I am always hesitant to start historical fiction but I usually end up loving it more than I anticipated.  This book is no exception and it was a beautiful, sad, and romantic start to the year.  I had not before read a book set in India immediately before, during and after World War I but the scene was beautiful and heart-breaking all at once.  I loved this story and the characters and I had to know how it ended. . . definitely recommend this one!

Meet Me In Bombay comes out next week on January 19, 2021, and you can purchase HERE.  If you want a heart wrenching historical fiction that is also so romantic, this book is for you!

Today, after morning tea, I fell asleep quite suddenly.  It happens like that. I never fight it. My dreams are all I have left of that other world: the one I'm sure I once belonged to. It was full of heat, light and color; so much life. There was a party, on the banks of a sea. Nothing like the tame affairs we hold here—no finger sandwiches, diluted cordial, and crackers that don't make bangs. It was loud, packed with people; the music of a ragtime band.

3.5/5 rounded up 
I loved the love story and the way in which the author wove the timelines together; the epilogue did bring tears to my eyes. The characters were deeply developed and at times, I held such anger for Alice that I was not sure if I could continue reading.  The novel is beautifully written. 

However, I wanted to see a bit more about the how the British occupying India effected the Indian people. Historical fiction is an important genre, one which I love. It isn’t always pretty as history can be ugly at times. I’m certain that British soldiers experienced levels of romance, heartbreak, etc. during this period. What this book could have done was recognize the British’s colonization but acknowledge the people of India more than simply them being sellers in the market squares.  

Maddy explored, she was intelligent, as was Luke; I felt despite Luke and Maddy’s father being military, Maddy would have noticed the Indian people more, and questioned things. I wanted that and felt there was room in the story for it. Had this been set during this time nearly anywhere else, I would have given it 4.5/5 stars but the omission and setting the Indian citizens as mere background to the picture and ignored necessitates a 3.5 rating.

Slow to start, the storyline failed to capture me. This was disappointing for me but obviously not for other readers.
I found my self flailing around and disinclined to finish.

A St. Martins Press ARC via NetGalley

The world is falling apart and not only that sadly history repeats itself without penalties.
What we must understand is the time frame in question was a time of coming to power via Coup d'état and an Armenian Genocide which is not be glamorized. https://www.onthisday.com/people/enver-pasha 
The idea that romance came about during this god awful times was quite a stretch for any author so I give Ashcroft credit.
It's quite an interesting start with Luke and Maddy who seem destined to be together if only the stars would align. The love they held seemed so deep upon their first meeting on New Years Eve.
As their love grows the world implodes as their romance is not given blessing via the mother who'd rather see her daughter in the arms of Guy - a lucrative prospect whose been chasing her.
Money is probably rearing its ugly head as Guy seems more defined and successful yet Luke holds steady until he joins to fight.
That leads to turmoil both on the front lines and within this budding relationship in which she turns the other cheek and moves forward in marrying Guy.
What follows did pick up speed and created a more cohesive ending for me but it was quite bogged down in the beginning so I wasn't fully invested as much as I'd hoped to be at the midway point.
The ending did seal the lovely memories and thoughtful reflections of love which made the entire process worthwhile as we see the true meaning of love not lust.
Thank you Jenny, the pub, NetGalley , and Amazon Kindle for this ARC in exchange for this honest review.

First off, while I was looking at the reviews for this book I began to notice it had a lot- I mean a lot- of one to three star reviews. As I fell in love with the book within the first chapter, I found this puzzling. Then I realized… the one star reviews had never read the book (and swore they never would). Their issue- this is a “white woman” writing about a romance involving “white people” in colonized Bombay. They claimed disgust that it was written at all- that there was no talk of the oppression and indignities that the native people faced. I guess that’s fair…. if you feel this way, this book isn’t for you. Me? I just wanted a love story. There were British people in Bombay in 1913. A war took place in the timeline of this book. I see no issue with writing a love story about characters that could have been there. I will say that it would have been fantastic to see more of the Indian characters- Suya, Cook, Luke’s men… really anyone. In the end, though, I am not mad about this and did not feel like the author deserves the criticism she is receiving. Rant ended… moving on.
The story starts out with a letter written by an unknown older man (we quickly learn this is Luke) to a woman that he knows he loves but can’t remember. I immediately and irrevocably fell in love with him before chapter one. (#boysinbooksarebetter) Luke is my favorite character here. He is sweet, charming, strong, loyal and forces those around him to try to be better simply by… being. My heart broke for him, his confusion over losing his memories, his dreams where he sees a woman that he has to find… the countless letters in his journal. Everything about this man makes him the best lead male freaking ever.
Sadly, the same cannot be said for our lead female, Maddy, whom I found myself wanting to shake multiple times. She seems very immature and petulant for her age. When we meet her, she is homesick for the home she had to leave when her caretakers got embroiled in scandal. She had just assumed that her life would be there, that she had a job waiting where Uncle Fitz worked. Having lived most of her life in England and only seeing her mother once in all that time, I kind of get it…. but I feel like she could have sat her mother down and started asking questions way earlier than she should. She begins to grow on me as she and Luke begin their courtship dance through notes and the gift of a guidebook for Bombay (a sweet gesture to help her get to know her surroundings and not feel homesick). As we move forward I love her more and more… until she finally decides that Luke really is dead and settles on a new marriage to give her daughter, Iris, a father.
Other people I would love to shake? Her mother. Alice is hellbent on keeping her feelings and emotions and pain from her daughter- to the detriment of their relationship. At the same time she wants to keep her daughter there in Bombay and has gone so far as to pick a suitor for Maddy who was pretty well entrenched in India (not to mention 20 years older). She finally agrees to let Maddy marry the man she loves, but when Luke’s out of the picture she starts pushing her toward Guy again. She swears it’s for Maddy’s own good… but anyone with eyes can see this is for her. I slowly started to understand Alice, but it was way too late to fully redeem her in my eyes.
This book spans six years for the most part, with a few chapters from far later. A lot of that time is kind of skimmed over, and part of me does wish that we spent more time there but it may have broken the flow of the book. This book is not a quick read, but it was one that I could not put down. I pored over descriptions, letters, dreams… completely charmed. Reading this made me want to read her other works. It was gorgeous, and heartbreaking, and just… just so perfect. For me this is a five star book.
On the adult content scale, there’s language, sexual content, drinking and violence (there is a war going on after all). While there is nothing I would call rape, not all sexual content is… as it should be. That may make people uncomfortable. I would say this is geared toward young adults and adults- no younger than 16.
I was incredibly lucky to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. My thanks. I have also preordered my hard back copy and hope to receive it on release day (January 19th, 2021). I am considering writing another blog post on this day so that I can quote my favorite parts.

Meet Me in Bombay by Jenny Ashcroft was my first book of the year and my first book by this author. 

Ms. Ashcroft is a wonderful writer. Her writing flows effortlessly and keeps the reader engaged.  The structure of the story was well done. The story begins with pieces of what sounds like a letter from a soldier to his lost love. From there, the novel goes back and forth in time, slowly revealing bits and pieces of a story that we don’t get a full picture of until the very last pages. It was fascinating how Ms. Ashcroft’s story was woven so intricately. One is tempted to jump ahead and go back to validate how all the story lines come together.  

Ms. Ashcroft’s writing style is extremely descriptive. Her gift of creating a time and space which transports the reader to WWI Bombay is excellent.  With the use of varied timelines, she creates a narrative that sustains the interest of the reader.  Ms. Ashcroft’s ability to hint at a change in the destinies of her characters by using adeptly placed statements creates an aura and feeling that never allows the reader to become complacent. 

The characters were very well done.  They are deep, rich and compelling. You find yourself cheering the characters on and wishing some had fallen off the page never to return again (Alice). This was a such an immersive read – the kind where you are still up two hours later and exhausted the next morning because you had to continue reading. 

The combination of complex characters, a beautiful setting, love, tragedy, heartbreak, hope and simply a well written story has created a story that will stay with the reader long after the turn of the last page. Well done. I can’t wait to see what Ms. Ashcroft has in store for us next. 

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press, the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This book grabs your attention from the beginning. The characters are intriguing and full of depth. The story line flows smoothly and keeps your attention throughout. Twists and turns occur bringing "ah ha" moments. The descriptions of the characters and the places are all well written. I could feel the love, joy, heartbreak, hope and every other emotion the characters had. This story begins not long before World War I. At its core, it is a story of one couple's love, heartbreak, hopes and dreams from just before the war and beyond. It is also the story of love in all of its forms and how hope can last throughout the hardest times in a person's life. It shows how a person's fears can cloud their judgement and influence their decisions. Will hope last? Will love conquer all? Will there be a happy ending? This is a story that will stay with you long after you finish it. It is one that I will read again. I definitely want to read more by this author.

Maddy Bright is searching for something, and she finds it when she meets Luke Devereaux on New Year's Eve 1913 in Bombay. Luke helps Maddy discover the real Bombay, and the two fall deeply in love. But their magical story is cut short when Luke is called to the battlefields of World War I. Will Maddy and Luke meet again in Bombay?

This book is the closest I'll get to India (or any foreign country during COVID), and it was a wonderful escape from real life! 

What I loved:
Maddy and Luke - I loved Maddy's character and determination to be more than just a happily married housewife. Her love for and loyalty to Luke made me really connect with them as a couple and root for them. Theirs is a tale of love at first sight that deepened due to their wonderful connection. I'm not usually a romance fan, but I so enjoyed reading their story. Luke's kindness and loyalty toward his men were also inspiring.

The beautiful setting - Ashcroft made Bombay come alive to me! I  could smell the spices in the market, see the rickshaws, and imagine the sights and sounds of the bustling city.

The multiple timelines - No spoilers, but the narrative switches between a few different timelines, and the intertwined narratives moved the plot forward well, with a few key surprises!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Me in Bombay by Jenny Ashcroft is a historical romance that is sure to take you away to another place, another time. A story about British soldiers and their families during World War One that tells of love, loss, family, and friendship.

Meet Me in Bombay by Jenny Ashcroft is Historical Romance set in World War I to the 1970’s England, India and Europe. A story of love that does not die no matter what life brings. At first it seemed to be a slow beginning but the story and characters grew until I stayed up half the night reading. A lovely story of life, family, friends, trials, loss, history and love.
I received a complimentary copy of this book.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.  I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

Meet Me in Bombay
by Jenny Ashcroft
St. Martin's Press
 You Like Them
Women's Fiction
Pub Date 19 Jan 2021   |   Archive Date 02 Feb 2021

Meet Me in Bombay has to be on your TBR List for 2021!  Seriously add it to your GoodReads now!  I really enjoyed this book!.  Jenny Ashcroft is a great writer.  I love her descriptions!  Wonderful book to recommend to a historical fiction reader!  Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. 

5 star

3.5

Maddy Bright is newly returned to Bombay after initially being sent away for her health and then staying away for schooling. Even though she spent a little of her childhood in Bombay before moving to England, Maddy feels adrift and unexcited at being "home". But when she meets Luke on New Year's Eve 1913, things begin to change. 

Luke Devereaux is stationed in India overseeing the mobilization of Indian troops should the mounting tension across Europe signal an arising need. 

As Luke and Maddy meet and fall in love, begin to plan a life together, they're torn apart by war. Then Luke his injured, he's declared dead to his friends and family, and his memories of Maddy and everything before are lost. 

Luke fights to regain who he was, and Maddy fights to figure out who she might have to be without Luke but never wanting to give up hope that he's out there somewhere. Will they be able to fight their way back to one another?

The blurb immediately drew me into this story. This is the first book I've read by Jenny Ashcroft, and it's certainly a sumptuous, romantic, heartbreaking, harrowing story. It's hopeful, yet often soul crushing, and I felt like it really got into the nitty gritty of the perils of the separation of war. At least, the perils of this specific couple during wartime. 

While it touches upon the effect war has on others, the scope of the story is narrowly set upon Maddy and Luke. The secondary characters are there to revolve around their orbit enhancing their story. I'd say besides Maddy's mother (whose own depth of story effects Maddy herself) there's very little depth given to other secondary characters. This is not necessarily a bad thing, this is after all Luke and Maddy's story, but if you're coming into it expecting a more epic scope and societal commentary on the times you may have to switch gears a bit. 

I do think this focus, however, really drives the story. The teetering precipice of whether or not Luke and Maddy will ever be reunited carried me through the book and was one I absolutely needed to see swiftly through to the end regardless of the lack of sleep I got. I liked the author playing with the timeframe of the narrative as the story, at various points, jumps ahead and from Maddy to Luke's point of view and back again. In that way we might see something that happens in the future but don't get the full picture until we connect it to the past. I liked how sometimes you form one impression of how things are going to work out between Luke and Maddy only to discover you're not entirely correct because of certain missing pieces. This is probably one of my favorite aspects of the story. 

However, towards the end, I felt like all the obstacles and setbacks were becoming a bit tedious. It was one thing after another. Seemingly everything was conspiring against our lovers. There were just so many and so varied that by the time we get to where the story needs to begin wrapping up, it felt too rushed. In this way, for me, it loses a little bit of that romance element, the undying love and devotion between Luke and Maddy gets a bit suffocated underneath everything that continues to pile on top of them. 

Regardless, it was a compelling story, it kept my attention and really made me care about Luke and Maddy's outcome. 

*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

As my first official read of the new year, Jenny Ashcroft’s Meet Me in Bombay is a book that I found difficult to put down as soon as I started reading it.  When I first read the book’s summary and saw that the premise would be a love story set in Bombay, against the backdrop of the Great War, I admit that I was a little apprehensive, as I’m not usually one to gravitate toward love stories for one, and two, I wasn’t sure what to expect with Ashcroft being a “new-to-me” author whose previous works I’ve never read. Also, while I’m a fan of historical fiction, I’m not too keen on historical romances, which I knew this one would be going into it.  In the end though, the setting of pre-WWI Bombay won me over, mainly because there are so few historical fiction novels nowadays that are set in this time period, so to come across one, even if it’s a romance, I felt it would still be worth my time.  I’m glad I went with this one, as it turned out to be a good story, well told (even though there were definitely moments where I felt frustrated with parts of the story).
 
The story revolves around Madeline (“Maddy”) Bright, the daughter of a British diplomat stationed in Bombay, India during the early 1900s.  Having spent most of her childhood and adult life in England, Maddy returns to the place of her birth thinking it will only be a temporary visit to see her parents – however, due to unforeseen circumstances back home, she ends up remaining in Bombay indefinitely.  At a New Year’s Eve party in 1913, she meets charismatic Luke Devereaux and over the course of the next few months, they fall deeply in love. As Maddy and Luke are on the brink of planning for a happy future together, World War I erupts and as Luke is in the reserves, he has no choice but to join the ranks and fight in the war.  Forcibly separated due to circumstances beyond their control, Maddy is consoled by Luke’s promise to return to her after the war – a promise that becomes difficult to keep after Luke emerges from the war broken and unable to remember the woman he once loved.
 
Based on the summary, I initially went into this one thinking the story would be predictable, but was pleasantly surprised that the author ended up taking an entirely different direction than I anticipated.  Right off the bat, the structure of the story was already unique, as it started off with snippets of what sounds like a letter from a soldier to his lost love, and then from there, the narrative goes back and forth in time, slowly revealing bits and pieces of a story that we don’t get a full picture of until the very last pages. It was an interesting structure and I came away with a sense of awe at how the story turned out (with my immediate reaction being to go back through some of the previous sections in the later timeline to validate the way the threads came together). 
 
In terms of the writing, Ashcroft’s style here was very descriptive, and like most good historical fiction, atmospheric to the point that I felt transported to the time and place and circumstances that the characters were experiencing.  With that said though, some parts were a bit too descriptive and unnecessarily drawn out, but fortunately it didn’t detract too much from the overall story (at least it didn’t to me).   I found this to be an immersive read – so much so that I ended up finishing it in two sittings without even realizing it.  My one complaint though, as I alluded to earlier, was that some parts of the story frustrated me, especially as it pertained to a few of the characters (i.e. Maddy and her mother Alice) and the (at times) seemingly intentional lack of communication between some of them which resulted in things happening that I felt were preventable.  I saw these instances as “melodrama for melodrama’s sake,” which never fail to annoy me whenever they occur in any story (not just this one).  Luckily, these moments were few enough that it didn’t negatively impact the story in a huge way.
 
So far, it looks like my 2021 reading life is getting off to a good start.  While there’s no way for me to anticipate how this new year will turn out, one thing I can always rely on is that I will encounter at least a few (hopefully way more) good books that enhance my reading experience.  I’m excited and definitely looking forward to it!
 
Received ARC from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley.

This is a cute historic fiction romance set in India, and starts pre-WWI.  If you love romances, this one is charming.  I love respectful romances and there was something so beautiful about this story and journey that made me smile.  Yes, my heart broke a million times over and yes there were characters that I wasn’t too fond of and couldn’t really get a good feel for. Some of the story did feel contrived, but I enjoyed it and floated along the journey. Being from India myself, the words “memsahib” evoked such warmth within me, although I didn’t live through that generation, it still made sense.  I could appreciate the research that went into this and could imagine Bombay in the early 1900s.  This story felt like it was taken out of a Bollywood movie, without the extravagant song and dance numbers.  I kept wondering if I had seen this movie, but then I realized that it was pretty much the element of most Bollywood romances.  The stereotypical love triangle and the sappy love story.  I thought I was too old to fall for this but I guess I’m still a romantic at heart.  If you like historic fiction and romances, this one is perfect for you.

In Meet Me in Bombay Jenny Ashcroft shows the reader many different types of love, with  World War I as a background.  Ms Ashcroft does an excellent job of bringing Bombay to life as it was in 1914. I want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an early copy to review.

Maddy is young when her parents send her to England to live and she only returns to Bombay after she finishes school. but it doesn't feel like home. Her mother, Alice, especially wants her to marry Guy, a man much older than her and Alice's friend but on New Year's Eve she meets Luke. They fall in love, marry and a couple days later Luke is sent to fight in World War I.

The description of India, the heat, the smells, and the food were very well done.

At first I found the point of view of the man in the hospital distracting but then eventually it all made sense. I hated Alice for being manipulative, self-serving and cold and I don't think I got over it. I found Guy to be a pathetic character and hoped for redemption. I just loved how much Luke and Maddy loved each other. My emotions were all over the place. Elation for when they were together. Frustration at how fate seemed to be keeping them apart and hating Alice. I have so many people I would recommend this story to but right now I have to nurse a book hangover.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this book.

I will be posting this review on my #bookstagram @kikiareyoureading on Janurary 3, 2021 and will put this title in my stories on pub day.

Historical Fiction is one of those things where I don't typically go for it, but when I decided to jump into one, I'm blown away by both the beauty and love of the time period. Meet Me In Bombay did just that. 
This book takes place in colonized Bombay, India during the beginnings of WWI, following the daughter of a British officer, Maddy Bright, and British officer Luke Devereaux as they meet, fall in love and eventually end up separated due to the war. During Luke's absence caused by a tragic injury, Maddy is forced to give up hope on his return and ends up with another man, but always holds out hope that Luke will come back to her. 
Coming off of reading a whole lot of romance, I was prepared to not get the usual love story I've become used to. However, this was purely a love story of beauty and emotion, where my heart swooned for them, broke for them, cried for them and ultimately hoped for them. It reminded me a lot of the Notebook, where you're hoping they can be together, but cannot seem to find a villian in any of the characters because they are all just doing what they thought was the right thing to do.

Oof this story broke my heart time and time again. I’m a sucker for historical fiction. Add in some romance and drama and you’ve created a perfect novel for me. This book was captivating from the start. I felt for Maddy and all the heart-wrenching experiences and decisions she had to endure. 

Another reviewer complained that this book was not needed in 2020... that we don’t need a story of white people in love during a time of brutal colonial rule. I hear the critique... stories like this have been told time and time again however, that doesn’t mean that this one is any less valid of being told. Should it top must read lists? Is it a life altering story? Perhaps not. But it is a beautiful story worthy of being told with characters you can’t help but care for. Worthy of being read. As long as it isn’t the only narratives one is being exposed to.

the plot, the romance and the characters are interesting, but the setting is a bit problematic. it deals with a time period that's scaring and traumatic to a lot of people and it's never mentioned in the book as what it truly was

Meet Me in Bombay will tear your heart out. Maddy and Peter fall in love In India and then WWI interrupted their lives. Peter survives the war, but circumstances and miscommunication keep the two apart. It's anguish reading how two people can't be together. It's also anguish to read the other aspect of the third person who does love the linchpin but yet knows that person can't really belong in his life. I was rooting for Luke and Maddy, but this book is not for the feint of heart.