Publishers Weekly
05/27/2024
Launching a new series based on an alternate ending to Romeo and Juliet, Dodd (Point Last Seen) spins an entracing story of an ill-fated wedding engagement. It’s narrated by the star-crossed couple’s oldest daughter, Rosie, who tells of how her parents survived their suicide attempt 20 years earlier. After Romeo and Juliet insist Rosie wed the “cruel and lustful” Duke Leir Stephano, whose third wife has just died under mysterious circumstances, she’s smitten by the better-looking Lysander at her betrothal ball. During the party, Stephano is found stabbed to death, and some guests accuse Rosie of his murder. Prince Escalus, who attempted to resolve the feud in the original play, attests to Rosie’s innocence, and as the body count rises, Rosie determines to unmask the killer while holding out hope for romance with Lysander. Rosie is an amiable and witty narrator (“Brace yourself for a recap, and don’t worry, it’s interesting in a My God, are you kidding me? sort of way”) and Dodd’s roller-coaster plot careens all the way to the cliffhanger ending. It’s a strong start. (July)
From the Publisher
Praise for A Daughter of Fair Verona:
“Fun, funny, charming, and absolutely delightful. If you’re looking for a novel to sweep you away and lift your spirits, look no further.” —Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"A sharp, determined heroine, a clever historical mystery, sparkling wit, a unique setting, family drama and a dash of romance.” —Amanda Quick, New York Times bestselling author of The Lady Has a Past
“Shakespeare may roll over—then he’ll sit up and applaud!!” —Mary Bly (Eloisa James), Shakespearean professor and New York Times Bestselling Author of Lizzie and Dante
“Who has the audacity to write a book about Romeo and Juliet’s daughter? Christina Dodd, that’s who! With its twisty plot and engaging characters, A Daughter of Fair Verona is charming, funny, and totally engaging. First I smiled, then I chuckled, then I laughed out loud. It’s fresh, audacious, and altogether captivating. It’s such a treat to read something I haven’t read a thousand times before!” —Susan Elizabeth Phillips, # 1 New York Times Bestselling Author
"A tour de force! Witty, charming, snarky and just plain fun. Shakespeare is going to wish he'd written this!" —Susan Mallery, # 1 New York Times Bestselling Author
“This delightful, fast-paced mystery is a balm for the soul, with an ending that’s not only satisfying but leaves you wanting more of this heroine, this family, and Christina Dodd’s playful and clever voice.” —Megan Chance, bestselling author of A Splendid Ruin
Library Journal
★ 05/24/2024
This latest from genre-spanning Dodd (Every Single Secret; "Virtue Falls" series) is a fun start to a new historical mystery series with a refreshingly different time period— Renaissance Italy. The fifth time someone loses a betrothed, people begin to talk. To be fair, Rosaline "Rosie" Montague's first four fiancés found other brides courtesy of Rosie herself. Rosie's fifth betrothed, Duke Leir Stephano, isn't quite so lucky. Instead of Stephano finding another woman to marry, Rosie winds up finding Stephano dead the night of their betrothal party. To make matters even worse, almost everyone at the party believes Rosie is responsible. If she wants to avoid having a murder charge pinned on her, she must figure out who really killed Stephano. Dodd debuts an ingeniously clever new series based on the premise that Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet didn't die at the end of the play but instead lived happily ever after in Verona raising a family that includes marriage-averse Rosie. VERDICT Graced with an unforgettable cast of characters that includes the delightfully indefatigable Rosie and written with a cheeky sense of wit and charm Shakespeare would be proud to claim, Dodd's well-executed launch of her new series is absolutely brilliant.—John Charles
Kirkus Reviews
2024-04-19
Dodd’s series launch turns a Shakespearean tragedy into a rom-com mystery.
“My name is Rosie, Rosaline if I’m in trouble, and I’m the daughter of Romeo and Juliet.” In Dodd’s entertaining retelling of Shakespeare's play, the tragic lovers survived their suicide attempts to marry and produce seven spirited children, headed by practical, level-headed Rosie. Despite the best efforts of her parents to marry off their eldest daughter, the clever Rosie has successfully fended off her potential suitors with a little matchmaking involving two younger sisters. Now almost 20, she’s content to remain a spinster and manage the Montague household, but alas her father receives a proposal he cannot turn down from the loathsome Duke Leir Stephano of the house of Creppa. Despite Rosie’s objections that the duke just buried his third wife, a betrothal ball is quickly organized. There the reluctant bride-to-be meet-cutes with an uninvited guest, the dazzlingly handsome Lysander, and stumbles upon the body of Duke Stephano with a dagger plunged into his chest. Suspicion falls on Rosie, even though Escalus, the brooding Prince of Verona, tries to protect her, and she must identify the killer before she becomes a victim. Dodd peppers her novel with plenty of Shakespearean references, making this more fan fiction than a true historical. The deliberate anachronisms (“I smiled a Mona Lisa smile”) will drive purists crazy, but most readers won't care. Dodd’s Verona is a mythical, timeless city where a spunky, independent young woman can enchant two different men. There is some YA appeal in Rosie’s character that will remind some readers of Karen Cushman’s Catherine, Called Birdy, but one of the protagonists takes an unbelievable 180-degree dark turn that will disappoint readers.
An open-ended conclusion leaves the door ajar for more mystery and romance.
