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A review by siobhanward
Advika and the Hollywood Wives by Kirthana Ramisetti
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If you read this as a silly, boppy, summer beach read, then it's decent. If you're looking for more than that, it doesn't really deliver. I will, however, counter what other reviewers are saying with regards to Advika and Julian - I can definitely imagine someone in their mid-20s marrying someone 40 years older, that doesn't seem unreasonable, even if it's after a quick whirlwind romance.
However, I do agree that the rest of the plot kind of got lost with the lack of further relationship development - problems starting immediately after Advika married Julian is what really made it hard to care about the rest of the book. If it had been a longer fairytale romance period, I think the rest of the book would have been more impactful.
I loved the idea of the other wives and Advika uncovering their stories - however, the total disappearance of an entire wife from the timeline and failure to really talk about that kind of threw me off, as well as just feeling like Advika really should have acted sooner. She was set up for success and took so long to make her decisions. It also felt like the side characters were more interesting than Advika and yet they only appeared occasionally. I wish we'd seen more of Olive and the Oakies - they were too interesting to be shoved aside.
However, I do agree that the rest of the plot kind of got lost with the lack of further relationship development - problems starting immediately after Advika married Julian is what really made it hard to care about the rest of the book. If it had been a longer fairytale romance period, I think the rest of the book would have been more impactful.
I loved the idea of the other wives and Advika uncovering their stories - however, the total disappearance of an entire wife from the timeline and failure to really talk about that kind of threw me off, as well as just feeling like Advika really should have acted sooner. She was set up for success and took so long to make her decisions. It also felt like the side characters were more interesting than Advika and yet they only appeared occasionally. I wish we'd seen more of Olive and the Oakies - they were too interesting to be shoved aside.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Suicide