Cover Image: The Tea Planter's Wife

The Tea Planter's Wife

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Member Reviews

Thanks so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for giving me access to this book. This book leans into the gothic romance genre. I found it interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a well written book set in a fascinating setting. Thanks again for the chance to read this book.

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Set in Ceylon, which I have not read that much about, it’s set in a decade Of change, the 1920s. Jeffries leads readers on a merry chase for clues and details about the characters in the story and what really is the truth. Will dark secrets be unearthed? Read and find out for yourself.

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Romance readers will enjoy this story more than those who seek historical fiction. I enjoyed the book, but romance novels aren’t my first choice. Filled with lots of mysteries, Tea Planter’s Wife tells the story of a 19-year old English girl who joins her husband in Ceylon. An overbearing sister-in-law, a husband with a past he doesn’t want to talk about, friendships with people not considered worthy by the British tea planters, relationships with the native servants and struggles with how to run a house are dealt with this book. The lushness of Ceylon came alive in the words Jeffries wrote and my love of south Asia and its variety is what helped keep my interest in this book. I found the characters shallow and none of them were people with whom I would want to be friends. I couldn’t even work up compassion for Gwen, the tea planter’s wife.

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This is an amazing journey of young and innocent girl being shipped off to a new land with her new husband. She must learn a different way of life, make new friends, and navigate a complex relationship with her sister in law. If your patrons love historical epic fiction, this is the one for them, takes place during a 20 year time span that covers the Great Depression.

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Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this enjoyable read. I found the book to be a good read and like the time period that is was written. I will share this title with my reading friends.

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

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As many of you know I am a big fan of historical fiction. I am always on the lookout for historical fiction that is set in a place and/or time that I don’t know much about. When I saw that The Tea Planter’s Wife is set in Ceylon in the 1920s, I knew I had to give it a go.

Set in Ceylon (under British colonial rule at the time – now Sri Lanka) in the 1920s, The Tea Planter’s Wife is a story of dark family secrets. The story opens with our main character, Gwen, arriving to Ceylon to join her new husband & start their new life on the tea plantation he runs.
The overall story concept behind The Tea Planter’s Wife was a good idea and COULD have worked, but unfortunately didn’t due to the execution. In my opinion, good historical fiction paints a picture of the era. The setting is crucial because it sets the tone for the story. If you are setting a story in Ceylon under British colonial rule in the 1920s, I want historical context so I feel like the story is in fact happening during that time & place. There was so much potential here to enhance the story by exploring topics like the tea making process, Ceylon’s culture, the racial tensions of the era between the British & the natives, etc. Unfortunately, Jeffries merely touches upon these topics, instead of exploring them further and interweaving them throughout the plot.

Let’s talk about the characters. NONE of the characters were likeable, not even the main character Gwen. Gwen was a very naïve character, and I found myself shaking my head at her decisions frequently. She also let people walk all over her throughout the entirety of the book, which is a fairly big pet peeve of mine. Typically with these types of characters we see a tremendous amount of personal development & growth by the end of the book, but unfortunately Gwen ended up being a static character. Laurence, her new husband, was a head scratcher too. He was so closed off for the majority of the book, distancing himself from his new wife for no apparent reason. At the end of the book he does give a lame excuse for being a royal ass to Gwen, but it was more of an afterthought. There was zero chemistry between the newlyweds, Gwen and Laurence, so the romance aspect of the book was far from believable. I also found the secondary characters more interesting than the primary characters, but alas there was not much development in those supporting roles. I would have liked more development in Savi, Fran, Naveena, or even Verity. At least these characters were interesting and not dull like Gwen & Laurence. All around the board the characters were very flat and lacked the complexity that gives them a realistic feeling.

Elements of the plot were just odd that gave the story a disordered feeling. This started off in the beginning with the prologue. I kept waiting to see where the story was going to come full circle, but it didn’t. It was really odd way to start off the book & didn’t really fit. There were lots of holes throughout the plot. Fran’s character pops in, but disappears. Gwen mentions her parents & her desires to see them, yet they never come. Also, there was a odd sex scene between Gwen & Laurence where he “lost control” and was too rough? Laurence basically rapes Gwen, but it’s never really mentioned afterwards? He just apologizes for being too rough? I wont even go into Laurence’s reveal at the end of the book. The plot was far too messy, making for a muddled reading experience.

Overall, this book was just not my cup of tea. Pun intended.

*Big thanks to Crown Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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This was interesting to read. It was almost a retelling of "Blue Beard.' IT was interesting and it involved tea and life and mystery.

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This started out to be a satisfying read but the plot became a bit thin leading to the main character's doubts about her child's paternity. That said, the author described the setting in detail, so that one actually could picture Ceylon and the plantation. This read more like a soap opera plot than a novel, but I enjoyed most of it.

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A romantically told story in sweep and scope, the Tea Planter's Wife is a canvas of atmosphere and ambience.

It is a fluid read to savour and best enjoyed with a cup of your favourite brew at your elbow.

Lush secrets and mystery add a DuMaurier meets Painted Veil mystique to the world of Cylon.

While I very much appreciated the deft research that went in to creating the tapestry and culture of Gwen's new life, I had trouble truly connecting with the characters.

That being said, it was a worthwhile experience and I certainly enjoyed it.

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Was not able to get into the book. Premise sounded good, but was not engrossing and didn't "hook" meto finish the book, unfortunately.

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3.5/5 Stars (Rounded to 4)

Review on Goodreads

This book took off for me and I couldn't put it down. I was excited and wanted to see it in a movie because it was so forceful and fast paced. I recommended it. Told my friends this was truly an author that could say they lived up to the hype of being compared to a classics author. Then, about half way through it slowed down and I found it becoming more mediocre and having that "dime a dozen" feeling in its writing to me. The characters started having a superficial feeling to me after they had been described so vividly. I am not sure if it was because the author tried to skip periods of time versus making it a series. This DEFINITELY would have been an awesome as a series. It was simply bizarre to me.

Reviewed for publisher through Netgalley.

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Beautifully descriptive story of a young British wife in 1920's Ceylon who finds herself in an impossible situation that will shape the rest of her life and may end her marriage. I wish I had gotten to know some of the other characters a little better. Where did Christina come from? What was her relationship like with Laurence before he married Gwen? What was Verity's issue with men and marriage? I love how the author transports you to all these places, without overwhelming the reader with endless descriptions.
I would like to thank NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for a review.

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I received this copy from the publisher, I didn't ask for it. I really didn't enjoy this book. The story if you could call it that didn't evoke any emotions. I really wanted to like it!

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I liked it! It was an interesting read, and great character development.

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This novel is truly a page-turner that keeps you invested in the story and its characters through the final page. Although I would have liked a bit more "history" in this historical fiction work, the story is engaging and well written. This novel addresses several issues including status, culture, race and personal relationships/struggles, it would be an excellent selection for a book club read.

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Dinah Jefferies creates a story that transports you to a 1920's Ceylon tea plantation. From the book synopsis, I imagined the protagonist, Gwendolyn was sailing to a life of violence. I was surprised that the story took such a poignant turn and led down a path I truly didn't see coming. The images evoked by the descriptions make you feel as if you are on the lawn, or with in the trees, accompanying Gwendolyn through her journey.

I received this book as an ARC courtesy of NetGalley, the opinions are my own.

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While the premise was great, the synopsis interesting, this book just didn't hold my interest. Jeffries' writing is lovely, but sometimes can be rambling or meandering, which caused me to become disengaged from the story.

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Another great in the Tea Planter series, Ceylon has stolen my heart and the Tea planter wife's as well. The secrets are out and are they enough to make her stay?

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I like this book so very much but that sister in-law was...was..Omgosh I wanted to jump into the book and smack the B***h to the moon..The story had a lot of tea, some mystery, love, sadness, jealousy, lots and lots of secrets. They each had secrets that would keep you guessing until the end!!

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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