gutted me, it made me cry, killed me and then resurrected me. The words will slice through you and you’ll be grateful for the scars.

||THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND PUBLISHER FOR THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE OF AN HONEST REVIEW||

Wow. Just wow.

I gave myself some time before writing this review to gather my thoughts but I don’t think it’s working; all I can think up is incoherent screaming and variations of OH MY GOD and THE BEST BOOK EVER.

Where do I begin? Characters? Plot? I’ll start with the thing that gripped me from page one: the writing.

🗡️ I absolutely LOVE the writing. I honestly have a hard time believing this is a debut novel!! It’s flowery but not too flowery and descriptive but not too descriptive; especially her descriptions have me in awe because we all know how hard it is to engage readers with descriptive writing and not bore them out of their minds. But Chloe Gong has managed to do it all the same: the writing she produces is so aesthetically pleasing, and so atmospheric it literally feels like I’m walking in the roads of Shanghai along with Juliette and Roma. The way she tells the story is so vivid, it brings the story alive I can practically taste the world she creates. And within this beautiful writing she weaves social commentary and raises various sociopolitical issues such as eurocentricism, westernisation, colonisation to name a few. Can I wait about the sequel and all other books she will write? Absolutely NOT GIVE THEM TO ME NOW!!

🗡️ Now characters, what can I say? I loved them all, each and every one of them felt so unique and fleshed out. There are so many layers to them all, truly amazing. So much diversity and so many different characters and personalities, what more can I ask for??????? If I had to pick a favourite it defenitely has to be Juliette: she is just so badass!!!! For real no other word can describe her best; she is the heir of a gangster family and she owns it: she is feared and adored by her people, nobody dares talk back to her or even talks about her and her overall attitude *cue incoherent screaming I talked about earlier* Classic case of looks like she can kill you and WILL kill you.

🗡️ THE PLOT talk about engaging and yes unique. I know it is a retelling so you are supposed to know where the story is going but guess again. Full of twists and turns, These Violent Delights has to be one of the most well crafted retellings ever. It tells the original story yes, but is has its own print. It’s like you get the main idea of Shakespeare’s play without feeling like you’re reading the same text. It is a retelling AND a completely different story at the same time, exactly what I’m looking for in retellings. I couldn’t wait to see how she will insert major plot points of the Shakespearian play to her own story each time and each time I was left more than satisfied.

🗡️ Last but not least the romantic aspect!!!!! This is a Romeo and Juliet retelling so of course we get all the angst that comes with having two people from rival gangs fall in love. However this is sort of a lovers to enemies to lovers situation so there’s double the angst and the slow burn. The tension between Juliette and Roma *chef’s kiss* There’s also a side couple I am ROOTING FOR WITH EVERYTHING I HAVE but I won’t say anything cause this is a spoiler free review and I’m polite.

Overall, These Violent Delights is the debut of 2020 for me. Full of monsters, blood and madness but also romance, slow burn and angst, it is the perfect mix of horror and romance. Don’t think twice and trust me on this one: go and preorder These Violent Delights now!!! You will not regret it I promise. Plus the cover is gorgeous just putting it out there for all of us who cover buy shhhhhh.

I received an eARC from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

It’s hard to summarise how much I truly loved this book. I was scared that because of this being my first arc, I was worried about whether I would end up disliking it and having to put a bad review up. But wow, I knew I was going to enjoy this book pretty much straight away.

This book is set in 1920s Shanghai and is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet but so much better. It has tons of action which keeps you on the edge of your seat and the romance I absolutely adored. Who doesn’t love Enemies to Lovers? The key thing that made me love this book is the diversity, which lacks in many books but definitely not in this book!

I definitely recommend this book and can’t wait to read more by Chloe Gong in the future.

Thank you very much to Chloe Gong, Netgalley and publishers for letting me read an arc of this incredible book. (Review is complete truth and not influenced in any way)

In Shanghai of the 1920s, the power is divided between two warring gangs, the Chinese 'Scarlets" and the Russian 'White Flowers'. A string of self-inflicted deaths supposingly caused by a monster sighting, forces the heirs of the two gangs to work together. Problem is not only do Juliette and Roma hate each other, but some betrayal in their past tore them apart.

The descriptions are utterly unique, like small poetic flourishes, the smallest of details giving you such a vivid picture. The author's figurative speech is to be envied.

Juliette is tough, almost cruel, impatient, loyal, utterly likeable. Roma is focused and puts on a facade of hardness, even though he has more of a respect for life, any kind of life, then he is supposed to show others. Basically he loathes being a gangster. Both of them live with the weight of being the heirs, being underestimated, without having all the support they expect.

Surrounded by wonderful secondary characters like Alisa, Kathleen and Rosalind, Marshall and Benedikt, it's hard to choose which is your fave. Characters that frequently make you want to smile, even smirk, so different in style, but so alike in stealing your heart.

Things get more and more intense and the build up is so enjoyable, absolutely captivating. As is every time Juliette and Roma cross paths. The search for the contagion and/or monster is invitingly mysterious, as is the heightened sense of danger, making the book difficult to put down. And let us not forget the little tidbits/nods to the Romeo and Juliet mythos this has borrowed inspiration from.

I love how the author conveys the feeling of this multicultural world. How we view the era through the encounters with quite different personalities and through the musings of the characters. Touching themes of entitlement, privilege, veiled or outright racism. Full of the allure of power and the machinations to achieve it, its fickleness plays a key role in the events of this narrative.

Simultaneously hard as nails and tender, plus utterly exhilarating to the very end. And ending that seem to be reaching its crescendo, until Gong pulls her ace of a devastating betrayal out of her sleeve and leaves you dumbfounded, wanting to scream "NOOOO" like a Skywalker. Then your jaw will hit the floor so abruptly it will hurt. There is nothing you can do but utterly adore this book.

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

For Chloe Gong's reimaging of our favourite star crossed lovers Romeo and Juilet, almost everything about the iconic opening to William Shakespeare's tragedy could describe her book. But we are not in Verona anymore, Toto. Instead, the book takes us to 1920s Shanghai, where Roma Montagov is heir of the White Flowers, and Juilette Cai has just returned from New York to stand at her father's side as heir to the Scarlet Gang. Both gangs occupy different territory in the city, their blood feud burning stronger than anything and yet... four years ago, Juliette had fallen in love with the White Flowers heir. And it had cost her dearly. Roma betrayed her, escalated their blood feud, and Juliette was sent back to New York. Now, she hates him.

But the citizens of Shanghai face something more terrifying than rival gangs fighting. There's talk of a monster, talk of a madness plaguing the city, causing people to claw out their throats. Something needs to be done. White Flowers and Scarlets are dying to this sickness, and after witnessing the death firsthand in the Scarlet speakeasy, both gang heirs want to get to the bottom of it. Their only hope is to set aside their differences and work together. If they don't, there might not be a city to rule when all is said and done.


I'm going to be completely honest here; I wanted to dislike this book. I didn't want to fall in love with another series that had just started, leaving me in limbo until the next book came out. And yet, that's exactly what I did.

The rich world building, the characters, the storytelling... everything about this book drew me in. I loved the dynamics between Roma and Juilette, Marshall and Benedikt, the family interactions....I was left hanging on the edge of my seat with each twist and turn into the story, and the ending. Oh my word. That ending has stayed with me since reading the book, and I and so sad that I'm not able to pick up the sequel to find out what happens next.

Rating: ★★★★★

Release Date: 17th November, 2020

Pre-ordered?: Yes

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read this book in return for an honest review.

I don't have words for how good this book is. All of the characters interested me, the atmosphere and the era (Shanghai, 1920s) completely grabbed me and I couldn't put the book down. The writing was beautiful and vibrant which was quite refreshing and complimented the story very well. There is body horror in the book but I personally didn't mind it even though I am a little squeamish at that sort of thing.

This debut novel truly blew me away and I look forward to reading more from Chloe Gong!

Rating: 5⭐
Would I Read It Again? Yes, I plan to read the book as soon as it comes out!
Would I Recommend it? Yes, there is a reason why it has been talked about everywhere as well

I AM ONLY GOING TO SAY THIS ONCE,
BUT YOU ALL HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK FOR REAL!

I wanted to read the book since I got to know about the concept, so thank you netgalley for providing with e-arc. But this in no way is biased opinion.

The story concept, was excutied so well. I mean, i would have never imagined a Romeo and Juliet retelling where they have to fight a monster and are part of opposite gang. The story just keeps on the edge with who is behind and so man clues.

The characters, all the characters had a point of view at one point in story which was good because we got so much insight on what was going on. Specially the back stories of Roma and Juliette friends and family who are always with them.
My favorite character out of all of them was Marshall, it was the best character and no one can tell me otherwise.

The book comes out soon, so go read this awesome book!

Rarely does a rainy day recommend you a book, when you can hear the thunder screaming and the rain pelting the windows—as if warning you to read this book now or you’ll be drenched in tears—and you decide to actually honour the anticipation building within you by picking it up right then. But one such day did recommend These Violent Delights to me and I shall be sending a thank you letter to whoever operates the tap in the clouds.

These Violent Delights sharpens the edges of a classic by retelling it through a lens of another era while never holding back from suffusing originality, individuality, and an independent perspective on all aspects of this masterpiece. Heirs of two rival gangs taking up their responsibilities while remembering (and often trying not to) their past, a monster emerging from the waters, and political revolution waiting to unfold, this historical fantasy is painted within Shanghai of mid 1920s.

Juliette, heir to the popular Scarlet Gang, strengthens her stance with heightened fervour as a young woman who recently returned from the States; Roma, heir to The White Flowers, abides by his father’s commands with conflict as an emotionally responsive young man left with no room to opine. Both didn’t choose this life, both gangs are being triggered by the same threat, and both can kill each other if witnessed in the rival’s territory—at the behest of unsaid sectional rules set up to avoid bloodshed.

Like a whetted blade awaiting its purpose to destroy, the two come together with a repulsiveness that frequently gets replaced by yearning, to uncover the mysterious infection clawing at people’s throats and apprehend the larger ambition behind the dreadful eyes of a monster beneath the sea, behind the violent spread of this lurgy, and behind the growing change in the political scene. Akin to the sharp blade, this coalition does destroy—the heart of every reader.

The lesser I speak of the romance, the more one would fully immerse themselves in a bath of scarlet roses and white flowers. But nothing about this rivals-to-lovers is relaxing. It’s a tsunami of contention, inclination, and an ache that will upheaval even the steadiest of your grounds and you’ll agree that something with such disorder and disruption can only be excellence.

It’s simply this excellence that perfectly balances an exclusive focus on the Roma-Juliette while also rolling a film of side characters who possess distinctive personalities. With absolutely no retention of Romeo and Juliet, considering I haven’t read it yet, I’m not the best person to draw any sort of parallels at the moment but if I ever review the classic, I’ll draw parallels with These Violent Delights in that review.

The other side of me as a history fanatic did connect dots with a knowledge of the Northern Expedition, imperialism, the Nationalist & the Communist parties, and the factory strikes igniting the first sparks of a revolution while foreign powers still dominate over the government. Like an icing on the cake, the varying aspects that deliver such superiority are imbued with heartfelt strands of identity, familial expectations, and emotional bonds that aren’t easy to escape from.

Read this historical fantasy romance for the love filled with angst, for a fierce heroine, a lover hero, and for all the complexities that can justify my lack of words to precisely sum up why this is easily one of my favourites of the year.

This is so good. It is the most amazing debut novel and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. Except maybe make it queerer, but a girl can’t have everything. It takes the best parts of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and turns them into its very own better version. The characters are nuanced and smart, flawed and growing, full of wishes and goals, striving towards their future.

The central romance between Juliette and Roma is slow burning and believable, hinging on the past and dealing with its fair share of issues, rather than falling into the tropes of insta-love that the original depends on. This is just one of the ways in which Chloe Gong has managed to improve on the Bard’s work. These Violent Delights is full of tension and feeling, not letting the reader catch their breath throughout the story. Its pacing is excellent, showing not only the author’s talent, but outstanding editing as well.

Additionally I loved the setting in colonial Shanghai. Recognising places from my own visit evoked a sense of nostalgia, while the book itself subtly addressed issues of colonialist ideology and landscape making the reader consider issues they might not have encountered before. These Violent Delights is many-layered and the reader discovers a new thread running through the story on each read.

I highly recommend These Violent Delights to anyone who has the slightest inclination towards YA and the various subgenres it addresses. Chloe Gong really is an author to watch and I can’t wait to keep reading her work.

"These violent delights have violent ends"

Chloe Gong has created an absolute wonder of a book, full of blood feuds, the supernatural, and forbidden love. I honestly loved every single page, and spent as much time with it in my hands as possible. With astonishing skill and stunning prose, Gong weaves a tale that is for every generation. This will go on to be as much of a classic as its inspiration.

When I tell you I audibly gasped multiple times throughout this book, not because of the plot, but because of the sheer MAJESTY of the prose. It's so obvious that Chloe LOVES writing, because each line of this book is a lyrical masterpiece. It's PACKED with beautiful phrases you'll want to make note of, it's packed with well executed research and you will feel like you're in Shanghai while you read it.

I absolutely adored this book, it’s become one of my favourite reads this year.

The setting was so wonderful to read I loved that it was set in Shanghai in the 1920s it was both magical and dark and I loved it. I loved the mystery and how we are slowly fed information about this mysterious contagion and monster. Is it something supernatural? What or who is causing these deaths. It made me want to read just one more chapter.

These days…the most dangerous people are the powerful white men who feel as if they have been slighted.

I really loved how Chloe took the story of Romeo and Juliet and gave it a fresh spin and honestly this is better than the original. Roma and Juliette are the only ones worth reading about. The angst and chemistry between them and how we meet them after they had already fallen in love and been betrayed so they already have all this history between them which makes their relationship even more interesting especially as we slowly learn about it through flashbacks and how it affects them in the present. I loved the setting too where we see not only gangs fighting to rule but also the west coming to “improve” things. There was so many different groups all fighting for power and it is the people who suffer most in their battles.

Killer. Violent. Ruthless. All those and more – that was who she was now.

Juliette is my queen, I absolutely loved her! She is ruthless and does what needs to be done to look after her people and the people of Shanghai. I related to her a lot, how she is a capable leader but because she is a woman people don’t take her seriously, she can’t make a single mistake otherwise she will lose the support of everyone. She wants to do what is best for her people but she also has to manoeuvre around politics and how people don’t want to change.

Her character was so complex and I just completely fell in love with her. The ruthless and unfeeling exterior she has to always show to others so she won’t be seen as weak and how she pushes down how she feels especially towards a certain white flower, it was just amazing reading about her. I loved the discussions on how she never fit in, in the west but because she had spent time there she no longer fit in, in Shanghai either. It was so relatable, right down to how her name wasn’t western enough so she had to change it to suit them.

His title gave him power. Power kept him safe.

Roma was a cinnamon roll and I really enjoyed reading about him too but Juliette has my heart. I loved how he was soft and sweet but like Juliette he has to show a ruthless exterior. He also has to deal with his family not completely trusting him because of his history with Juliette and I really loved how he was never domineering or controlling when working with Juliette. I loved seeing how much he cared and loved his sister and how he would do anything to protect her.

A love like theirs was never going to survive in a city divided by hatred.

I loved every single interaction between Juliette and Roma. The tension and the angst, the pining and their electric chemistry that grew as the story went on and they slowly started to open up to each other again. I loved their dynamic and how they could only show their vulnerability to each other and also feared showing vulnerability because it was dangerous for them. I cannot wait to see them in the sequel especially after the events of that ending! Although I do hope they have a better ending than Romeo and Juliet did.

I loved the side characters too, they were all interesting and complex and had their own story arcs which I was invested in too. Honestly all the characters in this were so well written. I loved all of them and I can’t wait to see what will happen in the sequel especially after that ending.

This book was incredible and discussed so many important issues while also creating a dark and gritty atmosphere. The story will suck you in and the characters will have you completely hooked onto their every word and you will think about this book long after you finish it.

These Violent Delights is a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in Shanghai in 1926.
Should I stop my review here? We all know that's enough information for you to want to read it…
Ok, ok, I'll write more.
So, our two main character, Juliette and Roma are both heirs to rival gangs, the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers. The two gangs have been enemies for generations and the feud got even worse four years before our story starts when our two main characters were just 15, since then, it's become an attack on sight kind of feud. During those four years, Juliette was actually shipped to New-York and she comes back to Shanghai just before the beginning of the novel. Sadly, she's not the only thing that arrives to Shanghai, a madness caused by a monster starts to take over the city and both Juliette and Roma are to look into it. Needless to say, their paths will cross.

These Violent Delights is told through several points of view; we have both Roma's and Juliette's, of course, but we also have four other POVs. I won't tell you whose but I will tell you that it was a great addition and I loved being in their heads too.
The whole book is just so perfectly paced and the plot was enthralling from beginning to end. Let's be honest, there's nothing I didn't like about this. The characters (main or secondary) were great and layered, the tension between all of them felt so right, I really did love it all. I have a special place in my heart for Kathleen and I just cannot wait to read more about them all in the sequel. I just don't know how I'm gonna wait this long.
I was so into the book, I couldn't help but want to scratch my head most of the time (you'll understand why), I really just felt like I was there, in Shanghai (where I've never been before,) fighting for my life. The setting and the mood is just this realistic.

I don't know what more to write so I'll stop here... I just cannot wait to have my physical copy in my hands!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

These Violent Delighte is a Romeo and Juliette retelling set in 1920s Shanghai. It follows rivals Juliette Cai, heir of the Scarlet gang and Roma Montagov, heir of the White Flowers. Juliette and Roma are forced to put aside their differences and work together.

I was so intrigued by the premise of the book and I went in with high expectations and I was happy that this book lived up to it. The writing in the book was so beautiful. It had the right balance between the political intrigue, romance and friendships.

I loved the dynamic between Juliette and Roma. Friends to lovers to enemies to lovers?? excellence so the angst, tension and yearning was... chefs kiss. Juliette was such a badass mc and she was hilarious too, I was laughing out loud at certain parts. Roma turning out to be the secret soft boy is everything I didn’t know I needed.

As well as this, the other relationships and friendships in this book meant so much to me. Juliette and Kathleen? Benedikt and Marshall? Roma and Alisa? The chaotic energy Juliette and Marshall have? Juliette, Roma, Kathleen, Benedikt and Marshall? I would lay my life down for all of them.

I did not see the plot twists coming and the cliffhanger at the end but I can’t wait for the next book and see how the relationships develop.

I was so happy to receive an ARC of this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review – thank you so much! These Violent Delights was one of my most anticipated reads for 2020, so I was eager to read it. It was the first book I picked up in November because I couldn’t resist starting it – and I wasn’t disappointed! Chloe Gong really knocked it out of the park. These Violent Delights is longer than I expected – and the font was quite small – but I still moved through it quickly as I found it hard to put down.

You know there are some books that are supposedly enemies-to-lovers but they’re not really enemies? As this book is a Romeo and Juliet retelling, the enemies are very much real. Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai come from opposing gangs in Shanghai which have a long and bloody history. Juliette is uncompromising and fierce, and even though I didn’t agree with all her decisions, I respected her so much. Roma also is the type of guy who refuses to back down, which lead to a lot of confrontations. It was a bit frustrating because I just wanted them to be happy together, but the tension means the enemies-to-lovers relationship is excellent!

Both Juliette and Roma are the heirs of their respective families, and this cutthroat setting really creates a burden on their shoulders. There was bloodshed in the past, and I was so intrigued to find out what worsened the blood feud between the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers. However, they must put aside their differences and work together when a madness appears in the city and people start dying with no explanation. This is a dark book, reflecting the atmosphere in Shanghai at the time, so there is a lot of violence, almost always to do with the gangs.

I really enjoyed the madness part of the plot because I couldn’t wait to find out the answers. I do wish there was a bit more detail and development in that area, but I’m sure we’ll learn more in future books. There are lots of twists and turns, and the direction of the book definitely surprised me, especially at the end. I really cannot wait to read more of this story because there is so much more I want to happen!

"A temporary thing for a temporary place, but now the temporary thing is burrowed in so deep it cannot be removed"

I had such a fun experience reading this book. I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect – all I really knew before going in was that this book is a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai. So the book is historical YA, but also with some fantasy/sci-fi elements. The setting was so well described – it really felt like I was there. The writing is one of the huge highlights of this book, and it even felt like Shanghai itself was a character. There is such a mix of people in the city, and it was so frustrating to see the effects of colonialism on Shanghai as a whole and also individual people.

The supporting characters also really shone in this story, notably Benedikt, Marshall, Rosalind and Kathleen. They all have a different dynamic with Roma and Juliette respectively, and their interactions were so fun to read about. There are a lot of LGBTQ+ characters, including a trans side character, which was really great to see. I’d love to know more about all of these characters, because there were definitely hints about more detailed backstories.

So overall, this was such a strong debut! I’m already highly anticipating more from Chloe Gong, and I can’t wait to see these characters again. The descriptions are truly amazing, and if you like books with complex and morally grey characters with a hint of fantasy, you’ll love this book. I’d just be aware of content warnings for violence, death, and descriptions of deaths caused by the madness.

4.5/5 stars

Just phenomenal in every way. This became an instant favourite and obsession of mine.

Full review to come on my blog.

‘These Violent Delights’ follows Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov, the heirs of two rival gangs in the 1920s Shanghai. The blood feud between the gangs – the Scarlets and the White Flowers – existed for generations, but the tensions have been heightened in recent years. Now, with Juliette’s return to Shanghai after living in the US – for her safety – for the last four years, things are getting even more complicated. Despite their families, Juliette and Roma used to be close, but now the betrayal and hate may be too much to move forward even when their city is at risk from something so violent, so unearthly, that the only way to save their people and survive, is working together.

What I loved the most about ‘These Violent Delights’, it’s the atmosphere of the place, but also the whole book itself. While Juliette and Roma’s story – star-crossed lover from the opposite gangs – is not anything new, the execution of the story and the setting have been great, and added so much to this book. Juliette and Roma re-unite in order to eliminate a common threat, an illness that’s a lot like madness that seems spread in the city, both in the territory of the Scarlets and the White Flowers. But their complex relationship with each other as well as increasingly tense politics of Shanghai of the 1920s with many foreigners desiring to influence the country even further added even more interesting and complex layer to the whole narrative, and I have enjoyed it very much. I also really liked the depiction of supporting characters in ‘These Violent Delights’, they didn’t feel like they were only there to fulfil a secondary role – instead, they all have been interesting and so diverse characters, each with their story to tell.

When I started reading ‘These Violent Delights’, for a moment I forgot it’s the beginning of the series, so when I reached the ending, I could only look at my Kindle and wonder where is more. I’m really looking forward to the next instalment and learning more about Juliette, Roma and all different characters from this series.

Be warned that every other sentence in this review is going to be about how much I loved this book because it was SO GOOD! Like how is this a debut? Honestly I was absolutely blown away so all I can say is read it... You will not be disappointed.

"Anyone can be the master to a monster should their heart be wicked enough."

1920's Shanghai. The City is ruled by warring gangs the biggest of which are the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers. Once, there seemed a chance at peace between the two but one event changed that and created a blood feud that leaves the streets running red. Juliette Cai is the heir to the Scarlet's, recently returned from her time in the America, there are people who question her right to rule after such a long time away. Roma Montagov is the heir to the White Flowers. He doesn't always agree with his fathers way of doing things but knows that he needs to show loyalty to ensure he takes over from him. These two used to be lovers, but fate intervened and now they are more likely to aim guns at each other than loving glances. But something is stirring in the streets of Shanghai, a deadly plague that doesn't differentiate between Scarlet and White flower. And it will take Juliette and Roma working together if they are to save the city they both love.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVED THIS BOOK. And one of the contributing factors to that was the brilliantly written characters. Honestly, I fell a little in love with them all. Juliette who see's herself as an outsider in her own home but just desperately wants to belong somewhere. She is an incredibly talented woman, and not one that I would fancy my chances against in a fight. She travels around with an air of fear around her, something she has spent time cultivating for the heir of the Scarlet's cannot be seen as weak. Roma who is afraid to stand up to his father for fear of the consequences, that he will be displaced as the heir and find there is no place for him in this world. He would prefer words over violence, but knows his way around the battlefield almost as well as Juliette.

Whilst these two are the main characters Gong does a fabulous job of building side characters that you fall in love with just as much. Juliette's cousins Rosalind and Kathleen and Roma's cousin Benedikt and Marshall an inner circle member of the white flowers. These four added to some of my favourite moments in the book and Marshall definitely became a favourite character of mine. She also brings a new depth to the story with a wide range of LGBTQ+ characters.

The setting for this book was just *chefs kiss.* Gong brings 1920's Shanghai to life with her breathtaking writing style and I was dragged head first into a world filled with gangsters, flappers and monsters. Gong shows us what is a slightly romanticised time by western culture, from an own voices perspective and she doesn't shy away from the depravity of it. How an entire culture was seen as lesser and subsequently westernised. We see this written brilliantly in Juliette's story. Her fight to stay true to her culture, whilst at the same time feeling the need to dress a certain way, to use a certain language to make herself accessible to the western side of the city.

"These days, Juliette." he said, low and warily, "the most dangerous people are the powerful white men who feel as if they have been slighted."

As well as the obvious Romeo and Juliet references; the doomed romance, warring gang's and a city at war. Gone treats us to a multitude to Shakespeare references, some slightly more obvious than others, but if you're not the biggest fan of the classics you needn't worry. She makes this story wholly her own. Yes you will be able to pick up on the obvious references, but with the addition of folklore, a new culture and monsters, you are never quite sure where the story is going and whether it will end in the climactic way you expect.

This is a book that, as much as I wanted to fly through it, I had to take my time. So much happens and as well as the main monster hunting plot, we get treated to little sub plots based around the side characters that add a whole new depth to the story. As well as this we get treated to a whole host of plot twists, some predictable due to the Romeo and Juliet base, but others that had me gasping out loud.

Yes, there is romance in this book. It's a Romeo and Juliet re-telling after all. And while I lived for the scenes between the two MC's, some of my favourite scenes were the non-romantic relationship's. Seeing Juliette spending time with her cousin's, the annoyance that only family can bring out in you, but also the absolute trust you put in those people. And Roma with Benedikt and Marshall, the only two White Roses who have declared their loyalty to him as heir. The undying loyalty between these people is evident and I loved that we got to explore these non romantic relationships as well.

I can honestly say there was nothing that let me down with 'These Violent Delights.' In fact my only issue is that I have to wait a whole year for book two because that ending killed me! I can see Chloe Gong becoming the next big thing in YA Fantasy and I am here for it.

Review ✨✨✨✨✨🥀

I was very kindly sent an ARC of These Violent Delights through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Chloe Gong and Hodder & Stoughton and a very happy publication day!

These Violent Delights is a unique and imaginative retelling of Shakespeare’s classic, Romeo and Juliet. Taking place in 1920’s Shanghai, amidst a power struggle between the Communists and foreign occupiers and a looming civil war. In addition, a sinister monster has awakened in the depths of the Huangpu River and a mysterious madness is sweeping the city.

Juliette Cai, heir to one of Shanghai’s leading gangs, The Scarletts, must join forces with her arch enemy, Roma Montagov, heir to a rival gang, The White Flowers. Juliette is breathtaking in every way - she’s fierce, courageous and devastatingly ruthless. Roma is gorgeous, thoughtful and equally fierce and powerful. He also happens to be Juliette’s former childhood sweetheart and first love.
Years of animosity and vicious blood-shed keeps the river of hatred deep and vast between them both - a mortally wounded hatred, difficult to heal. That is until Shanghai falls in desperate need for the two to unite. Juliette and Roma must team up to solve the deadly mystery before it takes out their family, their people and their entire city.

And what takes place is a fusion of thrill, passion and devastation! I absolutely loved this tale and still in-awe of the fact that this is a debut novel! From the very beginning, the story felt grippingly intense and exciting.

Not only is this story and main characters riveting, I was quite enthralled by some of the side characters. Especially, Juliette’s cousin, Kathleen. Her bold personality, heartfelt back-story and close bond with Juliette is simply beautiful. The world-building of the 1920’s Shanghai was also brilliant and fascinating. I absolutely loved the setting and the Asian and LGBTQ+ representation in this book. The characters, the plot, the mystery and suspense was so well written, bringing something special to the story. Chloe Gong definitely made this retelling refreshingly unique with her immersive and captivating writing!

I highly recommend adding this to your TBR. A truly delicious, dark and brutal love story!

5 dazzling starlights 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

These Violent Delights is a sprawling and magnificent debut historical fantasy and the best reinterpretation of Romeo and Juliet I've read, set in the Autumn of 1920s Shanghai as a new dawn is breaking and both the Opium Wars and the rise of Communism have become omnipresent. The star-crossed lovers in this story are Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai who come from two opposing gangs that are fighting for financial and political control of the city and are embroiled in a bloodthirsty all-out war. Foreign powers have taken chunks out of the city for themselves leaving the rest to be fought over by these two enemy faction. There’s chaos and a melting pot of different groups all staking their claims.

Juliette is the daughter of Lord Cai and heir to the Chinese Scarlet Gang whilst Roma is descended from Russian Montagovs, head of the White Flowers Gang. Having just arrived back in China after studying in New York, 18-year-old Juliette has discovered in the time she's been gone much has changed in Shanghai, the city she and Roma dreamed of ruling. Despite having garnered a reputation for being merciless, Juliette struggles to be respected as the heir of the Scarlets as cultural sexism determines her quick-tempered cousin, Tyler, to be more worthy.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old Roma is not as revered by his father as he once was due to his betrayal of Juliette four years ago, which led to the deaths of innumerable Scarlets and placed a target squarely on the White Flowers’ backs. Juliette has vowed seek revenge ever since. But now a deadly disease is steadily sweeping the city linked to an apparent monster living in the Huangpu river and it doesn't discriminate so loyalists of both factions fall to it. Former lovers Roma and Juliette grudgingly decide to put differences aside to try to ascertain the cause and the all-important cure of the illness leading men to tear at their own throats in anguish.

This is a stunning and richly-imagined fantasy with lots of bloody action, revenge, betrayal and so much more that there is never a dull moment. Gong’s prose is so exquisite that on every page I was desperate to save at least one sentence and that is a rarity for me. The setting is the star of the show, though, although there is much to love throughout, and Gong captures the 20s zeitgeist perfectly whilst portraying historically significant events in Shanghai and wider China powerfully at the height of its transformation. I was immersed and transported there and loved every second of it. I must also mention the cast of characters; it is a lesson in diversity, queer, multiple ethnicities, but doesn't ever feel forced. I am blown away by this book, which is as close to perfect you are ever likely to come. Sublime. Read it! Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC.

Thank you very much to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for a review.

Anyone who knows me knows I love Romeo and Juliet. Like probably too much. I have a preprepared rant for when someone slanders it. I love it A Lot. So, when I got the opportunity to get my hands on an ARC of this, I was SO EXCITED.

Thankfully my excitement was well-worth it. I really enjoyed this book! From the first page, you already find the gorgeous writing that exists in this book, The descriptions are simply beautiful. I loved the opening scene, I loved that it mirrored the thumb-biting scene. It was such a fun callback to begin with and set the tone well for me. There are loads of little callbacks to the play like this, enough for a play lover to be excited, but the reader isn't beat over the head with it.

I loved Juliette. I loved how sassy, but sincere and angry Juliette was about colonialism and the Westerners in Shanghai. Her struggle to understand what it meant to be the "American" girl and how it fit with her Shanghaiese identity felt so true. Her brutatlity and power made her believeable as a gang heiress and her struggles and love made her a great protagonist. Roma was also an interesting character. I enjoyed his morality and his frienships, but I wish we had gotten inside his head a little more. I felt like I really understood Juliette, but Roma, I'm not all there on yet.

I'm not trans, so I can't say for sure, but I enjoyed the depiction of Kathleen. She had a seamless introduction, and her story really interested me. <Benedikt and Marshall's relationship/friendship> was also really exciting. I wasn't expecting it in a historical retelling, but I'm so glad it was there! You cannot convince me that <Bencutio> is not a thing, okay?

Also, I really liked the idea of a Romeo and Juliet who already knew each other. It definitely makes more sense this way since they're meant to be sworn enemies, and especially in this setting. It felt almost like a follow up to the original young naive lovers story from the play. This is an older, hardened Romeo and Juliet who know the reality of their blood feud. They see the repercussions and dangers more because they are more familiar with them.

Additionally, I love how Gong has evolved Romeo's dreaminess and Juliet's practicality into their new selves. Juliette is ruthless and practical, whereas Roma is honorable and dreams of a better future. Their play counterparts show clearly through, but Gong transforms them to make sense for this time and setting. It's really brilliant.

There is some body horror in the book, so I'd be wary of it if that triggers you. I found myself shuddering a few times at the descriptions and I'm usually fine with written horror/gore. Additionally, I enjoyed all the languages mixing, but sometimes there was a lack of translation and I could sort of get the context, but not the meaning exactly. There wasn't like a glossary or anything, so I did find myself doing a lot of googling, as I like to know exactly what the characters mean. Definitely not a big deal, but something that did get a bit old for me.

I also would have liked a map. I know that's usually a thing for fantasy novels, which this obviously isn't, but the territory lines and differently "owned" parts of Shanghai are so important to the story, and sometimes I got a bit lost as to where things were placed and were in relation to each other.

Gong also doesn't gloss over the colonialism in Shanghai, as well as other place the characters have lived. Especially in YA historical fiction, that was very refreshing. As should be obvious, having a Chinese woman as the author gives this book context and depth that a white author would likely be unable to replicate. It's so important to the truth of this story, and Juliette as well.

There is defintiely a lot going on in this book. It's a retelling, a murder mystery, it's got political plots, and a historical setting in a complex, diverse location. Gong has lots of balls in the air and she handles them very well as a whole.

Here's my thing though. I'm not so sure about the <monster. For a book so rooted in histroy, it feels out of place. I wish the reveal had been something a little more realistic. Even some kind of undiscovered animal would work for me more than a weremonster.> I think if the blurb had leaned toward this, or if there were some sort of other <magical or anachronistic element>, it would feel more in line.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I will definitely be reading the next one, as that cliffhanger was so much for me. Definitely a recommend to anyone who loves Romeo and Juliet, beautiful writing, or historical settings.

This was one of those rare, atmospheric and magnetic reads that gave me a book hangover.

Gong writes absolutely stunning prose. While one or two spots were a little flowery for the occasion (generally dialogue that felt a tad theatrical), overwhelmingly the writing was just gorgeous. I made so many highlights! The writing style and language felt evocative of that 1920s time period too, which only added to the immersive story, and I really liked the inclusion of some Chinese (in pinyin form). I’d previously not known about the unique Shanghainese dialect so it was nice to learn something new! The inclusion of certain words and phrases from multiple languages worked really well to enhance the setting – in addition to Mandarin and Shanghainese, there was English (obviously), French, Russian (spoken by the White Flowers, aka the Montagues) and references to other dialects too. Small things that really built up the roiling mix of people and cultures present.

Speaking of peoples and cultures, I also appreciated the frank commentary on colonialism and microaggressions. The social commentary is not just to do with race and white supremacy but also with transphobia and sexism, especially the double standards set for Juliette as the female heir to the Scarlet Gang. The casual diversity in characters (aside from the majority Chinese cast, which I had obviously expected) was also a pleasant surprise! There are at least three queer characters (gay and trans) and I think one of the characters has OCD.

I just loved the Easter egg-like references to Shakespeare’s play – the reveal of the oh-so-important poison being my favourite – and I really enjoyed the hints, both subtle and overt as to who was who in the cast. There was even a hilarious parodic reference to one of Shakespeare’s famous sonnets.

The plot has a brisk pace and hefty dose of eye-popping twists, and while the omniscient narration means the reader knows more than the characters do, I still didn’t manage to guess the main antagonist, nor their motives! Honestly, I was suspecting someone else, and I have tHeoRiEs for book 2… The onslaught of contagious madness was horrifying and this book is certainly going to be nauseating for those afraid of insects. I was absolutely disgusted several times…which I guess adds to the experience if you’re a bit masochistic.

I cared about all the characters (not you, Tyler/Tybalt) and similarly to how I felt during Miller’s ‘The Song of Achilles’, I was absolutely terrified for their wellbeing. I even had to stop at one point because I was too afraid that they might die. (In fairness to Tyler/Tybalt, he does get more characterisation to him here than in the original play.) There are a number of POVs, and while it was easy enough to differentiate when each chapter section was dominated by a single character, sometimes I was confused when it seemed to suddenly slip from what felt like third-person limited to omniscient narration. This wasn’t a big problem though.

As you may know, enemies to lovers is my favourite trope, and I have a special affection for arcs that ping-pong between enemies to lovers. What was great was that the Roma and Juliette seesaw was always convincingly tied with the plot and never felt forced. Certainly felt painful, though. There was also a burgeoning side ship that I adored too!

Something special about ‘These Violent Delights’ is how entertaining its Acknowledgements section was too. I’ve never enjoyed reading one as much as Gong’s here! I think there was a reference to Gansey (‘The Raven Cycle’ and also kudos to Halsey’s ‘hopeless fountain kingdom’ album, both of which are instant wins in my book.

I'm really looking forward to the sequel!

"The stars incline us, they do not bind us."
So... this was amazing and I need the next book right now. The story is effortlessly engaging and is truly unique despite having the Romeo and Juliet inspiration. A historical urban fantasy set in such a lush backdrop of 1920s Shanghai with two ex-lovers caught in a rumbling gang war in an increasingly divided city. The politics, the characters, the setting, the writing, and the fantastical elements were all great in my opinion. I would highly recommend it and it definitely explores some very important themes. Some scenes and topics are quite violent or graphic in nature so do bear in mind that if you are unsure whether to pick it up or not.
Firstly, we have to talk about the writing. Wow, just wow. It was so good. I think I may have highlighted more passages in this book than I ever have before with this book. There were so many important quotes and topics explored and I am already wanting to buy my own copy so I can annotate it which I never do! Similarly, the atmosphere and setting was just phenomenal, so unique and different but not in an alienating way, I was so wrapped up in this world and I cannot wait to jump back into it whenever the second book comes out.
The characters were so complex and the representation in this book was also handled in a really nice way. I have a few predictions of things that may be coming in future novels. All the characters are ethically not the best people yet I still managed to care for them all so deeply. So much so that when certain events occurred towards the end I nearly burst into tears in the middle of a public bus. So I applaud Chloe Gong because I have grown close to every. single. character. And considering the amount of violence in this book, is a mean feat.
One thing I would say is it took me a long time to get through this book, this could be partially my fault as I read it on my phone via the kindle app and that can be a distraction. The plot is pretty slow and the pacing is also slow, this is not necessarily a bad thing especially considering how character-driven the story is in retrospect. I do think that I will like the following books perhaps even more than this one considering the connections I have forged with the countries. None the less this is what is stopping me from giving this book a full five stars.
Rated: 4.5 Stars

I received These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong for free on NetGalley by Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much to Chloe Gong, Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for this early copy! This review is also available on my blog - Book, Blog & Candle!

These Violent Delights was one of my most anticipated reads and I was so excited to be approved for it on NetGalley! I've heard so many good things about this book and it definitely lives up to the hype! A Romeo & Juliet retelling set in 1920's Shanghai is such a fantastic concept, I knew I had to read it!

In These Violent Delights we follow our star-crossed lovers Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov who are the heirs to rival gangs. Raised to hate each other but they fell in love anyway until a harrowing betrayal sets them firmly back as enemies. I didn't realise how much I would love the "enemies to lovers to enemies" trope, it is so good!

Juliette has returned to Shanghai, after being forced to go to America, and she is ready to take her rightful place as the heir to the Scarlet Gang and determined to forget all about Roma. I loved Juliette's character so much! She's an absolute badass, quick witted and incredibly dangerous. I have to declare right now that I'm definitely joining the Scarlet Gang!
On the other hand Roma is trying to get back into his fathers' good graces and trying to get everyone to take him seriously as the heir to the White Flowers. He's learnt to be more cautious but he does have an angry side that flares up when those he cares about are hurt.
They've both got to prove themselves to their families but soon have to put aside their differences and work together in order to stop the madness that is plaguing the city.

The writing throughout the book is incredibly gorgeous, it's so descriptive and intriguing. I also loved the historical elements that were layered in the story, there was so much I didn't know about and now want to research even more! These Violent Delights is an intense read that really immerses the reader fully into the story. I usually make notes as I go along but I didn't want to take my eyes off the story for a single second! It is so clever and such an amazing retelling - I must admit I love it even more than the original Romeo & Juliet. The suspense, the yearning and the twists were just perfection, you can really tell how much love was poured into every part of this book. I can't wait to read even more!

These Violent Delights is witty, intelligent and an instant favourite of 2020 for me! Thank you again Chloe Gong, Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley, it stabbed me right in the feels but I loved every second!

I love a good retelling as much as the next person and especially when it comes to retellings of Shakespeare’s plays there are certainly plenty available. When it comes to Romeo & Juliet, the adaptations which come to mind immediately are the films, whether it be the 1968 Franco Zeffirelli film or the 1996 Baz Luhrmann adaptation. In These Violent Delights however, Chloe Gong has not just written a retelling of the classic tale but she has revived it, she has charged it with commentary on colonialism, race and class and of course, given us the star crossed lovers in Juliette and Roma, tying together a debut which will be sure to captivate readers.

I loved the sense of atmosphere and setting which Gong creates throughout the novel, portraying Shanghai in the 1920’s with rich description and making the city and each unique place feel so palpable to a reader. Whilst reading I could feel the sense of debauchery and excess, of the blood feud between the Scarlet Gang and the White Flowers which is not so thinly hidden under the exchanges in the city and the rising tide of tension between all the different factions. I also liked how Gong explores the impact of western powers / foreign colonial influences on Shanghai and how discussions on race and class are approached and weaved into the story deftly and enriches it in so many ways.

As well as the conflicts which form the basis of the story, there is also a larger mystery and sinister plot at play, with whispers of a monster within the city and the madness, plague like that follows. I liked how there was this more fantasy / sci-fi like element alongside the more ‘realistic’ elements within the story, and how both work so well with each other. I found it really heightened the experience of the book for me, as I was thinking of theories and how it would all play out.

I obviously can’t write this review without mentioning the flawless depiction of the lovers to enemies / star-crossed lovers tropes within the book and how much pain Juliette and Roma’s complication-ship caused me. Yes, complication-ship. As one may expect with a Romeo and Juliet retelling, things are not easy for our main characters, but the situation is even more fraught and complicated when you’re part of rival gangs and even a hint of working together / being in a relationship could cause utter strife.

I liked how we were introduced to the couple years after a tragic event which tore them apart and we meet them in the present, when they’re at odds once more. The sense of yearning was so high, and their scenes were so tender and so full of wistfulness for what could be, if only the blood feud was over. I really liked the choice Gong makes here to reveal their past relationship in snippets and mentions here and there, rather than through heavy exposition. Normally I’d want to read it all firsthand but this slow reveal actually works so well and still conveyed to me the sense of history, affection and care that these two characters have between them, and also the doomed nature of their relationship, between the divided loyalties and impossible choices they are both forced to make. It was so compelling and speaks to the heart of what has enthralled readers for so long; two young people who love each other so much but seemingly can’t find a way to be together.

I also really liked that we got to read through multiple perspectives, and it wasn’t just reserved to Juliette and Roma, even though they are the main characters. We get a range of well written and fully realised secondary characters who I loved just as much and it never felt tedious or unnecessary when Gong diverts to their perspectives. I genuinely liked Marshall and Benedikt, Roma’s best friend and cousin and their teasing dynamic as well as sisters Kathleen and Rosalind, who are Juliette’s cousins and closest confidantes. I think sometimes secondary characters can feel inconsequential if a writer doesn’t pay as much attention to them, but I really appreciated how each of these characters had their own stories and journeys and definitely added a lot to the book.

Overall, These Violent Delights was a delight (pun absolutely intended) from start to finish and I can’t wait for the next instalment already! I’ve heard that it’s going to be a duology so I’m in eager anticipation. I would recommend this to any fans of Y/A, retellings and fantasy – basically I feel compelled to hand a copy of this book to everyone I know and/ or shout about it from the rooftops. I feel like it will be immensely popular on its release and deservedly so.

I was hooked from the first chapter. Turns out 1920s Shanghai isn’t boring at all and learning about what a diverse place it was was fascinating. My knowledge of the history of Shanghai - or any places in Asia really - isn’t great so it was really fun to learn a little bit of something new while reading this book. I really enjoyed reading descriptions of the city especially from Juliette’s perspective. The writing in general is really beautiful.

I also enjoyed the story and the characters a lot. It’s told from the perspective of both Juliette and Roma and sometimes their closest friends, so you get the full view of what’s going on as they try to solve the mystery of the Madness that keeps spreading in the city.

I definitely enjoyed Juliette’s perspective the most, because she’s such a badass and lives up to her reputation of being the ruthless Scarlet Gang heir. She’s not completely heartless though, and I think she was well balanced in that regard. She’s not one of those characters who are just said to be really brutal but actually they don’t do anything to show that, but she’s also not a cold-hearted killer. Girl’s got feelings too. Juliette also has an extra layer of complexity from living in western countries for years and so picking up a lot of the fashion and culture, but also being very proudly Chinese.

I liked Roma too, but I think I just naturally gravitate more towards the female characters. Roma is definitely the softer of the two main characters though, and I enjoyed his and Juliette’s interactions together. One of my favorite scenes with them was probably when they were forced to take tequila shots and Roma couldn’t handle his booze at all and Juliette was like “Aren’t you supposed to be Russian?” and Roma responds: “I’m Russian, not an alcoholic.”

I feel like I can’t talk about Roma as a character as much because a lot of it goes into spoiler territory and I don’t want to ruin the book for anyone, but Roma definitely has his complicated side too.

Their romance developed, or I guess re-developed since they had been in love before, at a nice and slow pace which made it very believable especially considering all the reasons that had led to them becoming enemies when they were younger.

The side characters were also great. Both Juliette and Roma have two sidekicks, and like I mentioned we get to see the story from their perspective a little bit as well. Marshall and Benedikt on Roma’s side were really fun, and the sisters Rosalind and Kathleen on Juliette’s side seemed like really good friends to her and I liked them a lot.

The plot of the book isn’t as complicated as it might sound at first, but it was just the right level of mysterious so I couldn’t predict the outcome. Sometimes it felt like Juliette and Roma could get away with things like breaking into places and snooping a little too smoothly, but I guess they were just really lucky. The story gets really intense towards the end of the book as a lot of things start happening and it’s definitely an adrenaline spike. The Romeo and Juliet elements were sprinkled in the story nicely as well, and I could spot all sorts of things even though it’s been like 10 years since I read the play.

Also, the Madness is terrifying. Learning what causes people to tear their own throats out actually made me toss my phone away for a bit to process it because it freaked me out that much. Things get very gory okay?

All in all I really liked These Violent Delights and definitely recommend it if you want historical fiction with a dash of fantasy. You’re in for a wild ride.

A VERY intense start, superb setting, great and beyond creative adaptation/retelling, and just the sort of dark gritty read I needed in my life.

Romeo and Juliet take a very different angle in this, we have Roma and Juliette, two rival gangsters in Shanghai in the 1920s, and while normally this would have been enough for a retelling, Gong takes it a few steps further.

Roma and Juliette are watching their gang members die, merchants, and just the regular everyday citizens as well. The numbers are mounting at an alarming rate but for some reason, there are only whispers of a monster, of a madness, and the leads are tough to follow. So, what better way to solve the mystery than to have Roma and Juliette work together?

LOVED this so much! And I already need a Netflix adaptation ASAP, also, though, WHAT IS THAT ENDING HOW AM I MEANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT BOOK!?

Thanks to the publishers and netgalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest review, full review to follow on my blog.

Rep: chinese main characters, chinese side characters, korean side character, trans woman side character, implied achillean side characters

CW: insects, pandemics, gang violence, gun violence, knife violence, murder, body horror, suicide, brief suicidal thoughts, child abuse, death of close family member, illness of close family member, cancer, comas, alcohol consumption, brothels, transphobia, racism, discussion of colonialism

I loved this book! It’s a unique take on Romeo and Juliet that manages to be unique and surprise the reader at every turn, while also still being recognisable as the story that it’s retelling. Iconic scenes from the original Shakespeare play, such as the ball and the balcony scene, are still present here, but their new contexts make them feel both familiar and fresh!

This book also provides a commentary on the Westernisation of Shanghai. There was a lot of discussion of people and businessmen from Britain, France, and the USA, living in Shanghai and not being respectful to the people who already live there. Juliette notes that since this influx, aspects of Shanghainese culture have been disappearing, political control over the city has started to go to the Westerners, and some establishments have even been set up within Shanghai that bar Chinese people from entering. Juliette finds this last one to be particularly absurd, and she’s right! She also comments on the ridiculousness of being expected not to call out these injustices because by doing so she might hurt someone’s feelings. Also, while this is going on, the Communist Party is gaining support throughout China. All of the major characters in this book, being gang members, would be potential targets of the Communist Party, so this is obviously a cause for concern for them as well.

I adored the characters in this book! Juliette was such a fun protagonist! She’s vicious, she’s ambitious, she’s intelligent, she’s unapologetically herself, and she isn’t afraid to let the people she loves know that she loves them. Unless, of course, it’s Roma. Her cousins, Rosalind and Kathleen, were also interesting, as they allowed for a deeper understanding of what life is like in the Scarlet Gang when you’re not its heir. I especially liked Kathleen. She’s loyal to Juliette, generally friendly, and while she likes to avoid bloodshed wherever possible that doesn’t mean that she isn’t prepared to get involved with killing someone.

On the White Flowers’ side, I liked Roma more than I was expecting to! He’s a sweetheart, who doesn’t really want to be a part of a gang, but walking away would put him in more danger than staying does, so he’s stuck. His cousin Benedikt was lovely, and their friend Marshall was so great! Benedikt and Marshall as a duo especially were a lot of fun to read, their scenes pretty much always got me smiling! Thing is, Marshall obviously being Mercutio, I spent a lot of my time reading this feeling absolutely terrified for him. Gong made me love Marshall right from his introduction! And which character is the first to die in the original play?

The villains of this book were also done remarkably well. I’m not going to go into too much more detail here because I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say that I’m rooting for Tyler/Tybalt’s destruction and cannot wait for him to get his comeuppance.

Certain aspects of the fantasy plague also hit closer to home than was probably anticipated while this book was being written. It’s mentioned a couple of times that while some people are doing all that they can to prevent the spread and are staying home, some people are simply going about their lives as normal and pretending that nothing is wrong, likely in the false assumption that the sickness is something that happens to Other People. It couldn’t possibly ever affect them, so why should they alter their behaviour? The way in which the plague acts and spreads is rooted firmly enough in fantasy that it didn’t feel too real, but the links are still there. Wear a mask y’all.

If you like any one of Shakespeare, historical fantasy, gangs and/or heists, or exes turned enemies to lovers, then you’ll enjoy this book! I highly recommend it, and I’m looking forward to its sequel!

4.5/5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I don't even know where to even start about this book. Think, "a plague on both your houses," but it's not a metaphor. A Romeo and Juliet reimagining set in 1920s Shanghai with some supernatural stuff thrown sounds like a strange mix but it works so well! Chloe Gong offers a unique retelling that is captivating and heartwrenching at the same time.

Like the original tale, Juliette and Roma are heirs to their respective families who have a lifelong feud between them; but, instead of this being an enemies to lovers story, it's more of an enemies to lovers back to enemies to reluctant allies. Their dynamic as past lovers with such a complicated history makes their encounters so interesting to read, and so sad because you can see how much they love each other despite everything that's happened between them and their families. They're both such morally grey characters, wanting to remain as heirs to their family, knowing the bloodshed that goes along with it, for the sake of their family honour or for the safety of their loved ones. They both know this means staying away from each other, and having to hate each other, but throw a monster plaguing the city they live in into the mix and you have more reluctant encounters and terse conversations, which really shows how severe this monster problem is if they're willing to put their past aside to try to solve the madness ensuing.

I enjoyed the fact that Roma and Juliette weren't the main focus, and other characters such as Kathleen and Marshall got their own POV chapters. It was a diverse cast of characters, all of whom were interesting and I look forward to learning more about them in the future novels. Through them we gain an insight into the Cais and Montagovs, seeing it from the inside circle rather than just the heirs. It also means we as the reader get different bits of information from different sources, so it's up to us to try to piece things together alongside the protagonists.

Alongside the two families, other characters related to political parties are also important in this story. "These days Juliette, the most dangerous people are the powerful white men who feel as if they have been slighted." & "They believe themselves the rulers of the world- on stolen land in America, on stolen land in Shanghai." These were such good lines and so relevant even in today. They way the higher ups cared little for the madness, tittering about it and how it effected the dock workers etc, it was so telling about the bigger picture of this book, about how Juliette feels in her identity and having to choose between her Western and Eastern side. Also, can we talk about how this line is basically foreshadowing? wow

It's hard to say what my favourite part of this book was, but perhaps it was the ending chapters. It was so intense, I just had to keep reading. I eagerly await the next novel.

"These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which, as they kiss, consume..."
*
Despite being a loose retelling of Romeo and Juliet, this book felt so fresh. I was gripped from the beginning and enthralled with the complexities of Juliette and Roma's characters. It was easy to match each character to their counterpart in the original play, but that's where the similarities end as Chloe completely reinvented them. In this book, we see a city at war with itself threatened by an unknown monster and a madness sweeping through the streets that seems to be contagious.
*
"Astra inclinant, sed non obligant - the stars incline us, they do not bind us... "
*
As a History teacher I loved the setting of 1920s Shanghai, a time when new political ideas where seeping through the city and gang warfare was high. The book is entrenched with the history of the city, including colonisation and the Opium Wars, leading to republican China. I was fascinated and found myself finishing the book only to go and carry out some additional research on the city.
*
"But she never had a choice. This was her life, this was her city, these were her people..."
*
The themes remain true to the story - family, loyalty and love. As fitting with the story, the course of true love never did run smooth. However, we see a different kind of romance. I'm hoping to see this develop further in the next book.
*
"There was a scratch at the side of her wrist. She had no idea how it got there... " Me reading these two sentences like 👀
*
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A retelling of Romeo and Juliet , sign me up, fantasy too oooooh, set in 20s Shanghai squeeeeee. is basically my reaction when I heard about this book, won’t even tell you my reaction when I got approved for an ARC. I was not disappointed in any way at all, this book was everything!! Gangsters, monsters, bloody , glamorous, I could go on but importantly the story is just wonderful , if you pick this book up you will not regret it. The writing is absolutely beautiful, the social and political commentary mixed in with the storyline is just brilliant and eye opening. The characterisation just so three dimensional , I loved our leads Roma and Juliette but it’s the side characters that I loved even more, Benedikt particularly and then Marshall, overall a simply fantastic and stunning read one of my top reads of 2020


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me a copy of These Violent Delights to review via Netgalley!

These Violent Delights is a thrilling, sparkling and bloody retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. I’m a sucker for a retelling, but one set in 1920s Shanghai with gangsters, rivalry, betrayal and mystery? It would be a crime for me not to read this.

Much like the original Romeo and Juliet, These Violent Delights is filled to the brim with twists, turns, star-crossed romance and betrayals, with the added allure of a mystery plot line.

Roma and Juliette have a history — one of betrayal and loss. They are both the heirs to their respective gangs, and are torn between loyalty to their family and legacy, or the love that they cannot ignore. Juliette might just be one of my new favourite YA characters — she is the epitome of a badass. She is whip-smart and fierce, and takes advantage of her opponents’ underestimation of her in the most brilliant of ways. Roma remains hopeful for a better future, one in which the blood feud doesn’t take so many lives. We all know how Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliette ends, and I spent the majority of this book alternately wanting Roma and Juliette to be together and feeling dread at the possibility of an ending as bitter as the original tale. And I must say, the suffering this caused was ~immaculate~.

The side characters were every bit as lovable as the main characters. Kathleen in particular is another amazing character, whose chapters I loved, and I absolutely adored Benedikt and Marshall.

Chloe Gong brought the 1920s alive in so vividly a way as I’ve never seen before. The 1920s is a time that is often romanticised for its glamour, but what is glossed over a lot of the time is the racism and colonialism. Chloe Gong maintained the glitzy atmosphere that is so loved whilst also exploring this, which I appreciated.

These Violent Delights was so beautifully written, so engaging that I was completely immersed. I never knew where this book was going next, and I could not stop reading. I am so, so glad that there is a book 2, because after that ending, I would quite happily sell my soul for one.

Nov 23, 2020:
It's been almost 2 months since I read this and I'm still trying to sift through my feelings about this book. (This is a good thing! It means the TVD world has been living in my head for quite some time!!)

There is a lot of hype centering around this book and for the most part I would say it lives up to it!!

This is a Romeo & Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, featuring a Chinese Juliet (Juliette Cai) and Russian Romeo (Roma Montagov) who happen to be the heirs of rival gangs, who *happen* to also be ex-lovers. (Hence this story plays with the lovers-enemies-lovers trope!!!) Juliette returns to Shanghai after being sent away to New Year for 4 years - into a Shanghai that is even more politically broken than how she left it. Tensions are high as ever as the city is on the cusp of the Chinese Civil War (communists and nationalists are battling it out) and everyone either aligns with The Scarlet Gang (Juliette's gang) or The White Flowers (Roma's gang) in order to survive. In the midst of all this chaos, a monster rears its head in the Huangpu River, causing mysterious deaths in both gangs. Then the inevitable happens: Juliette and Roma have to (secretly) work together to defeat this monster, and you already know what's going to happen next.... *mega angst*

In a way, this book revived my love for YA - after quite a few misses from the genre this year, I was fearing that I might have outgrown the genre, but what I was really missing was this fresh new wave in YA Fantasy that is filled with characters from different ethnicities and backgrounds - backgrounds that pertain to mine for this specific book - as well as exploration of history on this side of the Earth (other wars were being waged while WW2 happened!)

Upon finishing this book, I *had* to gush about it with a friend who read it as well, and I think that's what I love the most about YA - it's a genre that is more accessible than most, and has active fandoms to appreciate the characters and content of the books.

After the initial *I can't think about anything else except how I love all the characters in TVD* phase, I started thinking below the surface - about how I saw a lot my younger self in Juliette - she spent 4 formative years in New York, so it's inevitable for her Chinese heritage to clash with her now Western-influenced identity. At times in the book, Juliette subconsciously prefers to do things the Western way instead of the Chinese way (I mean, when in Rome, do as the Romans do, amirite?), sometimes even *subtly* looking down at the way her own people dresses/thinks. (She gets her fair share of people hinting at her that she's *changed* a lot, don't worry)

Although I've never step foot in New York nor Shanghai, on this plane of the planet, specifically Asia (and even more specifically Malaysia), Western media is extremely pervasive - so in a way my childhood was quite Western-influenced - and when that is all you see growing up, you end up unintentionally internalising dislike towards the very culture running in your own veins - I preferred to do things the Western way, speak like them, *only* speaking English, refusing to be serious in learning my own mother tongue, just because I was (pretty much) brainwashed into thinking the Western ideal is *the* superior ideal, through all that heavy consumption of Western media. (Don't worry, eventually I came to my senses)

What I'm trying to say is - Chloe Gong wrote this as a diaspora story, specifically for kids who were raised in Western countries that they are not native to - and based on that, I find it fascinating that the countries don't need to match for people to relate to Juliette. Even more fascinating is that I was raised in Asia and yet feel the effects of Western hegemony from so far away, and related to Juliette in that aspect. There is so much to unpack in this character thread and I can't wait for more of it in book 2.

Fav characters
-OOF. Marshall Seo probably? (he and Juliette are fighting for space in my head as we speak - oh wait now they're shaking hands) he is a precious cinnamon roll that must be protected.
-I would have preferred to see more from Roma's POV though! We know quite a lot about him but also *don't* know quite a lot about him, you get me?

Also if you've read the original Romeo and Juliet play (present day me is thanking May 2020 me for deciding to pick it up on a whim - it came to good use after all lol), it's extra fun to pick out the parallels and !also! since you know who dies who doesn't, it adds an extra layer to your reading experience + you'll have a lot of fun theorizing how Chloe will change things up in her own work.

5 stars!! One of my faves of 2020 :D
Can't wait for my physical copy to arrive so I can delve deeper into it this time!
(*will probably come back and write a more coherent review after my 2nd read!)

This book was one of my most anticipated release of 2020 and it's now one of my favourite reads of the year as well.

These Violent Delights is a Romeo and Juliet retelling taking place in Shanghai in the 1920s. Two rival gangs are faced with a curious madness killing everyone in their ranks. Where does it come from? How do they stop it? That’s what the heirs of each gang are trying to find out. But will they be able to put aside the blood feud and their own history to work together against this common enemy?
This book basically has all my favourite tropes. It’s fast paced, there’s action and suspense, the characters are witty and wonderful, and so are the relationships whether they’re familial, friendly, or romantic.

Juliette and Roma are such interesting and complex protagonists. They'd do anything for their family and their gang, they're both smart, strong-willed, determined, and so lovable. I instantly fell in love with Juliette, I love ruthless and powerful women. Even more when their confidence hides a lot of self doubt. And I loved the contrast with Roma. Where Juliette is hot-headed and violent, Roma is more calm and will try to get his way without shedding blood.

I also adored the secondary characters, Kathleen and Marshall own my heart. Gong really took time to develop all of her characters, and you get attached to all of them so easily.

It's absolutely amazing that this is Chloe Gong's debut novel. It's so well-written, so enticing. I absolutely cannot wait for the second book, and for Gong's future books.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.


When I saw this book being advertised on BookTok (the bookish side of TikTok) through Chloe Gong's account, I was sold. Juts by the cover. Then when I did further research and found out it was a Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, I knew I would love this book. It's an enemies to lovers romance which is one of the biggest tropes in Young Adult literature.

This modern re-telling has kept some of the most iconic scenes from the original play. The modern twist keeps the book entertaining and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I already know the These Violent Delights is going to be the next huge YA hit, and Chloe Gong will become a well known name in the young adult literature world.

"These violent delight have violent ends."

There are many content warnings for this book including: gun violence, gang violence, knife violence, murder, transphobia, consumption of alcohol, suicide, suicidal thoughts, illness