Reading in Wonderland

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The year is 1927, and Shanghai teeters on the edge of revolution.

After sacrificing her relationship with Roma to protect him from the blood feud, Juliette has been a girl on a mission. One wrong move, and her cousin will step in to usurp her place as the Scarlet Gang’s heir. The only way to save the boy she loves from the wrath of the Scarlets is to have him want her dead for murdering his best friend in cold blood. If Juliette were actually guilty of the crime Roma believes she committed, his rejection might sting less.

Roma is still reeling from Marshall’s death, and his cousin Benedikt will barely speak to him. Roma knows it’s his fault for letting the ruthless Juliette back into his life, and he’s determined to set things right—even if that means killing the girl he hates and loves with equal measure.

Then a new monstrous danger emerges in the city, and though secrets keep them apart, Juliette must secure Roma’s cooperation if they are to end this threat once and for all. Shanghai is already at a boiling point: The Nationalists are marching in, whispers of civil war brew louder every day, and gangster rule faces complete annihilation. Roma and Juliette must put aside their differences to combat monsters and politics, but they aren’t prepared for the biggest threat of all: protecting their hearts from each other.

Short and Sweet Review

After the events of the first book Shanghai is now on the edge of a revolution. There’s a lot of tension in the city and one wrong move could get you killed. Juliette and Roma aren’t speaking especially because Roma thinks Juliette betrayed him in the biggest way. But when someone starts blackmailing both the Scarlets and the White Flowers, Juliette and Roma have to work together to stop the chaos that is once again arising in Shanghai.

This sequel was such a good ending to this epic duology. Roma and Juliette still have feelings for each other but Juliette thinks its easier for Roma to hate her just so she can keep him safe a little longer. Roma still loves Juliette even though he thinks she killed his closest friend. There’s so much going on in this book but in a good way. We see both gangs being blackmailed and Juliette and Roma trying to find the blackmailer. Some of the Scarlets were doing things that were shocking and I think that was one of the biggest twists because it was a betrayal to Juliette and her cousin. Also Juliette has to stay on her toes because Tyler is still coming for her position. I thought it was interesting that even though Juliette was the heir of the Scarlets, Tyler got more respect from their family. In the end Juliette knows that things in Shanghai aren’t going to get better, the blood feud is never going to end until one gang is completely gone, so she makes the decision to take Roma and make a run for it and from there we can only hope those two had a happily ever after.

Honestly this was a book that kept me hooked until the very end. This was such an imaginative retelling of Romeo and Juliette and I would read this duology again. These Violent Delights duology is worth the read, you’ll fall in love with the characters, the plot, and the forbidden romance!