Review of Red Dress

[Roy Nick]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Red Dress" by Amena Khan.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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When Paula’s parents married her off, she went with her husband, Shan, to live in the United States. However, the marriage lacked the love and intimacy she longs for, from the word go. A decade passes, and there’s no sign of improvement, so Paula opts to try random online chatting. While here, she chats up a guy named Robin, who also faces marriage hiccups following an aggressive, loud, and vulgar wife.

Paula has no intention of having extramarital affairs; instead, she solely wants to escape reality and strike conversations with random dudes. Robin is in for something more. Following his wife’s bullying, he has taken part in hanky-panky before without getting caught. Following their online rendezvous, Robin perceives something unique in Paula. Similarly, Paula seems to be enjoying Robin’s company and intellectual dialogues. Nonetheless, the two have invested their time and years in their marriages and do not want to throw that away. What will they do? Importantly, is Paula up for more than just a platonic relationship?

Marriage is not a walk in the park, and the author is exceptional at showcasing this. More so, I like how issues arising from arranged marriages are addressed in the novel. This may appear weird, but I enjoyed how uncaring Shan was towards his wife. His cold nature added flavor to the story. It pushed Paula to explore more options in matters of affection and communication.

The suspense that came with the book’s title was worth noting. I kept wondering what a red dress had to do with a romance tale. Then the meaning came in chapter nineteen, and my concern was ultimately quenched. Robin was honest with Paula, and I liked that. He confesses his past extramarital affairs and how his wife never knew. That way, beforehand, Paula knew the kind of guy she was engaging.

Finally, lately, when I decide to escape from reality by delving into fictitious installments, I hardly enjoy those that talk about COVID-19 and the wearing of masks. Let’s face it; it’s becoming cliché, is it not? With this work, however, Amena Khan intertwined romance and COVID-19 matters so masterfully that I could not put it down.

Red Dress by Amena Khan deserves 4 out of 4 stars. It does so because it is well edited, having encountered only two errors. Plus, I did not dislike anything. Any reader looking for an old-school romance novel addressing problems arising from arranged marriages will enjoy this one.

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Red Dress
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[Brett Linette]

I might read this book just to figure out what this talk of a red dress is all about.