A creative extension of the famous tale of star-crossed lovers introduces us to an intrepid young woman fighting to make her way in life. Rosaline is witty, fierce and clever and meeting her was a joy.

The overall feel of the book was one of modern sentimentality, but the historical period was still central to the story. This gave me a sense of disjointedness at times and kept me from really sinking into the setting. The romantic machinations felt a bit strained and the mystery element was almost superfluous.

I think you’ll love the feisty heroine, and the creative story. Thank you to NetGalley, author and the publisher for my copies. These opinions are my own.

A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christine Dodd is my first 5 star read of the year!

It’s premise is based on “what if Romeo and Juliet didn’t die at the end,” a fresh and fun idea amongst the many Shakespearean retellings already on bookstore shelves. It’s an exciting page-turner full of twists, mystery, murder, passion, and of course drama that even rivals Shakespeare himself.

We follow the witty and clever Rosie, the eldest spinster daughter of Romeo and Juliet, who hates poetry, and can’t stand her parent’s unrequited love! She’s had plenty of betrothals, but she plays matchmaker with her suitors and their real soulmates, escaping unscathed and single. That is, until the dreadful Duke Stephano demands her hand and Romeo accepts an offer he dare not refuse, if he wants to keep his family alive.

A delicious scandal begins when Duke Stephano is found DEAD; stabbed in the heart in the lush Montague gardens the night of their “betrothal ball.” Oops? All of Verona hates this vile man, but when Rosie is accused of killing him all hell breaks loose.

The immersive setting is the same as the original Romeo and Juliet, in fair Verona, where houses of nobility duel and decisions are made with swords, wine, and even the occasional poisoning. Dodd’s descriptive and smart writing make you feel like you are right there in the midst of all the action and depths of suspense. In fact, I am proper jealous of Rosie’s balcony, the climbing tree, the beautiful Montague gardens, and mouthwatering foods.

This book is the definition of a page turner as every chapter ends on a cliffhanger. You’re solving the mystery alongside intelligent Rosie, hilarious Nurse (Juliet’s previous nurse), Friar Lawrence, and the rest of the characters. With such a fast-paced plot, you might expect that there’s no time for characterization.

But, you’re wrong just like Porsche was when she accused Rosie of murder and the conniving Prince Escalus ran his hand up Rosie’s leg. Every character has depth and carries emotion, even all of Rosie’s little siblings.

I highly recommend ‘A Daughter of Fair Verona’ to anyone who adores Romeo and Juliet, or Leo DiCaprio and Clare Danes from the 1996 film; at least that’s what I was dreaming of in my head. Dodd surprised me with this one, I wasn’t expecting to get so deep into this story. It makes for a perfect mystery romance read that will make a permanent home in your heart and leave you longing for more. Good news! This is the first book in a Dodd’s new series ‘Daughter of Montague.’

The story itself was quite interesting. Set in a historical context, it presents an alternate narrative where Romeo and Juliet survive and have numerous children. The plot centers on their eldest daughter. Now at the age of 20 and still a virgin—a point emphasized perhaps too frequently—she hesitates to marry, not wanting to leave her family. However, when her fiancé is murdered at their betrothal party, she is accused of the crime, and a quest to uncover the true culprit ensues.

While the modern tone of the dialogue felt out of place for a historical novel, the overall story and mystery were engaging. I found this book much more entertaining while listen to it than to physically read.

Shakespeare inspired stories, and maybe even more particularly Romeo and Juliet adjacent stories are catnip for me, so this story about one of Romeo and Juliet's daughters (in this version, they lived!) was an easy sell. I really enjoyed it- it's got a great sense of humor, incorporates charming nods to the inspiration, and has a solid plot. I will absolutely be following this series.

A daughter of Fair Verona is a rom com with the idea of Romeo and Juliet not dying but now married for real with 7+ children. Rosie is the oldest at age 20 when she could be considered a true spinster and cunning at her ripe old age. She has managed to change her previous betrothals to find their true love and marry…not her. The story becomes complicated when her present bretrothed dies in the garden during her engagement party. She of course was relieved as she really didn’t want to marry him. The story includes murders, mayhem and hijinks. Definitely a rom com, perhaps a bit unbelievable and it ends on a cliffhanger. Just relax, and enjoy the ride because Christina Dodd always write a good story.

ARC Review: Publish Date 6/25/24
Thank you Net Galley for letting me read more books!

DNF at 7%

The time keeps to canon Romeo & Juliet but the slang and modern dialogue do not. We start with Rosie (yes, short for Rosaline), an “old hag” at 20, their oldest daughter (born when Juliet was 13!) who doesn’t want to get married, but Romeo & Juliet, the only folks with real romantic love apparently, sell her off to a bad man that murders wives for free because their rep might take a blow. WHAT? And when Romeo farted to lighten the mood…twice…I cannot. Not for me. Shakespeare is crying somewhere.

Christina Dodd does it again! She combined humor and a murder mystery to make a great read, setting it in the world of a rewrite of Romeo and Juliet. The characters were fun, the dialogue entertaining and the murderer a total surprise. I have enjoyed her books for years and this is further confirmation of her creative talent. I hope there is another book coming in this line as there was a bit of a cliffhanger at the end that I would like to see resolved.
#netgalley

This book was told from the perspective of Rosaline Montegue, the 20 year old spinster daughter, Romeo and Juliet (who didn't die after all), and the oldest of their 7 children. "Rosie" is betrothed to a much older Duke Stephano, who has had 3 previous wives - who have all died under mysterious circumstances. On the night of their betrothal ball, Rosie meets the love of her life - Lysander- and later stumbles across the corpse of the Duke who has a dagger embedded in his chest. Now there are many at the ball who would wish him dead, but it does seem that Rosie had something to do with it as she was a reluctant bride to be.
This book was aa lot of fun to read especially when we see that Romeo and Juliet are still madly in love with each other and have a close knit family. I loved the scenes in their residence - both charming and sometimes funny. I t was interesting to see how Prince Escalus of Verona intervened at times to smooth over the rough spots in the tale. The mystery was solved with an unexepected villian but with a good reason.
I highly recommend this clever, funny and suspenseful romantic novel with an ambiguous ending...and a promise of a second book in the series.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and Kensington Press and the opinions expressed are my own.

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for giving me the oportunity for reviewing this book.
This author was completely new to me and I have to admit that I immensely enjoyed the story.

Not only the title but the blurb already got my attention. And let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed.

The telling was quite funny, I very much liked the heroine Rosie, although the dialogs were from Shakespearean era, her thoughts were quite modern language.I chuckled all the time.

That made the tale truly entertaining and refreshing.

This book was a unique kind of historical thriller meets romantic comedy, I very much enjoyed reading.

I really want to like this book so bad considering the intriguing storyline in which Romeo and Juliet didn't die and live happily ever after. But I find a lot of things are quite uncomfortable to read.

What if Romeo and Juliet really didn’t die? In the wild imagination of Christina Dodd that’s exactly the case and Rosie Montague and A Daughter of Fair Verona is the result. This novel is delightful and charming. A little bit history, a lot murder, and a completely modern sensibility makes this one of the most fun books I’ve read this year.

I love the idea of Romeo and Juliet not actually dying but living and having a huge family. Rosalyn (Rosie) is practical and contributes to her family in ways they don’t necessarily recognize.
I enjoyed reading A Fair Daughter of Verona. My standard wasn’t strict as I suspect that some wording choices weren’t true to the time period.
I liked the narrator. The mystery is well crafted. I like all the characters.
The ending was interesting. I think it definitely sets up for an additional book, and it looks like this is a new series.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and listen to this book.

3.5 stars -- an intriguing start to a new series.

Everyone knows Romeo & Juliet -- but their twenty year old daughter, Rosaline, is new on the scene. She is unlike her passionate parents -- she is the glue that holds their family together. She's had no desire to wed despite her "advanced age" and has successfully avoided multiple betrothals so far. But when a powerful Duke, one who's previous three wives have died under mysterious circumstances, asks for her hand -- her parents cannot refuse the suit. Thankfully for Rosie but unlucky for him, he ends up with a dagger in the heart at their betrothal ball. In order to cast suspicion off herself, she must track down the true culprit. While she does this, her heart is in danger of falling in love for very first time -- with a handsome man she met at said ball.

Funny, unique, and a good mystery! Parts of it were a little cheesy but fans of the original story will enjoy this! I think this series will improve with future installments so I will be on the lookout for more.

I am a teacher, and I read Romeo and Juliet with my students in the winter. I was excited about this book because of the alternate ending aspect, but I really struggled with the language. It was very inconsistent. At times, it was Shakespearean and at other times, it seemed more modern. I think that that part of it ruined the story for me. I struggled with wanting to finish this because of it.

I have adored Dodd's work for years, but this one just didn't do it for me. The language that she used, just didn't suit me and my reading tastes and the story just didn't really hold my attention. It took me 10 days to read this when a book this size, I normally get done in 2-3 days. I just wasn't motivated to read it.

There seems to be a number of authors who are setting books in Ye Olden Days but adding more modern language and sensibilities. Dodd is better at it than most but it took me awhile to settle in to the story.
The hook for this one, as most reviews probably point out, is that our first person narrator is the daughter of Romeo and Juliet who, apparently not only didn’t die, but have been extremely prolific. This story is that of their daughter, Rosaline. She’s set to be engaged to the despicable Duke Stephano. She’s aghast as a) she doesn’t want to get married and b) the man has had several wives already, all of whom have died under mysterious circumstances. It’s a puzzle that her father has allowed this to happen as he does truly love her.
At her betrothal ball, Rosaline is struck by Cupid’s arrow, much as it must have happened to her parents. She hides away in a corner with her Lysander where they are discovered… holding hands. A travesty. The Duke is NOT pleased but Prince Escalus smooths over any hurt. At least for the public. Stephano is ready to make Juliet pay. She arms herself with a knife but it isn’t needed since she stumbles over his already dead body in the garden. And his isn’t the last death in this story.
While all of this is going on, Rosaline is determined to find a wife for the prince. But he seems immune to her efforts. This is a romance so it’s not hard for us to figure out why.
So, a little bit Romeo and Juliet, a dash of murder mystery, and a pinch of Emma. I wish there had been more of the romance and the mystery went off the wheels at the end but it was mainly enjoyable.

Three and a half stars
This book comes out June 24, 2024
ARC kindly provided by Kensington Books and ebook from NetGalley
Opinions are my own

So the ad line seems to be <i>Knives Out</i> meets <i>Bridgerton</i>, but I’ll take that and raise you …

William Shakespeare meets Stephanie Plum.

Yes, that’s right: William Shakespeare meets Stephanie Plum. A mash-up that I definitely never knew I absolutely needed.

The Shakespeare is obvious (and done well enough for this lit major without any serious attachment to the Bard specifically) and we’ll move on. The Stephanie Plum was absolutely unexpected, but I think it was what really did it for me with this one.

You’ve got some unlikeable bad guys (and maybe a dead body or two).
You’ve got your plucky (but not ingenue young) heroine with wit (and a temper) and a willingness to do the legwork.
You’ve got a kooky cast of family members and side characters in a very specifically drawn locale.
<spoiler>And--most surprisingly to me, because usually I really effing hate this shit—you’ve got an absolutely delightful love triangle.
(<i>Bear with me here, because that’s a sentence I don’t think I’ve ever said before. But it is delightful. Maybe because our heroine doesn’t realize she’s in it for most of the book, I don’t know… It just worked.</i>)</spoiler>

I went into this book with fair to middling expectations. The premise was interesting enough, but I wasn’t expecting exactly how much I adored it. Cozy mystery meets historical rom-com? Who knew! I cannot wait for book two.

Thank you @bibliolifestyle , @kensingtonbooks , @christinadoddbooks for the advanced copy! This beauty releases 6/25, be sure to grab it asap!!!
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Summary- 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.
*
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*
My thoughts- I loved this one! It was the perfect read for any English major nerds that love Romeo and Juliet. Bonus points to adding “Get thee to a nunnery” in the most authentic way possible! Rosie was such a fun FMC and it was such a fun little romp!
*

This was a well-written. entertaining book. It was so amazing - charming, fun, clever, suspenseful, funny. sweet, snarky and romantic. I was completely unable to put it down. Rosie, the main character, was incredible. I loved this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd
1st in series, Daughter of Montague. Historical mystery, retellings, comedy. Cliffhanger. Splashes of romance and maybe more to come. 1st person.
Once upon a time, a young couple from two warring families, met and fell in love. Tragically, betrayal and lies were told and ended with the lovers both killings themselves.
At least that’s the ending per Shakespeare.
In this twisted tale, Romeo and Juliet are alive and the parents of seven children. So far. They can’t keep their hands off each other! Monologues, poetry, passion, it’s all too much for Rosie, the oldest. At 20 she is considered a spinster. Up until now, she has managed to re-direct any suitors to another sister, or friend or someone more appropriate for the groom. But now, Duke Stephano is not to be denied. Even though he has had three previous wives, he has made it impossible for Rosie to escape being his next victim...correction, bride.
As fate would intervene, Rosie falls in love at first site at her betrothal ball with someone else! Then she actually stumbles upon her betrothed, dead in the garden, with a dagger in the heart! Of course, she’s going to investigate. There are already talks about ghosts wandering the halls.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and audiobook for this story. The narration is performed by Suzy Jackson who has a wonderful sense of comedic timing and delivery. There are specific voices for the main characters. The action and comedy kept me engaged and actively listening. I listened at my preferred of 1.5 and could have go one slightly up or down on this one. The humor and sarcasm was riveting and I enjoyed the story up until the very last 20 seconds when I realized it wasn’t the end, but a cliffhanger. Ugh. And a year now to wait? Good thing I have multiple formats to refresh when the time comes to continue.
I recommend the audiobook version for clearly hearing Rosie’s personality.

The ebook is great for the descriptions and keeping the family, and friends straight.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher RBMedia.
4.5 because of the cliffhanger.