Juliet

          Juliet is a story mainly set in Siena Italy that intertwines two time periods the 1300's and the present via a family mystery and supposed curse. Alternating chapters to define the time periods the story jumps back and forth progressing both story lines until they merge, twisting and turning like an Italian back street to a resolution.
          I found the premise interesting, This is an extrapolation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in terms of moving it backwards slightly in time and spatially to Siena (rather than Verona). While tossing in a modern mystery and some romance. The characters are readily recognizable and yet described in correlating terms for those not familiar with the Bard's work. I was show more also pleased at the sketching (within context of the storyline) of the play's origins and prior versions before it was re-vamped by Shakespeare.
          Now for the drawbacks. The writing around the 1300's setting is tight, well paced and engaging. However when Ms. Fortier moved her story-line into the present it became clumsy and several of the characters felt very one dimensional. An example of this would be the characterizations of the modern twins. There is no middle ground and neither is particularly like-able as a result. (obviously one isn't designed to be but that isn't the point). Likewise her grasp of the modern portions of the story in terms of setting, pace, and plot do leave something to be desired. Add in that in the modern story line I felt the plot unraveled somewhat about 2/3rds of the way through and the pace slowed.
          This is in direct contrast to her portrayal of Medieval Italy. Her grasp and characterization of not just characters, but setting, and plot pace belie her clumsiness in the modern story line. I was left wondering if the original story had been to tell the 1300's story (a well drawn mystery in itself) and then lightly draw it into the present, only to be told there must be two story lines and have to backtrack fitting the two together.
          Despite these drawbacks this is a fun read and I think will go over well with many readers. I'm giving this a 3.65 overall.
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I would like to thank Goodreads for allowing me to read this as it was an ARC. I also wish Ms. Fortier all the best in her future writing. I look forward to her development as a writer. show less

When Julie Jacobs' aunt dies, she received a letter that reveals her name is truly Giulietta Tolomei, a descendant of the real-life families that inspired Romeo and Juliet: the Tolomeis and the Salembenis. Her mother, Diane, had left behind a box with more information for her to find. Leaving her twin sister behind, Julie - or Giulietta - travels to Siena, Italy to follow the clues her mother left behind. She also meets members of the Salembeni, Eva Maria and her godson, Alessandro. As she becomes more and more wrapped up in the story of the previous Giulietta Tolomei and her love, Romeo Marescotti, Julie doesn't know whom to trust or who is telling her the truth.

I was most interested in the historical, literary angle of the book, and show more the sections set in 1340 worked best for me. The rest was in Julie's voice, and I didn't really connect with her as a narrator, especially in her description of her twin sister, Janice, and their relationship. Fortier's decision to narrate the story in first person also took away some of the tension, since it is very unlikely that the narrator will die. Though a fairly well-paced plot, I never really felt invested in the characters nor did I fully buy the modern-day romance. The narration is sprinkled with similes, some of which were fresh but many of which were unnecessary and only served to make the story feel even more over the top than it already was. A quick and fun summer story, but not one that I would reread. show less

Words can not explain what I feel about this amazing story. Anne Fortier instantly captured me and took me on a tilt-a-whirl ride to Italy right beside Julie Jacobs. Anne blended wit with pain and tragedy, suspenseful mystery and intriguing history to a create an excellent romantic mysterious drama.

Julie Jacobs was fascinating. She was created with flaws and really dug her way into my heart. When she learns of a secret waiting for her in Siena, Italy, the twists of suspense begin. Julie sets out to her birth place, Italy, to the place where Romeo&Juliet took place, to discover what her long deceased mother left her. The intriguing part of the suspense is when Julie's history falls into place and the story takes on deeper meaning, as it show more switches from present day to a historical place in time. She learns there is that dreadful curse that started way back in history, and falls upon her family today, passed on by her descendants....none other than Guiletta Tolomei- the REAL Juliet, whom Julie was actually named for. And, as Julie is searching out her history, can a man bring out the best in her and be her Romeo? Or is the blasted curse going to cause her true love, just like Romeo and Juliet?

This beautiful two part book was perfect for laughs and cries. I did both! The secondary characters, like Janice and Umberto, added an extra oomph to the plot, giving it an added meaning. The story is full of everything from history to romance to mystery, and would make the perfect read for any genre lover.

What was particularly intriguing to me was Anne Fortier's AMAZING research for this novel! It was like she really was there, with the real Romeo&Juliet, seeing it, and then transcribing it to paper. Not only did my emotions run wild with this story, I felt a pull to the historical side of this modern day Romeo&Juliet love story. I could see the gowns and dresses of Juliet and feel the powerful love of Romeo, from all the finely described details that Anne added to the story. The research was just exquisite! As I said above, there are no words to describe my feelings of this truly enchanting story.

So, please don't delay in grabbing your copy today. It's a book that has genres for everyone. A 5 star rating does not do this novel justice....it needs more like 105 stars. Anne Fortier is superb in her skills and I'm looking forward to more modern day, historically epic novels by her!

*This book was provided for review by PUYB Promotions* show less

Summary: Julie Jacobs's parents died in Italy when she was very young, and she's spent the rest of her life being raised by her Great-Aunt Rose and being overshadowed by her twin sister, Janice. So when Rose dies and Janice inherits her estate, Julie is admittedly a little bit peeved that all she gets is the key to her mother's safe deposit box in Siena. But she travels to Italy, and discovers that her family has a legacy - for her real name is not Julie Jacobs, but Giulietta Tolomei, and she's descended from the Giulietta Tolomei who was the real-life inspiration for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. But her family legacy seems to come with more trouble than treasure... Family feuds in Siena can linger for centuries, and now Julie's show more being stalked by a mysterious and dangerous man. What's more, the modern day descendants of the original two feuding houses believe that both of their families are living under a terrible curse, one that can only be broken if Juliet finally finds her Romeo.

Review: Romeo and Juliet was the first Shakespearean play that I ever read, it's the play I've seen staged the most times, and it's almost certainly to blame for turning me into a Shakespeare buff. So when you hand me a novel that deals with the historical basis of the tale of the star-cross'd lovers - and when that novel uses interweaving modern and historical timelines, one of my favorite literary devices - you've got a recipe for one very happy reader.

And, happily, Juliet did not disappoint. It's a solid mystery/thriller, with clues being doled out at a decent pace, some really surprising twists, a strong historical/literary background that leads to the whole story tying together wonderfully neatly, and even a sizeable dollop of romance thrown in the mix. It was crazy-compelling, keeping me up way past my bedtime because I just *had* to finish it. I also loved that I actually learned something about the history of the play, too - I wish the Author's Note had been more explicit about what parts of the historical sections were verifiable and which were invention, but as near as I could tell the story had a strong grounding in fact. And, as well as Fortier depicts the historical sections, she does even better at describing modern-day Siena. While I've certainly read other books that have made me want to visit their settings, I don't think I'd ever before read one that had me actively researching plane tickets.

This book did have its flaws: Fortier's characterizations are not very complex, and Janice in particular feels a bit overdone. Her writing also still has a few rough edges; while it's mostly unobtrusive, and her dialogue in particular sounds fresh and realistic, she's got a tendency to deliver the exposition in a breathless infodump, rather than letting the answers to the mysteries unfold at a more natural pace. However, while I certainly noticed these things, they didn't really bother me or detract from my enjoyment of a book. There are some books you read for the compelling characters, some books you read for the beautiful use of language, and some books you read because they've got a hell of a plot that is involving enough that you can't put them down. This book falls firmly into the third category, which may not make it a literary masterwork, but definitely made it an absorbing and entertaining summer read. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: This book felt very similar to The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane - modern day thriller coupled with historical mystery. If you liked that book, any of those genres, and/or Romeo & Juliet, then you'll definitely enjoy Juliet as well. show less

I'm in love with this book. That's not an understatement, I would probably have picked it straight up and read it again but, I'm so behind schedule that it wasn't an option (although I might have to stick a post-it on the front to remind myself in future ;))

I've always been the stereotypical woman who has swooned appropriately at Romeo & Juliet so I picked this book up thinking it would be a fun modern re-write that I could forget about soon after. Turns out though that this was so much more - it went beyond the Shakespeare tale (and was the better for it) and mingled pastlives, romance, destiny, soulmates, history, crime, mystery, adventure, betrayals and all the fun stuff to make a book that I want to re-read immediately. I'm a sucker show more for all that so it's like the book was written exactly to my own specifications, which I clearly cannot complain about at all. Also - added bonus, every chapter is prefaced with a R&J quote - how can you not appreciate that?

It's set for the most part in Siena and the descriptions of the town makes the locales easy to imagine even for someone who has never been there and I almost want to go and book a holiday to Siena solely to experience some of it. The two tales - modern and past blend together beautifully and it says a lot about the author that I was equally invested in both stories, even though I knew that one was going to end tragically. The premise involved Julie travelling to Italy on a quest to get something her mother had bequeathed her after her aunt died, in the belief that it will be worth a lot of money and clear her debts after she was written out her aunt's will unexpectedly. In Italy, she travels under her real name, Giulieta Tolomei and discovers that her family is at the centre of an ancient feud with another family and that her name holds some medieval weight nowadays. Her inheritance turns out to be some books and a crucifix, and disappointed begins to read in the hope it explains where the treasure is and the book turns out to be a diary that talks about Giulieta and Romeo, her ancestor and her lover who were the inspiration for the early Italian tellings of Romeo & Juliet before Shakespeare got ahold of it.

It was a wonderful book, and although I'm sure there were aspects of it that people could find fault with - the characterisation of Janice was maybe a little ott and a little out there, but I didn't really mind it that much tbh. I just didn't mind it that much, and I honestly didn't have any complaints. It checked every box that I could possibly want it to check and the balance just felt right.

The film rights to this have been sold already. As a person who loved the book as completely as I did, I'm delighted to have another way to enjoy it but I just really hope they do it justice. No crappy casting choices just to have some big name in the role who is completely unsuitable, and although I love her, no Amanda Seyfried either. If they are going to botch up the casting, I'd rather they just left it personally.

Now I'm just sad that this was a new release - it means I'm going to have years for the author's follow-up book. show less

I had seen this book on B&N’s coming soon page (which I stalk on a regular basis-lol) and had to get it as soon as it was released-which I did at the end of August 2010. This book brought me into a month long obsession with Italy. I grilled my parents for days about our family which came from Italy. I was secretly hoping that there was some sort of cool mystery, death, or curse or something that would allow me to go on the same kind of adventure as the protagonist, Julie, did in Juliet. I was so disappointed when there was nothing-but I’m not giving my hopes up until I step foot in Italy and find out for myself ;)
Juliet begins with Julie Jacobs finding out about the death of her great aunt, who raised her and her sister, Janice. show more After she is told by Umberto, the butler, and her aunt’s lawyer that the estate was left for Janice, a broke Julie goes to Siena, Italy to find the family treasure that was left for her by their mother. In college, Julie Jacobs went to Italy with a group of peace activists only to be kicked out of the country and asked to never return. This time she enters the country as Giulietta Tolomei, her birth name. On the plane she meets Eva Maria Salimbeni who informs her to be careful about who she tells her name to. She begins to tell Julie, or Giulietta, about the history between their two families. What follows is 400 pages filled with a treasure hunt for Juliet’s eyes, a gold statue with very very valuable jewels for eyes. However, this statue is said to be located at the grave of Romeo and Juliet, which no one has seen since the black plague. Led by only her dead mother’s notes and a copy of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Julie sets out on a wild treasure hunt. There is another thing-a powerful curse that all started with the Friar Lorenzo, who was the friar responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s romance all those years ago. As he was being tortured he cursed the Tolomei (Juliet and Julie’s family) and the Salimbeni (Eva Maria’s family-and the evil man who tore Juliet and Romeo apart’s family) family.

“A plague on both your houses
You shall all perish in fire and gore
Your children forever wail under a mad moon
Till you undo your sins and kneel before the Virgin
And Giulietta wakes to behold her Romeo.”
Of course Julie doesn’t have an easy time trying to end the curse and find the treasure- what with Alessandro Santini wanting her to stay away from him and his godmother Eva Maria. Then when he finally befriends Julie, he starts doing some very suspicious things. Then there’s the issue of someone on a motor cycle who keeps following her everywhere. And to top it off, the Maestro painter who she befriends and who owns the painting of the original Juliet from all those years ago, tells her that Romeo comes to his studio almost every night to drink a glass of wine and look at the painting. And no, he is no ghost- for ghosts don’t drink wine.
Take The Da Vinci Code, National Treasure, Romeo and Juliet, and Anne Fortier’s imagination and writing and you get Juliet, a beautiful love story spanning centuries and a treasure hunt. This is one of my favorite books. I opened it to skim through before writing this review and ended up rereading it completely -I did not expect to stay up until 5 AM. And now all I want to do is go to Siena. Having been to Italy once before (about 4 or 5 years ago) I have to say it felt like Italy, I was right there. Not only that but I remember seeing the places that she describes in the book, which make it all the more real.
The middle chunk of the book alternates between the past and present. The past being the “real” Romeo and Juliet in 1340. The story is sad and tragic. In my opinion, it’s even more tragic than the Shakespeare version. Now many years later, their decedents are cursed and trying to break it. But will Romeo and Juliet of today’s world find love or tragedy?
Julie Jacobs, or Giulietta was a great character. I truly related to her. I hated her twin sister, Janice, so much. But eventually grew to like her. Alessandro Santini is a hot Italian man. He is the head of security for the local 500 yr old bank, very hot, and a tortured soul. Who doesn’t love all that? Plus he’s got some secrets.
I URGE you to read this book. Juliet is a passionate tale of love, death, secrets, fate/destiny, and finding oneself. It will have you believing that Romeo and Juliet existed and that this curse is for real-which of course both aren’t true. You will be transported to Italy and will never want to leave. You will wish/pray/hope/beg that you can find your Romeo. You will beseech your parents to let you go to Italy to find love and adventure. You won’t know what to do with yourself when it ends. show less

Julie saw Umberto at the back of the room as she was leaving the stage. She knew this wasn't going to be good news because he wasn't smiling like always. "Aunt Rose has died" were the words that tumbled out of his mouth. As sad as Julie was, she also knew there would be something even more distressing....she had to face her twin sister Janice. Janice was four minutes younger than Julie, but she always upstaged her no matter what, and there was always conflict when Janice arrived on the scene.

It was pouring down rain the day they buried Aunt Rose. As soon as she was buried and they were leaving the gravesite, Janice demanded to see the will right then. The attorney did have the will and showed it to both girls, but nothing had been left show more to Julie...everything was left to Janice.

Julie was devastated, but then Umberto said he had something that her mother had left for her....a key, a passport, and a letter. The letter wanted Julie to go to Italy, but Julie knew she couldn't go to Italy because she had been thrown out of the country when she was 18. Umberto had another means to get her to the country she was born in and to carry out her mother's wishes that Aunt Rose kept secret until she had passed away. Julie had no desire to go to Italy, but Umberto insisted...who couldn't resist a trip to Italy...mama mia :)

Julie Jacobs aka as Giulietta Tolomei was on the plane to Italy the next day and met Eva Maria, an Italian citizen. She informed Giulietta that she knew her family and that her family and Giulietta's family were rivals back in the Middle Ages. Eva Marie took her under her wing and insisted that her grandson show Giulietta the town of Siena and keep her safe.

The next day Giulietta went to the bank with her key. The bank manager had known Giulietta's father, and he took Giulietta to the safety deposit box with the matching key. What Giulietta found was her family and frightening and wonderful adventures. The key, the box her mother left her, and the story of Romeo and Juliet is the novel's main theme with lots of mystery and intrigue surrounding them.

Your interest won't wane especially if you look at Random House's website ( http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/features/anne_fortier/photo-gallery.php) that corresponds with the book in pictures from the scenes of the book. I loved it as the mysteries unraveled.

This book is outstanding...the storyline, the descriptions, the characters, and Italy.

I loved how the book went back and forth from the 1300's to present day using the story of Romeo and Juliet as the main plot and how the main characters unraveled family and life-long mysteries....you will love the present-day characters Julie and Janice Jacobs also known as Giulietta and Giannozza Talomei.

I couldn't put it down. I loved "being in Italy" again, and could just see the buildings and all the quaintness of the country and the city of Siena. The web page Random House set up for the book adds to your interest because the pictures go along with the pages of the book.

I can't see how it wouldn't be liked...it is a book you won't want to miss. It has something for everyone...history, romance, mystery, betrayal, life in the 1300's in Italy, ancestors, middle-age family feuds, suspense, and a great author. Ms. Fortier did a superb job with her novel.

It is absolutely wonderful right up to the last page. You will not want it to end. What an extraordinary novel. ENJOY!! show less