juliet anne fortier harper collins book blog tour

"Shakespeare wouldn't like it," says main character Giulietta. I think you will.

Welcome to my second official book blog tour with Harper Collins Canada!  This time it’s Juliet by Quebec resident, Anne Fortier.  (For my first tour, check out The Truth About Delilah Blue with author, Tish Cohen).  Stay tuned and subscribe for a word from the author at the end of October.  To keep up with Anne Fortier, like her Facebook page.

Here’s a book I was nervous about finishing on time.  444 pages with set in Bulmer typeface.  This font was designed in the late 18th century by William Bulmer specifically for the Shakespeare Press.  What scared me wasn’t the type itself (which I found enjoyable, readable and slightly different), but the font size.  If I had to guess, I’d say 9-point.  So, with two weeks and counting, my Kiefer Sutherland tick-tock-timer began chirping away.

Had I known this book would be such addictive reading, I wouldn’t have worried.  I finished with time to spare.  Let’s get to the meat, shall we?

Gist of the Story

Here’s where things get tricky.  While I was reading, I was determined to write a review without spoilers….a difficult thing to do in a book that is romance, adventure and mystery. I’ll give it my best shot.  You don’t want to have these surprises ruined, trust me.

Julie and her twin sister, Janice, live with their Aunt Rose and Housekeeper, Umberto.  Julie’s career is manager for several children’s plays of Romeo and Juliet across the eastern U.S.  At the top of the book, Aunt Rose dies.  In her will, it is discovered she everything to the ‘evil’ twin Janice and nothing to Julie besides a passport containing her real name, Giulietta Tolomei, and instructions to go to Sienna,Italy and discover her dead mother’s secrets.

So, she does!


Once things get rolling in Italy, the reader is treated to a story about the 1340′s version of Romeo and Giulietta which flip-flops nearly every other chapter with our present day Giulietta trying to find her Romeo amid being chased by bad guys and good guys alike.  I adored this back-story of the ‘real’ Romeo and Juliet that was said to inspire Shakespeare’s tragedy.  The author takes a thread of a legend and embellishes it in all the right ways.  For example, there is some intense reading around an event called the Palio, which is a horse and rider race through city and countryside involving house flags, vicious by-standers and family honour.  You won’t find your typical Shakespearean tale here, although you may discover echoes of it.

Although not set in Verona but in Sienna, Fortier takes us on a visual tour of the city and its architecture.  Like The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, this book will want to make you visit Sienna.  (And, come to think of it, would be a very good book club selection – Oprah thinks so!  Mystery, intrigue, Italians, cappucino…what could be more romantic?)

The big question on your mind is: does everybody die in the end?

The 1340 version and the present day meet up perfectly in the last chapters to rewrite history.  As our modern day Giulietta says, “Shakespeare won’t like it.”  Bully on Shakespeare; you’ll love it.

First Lines, Last Words

They say I died.

Whether or not we had been truly cursed, and whether or not we paid our dues, he was my blessing, and I was his, and that was enough to disarm any missile that fate – or Shakespeare – might still be foolish enough to hurl our way.

Quotable

“…Holy Mother of God, how many times do I have to do this?” ~page 440

Book Rating

juliet anne fortier

Overall rating 4.63/5

4.4 Beside the Bed I typically don’t read what at first glance is romance.  Note to self to not judge a book by its cover.  Romantic story, yes.  But more than just that.

4.8 Sleepless for the Story It wasn’t just the thought of missing a deadline that pushed me through this book in under two weeks.  Very addictive.

4.7 Regifting this Read I might not regift this one to a male friend but I think turning anyone on to a new, great author would be a token in my pocket.  Can’t wait to read another book by Anne Fortier!

For more on how the book ratings work and a further explanation of the cool-ness factor, check out my Book Ratings Chart.

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