Just could not get into this book. Odd pacing, and Rosie is far more assured of her adorable cleverness than I was. DNF at 30%.

***Advance review copy received from NetGalley in return for an honest review***

So much of A Daughter of Fair Verona simply doesn’t make sense. We’re meant to accept that Romeo and Juliet—history’s most famous love-at-first-sight, die-for-each-other couple—are now alive, well, and perfectly happy to marry off their daughter to a much older man suspected of killing not one, not two, but three previous wives. That’s just the start of the contradictions.

Their daughter, the protagonist, is publicly shamed for being a virgin—apparently by all of Verona—but simultaneously expected to preserve her virtue at all costs. The messaging is muddled, and the story feels caught between eras: there are modern sensibilities woven into a historical setting that doesn’t support them, leaving the whole thing tonally confused. It’s as if the book can’t quite decide what century it wants to be in.

There is a murder mystery here, and a sense of fun buried beneath the chaos—but it never fully comes together. That said, if you enjoyed the zany, history-meets-hijinks tone of My Lady Jane, you might appreciate this for what it’s trying to do, even if it didn’t quite land for me.

I really enjoyed this book, it was an interesting and unique with links to a classic story that felt fresh. I loved all the characters and their interactions with each other, even the ones you already knew felt familiar but new.
This books had lots of twists and turns that kept the story moving and kept you intrigued.
I would recommend you give this book a go if you think it’s something you’d like as I think you’ll thoroughly enjoy it !

I really wanted to like A Daughter of Fair Verona...the concept had so much potential...but it just didn’t work for me. The tone was all over the place, like it couldn’t decide if it wanted to be serious historical fiction or a quirky rom-com. The dialogue felt forced, and the characters never quite clicked for me. I kept waiting for it to settle into something, but it stayed kind of messy the whole way through. I finished it, but honestly, it was more frustrating than fun. Just not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for these free copies of "A Daughter of Fair Verona" and "Thus With A Kiss I Die" in the "Daughter of Montague" series.

These books were glorious! Re-imaginings of Romeo and Juliet (still in love and legendary after 20 years) and their boisterous, chaotic, wonderful family!

The books are narrated by their eldest daughter, Rosaline (Rosie) who is sarcastic about love and passion, even after her parents' epic love story. She's been avoiding marriage by arranging more suitable matches for her intendeds.

So when her current betrothed and others close to him start dying, she needs to find the murderer in case she's next on the list.

I was thrilled to read "A Daughter of Fair Verona" and "Thus..." back-to-back since "Thus..." picks up almost immediately after "Daughter..." ends.

We meet more memorable members of Prince Esacalus of Verona's family and Rosie has to solve another murder, this time it's one from the past. Prince Escalus' father (now a ghost) needs her to find his killer.

Fingers crossed there will be more in the series because it's wonderful!

A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd is a clever and charming twist on Romeo and Juliet told from the perspective of their overlooked, sharp-witted daughter, Rosaline. With a voice that’s equal parts sarcastic, self-aware, and endearing, Rosie makes for a fantastic protagonist—flawed but deeply likable as she navigates betrothals, family drama, and, of course, a murder mystery.

The mystery itself strikes a great balance—not overly complex, but with enough twists to keep it engaging. Dodd’s writing is breezy and fun, making this a perfect summer read for fans of historical fiction with a modern sensibility. If you enjoy witty heroines, playful Shakespearean nods, and a dash of romance, this book is a must-read!

Thank you to netgalley and Penguin Random House for this galley! This was not a book for me, but it is one I will recommend to customers who want a lighthearted funny mystery that isn't too heavy.

This book was a fun take on Romeo and Juliet if they had lived. Told from the point of view of their sassy daughter Rosie. She has refused marriage to multiple suitors and is now being forced to marry a terrible person. Chaos ensues. While the book was funny, I couldn’t tell if the end was supposed to be a cliffhanger or not. I think the book was more of a murder mystery than a romance which I wasn’t expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC. Opinions are my own.

A re-telling of Romeo and Juliet? Not exactly. This is their oldest daughter who definitely does not want to be wed and does everything she can to find more appropriate suitors for her betrothed...actually several betrothed until the last one is stabbed at the betrothal party. This starts the whirlwind mystery of whodunit along with another potential suitor or two.

I was captivated from the beginning and cannot wait for the next installment in this series!

This is one of the most original books l've read in a while.
The story was fun, witty and had a great mystery to it with some very well done twists. I find myself very curious how the rest of the series will play out and after that, I don't think I can really begin to guess.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC copy of this book.

It took me a little while to get into this story, some early fart jokes weren’t helpful, and he style of writing and first person narration were slightly off putting.

However, once I’d gotten into the rhythm of the writing, had met the love interests and the mystery was well established, I ended up really enjoying it.

The premise of Juliet’s daughter and her successful avoidance of marriage was very original and engaging, and the murder mystery plot linked in well, with the obstacles to her investigation of it due to her sex and men’s refusal to acknowledge her intelligence and resourcefulness was well done.

I am really looking forward to reading the next book, and seeing how things play out both in her romantic life and with her further investigations!

✨ ARC Review ✨
A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd

2 ⭐️

Unfortunately, this was a miss for me. I just did not vibe with the book, despite originally wanting to. The premise was interesting, but the execution fell short for me.

This book is a continuation of the classic Romeo & Juliet, except with no dying, and they end up with 7 or so kids. The book follows their oldest, Rosie, in a type of Knives Out meets Bridgerton story. While there were parts that were enjoyable, I fear a lot was overly satirical and had too many cheesy twists and turns expected of a theatre production.

I was left underwhelmed by the ending and unsatisfied with Rosie’s story.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Books, and the author for the ARC.

Absolutely fantastic! I loved this new generation of Romeo and Juliet. They are witty and snarky and all the things you hope they would be.

Absolutely enjoyed this visit to Fair Verona. I loved Romeo and Juliet's crazy family, the continuing love and of course, their daughter Rosaline. Rosaline is happy being the unmarried sibling and finding love for everyone else. Unfortunately for Rosie, her father is forced to give her hand in marriage to the awful Duke Stephano. Yet before the marriage can take place the Duke is found stabbed to death in the family garden and Rosie's reputation is at risk as rumours swirl about her being the murderer. This was a fantastic tale. Part humour, part mystery novel and a little romance thrown into the mix. Loved it and hoping for a next book in the series. Can't wait to read what Rosie takes on next.

Now let the fun begin, let me just say this, if you're looking for snarky, witty and laugh-out-loud fun this is the book for you.

I have to say when I started this book I thought this was going to be the next generation of Romeo and Juliet, and it is, but it's also funny and poignant, filled with hope and promises of what you can be both because of where you come from and despite it.

Now I've read a lot of good books lately but this one, it's something special, it's one of those books I wish I could go back and read for the first time again, and let's face it I'll be reading this one multiple times and hope these characters make multiple appearances in future books.

Thank you to Bibliolifestyle, NetGalley, and Kensington Publishing for this adorable box of goodies, the bottle now holds my favourite perfume and I love it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5
I have been reading Christina Dodd for years and years and years so wherever she goes and whatever she writes I will follow. While I wouldn’t strictly call this a romance it definitely still has a romantic storyline (that I’m hoping will be explored deeper in further books).

This book takes a completely new spin on Romeo and Juliet with our heroine being their daughter. Aaaandddd….. well she’s out to solve some murders.

This book was an absolute TREAT! The heroine is witty, the world building is fantastic and honestly I can’t wait for more!

Interesting in premise, I found the writing to be hard to follow and I was not a fan of the main character. there were one or two supporting characters that stood out to me but all in all, one that I will not revisit.

I can say that this story was very much enjoyed. It had made me skip on chores so I can keep reading. I like humor and romance.

What happens if ROmeo and Juliet lived.? That is the basis of this book. It was a fun read. Mystery, romance, and family are the main themes. This book is about ROsie Montague the eldest daughter of Romeo and Juliet. They want her married. She wants to find the right man. I t is a great book. I really enjoyed it.

No matter how hard I tried, I just could not get interested in any aspect of A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA. I loved how there were many different genre elements coming together - some mystery, some historical, some romance - but nothing reached off the page to pull me in. Everything felt .... fine. And that's not what I want when I'm reading a book.