Before the Rains by Dinah Jefferies is a lovely romance set in the 1930s.

I love historical romance novels, but I just have a hard time finding ones I enjoy. Lucky for me, Dinah Jefferie's book swept me off my feet after prancing into my life.

Eliza, a newly minted widow, is sent to India by the British government to take many lovely pictures of the Indian royal family. She's a photographer, so it is only fitting that she be one of the few to see inside the royal family's lives. She meets Jay, an Indian prince who takes her eye, and they begin a dramatic love affair. Along the way, there's an old (creepy) friend named Clifford who also sees Eliza as the apple of his eyes. Chaos then ensues. And to top it all off, somehow, because fate is cruel and interesting, she seems to know more people than she realizes.

This little book holds so much emotion in it. My heart went on a roller coaster as I tried to figure out how this book was going to end. I was connected to this book by the hip - I needed to know how it ended and I was totally obsessed with it. It's a medium-paced book but it's packed full of tears, heart ache, romance, and drama.

The plot does get predictable half way through the novel, but it's not a major con for me.

If I had a negative for this book, it would be the historical accuracy. I'm not a historian, but I feel like this love affair would have been a much bigger deal in the grand scheme of things. It was definitely a cause of strife in the book, but it seemed to go over pretty well at other times. It was... strange? Either way, the book was still a great romance/dramatic read. I would highly recommend it if you love historical romances, romances set in other geographic locations (not just the good ol' US of A), or soap opera-esque books. This book felt VERY soap opera-y (in a good way, of course).

On top of the amazing-ness of this book, the cover is absolutely stunning. If you were going to judge a book by it's cover, pick this one! All of Dinah's books have truly marvelous covers.

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )

Before the Rains by Dinah Jefferies is a lovely romance set in the 1930s.

I love historical romance novels, but I just have a hard time finding ones I enjoy. Lucky for me, Dinah Jefferie's book swept me off my feet after prancing into my life.

Eliza, a newly minted widow, is sent to India by the British government to take many lovely pictures of the Indian royal family. She's a photographer, so it is only fitting that she be one of the few to see inside the royal family's lives. She meets Jay, an Indian prince who takes her eye, and they begin a dramatic love affair. Along the way, there's an old (creepy) friend named Clifford who also sees Eliza as the apple of his eyes. Chaos then ensues. And to top it all off, somehow, because fate is cruel and interesting, she seems to know more people than she realizes.

This little book holds so much emotion in it. My heart went on a roller coaster as I tried to figure out how this book was going to end. I was connected to this book by the hip - I needed to know how it ended and I was totally obsessed with it. It's a medium-paced book but it's packed full of tears, heart ache, romance, and drama.

The plot does get predictable half way through the novel, but it's not a major con for me.

If I had a negative for this book, it would be the historical accuracy. I'm not a historian, but I feel like this love affair would have been a much bigger deal in the grand scheme of things. It was definitely a cause of strife in the book, but it seemed to go over pretty well at other times. It was... strange? Either way, the book was still a great romance/dramatic read. I would highly recommend it if you love historical romances, romances set in other geographic locations (not just the good ol' US of A), or soap opera-esque books. This book felt VERY soap opera-y (in a good way, of course).

On top of the amazing-ness of this book, the cover is absolutely stunning. If you were going to judge a book by it's cover, pick this one! All of Dinah's books have truly marvelous covers.

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. ( )

I should enjoy Before the rains. It's the type of book I usually like, it's about India, and I have enjoyed other books by Dinah Jefferies, but I guess I just don't like the main character. I've read over 100 pages and don't want to read more. ( )

This is the second Dinah Jefferies book that I have read and on both occasions have been swept away to the beautiful locations described in the book. Before the Rains, like the Tea Planter's Wife, is absolutely oozing with colour, sounds and smells of exotic imperial India. You often hear people say that 'I closed my eyes and I was there' but with Dinah Jefferies my eyes were wide open as she took me on a journey to 1930's India.

The book starts with a tragedy for Eliza as she leans over the balcony to catch a glimpse of her father in a procession into the city of Delhi. As he comes into view, Eliza gets her final glimpse of her father as she witnesses his death. Eighteen years later, Eliza returns to India as a photographer on assignment to photograph the royal family of Juraipore. Eliza doesn't want to get staged shots of the family in stiff poses, but rather wants to capture the natural flow of life in the castle. Eliza soon becomes friendly with the mysterious and alluring second son, Prince Jay, as he attempts to create an irrigation system before the rains come.

Eliza has a secret that she tries to keep from the royal family - she is a widow. As with all secrets, this secret gets out quite quickly as the walls in this castle really do have ears. In England nobody would bat an eyelid at this but in India, where women are tasked with ensuring the health of their husband, Eliza is seen as unlucky and must be chaperoned at all times. As Eliza inevitably grows closer to Jay, their relationship has the potential to create a royal scandal - you can almost see the headlines: The Prince and The Widow. In the end, will Jay chose love or duty? With many people trying to put a stop to their relationship, do they even stand a chance?

Before the Rains is another fabulous saga from Dinah Jefferies. It is filled with secrets, intrigue, skulduggery and romance. Eliza is an amazing trouser-wearing heroine, pushing the boundaries of what was expected of women in that era. She is such a strong and vibrant character that she breathed life into every page. A colourful, vibrant epic that I highly recommend.

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion. ( )

Before the Rains is another enjoyable historical fiction novel from Jefferies. I greatly enjoyed The Tea Planter's wife, so I was excited to pick up this newest title from her.

The novel is set in 1930s India and focuses on Eliza, a young British widow with a troubled past who is trying to find herself through a photography project. While completing her assignment, she finds a new understanding of India under British rule, experiences the twists and turns of intrigue, and finds passionate love along the way.

As usual, Jefferies' description of the setting is incredible and the reader feels as if they are experiencing India firsthand. The cast of characters is also enjoyable, though the character building in Before the Rains isn't quite as strong as in The Tea Planter's Wife. I particularly liked Laxmi's steel will combined with a loving demeanor, and Chatur is a character you love to hate. Jefferies' handling of the relationship build between Eliza and Jay was very well done.

My only critique for this novel is that the story got a slow start, then became a little bit predictable as it neared the conclusion. An observant reader will quickly be able to guess information about Indira's background and Clifford's true nature, as well as how the book will conclude. However, as predictable as it was, it is a highly enjoyable romance perfect for a summer read. ( )