A RomaJuliette Christmas Special

These Violent Delights #0.5

by Chloe Gong

Roma and Juliette being 15 and happy, which was truly a fleeting time. This takes place four years before the events of These Violent Delights, so there are no spoilers.

“The year was 1922, and nothing was impossible.”

Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Retellings, Historical

27 pages, ebook

First published December 23, 2020

About the author

Chloe Gong is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Secret Shanghai novels, as well as the Flesh and False Gods trilogy. Her books have been published in over twenty countries and have been featured in the New York Times, PEOPLE, Cosmopolitan, and more. She was named one of Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2024. Chloe graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in English and International Relations. Born in Shanghai and raised in Auckland, New Zealand, she is now located in New York City, pretending to be a real adult.

Reviews

[Joel Rochester · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO CUTE

[Cait Jacobs (Caitsbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

this had no right being this adorable

(and yes, im counting this for my goodreads challenge)

[Lia Carstairs · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I’m sorry,” Roma said breathlessly. “I interrupted your wish before.”

“No, you didn’t,” Juliette replied. She gave a pleased sigh, then leaned in again. “You finished it perfectly.”

Roma and Juliette being the sweet and innocent 15 year olds who were very much in love . . .

I can't🥺

and this saved my reading challenge

[toointofiction · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I'm sorry, I interrupted your wish before."
"No, you didn't. You finished it perfectly."

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

❗This is a brief, spoiler-free review❗

This was so absolutely wholesome my heart grew three inches!! I am no longer a cynical bitch, I have become a hopeless simp. Roma and Juliette became even cuter and I didn't think that was possible. This is exactly what one needs after the ending of These Violent Delights. Reading about their time together, before everything went to shit is better than Xanax. I already know that their love is pure, but reading about it while they were still so young and sweet makes it all the more real. This is highly recommended for those reading Our Violent Ends, that's exactly what I did.

[may ➹]

perhaps I went a little feral when Roma wiped away Juliette’s kiss and said it was blood

(y’all are that desperate to finish your Goodreads challenges aren’t you...)

[She-who-must-not-be-named · Rating 4 out of 5]

My heart is performing cartwheels in my chest.

[Layla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spreading the romajuliette agenda is my true calling.

[jolie · Rating 5 out of 5]

i actually loved this so much STOP i absolutely can’t wait to read these violent delights next. i’m already such a big fan of romajuliette after reading this and they already have a small place in my heart. i was giggling and smiling like a fool while reading this.

He was good… but Juliette was better.

She didn’t know how to express the emotion that swept through her. It was only that she looked up at Roma and could feel time shudder to a halt around them. It was only that every time she looked at Roma, she didn’t want to stop looking; she wanted to sit down beside him and bid him never to leave her, to listen to him talk forever and ever and ever.

Juliette Cai turned around the corner, offering no smile in greeting but instead a click of her tongue and a wink, which was somehow better.

juliette was the definition of a girl boss. she has this tough demeanor and despite this, it’s clear that she cares about roma a lot. they just bonded in a way that absolutely drew me in and i found myself relating to her. it was as if she felt like she could be herself with roma rather than in her own home.
Roma was already looking at her, looking in awe, his gaze wide and reverent.

This was the first time he had ever heard his name from her lips. It was beautiful. He never wanted to be called anything else again. Not Roman, not Montagov. Just Roma.

Roma didn’t know much, but he knew that he had fallen too hard and he had fallen too fast. If he didn’t speak now he might never have a chance, because this city was brutal to dazzling things walking its streets, and Juliette was the most dazzling of them all.

i literally loved how down bad roma was for juliette!! not to mention the way he cared for her and thought everything through. he was also not one of those guys who have a tough demeanor and actually had a sensitive side to him which i appreciated. this is how you write a man written by a woman!! he had the emotion, thoughtfulness, and consideration that i want in someone.

—despite this book bejng in third person, i really enjoyed the writing and the characters bc it is never biased or anything. the descriptions of everything was just perfect, especially when it came to how each character felt about one another and everything. this short novella (should it even be called a novella?) really sealed the deal for my love of third person.

No matter what they were, no matter what it was between them, they were comfortable enough for this at least: for a safe place to land and a shoulder to lean on.

ngl their contrasting personalities just did it for me. i loved getting to know both of them and i truly wish this was longer bc it was everything. in just a few short stories, i feel like i’ve gotten to know them and their bond so well. they never spoke of the feud between their families and just focused on the time they spent together. i think that’s really important to note bc they never took advantage of it and just cherished the present.

series review! . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄
these violent delights
our violent ends

[lila ୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

→𝟒✰
"𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭: 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧."

stop i loved this so much. i'm already in love with chloe gong's writing and the characters. this is only 27 pages long and we still get so much depth into romajuliette. they are most definitely one of my many fav book couples!!

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬
"She didn’t know how to express the emotion that swept through her. It was only that she looked up at Roma and could feel time shudder to a halt around them. It was only that every time she looked at Roma, she didn’t want to stop looking; she wanted to sit down beside him and bid him never to leave her, to listen to him talk forever and ever and ever."

"This was the first time he had ever heard his name from her lips. It was beautiful. He never wanted to be called anything else again. Not Roman, not Montagov. Just Roma."

“Princess of Shanghai, of course.” He withdrew his hand. “Nothing else would be worthy.”
•┈୨୧┈•
pre-read review
i might as well get to know romajuliette before i read these violent delights 🤭

[Sonja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story was so lovely and wonderful!

I really wish that it had been included in These Violent Delights because it would have made Roma and Julliette’s romance so much stronger and more palpable — and that, in turn, would have made the book way more enjoyable for me.

If you enjoyed These Violent Delights, and want to read some (canon) RomaJuliette fluff, I highly recommend this!!

❝No matter what they were, no matter what it was between them, they were comfortable enough for this at least: for a safe place to land and a shoulder to lean on.❞

[Carol, She's so Novel ꧁꧂ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5★

The author does suggest here https://thechloegong.com/2020/12/22/a... reading her debut novel These Violent Delights first, but I followed readers suggestions to reread Jane Eyre before I read Wide Sargasso Sea and I didn't find it helped much with that chaotic book. &, when possible, I like to read things in chronological order.

I found this short prequel oddly flat & it didn't make me want to know more about either character. The title made me think I would get a lot more Christmas than I did.

https://wordpress.com/view/carolshess...

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a cute moment! Definitely adds a lot of context to Roma and Juliette’s relationship when they were younger that we don’t get to see a lot of in the book.

Roma is in so deep and it’s the cutest thing ever. The letter scene was probably my favorite :)

[nora⁷ · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS THE CUTEST SHIT I'VE EVER READ

You can find the christmas special here!

[juju (hiatus) ｡𖦹°‧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 march 2024 (second reread)
the princess of shanghai deserves 5 stars and nothing less. thank you miss chloe gong for the GIANT shanghai shaped hole in my heart.

(first read: july 31 2022
first reread: nov 2023)

[Bex · Rating 5 out of 5]

so cute i swear, my heart is melting and misses roma and juliette so much :((

[richa ⋆.˚★]

[REDACTED]

[paige (ptsungirl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If he didn't speak now he might never have a chance, because this city was brutal to dazzling things walking its streets, and Juliette was the most dazzling of them all."

°•*⁀➷

Roma and Juliette have no right being this cute. Honestly, what a sweet little story to show us a tiny bit of what it was like before the emotional storm of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends. I love them, I'll never stop.

I hope their love lives forever. I'm choosing to believe it does.

- Paige

[Annabella⁷ (henry li’s version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Roma didn’t know much, but he knew that he had fallen too hard and he had fallen too fast. If he didn’t speak now he might never have a chance, because this city was brutal to dazzling things walking its streets, and Juliette was the most dazzling of them all.”

I decided to go ahead and read this instead of finishing These Violent Delights at the moment. I already liked the characters but I’m in this fluffy cozy YA era right now and I never want to leave🥰. I kind of just wanted the wholesome happy romance (are we shocked? no😎). So this was great and super cute!! I’d read a full-length book of their young blossoming love any day of the week🫶. 4 stars⭐️

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Petition to rename Juliette to Bun Girl and Roma to Sir Barnacles, Lord of the Garbagelands.

[rin ⋆˚✿˖° · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am so happy this exists and i will be rereading this when i am sad

[Ahaana Bhargava · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS SO CUTE!! HELP 🥺😭 roma and Juliette 15 and happy is EVERYTHING i could ask for in life 🥺💖

[Avery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course I read this right after Our Violent Ends. I need something cute. I need something that will not cause me pain. I'm definitely counting this towards my reading goal because I can, but this was adorable, and has partially cured my sadness. I repeat, PARTIALLY. Nothing can replace the hole in my heart.

[michelle (magical reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

chloe really had to do this to me huh

[rain]

this christmas special called me single and now im a melting puddle of yearning

[sephora ౨ৎ⸆⸉ · Rating 5 out of 5]

chloe gong>>>>>>>

[Isabelle Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

i am ruined for Roma and Juliette. they are literally the most adorable teenagers on the planet and now i cannot accept their enemy-ship in the actual duology anymore 😭❤️

[jagodasbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Quit it"
"Make me"
Ughhhh I'm deceased

[✩*⢄⢁✧ ⡈⡠*✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

I JUST WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY😭😭😭AND HAVE A HOUSE AND TWO KIDS AND A LITTLE CAT AND GROW OLD TOGETHER UGHHHHHHHH😭😭😭😭😭

[haniah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover the cover the cover
*cries*

You have to read this. I wish we got more; it was utter happiness.

edit: both the covers are to be appreciated.

[ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

*deep breath in*
...
*deep breath out*
...
repeat.

cant. hold. it. in. any. longer.





AHHHHHHHHHHH
*SCREAMMMMMM*
*SCREAMING INTENSIFIES*

cAlM dOwnnnnn

*closes eyes and tries to relax*

“The year was 1922, and nothing was impossible.”

yes what better thing is there than random quotes everywhere? see you're at a loss for words ;D

sorry.
that was embarrassing.

“His touch was soft, and yet she felt it like a divine burning, like taking a drink directly from the sun.”

If you couldn't tell already. I enjoyed this. A lot. CHLOE GONG!! THANK YOU!!! AHHHHH
Thank you so much for this precious gift. I will forever appreciate this.
How did I just find out about this today?
Boy have I been missing out.

“Princess of Shanghai, of course.” He withdrew his hand. “Nothing else would be worthy.”

A gift. Such a precious gift that has blessed my day. Since Our Violent Ends (by the way, did you see the cover?! It's STUNNING) is coming out too far in the future, this has satisfied my hunger for more of These Violent Delights for at most one day. But that is better than nothing.

This was nothing but adorable.
I can't hold it in.
I am screaming inside. I want to go crazy but it's like 10 pm soooooo kEEP iT tOGETHER

ROMA AND JULIETTE are SO adorable
I can't
And Juliette's relationship with Roma's sister, Alisa. SOOOO CUTE. and it kinda explains a but too...
BUN GIRL <3🥰

This is what I hoped would kinda happen in these violent delights. I just wanted to know a bit more about their pasts.

I can't stop thinking about this.

I'm going to reread it right now so I can find some soul-piercing quotes :p <33333333
^^^EDIT: ummm soooo maybe I should just copy the whole novella into this review *FACEPALM*

“Then the red beads settled and the green beads came to a stop by the piece of string, and Juliette scrambled to her feet with a high-pitched squeal.
“Victory,” she crowed, “is mine!”
Roma Montagov rolled his eyes, bending down to collect the marbles. He feigned annoyance, but Juliette caught him trying to suppress his smile.
“Okay, drama queen. It was a game of marbles, not a cage fight.”
“I would win that too.” ”

AHHHH^^^^ <#333<##<<3<#<3

“ It was then that a sudden pressure struck against her temple, like something had fallen from the sky. Juliette reared back, blinking in shock as her hand flew to cup her head. By the time she realized it was not the heavy sky pelting miniature rocks at her, but Roma plucking marbles from his palm one by one and shooting them at her with deadly aim, another hit had struck the back of her hand and bounced again to the ground.
“Hey!” she whined.
“What?”
“What do you mean, what?” Juliette dodged the next marble. “Quit it!”
“Make me.”
The sea breeze blew in, salty and cold and wicked. It seemed to liven Roma even further as he grinned. Even at fifteen, he was a better marksman than half the gangsters in the city, but not for any notorious reason. Money simply bought the best tutors and teachers. He was good… but Juliette was better.
She caught the next one he threw, right out of mid-air, and hurled it back at him.
It struck his shoulder. Roma gave a short yell, all the marbles in his hand falling to the ground loudly.”

“No response. Roma was looking to his feet, his hair fallen into his eyes, hand clutched around his shoulder. She didn’t think she had thrown that hard. What could it be? Paralysis in the nerves? Internal bleeding? The blood feud was going to be awfully happy if she accidentally killed the White Flower heir—
Juliette reached out with her hand. And faster than the blink of an eye, Roma grabbed her wrist, hauling her up against the wall until her back was to it and he had her boxed in, both of her hands pinned above her head. They were pressed close enough that it would be a scandal between any two kids in this city—and even more so with it was the two of them—but Juliette only loosed an irritated breath, vexed to be have been caught out in his charade.
“Still winning that cage fight?” Roma asked cheerily.
“Ugh!” Juliette tried to kick with her feet, but he only side-stepped, avoiding each strike. “You are such a sore loser.”
“It does not look like I am losing.”
“At marbles, you wet blanket.”

okay, I'm sorry I am literally copying the whole novella in this review. I'll try and limit the quotes a bit.

“Juliette felt her breath catch in her throat. She didn’t know how to express the emotion that swept through her. It was only that she looked up at Roma and could feel time shudder to a halt around them. It was only that every time she looked at Roma, she didn’t want to stop looking; she wanted to sit down beside him and bid him never to leave her, to listen to him talk forever and ever and ever.”

🚨🚨SPOILER ALERT🚨🚨
🚨A🚨C🚨T🚨U🚨A🚨L🚨L🚨Y🚨

 
“I wish—”
She didn’t finish her sentence. Because then Roma was kissing her, his lips softly captured over hers, his hands to either side of her face. Juliette rose up on her toes immediately, her eyes closing and her arms twining around his neck. She could feel the snow landing between them, falling in little cold droplets in her hair, on her hands, on her coat. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered in that moment except the feeling of Roma’s mouth on hers, keeping her warm from her very soul.
They broke apart slowly. A breath passed between them, a secret missive that revealed everything left unsaid, though there was hardly anything to be said when a kiss fulfilled it all. ”
...
“I’m sorry,” Roma said breathlessly. “I interrupted your wish before.”
“No, you didn’t,” Juliette replied. She gave a pleased sigh, then leaned in again. “You finished it perfectly.”