These Violent Delights

A retelling of Romeo and Juliet with Russian and Chinese gangster in Shanghai with an added mysterious monster causing people to rip out their own throats. Sometimes the source material references are a little bit too much on the nose (Roma Montagov and Juliette Cai are not exactly names that leave much to the imagination) but the change of setting and added supernatural elements give a really fun twist to what could have been a dreary romance. The relationship between Juliette and Roma forms the core of this story and it is a well told enemies to lovers story - you get a really good grasp of their emotions, loyalties and frustrations through the course of the book. The Shanghai at the start of the revolution setting adds some extra interesting tension. The fly monster thing is well worked in in a way that doesn't require much in the way of supernatural and gives an air of believability to the whole affair.

I don't know if I expected to enjoy this as much as I eventually did. Romeo and Juliet seems to be something that has been done to death but Chloe Gong has provided some fresh and interesting takes on its concepts.