A Witchy Gothic Romance Retelling of Romeo and Juliette by Kate King | By Any Other Name

A Witchy Gothic Romance Retelling of Romeo and Juliette by Kate King | By Any Other Name | A Review

***This is a review of an ARC sample from the Author in exchange for an honest review*** I got the arc copy of "By Any Other Name" from Kate King in February this year (2024). I started reading at the time but left it in the middle because I had a lot on my plate at the time. But I resumed the book in yesterday and finished reading in one sitting. As always this is another good book by the author so, let's get into review.

Blurb

He’s seduced by the darkness, but she’s always been his sun. In the elite university town of Stratford, Massachusetts, a secret society of eight wealthy and influential families use occult witchcraft to maintain their power and privilege. The entire society is dangerous, but the bitter blood feud between rival families, the Capulets and the Montagues, makes them almost as infamous as Stratford itself. Etta Capulet has always been a good girl. Roman Montague is anything but good. But despite their differences, their vicious family rivalry, and years of curses, threats, and murders, Roman has secretly loved Etta as long as he can remember. So when he hears her moaning his name through her open bedroom window, he vows to make her his… Until death do they part.

GENRE
Gothic Retelling

THEME AND TONE
Beautiful and Engaging

LANGUAGE AND WRITING STYLE
Easy to Read

CHARACTERS
Multilayered Characters

TROPES
☙ Enemies to Lovers

☙ Star-crossed Lovers
☙ Dark Retelling of Romeo & Juliet
☙ Witches and Warlocks

☙ Fated Mates
☙ Dark Fantasy
☙ Romantasy
☙ Family Secrets

☙ Magic and Curses

MY REVIEW
I did not read the goodreads description before starting it and about halfway through I realized it's Romeo and Juliet....lol...It is sometimes gets tiring to read retellings because we all know how it will happen and in this I thought It will be the same but there were many things different in this one.

The scenes, the enemies to lovers part, the feud between witch families, the family secrets, the murders in the backdrop and a serial witch killer on the lose and the twist happened at the end.....everything added a layer of complexity to the storyline and it was freaking genius of the author. I was not expecting the Murderer but I would have love to read that part in detail when everyone realized who was the person. Author seemed to skipped that part.

I love a book where there are multiple plotlines happening. But Author focused on Roman and Etta more and It would have been great to read more about Councilman Lawrence, Etta's Aunt who was banished from the order, Pierce and Catalina scenes (I was more invested in their friendship though).

So, without any spoiling I would say the book was a good read. A solid 4 stars from me because I had a good time reading it and I will definitely recommend it.

Banter: ★★★★ | 4 Stars

Romance: ★★★★★ | 5 Stars

Ending: ★★★★★| 5 Stars
Fun: ★★★★★| 5 Stars

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶| 3/5

Book Cover:★★★| 3 Stars

THE BEST PART
☙ Murder Mystery and the family feud
☙ The twist at the end

☙ Roman's friends were pretty interesting

THE WORST PART:
☙ I wanted more of the backdrop plotlines
☙ I absolutely got annoyed by the sequence of the chapters....one was 5 years earlier and the next was time jump to present. I got a whiplash going back and forth lol. It would have been great if all the scenes of 5 years earlier was half the book and next half would consist of present times. But of course Author knows better.

If you make a purchase through one of these affiliate links, I will get a small commission at no extra cost to you.
☙ Kindle (free with kindle Unlimited)
☙ Paperback Edition

Happy Reading!!

❤ 🎧☕️🕯️📖 ❤

Jenny Hickman's 'A Cursed Kiss': A Love Story Wrapped in Magic and Curses - Are You Up for the Ride?

I started reading this book because of the audiobook of the third in the Myths of Airren series written by Jenny Hickman . I got the audiobook from Netgalley and wanted to read the first book first. This book was really amazing. GENRE Romantasy, Fantasy THEME AND TONE The tone is quite beautiful. The start of the book was gripping. I started reading it and couldn't put it down. LANGUAGE AND WRITING STYLE Easy to read CHARACTERS Mysterious, Morally grey MMC Goody two shoes FMC (not that good but she was a good girl with her own standards of morality) TROPES ☙ Our Hero is Morally grey and he is just ❤😅 ☙ Enemies to Lovers ☙ Magical Curses ☙ Magical beings and Species. ☙ Forced Proximity ☙ Slow Burn ☙ FMC is on a quest to save her sister MY REVIEW Okay SO started reading this book in the last week of December and I got sidetracked by work and other duties. I resumed it this week and got right into this beautiful magical world. The world-building was not very deep ...

A Critical Lens on 'Hunting Adeline' by H.D. Carlton: Exploring the Disturbing Themes | A Review

I kept delaying writing the review because I had to remember it and didn't want to do that. This 2nd book of Cat and Mouse duet is the story of a human trafficking survivor. This book is a huge TRIGGER WARNING . Kindly proceed with caution. I even got traumatized after reading it. So to explain the synopsis; Adeline (the main character) got kidnapped at the end of the first book and sold to some people who groomed her for some very rich and powerful clients. Almost half of the book is based on Adeline surviving the worst situations possible for a woman. Adeline had one advantage someone was fervently searching for her, and eventually, Zade managed to rescue her after four agonizing months. The scene when Zade finds her and she just could not believe it. She crumbled to her knees thinking she was hallucinating. After Zade brings her home she struggles so hard to process her trauma. She learns to fight to take control of her life. She gets close to her mother. She hates h...

On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn | A Review

What's Up, Readers!! Welcome to Quills and Pages. I just finished On Wings of Blood arc....and now I am here to write the review. the book is written by Briar Boleyn and Thank you to Netgally and the author for this arc. iSo, let's start the review BLURB I didn't sign up for this. A half-fae in a school of highblood vampires? That's a recipe for torment. I'm Medra Pendragon—last of the dragon riders, or so they tell me. Funny thing is, there are no dragons left. Not a single one. But somehow, that hasn't stopped the vampires from deciding I'm worth capturing. Now I'm stuck at Bloodwing Academy, where the highbloods run everything and blightborn like me? We're just blood in their veins, pawns in their games. But that's not even the worst part. Enter Blake Drakharrow. Cold, arrogant, and way too gorgeous for his own good. He's been tormenting me since the moment we met, and now, thanks to some ancient ritual, we're betrothed. He acts like h...

The Bond That Burns by Briar Boleyn | A Review

What's Up, Readers!! Welcome to Quills and Pages. I finally got myself to sit down to write this review for the second book of Bloodwing Academy series. Today is a good day because it's cloudy and windy with a chance of slight rain....and nothing puts my mood better than a chance of rain and wind. anyway let's get started!! BLURB At Bloodwing Academy, blood is currency, but a dragon's legacy is priceless–and as dangerous as fire. I thought surviving my first year in Bloodwing's deadly halls would be enough. I was wrong. I accidentally woke a dragon–a creature of myth, of death, of fire. Now every highblood house wants control over me and the dragon's legacy I carry. But here's the I have no control. I'm bluffing my way through every encounter, trying to keep everyone from realizing that I'm not the one pulling the dragon's strings. And then there's Blake Drakharrow. I thought he was on my side, that I might even be able to trust him. But he b...

Best Audiobook Apps for books | Part 1: Subscription based apps

So, do you love audiobooks.....well, I do. I recently listened to one or two audiobooks and could not stop falling in love with them. They are so convenient to listen to especially when you have a lot of work to do besides reading books. They come in handy don't you think. In recent years audiobooks have emerged as a beloved companion for people like me i.e. book enthusiasts and multitaskers alike. With the surge in audiobook consumption, a lot of apps have flooded the market, each targeting the top spot in delivering exceptional listening experiences. So, to navigate this sea of options, I have researched and curated a list of 10 subscription-based apps for you to try: 1. Audible Audible stands at the top of the list. It is backed by Amazon and has an extensive library containing every title that is out there. It also analyzes your listening history to offer personalized suggestions There are also subscription plans; Audible Plus and Audible Premium Plus, which cater to diverse re...