Evelyn Skye

The Hundred Loves of Juliet

Jazelle H

"Time doesn't matter," Dad liked to tell me and my sister, "because if you live with one eye fixed on the end, you've already lost."

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, then are jumped of in your philosophy -- Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 5

Sebastian blinks. And then his mouth drops open and he stares at me like a sailor who's been lost at sea and suddenly sees the North Star in front of him.

The moment I saw Helene, I tasted the faint sweetness of honeys wine on my lips, a ghost of a kiss. It happens every time she comes back into my life, a memory lingering from the first night we met, centuries ago.

And no one can look away from Juliet, because her smiles are golden light in our world that is shall shadowed by bloodshed and spite.

"Not yet," I say. "It's only the beginning of our story."

I missed her as much as the stars would miss the sky if they ever fell to earth.

You're right. You do know me, and our souls are intertwined, our story retold over and over for centuries. Romeo and Juliet. Cupid and Psyche. Me and you.

It's not about looks! Romeo falls for Juliet because he sees something special in her--maybe the intelligence in her eyes or the confidence in the way she moves. That special something I wanted someone to see in me someday.

I know I should be rooting for setting Helene free, but if I'm being honest, I want to be hers, and I want her to be mine. Despite everything.

Romeo and Juliet, the way it was supposed to be.

I still remember the rush of calling to my original Juliet from the base of her balcony, and the moment she parted the curtains and answered my call. It was as if everything around her shifted to black and white and she was the only burst of color in its center. Even that early in our love, I knew she was my destiny.

Juliet is the sun, Shakespeare said. Indeed, she is. And now again, I fall for her as if she is gravity itself.

"One of life's greatest pleasures is living the experiences of others through poetry and prose."

I want to respect that Helen is her own person entirely. It's always tricky to perform this feat--knowing your soulmate's entire past yet accepting that you know nothing at all. I suppose, in a way, that's how it is with all relationships. You fall in love with one person, and then they keep changing, because that's what people do. If you love them enough, though, you try to keep up.

I think we liked the idea of each other more than the reality of each other.

Perhaps a life well lived isn't measured in months or years, but in love. In kisses and gentle twining of hands, in fiery embraces and soft, whispered affections.

I'm stuck in a house with a man who might be my soulmate, who tastes like memories and honey when I kiss him, but who could very well be the reason I die.

Maybe the purpose of all those crazy stories that have been struggling to get out for nearly two decades was to show me what it's like to be loved. Both someone loving me, and me accepting and loving myself.

"There's no love worth having that doesn't break your heart when it's over."

🦇 The Hundred Loves of Juliet Book Review 🦇

❝ Perhaps a life well lived isn't measured in months or years, but in love. In kisses and gentle twining of hands, in fiery embraces and soft, whispered affections. ❞

❓ #QOTD Who were you in your past life OR do you believe in soulmates ❓

🦇 Helene escapes her ruined marriage to hide away in Alaska, committed to turning the romantic vignettes she's written over the years into one cohesive story. Each tale stars the same man with the same blue eyes, scar, and quirks; a man Helene dreamed up before playing Juliet in her high school production of Romeo and Juliet. She doesn't expect to encounter the real-life version in small-town Alaska. There's nothing make-believe about Sebastien, though, who refuses to get close to her. Helene doesn't know the stories she's written were once theirs. Once real-life Romeo and Juliet, they're cursed to find each other time and time again, only for Sebastien to lose his reincarnated Juliet each time. But what if their star-crossed curse is a blessing; a reminder to focus on their present lives?

💜 Evelyn Skye's writing is bound to snatch you out of reality before dragging you into Helene and Sebastian's history. Her language is descriptive, imaginative, and heartfelt, beautifully tragic whether we're focused on Helene and Sebastien's present or one of their past lives. Though I was skeptical about a Romeo and Juliet retelling at first, this is no typical retelling; it's a continuation of the original story. There aren't any overt paranormal elements or supernatural forces at work, either; instead, we're given a true love story. A story that proves fated love, true love, can defy anything. 

🦇 For the record, I try to avoid giving half stars. Skye's writing perfectly blends fantasy and romance to create a beautifully portrayed tale of magical realism. We get glimpses into Helene and Sebastian's past lives, both in Helene's stories and through Sebastian's journals or flashbacks. However, there isn't as much character development for Juliet as I'd hope, mainly because the bulk of her development occurs before we met her, when she leaves her husband to move to Alaska. Sebastian's character development comes in his realization that he is worthy of happiness; that perhaps he cursed himself all along. While the tension in the first act and romance in the second act are quick to capture readers, the third act drags, loses momentum, and seems out of place within the story. The "solution" to the curse felt like an easy way out, too. 

🦇 Recommended to lovers of the Bard, fated romance, and a little grumpy versus sunshine tension. 

❝ Maybe the purpose of all those crazy stories that have been struggling to get out for nearly two decades was to show me what it's like to be loved. Both someone loving me, and me accepting and loving myself. ❞

🦇 Major thanks to the author @evelyn_skye and publisher @randomhouse / @delreybooks for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #TheHundredLovesofJuliet #Netgalley #DelRey

🦇 The Hundred Loves of Juliet Book Review 🦇

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫

❝ Perhaps a life well lived isn't measured in months or years, but in love. In kisses and gentle twining of hands, in fiery embraces and soft, whispered affections. ❞

❓ #QOTD Who were you in your past life OR do you believe in soulmates ❓
 
🦇 Helene escapes her ruined marriage to hide away in Alaska, committed to turning the romantic vignettes she's written over the years into one cohesive story. Each tale stars the same man with the same blue eyes, scar, and quirks; a man Helene dreamed up before playing Juliet in her high school production of Romeo and Juliet. She doesn't expect to encounter the real-life version in small-town Alaska. There's nothing make-believe about Sebastien, though, who refuses to get close to her. Helene doesn't know the stories she's written were once theirs. Once real-life Romeo and Juliet, they're cursed to find each other time and time again, only for Sebastien to lose his reincarnated Juliet each time. But what if their star-crossed curse is a blessing; a reminder to focus on their present lives?

💜 Evelyn Skye's writing is bound to snatch you out of reality before dragging you into Helene and Sebastian's history. Her language is descriptive, imaginative, and heartfelt, beautifully tragic whether we're focused on Helene and Sebastien's present or one of their past lives. Though I was skeptical about a Romeo and Juliet retelling at first, this is no typical retelling; it's a continuation of the original story. There aren't any overt paranormal elements or supernatural forces at work, either; instead, we're given a true love story. A story that proves fated love, true love, can defy anything. 

🦇 For the record, I try to avoid giving half stars. Skye's writing perfectly blends fantasy and romance to create a beautifully portrayed tale of magical realism. We get glimpses into Helene and Sebastian's past lives, both in Helene's stories and through Sebastian's journals or flashbacks. However, there isn't as much character development for Juliet as I'd hope, mainly because the bulk of her development occurs before we met her, when she leaves her husband to move to Alaska. Sebastian's character development comes in his realization that he is worthy of happiness; that perhaps he cursed himself all along. While the tension in the first act and romance in the second act are quick to capture readers, the third act drags, loses momentum, and seems out of place within the story. The "solution" to the curse felt like an easy way out, too. 

🦇 Recommended to lovers of the Bard, fated romance, and a little grumpy versus sunshine tension. 

❝ Maybe the purpose of all those crazy stories that have been struggling to get out for nearly two decades was to show me what it's like to be loved. Both someone loving me, and me accepting and loving myself. ❞

✨ The Vibes ✨
❤ Shakespeare Retelling
❤ Soulmates
❤ Closed Door
❤ Romance (With a Sci-Fi Twist)
❤ Tragic Love
❤ Grumpy vs Sunshine
❤ Cursed Love

🦇 Major thanks to the author @evelyn_skye and publisher @randomhouse / @delreybooks for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #TheHundredLovesofJuliet #Netgalley #DelRey

I received an arc copy from netgalley in exchange for my honest review

I was so excited to read this and I flew through it! It totally exceed my expectations. I haven't read a Shakespeare retelling novel before and I totally fell in love with this one. Evelyn Skye did an amazing job at keeping me hooked throughout the entire book. It was one of those stories where I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed the formatting of the book and that it wasn't divided up just by chapters but by the character's point of view. The whole idea behind the book was interesting and fresh to me and was executed very well. The way she wrote about the past lives and loves while also keeping up with the current story was amazing. Everything was interwoven perfectly and I was able to keep up with each and every detail. I hope that those of you who get your hands on this book enjoy it just as much as I did!

McKinley Meadows

I received an arc copy from netgalley in exchange for my honest review

I was so excited to read this and I flew through it! It totally exceed my expectations. I haven't read a Shakespeare retelling novel before and I totally fell in love with this one. Evelyn Skye did an amazing job at keeping me hooked throughout the entire book. It was one of those stories where I wasn't sure what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed the formatting of the book and that it wasn't divided up just by chapters but by the character's point of view. The whole idea behind the book was interesting and fresh to me and was executed very well. The way she wrote about the past lives and loves while also keeping up with the current story was amazing. Everything was interwoven perfectly and I was able to keep up with each and every detail. I hope that those of you who get your hands on this book enjoy it just as much as I did!