Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay

***1/2

 

From Random House:

Cursed to live out eternity in his rotted corpse, Romeo, known for his ruthless, cutthroat ways, is given the chance to redeem himself by traveling back in time to save the life of Ariel Dragland. Unbeknownst to her, Ariel is important to both the evil Mercenaries and the love-promoting Ambassadors and holds the fate of the world in her hands. Romeo must win her heart and make her believe in love, turning her away from her darker potential before his work is discovered by the Mercenaries. While his seduction begins as yet another lie, it soon becomes his only truth. Romeo vows to protect Ariel from harm, and do whatever it takes to win her heart and soul. But when Ariel is led to believe his love is a deception, she becomes vulnerable to Mercenary manipulation, and her own inner darkness may ultimately rip them apart.

The first in the series, Juliet Immortal, was one of my favorite books of last year.  You can read the review here.  Romeo Redeemed picks up where Juliet Immortal left off and without getting into spoilery territory, Romeo’s soul has been returned to his original body, a rotted, disgusting corpse that has been decomposing for centuries.  He is approached by an Ambassador of Light and given the chance to redeem himself – accomplish his task and his soul will be sent to the peaceful “mist” until he is needed again.  Fail and his soul will be returned to his corpse until it rots away and then his soul will remain tethered to this world, lost and tormented. 

His task is to make Ariel fall in love with him, to show her the power of love and light.  We met Ariel in Juliet Immortal and she is teetering on the edge of dark and light.  A girl with burn scars over half her body and episodes that make epilepsy look like a walk in the park, Ariel has always been ostracized from her classmates, mistreated and labeled a freak.  Not to mention that the body Romeo’s soul is sent to inhabit has just been busted trying to hook up with Ariel to win a $500 bet.  All this will make Romeo’s task nearly impossible.

For me, Romeo Redeemed is a story about the atrocities people will commit in the name of love and light and the lengths people will go to when they lose their way.  That even those who fight for good can lose sight of what’s really important in the name of the “greater good.”  Juliet Immortal was more about self-discovery and learning to forgive yourself and those who have hurt you.  Both journeys and stories are important, but I found Juliet Immortal to be more moving.  I also had no expectations of liking Juliet Immortal, but after being blown away by it, I definitely had expectations going into Romeo Redeemed.  Both books are exceptionally well written and captivating and I highly recommend both.  I am hopeful that we will see at least one more in the series. 

~Shel

P.S.  Kudos to whomever chose the covers for this series - they are both beautiful!

Kissing Shakespeare by Pamela Mingle

* * * *

  

Miranda has Shakespeare in her blood: she hopes one day to become a Shakespearean actor like her famous parents. At least, she does until her disastrous performance in her school’s staging of The Taming of the Shrew. Humiliated, Miranda skips the opening-night party. All she wants to do is hide.

Fellow cast member Stephen Langford has other plans for Miranda. When he stops out of the backstage shadows and asks if she’d like to meet Shakespeare, Miranda thinks he’s a total nutcase. But before she can object, Stephen whisks her back to 16^th century England – the world Stephen’s really from. He wants Miranda to use her acting talents and modern-day charms on the young Will Shakespeare. Without her help, Stephen claims, the world will lose its greatest playwright.

Miranda isn’t convinced she’s the girl for the job. Why would Shakespeare care about her? And just who is this infuriating time traveler, Stephen Langford? Reluctantly, she agrees to help. Knowing that it’s her only chance of getting back to the present and her “real” life. What Miranda doesn’t bargain for is finding true love … with no acting required.

Who isn’t familiar with William Shakespeare? We all know that famous writer of epic love stories, comedies and drama. But ever wonder about what a young Will Shakespeare may have been like? Kissing Shakespeare, with its eyebrow-raising title and gorgeous cover, feeds that curiosity by using a little time travel magic and employing the services of a very capable young Shakespearean actress.

Stephen transports Miranda back in time to pose as his sister, Olivia, while they visit with his uncle’s family at Hoghton Tower. This is a very hazardous time in England’s history. Elizabeth I is on the throne and religious discord between the Catholics and Protestants is strife. The Protestants had endured horrific persecution under the reign Elizabeth I’s predecessor, Mary aka Bloody Mary. Now under Elizabeth, the pendulum has swung and it’s dangerous to be Catholic, so much so that they have to practice in secret.

And this is where we come across a young and impressionable Will Shakespeare who also happens to be staying at Houghton Tower. Will is seriously contemplating becoming a Jesuit in this tense political climate. Stephen cautions that this is a momentous decision: if Will chooses the religious life, our cultural landscape will be changed for good.  Miranda’s mission, should she choose to accept it, is to convince Will that his destiny is greater than this one religious cause. And Stephen encourages her to use any means necessary to convince him – yes, he actually expects Miranda to seduce Will.

It’s easy to succumb to this delightful story mainly because Miranda’s adjustment to the 16^th century is not quite as traumatic as you’d think. There are also misteps which make for comical moments e.g. when she has to come up with an explanation to give the maid as to why she has a bra which obviously has not been invented yet. After much goading from Stephen, she takes on her mission with zeal and even proves to be a bit of a sleuth herself.

Deception and intrigue abound in Kissing Shakespeare and the stakes are raised higher when Miranda receives cryptic messages. Someone knows the truth of who she is and this revelation could destroy everything, including her chance to go home. But what’s heartwarming is Miranda as she becomes involved and close to her “pretend” family. In the end, she wants very much to protect them especially when trouble comes knocking.

Truly Kissing Shakespeare is a gorgeous piece of work that just sweeps you away as you go through the pages. Miranda’s interaction with Will are tentative and innocent, much to Stephen’s dismay and as a result, Miranda’s annoyance. Dinner time becomes a moment to non-chalantly spy on their guests to discover their motives. And poor Miranda, her growing conflicting feelings for Will and Stephen only add to her confusion. But what I enjoyed most is that it fed my love of history. By setting the story in this fascinating and troubling time period, Mingle had plenty to work with to give it tension and substance. There’s that extra thrill when a character has to really watch their back and keep all eyes and ears open so that they don’t fall prey to someone else’s schemes.

Do read Kissing Shakespeare. It's a sweet little escape to a time and a place beyond the present. A little adventure wrapped in innocence and suspense unfolding in front of one of the greatest and most beloved figures in history.

~ Bel

Interview With Pamela Mingle Author of Kissing Shakespeare

After reading and falling in love with Kissing Shakespeare, I just had to reach out to Pamela Mingle to let her know how much I loved it. Pamela has kindly shared some of her thoughts about the book, the inspiration behind it, the characters ... oh and we may discuss food and perhaps which historical figure she'd be willing to smooch. Read on...

Pamela, thank you so much for doing this interview with us. Let me say that I thought the premise of Kissing Shakespeare was so interesting.  I thought of Stephen as a time lord à la Doctor Who and Miranda as his traveling companion. How did you come up with the idea?

Thank you! I’d read about the possibility of Shakespeare being employed as a schoolmaster when he was a young man. I wanted to tweak the idea by blending the contemporary and historical. When I first began writing Kissing Shakespeare, I didn’t intend for Stephen to be such a huge part of the story. He was merely Miranda’s guide, the person who made it possible for her to travel back. But of course he became so much more.

What do you think makes William Shakespeare still so relevant almost 400 years later?

Shakespeare wrote about timeless themes we still identify with today: love, revenge, jealousy, self-knowledge, betrayal—and those are only a few. Who can’t recall a boy or girl we dated, someone our parents disapproved of, à la Romeo and Juliet? Or being consumed by jealousy, like Othello? Fortunately, our experiences don’t usually end in tragedy, but the essential emotions are the same. Sparring lovers, like Katherine and Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, is a common motif in books and movies today, and I certainly used that in Kissing Shakespeare. The beauty of Shakespeare’s language still captivates. And it continues to surprise me every time I discover a commonly used expression or phrase originated with The Bard, such as, “fight fire with fire,” “pure as the driven snow,” and “love is blind.” Of course there are countless more.

I’ve always thought that writing a story which includes a historical character or actual historical events to be a bit of a tricky enterprise.  Your setting for the story, England during the 16^th century was a tumultuous time politically and religiously. Were you at all worried about how those events would unfold around Will, Miranda and Stephen or even how you would characterize Will? 

The young Bard

I like dropping characters into troubled times to see what happens. How do their personal stories play out against dramatic and sometimes tragic historical events? On the one hand a writer has to remain true to the historical facts; on the other, she must create fictional characters and situations within that context. The religious and political turmoil in Kissing Shakespeare obviously was crucial both to plot and character. 

I did worry about the characterization of Shakespeare. People have their own strongly held beliefs about what kind of person he was. Through my research I learned that he was thought to be a man who wanted to please, who was eager to achieve success. So I tried to make him that kind of person in the book. We do know that at age 18 he married Anne Hathaway, who was already expecting their child, so I felt safe in portraying him as a bit of a flirt. But, given his astonishing body of work, I also wanted to show his thirst for knowledge. That was why I decided to make the Jesuit life seem appealing to him.
 

Miranda is an aspiring stage actress following in her parents’ footsteps. Have you ever dabbled in acting yourself?

No, I’ve never had the desire to act, or the talent! But I’m in awe of great performers, the way they transform themselves into their character. Even if it’s a famous actor—Meryl Streep comes to mind—we forget it’s Meryl Streep. She becomes the Iron Lady, or Sophie, or The French Lieutenant’s woman. I guess you could say there’s a little bit of acting when you’re dramatizing a character in a book. Part of you becomes that person.

Without giving away too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

That’s a tough one. One of my favorite scenes is when Miranda and Stephen ride out from Hoghton Tower and spend the day together. It’s very romantic, and I love writing romance! Some of the humorous scenes were fun to write, especially the one in which Miranda tricks Stephen into practicing the seduction with her.

Hoghton Tower, Lancashire

The ending left me wondering … could there possibly be more adventures with Stephen and Miranda? (Please say yes J)

I can’t give you a definitive answer on that one. I would love to write a sequel—finish Miranda and Stephen’s story—but there are many factors to consider before a publisher commits to a second book.

Now is the part of the interview where I ask those silly but entertaining questions.  If you could be a character from any of Shakespeare’s plays, which one would you be and why?

Not someone from the tragedies! I think Beatrice, from Much Ado About Nothing. She’s so witty when she spars with Benedick. Juxtaposed with their story is that of her cousin Hero, which is terribly sad. I was moved to tears the first time I saw it performed.

Kissing Shakespeare describes a lot of food and dessert at the dinner table. We BiblioJunkies are fans of delicious flavor. Needless to say, dessert is our lifeline. What’s your favorite dessert? And did you ever try some of the food described in the book?

On trips to England I ate a lot of sticky toffee pudding. Good thing it’s not on many menus here. I could eat it every day! Of course I’ve had many of the vegetables, meats, and fish mentioned in the book. Never tried mutton, though, and have no desire to. Yuck!


And finally, Miranda kisses Will Shakespeare to save the literary world as we know it. If Stephen charged you with such a mission, which historical character would you like to kiss?

A young Henry VIII

I’ll stick with the Tudors. Forget that famous portrait of Henry VIII when he was portly. As a young man, he was virile, broad shouldered, athletic, tall—and very kissable. But I’d hurry back to the present before he could call for the executioner!




Pamela, thank you for spending the time with us. Readers, isn't she awesome? To learn more about Pamela, you can visit her website at http://www.pammingle.com/ or you can follow her on Twitter @PamMingle

Now I must go watch The Tudors or Shakespeare In Love or Much Ado About Nothing ...

Happy Reading!

~ Bel

The Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees

From Goodreads:

I’m Juliet.

At least, I wanted to be.

So I did something stupid to make it happen.

Well, stupid and wonderful.

I wanted the role of Juliet more than anything. I studied hard. I gave a great reading for it—even with Bobby checking me out the whole time. I deserved the part.

I didn’t get it. So I decided to level the playing field, though I actually might have leveled the whole play. You see, since there aren’t any Success in Getting to Be Juliet in Your High School Play spells, I thought I’d cast the next best—a Fame spell. Good idea, right?

Yeah. Instead of bringing me a little fame, it brought me someone a little famous. Shakespeare. Well, Edmund Shakespeare. William’s younger brother.

Good thing he’s sweet and enthusiastic about helping me with the play...and—ahem—maybe a little bit hot. But he’s from the past. Way past. Cars amaze him—cars! And cell phones? Ugh.

Still, there’s something about him that’s making my eyes go star-crossed....

Will Romeo steal her heart before time steals him away?

I was torn between giving this book a 2.5 or 3 star rating. I wanted to love this book, really I did. It is such an interesting concept - time travelling Shakespeare? Awesome! William Shakespeare trying to figure out cars, tv and cell phones? Hilarious! Shakespeare skulking around a modern day production of Romeo & Juliet? Too funny! The problem was I really think this book could have been more. There was a lot of missed comedy between Will and his brother Edmund, who were by far the best characters in the book. The story seemed a little rushed, so I felt there was not enough development of some of the supporting characters, which would have been fun.

However, the part of the book I had the hardest time with was the believability of some characters, especially Miri’s parents. I could not suspend reality to believe that Miri’s Mom would just accept that Miri had some guy living with them that she accidentally conjured while performing a spell to make her Juliet in a play. Her Mom did not even question the story and seemingly had no problem with this boy moving into their house or the fact that the two became involved while living together. And then, when Miri’s Dad calls, he just accepts it too! I don’t know about you guys, but when I was a teenager (you know, last year), there is no way my parents would have bought that story without question, yelling and lectures on the idiocy of playing with things you did not understand.

All of that being said, I really did enjoy the book, I just did not love it and I really wanted to love it. In the end, after deliberating on it for a few days, I am going with 3 stars.

We received The Juliet Spell as an ARC from NetGalley.  HarlequinTeen releases this title TODAY, September 27, 2011!

~Shel

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay

****

From Random House:

"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume."
—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

Most people I know tolerated Shakespeare in school.  A necessary evil to get a passing grade... Not me, I found a home in his prose.  I have a huge, leather bound, gold embossed, lovely tome of the Complete Works of William Shakespeare (a long ago birthday present from Bel & my brother).  This book is sacred to me, one of my most prized possessions.  Naturally, I generally hate it when people bastardize Shakespeare (I cannot even fathom watching the Leonardo DiCaprio version of Romeo & Juliet).  Given this, I shocked myself and Nat by picking up Juliet Immortal.  Admittedly, I never thought I would finish the book.  I figured my curiosity would leave me a chapter or two into the book.  I was wrong.  I went from a premise I was sure I would hate, to a book I could not put down.

Evil Romeo?  An epic battle of good and evil between Romeo & Juliet?  Unfathomable, and yet it caught my attention and forced me to become immersed in this book.  Juliet, as a force of light, fighting for love and protecting soul mates, despite having been so cruelly denied her own happy ending, could have been a complete cliche, begging for someone to reach into the book and beat her up, yet I found that the author tempered Juliet's anger and bitterness with true concern for others and a desire to do good in the world.  She also possessed an inner strength that made her not only tolerable, but likable.  Juliet is fueled by righteous anger and a need for revenge by blocking Romeo's attempts to destroy soul mates. 

Juliet's current assignment requires her to face her past and examine who and what she has become.  It also requires Juliet to search her own soul to see if she can find forgiveness and love for someone that she has hated for centuries to avoid a fate worse than hell.  Romeo for his part was wickedly evil and charming at times.  His cruelty is tempered by moments, just glimpses of the man he was, before.  This passage from Shakespeare's play kept popping into my mind as I read, especially the portions from Romeo's point of view.

"Love is a smoke rais'd

with the fume of sighs;

Being purg'd, a fire spark-

ling in lovers' eyes;

Being vex'd, a sea

nourish'd with lovers' tears.

What is it else? A madness

most discreet,

A choking gall, and a

preserving sweet."

Romeo & Juliet, William Shakespeare

I had no idea where Stacey Jay would take this tale, even right up to the end I could not figure it out.  Juliet Immortal is fast, action-packed, fun with heart.  There's humor, intrigue and murder - just the way Shakespeare liked it.  I give Juliet Immortal 4 stars for keeping me thoroughly entertained and desperate to get to the end.   

~ Shel