Book Review: My Dark Romeo by Parker S. Huntington & LJ Shen

My Dark Romeo by Parker S. Huntington & LJ Shen

Quote: 

"They say fate is nothing but the consequences of our decisions. Well, I planned on being the worst thing fate ever had in store for him."

 

Blurb:  It was supposed to be a harmless kiss at a lavish debutante ball. A clandestine moment with a handsome stranger.

But unlike his namesake, my Romeo isn't driven by love. He's fueled by revenge. 

To him, I'm a chess piece. Leverage. His rival's betrothed. 

To me, he is a man deserving of poison. A dark prince I refuse to marry.

He thinks I'll accept my fate. Well, I plan to rewrite it.

And in my story, Juliet doesn't die. But Romeo? He perishes. 

Book Tropes: 

• Arranged Marriage
• Billionaire Hero
• Morally Grey ML
• Forced Proximity
• Slow Burn
• Redemption Arc
• Enemies to Lovers

My Personal Views: 

I picked up My Dark Romeo by Parker S. Huntington and LJ Shen without knowing a thing about it, having not read any reviews or summaries beforehand. In other words, I went in with zero expectations. But did it earn a five-star rating from me? Now, I wouldn’t exactly say so.

The story kicks off with the intriguing first encounter between our main characters, Dallas Townsend and Romeo Costa. Dallas is already engaged to Madison, the very person Romeo despises. To humiliate Madison, Romeo tricks Dallas into marrying him instead. What begins as a marriage of convenience quickly spirals into chaos. Romeo believes Dallas is a sweet, pliable girl he can easily manipulate, but he soon learns he’s underestimated her resolve. Dallas makes his life a living hell, and their mutual hatred is palpable. How can they possibly ever live in peace?

In the first half of the book, I fell in love with Dallas. She truly had a backbone, making Romeo's life increasingly difficult in ways he never anticipated. Their banter and the palpable tension between them creates an authentic enemies-to-lovers dynamic. The conflict is exciting, as they grapple with their mutual disdain while navigating their undeniable attraction.

However, as the story progressed, their animosity began to feel toxic. It quickly turned into a contest of who could be more dysfunctional, which was disappointing. I enjoy flawed characters who make mistakes but ultimately strive to improve. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for Romeo and Dallas; at one point, it felt like they were destined to remain locked in a cycle of toxicity.

I appreciate a strong female lead, and I admired how Dallas stood up to Romeo. But as the story continued, her choices became increasingly questionable, which diminished my affection for her. As for Romeo, let's just say he wouldn't even make my top 50 favorite book boyfriends, regardless of his backstory.

Their transformation from loathing each other to falling in love felt abrupt and unearned. While there was animosity, banter, and physical chemistry, the love between them seemed to appear out of nowhere rather than develop organically.

Additionally, the plot offered nothing new or surprising—exactly what you’d expect from a contemporary romance novel. 

I ultimately gave My Dark Romeo a three-star rating. Despite the enjoyable banter and angst that made parts of the book fun, it seriously lacked a compelling plot and a loving male lead, along with genuine chemistry between the two protagonists.

Ratings: ⭐⭐⭐/ 5

Until the next read,

Aditi.