A dead serious subject becomes fodder for a romance novel. Although the author conceivably intended to draw attention to the outlawed (but still performed) savage murders of young Indian women whose families commit to paying the groom's family to "take their daughter", the cliched characters of Megha (gorgeous, of course) and Kiran (strong handsome hero), deflect from the tragedy of this misogynistic practice. ( )

When you get married in India, the conditions could be surprising…

Megha Ramnath, married just over a year, awoke and found her husband missing. Arising, she steps outside into the cool darkness. Searching for Suresh, she notices a light coming from the small shed in the back yard. Cautiously approaching, she hears familiar voices. Listening, a deep fear seizes her heart. They are plotting murder! Her mother-in-law is describing the detailed plan of her demise to Seresh! There is no time to think. She must get away now…

Running till her breath comes in gasps, Megha finally stops to consider her options. If she returns to her parent’s home, they would likely send her back to Suresh. Wandering the streets late at night was very dangerous. She must find a place of refuge. Megha could think of only one person who had shown her kindness. But would he force her to return home as well? Kiran was a good person, but he was also Suresh’s brother. The idea seemed a poor choice, as contact with family could prove risky. Megha ducks into a dark corner just as a car passes. A stranger is watching her closely so she moves on. Just in the nick of time she climbs quickly over a fence and out of his site. Kiran seems her only hope. His apartment is not far. Knocking lightly, there’s no answer. Megha turns to run, but hears footsteps echo in the stairwell.

Fear is constant. Irrational decisions often lead her away from safety. Danger lurks only steps behind. Will Megha ever find peace? Will she be on the run forever? Will the evil plans be carried out?

The Dowry Bride is an eye opener to the challenges many Indian women face in a culture few foreigners comprehend.

Though well written and informative, there is a lot of “back story” that interrupt the overall flow of the book. ( )

I think this may have been her first novel. it is not as good as the others I have read. The characterizations are good, but the characters either totally good or totally bad. The basic plot is quite unlikely, and the books stops rather than ends. One is drawn on to continue reading by her wonderful descriptions of the individual scenes. ( )

Soooooooo good. I had this book on the top of my TBR Pile for a long time and I regret that I have not picked this up sooner. This is a MUST read!!! ( )

I had high expectations for this book but it failed miserably to entertain or educate me on the customs of India's Dowry Brides. The first problem I had was that the book is written for 5th graders - I don't believe there are more than a handful of sentences longer than 20 words. This brevity made me feel like I was read a Dick and Jane book from the 60's and 70's. The conversations, scenic descriptions and cultural references were stilted and didn't flow very well.

Secondly - Where was the character development? I felt as if I was reading a dime store romance novel - very predictable - teenage romance novel stuff!

Last but not least - I could have learned more about Dowry brides in one concise, but well written paragraph than I did reading the entire novel. I only muddled through it to find out the ending, albeit a very predictable one! ( )