Our Violent Ends (These Violent Delights #2)

Cait Jacobs (Caitsbooks)

Rating: really liked it
I'm going to need some time to emotionally recover from this

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC to review

Our Violent Ends is a beautiful conclusion to an emotionally devastating series. This book will stick with you long after you put it down. It is an atmospheric journey, with characters that will embed themselves into your heart, and relationships that will have you crying at 2 am (... totally not speaking from experience here).

The plot in this book is gripping and will have you on the edge of your seat. We all know Romeo and Juliet, but Our Violent Ends surpasses even Shakespeare. I had to put the book down several times just to breathe and prepare myself to keep reading. I also had to put the book down a few times in order to let the beautiful writing style sink in. There are some passages in this book that I would reread again and again because of how beautifully they were written, and how well they were crafted.

In the end, Our Violent Ends is the perfect sequel and has cemented this series as one of my all-time favorites.

Tashie Bhuiyan

Rating: really liked it
If you thought THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS was incredible, then Book 2 is going to blow you out of the water. I'm incredibly lucky in that I am one of the first people to read an early copy of this book, and I genuinely treasure this experience beyond words. I can't wait for everyone to read this masterpiece. I am in such awe of this book and am certain all of these characters will live in my heart long beyond the completion of this story. I cried, I laughed, I screamed, I loved. And truly, what more can you ask for in a book?

More than anything, this book reminded me that at the heart of it all, daring to love is bravest thing we can ever do. Chloe Gong has built a tale wondrous enough to rival Shakespeare. (He's been real quiet since THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS came out...)

Lia Carstairs

Rating: really liked it
I am an empty shell of my former self 😃
Chloe you're paying for my therapy bills <3


This is the 2nd time in my life that I’ve been this heartbroken over a book. Literally it was a full out sob-fest for me reading this.

I don't think I will ever truly recover and really I should've known better but of course I foolishly hoped. My heart has been stomped on, torn into pieces and thrown into an explosion. I actually wasn't expecting to be this heartbroken like WHY did I go ahead and fall in love with every single one of these characters?? I was literally setting myself up for pain *sobs* But oh, isn't that the beauty of reading? To fall in love only to have your heart broken.

Just the way I got trolled so badly, like some of the events actually had me thinking otherwise but oh no no🤡 I am now and forever depressed™

I can literally imagine this was how Chloe was when she wrote OVE:

The monster of Shanghai who?? I only know Miss Chloe Gong *sobbing*


(Warning: There will be spoiler from the 1st book, These Violent Delights!!)

═══*.·:·.☽✧ ❀ ✧☾.·:·.*═══

"A rose is a rose, even by another name. But we choose whether we will offer beauty to the world, or if we will use our thorns to sting."

1927 Shanghai and the city is at the brink of complete chaos. Sightings of monsters have re-emerged, the Communists have grown more bold, and the two gangs ruling the city have gone at each other out for more blood than usual.

Meanwhile, Juliette Cai is having to watch her every step in the face of Tyler--her cousin just waiting to find reason to declare Juliette a traitor and become heir to the Scarlet Gang--and watch for Roma Montagov who is out for revenge after the death of Marshall Seo. Oh and also worry about the appearances of monsters and state of the city. Life is stressful for Juliette :(

I won't go into anymore details of the plot because ✨spoilers✨ BUT OMG THE WAY IT GRIPPED ME FROM THE START?? It took me a while to get into TVD but this!! Literally there wasn't a moment in this book I didn't love. I was a ball of anxiety the whole time. of course my heart was also dying because of the wholesomeness and very few precious scenes And like I actually dropped my expectations for this because I thought and feared it wouldn't be that good but oh how very, very wrong I was.

The characters were so much more fleshed out here?? I already liked them before in TVD but I was just so so in love with them all here to the point where I'd straight up be PRAYING they'd survive😭 Benedikt, Marshall, Kathleen... I didn't think it was possible to adore them all so much, my heart is so full of love. And don't even get me started on the two stars who went from enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies in TVD sdfsfgs THE ANGST.

"She was not fighting for love. She was protecting her own, everyone else's be damned."

THIS QUEEN. Did I believe it to be possible for Juliette to be even more of a queen than she already was? No. Did it happen anyways? HELL YES. All the pain she had to go through, making Roma believe that she had actually killed Marshall and subjecting herself to his hatred *sobbing* And it was all to protect him and the city. And then also having to deal with that bastard Tyler along with her own family and people having not so much faith in her ugh. Juliette hiding away any signs of weakness because people were always watching was so heartbreaking. She couldn't give her people any more reason to doubt her then they already do. Kathleen being the only one she could be herself with, always there for her🥺

You know that moment when you have so much to say that you don't know how to write it all out? That's me right now. Just know if you loved Juliette before, you will definitely love her even more now.

"And maybe he was a coward. He was a coward who wouldn't stop loving a wicked thing."

ROMA, MY LOVE. Oh my god, he's such a cinnamon roll that must be protected at all costs. The hatred and love he felt towards Juliette hurt my soul. Even after seeing Juliette "kill" Marshall, a small part of him believed that there was more to it AND HOW RIGHT THAT FEELING WAS. Of course, Juliette tried as hard as ever to extinguish that feeling but still sdfdgsgds THE ANGST BETWEEN THE TWO.

"Only he knew if he screamed I hate you, what he really meant was I love you. I still love you so much that I hate you for it."

Enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies at its peak😩
The first book's romance wasn't a really big focus BUT HERE?? God, the tension was literally killing me. So many times my heart stopped because of these two😭 The two heirs of rival gangs who dared to love one another <3

(credit: @polarts_)

"And if you are gunned down because you want to fight a war that doesn't belong to you, I will never forgive this city. I will tear it down to pieces, and you will be to blame!

When the ship is in a heated argument and then one of them breaks and yells "because I love you!" sdfsfgsgs MY HEART I LOVED THIS SCENE SO MUCH IT WAS EVERYTHING I WANTED. (view spoiler)[The only crime was that IT TOOK SO LONG for the confession😭 like the last 70 pages?? that is just too cruel (hide spoiler)]


The amount of pain I was in during this whole book like not only did I have suffer watching Roma and Juliette BUT ALSO BENEDIKT WAS SO BROKEN IT HURT. Believing Marshall to be dead completely destroyed him and the whole time throughout I was just screaming "he's alive Benedikt, he's alive!!" That was honestly just true torture knowing Marshall was alive. Benedikt being so reckless about his life like no Ben what are you doing😭

And meanwhile, there's Marshall -- AKA MY PRECIOUS BEAN -- who missed everyone, but of course Ben the most🥺 The two being apart pained me so much, like why can't everyone just be happy?? Is that too much to ask for??
Stan BenMars forever <3

(credit: @Kirisy_art)

Also let it be remembered that Benedikt is and forever will be the only sensible one of the whole group. (view spoiler)[He literally stopped each and everyone of them (in terms of Roma, Juliette, and Marshall) from trying to kill themselves please he really got sick of the self-sacrificing😭 (hide spoiler)]

"Keep fighting for love. It is worth it."

ALSO LET ME JUST SCREAM ABOUT JULIETTE AND MARSHALL'S FRIENDSHIP. It was so beautiful, sweet, and just everything omg I loved it so so so much. Their banter was like one between siblings and the way my heart was about to burst😭 IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL. Literally all the relationships between the characters were so so amazing, I can't choose a favourite it's impossible.

"And yet wasn't that the root of all hatred? Wasn't that what made it so vicious? There was never a reason. Never a good one. Never a fair one."

Kathleen Lang, please marry me. She's literally such a genuine and kind-hearted person just how?? Such a morally good character and the development she went through by the end of this book???🥺 I was actually about to cry. Also, Juliette and her just have the most wholesome friendship ever, there was moment between them that made me so emotional, get a friend like Kathleen😭 (view spoiler)[And I can so bet on my life that either her or Alisa is going to be the main character in Foul Lady Fortune!! (im thinking Alisa more tho) (hide spoiler)]

Also this is totally off-topic but I'm WHEEZING at how I said at the end of my These Violent Delights review how my loyalty will forever lie with the Scarlet Gang... HAHA no the Scarlet Gang can go to hell :)
Correction: My loyalty forever lies with Roma and Juliette <3 They are true leaders.


↓ MAJOR SPOILERS FOR OVE IN THIS SECTION ↓


═══*.·:·.☽✧ ❀ ✧☾.·:·.*═══

"Keep fighting for love. Juliette had wanted to be selfish, had wanted to run. But this was their love⁠—violent and bloody. This city was their love. They couldn't deny their upbringings as the heirs of Shanghai, as two pieces of a throne. What was left of their love if they rejected that? How could they live with themselves, look at each other, knowing they had been presented a choice and gone against who they were at the core."

I legit can't even write their names without tears blurring my vision. LIKE I'M ACTUALLY STRUGGLING WRITING THIS RIGHT NOW TRYING TO SEE. It's so heartbreaking my heart physically hurts. All they wanted was to live happy, alone and free from the blood feud ohmygod AND THEY EVEN HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO RUN AWAY, but oh Roma and Juliette were too noble for their own good and I both love and hate them for that. They just wanted to love each other freely. They just wanted peace, and they couldn't even have that. I'M SOBBING. They gave up their lives for the city that caused them so much pain. PLEASE HOW ARE ROMA AND JULIETTE SO GOOD??

And like obviously it shouldn't have been a surprise they were going to die considering it was a retelling of R&J. Like even the foreshadowing made it obvious BUT I STILL FOOLISHLY HOPED CHLOE WOULD SPARE OUR HEARTS. It wouldn't have been an accurate retelling if she hadn't followed through BUT STILL😭😭 It pains me so so much and I just want to crawl into a hole and die because those two so deserved all the happiness in this world.

I WANTED BENMARS AND ROMAJULIETTE TO LIVE NEXT TO EACH OTHER, HAVE KIDS, AND GROW OLD TOGETHER HAPPY THIS ISN'T FAIR, THIS PAIN IS ILLEGAL. I love that Roma and Juliette got to at least die together holding hands and knowing that both of their cousins were dead at least but omg I will never recover from this. And the gangs were disbanded because of their deaths so at least that's something😭

They were only married for one day before they died *sobbing* Chloe you're too cruel.

"In this life they had been born enemies. In this life they had blood for miles between them, wide enough to run a river, deep enough to forge a valley. In the next, maybe there would be peace."

═══*.·:·.☽✧ ❀ ✧☾.·:·.*═══


This review was a chaotic mess, so you can tell just how much this book destroyed me. It's been months since a book made me feel this way and I don't know if I should be thanking or cursing Chloe. Either way, STAN THIS QUEEN FOR MAKING ME FEEL LIKE THIS. I will forever remember each of these lovable characters and absolutely can't wait for Foul Lady Fortune which hopefully won't break me as much as OVE did. lies, the masochist in me hopes for that


Now, time to go through the stages of grief... except in this case, I'll never get to the 5th✌



Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review! All quotes in this review are subject to change upon release date.

✧*˚*✧

These Violent Delights: ★★★★

_____

Update [July 12th, 2021]: THE BOOK GODS LISTENED TO MY PLEAS IM SOBBING I GOT AN ARC😭😭

*excited* *scared*


Update: Feb.2nd, 2021:

ohmygod-

I was terrified before

and that cover/blurb SO ISN'T HELPING

Update: Dec. 19, 2020:

omg "Our Violent Ends" . . . OUR VIOLENT ENDS —

STOP SCARING ME CHLOE

Update: Nov. 22, 2020:

To say that I'm freaking out over what's going to happen in this book is definitely an understatement.

One thing's for sure

Chloe is going to destroy us.

✧*˚*✧

christy

Rating: really liked it
shakespeare wishes he was chloe gong

Melanie (MelReads)

Rating: really liked it
now wait a minute… i need to know if the price of this book includes a therapy session because… i am UNWELL😭

Kelsey (munnyreads)

Rating: really liked it
Juliette Cai, you deserve the world.

Robin

Rating: really liked it
↠ 5 stars

It's 1927, and Shanghai stands divided by blood. Allied to the Scarlet Gang through family ties, Juliette Cai gambles the safety of those around her to protect those she loves from the inevitable fallout. Having chosen a necessary betrayal over her own heart, Juliette is completely undone, possessed by an impossible need to prevail against the White Flowers and her own family. Roma Montagov believes her cruelty for the supposed murder of his comrade, but Juliette must keep up the game if she ever hopes to keep her cousin from ousting her as the Scarlet Gang's heir. Deep within the city, something far more dangerous lurks primed to strike. It brings with it great evil, a final chip in the marble that could bring Shanghai to its knees. A betrayal may have torn their reunion asunder, but Juliette and Roma will have to shed the hatred binding them together to become something far greater to each other and to the city that they hold dear.

The thing about Our Violent Ends is that I didn't want the ends to be violent. I spent most of my time reading this denying that the duology was in fact a Romeo and Juliette retelling and instead choosing to focus solely on vibes. Right from the start, Chloe Gong does not hold back, amping up the action and drawing an exquisite picture of betrayal and intrigue. The complexities arising from the conclusion of the previous book stay strong, give or take some added angst that set my soul ablaze. There's just something about the betrayal trope that drives forth this finale into something dark and tragic. A foreboding atmosphere that seeps into every crevice of the story, threatening to fracture apart growing relationships and the fate of the characters. Much like the previous book in the series, the politics, and complicated alliances play against the emergence of an outside threat, but one far greater than before. Roma and Juliette really excelled here, as they ultimately reach the tipping point for compromise and a search for power amidst the blood feud that has fueled the city for decades. Seeing all of these complex feelings play out, especially after the events that concluded the last book, was simply delightful. Gong has a talent for keeping the emotions of her characters in check until the last second, which drove me completely insane. By the time that the inevitable reconciliation came around, I was utterly ruined by it. Roma and Juliette have this passion mixed with a tenderness that is so rare to read about. I certainly won't be getting over their journey anytime soon. With so many allusions to the original text, I was afraid of how this was going to end, but Chloe Gong crafts a compelling and bittersweet ending that simultaneously tore my heart to pieces and restored my faith in love. In this explosive finale set in the chaos of a city divided, two people find their way back to one another and must fight against the bonds determined to destroy them both.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review

Trigger Warnings: blood, violence, gun violence, death, murder

She-who-must-not-be-named

Rating: really liked it
“I will fight this war to love you, Juliette Cai. I will fight this feud to have you, because it was this feud that gave you to me, twisted as it is, and now I will take you away from it.”

Our Violent Ends brings rivals Roma and Juliette together once again to save their city from monsters. But monsters aren’t the only threat to Shanghai. Communists are competing against the Nationalists for control of the government, workers are organising strikes and a mysterious blackmailer gets a hold of the insects. As Shanghai faces deep political unrest and a potential civil war, it is upto Roma and Juliette to save the city TOGETHER that is if they don’t rip each other apart first.

CHLOE GONG IS A SADIST. My heart is still recovering from what I’ve read- a heavy weight resting across its walls. I have an unfathomable amount of pent-up energy inside me and I’m trying not to fall apart crumb by crumb.

This book isn’t for everyone, especially not the light-hearted. It is dark and gory and deals with heavy descriptions of war, violence, physical abuse, bloodshed and self-mutilation.


I absolutely inhaled this book and the writing style played a huge role in it. Chloe Gong’s writing is suffused with such evocative imagery and an intense sense of resolution and urgency as if anything can happen at any moment; Everyone’s life is at stake. Her ability to point at the brutality and heartlessness of people made the reading experience so much more real and painful.

I loved that this book didn’t just focus on Roma and Juliette’s viewpoints alone. It also brought Rosalind, Kathleen, Tyler and Alisa’s povs into the spotlight. I remember hating Tyler in the first book but this book made me view things in his perspective and my heart warmed for him a little. Each character had a different essence and I developed a deep bond with them. No wonder my heart feels so pulverised at this moment.

The romance in this book was well-executed and was an amalgamation of the slow burn and the forbidden love trope that made it all the more electric and tantalizing.

Having said that, I felt like the last few chapters were rushed. It felt as if the monster and the insect-spread madness was a minor setback as other issues like rising communist sentiment and new alliances were highlighted more. There were relatively fewer graphic descriptions of the insects inflicting madness that resulted in people killing themselves so it all felt a little less raw. But I admit it is insanely difficult to deal with so many conflicts in a 500 page book so props to Chloe for attempting it.

jessica

Rating: really liked it
i mean, given the title and knowing how the story of romeo and juliet ends, i shouldnt be so mad about how everything plays out in this… but i am.

and im probably just bitter about it because i wanted a strong, happy ending to offset how meh i felt about the rest of the book. mainly because i couldnt care less about the historical revolution happening in shanghai at the time. the communists vs. the revolutionists is not a subplot i care about, especially when the book is as long and drawn out as this one is. give me more gang fights, give me more monsters, give me more betrayals. basically, just give me the first book again. lol.

but i suppose i cant complain that the story sticks to the heart of the story of romeo and juliet and does so in a very unique way. i have no doubt many readers will love this conclusion to a very entertaining duology. i just wish i personally cared about it more. :/

thanks simon and schuster for the ARC!

↠ 3.5 stars

ale ‧ ₊˚୨୧ ₊˚

Rating: really liked it
i think i've seen this film before, and i didn't like the ending 🥺🤧

i don't want to finish this one tbh

Layla

Rating: really liked it
I no longer believe in happiness.

Lisa of Troy

Rating: really liked it
Will Roma and Juliette have a new fate in this updated retelling of the classic?

Set in Shanghai in 1927, there are two feuding families, the White Flowers and the Scarlets. Roma Montagov is the heir to the White Flowers while Juliette Cai is the heir to the Scarlets. These star-crossed lovers are determined to find a way to protect the city from various forces - the monsters, politics, and even their own families. What fate lies in store for these two?

Our Violent Ends is the second book from Chloe Gong following her debut novel, These Violent Delights. Although I did read the first book about a year ago, Our Violent Ends heavily referenced to some events from the first book that I regretted not rereading it before diving into the second book.

Ms. Gong is oozing with talent. She has such a vast vocabulary and a very strong command of verbs. When I started to get bored, I would highlight the words that we all know but don't use very often in our everyday language. In this book, Ms. Gong went beyond the traditional fan fiction and crafted a new story.

The book could have benefited from better pacing, and the book was overly long at nearly 500 pages. There were too many different sub-plots going on. There were multiple power struggles, multiple love stories, and multiple battles and enemies. The ending was also a huge disappointment, not very memorable. It almost felt like the author ran out of steam by the end.

Overall, although Our Violent Ends dragged at times, Ms. Gong's prose was quite delightful, and it was refreshing to see the author craft an original tale.

2022 Reading Schedule
Jan Animal Farm
Feb Lord of the Flies
Mar The Da Vinci Code
Apr Of Mice and Men
May Memoirs of a Geisha
Jun Little Women
Jul The Lovely Bones
Aug Charlotte's Web
Sep Life of Pi
Oct Dracula
Nov Gone with the Wind
Dec The Secret Garden

Connect With Me!
Blog Twitter BookTube Facebook

Eva B.

Rating: really liked it
My desire for a Romeo and Juliet retelling that commits to the ending and my desire to see all of these characters safe and happy are warring in my head.

toointofiction

Rating: really liked it
“These violent delights have violent ends, you have always known this.”



Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (no joke)

❗❗Regretfully Spoiler-free ARC Review.❗❗



HOW IS THIS EVEN BETTER THAN THE FIRST ONE?!?! I cried so much over this book, I look like I was attacked by bees!!!



I don't even know where to begin with this. I am so utterly wrecked by this, I will never be the same again. For one thing, this was so incredibly well-written. The plot, the descriptions, the plot twists. Just AMAZING!! It was bad enough that I was crying uncontrollably, but to have my mind completely and utterly blown, at the same time....it was just so damn cruel Chloe Gong!!! And, somehow, I am eternally grateful for it...what a sucker!! There were so many moments that ABSOLUTELY KILLED ME. There's a reason this book is called, Our Violent Ends...because it was definitely my violent end!!! However, nothing killed me like that cruel, cruel ending!!! Without getting into spoilers, you will cry, it will be ugly, and you won't be able to stop. Word of advice, DO NOT finish this past midnight...you will not sleep a wing afterwards. I am still not okay. I may or may not be experiencing deep, unrelenting emotional instability....and so will you. Guaranteed!!


**There is absolutely NOTHING I didn't like about this book. This entire series. That's how good both books were.**



Sufficed to say, the characters were just as good, if not even better, than in the first book. Everyone, from hero to villain, was so well-written, so fascinating and natural, I forgot that I was reading about fictional people. (Admittedly, this happens with most of the books I read, but even more so with this one.) The Romuliette content was *chef's kiss* from start to end. The tension, the fighting, the looooove. 💜😭💜😭💜 Like seriously...so, so good!!! In fact, I loath that I can't write exactly what I am referring to, because it's all gooooood stuff. But alas, I am no asshole, I will not spoil such a masterpiece and ruin it for you. Now for my other favourite pairing in the series, Benedikt and Marshall, the content was just as good as Romuliette's. So good I'm holding back tears writing this. Again, I can't get into too much detail without spoiling, so you're gonna have to wait and read for yourselves, but one thing I can say is, the ship support between Romuliette and Benshall (is this a good enough ship name) filled me with warm and wholesome joy!!! Another thing I can say is, how precious the Marshall x Juliette friendship was. They clicked like they've been friends forever!! ...Aaand I'm about to start crying again...Marshall is still my favourite (duh), and I CANNOT BELIEVE I actually felt bad for Tyler....Uncool, Chloe Gong. Uncool.



If you read this book/series, you will love and hate everything at the same time, you will ugly cry, you will curse your ability to feel. So, you should definitely read this.


You can also check out my reviews of These Violent Delights and A RomaJuliette Christmas Special.

literarylesbian

Rating: really liked it
(4.5, rounded up)

This book was just--wow. Probably one of the most stressful books I've ever read, but in the best way possible. When reading These Violent Delights, it took me a good chunk of the book to get into the story, but Our Violent Ends had me utterly hooked from the start. The writing made me feel as though I was in 1920s Shanghai right along side Roma and Juliette.

One of the things that truly sets this book apart from other Romeo and Juliet retelling is its unique ability to reshape the borrowed characters and make them anew. While this book maintains a high stakes conflict, the characters still drive the book. The balance of plot and character development was extremely well done, and if I thought I loved the characters after reading the first book, I was proved completely wrong. Our Violent Ends had me so insanely invested in this characters I was holding my breath every time something seemed to go wrong.

In a way, Our Violent Ends felt like a completely different book then These Violent Delights. The author's substantial growth as a writer became abundantly clear from the get-go. Our Violent Ends truly takes you into the heart of Shanghai, and the switch in point-of-views was utilized much more effectively, giving the reader a greater understanding of each side involved.

The ending of this book just absolutely crushed me. Chloe Gong threw my heart down the garbage disposal and ran away. This book was more than just a retelling, it truly managed to create an entirely new narrative that is both as beautiful and heartbreaking as its source material.

It is now time for me to sit and wait--laughing maniacally--for you all to get a chance to read this show-stopping sequel to These Violent Delights. Our Violent Ends was an amazing conclusion to new top duology of mine. It won't disappoint.

Be aware that like the source material, Our Violent Ends does feature suicidal ideation and actions. As always, be kind to yourself.