The Love Detective By Alexandra Potter

[amazon_link id=”1444712144″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]”The Love Detective’ is the first in a new series by Alexandra Potter.

Ruby Miller has lost her faith in love. In an effort to forget her cheating ex and clear her writer’s block, she joins her sister for a week’s holiday in India and embarks on an extraordinary adventure. Swept up in an magical mystery tour, amid silks and spices, palaces and weddings, Ruby investigates different stories of love lost and found. But will a romance of her own remain always out of reach? Or can she find her happy ever after?

I have been a new fan of Alexandra’s ever since I read ‘What’s New Pussycat?’ a number of years ago and ever since I always kept up to date with her books. So, when I heard about the release of ‘The Love Detective’ I was quite keen to read it, even more so when I heard it was going to be her first series.

The story centres around Ruby, a writer fighting writers block whilst also struggling with her ex fiancé betrayal. Under her agents advice, she is told to take a break, so she takes herself off to India to spend time with her younger sister Amy, who is also there on a time out. But it seems that Ruby is not going to get the relaxing holiday that she dreamt of, as drama and chaos ensues with each day.

The one thing that I have always discovered and loved about Alexandra’s books, is that there is always a little bit of magic in her book, something that little special that makes the story terribly charming and enchanting, that whisks the reader off on a magical adventure, unable to put the book down and with ‘The Love Detective’ it was just the same.

The story is primarily a love story and a lovely one at that. As Ruby tries to mend her broken heart but she has given up on the concept of love and finding her happy ever after. However, with the help of handsome but initially annoying American Jack, Ruby’s finds her frozen heart begins to thaw as they forge a new friendship and he becomes her unlikely hero in a series of disasters.

I thought Ruby was an interesting character, with her warm heart and kind nature, she looked out for her younger sister and even less privileged strangers that she met in the poorer areas of India. As an aspiring writer myself, I particularly found her quite informative in parts, dealing with her agent and struggling with her writing.

Jack is the Indiana Jones of the story, the reluctant hero who rescues Ruby on the train and helps her with her journey. Quick witted and mysterious, it was hard not to fall for this handsome stranger, especially as he wore a Fedora. Swoon! Another interesting character that caught my attention was Rocky, Jack’s driver. He added an element of fun and knowledge to the story informing Jack and Ruby of Indian traditions and customs, all whilst adding an essence of mystery and charm as he played Cupid to the young couple.

With this love story, we joined Ruby on her Indian adventure which was also like an informative, fun and romantic tour guide! I for one have never thought of travelling to the county, but after reading this book filled with picturesque landscapes, majestic buildings and the intense and flavoursome food, I now have the country added to my list of places to discover! India sounded so different, so friendly and most of all exciting! I quickly consumed this book in a day and whilst reading it, I had such a strong hankering for Indian food!

With a beautifully illustrated cover, that indeed catches the readers eye, ‘The Love Detective’ is a wonderfully fun and exotic story and with it’s cleverly magical twist to the end, which has certainly put a spell on me. I am delighted to see the return of Alex and eagerly await the second book of this series

You can buy [amazon_link id=”1444712144″ target=”_blank” ]The Love Detective from Amazon [/amazon_link] and is available to buy from good bookshops.