A sumptuous, gothic-infused story about a marriage that is unraveled by dark secrets, a friendship cursed to end in tragedy, and the danger of believing in fairy tales—the breathtaking adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi.
Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after—and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.
But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor’s extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo’s dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife’s secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage ... or their lives.
Combining the lush, haunting atmosphere of Mexican Gothic with the dreamy enchantment of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a spellbinding and darkly romantic page-turner about love and lies, secrets and betrayal, and the stories we tell ourselves to survive.
Publishing Date: February 14, 2023
Genre: Fiction
Age Group: Adult
My Rating: 4/5
This book was beautiful. I've loved Chokshi's writing for a while, so I knew the prose would be great - but WOW. She brought the atmospheric world to life in such a beautiful way.
This is not a romance. It's closer to a horror. But it's not scary - it's just unsettling. I think this book will struggle to find its audience. Horror readers may come in expecting too much. Fantasy readers may come in wondering why the fantastical elements are all in the background. And romance readers will probably question what in this book is even remotely romantic.
But somehow, this was the perfect blend of horror, fantasy, and romance for me. Highly recommend, though this book could be triggering to some readers as it deals with some dark themes.
TW/CW: violence/self-harm, domestic abuse, child abuse, suicidal ideation and thoughts, drugging, disordered eating, pedophilia
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