martinas_library 's review for:

The Battle of the Bookshops by Poppy Alexander

DID NOT FINISH: 25%

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DNF at 25%. After going back over the summary multiple times, there is no mention of this being a Romeo and Juliet retelling. If I had known this fact, I most likely would not have picked up this book. I am not a huge fan of retellings and really do not like Shakespeare so this just wasn't the book for me. The amount of similarities and references to the play within the first quarter of the book made it difficult for me to enjoy. The writing almost felt Shakespearean to me, where as I would prefer a more modern take. It wasn't just a retelling, it was constant references to Shakespeare, jokes about the main characters being Romeo and Juliet, names being so similar it took me out of the story, and constant reminders that the families have been in a long time generational feud.  

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.