Review: Forbidden Jewel of India by Louise Allen

Title: Forbidden Jewel of India
Author: Louise Allen
Format: ARC
Publisher: Harlequin
Publish Date: December 18, 2012
Source: Netgalley

Why You're Reading This Book:

• You're a historical fiction fan
• You're a romance fan

What's the Story?:

From Goodreads.com: "Anusha Laurens is in danger. The daughter of an Indian princess and an English peer, she's the perfect pawn in the opulent courts of Rajasthan. Even so, she will not return to the father who rejected her.

Arrogant angrezi Major Nicholas Herriard is charged with bringing the alluring princess safely to her new life in Calcutta. Nick's mission is to protect, to serve—but under the searing Indian sun an initial attraction unfurls into a forbidden temptation.

This beautiful, impossible princess tests the very limits of his honor—especially when Nick is left with only one option to keep Anusha safe: marriage. But the fast-flowing waters of the Ganges determine a different fate, and duty may separate them forever."

My Two Cents:

"Forbidden Jewel of India" is historical romance that takes place in the early years of the East India Company. I didn't know this until reading this book and the historical note in the back of the book but back in the beginning of the East India Company, the men working for the company were encouraged to sort of integrate themselves in with the people that they were working with in India and to really learn about the culture of the country. Sometimes the employees of the East India Company even married Indians in order to understand the country more. It wasn't until later that the English and the Indians kept to themselves more. It was really fascinating to hear about this earlier history of the company.

The back story made the setting especially interesting. You get a great sense of what it must have been like to live in India during the late 1700s. You can feel the heat. You can see the cities and the people that filled them. I love exotic locations and time periods and this book most definitely fits the bill in both instances.

Besides the history behind the story being super fascinating, the characters were also very Anusha is the product of one of the English and Indian relationships. I really liked her character. She always felt like she had been abandoned by her English father and really does not want to be told otherwise. So when Nick, an agent of her father comes to bring her to this man that she never really knew. I both liked and was frustrated with Anusha. She seemed to alternate between strong and weak without any rhyme or reason. I wanted to know more about why.

Bottom line: This book is a good pick for romance lovers and armchair travelers!