Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Teach the Torches to Burn by Christina Dodd Series: Daughter of Montague #3
Published by Kensington Books on June 30, 2026
Genres: Historical Romance
Pages: 316
Format: ARC
Source: NetGalley
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“If I, the aforesaid Rosie, blushing bride, noted cynic and sleuth, were asked to identify when the pre-wedding events spiraled out of control, I’d point to that moment when elderly Princess Ursula observed the display of gleaming swords and bared teeth and announced that she would hold a public séance to determine the future of the marriage . .
With the aid of Yorick’s skull and her own considerable dramatic nature, Princess Ursula prophesied three the marriage would be joyous and fertile (the guests yawn,) a long-lost treasure would be found . . . and foul and most unnatural murder would disrupt the fragile peace of Verona.
Before the day was done, two prophesies had been fulfilled. not the fun fertility one. As one death follows another and it’s clear a skilled poisoner lurks among us, coming ever closer to striking down those I love, I use all my wit and skill to discern the reason for the vendetta and uncover the killer’s identity . . . for I would have the holy church bells that now ring a sad lament peel instead for the wedding ceremony and the joyous and fertile future foretold. . .
Verona is full of guests prepared to celebrate the wedding of their prince and Rosaline, daughter of Romeo and Juliet. The Capulets and Montagues are tensing for a fight that Rosaline hopes to head off. Then, a poisoner starts working in their midst. Christina Dodd’s irreverent, bawdy Daughter of Montague series continues with another light and tumultuous historical cozy mystery set in Shakespeare’s Verona.
Teach the Torches to Burn is the third of a strongly connected series that has an ongoing romance and family arc with each book boasting a standalone mystery.
Rosaline is up to her stomacher in wedding details and top of the list is to keep the two sides of her family who are all assembling for the wedding from renewing their deadly, bloody feuding. Prince Cal’s grandmother decides a séance and dire predictions will cool savage tempers. If that weren’t enough, the one Montague she had no plans to invite shows up and hasn’t been bragging of his superior wine sniffing nose and wine tasting lips for five minutes when he and others including her father are felled by a poison in the wine.
Fortunately, the poisoner fails, but now all must be on the lookout for a murderer and figure out just who was the actual target of the poison. Meanwhile, Cal spies Rosie in a moment with her ‘first and only love’ and determines to show her that her marriage with him will hold no regrets. Virginal Rosie gets a shocker when Cal’s talented lips and fingers give her a preview of what is to come and inflames her lust right when Friar Laurence sternly takes them both in hand and exacts promises. Rosie is confused as to how true love and this restless sensation Cal has wrought in her can be answered so she goes to the expert in love, her mother, Lady Juliet Montague.
As wedding plans, family antics, and a murderer romps about Verona, Rosie is at her clever, fiery best with the aid of Cal, his friends, her family, and Friar Laurence. But does it all end in a wedding or another Shakespearean tragedy?
Teach the Torches to Burn was a fun romp. Rosie and Cal’s heated, spicy relationship is front and center in this one, but its madcap comedy, too. There is a murder mystery and Rosie makes efforts to get answers, but in this one, the answers come from another source. The ending is dramatic and entertaining as I’ve come to expect.
All and all, another fun romp, well placed in the world of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet play with the right style, dialogue, and antics to carry it off. I can’t wait for the next installment in the series and recommend Christina Dodd’s Daughter of Montague series to those who enjoy mystery comedies.
About Christina Dodd
Readers become writers, and Christina has always been a reader. Ultimately she discovered she liked to read romance best because the relationship between a man and a woman is always humorous. A woman wants world peace, a clean house, and a deep and meaningful relationship based on mutual understanding and love. A man wants a Craftsman router, undisputed control of the TV remote, and a red Corvette which will make his bald spot disappear. Christina is married to a man with all his hair and no Corvette, but many Craftsman tools.
When Christina’s first daughter was born, she told her husband she was going to write a book. It was a good time to start a new career, because how much trouble could one little infant be?
Ha! It took ten years, two children and three completed manuscripts before she was published. Now her fifty-nine New York Times and USA Today bestselling novels — paranormals, historicals, and suspense — have been translated into twenty-five languages, recorded on Books on Tape for the Blind, been called, “Books To Read If You Love Nora Roberts!”by Bookbub and the year’s best by Amazon and Library Journal.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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Sounds like a fun mystery retelling! I’m happy in this version Romeo and Juliet didn’t die! I’ve always hated that ending.
Exactly! Alive and well and showing their kids how to do romance. 🙂
Romeo and Juliett have a daughter? I love that.
Oh yeah, its so fun reading these and seeing Romeo and Juliet as parents. 🙂
This is an author I’ve wanted to read. Love the cover on this one. Glad they are ones you’re continuing to enjoy. Great review!
They are hilarious and fun.
Now this would be an interesting re-telling
You said it. 🙂
Ooooo interesting!
Rosie and her antics are so entertaining.