This beautiful gothic tale focusses on bringing fairytale, myths, legends to life. This gorgeous novel captivates you within the first page. This books is a dual POV between the Bridgegroom and Azure.

This novel starts with a marriage between our MC (Bridgegroom) and FMC (Indigo) He vows to never pry into Indigos past. However what happens when he does? This quickly picks up pace as we are introduced to Azure. A childhood friend of Indigos'. We learn secrets, mystery, childhood dreams, past trauma and so much more.

The relationship between Azure and Indigo is one to remember. Two halves of the same soul. Learning more about their relationship throughout this book was captivating in a dark, perplexing way. Azures childhood is the polar opposite to Indigos. Indigo has wealth, clothes, a home whereas Azure has nothing. This is why their relationship is so important in this book. Two unlikely characters coming together.

I personally did not like how the relationship between Indigo and Bridgegroom was rushed at the start of the book however upon reading further this does get explained.

Story -5/5
Character Devolopment - 5/5
World Building - 4/5

"You never forget the moment when beauty turns to horror"

Overall this dark gothic novel will leave you hooked!

4.5/5

Thank you Hodder / Netgalley for my Arc. All of my views on this book are my own opinions.

Pre Order The Last Tale of the Flower Bride today!

*Thank you to the publisher for an early copy of this book *

wow.I am absolutely speechless. My first book by this author and I can definitely say I will be reading her again. Beautifully written ,captivating and magical. Would definitely recommend.

Do not look. Do not ask. Do not pry.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi is a mysterious stand-alone novel. The storytelling is highly atmospheric, some moments felt really creepy and unsettlingly.
The beginning was a little bit too rush. I do not like love at the first sight without soundly based reasons why they stayed together. I did not like the point of view of the Bridegroom, I liked Azure more because I could experience what was Indigo like when she was young. I as a reader had a chance to see the rooting of their friendship, and that was important.
For me, the book was not balanced. Some parts were too fast and unadorned, and some parts were long, descriptive, and slowly built.
As a debut, this story is really good. I liked the author's style. I will give it 4* and thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this opportunity.

The last tale of the flower bride by Roshani Chokshi

Thank you Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an arc ebook for an unbiased review.

While Roshani Chokshi isn't someone I'd read previously, I had heard she had done some great YA books so I was intrigued when I heard about this foray into the adult gothic genre.

I was fascinated by this book. We though have to be aware, the basis of this book is fairytales. One in particular. They aren't as a rule, wholesome fun stories (some are of course). Many are gruesome, many have aspects of co-dependency and/or toxic relationships. So the contents of this story tend to explore themes that touch based on many a fairytale.

The imagery is so beautiful and vivid. It allowed the fantasy nature to shine through. The narrative is between past and present and it helps build the complexity of Indigo and others around her.
Although the main story is based on a particular fairytale, there are others scattered throughout. Some I know, some I didn't, and the mark of a great piece of writing is when I want to find out more. I certainly am intrigued to find out more about some.

The book cover is dark and foreboding, and it sets up the whole story as it is also dark and foreboding and complex. Although some of it was beautiful and full of magical wonder. I am glad we had those sections, as it allowed you to breathe around the weightier moment

I know this isn't going to be a book for everyone, but I found I loved it far more than I had anticipated I would.

A solid 5/5 stars from me.

What a gorgeous book. The writing is perfect for the story and the story is a wonderfully gothic fantasy. Not my usual read as I avoid fae and faeries and the like despite enjoying fantasy but this one just drew me in from the original email from NetGalley and then from Page 1.. The writing was too good to speed read so I took my time and wallowed in it. Just lovely. I've run out of superlatives now so it's only the thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the eARC to read and review. What a privilege..

Not quite sure what to make of this book. Certainly intriguing. Well written. somewhat "over egged" but enough to hold my interest as I wanted to know what happened. The bridegroom story was a bit weak but the two together did click.
I think I will read this again in a little while. I don't think I got the full impact on first reading

A nightmare wrapped in a fairy tale. The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is an exquisitely written gothic mystery, as enchanting as it is dark.

First of all, this was very dark. I do not think the blurb reflects what this story is really about. It isn't a romance or a friendship that ends up in tragedy per se. The book has these elements, but it's fucked up on many different levels that I wasn't expecting. While I enjoyed the book and I think it made sense, I didn't think this was where I'd go.

The story unravels as the unnamed narrator meets Indigo and they fall in love with each other and their love for fairy tales. They communicate in riddles and live as if they were part of a myth. But it's all fun and games until she's called back to her home and he is faced with the terrible question of finding out her secret at expense of their marriage or continuing living their dream relationship.

Turns out, there's a story behind her secret. And well, it's dark. There's a very toxic friendship with sapphic undertones and an effed-up family situation. My Goodreads review adds a spoiler tagged trigger warning list.

Do I recommend this book? Yes. It's honestly perfectly written and it's such a good idea. I cannot express how beautifully written it is, it felt like reading honey?? But it was effed-up at the same time. I just think it's best to read this without knowing what you're getting into, as long as you like dark themes and don't expect this to be a nice fairy tale-ish story.

Gorgeous book. Would absolutely recommend to anyone who loves this genre. What a fabulous read! Thank you for letting me review your work.

What a gorgeous book - a story that combines fairy tales, romance, obsession all wrapped up in a gothic atmosphere and tied together with lyrical writing. We start with a fairy-tale romance where one of our narrators - the nameless Bridegroom meets, falls in love with and marries a beautiful and mysterious heiress, Indigo. They pledge to live happily ever after but there is one condition - the Bridegroom must never pry into Indigo's secrets, her past. And they live an idyllic life moving across countries, living in luxury, telling each other fairy-tales until Indigo receives a call telling her that her estranged aunt is dying and she must return to the house of her childhood, the House of Dreams. Once there our Bridegroom is tempted to uncover his bride's secrets, especially when he learns that she grew up with a friend, Azure, who mysteriously vanished. And Azure is our second narrator. While the Bridegroom is in the present, Azure's POV takes us back to when she and Indigo were girls growing up together, bound by the power of fairy-tales. The author spins us a web of reality and fantasy and totally ensnares us. The story of Indigo and Azure is a coming of age story, a story of friendship and manipulation. The Bridegroom's story is the story of his marriage and his own secret that he hopes the House of Dreams will reveal to him. What happened to the brother he dreams of but was told never existed. All through the novel there is the idea that once a name is spoken, the power is lost. Is the fact that we never know the Bridegroom's name significant? This is a spellbinding story.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is Roshani Chokshi's debut in the adult novel world and as you can see from my rating it's an outstanding debut! I had already read the first two books of The Gilded Wolves series by Roshani Chokshi and I have to say that this new novel is something completely new and unique! This is a light fairytale that mixes with an horror and gothic fairytale, almost disturbing!

The story begins with a fairytale love story in which our protagonist, known only as The Bridegroom, meets and falls madly in love with a mysterious heiress: Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. Their attraction is impulsive, intoxicating, and in no time at all the Groom and Indigo are wed and promise to live happily ever after... on one condition: The Bridegroom must never ask about Indigo's past, he must never dig into its secrets. By dint of a spell, the Bridegroom is content to spend his days devoted to his wife and happy in her presence. However, when Indigo receives a phone call informing her that her aunt is dying, the couple must travel to Indigo's childhood home, the House of Dreams. Within the walls of this house the temptation to pry into Indigo's life becomes too great for the Groom, for the House knows her secrets and the House wants to reveal them. Furthermore, Indigo was not the only one who lived in the House of Dreams, there was also little Azure, Indigo's childhood friend who mysteriously disappeared. As the narrative unfolds, the Bridegroom becomes entangled in a web of fantasy and reality where he no longer knows what is real, what is fake and what is just a fairy tale.

In a nutshell, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a story about fairy tales, dreams, nightmares, friendships, toxic friendships, marriages, obsessions, complex relationships, mysteries, secrets, passion and much more! And manages to mix all these themes in a truly amazing and unique gothic fairy tale!

The story is divided into two timelines with two totally different MC: in the present timeline we find the pov of the bridegroom, a passive, fearful and little-characterized character, who exists only as a function of his wife and who tries to find out who is behind the woman who married! I loved the Bridegroom! Even without much characterization of his character, he still managed to be very strong and vivid, and the author's choice to tell the story from the groom's point of view is really excellent, when usually all the books only have the pov of the bride/female protagonist!

The second timeline is the “ancient” one, of Indigo's childhood, and is narrated by Azure, Indigo's inseparable best friend! I enjoyed Azure chapters immensely! I loved Azure and her story of her childhood with Indigo in the House entertained me a lot, sometimes even made me emotional and of course it scared and unsettled me a lot!

In the two timelines, Roshani Chokshi's writing changes a lot and I greatly appreciated this stylistic choice. The chapters with the bridegroom's pov are very gothic and serious while the chapters from Azure's pov are very fairy-tale and dreamlike and reminded me a lot of coming of age novels (but always with a dark note).

The friendship between Indigo and Azure is beautifully written! It’s a toxic and obsessive friendship, with happy moments but also with many moments where my heart was literally broken! Furthermore, I also read between the lines a slight love story between the two! Azure becomes literally enchanted by Indigo and also by the House!

The House is obviously another character in the story, it’s a luxurious and glittering place but it’s alive, observes everyone and is disturbing and delusional both for those who live there and for the readers too.

I also loved the way the author blended many fairy tales into the story, some I was familiar with and some I discovered while reading the book! I also really liked the way she managed to combine a fairytale environment full of Fae and magic with a gothic, dark and horror environment!
The only thing that didn't make me give 5 full stars was the ending... a bit rushed and fast in my opinion, but it's still a satisfying ending!

Highly recommended if you are into dark fairy tales, gothic novels, disturbing atmospheres, bizarre characters and a (tragic) friendship story described very well! It gave me the vibes of Mexican Gothic, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and any book by Alix E.Harrow so if you love these books you can't miss it!

Thanks to Netgalley, Hodder&Stoughton and Roshani Chokshi for providing me with this digital Arc in exchange for an honest review! The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is out everywhere February 16, 2023, don't miss it!

We start this story through the starry eyes of the Bridegroom. He meets and falls for Indigo who promises to marry him, as long as he doesn't ask questions about her past. They seem happy in this agreement, living out their own version of a fairy tale, until Indigos childhood caregiver, her aunt, is dying and they have to return to her childhood home.

The Bridegroom struggles to keep his promise in this setting and we also learn more about Indigos past and her childhood friend, Azure, through her own point of view.

The Bridgegroom is faced with uncovering a past, that may well be best kept hidden, for both himself and his wife. Is the knowing the truth worth the price of giving up the fantasy...

Beautifully written gothic story that engrossed me in the world in both timelines.

I loved the mythology that runs through this book. It was so beautifully written with evocative and vivid descriptive prose! It was so imaginative and I loved that so many fairy tales were all woven together throughout the book. It was a bit slow at times, but overall an enjoyable read.

This tale is deceptive- it's fantastical, and yet anchored in the real world, but it's a world layered over our own, one full of decadence and sumptuous detail. I absolutely adored this book. The slow unravelling of the story of the two best friends, the way the main character excavates the truth about his wife. And all wrapped up in delicious prose, it felt like eating a piece of dark chocolate torte.

This book will haunt you in the best way for a good while.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Staughton for the eARC!

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride sounded very intriguing, like a gender bent Bluebeard or East of the Sun, West of the Moon (but darker). I love fairy tales, so I was so excited to get the eARC. I have to say that this is not fantasy, though. Questionable magical realism, but not fantasy. I think I would have enjoyed the first half of the book a lot more had I not expected fantasy.

From the start Roshani Chokshi's gorgeous writing stands out. It's so lyrical - I would love to read poetry written by her. It can feel a bit too much at times, but it's just so beautiful and it fits the atmosphere of this book.

The story is told from two p.o.v.s from different timelines: the present, when our male narrator met and married Indigo; and the past, narrated by Indigo's friend, Azure. I didn't particularly enjoy the present timeline. It's all very summarised so it's difficult to get invested in the characters and their story. The past timeline was the one that stood out for me. It was quite slow most of the time, and pretty repetitive, but it was such an interesting exploration of the power of manipulation.

Up to about 70% this was 2.5 stars for me, but the last part really turned it around. It was suspenseful and I really wanted to find out how it would all end. The ending was a bit abrupt, but I enjoyed it.

Overall 3.5 stars.

Roshani Chokshi goes full gothic with her adult debut, a raw story of a marriage fated to fall apart contrasted with the tale two young childhood friends. Tethering on the translucent line between fables and reality this is a story that's haunting in its bone.

This story was one of a kind, in its lush and ornate prose, to the combining of various myths and folk tales from across the world. All these elements make up the perfect gothic atmosphere one can craft and The Last Tale of the Flower Bride does it all!

An evocative and beguiling mystery of secrets, mad passion and chilling deception.
This story brought a beautiful poetic prose as well as mythical references that built the tension and "other-wordly" sense of the dynamics both between the characters and the setting. Told from the perspectives of "the bridegroom" in the present and the historical narrative of his bride's childhood friend Azure, the truth that Indigo protects fiercely is slowly revealed to all. Alongside this, a repressed memory of a deep pain from his own childhood lures the Bridegroom in to risking everything to uncover the truth.
A truly unsettling and fantastic read.

I didn't enjoyed reading this book. It really reminded me Mexican Gothic which I also didn't like. The writing was poor and I hated the insta romance between the main characters. Although I do love Roshani Chokshi I think that this book isn't her greatest.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me the arc*

I am not too sure about what I have just read: an oniric fable? a twisted tale? What I can definitely say is that the writing is impeccable, the story telling masterful and the topic wildly original and novel. I loved it and can still picture the settings, the decors and feel the essence of the characters. A memorable must read!

The descriptions for this were enchanting and poetic and the mythological prose was imaginative however my attention was not held throughout. I felt detached from the potential that this could have been whilst feeling rushed and unsatisfied. It was a disappointing story that only held me long enough to capture the magic of its writing.

Over-written, and in need of some disciplined editing but worth the long journey 3.5 rating, raised

For most of this I was swinging between a certain amount of irritation at writing which was almost too lush and beautiful, getting in the way of the unfolding of story

But as the book began to near to its conclusion – and the ‘reveals’ I had expected were revealed, my star rating began to rise, as at last we were getting somewhere

Chokshi has probably tried to wrap too many fairytale mishmashes together, and I don’t think all of them quite work

This is a love story between several people who love the world of faerie and imagination, and told by two narrators, one male and one female.

I don’t think the male narrator’s own back story was quite successfully integrated

My review reflects more my view of the journey itself. Chokshi is a gifted and crafted writer, and I will certainly be keen to see if she can pare back what is beautiful and sumptuous in her writing, to allow narrative arc to also get its own forward impetus more insistent