celestialg's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
What a great ending for a story everyone already knows. These books are so different from everything on the shelves right now - a touch of sophistication, politics, gang violence, and truly an unmatched adaptation of a Shakespearean work. Chef kiss. (Closed door romance)
veronicareadingsillythings's review
4.5
i am in shambles. i will never emotionally recover from this book.
lexberman's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
emmybird86's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book. It was a great end to the duology. So much happened in this one. I was on the edge of my seat for most of the book. I love love Juliett.
bigdreamsandwildthings's review
4.0
“Roma closed that final breath of space between them. His fingers grasped her chin, and he turned her gaze upon his. Juliette did not frighten, did not jolt out of the way. She knew his touch. Knew it to be gentle, even when it had tried being violent some few days or weeks or months ago.
‘What are you afraid of?’ Roma Montagov asked.
Juliette’s lips parted. She exhaled a short, abrupt breath. ‘The consequences,’ she whispered, ‘of love in a city ruled by hate.’”
4.5 stars! This would've been a 5 star read if I'd had more time to read. I hate when life gets in the way.
Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai are at odds once more. Juliette has sacrificed their relationship for the sake of keeping Roma safe, allowing him to think the worst of her for the good of their families. But the monster they vanquished is not the end of the trouble for Shanghai, as worker revolution and Communist support both rise, and monsters are once again out on the streets, out for blood.
I absolutely love what Chloe Gong has done with the story of Romeo and Juliet with this series. It's so nuanced and emotional and smart, in so many different ways; I was totally swept up in the story when I was in it, and I was rooting for all of our little gang(s) so hard.
What tripped me up this time was how much time I didn't have to read. Normally, I would've blasted through this book, but with holidays and family and busy times it just didn't allow me to sink into this world like I wanted to. This is a me problem 100%, but it did affect how I felt about the book, because it was more surface-level for me than book one.
That said, the history retold in these pages is complex and intriguing. The Nationalists, the Communists, the revolution, the monsters, the gang rivalry...there is a lot going on, but Chloe has a knack for making everything easy to follow. The plot points were numerous and varied, but everything had a great flow to it that never felt boring.
And I love her characters so much. Juliette especially is such a fierce flame in these books, and I admire everything about her. Roma felt a little bit less developed here, again, probably just because it's been a while since I read book one and this one was a drawn-out reading experience. But overall, these two star-crossed lovers and their gang of misfits are so beautifully written that it was easy to get lost in their stories. Marshall + Benedikt 4ever.
This is nearly a perfect historical fantasy retelling. I will be rereading in the future, and I bet my rating goes up with more time to dedicate to this world and its characters.
‘What are you afraid of?’ Roma Montagov asked.
Juliette’s lips parted. She exhaled a short, abrupt breath. ‘The consequences,’ she whispered, ‘of love in a city ruled by hate.’”
4.5 stars! This would've been a 5 star read if I'd had more time to read. I hate when life gets in the way.
Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai are at odds once more. Juliette has sacrificed their relationship for the sake of keeping Roma safe, allowing him to think the worst of her for the good of their families. But the monster they vanquished is not the end of the trouble for Shanghai, as worker revolution and Communist support both rise, and monsters are once again out on the streets, out for blood.
I absolutely love what Chloe Gong has done with the story of Romeo and Juliet with this series. It's so nuanced and emotional and smart, in so many different ways; I was totally swept up in the story when I was in it, and I was rooting for all of our little gang(s) so hard.
What tripped me up this time was how much time I didn't have to read. Normally, I would've blasted through this book, but with holidays and family and busy times it just didn't allow me to sink into this world like I wanted to. This is a me problem 100%, but it did affect how I felt about the book, because it was more surface-level for me than book one.
That said, the history retold in these pages is complex and intriguing. The Nationalists, the Communists, the revolution, the monsters, the gang rivalry...there is a lot going on, but Chloe has a knack for making everything easy to follow. The plot points were numerous and varied, but everything had a great flow to it that never felt boring.
And I love her characters so much. Juliette especially is such a fierce flame in these books, and I admire everything about her. Roma felt a little bit less developed here, again, probably just because it's been a while since I read book one and this one was a drawn-out reading experience. But overall, these two star-crossed lovers and their gang of misfits are so beautifully written that it was easy to get lost in their stories. Marshall + Benedikt 4ever.
This is nearly a perfect historical fantasy retelling. I will be rereading in the future, and I bet my rating goes up with more time to dedicate to this world and its characters.
mbondlamberty's review
3.0
The book in the series annoyed more than the first.
More of impulsive Juliet and her temper and violence.
But also enjoyable to see more about the nationalists and communists in here too.
More of impulsive Juliet and her temper and violence.
But also enjoyable to see more about the nationalists and communists in here too.
lma's review
4.0
A brilliant sequel that made me fall in love with all the characters even more. It didn't keep me as gripped as the first one but nonetheless it was interesting and complex throughout.
elcoles99's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Oh my gosh the ending of this book totally turned it around for me!
These Violent Delights left me really disappointed and so I wasn't sure how I would feel about the sequel. Although it was by no means a perfect book, the more I read the more invested I became in the characters. The plot (although still complicated and a bit over-done at points) felt more developed and the writing felt stronger too. I was worried that certain hangovers from the first book would drag on in this book, but it felt distinct and different enough whilst still being familiar- there is something I love about diving back into a fictional world that I already know. I didn't guess the plot twists at all (although I feel like I should have guessed one of them at least) and was genuinely shook by the ending
Overall whilst this series won't be going down as a favourite of mine, I can now say after reading this book that I did enjoy it and I will be checking out the other Secret Shanghai books!
These Violent Delights left me really disappointed and so I wasn't sure how I would feel about the sequel. Although it was by no means a perfect book, the more I read the more invested I became in the characters. The plot (although still complicated and a bit over-done at points) felt more developed and the writing felt stronger too. I was worried that certain hangovers from the first book would drag on in this book, but it felt distinct and different enough whilst still being familiar- there is something I love about diving back into a fictional world that I already know. I didn't guess the plot twists at all (although I feel like I should have guessed one of them at least) and was genuinely shook by the ending
Spoiler
although the synopsis of Last Violent Call and the very end of this book hint that Roma and Juliette are in fact still alive thank goodness!Overall whilst this series won't be going down as a favourite of mine, I can now say after reading this book that I did enjoy it and I will be checking out the other Secret Shanghai books!
makkapakka12's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75