Two werewolf households, both alike in dignity…. Rome Siracusa, youngest son of the alpha of the nouveau-riche Siracusa pack, wants to be a faithful son and pack member, but he’s got two big secrets. One, he’s blessed with enhanced hearing, vision, strength, and the ability to shift at will. Second, he’s gay, a fact he can’t admit to his deadly homophobic father. Rome crashes a party at the … party at the mansion of his pack’s greatest enemy, the ancient, pure-blooded Havillands. Jules, the gay son of the drunkard alpha, is being married off to a rich entrepreneur. Smitten and moved by the beautiful male’s plight, Rome tries to find a way to save Jules–while digging himself deeper into pack politics and navigating his own arranged marriage. Secrets climb out of the caves as the werewolf gods speak through the mouths of their children, and the two great families clash, suffocating the hopes of star-crossed lovers.
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An enemies-to-lover M/M wolf shifters romance done Tara Lain style and it’s wonderful! Rome Siracusa goes along with his friend to the enemy family’s costume party and finds the most beautiful man in the world. The beauty is pledged to marry another with a less-than-optimal reputation. But he doesn’t just sit around and pine–he moves things right along by reaching out to Jules Havilland from the rival family. The writer does it again! Even with the constraints of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’, I am simply delighted with the writer’s ability to stay true-to-type while managing the essence of the play! She doesn’t stretch things out over the course of the book with the main characters ruminating over something to the point of frustrating and exasperating the reader! She moved the story forward with incredible pacing that kept things exciting with the main characters encountering one challenge after another and tackling it headfirst. Be prepared for unexpected twists and plausible challenges–it’s a Tara Lain trademark! I found myself yelling out to the writer, “Oh, no you didn’t!” several times throughout the book. Hehe… SO good, so DARN good!
First off, let me say that I absolutely loathe Romeo and Juliet and have had to read it multiple times for classes starting in sixth grade through uni Shakespeare and even a fencing class. I don’t find it in the least romantic, just sad and depressing. However, I love Tara Lain and will read anything she wrote so I was very curious to see what parts of the story she would adopt and adapt. Strong characters are one of her strengths as an author and Rome and Jules are wonderful alpha males. They are strong, and special we find out, but also can be gentle, loving and protective without being smothering. There are lovely villains to hiss at, steam that burns off the page and an great ending, no thanks to Shakespeare. A lot of the fun was looking for the Shakespeare references.
Wolfie
I thoroughly enjoyed this Shakespearean adaptation. Most especially because it has a wonderfully happy ending. “I knew you from the first second I saw you. My soul recognized yours. I belong with you… We’re made to go together.” Rome and Jules definitely are meant to be; albeit, with plenty of bumps and bruises and some surprises along the way. No matter how much it seemed like life, and definitely some family members, worked against them, their strong connection and true love prevailed.
If you’re familiar with William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, and the rivalries of families throughout history…you’ll recognize some of those themes as you read this book. But with several twists…including fur, gangsters and super charged alphas!
Prepare yourself for a fast paced romance with lots of loving.
4.5 stars
A lovely retelling of the classic Romeo and Juliet story. This has been done many times, but Tara Lain gives her own unique twist to the story. She doesn’t follow the original story to the letter but adds elements that work really well. Set in the world of werewolves it has that mysterious touch of good paranormal novels, but with a contemporary feel to it. It is not full-out funny as some of her other stories but has a more subtle humor.
Rome and Jules are lovely characters as always. When they meet, it is love at first sight, of course, and although their attraction is tangible, it is not firework explosive. There are some sexy and romantic times, but I would have liked some more romance-building and bonding between these two men. When they are together, they absolutely have chemistry. And I always love when big alpha males are not afraid to show their vulnerability.
There is a lot going on in this story. It is fast paced and full of action, drama and political intrigue. Just as you think there is some peace and quiet and you can catch your breath, the author takes you on another whirlwind of surprising developments. People are different than they appear, and help comes from unexpected places.
This story will keep you on the edge of your seat until you read the sweet, happily-ever-after.