Book Review : The Love Detective by Alexandra Potter

Title : The Love Detective

Author : Alexandra Potter

Publication Date : 16 January 2014

Publisher : Hodder & Stoughton

Source : Sent by the publisher (Thanks!)

Overall : 5/5

'People always ask me what kind of books I write and I guess you'd call them love stories, but I also think of them as mysteries. After all, what makes two people fall in love? I've written five novels and I'm still looking for the answers. In a way, I'm a bit of a love detective. Because what's a greater mystery than love?' 

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 on a magical mystery tour, amid silks and spices, palaces and weddings, Ruby investigates a hundred 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 looking forward to this book since I first saw tweets about this book on Twitter. I heard great things and came across books by Alexandra Potter but personally, I have never read them. When I knew that TLD’s the first book of Alex’s new series, I decided to give it a try. I was so excited for this and it looked so amazing with the baby blue cover and springish colourful flowers. I was completely hooked from the start and enjoyed every page of it and I would highly recommend this to all.

The Love Detective follows the story of Ruby Miller, a novelist who travels all the way to India for a week to meet her younger sister, Amy. All she wants is to clear her mind, relax and be inspired. However, Ruby’s plan starts to go wrong when her adventurous, younger sis decides to elope with the yoga instructor, claiming she is in love with him. There’s nothing much left for Ruby to do than to find Amy before she makes the biggest mistake of her life. Ruby then sets off on a dangerous adventure to find her sister. Perhaps, it's more than just finding her sister...

Ruby was such a real, lovely main character. She is a successful novelist living in London. I loved her from the start and she is seriously funny. I would be happy to have her as my friend and her encounter with the smoking hot (description should end here, hehe!) American stranger on the train in India was so fun to read. This book was set in London and India, a great mix Bollywood and Hollywood. The setting couldn’t be more perfect. Traveling across India, Ruby visits some fabulous landmarks, such as the Taj Mahal and tries some really spicy Indian food. I have always wanted to visit the Taj Mahal, heard lots and read all about it. I loved the vivid description of scenery and Alex words painted a great picture of India. One day! Alexandra has clearly researched before writing this book and I could see she really enjoyed India.

I liked the supporting characters and all the people Ruby meets on her journey. Each character has a great role to play in the story and I loved how Alex linked the characters together. Some characters made me think of my friends from Rajasthan and the feeling was wonderful. The unpredictable plot of this story made it more unputdownable and I had to keep reading to find out. This book was an easy read and the flow was fast-paced. Very holidayish and the only thing I want to do right now is to pack my bags and get a one way ticket. I’m so glad that this is the beginning of a new series. I cannot wait to find out where Alex will be sending Rubes and Jack to! I hope it will be Rome, Bali or Malaysia.

All I can say is, The Love Detective is a fun-filled, love defining read that you don’t want to miss! Beautifully written plot and gorgeously designed cover, this is a book that would fit perfectly in your shelf. It would also make the best holiday read and I dare say, this will be the perfect book for summer. I could just imagine sitting on a beach with this book! With a pineapple cocktail, of course!