This book feels like the most Roshani book Roshani has written. The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is told in her trademark lush, decadent prose and interwoven with folklore, myths, and fairytales. If you’re searching for a book that will transport you to a fantastical gothic world rich in magic and suspense, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is for you.

The first thing that popped into my mind when I started this book was the story of Blackbeard. Similar to Blackbeard, our main character, the Bridegroom, promises his wife that he will never dig into her past. At first, it’s easy to uphold his promise--until he is taunted with glimmers of her past when they travel to Indigo’s childhood home to see her dying aunt. Once they arrive at the House of Dreams, things are never the same.

Beware: you’ll find yourself bewitched by this story. Told in dual POV, the Bridegroom in the present day and Azure, Indigo’s childhood best friend, in the past, you’ll find yourself wondering at the mystery of Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada.

The narrators for this audiobook are *chef’s kiss*. Trust me, Steve West and Sura Siu’s voices enhance this dark, enchanting fairytale. I can't imagine reading this story any other way; their voices truly enhanced my reading experience.

I was anticipating this title and wanted to enjoy it so much but by the end of the book, I couldn't stand it and found that despite enjoying the narrators, this was a 1 star book for me.
I can't even do a pros/cons list for this title because I disliked it so much. I won't harp on all the elements that I disliked but I will express some of the top things that made this book unenjoyable:
1) I got the strong impression that the author was either inspired by or was trying to imitate the writing style of Isabel Allende. While I think Allende is fantastic, this book was not like Allende's works and it felt like they were trying so hard to make this a deep and magic filled story of family drama and trauma. It was so unbearable, I ended up rolling my eyes through most of the book.
2) The bridegroom character felt so insignificant I can't even remember his name and was entirely underdeveloped and read as nothing more than a tool to tell the story of Indigo and Azure while also trying to be a character on his own without succeeding.
3) The obsessions with myths and fairy tales made no sense. At first I though this book was supposed to be magical realism but by the end it was clear that this book isn't magical realism. By the end, I couldn't understand why three adults had been so obsessed with fairy tales and myths to the point that they believed Faerie was real.
4) Indigo was such an unbearable character and Azure wasn't much better. Indigo was a spoiled brat who refused to look at the real world and instead though that she was better than everyone else by pretending she was Fae. She also used this excuse of being one of the Folk to be cruel to everyone around her. The fact that Azure went along with everything was ridiculous. Additionally, all the stuff with Jupiter was absolutely cringey and the fact that Indigo didn't see an issue with that made her such a deplorable character.
5) The ending made no sense and felt as though everything that came before it was absolutely purposeless.

To say that I didn't enjoy this book is an understatement. I enjoyed the narrators though, but I found the male narrator's voice to be so deep that at times it was hard to hear him even though I keep the volume high when I listen to audiobooks. Even though this book wasn't for me, there's no doubt that others will likely enjoy it. I also want to add that the audio quality was very good and as an audiobook, it was done very well.

I tried. I really tried to get into this. I enjoyed the narrators and the story seemed promising but I literally had no idea what was happening 20% in. At that point there should be some kind of plot forming but I was just lost. I really wanted to like this. Maybe it's something I need to pick up another time, I'm not sure.

A gothic mystery that keeps you captivated until the very end.

The last tale of the flower bride is about a man marrying a mysterious woman and finding out about the mysterious woman’s mysterious past. If it’s not clear, this is a mystery. What is the plot? There isn’t one. Not really. Certainly not enough to fill an entire book. I could sum up the major events in this book in two sentences. But do you know what it has in spades? Vibes. Dark, Gothic, mysterious, sexy vibes. Do you know what else this book is filled with? Beautiful prose. Sometimes it’s too beautiful. There were times when I couldn’t figure out if something happened literally or metaphorically. And that seemed to be the point.

A deceptively simple premise that’s exceptionally well executed.

This audiobook was beautifully narrated, which matched the story perfectly. I listened to the entire thing in one sitting. Overall, I really liked it. If you want something gothic, romantic, and vibe-y, pick this one up. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Harper Audio for the advanced copy of this book.

Withholding review until @harpercollins agrees to a fair contract with the @hcunion.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a dark adult fairytale with beautiful and lush writing. It’s simply a gorgeous and wicked story. I was mesmerized from the beginning and because I’m madly in love with fairytales, everything about this one worked for me. The narration from Steve West and Sura Siu on the audio is excellent. The sprinkling of fairytales and musings in this story are lovely and thought provoking. You can practically taste the fairy fruit! If you love fairytales and magical realism, don’t miss this one.

“Do not look. Do not ask. Do not pry.” This is the promise a husband makes to his new wife regarding her past, but once he visits her childhood home, his temptation gets the best of him. As we know from every single fairytale: Don’t. Do. It! At the wife’s home, questions arise as to what became of her childhood best friend. To find out, her husband will have to break his vow.

Thank you to @netgalley @williammorrowbooks @roshanichokshi for an early audio copy. I thoroughly enjoyed this beautifully told tale and I’ll be buying a hardcover for my library after the release date.

Favorite quote: “In the end a fairytale is nothing more than a sense of hope.”

3.5 stars rounded to 4...

An eerie story full of fairytales and gothic consequences, Chokshi weaves a story of betrayal, fate, and the things we do to keep our past hidden.

I'm a sucker for atmospheric reads and The Last Tale of the Flower Bride does not disappoint. Chokshi knows what they're doing when it come to atmosphere. At every point in the story I found myself fully captivated by the scenes around me. The absolute dedication to the atmosphere kept me intrigued with the story even when I wasn't very attached to the characters.

I found the relationship itself to be too detached from the story to really feel any emotion towards the relationship. This did not work well for the story because you need to pick a side to feel invested. I never felt like I wanted to route for anybody so it made the story not as lovable as I wanted it to be. Despite it being a grimdark fairytale I still expected to at least enjoy the characters. Overall they were not unenjoyable just not very dimensional, especially the bridegroom.

The audiobook narration worked well for this story and added to the atmospheric presence of the story.


This book gave me a lot of the same atmospheric energy as Spells for Forgetting. Both books do a fantastic job at creating an atmosphere that you can feel and fully grasp while reading the books. Another comparable book is House of Hollow simply because they are both eerie and deal with fae.


Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for an advance listeners copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I found the male narrator to be very boring which lead to me not finishing this. I am still 100% very intrigued by the plot of this book and will be buying a physical copy on its release date.

Thank you HarperAudio for the audio ARC!

What a gorgeous novel. It reads like a gothic fairy tale but takes place in the modern world. A handsome historian falls in love with beautiful heiress, Indigo Maxwell-Castenada. They should live happily ever after but Indigo holds many secrets close to her heart. Especially regarding her long-lost friend, Azure, who's sudden disappearance is still a mystery. This story reminded me so much of the tale of BlueBeard, and that story is mentioned a lot. A lot of fairy tales are mentioned and woven throughout to create this atmospheric tale. I enjoyed this so much!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

I received this as an audio galley to listen to for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for giving me access.

I absolutely loved Chokshi’s other works and knew that I needed to read The Last Tale of the Flower Bride immediately. This was dark with just a touch of the fae world and I devoured it. Chokshi wrote an exceptional story that I will be rereading for years to come.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook ARC.

Absolutely amazing. This was enchanting and tragic, and I wished it went on forever. The two friends in their youth remind me of who I was as a teen. Indigo as an adult is who I wished I could be. She's mysterious and beautiful, and can keep a secret like no other. The twist at the end was completely shocking and had me wanting to re-read everything a second time. I loved the Magic of this book.

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.

"A fairy tale in the oldest and truest sense: a haunting dream full of blood and love, vicious truths and beautiful lies. It swallowed me whole, and I went willingly." — Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of The Once and Future Witches

I’ve been really interested in <i>The Last Tale of the Flower Bride</i> since I first heard that it was a gender bent Bluebeard retelling. That concept intrigued me, as I’ve always be fairly fascinated by that particular fairytale. When I finally got my hands on the book (and my ears on it, thanks to NetGalley) it was actually far different that whatever I was expecting. So different, in fact, that I was originally very conflicted about it. I was repelled by the person who seemed like the central character, and judgmental of those who had allowed themselves to fall under her spell. But I was also deeply invested in these two perspective characters, and completely captivated by the writing.

The prose here is among the most beautiful I’ve ever experienced. The writing is lush and decadent and almost erotic, like the caress of crushed velvet against bare skin. It’s almost too pretty, bordering on purple, but that seemed to work well for the story. The stunning storytelling, mixed with the dark story being told, brought to mind Pan’s Labyrinth. That’s honestly the best comparison I can draw. Both stories are dark and tragic but oddly beautiful all the same.

I originally felt like the relationships in this book were all a bit toxic, and too dark, but that was the point, which became clearer to me the further into the book I read. This story showcases the dangers of co-dependency, of allowing yourself to be entranced by darkness and then compelled to remain in it. It showcases abuse in interesting ways, specifically with gaslighting and sabotage in order to ensure that the abuser remains the only refuge of the abused, and that there is no trustworthy means of escape. We are shown how poisonous love can be when mingled with obsession, possessiveness, and madness.

This story also showcases how poisonous imagination can be if not tempered with reality. Can you cling so tightly to your dreams that you miss out on everything else light might have for you? The answer is yes. All of the fantastical elements of this tale seem directly linked to the characters’ desire to experience the fantastic, which left me questioning whether all of the magic in the story was solely in the minds of those experiencing it. How much of the magic here is real, and how much is simply tricks of the minds that desire so strongly to be tricked?

I ended up loving <i>The Last Tale of the Flower Bride</i> in ways that I would never have guessed when I first flipped open its pages. It’s one of the most beautifully written stories I’ve experienced, and it was far deeper and more philosophical than it appears on the surface. This is the gnarled underbelly of a fairytale, and exposition of the dangers of living in dreams. It’s an exploration of abusive relationships that we wouldn’t view as abusive on the surface, and an exposure of madness that masquerades as imagination. It’s ugly in very purposeful ways. It’s terribly tragic and cautiously hopeful. I absolutely loved it, and can guarantee that I’ll be revisiting it. I’m already excited to dig into Chokshi’s back catalogue, but I don’t know that it will hold a candle to this decadent, decaying Gothic fairytale.

Gothic and haunting, excellent for fans of Addie Larue or Juniper & Thorn. This is the kind of book that people rightfully call an instant classic, drawing from myth and folklore and fairytales while simultaneously being wholly different.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audiobook copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have very mixed feelings about this book, and even as I write this I am still unsure what I would rate it. On the one hand, Roshani Chokshi's writing is sumptuous and gorgeous. She paints amazing visuals of every scene, every room in the House of Dreams, every setting the characters are in. The whole book is this intriguing blend of ominous, dark, gothic house mystery with a real (or imagined?) faerie world. The audiobook narration is splendid, with both voice actors matching the lush writing with their narration.

On the other hand, there were so many unsettling and unpleasant aspects of the book. The blurb makes it seem as if the focus of the book is the marriage or relationship between the female main character (Indigo) and male main character (the bridegroom), but most of the book is about Indigo and her friendship with another girl her age, Azure. There's toxic female friendship, where the two teens seem obsessed with each other, unclear sapphic overtones, and primarily a coming of age timeline. All of the characters are problematic and unpleasant in various ways. I found the big reveal near the end to be fairly predictable. There was so much set-up about how the two girls were similar physically that it was not at all surprising what happened.

Despite my negatives though, there was something so compelling about this story. I couldn't stop listening and felt completely sucked into the rollercoaster Chokshi was taking us on.

Roshani Chokshi’s adult debut is a thing of beauty. I’ll not be shutting up about this one for a long time.

The story features two timelines told through two POVs. In one we follow “The Bridegroom” as he meets and marries the beautiful but mysterious heiress Indigo Maxwell-Castaneda. She makes him promise only one thing —that he will never pry into her past.

Our second narrator is Azure, Indigo’s best friend and confident growing up. The two are inseparable, sharing a bound like no other, until one day it all falls apart.

As the two storylines converge, Chokshi weaves and intricate and suspenseful tale. What happened to Azure all those years ago? What happens if the husband digs too far now?

I was simply mesmerized from the very first chapter. This is a story that draws on storytelling, harkening back to multiple myths and fairytales. There is even a wardrobe (if you know you know). Told in exquisite prose I’ve rarely encountered, I can’t recommend this enough!

If you like romantic thrillers, mysteries literary fiction, or fantasy with just enough magic to make you question what is and isn’t real, there is something here for you to relish.

I know it is just January, but this book will almost certainly be in my top reads of the year. It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read.

This book was incredibly twisty and atmospheric. I felt like I knew how the twist was going to play out, but that didn't make it any less exciting for me.

Told through alternating timelines (past and present), this story is full of suspense and gothic themes, including romance, love and toxic relationships.

At times I found myself drawn more to the past timeline and the present storyline (told from the POV of the main character's husband) seemed weak in comparison.

Definitely enjoyed this story and cannot wait to read more of Roshani's works and to talk about this book with others. It would make for an excellent book club pick and gives so many avenues for discussion.

Cannot rate this title as I could not get into the story or narration. Thank you for the opportunity to review this title.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride was dark, magical, and beautifully written. The novel is about Indigo and her bridegroom. He doesn’t know too much about her when they get married. She makes him promise not to pry too much into her past. However, when Indigo and the bridegroom, are forced to return to her childhood house, known as the House of Dreams, the bridegroom cannot resist but pry into her past. I guess the mystery is what he loved about her.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I loved the intoxicating relationship/friendship between Azure and Indigo, the fact that the bridegroom is never named (which makes him more of a mystery), and the dark secret of the disappearance of Azure. I didn’t want it to end.

The narrator was engaging!

Beautiful and Atmospheric. Full of adventure and fun. Exploring both myths, and fairy tales, The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a whimsical fantasy with an unexpected twist. A tale I will never tire of, one to be read again and again.