As the people around them broke away in light laughter, switching partners before the music started again, Roma and Juliette both simply stood there, heaving for breath, chests rising and falling, as if they had just engaged in close-contact combat instead of the waltz.

_

Head empty, heart hurt and smashed into a million pieces.

I delved into These Violent Delights with a feeling of complete preparedness for all the stabbing and the yearning (YEARNING!!!). But I was sorely mistaken. I was not prepared.

(Also, I just discovered that my name is mentioned in the acknowledgment pages, so obviously, I’m crying about this, too. But mostly, it’s the ending that has me crying right now at 1:10 AM.)

Highest of recommendations! Full review to follow.

Diversity tags: Tagged for POC representation (Chinese, Korean), LGBTQ+ representation (trans woman, m/m)

Note: I received an e-ARC of These Violent Delights from the author and publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review. Quoted excerpts are subject to changes in the final copy.