Reviews of Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons

Fair Rosaline

A Novel

by Natasha Solomons

Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons X
Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons
  • Critics' Opinion:

    Readers' Opinion:

     Not Yet Rated
  • Published:
    Sep 2023, 336 pages

    Genres

  • Rate this book


Buy This Book

About this Book

Book Summary

The most exciting historical retelling of 2023: a subversive, powerful untelling of Romeo and Juliet by New York Times bestselling author Natasha Solomons.

Was the greatest ever love story a lie?

The first time Romeo Montague sees young Rosaline Capulet he falls instantly in love. Rosaline, headstrong and independent, is unsure of Romeo's attentions but with her father determined that she join a convent, this handsome and charming stranger offers her the chance of a different life.

Soon though, Rosaline begins to doubt all that Romeo has told her. She breaks off the match, only for Romeo's gaze to turn towards her cousin, thirteen-year-old Juliet. Gradually Rosaline realizes that it is not only Juliet's reputation at stake, but her life. With only hours remaining before she will be banished behind the nunnery walls, will Rosaline save Juliet from her Romeo? Or can this story only ever end one way?

Shattering everything we thought we knew about Romeo and Juliet, Fair Rosaline is the spellbinding prequel to Shakespeare's best known tale, which exposes Romeo as a predator with a long history of pursuing much younger girls. Bold, lyrical, and chillingly relevant, Fair Rosaline reveals the dark subtext of the timeless story of star-crossed lovers: it's a feminist revision that will enthrall readers of bestselling literary retellings such as Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell and Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese.

Coming Soon.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!
  1. What are Rosaline's objections to entering the convent? Do you think any path open to a woman of her class at her time would have given her the things that she wants?
  2. How do you think the feud between the Montagues and Capulets colors Rosaline and Romeo's early interactions? How does she feel about keeping their identities secret while out together and the truth of their relationship to herself?
  3. Romeo seduces vulnerable young women, like servants, as well as daughters of the upper class, like Rosaline and Juliet. What do you feel he wants from them? Does it differ by rank? How does Rosaline disappoint those expectations?
  4. What do you believe Rosaline hopes to gain by telling Tybalt about her relationship with Romeo? Do you think she ...
Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers!

Here are some of the comments posted about Fair Rosaline.
You can see the full discussion here.


"I sense another plague coming to the wicked men of Verona." What was your reaction to this statement?
Revenge! Despite the consecrated women maintaining their own cloistered environment, they still were active members of the town and quite well-informed as to the evils lurking among the patriarchal society of Verona and surrounding villages. ... - julib

Can you think of a character whose advice either of the girls might have respected?
I agree with those above that think Rosaline would have listened to her mother. She clearly worshipped and loved her mother and would be strongly influenced by her mothers words. - PKH

Did Fair Rosaline change your interpretation of Romeo and Juliet at all? What about the author's note?
It's been a long time since I read the play but I recall it told the tale of two young lovers, but this book clearly is making me rethink my interpretation, it certainly does not leave a nice impression of Romeo. - PKH

Did you learn anything new about the time period in which the story is set?
The really interesting thing I realized was the difference in the two cultures of Italy where is was set and England where it was seen. Different attitudes and England probably being far more open minded. Even though S. had never been to Italy he ... - juleyh

Do you feel Rosaline would have been enamored of Romeo if she wasn't slated for the convent?
Rosaline enjoyed a very easy relationship with Tybalt, yet was naive to other pursuant men and no match for the evil eyes of Romeo that I believe knew of many maidens in the area and took interest in those easily conquered with flowery-language and ... - julib

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Reviews

Media Reviews

Booklist
Mischief and forbidden love ensue as Rosaline and Romeo embark on an affair that is the prelude to the more famous story. Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory and Julia Quinn who love a historical setting and classic characters mixed with drama and romance.

Publishers Weekly
Solomons challenges classic interpretations of Romeo and Juliet, painting Romeo as a predator who lures unwitting young girls and discards them, with the help of a friar, though the modern language and themes clumsily alternate with more Elizabethan language, and Rosaline's master plan seems to fall into place too conveniently. Still, this is entertaining and empowering.

Author Blurb Elodie Harper, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Wolf Den
I have not been able to stop thinking about this book ... Fair Rosaline is a gripping, spellbinding and wonderfully immersive book - and one that truly makes you think. I would be very surprised if everyone is not talking about it.

Author Blurb Jennifer Saint, Sunday Times bestselling author of Ariadne
Irresistible. An excellent spin on a timeless classic.

Author Blurb Jillian Cantor, USA Today bestselling author of Beautiful Little Fools
A brilliant, feminist re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet, Fair Rosaline is a gorgeously written version of Verona from Juliet's cousin, Rosaline's, point of view. What does Romeo truly look like through the eyes of a woman on the periphery of the original story? Natasha Solomons skillfully shows us another version of the star-crossed lovers - and the Romeo --we all think we know. I absolutely devoured this thought-provoking, female-centric take on Shakespeare.

Reader Reviews

Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

Read-Alikes

Read-Alikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked Fair Rosaline, try these:

Books with similar themes


Membership Advantages
  • Reviews
  • "Beyond the Book" articles
  • Free books to read and review (US only)
  • Find books by time period, setting & theme
  • Read-alike suggestions by book and author
  • Book club discussions
  • and much more!
  • Just $45 for 12 months or $15 for 3 months.
  • More about membership!

BookBrowse Sale!

Join BookBrowse and discover exceptional books for just $3/mth!

Find out more


Top Picks

  • Book Jacket: Wifedom
    Wifedom
    by Anna Funder
    When life became overwhelming for writer, wife, and mother Anna Funder in the summer of 2017, she ...
  • Book Jacket: The Fraud
    The Fraud
    by Zadie Smith
    In a recent article for The New Yorker, Zadie Smith joked that she moved away from London, her ...
  • Book Jacket: Wasteland
    Wasteland
    by Oliver Franklin-Wallis
    Globally, we generate more than 2 billion tons of household waste every year. That annual total ...
  • Book Jacket: Disobedient
    Disobedient
    by Elizabeth Fremantle
    Born in Rome in 1593, Artemisia Gentileschi led a successful career as an artist throughout the ...

Book Club Discussion

Book Jacket
Fair Rosaline
by Natasha Solomons
A subversive, powerful untelling of Romeo and Juliet by New York Times bestselling author Natasha Solomons.

Members Recommend

  • Book Jacket

    Digging Stars
    by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma

    Blending drama and satire, Digging Stars probes the emotional universes of love, friendship, family, and nationhood.

  • Book Jacket

    The September House
    by Carissa Orlando

    A dream home becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

Win This Book
Win Moscow X

25 Copies to Give Away!

A daring CIA operation threatens chaos in the Kremlin. But can Langley trust the Russian at its center?

Enter

Wordplay

Solve this clue:

A M I A Terrible T T W

and be entered to win..

Your guide toexceptional          books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.