The Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees

Title: The Juliet Spell

Author: Douglas Rees

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 304

Reviewed by Sabrina

I’m Juliet.

At least, I wanted to be.

So I did something stupid to make it happen.

Well, stupid and wonderful.

I wanted the role of Juliet more than anything. I studied hard. I gave a great reading for it—even with Bobby checking me out the whole time. I deserved the part.

I didn’t get it. So I decided to level the playing field, though I actually might have leveled the whole play. You see, since there aren’t any Success in Getting to Be Juliet in Your High School Play spells, I thought I’d cast the next best—a Fame spell. Good idea, right?

Yeah. Instead of bringing me a little fame, it brought me someone a little famous. Shakespeare. Well, Edmund Shakespeare. William’s younger brother.

Good thing he’s sweet and enthusiastic about helping me with the play...and—ahem—maybe a little bit hot. But he’s from the past. Way past. Cars amaze him—cars! And cell phones? Ugh.

Still, there’s something about him that’s making my eyes go star-crossed....

Will Romeo steal her heart before time steals him away?

My Thoughts

The Juliet Spell was pretty interesting. It was…good. I liked the idea of the story although some parts didn’t make sense to me. I liked that this was one of the books that has a strong relationship between the MC and their parent. The Juliet Spell had been entertaining but there was like a glass wall separating me from the story. It was way better then I expected though. If your looking for a quick, fun read, this may be for you. If you were looking for something deeper, well...you better go looking elsewhere.

I’m really distressed at the fact that none of the characters had been really worried about messing up the past and letting characters of the past see a lot of the future. I’m also sceptical that everyone had easily believed and took into stride that Edmund had come from the past and was the brother of Shakespeare.

I didn’t see how Edmund fell in “love” with Miranda and I really hesitate to call what Miranda was feeling “love.” I didn’t see any romance between them until halfway into the book and that seemed too rushed. I was rooting for Drew, her new best friend, who bonded with Miranda much more than Edmund and was a far more loveable character.

Edmund seems to have only tiny flaws according to Miranda. He has a beautiful voice, super handsome, tall, brilliant, strong, great acting/directing skills, cool talents, awesome accents, and everybody loves him. Bad things about him? He’s a bit sexist, missing two of his teeth, and from the past. That's about it.

I didn’t like Miranda. She’s either moaning about wanting to be Juliet or obsessing over some guy who doesn’t like her back. Wash, rinse, and repeat.


The ending saved this book from getting a 2. Normally books don't usually end the way it did and I liked it.

*Note: this book has been received through netgalley in exchange for an honest review.