"'What are you afraid of?' Roma Montagov asked. Juliette's lips parted. She exhaled a short, abrupt breath. 'The consequences,' she whispered, 'of love in a city ruled by hate.'"

Our Violent Ends is the second book in the These Violent Delights duology, and, yeah, this is the book that made me love Ben and Mars. While I think I like the plot a little less in this one, the character dynamics totally make up for it. Also, even though I didn't enjoy this as much as last time, I think it's more of a reading slump (and I just prefer Foul Lady Fortune for some reason).
The blood feud between Juliette and Roma has resumed. Convinced that Juliette killed his friend, Roma has sworn to put an end to Juliette...for real this time. Knowing her city is on the brink of a civil war, Juliette must continue to live out a lie to save her family and Roma. This book definitely follows a lot more political maneuverings than the first, and I have mixed feelings about them (I don't typically love political intrigue, but I didn't mind it too much in this one). There was a bit less action, but I think the added POVs and the continued mystery help to keep the pacing. I also have mixed feelings about the ending, but I do like the parallels to Romeo and Juliette. Honestly, I think the reason I didn't love this as much on the reread can be almost completely attributed to having finished the sequel series and enjoying it more.
Again, the characters made this story worth it. Ben and Mars are everything to me. I was so excited about the extra page time with them. I don't mind Rosalind in this series (I know a lot of people don't like her), but that's only because I love Foul Lady Fortune. Kathleen was actually one of my favorites on this read-through. I just really like her arc and how her pacifism conflicts with her sense of justice. Juliette and Roma are one of my favorite "morally gray" couples of all time. Juliette is the kind of FMC I love; she's strong but not whiny, and she chooses to follow her heart but not in a way that's overly cliche. I love Roma and his banter, and I love how soft he is on the inside. Alisa is another one of my favorites, and I'm so glad she got more page time in this book.
Our Violent Ends concludes the These Violent Delights duology, but I highly recommend it to anyone who loves retellings of classics, forbidden romance, and lovable casts of characters.

4.5/5
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One of the few times where I actually liked the romance as much as the plot (if not more). 

"'I wish we had been born as other people,' she whispered. 'Born into ordinary lives, untouched by a blood feud.' ... 'No,' Roma finally said. 'Then we would not have met. Then I would have lived an ordinary life, pining for some great love I would never find, because ordinary things happen to ordinary people, and ordinary people settle for something that satisfies them, never knowing if there would've been greater happiness in another life...I will fight this war to love you, Juliette Cai. I will fight this feud to have you, because it was this feud that gave you to me, twisted as it is, and now I will take you away from it'"(321).