A Witchy Gothic Romance Retelling of Romeo and Juliette by Kate King | By Any Other Name | A Review

  

***This is a review of an ARC sample from the Author in exchange for an honest review*** I got the arc copy of “By Any Other Name” from Kate King in February this year (2024). I started reading at the time but left it in the middle because I had a lot on my plate at the time. But I resumed the book in yesterday and finished reading in one sitting. As always this is another good book by the author so, let’s get into review.

Blurb

He’s seduced by the darkness, but she’s always been his sun. In the elite university town of Stratford, Massachusetts, a secret society of eight wealthy and influential families use occult witchcraft to maintain their power and privilege. The entire society is dangerous, but the bitter blood feud between rival families, the Capulets and the Montagues, makes them almost as infamous as Stratford itself. Etta Capulet has always been a good girl. Roman Montague is anything but good. But despite their differences, their vicious family rivalry, and years of curses, threats, and murders, Roman has secretly loved Etta as long as he can remember. So when he hears her moaning his name through her open bedroom window, he vows to make her his… Until death do they part.

GENRE 
Gothic Retelling

THEME AND TONE
Beautiful and Engaging

LANGUAGE AND WRITING STYLE
Easy to Read

CHARACTERS
Multilayered Characters

TROPES
☙ Enemies to Lovers

☙ Star-crossed Lovers
☙ Dark Retelling of Romeo & Juliet
☙ Witches and Warlocks

☙ Fated Mates
☙ Dark Fantasy
☙ Romantasy
☙ Family Secrets

☙ Magic and Curses

MY REVIEW
I did not read the goodreads description before starting it and about halfway through I realized it’s Romeo and Juliet….lol…It is sometimes gets tiring to read retellings because we all know how it will happen and in this I thought It will be the same but there were many things different in this one.

The scenes, the enemies to lovers part, the feud between witch families, the family secrets, the murders in the backdrop and a serial witch killer on the lose and the twist happened at the end…..everything added a layer of complexity to the storyline and it was freaking genius of the author. I was not expecting the Murderer but I would have love to read that part in detail when everyone realized who was the person. Author seemed to skipped that part.

I love a book where there are multiple plotlines happening. But Author focused on Roman and Etta more and It would have been great to read more about Councilman Lawrence, Etta’s Aunt who was banished from the order, Pierce and Catalina scenes (I was more invested in their friendship though).

So, without any spoiling I would say the book was a good read. A solid 4 stars from me because I had a good time reading it and I will definitely recommend it.

MY RATING
Overall: ★★★★ | 4 Stars
Plot: ★★★★★ | 5 Stars
Characters: ★★★★★ | 5 Stars
Pacing: ★★★★ | 4 stars
Sense of Mystery: ★★★★★| 5 stars

Banter: ★★★★ | 4 Stars

Romance: ★★★★★ | 5 Stars

Ending: ★★★★★| 5 Stars
Fun: ★★★★★| 5 Stars 

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶| 3/5

Book Cover:★★★| 3 Stars 

THE BEST PART
☙ Murder Mystery and the family feud
☙ The twist at the end

☙ Roman’s friends were pretty interesting

THE WORST PART:
☙ I wanted more of the backdrop plotlines 
☙ I absolutely got annoyed by the sequence of the chapters….one was 5 years earlier and the next was time jump to present. I got a whiplash going back and forth lol. It would have been great if all the scenes of 5 years earlier was half the book and next half would consist of present times. But of course Author knows better.

Happy Reading!!