Reviews

Love Marriage by Monica Ali is ostensibly about the merging of two families from different social backgrounds (though both very British) in anticipation of the marriage of Yasmin and Joe. Yasmin is the daughter of Muslim Indian immigrants (her mother devout, her father non-practicing), and Joe is the son of a feminist, single mother best known for a nude photo taken in the ‘80s and her extensive memoirs recounting her various lovers. Joe and Yasmin are Doctors at the same hospital, though the story is primarily told from Yasmin’s perspective. Joe is an almost incidental character until we learn about his true self and past traumas through overheard therapy sessions to treat his sex addiction. At first, you think the drama will lie in the insurmountable differences between these characters, but the families manage to get on well, and the reader’s focus is turned toward the long-hidden secrets and issues of each separate family.
I was instantly drawn into this story and stayed interested for the first half but couldn’t help but feel slightly let down by the latter half. The characters were all memorable and fully flushed out, which is difficult to do with such a large cast. Ali also did a great job of highlighting the subtle (& not so) prejudices of being both a female doctor and a doctor of color in London. At the start, Yasmin sees herself as a certain sort of person – the good immigrant daughter, the faithful fiancé, the practical and dedicated student– and it is both entertaining and fascinating to watch as she slowly breaks down and realizes who Yasmin really is and what she wants out of life. My main critique is that I think it could have benefited by being cut down by about 50 pages, but all in all, I really enjoyed it and would recommend!

gretchencs's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

sophieelizabethcox's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I've read this book before but read it again for book club. It's really readable and the characters are interesting. I like the ending. The only character/situation that feels a bit under-developed and unresolved is her relationship with Pepperdine. I can see why the author has included it but I don't think it's tied up properly.

serainaaaaaa's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

emilylinman's review

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4.0

I found this to be a thoroughly engaging story about love, relationships and sex. The main character, Yasmin is from a conservative Muslim family and is engaged to Joe, a liberal white man. Both doctors, they navigate their working lives and their personal lives together throughout the novel.

Thoroughly recommend!

natnicks's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

ladykillller's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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