A review by hobbithopeful
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Chloe Gong stuns in this Romeo & Juliet inspired fantasy story set in the 1920s in Shanghai, and shows the very tragic reality of blood feuds; a never ending circle of hurt. Juliette Cai is the cruel and heartless heiress, newly returned from New York to take her place in the Scarlet Gang, her family's criminal enterprise. Much has changed since she has left, and Shanghai is now caught in a power struggle between foreigners, Russians, Nationalist's, and more. The biggest threat is the Scarlet Gang's blood feud rivals, the White Flowers. But the river is unsettled, something is stirring in the waters of Shanghai. A madness is spreading, with no qualms about what gang you belong to, or how rich or poor you are. Juliet has no choice but to work with Roma, the White Flower's heir, and the man who broke her heart and betrayed her years ago. Will they be able to stop the madness before Shanghai overflows with bodies? 
 I am not sure which I enjoyed more in this book; the beautiful descriptions and imagery, or the mystery that unraveled a little more as I turned the pages. The cut throat world that Juliette and Roma live in kept me on the edge of my seat, and their chemistry and banter was so organic and wonderfully done. It is no wonder that this is the book that put Chloe Gong on the map! It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger however, so please bear that in mind when you read it. Also! There is LGBT representation, several characters are queer and one is trans! 
The cover I didn't mind, but I found it pretty unoriginal. You can walk into any bookstore and see hundreds of book covers with the same layout, I find it doesn't convey the story well. 
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