[MPOV] Jundi

My review: 3/5
Goodreads review: 3.78/5

Publish: June 4, 2024

Author: Ella Walker Henderson

Genre: Historical romance

My utmost gratitude to the author and LibraryThing for this e-ARC!

Firstly, I was starting to have a reading slump and couldn't get on with a sci-fi in hand. Then this novel came, just in time, as time and again has proven that a historical romance is always able to boost my reading mojo!

Jane Austen meets The Jungle Book in the midst of a colonial rebellion.

Jundi is a land of mystery and wonder. Deep in the jungle, legends of the White Tiger swirl. Some say he is a beast who rules the other animals. Others claim he symbolizes the rebels who refuse to come under colonial rule.

Gillian has lived in a colonial villa on the edge of the jungle her entire life. She has never known another home beyond the land of Jundi. When her mother decides to leave because of the stirring rebellion, Gillian will return through the only means that she can find, marriage to an officer in the military.

Max, burned by love in the past, will only consider marriage if it enhances his military career. When the old colonel’s daughter shows interest, he will gladly secure Gillian as a means to further his chance of promotion. But he doesn’t expect his heart to become entangled with his ambition.

Gillian seals her future in Jundi, but even that will not be enough to answer the call of the White Tiger within the jungle’s beating heart.

Will Gillian’s and Max’s paths align, or will the rebellion tear their lives apart?

The overall premise reminds me of a strong-willed female version of Tarzan with Alice in Wonderland vibe but with Miss Marvel and her mom in mind LOL! Don't get me wrong... it is the way they communicated sure reminds me of them LOL!

I've enjoyed the story from the start to the end and liked that this historical romance is a little different from the usual suspects. As such, it sure felt like a breath of fresh air! More context and less sex! The journey from the moment Gillian and Max meet to their rushed wedding and the eventual understanding of each other, falling in love and all... it was such a lovely happy ever after! 

Now, back to that half read sci-fi!!!