✅ Shakespeare x murder mystery
✅ Romeo & Julie’s 20 year-old daughter, Rosie is being married off and her odious prospective groom is found dead in the gardens.
✅ Stylistically similar to Catherine Called Birdy 🍿

Very fun if you like Shakespeare

Pick up your headphones and listen as Taylor Swift serenades us with her 2008 song “Love Story.” “That you were Romeo, you were throwin' pebbles, and my daddy said, ‘Stay away from Juliet,’ and I was cryin' on the staircase beggin' you, ‘Please don't go,’ and I said, ‘Romeo, take me somewhere we can be alone.’” Admit it. The inner teenager in you sang it in your head at the top of your lungs. Most of us know that song, but more importantly, we know the story the song refers to—Romeo and Juliet. It has been called the greatest love story ever written, but let’s be honest, most teenagers know nothing of true love as they make professions with blazing thumbs and heart emojis on a digital keyboard. Barf!
What a tragic end Romeo and Juliet meet as they take their own lives and the play concludes. But what if that is not what happened? Now don’t get me wrong. Romeo still drank poison. Juliet still stabs herself after awakening and finding Romeo unconscious in the tomb. They just don’t die. Romeo vomits saving his life and Juliet accidentally stabs the pendant her family had buried her with. She has a scar, but as the Black Knight says in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, “’Tis but a scratch.”
Christina Dodd’s A Daughter of Fair Verona explores this alternate ending as Romeo and Juliet survive and Rosaline “Rosie” Montague is born. Rosie is not like her parents. Love at first sight is poppycock, and every time her parents betroth her to a young man, she plays matchmaker and fixes him up with another young lady. Romeo is not giving up on his daughter and tries one final time to betroth her to a recent widower (under very suspicious circumstances) and rapscallion named Duke Stephano.
Enter cupid and his pesky arrows of love. Rosie bumps into Lysander Marketti and thinks to herself, “Holy Mary, Mother of God, I have fallen in love at first sight.” Too bad the Marketti family are the sworn enemies of the Montague family. (Sounds eerily familiar!) Too bad Rosie is engaged to the thrice widower Duke Stephano.
Even if you roll your eyes and choke back bile when a teenager says, “But they are the love of my life,” pick up this book and as Taylor Swift so eloquently sang, “Baby, just say yes,” to reading it.

I really had no idea what to expect. I picked this one for the Romeo & Juliet reference (since I was teaching the play again).

And this was such a delightful surprise! Not a typical retelling, but a modern updated continuation of the story!

Rosie (Rosaline) is a character that will grab your attention and keep you in a visegrip until she gets her story told. All the strength of will the OG R&J never really showed.

"...in my world, all a woman needs is a husband to be happy. Has anybody in Verona ever once looked at the state of the marriages in this town?"

I love her snarky, sarcastic moxie! I bet my students would too. (They hate R&J with a passion, lol)

"What is it with these people and their love for dirt and darkness?" I am totally with you, Rosie. I especially enjoyed her love of matchmaking and mystery-solving.

This was such a creative twist on the Shakespearean tragedy. What if what we thought happened, didn’t happen at all? I feel like this book will be a hit and I truly enjoyed it! I’m so thankful for the chance to read this early.

I thought this was really well written and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. I think it will find readers at our library, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

Christina Dodd's series starter, 'A Daughter of Fair Verona,' serves up a delightful concoction of frothy wit and fun. Reimagining the tale of Romeo and Juliet, the story gifts the couple a happily-ever-after, complete with a brood of children led by their eldest daughter, Rosalind 'Rosie' Montague. Narrated by the clever and determined Rosie herself, the plot takes a thrilling turn as she finds herself entangled in a murder mystery after her betrothal ball takes a deadly turn. With her fiancé dead and her reputation on the line, Rosie sets out to clear her name, unraveling a web of secrets and unexpected romantic entanglements along the way. Smart, logical, and fiercely protective, Rosaline proves to be a captivating main character, offering a refreshing contrast to her romantic parents. As the mystery deepens and danger lurks, Rosaline and her loyal nurse embark on a cozy yet compelling journey to uncover the truth. While the pace may fluctuate, Dodd's skillful storytelling ensures an enjoyable read for fans of historical fiction and cozy mysteries alike. With its clever spin on a classic tale, 'Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake' marks the promising beginning of a new series that is sure to leave readers craving more.

Having studied Shakespeare at length…having taught Shakespeare often…this book intrigued me…what if? Often, my students wrote different scenarios to the plays of The Bard…they enjoyed studying Shakespeare because of the strategies we used…I saved it for the last of the semester because of the fun…this book with the daughter of Romeo and Juliet as the main character is a fast read with intriguing characters…that being said, anyone who enjoys this talented author or anyone who likes fun fiction, this is a story that will entertain. At times, little silly but then…the plays could be different. Thanks Netgalley

Such a creative twist on Shakespeare's tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, but in Christina Dodd's historical romcom novel, the lovers are alive and parents of many children. The oldest, Rosie, is smart and fearless and wanting to stay unmarried. But she is forcibly betrothed to a nasty man, who is murdered at their engagement ball. Fingers point to Rosie, but she uses her fierce intelligence to uncover the truth as more bodies pile up. A fab first in a compelling new mystery series!

Guess what? Romeo and Juliet didn't die!! They're still as in love as ever and their oldest daughter Rosie, a spinster at the ripe old age of nineteen, has no interest in getting married! Gasp!! The latest of many prior failed betrothals ends when the loathsome groom is found with a dagger in his chest. Chaos ensues as more people drop dead or descend into madness. Rosie races to solve this mystery before she becomes the next victim.
A fun easy read with great characters old and new. Rosie is such a great character. Smart,funny, headstrong and independent. Cannot wait to read more of this series

As a high school English teacher, I absolutely love this book. It is so great to think that Romeo and Juliet did not pass away in that tomb, but that they have grown into middle-aged adults with a 20 year old daughter. The protagonist, Rosie, is hilarious and as different from Romeo and Juliet as could possibly be, and yet the story cheekily nods towards the original. What a great book for my classroom of 10th graders who just finished Romeo and Juliet! Thank you, NetGalley, for approving me for this ARC!

“In less than twenty-four hours I’d been betrothed, fallen in love with another, been scorned by that love, and left before the alter with only death as a bridegroom.”
Christina Dodd gave Shakespeare’s classic the Bridgerton treatment. A modern twist to the tale of Romeo and Juliet’s daughter, Rosie Montague is intelligent, fierce, and protective of those she loves. Armed with an inquisitive mind and three daggers, she’ll stop at nothing to discover the plot behind Verona’s murders and poisonings that all seem to lead back to her.
Delightfully witty, a romantic murder mystery like you’ve never read before.

IF Romeo and Juliet had lived, what would their firstborn daughter be like? Read this clever and witty book to find out! Their survival will be explained and you will enjoy a romp through fair Verona as their headstrong, virginal, unmarried at an “elderly” age (20!!!) daughter, Rosaline, avoids marriage to unsuitable prospects, is accused of murder, pursues an avocation as an alchemist, meets a true love, is trained in swordsmanship and is wooed by a prince.

Rosaline (Rosie) is a spunky, hot blooded, pragmatic, clever young woman with a biting wit. Just when she finds the love of her life, she is forcibly betrothed to an unlikable character who is murdered at their engagement party. Soon, a second character is poisoned and suspicion falls on Rosie. It is up to her and her intrepid, protective nurse to prove her innocence. Yes, it is historical, but it has a snappy, contemporary feel to it.

The book ends on a cliff hanger and there is already a sequel in the works. Do read the author’s notes at the end….where you can find the website for the recipe for the fruit and nut bread so loved by the prince and more information about the series.

I had to DNF this book at 12% as I could not immerse in the story as I would've liked to. No, it was not the worst book I've read, as the premise and the lovely cover caught my attention which is why I would give it 1.5 stars (rounded up to 2). I think the idea was great and interesting, however, there were issues with the execution from the start, which made the reading experience quite troublesome for me. There were concepts in the book I did not find necessary (and quite troublesome even [e.g.: the topic of virginity and marriage]), and I felt awkward while reading - which means I think this is a me problem, as plenty of people enjoyed this book! I think this book would've benefited from a third-person POV more, than the first-person POV, as I did not find Rosie relatable even though I'm around the same age as she is in the book. This book had so much potential and I feel let down by how much I could not get into it, unfortunately. In conclusion, I think the book just wasn't for me.

As sucker for most things Shakespeare, and retellings/reimaginings it did not take much for me to want to dive into this story.
Rosie, daughter of *the* Romeo and Juliet, is sensible and happily unmarried when events escalate and drag her into the clutches of evil whispers and, possibly, for the very first time, love.

Alas this book was not for me.

The protagonist is young and spunky - traits I absolutely love - but the constant cutting the audience to speak to them directly and the reminders of who her parents are, how sensible she is by contrast, and the endless introspection made her absolutely insufferable.
The novel is marketed to adult audiences, but I'd aim it more towards YA (even though Rosie is supposed to be in her very early 20's).

What I enjoyed the most were what I'd call the brainstorming sessions and banter she had with the Prince. Even though the "I'm a man in the Middle Ages. And you will know your place, woman" act does sometimes get a little tired, he pushes the protagonist and dialogue through the plot.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

I am not a Shakespeare stan, and I don't care about Romeo and Juliet (although I've loved an adaption or two in my time), but I found this book to be a delightful surprise. From the language to the murder mystery plot it was interesting and well paced. The Knives Out x Bridgerton crossover you didn't know you wanted/needed for sure!

Once upon a time a young couple met and fell in love. You probably know that story, and how it ended (hint: badly). Only here’s the thing: That’s not how it ended at all.
Romeo and Juliet are alive and well and the parents of seven kids. I’m the oldest, with the emphasis on ‘old’—a certified spinster at twenty, and happy to stay that way. It’s not easy to keep your taste for romance with parents like mine. Picture it—constant monologues, passionate declarations, fighting, making up, making out . . . it’s exhausting.
Each time they’ve presented me with a betrothal, I’ve set out to find the groom-to-be a more suitable bride. After all, someone sensible needs to stay home and manage this household. But their latest match, Duke Stephano, isn’t so easy to palm off on anyone else. The debaucher has had three previous wives—all of whom met unfortunate ends. Conscience forbids me from consigning another woman to that fate. As it turns out, I don’t have to . . .
At our betrothal ball—where, quite by accident, I meet a beautiful young man who makes me wonder if perhaps there is something to love at first sight—I stumble upon Duke Stephano with a dagger in his chest. But who killed him? His late wives’ families, his relatives, his mistress, his servants—half of Verona had motive. And when everyone around the Duke begins dying, disappearing, or descending into madness, I know I must uncover the killer . . . before death lies on me like an untimely frost.

First of all, I found the premise of this book so cute. I enjoyed the levity of it, and I thought having Romeo and Juliet's eldest daughter become an almost anti-romantic was a fun twist that could lead to a humorous (if somewhat reluctant on her part) romance. I do think the bones of this story are good, and I found myself giggling at some of the jokes in the story.

Where I had some trouble was the voice of this novel. I found that it didn't fully dig in to either the Shakespearean language (which for this type of story, I feel would have been inappropriate anyway) or the more modern voice. Instead it volleys back and forth in a way that took me out of the narrative several times. I also really dislike narratives that use the second person unnecessarily. For instance, if this was a diary that Rosaline was keeping or some other structural reason for the second person, I might feel differently. Instead, the "dear reader" parts were jarring rather than funny. Finally, the plot got a little jumbled for me. I was unsure if I was reading a romance, a murder mystery, or a satire, and unfortunately, I don't think it fully succeeds in any of these genres.

This novel is not the worst one I've ever read, by any means. But I do think there was a lot of room to improve it, especially with the narrative style and some of the choices with the plot. A clearer direction or some decisive editing might have helped this one be better than it currently is.

Rosaline is smart, determined, logical, and protective. She also is the daughter of Romeo and Juliet. They didn't die and are happily married with 7 children. Now at 20 Rosaline is being married off. But at the engagement party, her fiance is murdered and it seems like she is being set up as the main suspect.

I adored Rosaline. She is a fantastic main character and quite the opposite of her hyper romantic parents. As she tries to figure out who murdered her fiance, other people close to him begin to fall victim as well. Rosaline and her protective nurse are intent on unraveling the mystery. There is also a little bit of romance that add to this cozy story. I recommend this book for historical fiction and cozy mystery lovers. This is the start of a new series.

Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This was such a fun concept but I simply couldn't get into this book. The over-the-top drama was just too much for me and I realise that it's a me problem. It's Romeo and Juliet's family. Of course there's going to be drama

This wasn't at all what I thought originally going in, and that's a compliment! Rosie is fierce and clever and makes a great MC. I'm guessing (hoping) this will be a series based off the ending? I would be happy to read more in this alternate universe!

A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd

When they said this book is ‘Knives Out’ meets Bridgerton, they weren’t lying ! Throw in a healthy dose of humor and witty lines breaking the fourth wall and you’ve got yourself the perfect weekend read.

The books follows around Rosie - daughter of Romeo and Juliet, and the first of many of their kids. And yes, they aren’t dead. And yes, I was satisfied with the explanations.

I’ve always enjoyed reading Shakespeare and despite its many flaws, Romeo and Juliet has been a favorite of mine. So I admit I was a tiny bit skeptic while picking this up - but I was pleasantly surprised. The characters were built of beautifully and the daughter was a delightful little Elizabeth Bennet meets Juliet and I loved it.

The book wasn’t in old English (I wish it were) but it flowed very well and the plot was interesting enough to keep you reading. The only improvement I’d make was the twist - it wasn’t mind blowing. However, the dry humor and wit kept me entertained.

If you like Shakespeare and/or if you like Romeo and Juliet, you must pick this one up.