Review: Our Violent Ends (These Violent Delights #2) by Chloe Gong

Our Violent Ends

(These Violent Delights #2)

by Chloe Gong

November 16, 2021

Goodreads Summary:

Shanghai is under siege in this captivating and searingly romantic sequel to These Violent Delights, which New York Times bestselling author Natasha Ngan calls “deliciously dark.”

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 the warpath. 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.

Review

Our Violent Ends is one of those books where you have to let the story sink in after finishing it. Initially I thought the book was a slow read with too many plotlines. However, as I had more time to think on it, I realized I enjoyed this conclusion more than I first thought.

I love the original creativity to this duology. You can tell it's a Romeo and Juliet retelling but it also has a lot of unique points. From monsters to politics to relationships, the story kept me interested.

Like These Violent Delights, Our Violent Ends contains multiple POVs. A lot of the characters had their own arc (to finish). While I didn't enjoy some as much, I have to hand it to Chloe Gong for the way she tied them together. I also appreciate that she gave each character a clear ending. Thank you!

There is so much depth to Juliette and Roma's relationship. After the events of These Violent Delights, they couldn't have been on more opposing sides. Yet fate is a tricky thing that did not allow Juliette and Roma to stay apart for long. Knowing their secrets, pains and struggles, I felt all of their emotions in their every interaction. "Nothing in this world is complicated, only misunderstood." (p. 232). This quote from Roma's sister summed the pair up quite nicely in my opinion.

I could not ask for a better, more fitting end to Juilette and Roma's story than Our Violent Ends. Chloe Gong wrapped up every loose thread and gave us some thing(s) to think about. The These Violent Delights duology is one worthy read.

*I received an Advance Reading Copy and a finished copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the finished copy I received.