Meet me in Bombay is the best book that I have read this year. I love a good historical fiction title and one set during WWI was new and just what I needed. I don't know how accurate the backdrop of war and life in India for ex pats is but the storyline was enough. The author described the oppresive heat of Bombay, making me wonder how they really survived in corsets and long dresses.
The technique the author used at the end of a chapter to tease the reader, was not something that I loved. I guess I don't want to know what is going to happen until it does.
Overall, big hit that I will talk up as the publication date gets closer.

Deeply moving, beautifully done cover and a heart touching plot makes it an entertaining read. Loved the descriptive aspect of the narrative.

I love stories set in India, but this was torturously slow. Maddy was such a flat, 2D character with no real draw or interest. The drama created by her mother, who seemed more like an unmotherly stepwitch, was just irritating! I understand a good story often needs drama, but all of this was sad.

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A romance set in Colonial India, the heat, scents and colours of that time are perfectly presented it isn't difficult to feel as if you are right there. Set in 1914 when the British Raj were in India. Aside from the romance, what interested me most was the atmosphere and great descriptions of Bombay. I too was transported back to the time and place, a place I've never been to and probably never will. This book held my interest as I was thoroughly engaged with what the author had written.

This book was super good. It was super original and I flew through it. It didn't feel like anything I've read in the past. Can't wait to read more from the author!! This book was unputdownable.

Beautiful story! This is one of the best historical romance books I have read! I love how the story goes back and forth between the past and present. This story was filled with romance, war, loss and suspense. I absolutely loved it!

I received this Advance Review Copy by Netgalley and St Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley, St Martin’s Press!!

Review

Meet me in Bombay is a heart-wrenching story of love by Jenny Ashcroft set in the early twentieth century Colonial India, precisely the story is set in the classic vintage Bombay. The book had an outstanding Prologue, which had the capacity to haul the attention of the readers in no time. But in contrary to that, the first few chapters were quite draggy and bit slow, but it eventually picked up pace once the male lead, Luke Devereaux made his massive entrance into the book.

Maddy was a typical English girl who wasn’t very comfortable with her new hot and baking environment of Bombay. But she gets to see the true beauty of Bombay with the help the handsome and mysterious Luke Devereaux. The Bombay of early twentieth century had been vividly brought in front of the readers eyes through Maddy’s. The tightly packed busy streets of Bazaar/market emanating heat, tram rides, New Year parties at Yacht club, ball and dinner at Taj, Gymkhana club, Waji Ali Dargah, British houses at Malabar hill, beach and many such significant places in the book will be engraved on the hearts of the readers through this book. Even the people who haven’t been to Bombay will crave to visit it one day because of the experience they’ve gained through the words written on the book, and obviously I’m one such person.

The writing style of the author was quite complicated, I wouldn’t say it was a smooth read. It would take quite some time to get used to her writing style but the once story reaches its full momentum, it will be very hard to do anything other than reading the book uninterruptedly. The author had beautifully plotted the story on the backdrop of World War 1. The story jumps from Bombay to England to Ypres to Paris and it is spanned out between 1914 to 1921. But the formidable beauty of this book is, despite juggling between difference places, timelines and characters, the plot was straight and crystal clear.

Every page and every word in this book was surged with overflowing emotions. These words will torture the tears out the readers eyes effortlessly. It was recklessly painful and heartbreaking but in a good way, because the readers will be crying throughout the book and that’s most importantly because they care for the characters more than anything else. And that’s the success of this book as well as the author’s. Jenny Ashcroft knows how to write an emotional sequence in an utmost emotional way, she is a pro in this area.

So basically, it is the story of Maddy and Luke who are insanely in love with each other and badly wants to unite no matter what. But everything around them, the near missed chances, the war, people around them and fate only seems make them drift apart even more from one another in the most unimaginable manner. There were like lots of twist and turn, and each one of them was more miserable than the earlier one. Even though it’s painful to read, one couldn’t simple stop themselves from reading it further because all these pains and heartbreaking twists will only make the readers want to endure the pain and reach the end, to know what finally happens.

The character development of Maddy was phenomenal because making a homesick English girl to falling in love with Bombay was smooth and clear. The way she mends her broken relationship with her mother was written down meticulously. Luke’s character was the best, he was a really nice character to read about, he was book perfect in all sense. Especially his attitude and thought process was so gentlemanly. Richard – maddy’s father was a quintessential father, who seeks nothing but the happiness of his daughter and most importantly he let’s her take her own decision and stands by her. He is the kind of father every girl craves for. Della and Peter were the perfect friends and best supporting characters. Role played by Sister Lytton and Dr Arnold was also incredible.

Throughout this book I was kind of having a mixed feelings about these two characters Alice- Maddy’s mother and Guy – a family friend. One moment you will sympathize them and on the other you will literally hate them. But to be very frank, their character was also very significant and important for this book.

The book has a brilliant plot and unbelievable twist. It was very detailed and elaborate. The author has just done an amazing job in plotting out the story. Meet me in Bombay had a strong plot, strong characters, remarkable setting and thunderous twists. On the whole, the book was a well research one, which will hijack you to early twentieth century India. At no point the book felt fake, the incidents and everything about this book felt very very really. And it was possible only because of Jenny Ashcroft’s wonderful research, words, plot and characters. The climax was quite unexpected but it was wonderful.

My Views

Oh my god!!!! I can’t even imagine the pain endured by the lead characters. It was a very emotional read, I was crying non stop throughout the book without even realizing it. Whenever I feel like, ‘okay now the story isn’t that hurting, I can handle it’ the author would come up another dreadful twist and I will be crying once again. I was badly craving for them to be happy and that’s what made me endure all those pain valiantly.

I’m a very strong reader, I don’t usually feel like ruffling to the last page mid way just to know that the book has a good ending but this book was itching me to do that. Though the urge was pretty high I willfully restrained it nevertheless. This book was like test to me as reader on different levels.

One thing everybody could learn from this book is, wars are bad. Wars are bad for all the parties fighting. Nothing good can come out of a war-which draws the blood of innocent people. There is no victory in a war because ultimately both sides are going to lose, no matter what the result be. We don’t how many lives and families a war can affect. Peacefully negotiating any conflict is the only way to reap good and happy results. And this book conveyed it more than one way.

I absolutely loved every inch of this book. This is the second book which made cry very badly after Cecelia Ahern’s PS I Love You. But that book made me choke up to the death only on certain instances but with Meet me in Bombay I was crying for the eighty percent of the book which lead to a very bad headache, which is a record and in that sense this book wins over PS I Love You. I’m amazed, astonished and impressed with the ability of the author to get to me so emotionally. And I love her for that.

I love the way the author had described Bombay, I practically visualized Bombay in a yellowish brown tinted vintage glass. I completely loved the trip to Bombay, this book has taken me on. Even though I reside in India and been to most part of India, I still haven’t got the opportunity to go to Bombay/Mumbai. I generally love stories based on Bombay and my appetite to see all these places in Bombay has increased by gazillion times with this book. I’ll hopefully visit Bombay one day with a copy of this book. Let’s just hope.

My rating for this book would be 4.5 out of 5 stars
⭐⭐⭐
I would recommend this book to all the people who love historical fiction, tragic romance, stories based on colonial India and war and to people who loves Bombay. You have to be really strong to read this book but if you are someone who doesn’t enjoy sad books much, I have a suggestion for you, take it in a slow pace maybe then it will be bearable. But don’t avoid this book just because it’s sad and heart-breaking because it’s totally worth it. Please give this book a try and I’m sure you will not be disappointed. This is one of the best books I have read in this year and ever.

Do read this book without fail!

Happy Reading Folks!!!

~ Meenu

I liked the opening letter. It's Bombay December 1913. Maddy dances and prepares for the new year. Maddy is back in India after England.Della feels Maddy should get with Guy who is much older than her. Maddy meets a man Like and her life is changed forever. Maddy is left in Bombay by herself. Officer Jones is trying to find himself while Emma looks after him.i loved the characters.

Thank you, NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
Historical fiction is not my preferred genre or even a genre I usually read a lot. But this one appealed to me, through the beautiful cover, and the description.
India is undoubtedly, one of my favorite countries, so to read a book set in India was just perfect! This was a good read, easy to go through, and really enjoyable. I loved the characters, the setting, and overall the story!
Highly recommend

** I received a copy of this novel from the publishers in exchange for an honest review **

4.5 stars - I LOVED this book! The narrative was moving and emotional, without being over the top. The characters were well done and relatable. She intertwined different perspectives, both present and looking int the past, that had you yearning to know the ultimate outcome. I would definitely read this one again.

Maddy Bright has been away at school in Great Britain for the last 15 years and is finally coming home for a visit to her parents in Bombay. But while on the boat her future becomes very uncertain. Her short visit to India becomes a many year stay. Her outlook quickly changed on NYE 1913 when she meets Luke, but she doesn’t realize how much it will change. With the onset of WWI in Europe, Luke is called up from the reserves and this sets into action some very serious events that will take years to unravel.

3.5 stars

Set in the British Raj during WWI, this is one of those books that transport you to it’s place and time.

Maddy, the main character has just returned to India to her parents and is finding it difficult to adjust and to get along with her mother.
She is bored until she meets Luke and he encourages her to explore Bombay while he and everyone else is busy with their jobs.

Their relationship develops until the war starts and separates them as the men go to Europe to join the war with an under prepared army.

What follows is a journey - with most of the characters in the war and beyond as we experience with them the affects it has on those in the thickest of it and those waiting somewhere else for their loved ones.

The book is written in a way that everything does come together in a smart way.
The characters, all of them do get enough attention that you feel that you know them and their reasons and feelings.
Funny though that it’s Maddy I like the least. I didn’t really like her much nor her actions and decisions.

The story is quite interesting and you can’t really skip ahead as there is so much going on, which was a bit too much at times.

And the war was described in such details and emotions that you feel it.

A few emotional moments, maybe with teary eyes.

Highly recommended for those interested in Romance novels during the war.

1913 in Bombay. Madeline Bright has come home from school to the sweltering heat in India. And desperately would like to go back!

It’s New Year’s Eve and she isn’t looking for someone to kiss,but when she meets Luke Devereaux, everything changes for both of them.

Lucy’s mother,who seems cold and detached is not for the match and has already lined up a husband for her daughter. A doctor named Guy, who Maddy has no interest in at all.

But war is on the way and will take Luke far away from Maddy. They are far away from each other and all she has to hold on to is the promise that he will meet her in Bombay.

Meanwhile, Luke’s time in the war has left not even remembering who he is, much less Maddy.

But nothing is stronger than love. But can Maddy wait? Will she wait?

This was a tearjerker and not the usual ending which I enjoyed!

Well Done!

NetGalley/ January 19th, 2021 by St. Martin’s Press

I discovered the author, Jenny Ashcroft, in the book Island in the East. Her books are beautifully written. I love the descriptions. I've never traveled to India but this story makes me wanted to travel there one day. I loved it!

Meet Me in Bombay absolutely needs to be in your shelf for 2021. Seriously. Add it to your Goodreads now.

Meet Me in Bombay begins right before World War I begins, set in India decades before they would gain their independence from Britain. Ashcroft unfolds the life of Maddy Bright, back from Oxford after a long stint in Britain to escape the tropical fevers that plagued her in India as a child. Adjusting to her new life back in India, she meets a soldier she hasn't seen before, slowly falling for him and discovering her love of Bombay through a series of letters he sends her while away. We flip between their story and the story of a man, several years later, locked out of his own mind as he grapples to recover his lost memory. The story unfolds in a winding tale of heartbreak and dramatic irony, leaving me wanting to chuck the book halfway across my room more than once.

Contemporary literature tends to lose my attention quite quickly. I prefer the unexpectedness that magical realism, sci-fi, and fantasy bring. But Meet Me in Bombay held my attention the whole time, keeping me up until 3 am to finish it, entirely unable to put it down for a minute. I had to know what happened to Luke, to Maddy, to these characters I learned to love. It's rare that I become that invested in a straight relationship, but Ashcroft made it easy to fall in love with Maddy, with her and Luke's easy chemistry. I will admit I cried a few times, frustrated by the near-misses and heartbreak.

As with all books set in colonies, Ashcroft toes the precarious line of exotic-izing a country under oppressive British rule. Luke shows Maddy the incredible beauty of Bombay in the places where the British typically steer clear of, and there were a few mentions of Indian nationalism and unrest, and overall India was not shown in the negative light so many novels fall prey to. Nonetheless, India serves more as a backdrop to the larger story rather than feeling like a true setting. Perhaps it was the narrow life that the British lived in, only going to the "safe" restaurants and clubs in the city rather than exploring as Maddy and Luke had. The characters act very much like British citizens in India in the 20th century, but I still felt wanting more from Bombay than just mentions of the heat.

Still, this is one of my favorite books of the year. I'm sure it will fly off shelves in 2021, as it brings together the perfect blend of history, heartache, and beautiful prose. Don't fall into the trap of "oh I don't read women's lit"--take a chance on Meet Me in Bombay. It will pull at your heart, make you want to scream, and leave you closing the book with a sense of deep fulfillment and loss in turn. And I think we could all use a little love story in quarantine.

I'm going to be honest and say that at one point, I almost stopped reading this book without even knowing how it ended. However, this just speaks to the author's utter skill with a pen - this book tore at my heart so savagely right along with Maddy's that for a moment I was unsure if I could keep on. I'm so glad that I didn't stop reading.

Meet Me in Bombay combines romance and war in India, 1914. It's very different from other historical fiction that I've read, in the best possible way - the love story of Maddy and Luke, the colorful imagery of life in Bombay, the searing pain of heartbreak and forgetting - I couldn't put this book down, and I highly recommend it!

On the precipice of WWI, Maddy Bright has arrived in Bombay to live with her parents after years spent in England with an aunt and uncle. Luckily her best friend Della is there to provide company during the endless teas and dinners at the club. Then she catches sight of someone at a party who intrigues her. He sends her letters revealing interesting places to visit to cure her of her homesickness, and she begins to fall in love with both Bombay and Luke Devereaux.

After a slower start, Meet Me in Bombay lured me in with both the adventure and love story. The jumps in time lent to the story instead of detracting from it. I found myself wanting to finish whatever I was working at so I could get back to the story.

Words can't describe how much I loved this book! It is easily the best historical fiction novel I've read this year, and I have read a lot of them! Upon her arrival in Bombay in 1914, Maddie Bright falls in love with a dashing soldier named Luke. Their storybook romance is upended, however, by the onset of World War I when Luke is called into active duty in France. Their story is touching and heartbreaking. The writing is beautiful and the author's words will rip your heart into pieces and then put it back together over and over again. I found myself laughing and crying along with the characters, almost as it they were real people.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the privilege of reading an advanced copy of this absolutely fabulous book in exchange for my honest review. This was my first book by Jenny Ashcroft but it certainly will not be my last!

Stunning!!!! This was super rich with amazing character work. It was such an amazing departure from the typical historical romance., while still staying true to everything we know and love about the genre. The love story was beautiful. I absolutely loved this and highly, highly recommend it.

India, 1914. Maddy Bright, after finishing her school in England, returns to Bombay, where her father is stationed. Upon her return, she meets Luke Devereaux, who now occupies her thoughts constantly. He encourages her to explore the city by sending her a quidebook as he is away at first. Once, he is back, they explore the city together.

Luke is stationed in India to guide mobilizing the Indian troops for war in Europe, if ever required. He hopes not, but it turns out otherwise. The war separates them.

France, 1915. The story intertwines with a wounded soldier at hospital, who doesn’t remember anything at first.

Maddy is a flat character. It comes across as her expectation is of her father to hand her over a position after college. She is a pretty dreamy person. If not for Luke, I don’t think she’d care to explore Bombay.

Luke, on the other hand, is a much more interesting character. He loves the natural beauty of the country, its cultural colors and raw life. He shows respect and appreciation for another culture.

I enjoyed the exploration of Bombay, but this is rather short. And that’s what I was looking forward to in this story. I wanted more of that.

The separation of two young people by war, who are deeply in love, is deeply-touching and heart-breaking. This comes through very vividly. I think that’s a part that distinguishes this story and if you like romance stories, this might be a book for you.

Overall, I wished Maddy was a much more interesting character. The style of writing is descriptive, progressing the story slowly. At the same time, I can see this story being turned into a movie. With the colorful background of India and enchanting music, the contrast of beauty vs drama, this could be a movie of epic proportions.

A lovely story about a couple in early 1900s Bombay. I enjoyed the unique setting and loved the romance. Great book!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.