The Price of a Bride by Michelle Reid

Forced to marry! When Mia Frazier agreed to her father's demand to marry Greek millionaire Alexander Doumas, she knew both men stood to gain from the deal--Alex would win back his family's island, and Mia's father would get the grandson and heir he so desperately longed for. But what about Mia? She had her own reason for agreeing to be Alex's wife--which was not financial gain, as Alex cynically believed. But how could the truth stay hidden, when she shared such intense passion with her new husband...and was now carrying his child?

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Intense, harrowing, and utterly gut wrenching

I cannot recollect the number of times I have read this book. The Price of a Bride is the OG of all forced marriage romance books with brooding hero and mysterious heroine with a tragic backstory.

Well, on the surface, the hero is forced to marry while the heroine seems to be getting the better end of the deal. But not all is what it appears to be, is it?

The tale has it all, the classic misunderstanding, the ultra-brooding of the hero who believes he has been conned and a villainous parental figure who acts cupid. But what makes me return to this story again and again to cry is the way Michelle Reid sets the various scenes between the protagonists. While the hero, Alex taunts and berates Mia every chance he gets, there are deeper issues underlying his toxicity. Of which he isn’t proud but Mia’a aloofness brings it out in him. Sometimes, just to get a rise out of her.

While, whenever the POV shifts to Mia, it is clear that there are layers of complex emotions and facts are pushing her to behave the way she does. Secrets upon secrets that she holds, the weight of which threatens to shove her deep in the ground, but she fights on. Just like every woman. To the outside world, she stoically plans her every move, never rises to any provocation, remains calm through all the insults that are thrown her way, taking refuge under a haughtiness which beguiling. 

And the end… it has a twist. I did wish for a harsher punishment for the villain, but karma has many forms, not all of which are apparent.

This is the story which made me fall in love with Michelle Reid’s writing. I wish she would write more.

Soulless (Revenge Games) by M V Kasi

 

Soulless (Revenge Games)

By M V KASI

It was only supposed to be a marriage of convenience... Sia Sampath has one burning desire-revenge. And she is determined to achieve her goal, no matter what or who got in her way. But soon, Sia begins to realize that things in life don't always go according to a plan, especially things related to the heart. Married and forced to live with a man who hates her and feels betrayed by her, Sia must protect her heart from her temporary husband's touch and presence... A gripping tale of revenge and a passionate love story...

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

I remember some few years back, I was tired of reading Danielle Steel, larger than life Nicolas Sparks, and the OG Mills and Boon and Harlequin books. Being an Indian girl growing up in the 90s, our indigenous romance books were my point of romance which focused heavily on 19^th century idea of innocent love and ultimate sacrifice, mostly on the part of the women. When, at the age of 17, I got introduced to Mills and Boon, a new vista opened up for me.

But after a decade of gorging on those books, I was tired and wanted romance in Indian writing. And there was Chetan Bhagat, whose initial books I really liked, and then Durjoy Dutta, whose books I hated right from the start for their pretentiousness and wannabe westernness.

Then, by fluke, one day during my lunch hour, I came across M V Kasi’s Soulless. Along with which, I was introduced to Amazon KDP in the year of 2017. And I thank the author for that.

For me, this book was the starting of my journey of Indian contemporary romance with twist. Of dark romances. And what stood out for me, even after all these years is the female protagonist.

I read somewhere that the author was inspired to write this story after watching a Spanish show called Ruby during her college days. The novel isn’t as heavily complicated as the telenovela, but you definitely see strains of it. Combine it with a beautifully written spunky heroine with Indian sensibilities and the social issues of child abuse.

One cannot help but be intrigued by the heroine. When you start reading you would be baffled by her acts and choices, would want to hate her, but something will stop you. Will anger you even.

But once you actually go through with the entirety of the story, you’d see what made her tick, what made her the woman that she turned out to be.

It is essentially a game of revenge. Sia is abused by her guardians until a well-wisher rescues her and puts her up for adoption. Although her life vastly improves, the same couldn’t be said for her mental well-being. Fueled by the fire of revenge, she transforms herself into a ruthless creature who tramples the feelings of one person who, despite himself, loves her.

The hero is, in his own path of revenge. Ajay judges her by her actions; it isn’t until the very last that he sees Sia for what she is.

The story is very intriguing, the kind which will appeal to the readers of dark romance with morally grey characters.