An Exotic Heir

by Meredith Bond

Book Overview

Weaving a web of revenge can be satisfying, but dangerous to your heart.London society is shallow and cruel, sending Cassandra Renwick running to Calcutta, the exotic seat of the British Raj. It's a fascinating place filled with interesting sights - including the dark and mysterious Julian Ritchie. But she never thought that an even greater heartbreak could be lurking here in this alien and enchanting land.Julian has always been discriminated against...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1493573128
• ISBN13: 9781493573127
• Release Date: October 2013
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 310 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

something very different from the usual

After having moaned and whined about how about how many Regecy-era romance novel seems to possess the same oft-used plot-line, I was almost giddy with glee to discover that Meredith Bond's "Love of My Life" not only possessed a storyline that was a little out ordinary, but that she had also (somehow) managed to give it all the hallmarks of a traditional Regency-era romance novel. When Miss Cassandra Renwick is cruelly made a laughingstock by the "gentleman" she had fallen in love while making her debut into London society, she decides to pack her bags and leave for India where her parents reside. India, or rather Calcutta, where her father works for the Governor-General acts like a balm to Cassandra's bruised soul, and she's soon happily drinking in the sights, sounds and culture of a country so different from her own. Only two things grate: her mother's snobbish attitude towards the Indians and her insistence at throwing every eligible young man at Cassandra. For a young lady who has decided to have nothing to do with any man, her mother's propensity to harp on her need to marry at once and advantageously at that, is almost too much to bear. Especially when this young lady is quite fascinated by another young man, one that her mother deems totally ineligible, the Eurasian, Julian Ritchie... I had found Meredith Bond's previous two novels to be pleasantly average reads. So that I was really quite blown over to discover that "Love of My Life" was really something rather special. The main plot device that "Love of My Life" hinges on is the revenge plot, but the splendidly vivid and colourful manner with which the author paints life and culture in India, even as she baldly exposes the many prejudices that the English had and the injustices they practiced was not only very well done but also added a much appreciated tone and texture to the novel, lifting the novel above the fare we usually get from this genre. The truly important factor about this novel, however, and what makes it rather special, is the author's portrayal of the heroine of the piece, Cassandra Renwick. Though young, Cassandra possesses a maturity and kindliness of spirit that almost belies her youth (especially when this is contrasted with her mother's snobbish and pushing ways), and I liked that Cassandra's desire to learn more about India and her people had little to do with the attraction she felt for Julian. Julian, on the other hand, was a little bit more difficult to take to in spite of the fact that one really does feel for the man for all the prejudices and slights he has suffered because of his plans of revenge that involve the warm hearted Cassandra. A fast read that was evenly paced, "Love of My Life" managed to remain a "light" read in spite of its heavy matter. I enjoyed it thoroughly and would recommend it to any Regency-era romance fan who's looking for a good read that is a little different.

An unusual, intensely moving Regency romance

I just finished "Love of My Life", and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is an unusual Regency romance in many ways - all of them good. For one, it has an atypical, fascinating setting (19th century English society in Calcutta) that seems to be meticulously researched by the author, who sprinkles in a few words and even a couple of sentences in the local language. But the most important differences from the typical frothy Regency are the complex, well-realized story, and two lead characters who are three-dimensional, flawed yet heroic in the end, and thus remain with you even after the book is read. Julian Ritchie, the hero, begins the book as an outsider - a man of mixed English and Indian descent, shunned by the haughty Calcutta society he aspires to despite his stunning looks and social graces. Embittered, he decides to exact revenge on his chief nemesis, by making her nnocent yet impulsive daughter, Cassandra Renwick, fall in love with him - and then rejecting her. The problem, of course, is that Julian falls in love with her - just as she finds out about his deception. Without giving the rest of the story away (sorry if I've already written too much!), the story takes quite a few twists and turns - taking us from India to England, and from intense passion to warm romance, and then to heartbreak, and finally to satisfying redemption. Along the way the author tosses in a couple of cute, funny scenes as well as a few that create a lump in your throat - and an absolutely adorable 10-year-old secondary character. As Bond points out in an afterword, this is the third (though chronologically the first) in her quartet about four friends - I look forward to reading the other ones.