3.98 AVERAGE

adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I don’t know where I found this book but it was a riveting read. Great cast of characters. Fascinating plot with so much detail. Loved the descriptions of Jaipur and Shimla. An excellent read. Best to go in without much knowledge and get swept up in the adventure. 

4.5*

Only con is that the end felt a bit sudden, with the author rushing to tie up all loose ends.. but maybe that's because I didn't want the story to stop. All in all, a great read & follow up to The Henna Artist.

What I loved most about Joshi's storytelling in The Henna Artist was its immersive quality, which made me eager to pick up this sequel. While The Henna Artist concluded neatly, I was curious about this new story's direction. Rather than a direct continuation, it offers a glimpse into the characters' lives 12 years later, focusing primarily on them and the setting rather than on a singular plot. I loved this split into three different POVs. It made the characters more immersive so you could become close to them. 

There is a minor mystery involving a collapsed balcony, but the novel's strength lies in its vivid portrayal of India in the 1960s. The rich descriptions of clothing, jewelry, henna, food, buildings, and city life transported me back in time, making the experience feel tangible. I particularly appreciated revisiting Malik, an adorable boy from the first book, now grown and carving out his own path. The cast and atmosphere are so captivating that I find myself wishing for a third book.

4.5 ⭐️ really good series!
adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated
inspiring mysterious relaxing medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I liked the book, but babies under one year of age should never be given honey.

Set in the 1960’s in Shimla and Jaipur, India, the Secret Keeper of Jaipur continues the story of Lakshmi and Malik for the Henna Artist. Malik is older now and has moved to Jaipur from Shimla to learn the construction business while his beloved, Nimmi, and Auntie-Boss, Lakshmi stay in Shimla and work together in the healing garden and community clinic.

The writing of Alka Joshi brings alive the colors, scents and tastes of India in her writing. Intermixed with her amazing descriptions of a place that is new to me, she interweaves a well thought out mystery riddled with secrets that pulls the story along. The book was good, however I did not get the same vibrancy from the story line as I did from the descriptions of the henna paste or the gardenia soap or honey concoction or of the air in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains. Overall is was a good book that took me to a place I’d never been.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes