Title: Romeo Redeemed (Juliet Immortal #2)
Author: Stacey Jay
Release Date: October 9, 2012 (hardcover)
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 384
Source: Copy provided by publisher

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Summary:

Seductive companion to the popular Juliet Immortal, in which former lovers—Romeo and Juliet—meet, not as true lovers, but truly as enemies.

Cursed to live out eternity in his rotted corpse, Romeo, known for his ruthless, cutthroat ways, is given the chance to redeem himself by traveling back in time to save the life of Ariel Dragland. Unbeknownst to her, Ariel is important to both the evil Mercenaries and the love-promoting Ambassadors and holds the fate of the world in her hands. Romeo must win her heart and make her believe in love, turning her away from her darker potential before his work is discovered by the Mercenaries. While his seduction begins as yet another lie, it soon becomes his only truth. Romeo vows to protect Ariel from harm, and do whatever it takes to win her heart and soul. But when Ariel is led to believe his love is a deception, she becomes vulnerable to Mercenary manipulation, and her own inner darkness may ultimately rip them apart. 

My Thoughts:
Stacey Jay's Romeo Redeemed is an electrifying follow-up to Juliet Immortal that promises suspense and swoon-worthy romance! Juliet's understandably bitter attitude towards Romeo in Juliet Immortal left me reluctant to show any sympathy for him in Romeo Redeemed, but once I began reading the novel, I couldn't help rooting for him to succeed.

After centuries of committing evil acts for the ruthless Mercenaries, Romeo has one chance to redeem himself... and it won't be an easy task. He has to somehow convince the real Ariel Dragland to believe in love before the Mercenaries deceive and claim her for themselves. If he fails, he'll be forcibly returned to his rotted corpse to waste away and suffer. At first, Romeo only intends to use his charm to get Ariel to fall for him, but once he begins to learn more about her, his feelings become true.

Romeo and Ariel recognize the darkness found within both of themselves, and this shared understanding brings them ever closer. After years of being bullied and put down by others, Ariel lacks confidence and keeps to herself, but with Romeo by her side, she slowly learns to have trust and faith in people again. Romeo has finally found himself on the path of redemption. He regrets believing the promises of the Mercenaries, and the way he hurt Juliet so much, and doesn't want Ariel to make the same mistake he did. He would do anything to protect Ariel, even if it meant having to sacrifice himself. 

Just like with Juliet Immortal, I had no idea of what to expect for the ending! Stacey Jay adds in twists and turns that will leave you frantically turning the pages, desperate to know what will happen next. I don't think I could have imagined a better conclusion to this two-part series than the one Stacey Jay has wonderfully written. There was really never a story of more woe, than of Juliet and her Romeo...

Thanks so much to Random House Canada for providing this review copy!