*Spoilers*
3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thoroughly enjoyed this book.
After her parents die, Divya leaves India for England working as an Ayah for a British family during the Raj.
However once she arrives in London she finds herself stuck there and has to find her place in 1940's east end London where Racism is thriving.
The first part of this book really drew me in, particularly as my own family history shares a similar story. I found the second half of the story not quite so gripping, however I still really enjoyed Divyas story and I'm definitely keen to read more from this author

New,Arrivals on West India Dock Road by Renita D'Silva

Loved this , a brilliant book , very different from the usual book set in this era .
A refreshing , alternative from what is usually available . Can't wait until the next in the series .

A 100% buy-today-read-tonight delight.
Thanks to a great author we have warmth, wisdom and emotional intelligence, this book was a huge pleasure to read! A fabulous, really enjoyable read.

The sweet and spicy story of a young woman from India who builds a life in England on the cusp of WWII. I want more!

This was a strong start to this historical series and was invested in what was happening with the characters and enjoyed the use of the time-period. Renita D'Silva was able to create a strong concept and enjoyed the overall element of the characters that I wanted. I'm excited to read more in this world and characters as Renita D'Silva wrote this perfectly.

I have mixed feelings on this one. I enjoyed the wartime theme in this book but, I found it very drawn out and too many descriptions of ingredients which for some would be interesting but, not for me. Hopefully the next one will be better. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Divya accompanies the family that employs her as an ayah from India to England, with the understanding that they will pay her passage back to India. When they renege on their word, she finds herself in a strange country, with nowhere to stay and no job. She ends up at the West India Dock road, and becomes a cook for the boarding house she stays at. But war is on the horizon, and how can she choose between Jack and Raghu?
I really enjoyed this book. It was very well written and the descriptions of Indian food made my mouth water! It kept me enthralled from the first page to the last. I believe this is the first in a series, and I look forward to reading more about Divya and the people in the East End. Highly recommended.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Historical drama portraying pigeon West India Dock Road during the lead up to the war. Lots of lovely characters.

Outstanding! From the days in India to moving to London I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book. The characters were all so likeable and it was easy to imagine the posh family being so cruel and not providing Divya's fare home. Sadly too I know from reading other books how racist and cruel people were to people of different nations not just the Indians when they came to the UK.

I thoroughly enjoyed the mention of all the dishes that were being cooked and found myself looking up recipes and it certainly made my mouth water and hungry at times! I love cinnamon so the cups of tea sounded heaven to me!

I loved Charity and her family and Jack as soon they came into the book and loved to imagine their Irish accent!

I cannot wait for more books in the series and will be looking up more books by the author having never read any of her titles before. I know it's early in the year but I can see this being one of my best reads of 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and of course Renita D'Silva for allowing me to read and review an Arc copy.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book in one setting and loved it. There were such great characters, and the setting was so lifelike. I really hope that there will be a follow-up. It is a recommended read.

I really wanted to love this book, but I struggled so much to get into it. I found it long and drawn out, emphasising too much on the food and not enough on the story, that it felt more like a cookbook than a novel. The characters are great and I think if it had just been about them with the food occasionally mentioned I would have loved it. Sadly it isn’t for me.

Firstly thank you Netgalley for this Arc

What a brilliant book can’t wait to read more
Family saga at its best and wow the meals that were described just makes you want to be there to try them

What a feast for the senses! When Divya Ram is shunned by the villagers after the sudden loss of her parents she decides to leave Bombay. After a long sea journey to England working as nanny for the Ellis family it’s not long before they decide to dispense with her services. Divya finds herself wandering the streets when she is directed to Paddy O’Kelly’s boarding & Lodging house, Divya sons finds herself taken into the bosom of the community when word passes about how good her meals are at the boarding house. One constant visitor is Jack Devine who shows more than a passing interest in Divya, although her thoughts are with a young sailor who travelled over from Bombay with her, leaving a contact if she ever found herself in need!

Throughout the book are descriptions of meals being prepared, which sounded Devine. I think I was continually hungry while reading it.
I really enjoyed the community spirit within the story and do hope there’s more to come?