Book Review: Juliet by Anne Fortier

What a Wild Ride through Italy and Romeo and Juliet!

Everything that Julie Jacobs knows about her life is about to be shaken. When Julie's Aunt passes away and she inherits a key to a safe deposit box in Sienna, Italy, she begins an adventure to discover who she truly is.

Julie finds out many things about her past through a plot that continues to alternate between her present day adventure and old transcripts and correspondence related to the real life characters of Romeo and Giulietta, a medieval pair of lovers from Sienna, who were the basis of Shakespeare's famous story. Turns out that Julie's obsession with everything Shakespeare goes well beyond a hobby or even a passion, as she finds out she is a descendant of this family and blood feud.

Julie must find out all there is to know and get past the many secrets that have been hidden from her for years. Who were her parents that she cannot remember? Why was she kept from her family in Italy for so long? What about the plague that has been passed down to both houses (both Romeo and Juliet) and can it be stopped? Is there a real life Romeo for her to discover?

The descriptions of modern day Sienna are romantic and lush, and a wonderful backdrop for a story with modern day bad guys and a mystery to solve. This is a fun book with lots of twists and turns, plus a little humor.

Recommend!