As a fan of Romeo and Juliet, I knew I wanted to read this retelling/companion book about the mystery girl, Rosaline. She’s barely mentioned in the play, but I always wondered who this girl was since Romeo was supposedly so in love with her before meeting Juliet. Of course as readers, we are rooting for the love story with Juliet but how must this other girl have felt, being discarded so easily by her love?

The author answers this question - and more! - as she explores a more devious side of the tragic love story. This novel isn’t for purists of the original text, but it’s fascinating for someone who enjoys the story and doesn’t mind a twist on the original. In this novel, Rosaline gets to be the protagonist in her own story, finding strength and courage that she didn’t know she possessed.

Romeo is not the doe-eyed lover of Shakespeare’s play; he’s a lothario that preys on teenage girls. For someone who enjoys the original plot, it can be hard to see Romeo portrayed this way, but I thought it was an interesting (although disturbing!) twist on the play. I liked how the author explained little things from the play (the poisons, etc), and my favorite part was the expanded character of Tybalt.

Again, if you love the original play too much to see it changed, this book probably isn't for you. However, if you like retellings that modernize and change the source material, this book will be intriguing!

A retelling of Romeo and Juliet but from the point of view of Rosaline. I was enjoying the first half as a historical fiction novel as we follow Rosaline before the beginning of the Romeo and Juliet story. I didn't particularly love Rosaline as a character, but I enjoyed seeing her world as she tried to figure out how to avoid being shunted off to a nunnery. Once we hit the Romeo and Juliet story though I ended up just kind of losing interest and the end and "reveal" was kind of wild? In a way that I put the book down and said "um what did I just read".

Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into this story or characters. I was interested in a different kind of retelling but it just fell flat and I felt disconnected from the plot and characters. DNF'd at 15%

I immediately requested this when I saw it described as an untelling of Romeo and Juliet. Especially because the main character is Rosaline and especially because I have always wondered about her!

I love Romeo and Juliet, particularly the 90's movie, which is really fun. But, I have always had this question in the back of my head: What is Rosaline's story. And, this untelling of Romeo and Juliet has a really great focus on many of the today, the now, issues with the original story. Yes, it's a piece of it's time which trust me, I really appreciate. But, also, I am alive right now in this time, so I feel like having some issues with or questions about what is right and wrong in classic plays and literature is completely normal.

This really takes those kinds of questions and gives this story the shake-up it needs. And, if this sounds interesting to you, if Rosaline, as a main character actively calling the shots on the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, sounds interesting..... Definitely check this out!

Out September 12, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

This book just wasn't for me. I didn't care for the flowery language. as I checked out quickly. However, I do weirdly think fans of Madeline Miller may like this? The writing styles are very similar.

What an insanely creative spin on Romeo and Juliet. I love that the author didn’t just tell Rosaline’s story as a preface to Romeo and Juliet but imbedded her into the entire tale making her the true main character. I am a fan of any retelling told from a minor character but this was so much more than that. It completely salvaged a story that has always felt very wrong to me.
You don’t need to know the story of Romeo and Juliet to enjoy this at all, but if you like Romeo and Juliet you’ll like this, and if like me you dislike Romeo and Juliet you’ll probably LOVE this.

A very charming switch of perspective of a classic. Could be used in English classrooms. The writing is still of it's time yet more approachable than typical Shakespeare texts. Overall, very useful.

Retelling that subverts a classic? Sign me up!

I was excited to read Natasha Solomons’ reinvention of Romeo & Juliet and I really enjoyed her lively and inventive take on this classic tale. I came into the novel with what I’d say is an average level of familiarity with R & J. I know the main characters, the premise and the ending, but I’m by no means a Shakespearean scholar. I should also add that I have a healthy distrust for anything that’s considered part of the Western (white, male) canon (more on that shortly) and I personally love retellings that subvert classic tales (some people don’t—more on that shortly as well).

Moving on, the novel is told from Rosaline’s perspective, and she’s an engaging and well-drawn character. I loved how Natasha Solomons really breathed life into this minor character from Shakespeare and drew you into her world with vivid detail. Whether you’re at the Montagues’ masked ball (deliciously hedonistic) or the tomb of the Capulets (dreary, frightening, noxious vapors from corpses), you feel like you’re a part of Rosaline’s Verona with all its sights, sounds and smells. The voice plucks from Shakespeare (you’ll run across your fair share of “fie,” “hark,” “methinks,” etc.) but it’s combined with a modern sensibility, so don’t let that put you off.

Now, because I’m not new to having opinions about book but I *am* new to sharing my thoughts other people’ books, I scanned some reviews before I wrote this. I have to say I was a bit shocked at some of the negative feedback, and I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that some people simply don’t like when canonical stories are reimagined/reinvented/subverted. As for me, I’m all about un-canonizing stories. (De-canonizing? Non-canonizing?) Whatever we want to call it, I think stories can and should be reinvented and retold.

I also saw some comments questioning why so many retellings are from a feminist perspective, and I think the answer is that for a very long time, women’s voices weren’t centered (or even acknowledged) and now we’re beginning to correct that. I welcome retellings like this where the writer lets her imagination loose and gives a woman who’s historically been relegated to the background her own distinct voice and narrative. And from a pure storytelling perspective, putting a woman’s voice at the center of a male story opens up a host of new possibilities for plot twists, endings, etc. Maybe the “hero” is the villain! Maybe the “shrew” is the hero!

All that to say, if you’re a fan of retellings, add Fair Rosaline to your to-read list and enjoy this creative take on a classic.

Thanks so much to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for providing me with me a review copy!

Release date: September 12 🗓️

If you have ever wondered about the true story behind Romeo and Juliet, look no further. From an extensive pool of retellings comes this mermaid unicorn of a tale that sparkles in its lyricism and originality. Fair Rosaline is the retelling we’ve been waiting for.

Grieving her mother, Rosaline is granted 12 days before being sent to a nunnery by her father- something apparently agreed upon with her mother before her death. During her last days of freedom. Rosaline decides to live - and attends a Montague party where she meets Romeo. It isn't long however before his sights turn to Juliet, and from there the story we think we know is completely turned on its head with this retelling, exploring a more uneasy perspective.

Rosaline as a character is the story's greatest strength in my opinion. She is incredibly fleshed out, has a great arc, and becomes a protagonist you really root for and sympathize with. The author took an interesting approach combining features of other Rosaline's that appear in Shakespeare - I found it worked really well in the story.

The details are gorgeous, it is clear research put in here. The scenes are set up really well and the story is very engaging. I was invested through most of it, minus some minor pacing issues I had toward the end and the repetition of internal monologues.

Looking at Rosaline as a retelling, I feel like it does what most retellings aim to do. Modernizing and trying current societal problems to the past. This book explores grooming and a deeper conspiracy of sexual misconduct in institutions... basing this off of Romeo and Juliet which has been in the pop culture sphere as a story about star-crossed lovers - it feels original but also presents a bit of a hurdle to jump over. The execution did miss sometimes for me and some of the Shakespeare references and lines felt forced when compared to the rest of the writing style.

Now, I am not someone who was very attached to Romeo & Juliet so I didn't mind the some of what may be perceived as character changes to explore certain themes and societal issues but I can definitely see why others may be. I am still left questioning a little if this was the work to tell this story using.

Unfortunately, this title was a DNF for me. I was super excited & intrigued by the premise of this book, which was why I requested it. I've always enjoyed a good spin on a well-worn classic, but something in the way this one was done just read as a forced takedown of certain aspects of the original that was sometimes unnecessary and often unnecessarily harsh.
There were some good parts for sure - the writing was beautifully done, and I really enjoyed getting a fresh take on Rosaline. The pointed takes and overtly historical vibes just weren't really working for me.

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet hints at Romeo’s involvement with Rosaline before Juliet. But were there others? This is addressed in Solomons’ new novel about the unsung lover in the play. After her mother’s death, Rosaline’s choices are slim. Granted twelve days of freedom before being locked in a convent, she decides to “gorge herself on pleasure,” sneaking into a lavish Montague masque, thereby encountering Romeo. Rosaline is instantly besotted, and who can blame her? Her fate of a henceforth somber convent life is bleak.

Romeo is a practiced lothario. At 25-30 he is much older than the scholars’ estimate of Shakespeare’s 16-21-year-old, making the age discrepancy with Rosaline (15) and Juliet (13) a bit unsavoury. For all his godlike beauty, he is a predatory, smooth-talking lecher. He plies Rosaline with honeyed words and drink, encourages her to steal, and pretends outrage when she challenges him. Their intimacy is callously self-serving.

Rosaline is given a strong voice, but empowering women by vilifying all things male can detract from the message the author is trying to convey. Tybalt is the only exception in a cast of unerringly horrid men. Father Laurence is Romeo’s procurer; Romeo’s father is abusive; Rosaline’s father is cold and distant. My biggest concern is there is nothing left of the original romance, despite liberally scattered quotations, imagery and Shakespearean dialogue. The oppressive humidity of Verona is overworked, as are Rosaline’s obsessive thoughts of guilt, filth, sin, and pain. Given the mean-spiritedness of so many of the characters, I puzzled long over the author’s intent. This is a sad tale of children negotiating the adult world without suitable parental guidance. Characters are well-developed and held my attention, despite the melancholic and unsettling feel of the novel. This might be best read with no prior knowledge of the play.

Before there was Juliet, there was Rosaline. Rosaline is head strong, independent and looking for a way to get out of being sent to a convent. She meets Romeo at a party and it is love at first sight for both of them, or is it. As charming and persuasive as Romeo is Rosaline soon starts to see right through him and all his lies. As soon as she comes to her senses Romeo sets his sights on Rosaline's younger cousin Juliet. As she tries to keep Juliet from making the same mistakes she has or worse, Juliet finds her self under Romeo's spell, unable to see the tragedy she is steering towards.

Although Romeo and Juliet was never my favourite play, I was excited to read the story from a different perspective. Although over all it did not work for me, I did enjoy aspects of the book. Rosaline was a very interesting character and she had a lot of growth, and maturity. Tybalt was also a highlight and his relationship with Rosaline was beautiful to see. What didn't work for me was the writing. It felt very inconsistent, modern at times and Shakespearian at others. I know this is Rosaline's story but Juliet and Romeo were very one note and did not feel like full characters.

Empowering feminist re-envisioning of the tale of Romeo and Juliet. A highlight was the role of the nuns and the convent life as an alternative to male-dominated society. There are some unresolved problems with Solomons’s version, and I think I would have enjoyed it more as a stand-alone story and not a retelling attached to Romeo and Juliet. I enjoyed the characters but found the Romeo characterization forced and problematic.

An interesting twist to a story most everyone knows even if they haven't actually read the play, watched the play or seen the movies. Giving voice to Rosaline's story creates a strong, if somewhat naïve character, and certainly changes how we look at Romeo. Definitely not a star-crossed lovers' story.

Gorgeous and thought-provoking, Fair Rosaline is a rare beast: a new spin on a Shakespearean classic that actually lives up to the designation of clever and sharp. Already recommending this to every woman I know who swooned over Romeo as an impressionable teen.

interesting re-telling of the classic <i>romeo & juliet</i> story with far more references to actual italy, and revolves around the likely age gap and possible power dynamic between romeo and juliet, as well as his love right before juliet - her cousin rosaline. i found rosaline to be an interesting protagonist: i enjoyed that she was never written as a "not-like-the-other-girls" type of character for not wanting to be married or join a nunnery and instead read books and cavort outdoors and find adventure. she felt well-rounded, had people she cared about, and a complicated relationship with her family. i almost would like to have read this prior to reading <i>romeo & juliet</i> for the first time, just to see the play in a new light. you could certainly read this without having read the play, but the way that natasha solomons integrates shakespearian dialogue into readable modern prose is astonishingly easy to read and made me appreciate the original play more tbh

<i>many thanks to netgalley for the advanced reader copy.</i>

Writing: 4/5 Plot: 3.5/5 Characters: 4/5 My enjoyment: 3/5

A retelling of Romeo and Juliet that cleverly keeps every element of the plot of Shakespeare’s opus while completely shifting the meaning of each scene. This is achieved by making one, rather gigantic change — Romeo is a bad guy. A really bad guy.

The story is told from the perspective of Rosaline — the character with whom Romeo is besotted at the start of the play. In the play neither the audience nor Romeo ever gets to meet her, but she serves as a reference point for Romeo’s unrequited affections and is the reason he shows up at the party where he first sees Juliet. In Solomons’ book, that is all changed because as I said — Romeo is a really bad guy.

The book is very well written. The characters are well drawn, the setting is evoked vibrantly, the plot is gripping, and we get exposed to the hard truths of being a woman in the time period -- exposed to all the usual plagues and pestilence while simultaneously having literally no say in any aspect of her life (lots of discussion about nunneries with some interesting surprises). However, I really can’t forgive Solomons for making Romeo into the character she does, and her claims (in the appendix) that her Romeo is more realistic than Shakespeare’s are frankly bizarre. By attributing rapacious intent and a complete disinterest in resulting traumas and hurt to a character who was written to be noble, honorable, idealistic, and passionate — it feels like libel. I don’t honestly understand why she felt the need to do this. The story would have been much more enjoyable (to me) if it weren’t obsessed with rewriting a classic into something that wanted to point the finger to the inherent evil of men. Not to mention the fact that I still had to read through all the tragic events that I knew were coming! So overall, a well-written book, but one that left me unhappy and angry, rather than cheered by the clever way Rosaline “makes everything OK.” Really struggling to not provide spoilers here!

This book was so gorgeously written and filled with palpable tension throughout. Loved FAIR ROSALINE and will be recommending it all over the place. I also appreciated how deeply the author delved into Shakespeare's Rosaline/d(s) characters and all the callbacks to his plays. FAIR ROSALINE is clearly a labor of love—and it shows.

I’ve been obsessed with the story of Romeo and Juliet since I first read it in high school and I have to say I adore this retelling from the perspective of Rosaline! As the author said this tale had always been told from the perspective of the men in the story so this take was refreshing and probably more honest of how women were treated at the time. Rosaline tells her side of falling in love with the handsome and charming Romeo just to have him leave her for her younger cousin without any regard for her. And from there the classic story is told from her side and how she does her best to help Juliet out of a bad romance.