This audiobook was as wonderful as the first in the series. Absolutely amazing narrator; if I find more books narrated by her, it would give me an extra incentive to pick them up.

This was just as fun as book one. It doesn't take itself too seriously and knows exactly what it wants to achieve. There's enough content here for five seasons of TV, which I always appreciate because it makes the reading experience super fast paced and never dull.

I'll be happy to pick up more Christina Dodd books in the future, knowing I can get through the whole thing in one afternoon while I have some sweet treats and a latte. An amazing Sunday afternoon plan.

In my review of the first book in this series, I shared that I thought these novels could stand on their own without marketing themselves as a story about the children of Romeo and Juliet who didn't actually die (supposedly). My opinion on that remains firm.

However, I did enjoy the light mystery read after separating that from the plot of both books. I enjoyed the banter of Rosie and the men in her life. I liked how she was a strong, independent woman protagonist despite the restrictions of her environment. I found several parts of the book humorous and I didn't figure out the ending ahead of time, which is always a huge bonus for me.

I would recommend this series for the mystery rather than as a "daughter of Romeo and Juliet" book. I do plan to read the novella and the upcoming fall release as well.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook which was well done by the narrator. The story is great fun, a clever, witty and often sarcastic twist on Romeo& Juliet. Their daughter Rosalind is the star of this book and is such a fun character.

Another wonderful book by Christina Dodd. This is the sequel to A Daughter of Fair Verona and it is just as good. This book has a great storyline and characters. Rosie, the main character makes me want to read more. A page-turner with comedy and suspense wrapped up in one. This is a great series. A definite must for your summer reading.
Thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley for the audiobook version of this book.

This is an absolute gem. Suzy Jackson is the perfect tone for Rosie's voice in the eArc.
The story is great, well told. characters are well developed, relatable and likeable.
This is book is just a hoot as were the other ones in this saga.
A great read, funny, with romance and lots of peril for this not so in distress damsel

Without having read the first book, I was still able to fall easily into the world created by the author. This book was clever and unique and I truly love that Verona is such a beautiful setting.

3 stars! This was a great second book! I will be rereading!! I think it’s perfect YA novel for someone obsessed with Romeo and Juliet. So freaking cute!

A definite walk or should I say read on the wild side! A continuation of Romeo and Juliet daughter Rosie adventures in Verona. I did say wild side. Such a fun and enjoyable read on the historical cozy side. Rosie has vowed to marry only her true love, but sometimes circumstances can put a kabosh on your dreams. When she is founded in a comprising situation with the Prince Escalus she is now suddenly engaged. Being dutiful she returns to his castle which happens to be haunted by the prince father who can’t rest till he discovers who murdered him. They come to an agreement, Rosie will find the name of the killer and Prince Escalus the elder will help her find her true love.
As you can guess there are many misadventures and secrets and lots of laughs. I switched from audio to book and back again. The narrator was excellent, but I did reread parts in the book to keep the straight in my mind with all the craziness going on. A fun lighthearted read, can’t wait to see what will be next for Rosie. Thank you to the Publisher, Recorded books and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is the second book in the Daughter of Montague series absolutely lives up to the first! (If you haven't already read A Daughter of Fair Verona you need to start there.)

I loved the continuation of the story and seeing the growth of Rosaline and the development of her relationship with Prince Escalus.

Suzy Jackson accurately captured the spirit of Rosie and the story.

This is a fun, spooky, witty read with a little mystery and a little love. I absolutely recommend it!

Rosie Montague is back—and she’s as sharp, witty, and wonderfully irreverent as ever! The delightfully bold eldest daughter of the Romeo and Juliet returns to solve another mystery in fair Verona, and this sequel somehow manages to be even more fun than the first.

With a perfect blend of historical fiction, romance, mystery, and just a sprinkle of the supernatural, this quirky tale keeps you guessing and laughing all the way through. The humor is a real highlight—Rosie’s teasing of her famously dramatic parents had me grinning, and I love how every character feels deeply human (and hilariously flawed).

Suzy Jackson once again nails the audiobook narration, completely embodying Rosie’s wit, intelligence, and fearless attitude. It’s an utter joy to listen to—and I’m already counting down to the next installment!

🎭 Shakespeare-inspired
🔍 Mystery with a twist
📜 Historical setting with modern charm
💋 Closed-door romance
👻 A hint of the supernatural
😂 Humor that hits just right

This series is a must if you love classic retellings with a clever edge. Rosie is easily one of my favorite new historical heroines.

"Thus with a kiss I die" is the fabulous continuation of Rosaline Montague's story from "A daughter of fair Verona". Engaged to Prince Escalus - not her one true love Lysander! - Rosie faces more family drama. What can you expect with Romeo and Juliette as your parents? But when the ghost of her fiancée's late father appears and asks her to solve his murder - well, she seems just a little crazy. But maybe this is the way to get out of the unwanted engagement!

I thoroughly enjoyed it his book, just like the first one. The language is reminiscent of Shakespeare and the ghost element clearly gives a not to Hamlet (even though the supernatural element to the story was quite surprising after the "normal" first installment of the series).

Rosie continues to be clever and rational, but becomes a little more fancyful in regard to her love Lysander. Suzy Jackson gave her an absolutely fitting voice.

I can't wait to see what adventures Rosie will encounter next (and which shakespearean play will be borrowed from next.)

Thank to Netgalley and RBmedia for the download of this audiobook!

Rosaline Montague finds herself betrothed to the prince of Verona after being caught in a compromising situation at the end of the first book. Feeling trapped, there's little to be done so Rosie resigns herself to one day becoming Verona's Princess and sadly pines away for her one true love Lysander.

Then a strange opportunity arises in the form of Prince Escalus the Elder. He has heard of Rosie's skill in finding the murderer who terrorized the streets of Verona last season. Now, he wants Rosie to find his own murderer (did I mention it's the Ghost of Prince Escalus the Elder?). In exchange, he will guarantee Rosie will have her one true love.

Despite what seems like an unachievable task, Rosie 's investigation leads her to believe the murderer is closer than anyone thought, coupled with growing unrest on the streets of Verona, there seems to be danger around every corner.

The Shakespearean ghosts have arrived! Thus With A Kiss borrows heavily from Hamlet and I loved finding all the Easter eggs sprinkled within in including a famous skull and some positing on the meaning of flowers.


I enjoyed this one, just as much as the first. I think the mystery was really well executed. I was hooked immediately to also learn about Price Escalus the Elder's fate. Of course, being a ghost whom only Rosie can see and hear, made for quite a few comical moments. None moreso than between Rosie and her betrothed Prince Escalus the Younger, or "Cal".

If you read the first book and didn't feel the underlining tension between them, then we didn't read the same book. For all that Lysander is a kind and thoughtful suitor, he doesn't seem to challenge Rosie in the same way Cal does. Of course, Rosie does not see it that way. Being the daughter of famed Romeo & Juliet has caused her to have almost too unrealistic of an expectation of love therefore causing her to be very narrow-sighted with it. For all that I like the Montague family, I appreciated that there was more of Rosie discovering herself outside of that family dynamic. Since she's always been the one taking care of the household, I think this offered her a little time of reflection.

In that same regard, I felt like we also got a broader scope of Verona itself. There's more going on within Verona than Rosie solving a years-old murder. This book introduces some outside conflicts, although they're solved rather quickly in my opinion, but it makes me wonder if it's just the start of other things brewing.

I am very curious about which Shakespearean work will be tangentially woven into the next story because there should definitely be a next story. I liked how Christina Dodd ended things. It was satisfying yet also really makes me want to continue exploring the relationship that these characters are building.

I appreciate it that we get the same audiobook narrator that we did in the first book and she does such a great job of really capturing Rosie's sharp wit and and does a great job with the flow of the language which tries to get as close to a Shakespearean play as possible, and succeeds rather well.

This was a fun read. I requested an ARC from NetGalley not realizing that it was a sequel. So I had to naturally read the first book and I really enjoyed them. The historical romance/mystery/murder/fantasy aspects of this were fun. The murderer was easier for me to figure out in the second book than the first but maybe that’s just me. The writing style flows nicely and kept me hooked.

The sequel starts with Rosie, who is the daughter of Romeo and Juliet, dealing with the consequences of her failed plan from book 1. She arrives at the palace and discovers the ghost of her fiancé asking her to help seek out his killer since only she can see him.



-the modern slang would take me out of the story but the narrator did such a good job that it didn’t bother me for long. She did an excellent job with this book and the first one. The modern slang wasn’t overly done, just a part where Rosie says “TMI TMI”. There might be more but that’s all I can think of for now.

This is definitely worth adding to your tbr!

Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the audiobook arc!

This has to be the most sarcastic, snarky, and hilarious book I've listened to this year. The narrator does a fantastic job and I cannot say enough good things about her reading this story. I am picky when it comes to listening to stories and she is now in the top 2 of my favorite narrators list. She brought the story to life. I could just imagine Rosie trying to manage everything and finding ways around problems. The banter between her and the ghost of Escalus the Elder was very funny. He definitely kept her on her toes with him popping in and out of rooms at awkward times. Cal is trying to convince Rosie she is the one for him while wondering about her as she talks to his dad who is a ghost he cannot see. Both are trying to figure out who killed Escalus the Elder and there is no shortage of suspects. Add in a couple of battles, her chaotic family and a witty Nona and you have a story that is hard to put down. Everyone needs a little humor in their life and I highly recommend reading or listening to this.

The second book in the Daughter of Montague series, Thus With a Kiss I Die starts off just after the Prince of Verona, Escalus, entraps Rosie Montague into marriage. Despite many protests and declarations of love for another, Rosie is resigned to her fate when she and her family visit the prince at his castle. This is where Rosie meets Escalus' father, Prince Escalus the Elder, and he asks her to undertake an important mission; find out who killed him. Oh right, Elder is a ghost and only Rosie can see him. With enemies just outside the gate and attacks happening within the walls of the castle, chaos ensues, the death are communed with and Rosie must make a choice about who her heart truly desires.

Having not read the first book, but looking up a few details when I was a little lost at first, I do recommend reading the books in sequence. Once I got past that I found it to be a quick, and often hilarious novel that kept me engaged. I enjoyed the tenacity of Rosie's characters and I found the developed of Escalus' the younger to be quite endearing. There were several references to both Romeo and Juliet; all of which gave their characters a lot of depth despite being background characters and I liked how the narrator flipped the script to break the fourth wall throughout the book. It felt like I was reading a book that was actually a play but not formatted like a play.

Suzy Jackson does a phenomenal job narrating This With a Kiss I Die because she perfectly captured the mood and maturity of the characters through her many voices. I specially like how she portrayed Elder and his grumpy ghostness.

Thank you RB Media for the gifted ALC.

This book combines so many things I love - historical fiction, mystery, romance, a dash of supernatural elements, and plenty of wit and humor! Dodd continues Rosie’s story, where she searches for the murderer of Prince Cal’s father after he appears to her as a ghost.

I adore Rosie’s character, and Dodd had me laughing throughout the whole book with Rosie’s internal monologues and dialogues with other characters (especially Cal). Each book in this series somehow tops the last, so I can’t wait to see what the next installment brings!

Suzy Jackson was an excellent narrator! She made Rosie’s character so fun and I was laughing along as I listened.

I really like this series. It’s a great new take on the Romeo and Juliet story. However, I really didn’t like the seance portion of this book.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Christina Dodd for the chance to listen to and review the ALC of Thus With a Kiss I Die. What a ride!

This book was such a fun surprise. It’s the second in the Daughter of Montague series, and Rosie Montague is honestly one of the most entertaining narrators I’ve listened to in a while. She’s witty, stubborn, a little dramatic (but in a charming way), and she brings a fresh, modern voice to the streets of Verona. I mean, ghosts, revolution, royal drama, and a heroine who’s totally over all of it? Sign me up.

Christina Dodd does a great job blending historical mystery with humor and heart. And Suzy Jackson nails the narration. She gives Rosie so much personality, and her pacing and delivery made the story even more engaging.

If you’re into quirky historical mysteries with strong female leads, a bit of romance, and a lot of sass, this one’s definitely worth a listen.

Rosie Montague of Verona is back and the mystery and Shakespearean talk is back in full force! After the previous book ending, I needed to see what happens next with Rosie, the Prince of Verona and Lysander. This book didn’t disappoint. Prince Escalus the Elder, has returned as a ghost and only Rosie can see him. This caused some laughter on my end. I just adore the characters, and the characters' inflections in this book. It’s such a fun read to get lost in for the day. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Suzy Jackson and it was very well performed. The tones and inflections were spot on. I really enjoyed the dialect she used for Rosie and many of the other characters. If you’re looking for a fierce, witty independent MC and love Romeo & Juliet vibes, be sure to pick this one up. Packed with mystery, a murderous villain, ghost, and a complicated love life. Can’t wait to see what happens next.

A very special thanks to Recorded Books + Netgalley for the gifted ALC.

🎧 Audiobook Review – Thus With a Kiss I Die by Steffanie Holmes
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This was such a fun listen! Suzy Jackson’s narration was really well done — her voice brought just the right tone to the story and kept me hooked.

I loved the whole “daughter of Romeo and Juliet” premise. It’s a cool mix of classic inspiration and paranormal romance, with just enough angst and magic to keep things interesting. Definitely worth a listen if you love retellings with a fresh twist!