This is the first time I’ve read a book by Roshani & it was fantastic. Incredibly gothic & haunting, it kept me thoroughly engrossed. HighLy recommended!

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Characters: 2/10
Enjoyment: 3/10
Plot: 5/10
Worldbuilding: 3/10
Writing: 5/10

Content warnings: death of loved one, toxic relationship, emotional abuse, sexual harassment... (maybe more, I skipped half of the book)

I’d say this was like a dark fairytale mystery thriller. Everything felt like a fever dream. The writing style was definitely not my preferred style. It felt like the words kept going in circles. Not as in being repetitive, but as in going on this roundabout way to express something but ending up back at the beginning. I appreciate the effort put into the writing, a lot of people will probably find it beautiful, but it was just too much for me.

The worldbuilding was just a big question mark. I was confused about the fantasy elements. When magic was described, I couldn’t tell if it was meant literally or figuratively. Additionally, I had no idea whether this Otherworld mentioned was actually real, or most of the things mentioned as a matter of fact.

The characters were boring. I didn’t care about any of them except for, maybe, Azure in the past. The relationship between Indigo and the bridegroom felt artificial. The friendship between Indigo and Azure was unhealthy. Everyone was obsessed with the supernatural. The bridegroom studied magic, mythology, and folklore because he remembered having a brother who apparently did not exist. Azure and Indigo bonded over the fae. They were convinced they were a part of them and belonged elsewhere. Indigo took that obsession too far.

The plot was extremely slow. Almost everything was merely told, and most of the page space was filled with descriptions.

The author said this is her best work. If that is the case, I don’t think her books are for me. I don’t understand metaphorical gibberish. That’s a me problem. I chose to read this first because it was the shortest of my arcs, yet it felt so long.

An enchanting and beautifully written story about female friendship that is filled with mystery, darkness, truth and lies. The Last Tale of the Flower Bride tangles the reader in its intoxicating web and doesn’t let go. Five stars from me!

This book has impeccable gothic twisted fairytale vibes. The writing is beautiful, lyrical prose & it is obvious that this has been a true labour of love for the author.

I’ve thought about it often since finishing it, however I strongly feel that this book has once again fallen victim to poor marketing. This is not a romantic book, this is a book centred around a toxic friendship, distrust, control & obsession.

Although you are lead to believe the story will revolve around the husband & the marriage falling apart, he serves only as a plot device. I found myself skimming his chapters, his POV past the initial set up didn’t interest me anywhere near as much as the flashbacks. The relationship of the two girls was far more intriguing, slowly watching them devolve over time. Their characters growing up together is the main arc of the story & their co-dependant relationship was very well written, unhinged yet still somewhat believable.

Overall, I did enjoy the book, although not at all what I was expecting.

Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book was very obviously a labour of love for Roshani. The amount of research that she would have done is just so impressive, there’s so many different faerie tales from so many different countries mentioned. The title of the book actually comes from a Welsh tale, which was just lovely to see as a Welsh person. She handles each tale so respectfully and beautifully.

The writing is so beautiful and lush, it truly captures you and doesn’t let you go. I really enjoyed my time with this book, the plot was interesting and kept you intrigued. While the ending wasn’t personally a surprise to me I didn’t mind, because I enjoyed the journey to get there so much, and I think it tells a lot of Roshani’s skill as writer with how she unfolded the plot.

I would highly recommend this book if you’re a lover of faerie tales, dark retellings and gothic novels. I look forward to rereading this book in the future.

I loved the sound of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride. A gothic mystery about friendship, marriage, and secrets? Sign me up!

The beginning of the story was a little slow for me, but I figured we were setting the scene. Once the dual perspectives started, I was really intrigued. Simultaneously hearing about Indigo’s past and present, and watching them converge, was enthralling.

Unfortunately, the ending fell really flat for me. I liked the twist in Azure’s story, but the reveal on the bridegroom’s side was so glossed past that I had to go back and listen a second time to clarify what had happened.

The main characters have obviously been through significant trauma, but the way that it all came together just felt rushed and underdeveloped to me.

Overall, I really enjoyed the vibes of the story, but I wish there had been a little more exploration of the revelations at the end.

If there’s one thing about me, it’s that I will read and love absolutely anything Roshani Chokshi writes. The Last Tale of the Flower Bride was the perfect show of Chokshi’s incredible ability to craft a story that was both atmospheric and romantic, gut-wrenching and thoughtful. In fact, I loved TLTOFFB so much that it (somewhat) eased the pain of the ending of The Bronzed Beasts.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride follows the story of the Bridegroom, his mercurial wife Indigo and a mysterious, compelling character called Azure. Told in dual POV, it a a story of secrets and lies, delving into the place of secrecy in a marriage and how much of our past we’re entitled to keep to ourselves.

Like all of Chokshi’s writing, it contained a certain element of nonsensical beauty, in the best way. I’m talking about passages where you’re not quite sure what’s going on or if it’s metaphorical or real, but it’s so gorgeous you don’t really care. I can’t explain how much I love writing that utilises that particular devise in storytelling. There were elements to the story that reminded me of Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea, which will always make me love a book more, and I think it’ll really appeal to readers who love authors like Morgenstern or Carlos Ruiz Zafón.

The story follows the Bridegroom as he meets and falls immediately in love with the beautiful and coy Indigo. Soon after meeting they marry, but under one condition. The Bridegroom must never, under any circumstance, try to delve in Indigo’s past. He agrees, and largely sticks to it, until he starts to see evidence of a woman who might have a larger hold on his wife’s life than he ever could have imagined— Azure.

Alongside the Bridegroom’s story, we’re working back in time to learn about Azure’s story as she shared an upbringing with Indigo. There were elements of the story that drew on another plot point I love in novels: obsessive, completely co-dependent relationships. And wow, did Roshani Chokshi do it well!

Overall, I absolutely adored this story. Alongside being a story about marriage and secrets, it’s also a study of obsession and identity, beauty and decay. As soon as I finished, i immediately wanted to restart. Chokshi proves herself again and again to be a masterful storyteller and I can’t wait to read what else she might write!

This book is something out of the ordinary. It’s dark and terrifying and absolutely spellbinding. I could not put it down!

This is a hunting and eerie story about love, both the good kind of love but also love turned ugly. Throughout the story, Roshani Chokshi explores the very foundation of what love really is and how the bonds to other people makes us who we are. How a person can thrive if given the right kind of attention, the good kind of love. But also how the wrong kind of attention can make someone wish nothing more than to become invisible.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a story about the bond between to girls. Two girls who became the closest of friends. You might as well say that they shared the same soul… It is a story about how you can come to love someone too much. How love can turn into obsessive. It is also a story about the secrets we keep and of how our pasts somehow often finds a way to haunt us. But perhaps most important of all - it is a story about how love can overcome the secrets we keep if only given the chance.

What makes this book truly special is not only the unique story or way of telling it, but rather how it is written. It’s such a beautifully written book. The descriptions and way in which everything is described is just remarkable. I’ve read a lot of books and never have I come across such a descriptive, vivid way of writing until now.

This was my first time reading a book by Roshani Chokshi but it will definitely not be the last!


*** Thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review! ***

Thank you Net Galley for sending me this eArc.
The narration draws you in immediately making you crave more and more. It is an atmospheric, gothic and poetic book. Intriguing and full of mystery. A must read for fantasy and fairytale fans.

I cant get engage with this book, hard to focus what the story was. Sudenly there are married without any story build, feel like the bridegroom (he even dont have name!) get enchanted. The story move to Indigo childhood house and friend. There are mystery. What i get is when real word to hard, to sad, to dissapointed, you made your own world to escape. It is your choise to leave it or stay. Indigo choose to stay. At the end i love how the couple hold on to each other until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for provide this book, it is pleasure to review this book.

#TheLastTaleOfTheFlowerBride #RoshaniChokshi #HodderStoughton #NetGalley #ARC

Roshani Chokshi enchants with her lyrical prose throughout this book; the dark gothic, fantasy, mythic and fairytale references surmount to an almost dreamlike storytelling style. Everything I could wish for in a gothic novel and an incredible adult debut for Chokshi, 4.5 stars,

4.5 stars.

In awe of Roshani's writing as always. It's entwining, enchanting, and all the e-words my brain can think of. I cannot comment entirely on the story because my head was spiralling and I felt like I was experiencing the book from a whole other lens (it was FANTASTIC). It was genuinely a wonderful experience and I hope to read more of Chokshi's works in the upcoming future!!

The Last Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

This gothic fairytale is completely immersive, with unexpected twists and flawless prose. This is a captivating and magical story. A haunting and atmospheric story about mystery and the blurred lines between fantasy and reality.

At frist I was confused but after following the nameless Historian it starts to make more sense they have so many blurred lines within this book. I enjoyed the different POV which each character and experiencing this with them. Azure and Indigo have known since childhood that they are special, chosen to be whisked away to Faerie. They exist almost entirely for each other, in a peculiar folie à deux until the brink of adulthood, believing that when they reach the age of majority, they will go to the Otherworld. While this was plausible when they were young kids, it was odd that they still believed it as teenagers. Regardless, I enjoyed Azure's chapters and the themes of gender inequality, class, and toxic female friendships that they addressed

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book.

It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I could not put it down.
The atmosphere is so good; it feels so gothic and timely despite it being set in the modern world.
Some of the dialogue felt a bit out of place, but other than that, I loved the writing.
It was so lyrical and haunting, and some descriptions were just so beautiful.

At first, I struggled a bit with Indigo being this mysterious yet irresistible girl since that's a character type I don't usually enjoy (I blame Alison from Pretty Little Liars for this aversion), which is why I enjoyed the Bridegroom's POV a lot more than Azure's. But again, once the novel gripped me, my doubts were washed away, and I just really enjoyed it all.

The mystery aspect was done so well! I had a revelation about what might have happened roughly two-thirds into the book, and the more I thought about it, the more evidence I found for my theory. And really, there is nothing more satisfying than finding out you were right, especially when it's a book like this, where it's really not obvious at all, but instead, you have these well-hidden clues.

The characters were intriguing, I do wish the bridegroom had a bit more personality, but you could tell that the focus was clearly on Indigo and Azure.

Overall, this was a great book that I will definitely recommend.
If you enjoy magical realism and gothic vibes, this book is for you.

A seductive fairytale, dark, haunting and filled with love and magic with the perils of a mysterious house thrown in for good measure

A spellbinding tale that will deceive and intrigue from the first word right until the very end! Stunning!

This one will send all the tik tok girlies into a right tizzy! I’m waiting on baited breath!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this work in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the gothic setting and fairytale-esque world but sometimes found it hard to grasp the difference between "reality" and "storytelling" - which might be part of the whole ~feeling~ of the book but sometimes was just more annoying than whimsical.

Soft fantasy, and definitely one of those that is more YA-but-an-adult-protagonist and for fans of YA than those who only enjoy adult - centred fantasy.

A book I'd revisit again - even just to stare at the cover art....

‘Inside every story is a secret. Inside every marriage is a lie’

This gothic fairytale is hugely immersive with surprising twists and perfectly written prose. This story is both mesmerising and magical. An atmospheric and haunting tale of secrets and the blurred lines between fantasy and reality.

Thank you to the author, Roshani Chokshi, Hodder and Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this beautifully written story.

This is the first book I have read by this author and it just blew me away. I was captivated by everything about this book. From the story that was unfolding, to the writing, the beautiful prose and as for the characters. A true gothic romance and so much more. I loved it!!!!!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

The description of this book really drew me into wanting to read this one. But unfortunately I just don’t think the story was there for me and felt that it did get confusing and overly complicated in parts.The writing style was beautiful but unfortunately it did lack some depth in areas.
I felt that the characters could have been a little more developed but I did enjoy some of the twists even when they predictable in parts.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.