Darjeeling Inheritance written by Liz Harris and published by Heywood Press

It’s Darjeeling in 1930 and 18 year old Charlotte Lawrence returns to Sundar, her family’s tea garden after being schooled in England. After learning about her father’s death just days before she arrives home, Charlotte discovers she has been left the family estate. She also learns that it was her father’s wish for her to marry Andrew McAllister, the good-looking younger son from a neighbouring plantation.

However, Charlotte wants to learn about the running of the business before she settles down to married life, and convinces Dan Fitzgerald, the assistant manager of the estate, to show her the ropes while she gets to know Andrew.

Charlotte’s chaperone and friend, who accompanied her on the journey from England, Ada Eastman, is set to marry Harry who owns a neighbouring tea garden, but Ada has left a secret behind in England and is determined to become a loyal and faithful wife to Harry and friend to Charlotte.

I loved this book- the setting was absolutely beautiful and was written in a way that it was like watching a movie in my mind -I could see the mists rolling in, smell the earth after the monsoon and hear the birds and monkeys chattering in the trees.

I started off loving Ada and thought she was wonderful and ended up absolutely hating her she was such a well written character.

Although you could sense where the romantic side of the story was going, it didn’t feel obvious…everything about this book just felt right!

I absolutely loved it and whole heartedly recommend it.

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