Mango Bay - Serena Fairfax

 

Jazz clubs, yacht clubs, aunty bars and a Bollywood beauty shadowed by her pet panther. This is glamorous Bombay in the late 1950s.

Love has blossomed in London between vivacious Scottish Presbyterian, Audrey, and clever Indian lawyer, Nat Zachariah.

When the happy newlyweds move to Nat’s exotic homeland and the striking family villa, Audrey must deftly navigate the rituals, secrets, intrigues and desires of his Bene Israel Jewish community, and adjust to perplexing new relatives.

In time, the past unlocks, old family ties unravel, lies are exposed and passions run high as different generations fall out. Then something shocking happens that undoes everything. Will this marriage that has crossed boundaries survive?

 Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mango-Bay-Rituals-secrets-intrigues/dp/0957040563

My Review:

As a reader new to Fairfax’s work I was excited about reading Mango Bay and I was not disappointed at all. The story, a gorgeous romance set in Bombay during the 1950’s, is of Audrey and Nat, who meet, quickly fall in love and get married in a bit of a whirlwind before eventually moving to Nat’s homeland.

We soon see that wedded bliss is not all that Audrey expects it to be, Nat is not the same and we are taken on a journey of the lows and turmoil surrounding these two characters but they do have highs and happiness. How long does that happiness last? Well I will leave that for you to discover but to say things and people are not always as they seem. We read how this family lives with the situations they find themselves in and how differing cultures may play a role in the marriage and family dynamic.

Very well written, Serena Fairfax transports you to another time and place, full of culture and difference. As someone who loves India and has spent time there this book took me straight back, I could feel the atmosphere, imagine the smells, and sounds and I was engrossed.

It’s a beautiful book that will sweep you up and keep you reading for hours. Highly recommended. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Serena spent her childhood in India, qualified as a Lawyer in England, and worked in a London law firm.

Some of her novels have a strong romantic arc although she burst the romance bubble with one quirky departure. Other novels pull the reader into the dark corners of family life and relationships. She enjoys the challenge of experimenting and writing in different genres.

Her short stories and a medley of articles, including her reviews of thrillers and crime fiction, feature on her blog.

Fast forward to a sabbatical from the day job when Serena traded in bricks and mortar for a houseboat that, for a hardened land lubber like her, turned out to be a big adventure.  A few of her favourite things are collecting old masks, singing and exploring off the beaten track.

Serena and her golden retriever, Inspector Morse, who can’t wait to unleash his own Facebook page, live in London.

www.serenafairfax.com

 Twitter @Sefairfax

BLOGTOUR: The Postcard - Zoe Folbigg

Pre-order Links:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2XDiYhJ

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2Cg55hG

Google Play: http://bit.ly/2LMMxLs

About the Book

'Heart-warming, wonderful escapism and brimming with charm. I marvelled!' Christie Barlow

'I absolutely LOVED this! The Note was fabulous and this follow-up was a real treat!' Mandy Baggot

The sequel to the bestselling phenomenon The Note – based on the true story of one girl and her 'Train Man'…

A year after the kiss that brought them together in a snowy train-station doorway, Maya and James are embarking on another journey - this time around the world. The trip starts promisingly, with an opulent and romantic Indian wedding. But as their travels continue, Maya fears that ‘love at first sight’ might not survive trains, planes and tuk tuks, especially when she realises that what she really wants is a baby, and James doesn’t feel the same.  Can Maya and James navigate their different hopes and dreams to stay together? Or is love at first sight just a myth after all… Perfect for fans of One Day in December, Our Stop and Marian Keyes. The Postcard continues the once-in-a-lifetime love story that readers so took to their hearts.

My Review:

This is the sequel to Zoe Folbiggs ‘The Note’. We pick up the story as Maya and James plan on taking a year long trip travelling around the world. We are caught up with events from the year between the end of the first book and the start of this – I think you could read this happily as a standalone, but I always recommend reading a series in order (personal preference though).

Overall, I think The Postcard is charming, funny with elements of mystery, intrigue and even danger. I love when a book takes us on travels around the globe and was excited to hear about each destination. I mean, I love India and adore reading books that are set there or characters that travel through the country because I enjoy getting a picture in my mind of the place. I think we had some great glimpses of each place Maya and James enjoyed, but for me, I was left wanting more.

I quite enjoyed that we had the secondary storyline of Nena’s struggles with motherhood as well as the disappearance of backpacker Manon Junot in Thailand threading throughout. I understood the inclusion of Nena’s struggles – it contrasted to where Maya and James were in their relationship, but I admit I didn’t see why the Manon Junot storyline kept popping up at first.

I enjoyed how this books shows how we all put expectations on ourselves, we all compare ourselves to others even when their situations are completely different. It highlights how you should look at what you want from life and go for it, even if you didn’t initially set out with that goal in mind. Life is unexpected and not to be taken for granted.

I enjoyed the positive that exudes from the book, the writing is brilliant and we are given such a fantastic array of characters. Some quirky and funny, some annoying and you’ll want to punch them in their smarmy faces.

A highly enjoyable read for all. Thank you to Aria Fiction for the copy to review in exchange for an honest review. 

About the Author 

Zoë Folbigg is a magazine journalist and digital editor, starting at Cosmopolitan in 2001 and since freelancing for titles including Glamour, Fabulous, Daily Mail, Healthy, LOOK, Top Santé, Mother & Baby, ELLE, Sunday Times Style and Style.com. In 2008 she had a weekly column in Fabulous magazine documenting her year-long round-the-world trip with ‘Train Man’ – a man she had met on her daily commute. She since married Train Man and lives in Hertfordshire with him and their two young sons.

Follow Zoë:

Facebook: @zoefolbiggauthor

Twitter: @zolington

Website: www.zoefolbigg.com