Journeys with Noelle: Love Least Expected - Under the Mango Tree by Meredith Bond

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Love Least Expected - Under the Mango Tree by Meredith Bond

Under the Mango Tree is the first of the stories I'm showcasing in 'Love Least Expected' - an anthology from award-winning authors:

Today we have the author of Under the Mango Tree, Meredith Bond.

Love Least Expected is a collaboration with stories from various genres, including contemporary/erotic/paranormal romance, crime drama, science fiction/fantasy.

Under the Mango Tree

Here is my review of Under the Mango Tree.

It was the title of this story that first hooked me. Growing up in the sub-tropics, I know well the allure of summers spent in the branches of a mango tree, the intoxicating aroma of ripe fruit, and the taste of mangoes – still warm from the sun – as they are devoured in great numbers.

This delightful story – part of the Love Least Expected Valentine’s Day Anthology – is a refreshingly different, culturally exotic, and joyful read, right from the first word.

Lakshmi is a girl who stretches the boundaries of the social mores of her 18^th Century life in Calcutta, India. The rules surrounding girls, so at odds with the relative freedom accorded male children, are unfair. She tells her brother that it is wrong that he should be allowed to study geography, mathematics, and English when he hates it, whereas she excels at those subjects and indeed, helps him pass his exams.

But as she reaches young womanhood, it’s the other rules that rile her. When she discovers that the rules in her world are not the same in England, she questions why this is so. If English girls can choose their own husbands, why can’t she?

This story left a smile in my heart. I highly recommend it.

Synopsis:

Lakshmi is a good 18th century Indian girl who should not be avoiding her chores and enjoying a mango while hidden amongst the high branches of the mango tree in her mother’s garden. She truly should not be seen by a man who is not a member of her family –– an Englishman, no less. And she absolutely should not even contemplate speaking with this man. But Lakshmi has never been one to follow the rules. This time, though, it could ruin–– or make––the rest of her life.

Bio:

Meredith Bond is an award– winning author of a series of traditionally published Regency romances and indie– published paranormal historical romances. Known for her characters “who slip readily into one’s heart,” Meredith’s heart belongs to her husband and two children, who have recently abandoned her to seek higher education.

While Meredith’s passion is writing, her second favorite pastime is teaching others to write. If you want a taste of her class in book form, Chapter One is available at your favorite e– retailer and you can always find articles on writing and self– publishing at her blog and always stay on top of what's happening with Meredith through her newsletter.