Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - The Hundred Loves of Juliet

Sweepingly romantic in places and poignantly human in others, The Hundred Loves of Juliet is excellent for fans of The Time Traveler's Wife or The Invisible Life of Addie Larue. Both Helene and Sebastian are flawed people, and at several points I had my doubts that they would make things work, supernatural curse notwithstanding. They really had to work for it, to overcome their hang-ups about love and trauma and past circumstances.

I do wish the book was maybe 30-50 pages longer, just so there could be more transition time between "I'm in this crazy man's house" to "I might be the reincarnation of Juliet" before they were suddenly, irrevocably in love.

I will also note that pregnancy is usually an automatic DNF for me if it's from a POV character, but I kept going to the end, since that doesn't appear until about the 70% mark.

Content warnings include: death of parent, death, grief, cheating & gaslighting by previous partner, and pregnancy.

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chaptersofchase's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

A love story worth reading 💗
Thank you, Del Rey Books & PRH Audio, for the gifted copy of The Hundred Loves of Juliet {partner}

Genre: Romance
Trope: Retelling
Format: 🎧
Audiobook Narration: ☆☆☆☆☆
Pub Date: 8.1.2023
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆.5

"There's no love worth having if it doesn't break your heart when it's over."

I was unsure going in because I'm hyper-critical of romance stories, but The Hundred Loves of Juliet stole my heart. It's a love story for the ages. There wasn't a need for any unnecessary frills because the love between Sebastian and Helene (Romeo and Juliet) carried the whole book.

Not only is this book about the love of Sebastian and Helene and how it spans centuries, but it is also full of hope and what it means to love someone, even if you know you'll lose them in the end. It was such a pure story that reminded me of how special a romance book can be.

The Hundred Loves of Juliet is told through flashbacks/other stories written by Helene, and I was utterly enamored from start to finish. It was such a unique take on the genre. I was thrilled to make it to the end of the book without crying, but then I read the author's note, and that's where the tears came in. If you decide to read this one (and you should), read that note at the end.

❤️ Retelling of Romeo & Juliet
✌🏼 Dual POV
🕰️ Multiple timelines (easy to follow)
🚪 Closed-door romance
📝 Read that author's note

I recommend reading The Hundred Loves of Juliet if you are willing to suspend reality and fall in love with one epic love story.

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elysesharp's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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theliterarymess's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

It’s like a Shakespearean hallmark movie with a mission impossible twist

This story reminded me of Chloe Gong’s ‘A Thousand More’ but as a full novel. I really enjoyed the concept of this story, and I think Skye executed it perfectly. It’s a beautiful and emotional tale. Skye has taken the idea that Romeo is to blame for Juliet’s death and spun it into a tragic fairytale. It’s absolutely heart wrenching reading all of Sebastien’s memories.

The story is really well written. The pacing is perfect and I think the backstory has been scattered throughout in all the right places.

I’m not too sure I was content with how the curse ended. I think I’d have wanted more substance to it, maybe something to do with Adam also needing to forgive Sebastian?

Skye’s inspiration for this story is personal and touching, and I hope that she finds comfort in her labour of love.

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jessreadreceipts's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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