50books_poc | The Dowry Bride by Shoban Bantwal

I don't remember why I picked up this book other than a mild curiosity about Indian weddings (probably inspired by Bride and Prejudice) and found not a wedding story but something far less light, but very compelling.

The basic story starts with a young wife overhearing a plot to murder her. Her family has failed to provide the promised dowry and she has not yet conceived a child - therefore, they intend to kill her rather than deal with the scandal of divorce.

Compelling setup - her escape is tightly written and conveys her terror well. What fell down for me was my lack of knowledge of Indian lifestyle - I needed more explanation of how threatening life on the streets would be to her.

She flees to a cousin of her husband's and we have a romance that I found too convenient. While I like the characters, I thought the situation was too cliche.

While there are definitely things I didn't like about the book, I was pleased to find that Shoban Bantwal has two other books out for me to read.

Rating: B+