Amanda
While the prose was lovely, this story never captured me. My biggest issue was how often I was TOLD rather than SHOWN how much the characters love and desire one another. None of the romance or explicit scenes felt very compelling. Constanta loves her lovers instantly; no friendship into burgeoning romance, no banter, no build. Constanta, as the protagonist, hardly does anything for the bulk of the book, and I found myself more frustrated and exasperated than anything by the time she finally acted. In my opinion, the hindsight writing perspective really took the bite out of opportunities to surprise the reader with how terrible the “husband” is.
I read Gibson’s “Evocation” before this and it’s honestly hard to believe this was written by the same author. Evocation was a joy to read. A Dowry of Blood is an exercise in frustration.