This book had such an original premise, I loved it. I had read the author's prior book, The Book of Gothel and loved it and I knew this would be no different. I was right! The story weaves a tale that encompasses the characters who are the subjects of Shakespeare's sonnets, and creates such an interesting and lively world around them. We meet Rose, who is a young woman, her mother, a healer and alleged witch, and Shakespeare himself. I felt transported while reading this book, which is definitely not easy to do when working with such well known characters such as the Bard himself. However, I felt like this book had very clear and serious research done that provided such an interesting backdrop, and added to the story so well. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves a well-researched, well-written, and well-rounded historical fiction jam!

This ebook was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This uses the Shakespeare story perfectly in a new way. I thought this story had everything that I was hoping for and thought it had that element that I enjoyed from the Book of Gothel. I enjoyed the way Mary McMyne wrote this and left me wanting to read more in this story. The overall concept worked with everything that I was hoping for and thought the story was perfect. I enjoyed how well the characters were written and thought they kept the magical element to this. I'm glad I got to read this and left me wanting more.

DNF at about 45% through no fault of the book itself, I am just obsessively swept up in another series (Nine Worlds, Victoria Goddard) and am unable to read anything else. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.


I enjoyed the historical setting and thought that it was well researched and largely realistic. I did not find the protag to be as dislikeable as other reviewers seemed to find her, and rather enjoyed the shades of grey aspect to most of the characters. No outright heroes here, everyone is trying to look after themselves, and I respect and appreciate that.

My main quibble, which is frankly probably more of a me problem than anything else, was the fact that the protag, a teenage girl, on the run, largely on foot, appeared to be ceaselessly hauling around a one man band's worth of musical instruments, I found this incredibly immersion breaking and irritating, especially as it could have been quite easily explained away in the text. At the time period in question most middle to upper class homes where women resided would have had all of the instruments in question, especially a full size virginal. I had never heard of a portable one, and I had to do some research of my own to find that portable virginals did in fact exist, though they would have still been quite cumbersome. No need to include a pack mule, a Skyrim style follower, or a Bag of Holding that would explain this kid's ability to lug around 50 pounds worth of instruments. I know this is a really minor issue to get hung up on but it did cause me a ton of eye rolling and sighing.

I will likely return to this at some point because I did enjoy most of the rest of the book and found it to be quite interesting, but it probably won't be anytime soon.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

I really wanted to love this one. Mary McMyne has excellent prose that draws the reader in. Rose is compelling as a protagonist; you want her to succeed. The same goes for the magic system, which drew me in and made me want more. My biggest issue was that the story didn't click with me, and sometimes that happens. I'll likely give her other books a chance since this issue doesn't seem to exist among the others.

(3.5 stars)

As my introduction into Mary McMyne's writing, I had a great time with this book! The setting was definitely the highlight, the way magic and astrology are used to tie into the belief systems and social structure of the time is really unique and added a lot to the story overall.

I really enjoyed the prose, it's very atmospheric and sets the perfect tone that I would have expected from this kind of story. While I can see how some people might expect actual writing from Shakespeare to have a more prominent role in the story, I think it was better to allow Rose to be the focus of her own story instead of letting Will overpower her.

I really enjoyed the way Rose's character is written. She's not someone I would have expected and her personality is very fresh and fun to read. I find morally grey isn't often written in the most believable way, but Rose's self-centred mindset and drive to meet her own goals is used in such a way that doesn't make her unloveable or frustrating. She feels real and complex, and I really enjoyed following her thought process.

I do feel like the end was fairly rushed and abrupt, I would have liked to see some more time spent really flushing it out and making the build up feel more believable. The whole book felt like there was a lot of pressure coming to a head, and such an easy and tidy ending kind of undercut the weight of the story.

Overall I really enjoyed the way this author writes and I'll absolutely be checking out her other work!

This novel was a mixed bag for me that was hard to review; it was an enjoyable novel with a lot of positive elements, however it just didn’t connect with me for a few reasons. Its somewhere between 3 and 4 stars and figuring what direction to round was a hard one.

The writing was excellent. It was descriptive, atmospheric, and vivid, and I could clearly see and experience the settings. Most of the characters were well developed and consistent, with motivations that were clear and understandable. I liked the worldbuilding; the mix of science, astrology, and simple magic was one of the strongest elements of the novel. It was compelling and I found myself enthralled in this world in the beginning parts of the novel.

I would happily read multiple novels set in this world and by this author, either about these characters or others, unfortunately this particular novel/plot didn’t click with me.

Unfortunately, some parts of the novel didn’t work for me. The plot in particular was an issue; I honestly didn’t know what the plot really was for most of the novel as it seemed like Rose essentially drifted from one external plot device to another. There was a (or a few?) central plotlines throughout, but also not really? There was a lot going on in this novel, which can be great, but I didn’t find that it was put together very well. Ironically all of the parts involving Shakespeare were the weakest parts of the novel for me (ironic because that was supposed to be the point of the novel….I think?) and I think this novel would have been better if the author simply went full-original instead of working in the Shakespeare elements. These parts of the novel felt forced.

The ending was weak, and the last-minute twist didn’t work for me. It was very sudden and rather convenient to the point where it was unsatisfying; everything just worked out perfectly all at once! I didn’t honestly see the point to the entire trial segment at the end. This was the cherry on top of a lot of plot points and scenes that were rather unrealistic.

I also had issues with Rose. I had a hard time understanding the character as she seemed to make a lot of strange choices and didn’t seem to have a consistent character. She made a lot of terrible decisions, which is fine, but I often couldn’t understand her motivations. I can’t discuss too deeply without massive spoilers, but there were several important parts of the novel where I couldn’t get onboard with the plot because I couldn’t understand Rose’s motivations for her actions.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love unexpected books like this, I normally am not a huge fan of "historical fiction" and this is one of the exceptions. You are pulled into a world and see a side of things you wouldn't normal ask to see, and now I find myself on a rabbit hole wanting to read and understand more on this subject manner... so thanks for new hyperfixation lol

I can for sure see what is good about this book. It has very nice prose, the character of Rose is interesting, and I do love how the magic is described in this. It just didn't all come together for me personally. I know people who would love it, and look forward to telling them about it, but this is not something I would read again.

(3.5) A beautifully descriptive story twisting through the religious and societal pressures of the Elizabethan Era with a very familiar face thrown in- I enjoyed it! Funnily enough, my least favorite part of the story was Shakespeare (and I felt vindicated in that stance by the end). I thought Rose was well-done, at times clever and incredibly obtuse. Some of her escapades required some suspension of disbelief, and I really didn't enjoy the 'client' in the eleventh hour- it felt like too much of a deus ex machina. The last quarter of the book overall felt a bit rushed to me, so it never achieved enough tension to make me truly worry for the characters. However, I did like Mary and the glimpses of her agency that we got throughout the story, as well as the characterization of Henry. The blend of astrology and folk magics was a real strong point for me throughout the novel since it's so different from the way many (including myself) think of them today. I think that aspect of the story really brought me into the time period and kept me there, along with the legal consequences and hypocrisy that came along with traditionally female 'powers' of the period.

"The truth is, that poet - a pox on it, I'll say his name - Will Shakespeare, pursued me freely, of his own choosing. And the sonnets he wrote of our encounters, the bitter spew of a jealous lover, nearly ruined me." A gothic and romantic retelling from the viewpoint of Shakespeare's elusive "Dark Lady" will captivatingly hold its reader until the very end.

McMyne is a critically underrated voice in fantastic retellings, transitioning from her debut in "Book of Gothel" straight into "A Rose by Any Other Name." I was surprised by the fast-paced narrative that does not leave you lingering too long with exposition. Our protagonist Rose, supported by her progressive father, refuses to capitulate to the bleak options for medieval women. Rose aspires to be a musician for the queen's court, with her best friend Cecely by her side, regardless of what her traditionalist alchemist mother thinks. After her father's untimely passing and a witch hunt for her family, Rose is thrust into the home of a lovesick childhood friend who coerces her into marriage, thanks to her scheming spellcasting mother. Rose has dreams written in the stars, and with the help of her new lover, Will, she will carve her own path — by any means necessary.

If you're drawn in by the poetic Shakespearean themes, manage your expectations. This one is a love letter to the sapphic horoscope lovers and features very little of the sonnets and verses made famous by our side character. What I did enjoy about this book is that Rose is a highly unlikeable character. She is remarkably selfish, a trait that is called out by her friends and family throughout the story. It is easy to sympathize with her plight, but her treatment of everyone around her as props in her success shows that she is a morally ambiguous character. I know that may sound odd, but I think it adds to the mystery surrounding the aforementioned "Dark Lady."

I particularly enjoyed the astrology in this book and felt that it was uniquely highlighted in a medieval retelling due to the plethora of competing beliefs around this time. The only thing that surprised me was how tidy the remaining chapters felt considering the seemingly insurmountable odds faced by Rose and her family. I can't say much more without spoiling the book, but it definitely felt like lower stakes once I reached the final chapter.

I believe this is a wonderful next step in McMyne's writing career, and I will continue to follow her work. 4/5 Stars.

Not quite as good as the author's previous work, but not bad either! A fantastic historical fantasy that isn't afraid to deal with the harsh realities of life for a woman of means in Queen Elizbaeth I's England, especially when said woman posses magical abilities. Fantastically detailed and with a colorful cast of characters, this was an excellent read! Thank you to Net Galley and Redhook Books for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the dark and tense flow of the story, the visceral images of magic and longing and desperation Rose felt throughout the story. It was a story I felt deserved to be savored rather than devoured in one go. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who doesn't enjoy sitting through stories that have a slower build to them, but I felt that the slow build was necessary to the story and had a way of sinking the emotions into you so that you understood what the characters were truly feeling. I would definitely recommend this to others! I enjoyed reading it and pondering over it afterwards!