5 Star-Crossed Romance Books Perfect for ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Lovers
What makes Romeo and Juliet’s love story such a classic? Is it the intrigue of loving someone you cannot have? The lengths one will go to in the name of love?
There are no wrong answers to this question, and it’s been one that’s top of mind with the resurgence of the classic play making its way back onto stages in West End and Broadway (yes, we’ve seen that Kit Connor clip). For any reader searching for a tale of lovers that will break your heart (or you simply can’t wait to see the show on stage), check out our list of picks of books featuring star-crossed lovers.
Teach the Torches to Burn
Caleb Roehrig
The Remixed Classics series is aptly named for its modern retellings of stories we already know and (probably) love. Caleb Roehrig’s take on Shakespeare’s classic centers on Romeo Montague, who struggles under the weight of his family’s expectation for him to take a wife. When Romeo encounters Valentine during a party, sparks fly, and Romeo knows now more than ever who he truly is and what his heart desires. But the Montague war with Capulets escalates further as Romeo and Valentine try to protect themselves and their hearts. What will come for them first, a society unable to accept them or families who crave blood above all else?
The First to Die at the End
Adam Silvera
This one isn’t quite a Romeo and Juliet retelling as much as it captures the soul-shaking devastation of the play instead. Imagine a world where you could find out the day you were going to die. In this prequel to the soul shattering YA novel The First to Die at the End, Orion and Valentino are one of the first to experience the life-altering creation of Death-Cast, a service that informs callers of their last day on Earth. When the pair have a serendipitous meeting in New York City, and one gets the call and the other doesn’t, tragedy is inevitable. But the two decide to face that final day together, even if growing closer only means saying goodbye will hurt that much more. Silvera’s ability to pull (one might even say rip!) at one’s heartstrings is on full display in this worthy addition to the Death-Cast series.
These Violent Delights (Chloe Gong)
Chloe Gong
Chloe Gong burst on to the YA scene with her YA fantasy retelling of Romeo and Juliet set in 1920s Shanghai. Juliette Cai is heir to the Scarlet gang, and nothing will stand in the way of establishing her gang as the powerhouse of Shanghai, not even residual feelings from her childhood love with Roma, heir to rival gang the White Flowers. It takes a mysterious disease causing residents to rip their own throats out for the rivals to call a truce and get to the bottom of this plague that is destroying their city. Can Roma and Juliette keep things strictly business, or will their feelings come racing back to the surface?
The Hundred Loves of Juliet
Evelyn Skye
Sebastian has known Helene in every lifetime, blessed and doomed to love her in each. Because once upon a time, long ago, he was Romeo, and she was Juliet. The only problem is when Helene, fresh off a bad breakup, arrives in Alaska, she knows none of this. All she knows is that upon meeting Sebastian, it’s almost like she’s known him her whole life. As Helene searches for the deeper meaning in their relationship, and Sebastian falls hopelessly in love once more, the pair risk everything by falling for each other because every beginning marks the end in this heartbreaking tale of two lovers meant to slip through each other’s fingers forever.
One For My Enemy
Olivie Blake
Olivie Blake is at her best when crafting an ensemble cast, making her Romeo and Juliet retelling one you won’t forget. Lev Federov and Sasha Antonova are the youngest children of two witch families in an increasingly more dangerous magical war in New York City. The Antonova matriarch refused to bend the knee to the Federovs once many years ago, setting off a rivalry that comes to a head when an Antonova daughter is killed. Blake’s rewrite plants love story upon love story, centering two couples circling the edge of a fight that could cost them all everything. For readers who love a twisty plot and the challenge of uncovering a book’s true mastermind, One For My Enemy will leave you satisfied.
