Brad About Books: Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay

Read on July 14, 2013

ROMEO REDEEMED
Published: October 9, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Press (Random House)
Format: ARC
Page Count: 384 pages
Source: Arcycling
Series: Juliet Immortal, #2

This review is entirely spoiler free, even if you haven't read book one, Juliet Immortal.

Romeo Redeemed is a dazzling sequel that burns bright with irresistible romance and a timeless love story. Not only did this book surpass the first installment, it shattered it completely. Loved it so much!

I'll be honest: I thought Juliet Immortal was good, but not as good as I hoped. And I despised Romeo in that book. So reading about his story? I wasn't too thrilled. But woah! One of the biggest surprises I've ever read! I was very shocked at how... authentic Romeo felt. In Juliet Immortal, he was a jerk that only wanted one thing - to save himself. And while in Romeo Redeemed that's his goal, we get to see a new side of him that wasn't presented in book one. And I liked that! I love it when a character flip flops from bad to good over time, and Romeo is one of the most shocking characters I've come across in YA. So obviously, I thought Romeo Redeemed was way better than Juliet Immortal!

I am a huge sucker for re-tellings, and Romeo Redeemed is a new favorite re-telling. I have read Romeo and Juliet before (insta-love, much?), but I have to be quite honest - I prefer this series to the original! It's just much more interesting and captivating. And Romeo Redeemed captured me wholly. I didn't want to set the book down for a minute, and while I did have problems with it (see next paragraph), I found it to be a highly enjoyable and stunning read. 

I didn't find too many flaws with Romeo Redeemed actually! But there were a few. My biggest was Ariel. Gosh, I couldn't stand her! While she is thrust into an odd and different situation, she was way too naïve for my likings. And I felt that Romeo Redeemed detoured away from the plot at times - it switched from Romeo trying to save himself, to Romeo trying to fall in love. Which is interesting, but some scenes were executed that well. But still, Romeo Redeemed was an awesome sequel.

Overall, Romeo Redeemed is an electric and one of a kind sequel that had me in its clutches and biting at my fingernails. A satisfying and epic ending!

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