Okay so I didn't have super high hopes for this but damn. I stand very corrected. The narration was 5/5 and the plot was so good. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and read it in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. ( )

A clever, thoughtful reimagining that goes so far beyond simply making Romeo and Juliet gay (as laudable a project as that is). This book sparkles with wit and verve, the characters feel real, both familiar and developed, and the dialogue flows beautifully. Romeo and Valentine’s love story is utterly compelling while also feeling grounded in its historical and literary setting. The true themes of the original play, the vicious cycle of violence, the dire effects of parental neglect, and the senselessness of avoidable loss, all shine through here. Juliet and her unwanted marriage to count Paris don’t get overshadowed even though the main story is about two boys falling in love; indeed, the Juliet of this adaptation is lively, resourceful, and as cunning as any Shakespearean character ever was. It was a pleasure to read from start to finish and I also appreciated the impressive number of Shakespeare references the author was able to work in (“claim his pound of flesh”, “ghost at the banquet” etc.). This is book is a great example of the wonderful, high quality, gay fiction I wish had been more prevalent when I was a teenager. ( )

We do not always get to choose the future- sometimes the future simply happens and we may only choose how to live with it.

An easy, feel-good queer shakespeare retelling.
Romeo is gay and Juliet doesn't want to be sold into marriage like most women of the time. The family members they love (and Friar Laurence) are all accepting and supportive, even if they do not fully understand them.
I liked the way the author tried his best to make the characters sound like average teenagers in renaissance Italy. They read the Ars Amatoria in secret and speak more modern when they are under stress and cannot find the proper Shakespearean sentences to say what they mean.
Compared to the other books in this series I've read, Self Made Boys and My Dear Henry, this one doesn't alter the original as significantly. Romeo and Valentine fall in love and the plot of the original follows.
It was very enjoyable, and I love how this series gives the characters a well-deserved happily ever after.

i read an ARC so this quote migth not be in the published version. ( )