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A review by melcanread
A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
4.0
Daughter of the infamous Romeo and Juliet finds herself embroiled in murderous scandal, and she's the one accused. What will she do to clear her name? What will she do to protect her family?
This was read as an ARC, so I would like to take a moment to thank Net Galley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this book early.
This novel was a rollercoaster from start to finish. When you thought the story was over, it picked immediately back up and made you, the reader, hit the ground running with brand new information at your feet.
I very much liked the humour and how, at times, it very much read like Shakespearean literature. The perpetrator was very much reminiscent of Hamlet... or Macbeth, I can't quite decide. But either way, I loved to be reminded of Shakespeare's other works even if the intent wasn't there. While I had an inkling on the perpetrator, I definitely didn't see the second twist coming and was very much caught off guard. The storyline itself reminded me a little bit of Yellowface but only in that it was a dramatic car crash that you really couldn't look away from... and I mean this as a compliment.
This read like a young adult novel, which is something I didn't expect... so whether it actually was or not I couldn't say. But readers should be aware that that's the kind of voice this book has.
Speaking of voice, Rosaline Montague had quite an interesting one. She was equal parts entertaining and annoying, given her immature tendencies and her intelligence that blended into a typical, late teenage girl. She very much had a know-it-all attitude which, at times, could be quite insufferable to read, but ultimately, she always kept the drama coming. Naming her after Romeo's first love was... a choice, but what was even more of a choice was the way that Romeo's character was portrayed within the first few chapters. There were quite a few times where I could hear police sirens going off because you shouldn't really be talking about your daughter in that way, my man. What is wrong with you? But, as time went on, he mellowed out into a likeable character (as did Juliet), and they ended up truly making this car crash of a story with their out-of-touch humour.
I think I loved Lysander a lot, too. The man was just a Shakespearean himbo with golden retriever energy, complete with the weird need to climb stuff, and honestly, I loved him. Even if their relationship did feel a little forced.
Now, to talk about the things I didn't like. This very much read like a YA novel, which I've mentioned before, and though I enjoyed, it wasn't something I was expecting. I don't know whether it was marketed to me as an adult novel, or if it was just my mistake, but I, like many other readers, was bamboozled by the immature voice of Rosie Montague. I was able to look passed it, but others weren't. But this did mean that some of the scenes that were written did leave me feeling a little icky, especially given the ambiguity of the age range. And I would love for Kensington Books or Dodd to clarify who the intended audience was.
Without giving spoilers to anyone who may come across this review, I would also feel the need to mention that the romance elements of the book, and the second twist that came at the end, also left me feeling a little icky as there was a scene of dubious consent nestled in there - and while it made for excellent drama, and I was absolutely foaming for that, it still made me feel a little weird given the situation. A list of trigger warnings would have been incredibly useful for this, including other themes of the book, too.
I'm unsure if Dodd intends on writing a sequel, or a short novella to kind of round off this novel, but if not, the ending, I felt, was weak and creepy, and would definitely appreciate some kind of alternative if there's an option for it. If there is a sequel in the works, then I'm excited to see where it takes us.
I would have rated this a 3.75, had it not been for the drama, which is why the novel was boosted to a 4. But, despite its flaws, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I would like to thank Net Galley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This was read as an ARC, so I would like to take a moment to thank Net Galley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this book early.
This novel was a rollercoaster from start to finish. When you thought the story was over, it picked immediately back up and made you, the reader, hit the ground running with brand new information at your feet.
I very much liked the humour and how, at times, it very much read like Shakespearean literature. The perpetrator was very much reminiscent of Hamlet... or Macbeth, I can't quite decide. But either way, I loved to be reminded of Shakespeare's other works even if the intent wasn't there. While I had an inkling on the perpetrator, I definitely didn't see the second twist coming and was very much caught off guard. The storyline itself reminded me a little bit of Yellowface but only in that it was a dramatic car crash that you really couldn't look away from... and I mean this as a compliment.
This read like a young adult novel, which is something I didn't expect... so whether it actually was or not I couldn't say. But readers should be aware that that's the kind of voice this book has.
Speaking of voice, Rosaline Montague had quite an interesting one. She was equal parts entertaining and annoying, given her immature tendencies and her intelligence that blended into a typical, late teenage girl. She very much had a know-it-all attitude which, at times, could be quite insufferable to read, but ultimately, she always kept the drama coming. Naming her after Romeo's first love was... a choice, but what was even more of a choice was the way that Romeo's character was portrayed within the first few chapters. There were quite a few times where I could hear police sirens going off because you shouldn't really be talking about your daughter in that way, my man. What is wrong with you? But, as time went on, he mellowed out into a likeable character (as did Juliet), and they ended up truly making this car crash of a story with their out-of-touch humour.
I think I loved Lysander a lot, too. The man was just a Shakespearean himbo with golden retriever energy, complete with the weird need to climb stuff, and honestly, I loved him. Even if their relationship did feel a little forced.
Now, to talk about the things I didn't like. This very much read like a YA novel, which I've mentioned before, and though I enjoyed, it wasn't something I was expecting. I don't know whether it was marketed to me as an adult novel, or if it was just my mistake, but I, like many other readers, was bamboozled by the immature voice of Rosie Montague. I was able to look passed it, but others weren't. But this did mean that some of the scenes that were written did leave me feeling a little icky, especially given the ambiguity of the age range. And I would love for Kensington Books or Dodd to clarify who the intended audience was.
Without giving spoilers to anyone who may come across this review, I would also feel the need to mention that the romance elements of the book, and the second twist that came at the end, also left me feeling a little icky as there was a scene of dubious consent nestled in there - and while it made for excellent drama, and I was absolutely foaming for that, it still made me feel a little weird given the situation. A list of trigger warnings would have been incredibly useful for this, including other themes of the book, too.
I'm unsure if Dodd intends on writing a sequel, or a short novella to kind of round off this novel, but if not, the ending, I felt, was weak and creepy, and would definitely appreciate some kind of alternative if there's an option for it. If there is a sequel in the works, then I'm excited to see where it takes us.
I would have rated this a 3.75, had it not been for the drama, which is why the novel was boosted to a 4. But, despite its flaws, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I would like to thank Net Galley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content, Sexism, and Vomit
Minor: Body shaming, Pregnancy, Infidelity, and Fatphobia