Wild Orchids : A Novel

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: Sad to see her go
Review: I have read every book that Jude Deveruax has ever written and I must say I am very disappointed in her last three books. It's as if someone else is writing them. The spark she use to have seems to be fizzling out. I miss the old Jude Deveraux

Rating:
Summary: Not your normal Jude Deveraux Romance
Review: I have read quite a few of Jude Deveraux's books, and have always come back to her for a good story. Wild Orchids was written so differently, but yet it worked. I wasn't expecting the twists and turns, and the ending was completly worth how long the book felt. The Ford/Jackie chapters were a little tedious, but I think that in the end it was neat to see how the two characters thought and reacted. I really enjoyed this book, but its only real flaw was the last page(s), and the ending to the book. It seemed like because Jude didn't fit any of the "romance" or rather the sex between the two protagonists in the book she ended up cramming all that into that list piece. (Sorry for the spoiler.) I think that it was a given that those things could and would happen, and was unnecessary to end the book in that fashion. I was captivated up until that point, because I assumed that this book like many of her others would have the constant underlying friction of their sexual attraction. It was refreshing to read a book without a whole chapter on the characters having sex.
Anyways, if you are a die hard romance book lover I don't recommend this Jude Deveraux book....try Sweet Liar, or all of the Velvet series. I bought this book on a whim, and was amazed at how much I enjoyed it.

Rating:
Summary: This is Perfect Summer Reading!
Review: I picked this book at the hairdresser's and since I am a fan of her books, I knew this one was going to be a fun read. It is. It's perfect for those long lazy summer days when the kids are playing and you're looking to escape into a good novel. So grab your lemonade and sit in the shade and have a good read!

If you like mysteries, this book is it. It's fun and full of twists and turns, sometimes predictable, but thoroughly fun to read! I have read Jude's other books on romance and I like the fact that she's branching out into other areas of writing. Writing the same thing over and over again can be tedious for the author and her fans ~~ so this is a refreshing break for readers like me!

Ford Newcombe, an author struggling to write since his wife's death,meets Jackie Maxwell, who has a secret so big that she doesn't even know it. Together they set out to solve an old murder mystery that Jackie has vaguely remembered. There was talk in this old southern town of a woman who was murdered because she was in love with the devil. Ford buys a house there and Jackie, as his assistant, helps refurbish the house in the memory of what it used to be. Together, they discover a secret so deep that keeps the town together, as well as their love for each other.

This is not a romance book, but there is sexual tension between the two characters that makes things very interesting and fun. Jackie is the character everyone just can't help but like. Ford is witty and intelligent and fun ~~ this is a fun book. This is such a perfect read for summer! Enjoy it with a glass of lemonade while sitting outside and watching the kids playing.

7-30-04

Rating:
Summary: Great book!
Review: I really enjoyed this one. It was well written and very easy to follow. It kept my interest from the first page. Keep up the good work Jude.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I ever read!
Review: I really think this is Jude Deveraux's best book!

This book was interesting, funny, and even macabre, all at the same time. I loved the characters Ford and Jackie, they seemed to really come alive in this book. Jackie is really funny, the relationship between Jackie and Ford is very realistic, and the way the story keeps moving . . . well, only Jude Deveraux has that much imagination.

Wild Orchids is a story of second love - a second chance, as it were, for happiness - who says you can't get lucky twice? What makes it more interesting, and a better book, in my opinion, is that it is a little different, the romance is not a typical one love forever, and the story is not typical, actually the whole book is not typical. In the end, Ford does actually have to choose - between his first love, which he was indeed very much in love, and Jackie - and the way he chooses - well, I don't want to give away the story, but I thought the ending was just perfect.

I was puzzled by the negative comments I saw posted about her latest books, so, as a latecomer to Jude Deveraux, and having very much enjoyed her newest books, I turned to the older books to see what other reviewers are comparing it to. I have to say, I do see that there's a difference in the kinds of books she's writing now as opposed to then, but I think her newer books are actually better in some ways. There is much more action, much better writing, the plots don't stay still for a second - need I go on? I personally like the newer books much better.

If you're a dye hard fan of Jude Deveraux's older books, perhaps Wild Orchids will be a disappointment, as the style and content is very different from her older books. It's also not as much a steamy romance as the others. Even so, it's hard to understand the negative reviews. Even if this were JD's worst - which it isn't by a long shot - she's always, consistently a good writer. Her strength is always the amazing storylines that she can come up with plus the characters are always funny, always have plenty to say! I've never read a JD book that I didn't enjoy, and in my opinion, Wild Orchids was really one of her best.

Rating:
Summary: It wasn't even a good thriller.
Review: I started this book with the high hopes of reading another good Jude Deveraux book. I didn't like the main characters and felt that there was no chemistry between the two of them. I forced myself to finish the book. Prose was nonexistant, writing was sloppy and character development was poor. This was not Jude's best writing. I do not believe it would have been published if it weren't for her already successful writing career.

Rating:
Summary: Very Interesting!!!
Review: I think there's no douby about it. Jude Deveraux is a versatile writer. I liked this book alot. I was looking forward to reading and I am glad I did. This book was different from her other books in plot and characters. I recommend this book to anyone except if you're really religious. Then I would suggest not reading it.

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: Different story from the usual formula
Review: It certainly wasn't what I was expecting, but I mean that in a good way. The story is told, in alternating chapters, from the viewpoints of Ford and Jackie. Romance is only hinted at in this book, because the thrust of the story is built on suspense. I'm still surprised that this was written by Jude Deveraux. I expected a ghost writer (no pun intended) because it is so different from her usual prose.