When a scholar of myth marries the beautiful, mysterious, and wealthy Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada, he promises to never pry into her past. But when the couple travels home to visit Indigo’s estranged aunt, the bridegroom finds himself unable to resist the temptation from Indigo’s childhood home. In the shadows of the crumbling mansion, the bridegroom investigates the sudden disappearance of Indigo’s childhood best friend, even if it destroys his marriage.

FLOWER BRIDE is a gothic fantasy written with lush prose that explores toxic relationships, the lengths we go to protect our secrets, and how we might never fully know our partners. The uncanny aura flows through the entire book and keeps me on edge while listening to the audiobook. Chokshi spends a lot of time building up the eeriness, and I adore her craft in constructing such a beautiful world.

Because of her efforts spent on world-building, the actual plot in FLOWER BRIDE moves very slowly, and I struggled to focus on the audiobook a lot of times. For those interested in the book, reading might be the way to go. The final plot twist is also somewhat predictable, especially after so much build-up.

FLOWER BRIDE is an extremely dark story with lots of trigger warnings. For fans of lush writings, atmospheric reads, and eerie fantasies, FLOWER BRIDE is a solid choice.

Thank you to Libro.fm for the ALC.