Juliet Immortal (Early Review)

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume."
—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

Forget everything you thought to be true about Romeo and Juliet's story. It isn't some great tragedy with starcrossed lovers that couldn't bear to be apart. No, it's a story about betrayal. Romeo murdered Juliet in hopes for his own immortality, but in a twist of fate, Juliet was granted the same. Only, she serves on the side of light, whose job it is to protect true lovers from people like Romeo who would tear it all apart. It's been over 700 years of fighting him and his kind every step of the way. All that changes when Juliet starts to fall in love again. It's a forbidden love, and we all know just how Romeo feels about that. Juliet may just lose love again, after it's taken her so long to finally believe again, and then nothing will be able to save her broken heart.

Juliet is truly broken for lack of a better word. She doesn't realize this, but in her quests to ensure couples find their soul mates, her heart just in the task. Yes, she thinks everyone deserves love, but in the end she's really only going through the motions rather than believing in love anymore. In fact Juliet is filled with more anger and hate towards Romeo and her situation to really be able to believe in much of anything. I think this is what made her slow opening of her heart again all the more sweet. Granted the love did seem to come about with nothing to really establish it, but then they do say love at first sight can be real, and this book makes a very good case for it.

I had assumed I would hate Romeo's character based on the description, and in the beginning, I did. However, the more I got to see him, the more I realized that there was so much more than met the eyes. I had thought he was an evil uncaring character, but I couldn't have been wrong. He truly is a tortured soul who has had to live with his mistakes for a very long time. To be honest, I'm not really sure the punishment fits the crime, as in the end he really was only weak rather than evil. Of course that punishment has had such a long time to fester, making him now capable of terrible things. Even though he appears to live to torment, you can see that he hates it all, making me wonder if somehow there is some goodness left deep down inside of him.

To be honest, I never really cared for Romeo and Juliet's story. I just hated the tragedy of it. I just think for something to be considered a great love story, then there should be some happiness there, which we all know just isn't the case. I just found the whole sacrifice thing to be quite sickening to be honest. Love should go on, no matter what. So, when I read the description of this book, I was very excited. I couldn't wait to read something that would turn the original story upside down, and Juliet Immortal definitely did not disappoint in that area. From the moment I picked Juliet Immortal up, I just could not put it down. So if you are like me and would love to see the "greatest" tragedy of all times get a little shake up, or even if you just enjoy reading about second chances at love, then Juliet Immortal is one book you won't want to miss. 

(Received a copy from the Fire and Ice ARC tour)

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Other Reviews:

• The Reading Fever
• Words Like Silver
  

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