Finding Juliet

by Frank Sennett

A modern-day Shakespeare in LoveDearest Juliet,Rather than kill myself, I have decided to pour my grief into a letter this night. Would only that you had done the same upon finding your lover dead with lips still warm and touched with poison. As it is, you are not only fictional, but extinguished. I only hope your spirit paid no heed to these cruel tricks of paper fate, so that you might yet provide the comfort I seek.I spill ink instead of blood because, although my true love lives, her love for me has died. I do not wish to compound my tragedy with desperate measures that would stir only contempt within her breast. As the target of my rejection has rejected me, any harm I do myself, I do only to myself. It is a lesson well learned before the act is done.LIA CATTANEO never thought she’d be living back home in Verona, Italy, at 28. But here she is, hiding from the world and her philandering husband in her father Salvatore’s apartment for yet another day as she works up the courage to take an intensive cooking class she’s had her eye on. Lia admires her father’s sweet nature, but believes she’ll never find love again. The old widower watches his daughter strangle her shoulder-length raven ringlets with an elastic band as if daring the world to find her beauty. Yet he knows it will prove impossible to hide. Lia might briefly disguise her sharp mind with a sharper tongue, or even mar her radiant face with a scowl, but her loveliness is irrepressible. Even though it will mean losing her again, Salvatore can’t wait for the day happiness will find her and coax her joyous life force back into bloom.NICK MOORE, a literature grad student at Southern Oregon University, home of the well-regarded Ashland Shakespeare Festival, meanwhile has written the above letter as a seminar assignment. Every year, the professor sends the best letter to Juliet’s Club in Verona, where volunteer scribes reply to letters addressed to Shakespeare’s Juliet. Nick has recently ended a long-term relationship, and he drew on this pain to craft his note.Soon, Nick receives a reply so moving that it inspires him to meet the real woman behind it during Verona's annual Juliet festival, setting in motion a series of events that leads to a dramatic, romantic and suitably Shakespearean climax on the festival’s closing day...In addition to FINDING JULIET, author Frank Sennett has published eight books in the past decade decade, including the Nash Hansen mystery series for Gale/Five Star, Groupon's Biggest Deal Ever (St. Martin's Press) and five other nonfiction titles. Frank has an MFA in creative writing from the University of Montana.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary

209 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 29, 2009

About the author

Frank Sennett is the author of the Rafe Hendrix thriller series. The series debut, SHADOW STATE (Crooked Lane Press), published Feb. 21, 2023. Frank is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, and earned an MFA in creative writing from the University of Montana. Frank has taught creative writing at UCLA Extension and has published nine books. He has served as a senior leader at multiple media outlets, including Time Out Chicago and MTV.com. He also spent one lucky season in the Wrigley Field press box covering the Chicago Cubs. He lives in Chicago with his wife, three children and two cats. He also wrote Groupon's Biggest Deal Ever (St. Martin's Press).

Reviews

[Misty Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every once in a while the planets align, and when they do, everything grounded to them aligns as well. Today’s particular alignment just happened to focus on the fair city of Verona. A few days ago I was sent “Finding Juliet” by Frank Sennett a novel based on a cities tradition of (not only) writing letters to one of Shakespeare’s most influential lovers, but also the effect a reply can have on a person’s soul. Today I watched “Letters to Juliet” same general concept, different media outlet. (I think Shakespeare is trying to tell me something. Let’s hope its “you should take a vacation to Italy”)

Now, while I won’t give you details about the movie (cause lets face it… I’m much better with the written word.) I will tell you that the literary version of this little trip down destiny lane was nothing short of charming.

Nick is a mess, he just found out that his girlfriend cheated on him with a drama major and (on a whim) his best friend is using his “love for collecting ticket stubs” as a writing assignment. Lia (on the other hand) is too afraid to be a mess. She’s afraid of taking chances, she’s afraid of her impending divorce, and more importantly she’s afraid of love. But the fate of these two damaged people quickly changes with the writing of 1 little letter.

“Dearest Juliet,
Rather than kill myself, I have decided to pour my grief into a letter this night. Would only that you had done the same upon finding your lover dead with lips still warm and touched with poison.

As it is, you are not only fictional, but extinguished. I only hope your spirit paid no heed to these cruel tricks of paper fate, so that you might yet provide the comfort I seek.

I spill ink instead of blood because, although my true love lives, her love for me has died. I do not wish to compound my tragedy with desperate measures that would stir only contempt within her breast. As the target of my rejection has rejected me, any harm I do myself, I do only to myself. It is a lesson well learned before the act is done.”

Can a broken soul from America find love through the responses of a (seemingly) fictional character? Can a lost spirit find peace in the arms of a stranger? And when exactly is everyone going to start telling the truth?

“Sennett” created what we crave… love, and passion, and the ability to believe in the impossible. He took 1 tiny spec of culture and morphed it into a tale of acceptance and understanding, and he did it all while spouting the break-taking prose of “Shakespeare.” It is unnecessary to criticize or breakdown the complexities of this novel like I usually do, for no other reason than the unwavering belief that I would ruin forever the telling of it. This is a book to enjoy, to savor, and to dream upon. This is a book to read, not rip apart.

If you love “Love,” if you believe in fate and all that that word encompasses, the please take part in just this little piece of it. I dare say you won’t be disappointed.

Happy reading my fellow Capulet’s and remember: “My only love doth spring from my only hate.”

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't usually read romance. So I hate to criticize a book too much when it's not a genre I know a lot about. I only gave it 2 stars because I feel like a good developmental edit could really tighten up the plot and give it some polish. There are a few scenes that don't need to be in there. The book alternates between the sort of feel-good fluffy romance stuff and stuff that is darker and edgier. For a short book, that sort of thing can be jarring. It's just a little uneven. I did like the setting; Verona and the yearly Juliet festival is always something I've had an interest in. But overall, I feel like this one needed just a little more editing.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book got really good reviews on Amazon, so I thought for $1.00 to download on my Kindle, why not?! It was really slow at first & I could have done without the chapter where it goes into detail on Nick's "collection". I'm not much of a sports fan, so it was a little boring. But once you get past the slow stuff & on to where he goes to Italy to find his Juliet, it gets really good! I was pleasantly surprised! Definitely worth the read!! ;-)

[Adam Shields · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review at http://bookwi.se/finding-juliet-by-fr...

Short review: I was at the beach and looking for a beach fiction book. This is a nice little romance. Lit Grad student writes a letter for a class, it gets sent to Italy to a society that write letters "for Juliet". The guy breaks up with his girl friend and comes into some money, so goes to Italy to find the girl that responded to his letter. Nothing out of the ordinary, but a good story.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the setting in Verona Italy and I found the background on the Juliet society interesting. I am not a fan of a romance written by a man.

[Melissa Lopes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story set in Italy. Predictable love story with great descriptions of Verona and other places in Italy. Made me want to go there.

[Njoyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boo. Boring

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun romantic fiction with a connection to my day job ;)

[Sharonb · Rating 3 out of 5]

predictable but enjoyable