I love books set in exotic settings, and this book definitely fit the bill! This was a new-to-me author, and I was pleasantly surprised by the wealth of research and depth of this book. The characters also were three dimensional and I was able to root for them!

Thank you very much for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! I appreciate the kindness. <3

Despite being the second in the India Tea series, The Tea Planter’s Bride can be read as a standalone novel – much to my relief as I haven’t read the first one!

This novel was an attempt on my behalf to venture into some new genres and read something that wasn’t either a thriller or fantasy. I’m the first to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this book; I engaged with the characters, I felt the landscape they were attempting to inhabit and I rooted for everyone to get the happy ending they deserved.

The Tea Planter’s Bride follows Sophie and Tilly, cousins who live in Scotland before they meet their respective husbands and travel to India. For Tilly, it is terrifying. She barely knows her new husband and is swiftly thrust into motherhood. But the timid character at the beginning soon flourishes and grows. It is clear she loves James, and he her, despite his somewhat abrupt nature. Tilly comes into her own as a character and it was great to see that development.

Sophie, on the other hand, goes backwards. She turns from a confident young woman believing she is head over heels in love, only to realise her affections may have been misplaced and living in India hasn’t brought her the closure she desired after her parents’ death. Her husband rarely shows affection and Sophie soon realises she is not the only one who loves another.

I felt for Sophie. She suffers at the hands of others and society stops her from being able to speak out about it. There is no one there for her when she needs them the most. But unlike other female characters, she is never weak or weepy – she is determined to make the most of the life she has, and when that proves impossible, that she and her husband will find happiness, even if it is not with each other. She’s the type of character that lets her soul shine through and you find a decent person within.

India itself is presented practically as a character: the weather, the humidity, the monsoons, the natural dangers… All weave together to create an atmospheric tale; the reader suffers along with the character when the heat is oppressive and feels Sophie’s liberation at dancing in the rain! I felt the essence of India in the writing, which created depth to the story.

The plot isn’t only about love. It’s about race and stations and restricting those considered to be inferior to the British – despite said character being one of the strongest in the book. I loved Rafi from the start. I wasn’t sure how Sophie realised her affections though – she was cool and indifferent towards him for the first part, then suddenly sees him in a different light without any real reason why.

This isn’t a page-turner. It doesn’t make your heart race. It isn’t full of twists and turns. But it is a solid and engaging story, with realistic characters and strong writing. Highly enjoyable!

Both Sophie and Tilly are cousins and best friends in 1922 Scotland. Sophie who is orphaned at the age of six when her tea planter parents died where she moves to Scotland with her spinster aunt from India. Tilly is Sophie's cousin who also lives in Scotland when the two of them meet men from the Indian forestry service and a tea planter who comes over to Scotland. Tilly falls in love with the tea planter, marries him and moves to India to be with him. Sophie on the other hand moves back to India when she becomes engaged to one of the young men from the forestry service. The author depicts both Scottish and Anglo-Indian society at the time. You see how inter racial marriage between Indians and the British are perceived and those who pursue such marriages are considered to be outcasts even the children from these marriages. She also depicts how women are treated in this time period and the prejudices that the British have against the native Indians even the ones in their employ. Sophie also discovers the truth behind her parents' death. This is a good story with both romantic and mystery elements to it as well as a depiction of live in the 1920's in both Scotland and India. I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review from Netgalley.