Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC. I really enjoyed this story. Love historical fiction and the romance was nice too. The author did a great job with the characters making them life like and not one dimensional. Did a great with the descriptions of each setting felt as if I was there.

Meet Me In Bombay by Jenny Ashcroft is a historical fiction novel that centers around soldiers in India during World War I. I know next to nothing about the first World War so its always nice to learn something new. I particularly enjoyed the setting of Bombay, I don’t read many books set there so it was a welcome change.

Check it out:

It’s New Year’s Eve in Bombay, 1913, and Madeline Bright, new to the sweltering heat of colonial India, is yearning for all she has left behind in England. Then, at the stroke of midnight, Maddy meets Luke Devereaux, and as the year changes so do both their lives.

Bold and charismatic, Luke opens her eyes to the wonders of Bombay, while Maddy’s beauty and vivacity captures his heart. Only her mother disapproves, preferring the devoted Guy Bowen as a match for her daughter.

But while Maddy and Luke are falling in love, the world is falling apart. World War I is on the horizon, and Luke will be given no choice but to fight. They will be continents apart, separated by danger and devastating loss, but bound by Luke’s promise that they will meet again in Bombay.

I loved the love between Maddy and Luke, I cant recommend this enough for fans of historical fiction.

Coming in January! Pre-order here.

Looking for a warm-hearted, engaging historical romance with likeable characters? This story of Maddy and Luke, set during WWI in India when it was still an English colony, definitely fits the bill! It has all the elements of a good romance - lots of chemistry between the characters, love, heartbreak, loss, and hope. The story moved along at a good pace with some good unexpected “will they, won’t they” moments. A great read that I got so caught up in that I stayed up until 1 am on a work night to finish it!! Look for “Meet Me in Bombay” on January 19, 2021!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really well-written novel, with overlapping timelines and a moving, desperate love story. I had been a little overwhelmed with WWI and WWII historical fiction, but the suspenseful separation of the lovers and the beautiful setting in India made for a welcome difference. Not to give too much of the plot way, but I found myself thinking of everything from James Hilton's Random Harvest to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as I read.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.

Thank you Netgalley for this amazing book. It’s a lovely love story set in WWI at 1913. Madeline Bright came to visit her parents in India after studying for many years in boarding school at United Kingdom. There she meets Luke Devereaux. He gives Madeleine an old guide book that would help her to explore the interesting places in Bombay. Soon they deeply connect to each other but the war just makes them torn apart. I highly recommend this book. I would suggest the readers not to do too much about the synopsis and the storyline and just pick this book, start reading and I am sure you would be amazed by it.
I really loved the writing and the story is really intriguing. It kept me engaged throughout the book.

I feel I can’t leave this review without first talking about the romanticism of colonial India written within it. This book centers around white British colonizers in Bombay, while the native Indian characters are all regulated to the background & to mostly subservient roles. From the beginning this really rubbed me the wrong way & colored my feelings of the book the entire time I was reading.

With that in mind, I do want to leave a review of the story itself. I was drawn to this book originally because of the beautiful cover & because I love historical fiction. However, I didn’t love this book. The main male character had a very interesting story arc - I did find myself rooting for him as he was one of the only characters I didn’t find infuriating. There were some good twists I wasn’t expecting (& others I did) & while I do think there were some strong sections in this book, ultimately I really think it should have been shorter.

Also, I hated how the female lead was portrayed - she was always making decisions based on how a man would feel about them (one of my biggest peeves). In fact a lot of characters were very unlikeable. At the end it was wrapped up nicely, if not a bit unbelievably, & I was left questioning how I felt about this book. Ultimately I decided on 3 stars.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! The characters are relatable and enjoyable and the love story / mystery compelling. But for me the absolute best part were the scenes of India, the glimpses of local life and locales as well as the expat/ British colonial life in 1914.

This book flew by for me and was such a refreshing, entertaining read. Highly recommend.

What a refreshing and excellent novel!

At the heart of this stirring novel is a beautiful tale of mystery and romance.

Can love survive while the world is falling to pieces?

Maddy and Luke adore each other.. but is love enough during the treachery of WWI?

A surprising, touching novel.

Highly recommended.

I adored this book!! & isn't this cover just beautiful? Meet Me in Bombay is a love story and such a good mix between historical fiction and romance. I fell for these characters because of how relatable they are. I felt their joy and their heartbreak. I celebrated with them, cried with them, and hoped for them. I also enjoyed Jenny Ashcroft's writing. The different perspectives were written really well and really put some depth into the story. This was such a heartbreaking and heartwarming story. If you love historical fiction or romance novels, then definitely check this one out!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"A happiness so overwhelming that it was all he could do to breathe. "

Meet me in Bombay starts off with someone writing a letter. A letter to someone, describing a vision seen in his dreams. Yet, the vision doesn't make sense, bits and pieces coming together and then flitting away…We don't know who is writing and seeing these visions. We only know it's someone, someone fighting to get back what he lost.

I love that Maddy and Jake wrote letters to each other during the war. I mean of course that's all they could do to communicate but what really stood out was that while Luke had amnesia, his subconscious somehow remembered that feeling, that memory of writing letters, even though he didn't quite know why or to whom he was writing to. With today's technology, along the way we have lost the art of physically writing (and mailing) letters to each other.

"She's been terrified, Maddy, of losing you all over again." This statement sums up the fear felt by Maddy's mother and this fear set the course of their relationship and the choices her mom made. Through courage, acceptance, unconditional love and never losing hope, all was made right in the their worlds.

I also loved the fact that the story was set in Bombay, India just before the WW1. The story gave interesting insights into the British families that were living in India and what their lives were like.

This was a fantastic story about losing the one you love through circumstances beyond your control and never giving up hope that one day you'll be reunited, even against all odds.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.

I truly loved this book. Getting about 40 percent of the way through, I stayed up far too late having to finish it just to find out what would happen. I empathized with the characters of the story and felt like I was rooting for them. This story immerses you in a sweeping love story filled with family dynamics and betrayal.
Highly recommend!

I do love historical fiction and have to say that this is my first book set primarily in India. Loved the setting and learning about India. A beautiful, heart breaking love story of Maddy and Luke. A bit of a slow start, so don't give up on it, it gets so much better! Loved the characters and the setting. Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

Oh my goodness this was a good book! With elements of history, friendship, love, loss and family, the author has crafted a wonderful story. I loved the characters as well.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a story that takes place in Bombay before WWI. Maddy, having recently returned from England, doesn't really feel part of the social scene her parents belong to in Bombay. She's unhappy, homesick and is unable to warm up to her emotionally distant mother.

When she meets Luke, her life is changed forever. Except, that I couldn't really figure out what Luke saw in her. With very little character development and an insta-love story, I didn't really find this story realistic. The descriptions of Bombay appear to be taken out of a travel guide. Maddy acted like she was living in the present day and not post-Victorian India.

Don't get me wrong, the premise for the story was excellent. I just couldn't really commit to the main character.

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.

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