Exotic India sets the scene as a young contest winner gets an escorted tour of Agra and Delhi, courtesy of a newspaper and a TV reality show. Mandy Robbins is determined to gain fame from her trip. To her chaperone Joanna - a newcomer to the Daily Post who got this task at the last minute - Mandy's a headache she could do without. She's been warned not to let the film crew walk over her, especially the director Matthew Howard. Mandy has been provided with a new wardrobe but not Joanna - who won't expect to be filmed anyway.

THE SECRET TAJ takes us from the overpowering heat, noise and colour of New Delhi to the calm and luxury of the hotel interior. Enjoying a snack on her balcony, Joanna finds that Matthew is next door. She knows she'd better be polite, but finds him abrasive. Seventeen-year-old Mandy has already declared her intention to drink vodka, so Joanna can't relax too much. Peacocks strut around the swimming pool and the sun will burn fair Mandy fast. Joanna's responsible for her sunscreen too. She's not thinking of herself, so when Matthew presents her with a gorgeous light dress, she's stunned. Is he showing his good side, or does he have a mere amusement in mind? The streets are lined with barbers, beggars, letter-writers, cooks, doing a fine trade. Dinner in a classy restaurant consists of melon, Shah Jehani pullao, a lamb on saffron rice dish, and fig sorbet with fresh nectarine slices. The culture clash overwhelms Joanna, and this is just the first day.

The contrast is amusing as Mandy has never heard of Ghandi and wants Rice Krispies for breakfast. I wondered what on earth kind of contest she'd won. We see many different sides of India - and this book was written long before Slumdog Millionaire. For seven years Joanna has been writing about other people's good fortune, yet she doesn't seem to have had much herself. But in teeming, incredible India, we get the feeling that anything can happen. The sounds, sights and smells come across to the reader and the Taj Mahal seems to float on water in the moonlight. I got thoroughly into the story and by turns liked Matthew and disliked him, with his strong personality taking advantage of a young woman in a lower-paid job. Read this unusual romance by Stella Whitelaw and make up your own mind. THE SECRET TAJ was previously issued and is now available as an e-book.