The Full Moon Bride...Review

About the book:
What makes a marriage--love or compatibility? Passion or pragmatism? Shobhan Bantwal’s compelling new novel explores the fascinating subject of arranged marriage, as a young Indian-American woman navigates the gulf between desire and tradition…

To Soorya Giri, arranged marriages have always seemed absurd. But while her career as an environmental lawyer has flourished, Soorya is still a virgin, living with her parents in suburban New Jersey. She wants to be married. And she is finally ready to do the unthinkable…

Soorya’s first bridal viewings are as awkward as she anticipated. But then she’s introduced to Roger Vadepalli. Self-possessed, intelligent, and charming, Roger is clearly interested in marriage and seems eager to clinch the deal. Attracted to him in spite of her mistrust, Soorya is also drawn into a flirtation with Lou, a widowed colleague who is far from her family’s idea of an acceptable husband.

In choosing between two very different men, Soorya must reconcile her burgeoning independence and her conservative background. And she must decide what matters most to her--not just in a husband, but in a family, a culture, and a life…

While I'm not very familiar with the Indian culture, I think Shobhan Bantwal completely captured what must be the essence and contradictions of Indian-American life.  Soorya is a second generation Indian-American, privileged, educated and successful.  Not a classically beautiful woman, she has never really dated and finally desiring marriage and family, she agrees to bridal viewings in the hope of finding a young man willing to accept an arranged marriage as well.   She soon discovers that meeting a young man is only half the battle. 

I have always been intrigued that the concept of arranged marriages still flourishes, even here in America.  The exploration of arranged marriages in this novel was fascinating. These are real, flawed people with desires and feelings and a love and loyalty to family and culture. Shobhan Bantwal's descriptions are colorful and rich.  I enjoyed the portrayal of strong women and while I didn't love Soorya at first, she did grow on me towards the end.

Thanks to Jaime at Pump Up Your Book Promotion for the opportunity to review this book.  You can learn more about Shobhan Bantwal here.  You can purchase your own copy here.  You can see other reviews and tour stops here.

Monday, September 5
Guest Post at The Hot Author Report
Tuesday, September 6
Guest Post at The Hot Author Report
Wednesday, September 7
Review at My Reading Room
Thursday, September 8
Guest Post at The Book Connection
Friday, September 9
Review at 2 Kids and Tired Books
Monday, September 12
Guest Post at One Day at a Time
Tuesday, September 13
Review at One Day at a Time
Wednesday, September 14
Interview and Review at The Cottage Bookshelf
Thursday, September 15
Interview at Literarily Speaking
Friday, September 16
Review at Just Another Book Addict
Monday, September 19
Review at Day by Day in Our World
Spotlight at The Plot
Tuesday, September 20
Character Interview at The Plot
Wednesday, September 21
Guest Post at Life in Review
Thursday, September 22
Review at Life in Review
Friday, September 23
Interview at Pump Up Your Book
Monday, September 26
Spotlight at Books, Products and More
Guest Post and Review at The Bookish Dame
Tuesday, September 27
Guest Post at The Story Behind the Book
Wednesday, September 28
Review at My Random Acts of Reading
Thursday, September 29
Guest Post at A Journey Into Reading
Friday, September 30
Review at A Journey Into Reading
Review at Library of Clean Reads

Read 9/11

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4/5 Stars

Comments

  1. I liked this one as well - found it fascinating. I live in an area that's doesn't have too many different cultures so I really enjoy books that give me looks into their lives. I had friends in college of different cultures, but that's not quite the same as even Soorya states in the book. Great review. We always seem to like the same books :)

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  2. I'm fascinated by arranged marriages too, but they do seem to work a lot of the time. This book sounds good.

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  3. I have a psychology degree and I remember learning that a study had found that arranged marriages ended up happier than non-arranged due to the difference in expectations. Thanks for the review of this book, I've put it on my wish list :)

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  4. Thank you so much for the wonderful review and for posting it on your popular website. I appreciate the kind support.

    Shobhan Bantwal
    author of The Full Moon Bride

    ReplyDelete

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