A city filled with more monsters than the one they know.
A love that will struggle to survive in the conflict.

LISTEN, I know the Shakespeare story, but I was still hurt in the end.
This book is filled with such political and mafia conflict that sometimes you almost forget the actual Supernatural threat. But, no, that isn't a slight because it shows how intense and terrifying the situation is.
I do think this feels a little long in places, but the Characters are to DIE FOR!
Chloe Gong is very good at recreating and retelling a story with such originally. I am a HUGE Lover of this and the true master of character internal turmoil.

I requested this book prior to reading the first one, which was a mistake. I found the first one to be incredibly graphic, for what's supposed to be a book aimed at teens. And while I was willing to accept a fair bit of angst in the first book, it didn't feel like any of the characters had progressed from there until about halfway through this book, which was just too long for me. I also had an issue with the pacing, which seemed off to me, like I spent half the book waiting for something to happen that would drive things forward.
Overall not a bad book, but I think I just wanted more from it and it felt like more of the same. However, I did love the side characters and I still enjoy Gong's writing style, which I think is very pleasant to read.

This is one of my most anticipated books of 2021 and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT

The only thing I really have to talk about is the plot. The story was so beautifully written but whole idea of this book was that the monster was back and this time stronger, but that’s kind of repetitive since the first book had almost the exact same plot. The characters definitely kept it interesting, but I feel like some of the side characters could have gotten more character development. That’s why I’m glad there’s a spin-off though, I’m so excited to see where those characters end up in Foul Lady Fortune. This book is the kind of book that just keeps you engaged the whole time, the TENSION and SUSPENSE during the last few chapters oh my god, my heart was going to beat OUT OF MY CHEST. I could not put this down until I’d finished it, and even after, I’m going to be thinking about it for at least the next few months.

You are not going to want to miss this enthralling sequel to These Violent Delights.

“They speak of Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai as the ones who had dared to dream. And for that, in a city consumed by nightmare, they were cut down without mercy.”

A sad and excellent follow-up to a novel that was far more fun than I expected it to be. This one was probably equal parts sad at the end, but in a way that made sense to me and closed out the series well. I wish there were even more books, to be honest.

After reading These Violent Delights, I eagerly awaited returning to Juliette and Roma’s Shanghai in Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong. The gangs, the clothes, the clubs, the romance, the secrets, the monsters, the secrets, and of course the blood feud. It is so easy to get wrapped up in this world. I loved how easy it was to slip back into the story and remembering all of the plot twists that left us wanting more. The love between Roma and Juliette bubbles just below the surface throughout and threatens to surface at any moment. Juliette allowing Roma to believe that she is responsible for killing his best friend, Marshall and it is a romantic gesture that no one else can know. His friend Benedikt blames Roma for Marshalls death and Benedikt struggles to overcome his immense grief. Can Roma and Juliette stay alive when their families both want the other dead, with a re-emergence of the monster, and the threat of the Nationalists who are threatening all of the gangs who control the city. All these converge with a satisfying ending that you probably saw coming, but not quite. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Schuster Canada for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A solid conclusion to a duology. The world was interesting. The plot was all over the place. The writing was spectacular. It was entertaining. If you loved the characters in the first book you'll love seeing them again here.

I loved loved this sequel and I think Chloe Gong did an amazing job recrafting the universe she created in the first part of the duology. i loved all of the characters, this book definitely cemented Gong as an instant purchase author for me.

I found that this book while still good, was less action packed than the first book in the series. While I still enjoyed it, I found the first book to be much better

I'm not sure where to begin because my mind is still recovering. I loved this book and cannot wait to see what Chloe Gong gives us next!

4.5/5 stars.

I love this world that Gong has created. Everything feels so vibrant and is so well written that you're completely absorbed into the story. You are entirely drawn in.

And don't even get me started on the characters. They are so real and raw, and I love being able to see through both their eyes. Their masks fall away and we can see their vulnerabilities. They have so much heart and soul, and to watch their story unfold was so wonderful.

I think this duology was such a beautiful twist on Romeo and Juliet. The historically accurate political twist was marvellous,

This is definitely a duology that will become a yearly reread!

I don't even know how to talk through Our Violent Ends in a way that'd do it justice, but I'll try.

For starters, Chloe Gong's writing is lyrical, haunting, and atmospheric - every sense is involved in her narration as she creates her version of 1927 Shanghai. I adored the world building and story development in OVE as much as I did in These Violent Delights.

Every character played a key part in this book, slotting into their final places at the very end. I was pleasantly surprised by some twists, but found some others predictable. I do love how the story unfolded so that even the things I saw coming came with their own little surprises. The Shakespearean references are great to see as well and the way they were inserted just right to fit the story but to also bring up memories of the original play was so thoughtful and well done. The way Chloe Gong merged history, fantasy, and retelling truly led to something amazing and I'm so in awe of how everything unfolded.

The chemistry and character development - the way that there was so much tension and friction, not just between the usual suspects (R&J of course), but also between Rosalind, Kathleen, and Juliette, the rift between Dimitri and Roma, the heartbreak of Benedikt - it was amazing. It really felt like we were at the climax of a symphonic number and we only had the option to watch it all crash and burn in the end, all the characters breaking and falling into the chaos of the city. It was heartbreaking, fun, and absolutely fantastic.

This was an amazing sequel to These Violent Delights, and I truly cannot wait for the release of Foul Lady Fortune. I'm so excited to see Rosalind as a leading lady and where the political movement will take Shanghai next.

TWs: Blood, gun violence, gore, character deaths, murder, weapon use, insects, alcohol consumption, suicidal ideation, mass murder, political protest, injury by whipping

Rep: Chinese-coded characters, Chinese own voice author

Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 5/5
Pacing: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

ARC gifted by Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.

Chloe Gong is officially a go-to author for me. I was granted an ARC of this book through NetGalley, but wasn't aware that it was the second of a duology. So I chose to read These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends back-to-back, a strategy that I would strongly recommend. Set in 1920s Shanghai, this retelling of Romeo and Juliet offers a bloodier, darker version of the story. For those looking for a book that will hold closely to the Romeo and Juliet story line, you may be disappointed, but if you're willing to consider the basic structure of the story, the rewards are great. This book will not be for everyone, as it can be quite dark and violent, but if you love dark, atmospheric reads, in which the setting is almost a character on its own, this might be the one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

*4.5

“to have and to hold, where even death cannot part us”
“in this life and the next for however long our souls remain, mine will always find yours”

thank you to netgalley for providing me with this arc. thank you chloe for breaking my heart, ripping it into pieces. i can’t say i hate you because this was so beautiful.

the writing ? immaculate, i felt like i was watching a movie.
the plot? a lot faster and interesting than the first book to be honest.
my feelings? hurt.

A fantastic sequel and finale. Gong weaves a dark underbelly into 1920s Shanghai and feuding families and continues on with stakes as high as the first one. Roma despises Juliette, and she forces herself to attempt to keep it that way, but when the monsters attacking and the blackmailing hurt both their families and gangs, they must work together to try to find a way to stop the chaos before Shanghai is lost to the foreigners. Masterfully written, the characters feel so real and everything is at risk of being lost.

espite the sensation that TVD was, OVE was underwhelming to say the least. the biggest problems that i have with it now that ive finished are the pacing, the plot, and the character development. maybe it’s because it’s been a year since i read book one, but most things that roma does and says seem out of character. many of his scenes read as though the author is attempting confusion, trying to dupe her readers into thinking the storyline is going to follow Romeo and Juliette’s, but they all seemed superficial and unlikely. the entire element of magic/supernatural presence with regards to the monsters also highkey feels like it served no purpose at all. the writing is super dense and definitely reads more like a chinese history book merged with monster fanfiction. if the entire point of the book was meant to be the power of love versus the world, then the ending is negligent. it feels more like chloe is ending on a cliffhanger for cinematic value instead of actually tying up her loose ends. so many problems with regards to relationships and characters are left unsolved, leading me to question the entire purpose of this book. i definitely am one of those people who think there shouldve been one book only.

Loved the first book in this duology. But am finding it very hard to get through the second. Much slower story line then the first and less action/intrigue. Probably not going to finish.

Our Violent Ends was a decent sequel and conclusion to the duology. It took a shift from the fantasy accept and instead focused much more on the political movements in Shanghai in the 1920's. I found this both interesting and slightly disappointing. I enjoyed learning about the political undertone in China during this time period but I also missed the focus on the monster that These Violent Delights had.

The romance in the novel was just okay for me, not being a fan of Romeo and Juliet this is not surprising. There were some sweet moments between Roma and Juliette that I enjoyed, but for the most part it felt like each character was respectively telling the reader the love they had for one another with the context given being their romantic history that we don't get to see.

The best part of the duology as a whole has to be Gong's writing. She is a very talented writer and I look forward to reading more books from her in the future, especially the continuation of Rosalind's story coming later this year.

obviously it’s been a while since this came out but juliette is one bad ass mc and i love her to death she’s THE moment. i love how this book wrapped up and the plot seemed a lot more put together than the first book. it was super enjoyable to read!

After getting the ARC of this book I was excited to get TVD out from the library and binge the duo. Sadly, TVD really wasn't for me and I ended up DNF around 50%.

I wanted to give this book a fair go so read it anyway but alas, I just could not get my head into it. I found it to be a fairly lazy retelling of one of the most well-known stories of all time. Note. I am likely not the target audience and have studied Romeo and Juliet in-depth so that likely swayed my view also.

I like the authors writing style in places, although agree with a lot of other reviews that there felt like a lot of unnecessary filler included, editing some of that may help the book feel more dynamic and keep the reader interested - purely a laypersons opinion, I am not an author or publisher of any kind.

I'll look out for future reads from Chloe Gong as enjoyed the world-building and descriptions.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada, Margaret K. McElderry Books for a copy of the ARC in return for my honest review.

I really enjoy the atmosphere and creativity of the story. It's a fantastic retelling of a classic as it keeps it's own uniqueness and adds surprises.

My biggest problem is that there feels like a lot of filler. It was longer than it should have been and I felt like I was waiting for something to happen. I wanted to see the monsters and feel the tension.

It was good but I was left underwhelmed, especially with all the hype.