These Violent Delights

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! 'Deliciously dark' NATASHA NGAN 'Heady, smart and vicious' TESSA GRATTON This heart-pounding fantasy romance retelling of Romeo and Juliet is set in jazz-age Shanghai and filled with intrigue, danger and betrayal. The year is 1926 , and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city in chaos. Juliette Cai is the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang - a network of criminals far above the law. Roma Montagov is the prodigal son of her greatest rivals, the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. He is also Juliette's first love . . . and first betrayal. When a deadly madness strikes gangsters on both sides, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, and a monster in the shadows. And as the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns - and grudges - aside and work together. For if they can't stop this mayhem, there will be no city left to rule. READERS LOVE CHLOE GONG ' This was INCREDIBLE are you kidding me!! It's a friends to lovers to enemies to reluctant allies Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai and I loved it ' 'This is a stunning and richly-imagined fantasy with lots of bloody action, revenge, betrayal and so much more that there is never a dull moment ' 'A fusion of thrill, passion and devastation! I absolutely loved this tale and still in-awe of the fact that this is a debut novel! From the very beginning, the story felt grippingly intense and exciting ' 'I am not at all sure how I am going to patiently wait for the sequel of this book after THAT ending! A phenomenal read!' ' WHAT A BOOK!! I am absolutely left wanting MORE, MORE, MORE! '

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! 'Deliciously dark' NATASHA NGAN 'Heady, smart and vicious' TESSA GRATTON This heart-pounding fantasy romance retelling of Romeo and Juliet is set in jazz-age Shanghai and filled with intrigue, danger and betrayal. The year is 1926 , and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery. A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city in chaos. Juliette Cai is the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang - a network of criminals far above the law. Roma Montagov is the prodigal son of her greatest rivals, the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. He is also Juliette's first love . . . and first betrayal. When a deadly madness strikes gangsters on both sides, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, and a monster in the shadows. And as the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns - and grudges - aside and work together. For if they can't stop this mayhem, there will be no city left to rule. READERS LOVE CHLOE GONG ' This was INCREDIBLE are you kidding me!! It's a friends to lovers to enemies to reluctant allies Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai and I loved it ' 'This is a stunning and richly-imagined fantasy with lots of bloody action, revenge, betrayal and so much more that there is never a dull moment ' 'A fusion of thrill, passion and devastation! I absolutely loved this tale and still in-awe of the fact that this is a debut novel! From the very beginning, the story felt grippingly intense and exciting ' 'I am not at all sure how I am going to patiently wait for the sequel of this book after THAT ending! A phenomenal read!' ' WHAT A BOOK!! I am absolutely left wanting MORE, MORE, MORE! '

Acompulsively readable debut novel about two college students, each with his own troubled past, whose escalating obsession with one another leads to an act of unspeakable violence. ‘An utterly captivating fever dream of a novel.’ Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life When Paul enters university in early 1970s Pittsburgh, it’s with the hope of moving past the recent death of his father. Sensitive, insecure, and like a stranger to his family, Paul feels isolated and alone. When he meets the worldly Julian in his freshman ethics class, Paul is immediately drawn to his classmate’s effortless charm. Paul will stop at nothing to prove himself worthy of their friendship. But Julian is as volatile and cruel as he is charismatic, and Paul begins to suspect that he can never live up to what Julian expects of him. As their friendship spirals into all-consuming intimacy, they each learn the lengths to which the other will go in order to stay together, their obsession ultimately hurtling them toward an act of irrevocable violence. From then on, everything changes… These Violent Delights is an exquisitely plotted excavation of the depths of human desire and the darkness it can unleash upon us... 'A clever novel of manners.’ New York Times

A compulsively readable debut novel about two college students, each with his own troubled past, whose escalating obsession with one another leads to an act of unspeakable violence. ‘An utterly captivating fever dream of a novel.’ Brandon Taylor, author of Real Life When Paul enters university in early 1970s Pittsburgh, it’s with the hope of moving past the recent death of his father. Sensitive, insecure, and like a stranger to his family, Paul feels isolated and alone. When he meets the worldly Julian in his freshman ethics class, Paul is immediately drawn to his classmate’s effortless charm. Paul will stop at nothing to prove himself worthy of their friendship. But Julian is as volatile and cruel as he is charismatic, and Paul begins to suspect that he can never live up to what Julian expects of him. As their friendship spirals into all-consuming intimacy, they each learn the lengths to which the other will go in order to stay together, their obsession ultimately hurtling them toward an act of irrevocable violence. From then on, everything changes… These Violent Delights is an exquisitely plotted excavation of the depths of human desire and the darkness it can unleash upon us... 'A clever novel of manners.’ New York Times

A Literary Hub Best Book of Year * A Crime Reads Best Debut of the Year * A Newsweek 25 Best Fall Books * A Philadelphia Inquirer 10 Big Books for the Fall * An O Magazine.com LGBTQ Books That Are Changing the Literary Landscape * An Electric Lit Most Anticipated Debut * A Paperback Paris Best New LGBTQ+ Books To Read This Year Selection * A Passport Best Book of the Month The Secret History meets Lie with Me in Micah Nemerever's compulsively readable debut novel-a feverishly taut Hitchcockian story about two college students, each with his own troubled past, whose escalating obsession with one another leads to an act of unspeakable violence. When Paul enters university in early 1970s Pittsburgh, it's with the hope of moving past the recent death of his father. Sensitive, insecure, and incomprehensible to his grieving family, Paul feels isolated and alone. When he meets the worldly Julian in his freshman ethics class, Paul is immediately drawn to his classmate's effortless charm. Paul sees Julian as his sole intellectual equal-an ally against the conventional world he finds so suffocating. Paul will stop at nothing to prove himself worthy of their friendship, because with Julian life is more invigorating than Paul could ever have imagined. But as charismatic as he can choose to be, Julian is also volatile and capriciously cruel, and Paul becomes increasingly afraid that he can never live up to what Julian expects of him. As their friendship spirals into all-consuming intimacy, they each learn the lengths to which the other will go in order to stay together, their obsession ultimately hurtling them toward an act of irrevocable violence. Unfolding with a propulsive ferocity, These Violent Delights is an exquisitely plotted excavation of the depths of human desire and the darkness it can bring forth in us.

A Literary Hub Best Book of Year * A Crime Reads Best Debut of the Year * A Newsweek 25 Best Fall Books * A Philadelphia Inquirer 10 Big Books for the Fall * An O Magazine.com LGBTQ Books That Are Changing the Literary Landscape * An Electric Lit Most Anticipated Debut * A Paperback Paris Best New LGBTQ+ Books To Read This Year Selection * A Passport Best Book of the Month The Secret History meets Lie with Me in Micah Nemerever's compulsively readable debut novel-a feverishly taut Hitchcockian story about two college students, each with his own troubled past, whose escalating obsession with one another leads to an act of unspeakable violence. When Paul enters university in early 1970s Pittsburgh, it's with the hope of moving past the recent death of his father. Sensitive, insecure, and incomprehensible to his grieving family, Paul feels isolated and alone. When he meets the worldly Julian in his freshman ethics class, Paul is immediately drawn to his classmate's effortless charm. Paul sees Julian as his sole intellectual equal-an ally against the conventional world he finds so suffocating. Paul will stop at nothing to prove himself worthy of their friendship, because with Julian life is more invigorating than Paul could ever have imagined. But as charismatic as he can choose to be, Julian is also volatile and capriciously cruel, and Paul becomes increasingly afraid that he can never live up to what Julian expects of him. As their friendship spirals into all-consuming intimacy, they each learn the lengths to which the other will go in order to stay together, their obsession ultimately hurtling them toward an act of irrevocable violence. Unfolding with a propulsive ferocity, These Violent Delights is an exquisitely plotted excavation of the depths of human desire and the darkness it can bring forth in us.

An O Magazine.com LGBTQ Book That Is Changing the Literary Landscape in 2020 - An Electric Lit Most Anticipated Debut of the Second Half of 2020 - A The Millions Most Anticipated Book of the Year - A Paperback Paris Best New LGBTQ+ Books To Read This Year Selection The Secret History meets Lie with Me in Micah Nemerever's compulsively readable debut novel--a feverishly taut Hitchcockian story about two college students, each with his own troubled past, whose escalating obsession with one another leads to an act of unspeakable violence. When Paul and Julian meet as university freshmen in early 1970s Pittsburgh, they are immediately drawn to one another. A talented artist, Paul is sensitive and agonizingly insecure, incomprehensible to his working-class family, and desolate with grief over his father's recent death. Paul sees the wealthy, effortlessly charming Julian as his sole intellectual equal--an ally against the conventional world he finds so suffocating. He idolizes his friend for his magnetic confidence. But as charismatic as he can choose to be, Julian is also volatile and capriciously cruel. And admiration isn't the same as trust. As their friendship spirals into an all-consuming intimacy, Paul is desperate to protect their precarious bond, even as it becomes clear that pressures from the outside world are nothing compared with the brutality they are capable of inflicting on one another. Separation is out of the question. But as their orbit compresses and their grip on one another tightens, they are drawn to an act of irrevocable violence that will force the young men to confront a shattering truth at the core of their relationship. Exquisitely plotted, unfolding with a propulsive ferocity, These Violent Delights is a novel of escalating dread and an excavation of the unsettling depths of human desire. -- Robin Wasserman, author of Girls on Fire and Mother Daughter Widow Wife

An O Magazine.com LGBTQ Book That Is Changing the Literary Landscape in 2020 - An Electric Lit Most Anticipated Debut of the Second Half of 2020 - A The Millions Most Anticipated Book of the Year - A Paperback Paris Best New LGBTQ+ Books To Read This Year Selection The Secret History meets Lie with Me in Micah Nemerever's compulsively readable debut novel--a feverishly taut Hitchcockian story about two college students, each with his own troubled past, whose escalating obsession with one another leads to an act of unspeakable violence. When Paul and Julian meet as university freshmen in early 1970s Pittsburgh, they are immediately drawn to one another. A talented artist, Paul is sensitive and agonizingly insecure, incomprehensible to his working-class family, and desolate with grief over his father's recent death. Paul sees the wealthy, effortlessly charming Julian as his sole intellectual equal--an ally against the conventional world he finds so suffocating. He idolizes his friend for his magnetic confidence. But as charismatic as he can choose to be, Julian is also volatile and capriciously cruel. And admiration isn't the same as trust. As their friendship spirals into an all-consuming intimacy, Paul is desperate to protect their precarious bond, even as it becomes clear that pressures from the outside world are nothing compared with the brutality they are capable of inflicting on one another. Separation is out of the question. But as their orbit compresses and their grip on one another tightens, they are drawn to an act of irrevocable violence that will force the young men to confront a shattering truth at the core of their relationship. Exquisitely plotted, unfolding with a propulsive ferocity, These Violent Delights is a novel of escalating dread and an excavation of the unsettling depths of human desire. -- Robin Wasserman, author of Girls on Fire and Mother Daughter Widow Wife