Title: Mr Flower Bride
Author: Lily Hoshino
Publisher: Yen Press
ISBN: 9780759529496
May Contain Spoilers
Shinji Souda is dismayed to learn that his bride-to-be is classmate Aoi Uno. Due to family tradition, he is forced to marry a boy because his eldest brother’s first child is a son. Shinji’s not happy, and he can’t understand why everyone else seems to think the arrangement is normal. Is he the only one who has a problem with him marrying a guy?
Mr Flower Bride is one of of those light, fluffy BL titles that provides a momentary distraction, but, like eating ice cream for dinner, there’s no depth and you’ll soon be ready for another meatier title. The characters are one dimensional, and even though the chapters feature different couples, they are all fairly generic and interchangeable. I breezed right through this book, and though I enjoyed it’s brain-candy qualities, it is ultimately forgettable.
Shinji and Aoi get a lion’s share of the chapters. Shinji doesn’t like the idea of having to marry a boy, but being an obedient son, he does what his family expects of him. At least they found a pretty boy for him, and Aoi looks so much like a girl that even Shinji couldn’t complain too loudly. The whole concept of the family tradition dictating that younger sons marry boys is ridiculous, but you have to hand it to the Souda family for being so forward thinking as to encourage same-sex unions. So what if the tradition makes no sense and causes barely a ripple of discord. Shinji quickly overcomes his protests over his marriage to Aoi, and the lack of any real conflict consigns everything to the realm of hum-drum.
The remainder of the short stories maintain the status quo, and by the last page, I had already forgotten much of the book. Bland characters and bland settings lead to a bland reading experience. The art, though pleasant, is much like the plot in that it doesn’t dazzle or leave a lasting impression. I highly recommend checking this out at the library over making a purchase. $12.99 is a steep price to pay for the enjoyment gained from reading Mr Flower Bride.
Grade: C+
