Rating: 
Summary: Great character build up and not enough substance
Review: What a disappointment and cop out, you get these great characters of Ford, Jackie, Noble, Toodles, and Tessa and they all get thrown away for some lame story about the devil and the town of Cole Creek. The whole story felt rushed and for everything to be summed up in 20 pages at the end just does not cut it. We're left with a open ending I would have like a epilogue for closure. Normally I do enjoy Ms. Deveraux's books but the last few just seem like someone else is writing them. If you must read this take it out of the library or wait for it to come in paperback.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I was anxiously awaiting the latest Jude Deveraux book and I must admit this book is not worth the wait. I loved many of her previous stories but the last few have been dull with improbable plots and characters. I was so tired of reading yet again about an incredibly rich older man who spends enormous of money on a young impoverished but appreciative woman. It is entirely unbelievable that a woman who has worked as a university researcher for years does not have any decent clothes to wear to a small town function but miraculously finds something perfect in an old attic. Also, I can not believe that in this day and age, she would drop everything and leave town with an unknown man for a job without having any information about the job, her salary, or even where she will live. And when they arrive, she has no problem living with him, being totally dependent on him and becoming nothing more than a housekeeper. She does not seem to question that she is not doing the research he has hired her to do and happily takes his money whenever she needs anything. Since Ms. Deveraux's strengths have always been in providing interesting relationships between the key people in the book, I wonder why in her past few books, that is the one piece that is missing. There was none of the excitement as the attraction between Ford and Jackie is supposed to grow, and their relationship was lost in a group of misfit secondary characters. Even the mystery part was dull - Agatha Christie has done the young woman moving to an old house she has supposedly never been in and knowing all about it, so much better.I did like the fact that we were able to see both people's perspectives in the alternating chapters and I was so touched by the relationship between Ford and his wife Pat. That was the true romance of the story. I can appreciate that Ms. Deveraux is expanding and trying new things, and I do love a good mystery. I am only hoping that in the future she can combine the mystery and the romance to give us a story that sparkles - as only Jude Deveraux knows how.
Rating: 
Summary: Enjoyable Read!!!
Review: This was such a wonderful enjoyable book to read. I have liked most of Jude Deveraux's books, from "a Knight in Shining Armor" to "The Mulberry Tree" This was quite different in as much the romance wasn't quite as juicy yet subtlely there nevertheless. It is a story about one man's losses and another woman's losses and how they meet on a mission to find out about a murder mystery involving the "DEVIL". It kept me interested and I really enjoyed reading it. It was different for this author. If you are expecting a hot love story like many of her books can be you won't get it. You will, though, get a lovely read about two people who come together who need each other and it is a interesting concept. The devil part and all. I recommend it to anyone who likes this author.
Rating:
Summary: A haunting story of renewal and love
Review: Ford Newcombe had a wonderful life with his beloved wife. It was with her encouragement and support that he became a best selling writer, weaving reality into fictions that enthralled the masses. With her death, Ford finds the heart of his stories dead as well. His fans have begun to turn on him, and though he lives, he feels dead, or worse. A chance meeting brings Jackie Maxwell into his life. Jackie is essentially orphaned and has few memories of her mother. One of those memories she shares with Ford, and on the strength of the inspiration it gives him, he hires her as his assistant and they move to the town that has been in Jackie's past. There they find that legendary secrets and the recent past are tied together in a haunting and dangerous mix that must be unraveled to give peace to those still living. Hope and love are the reward that await them if they succeed. ***** With her realistic portrayals of hurting characters, Ms. Deveraux reaches out to a new audience in this novel. She tells a haunting story of renewal and love sure to captivate you.
Rating: 
Summary: Story 4 Stars Romance 1 Star
Review: I have mixed feelings about this book. As far as mysteries goes it was a good book but it didn't have romance in it the way I had hoped it would. Jude Deveraux is well known for her romance writing and boy she does it well :) I just wish I would of known that it was more of a mystery then I wouldn't of been
disappointed of the love story I would of still read it but I would of known what I am reading, so That's why I gave the story a 4 and romance a 1 still enjoyed this book.
Happy Reading Lisa
Rating:
Summary: A good supernatural/romantic/mystery......loved it.
Review: I did not like the previous novel ,Forever, for its corny supernatural content, but that is one of my favorite things about this new book. I also loved all the characters. Each one had its own endearing quirkiness. Ford's continuing love for his dead wife was also very sweetly and realistically done and his family, hahahaaha, you know you see some of your relatives in there.
That said, what is it with Ms. Deveraux's newest obsession with May/December romances between her characters? Ford has to be at least 15 to 20 years older than Jackie. What's up with that? I have nothing against older man/younger woman relationships(or older women/younger men, for that matter) but jeez, 2 books in a row is just a bit much. I love Ford Newcombe's character and Jackie's but sometimes they were just on different wavelengths because of age alone.
However, the oldest character, the Devil, was wonderfully drawn by Jude. He is sympathetically portrayed and also very creepy at the same time. He is simply, the devil and he more than lives up to his reputation for temptation in this novel.
Rating:
Summary: wild orchids
Review: I am a very loyal reader of Jude Deveraux.I buy every book the first day it comes out. I was very dissopointed in this book.I had to make my self finish reading it.
Rating:
Summary: Another good story from Deveraux
Review: I don't believe Jude Deveraux can tell a bad story. Wild Orchids is written in a different format, but that just adds to the telling of the story. Ford and Jackie are more or less thrown together by fate. Ford is still missing his wife, who had been dead for 6 years. He offers Jackie a job which she turns down until she leaves her groom at the alter. Jackie is furious with men when she takes Ford's job offer. This is another beautiful story told by Ms. Devereaux. If you enjoyed The Mulberry Tree you'll want to read Wild Orchis.
Rating:
Summary: Love - Suspense - Mystery - Friendship - Family - Secrets
Review: Let me start by saying I liked this book (I only gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because of the subject matter - read on) - I have only read the last three HC books by Deveraux because I'm not a fan of traditional, historical romance/fiction which Deveraux is so famous for and of which most of her earlier works of fiction were (Knight in Shining Armor ring a bell?) - I'm more of a fan of "women's fiction" - which class her last three books seem to fall into - - With that said, I like a good love story so the story of Jackie (great name!) and Ford really held my interest - no mushy, corny, hearts and flowers for these two - no, theirs is more of a sarcastic, tease-fest - war of words! I like how the story is told alternately between Jackie and Ford - that's always a good thing in my opinion - gives the reader the opportunity to view the story from two different viewpoints without having to re-read the book to look at it from another angle - I like to see how the opinions of the same events are so different between the two main characters - Most of the other characters were likable (even Ford's cousin grew on you!!) - and there was enough suspense to hold your interest and keep you turning the pages (but not too much to change the subject to mystery or suspense) - although I had pretty much figured it out early on (I'm sure most readers will too) - it didn't make me want to skim the pages or skip anything - I just wanted to know how they ended up where they were - the one thing I disliked about this book is the use of the devil - I don't usually care for occult fiction and I think there may have been a different way that this same story could have been told - although the devil story is one of the major plot points, it does not take over and monopolize the entire book - that's why I was able to [put up with it and] "grin and bear it!" I have to say, I enjoyed this story much more than Ms. Deveraux's last HC release (The Mulberry Tree, which seemed to go on and on & left me disappointed in the end) - while there are many characters and names to remember and it can at times be a little confusing - each character has a purpose and no one was written unnecessarily - the book flowed nicely and because there are "sub-plots" going on all the time, it was easy to overlook the devil aspect of the story and just enjoy some good ole fashioned story-telling! A few things caused "alarm bells" ring - for example, how quickly Jackie agreed to work with Ford and move to another state!! (in this day and age, would you move away to another state, to a town where you knew no one and agree to live with a person you just met only days ago??!!) - Overall, I liked the book and thought it was a good read - I'd recommend it to friends - I think most readers will identify with at least one or two of the characters of the story - and the main characters are really, genuinely likable (one can see right through the rough and tough exterior Ford tries to give off in the beginning - you just know he's a big, lovable "teddy bear!" It's a fun story and has everything you need to be a good 'beach read" this summer - love, friendship, mystery, romance, suspense, etc. - If you're a fan of Deveraux, you will definitely want to read this book - I don't know how it compares to her earlier novels, but compared to some of the novels published recently, this is an enjoyable read - and if you like women's fiction , then you won't want to pass this one up - thanks for an entertaining, "different" story! If it weren't for the 'devil' ' I'd give it 5 stars!!
Rating: 
Summary: Nouveau Jude Deveraux
Review: Although a far cry from her earlier writing, this book has suspense, intrigue and a little (very) romance. I enjoyed the book throughly but it was extremely reminiscent of her more recent novels. I understand that writers must evolve to stay fresh and stay true to their artistic integrities but I'd be a liar to say that I don't miss the old standards!!!
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