A wonderfully written book set in Ceylon. Dinah Jefferies is an author of several well loved books. The reason for this is because they are well written, well developed characters and you feel like you are there, included, not just an onlooker. This book is intriguing, hard to put down and romantic. It's as beautiful as the cover! I enjoyed it very much.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. Thank you, Netgalley!
All opinions are my own.

Dinah Jeffries conjures the spirit of old Ceylon extremely well. The reader can almost feel the heat ,humidity and bustle of life. This story is a well-paced story of love, betrayal and survival among an ex-pat community. The characters are believable and are easy to warm too. Social change is affecting the women in this story and they come out the stronger for it. A good read.

The Sapphire Widow is set in 1935 Ceylon and is the story of a woman whose husband dies and she finds out he had secrets. I enjoyed the book very much, especially the setting. I will definitely read more by this author.

I've absolutely devoured all of Dinah Jefferies books in the past and was delighted to see a new one on offer! It tells the story of Louise Reeve, who is married to a businessman called Elliot. She would love to have a child but has had a stillborn child and a miscarriage and is still grieving the loss of these babies. Apart from this her marriage seems happy, even though he is often away from home. Then Elliot dies suddenly, then bit by bit she finds he had a whole other life she knew nothing about - although it's beyond me how she hadn't figured it all out! Her grief turns to anger and bewilderment. Then she meets Leo who has a poorly, mysterious relative with a small boy...and then I'm afraid it all becomes rather predictable....and flat...

I enjoyed reading it and as always the descriptions are particularly vivid, she really does do her research! However, whilst the plot took you on an emotional journey,I felt it was not very exciting and there was much less tension than in previous books. I found myself skipping over paragraphs waiting to be proved wrong about how I thought it would turn out. Unfortunately I wasn't.... It won't stop me reading more books by this author but I'm feeling a tad disappointed in this one

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. This book was very good. Very well written, great storyline. I’m not a big fan of love stories but this was a good one. I would recommend this book to anyone.

I found this to be very much like her other books and fairly typical of it's genre. I could have told you the story after the first couple of chapters. Lovely descriptions of bygone Sri Lanka/Ceylon. Good holiday escapism.

Very sloppily written. Would not read this one again. Not interested whatsoever in reading this again or contacting the author

I normally love this author but sadly the Sapphire Widow didn’t quite live up to the magic of her previous books. The descriptions of Ceylon were beautiful and the reader could feel immersed in the sounds and smells but the story itself was very cliched and obvious.

I was totally enthralled with this book. Louisa had lost so much, yet in spite of the hearbreak, she was able to find a place in her heart to love again. I could not put it down, as I read into the early hours about Louisa, Leo, Conor, Margo and the rest who were all interwoven into this fascinating story.

I was transported to this beautiful country , smelling all the spices and the heady atmosphere described so beautifully. I have read a Dinah Jefferies book before and will certainly read more. Thank you for a wonderful story.

The Sapphire Widow is a lush, atmospheric romantic drama set in Ceylon in the 1930's. Tragedy strikes a young woman when she loses her husband in a car crash and whilst dealing with her grief uncovers secrets. The author transports the reader back in time. Storytelling at its best.

A beautifully written story about Sri Lanka. The historical details make this book a fascinating read. I was totally caught up in the descriptions of the scenery and the characters. I thought however that the book was a bit long in places and that is why I have given it 4 stars. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it. I have read most of Dinah Jefferies books and I will be looking out for the next one.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

A beautifully written, almost poetic, narrative with vivid imagery that transports the reader to another time and place.

Set in Ceylon 1935, the story tells the tale of Louisa, a young widow who following the death of her beloved husband, Elliot, discovers her marriage was not what she thought it was. Written in third person, with limited omniscience from Louisa’s perspective, the narrative has a literary feel whilst still retaining intrigue through the hook of Elliot’s mysterious past.

Although a sad story of how the protagonist comes to terms with loss - in more ways than one; this is also an uplifting and inspirational tale of love and human compassion. When Louisa comes to the aid of the last person who deserves her help, Louisa’s broken heart begins to men; but this is soon under threat. Will she ever find inner peace and true happiness?

This is the first book I’ve read by Dinah Jefferies, but it certainly won’t be the last. Under Literature Love’s rating criteria, this novel has been given 5 out of 5 stars.

The descriptive language in this book is mesmerising, it makes you feel that you are there! It was an enjoyable read, but the storyline was much less strong than In The Teaplanter's Wife.

Elliot and Louisa have a wonderful marriage, except for the pain of not being able to have children, as they have suffered heart-breaking miscarriages and a stillbirth and the odd blip where Elliot was gambling.  Louisa keeps herself busy at home with their servants and three dogs, and Elliot has a number of different business interests including a new venture in a cinnamon plantation and buying an old print works.

After a little persuasion, Elliot takes Louisa to visit the plantation, where she meets the owner Leo, who leaves her feeling uncomfortable.  The trip to the old print works reveals a lovely building that Leo wants to turn into a jewellery and spice emporium using Louisa's design ideas (and money).

On day of their wedding anniversary, Elliot was off sailing with a friend. But when a policeman calls to let her know he had died, it comes as a shock that he was in an unknown car on his way to the capital city.  A number of questions fills Louisa's mind: why was Elliot not sailing, who's car is it and where was he heading instead?

Once Elliott's will is read she discovers he has left money to Leo, so decides to visit him with questions as to why. At first he denies why, but when he comes clean, the knowledge rocks the world she knew even more.  Can she trust anything from her marriage to Elliot?

A story of trust and deceit that's set in 1930s Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) between the seaside town of Galle, a plantation set in the hillside and the capital city Colombo. In some ways, I did not realise its decade as it felt it could be any when, nothing really stood out to make its year prominent.  I enjoyed the scenery of a country that was not known to me and was still able to transport myself there with its bare descriptions, though a number of trees and shrubs mentioned were American which felt out of place.

The pain and betrayal that Louisa felt was well written, finding herself again with help from new friends. You could also imagine the prejudice and gossip of the time towards her new situation. 

A nicely written story that slips by quickly.

A deeply evocative story of a post war past in Ceylon, where the principal characters are largely sympathetic to the native people and respect their culture. Louisa’s husband works in the gem industry together with her father, and has further interests in a cinnamon plantation. He’s often away dealing with his businesses and investments; Louisa supports him in this, deeply in love but lonely and longing for a child with the man she loves.
Suddenly everything changes with a tragic road accident and Louisa is forced to face certain truths about her husband and others; discover realities she had never imagined, and receive threats from persons unknown .
Descriptions of the plantations, beaches, verdant jungle and beautiful vistas transport you to a different place and time; I felt myself swimming with the characters – bliss! The details of everyday life – food, customs, shops, markets, clothes, homes brought post war Ceylon alive for me. I eagerly followed her on her journey of recovery, totally ‘living’ in this beautiful country. It was a pleasure to lose myself there. It’s not all fun, but the sinister elements are quite gentle – it’s a book you could loan to your mum. No grit or over-explicit sex, just pure, exhilarating storytelling and a wonderful ride. Loved it!

I love the way that Dinah Jefferies paints such vivid pictures of the landscapes she writes about. It might not entirely be coincidence that I visited Sri Lanka and Vietnam after reading her last two books. Another compelling story

I very much enjoyed this book with its historical connections. One can imagine the scene and almost become drawn to keep reading to the detriment of everything else. Definitely recommended and very easy to read.

Another enjoyable read, one to lose your Sunday to. When Louisa is widowed in 1930s Ceylon she is shocked to discover her marriage was not what she had thought.

Another lovely foray into the exotic locations of the eastern world from Dinah Jefferies, who manages to recreate the sights, smells and sounds of the area in a lush backdrop to her story. Her plot has an indeterminate period feel with echoes of a colonial past, but takes us back to a different time and place where marriage, divorce and illegitimacy carry more weight in the ex-patriot community and cast a shadow over the characters, beautifully drawn as ever. We are engaged from the beginning and soon start to care about the people in the drama, staying to discover how they will fare amidst further revelations and complications. As usual an absorbing read from Ms Jefferies - escapism at its most comforting best.

Dinah Jefferies' books are always a good read, and this was no exception. Set in Ceylon, it is the story of Louisa, who is unexpectedly widowed. Whilst sorting out her late husband's affairs, secrets about his life come to light, and Louisa begins to wonder if she ever really knew him, and if their marriage was anything more than a sham. I liked the characters in the story, and particularly the descriptions of the exotic locations. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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