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Avg. Rating: 3.5
Great book, disappointing ending
I love Jude Deveraux, she's one of my absolute favorite romance authors, but I feel like she's lost some of the zest that she had when writing historical romances versus contemporary ones. She's been throwing supernatural elements into them for years trying to make up for it, but they just aren't as good. Not to say that they are bad, but go back and read some of the early books in her catalog for great repartee, fiesty heroines and heroes worth swooning over. This book had wonderful characters. Ford and his family are definitely worth reading about. Jackie's fun, but sometimes it seemed as though she was condescending in her thoughts about other women. The story, the build-up, the setting are terrific, and I enjoyed every minute of it, until the end. Deveraux had given such a strong build-up to the mystery behind the story, that it was a let down to find out what was really going on. C'mon, how clueless are the people in the town really? Her name is Jackie for crying out loud! And what happens if they tried to WALK away from town? Too many unanswered questions, and yet the answer at the end was too pat. Deveraux knows how to write great characters, I just wish that she'd go back to doing what she does best.
the devil went down to North Carolina . . .
This was the first Jude Deveraux novel I ever read, and I was not disappointed. I've noticed that a lot of reviewers have complained that the narrative was too slow, or that the plot seemed to be little bits of everything, but I kind of thought that was the point. I liked the way we had plenty of time to get to know the characters and watch them change, to really settle into the 'mood' of the town and the story. Even though this story has some incredible elements (like psychic powers, murder, and the devil), at the heart it is a story about realistic people and how they affect each other as they go through life, about jealousy and prejudice and how events can change when you look at them from different points of view. And what I enjoyed most was the caustic relationship between Jackie and Ford. My grandparents have been married for sixty years and they can't get through a day without snapping and poking at each other-I thought it was wonderful to see an author portray love as something that happens gradually, when you aren't looking; showing it as having more to do with coming to know someone's every quirk and soft spot and habit, all the little niggling details, instead of love-at-first-sight lightning-strike passion, where two characters don't even know each other but are suddenly, implausibly in love. I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to read a story that feels like it could have happened to someone you know, instead of a romantic fantasy.
Fairly Tame Orchids
Famous writer Ford Newcombe has lost his will to write since the death of his beloved wife Pat. Then he meets Jackie Maxwell, a young woman with a mysterious past, who tells him the story of a woman murdered by her townspeople because she loved the devil. Jackie's story sparks Ford's interest, and after he hires her to be his assistant, they travel to Cole Creek, the small town where Jackie's story origninated. While there, Jackie and Ford become closer and the mystery of the devil story deepens as they become entangled in strange events.
I've read many romances and thrillers, and this book was neither. Ford and Jackie's relationship progressed slowly, and while each one had thoughts about liking the other, I didn't feel any chemistry between them. The devil story plot also proceedes slowly, sometimes getting burried in other plots, like the arrival of Ford's cousin and father, who are looking for a home - and reconcilliation with Ford. Nothing about the story gave me any chills, not even the climax - it was rather flat and simple, and the resolution wasn't too spectacular either. It seemed like Ms. Deveraux took a bit of romance, a bit of a ghost story, and a bit of this and that and mixed them together, leaving out the good parts, like a real scare or passion between the leads.
Ms. Devereaux's writing style is also to blame for the shabbines of the novel. I had to skip the first chapter, as she spent 40+ pages on Pat and Pat's family, which not only had very little to do with the plot (a much shorter set up would be better, and I didn't miss anything by skipping it) but also because I'd have never gotten through the book, it was such a dreadful chapter. She alternates chapters in the pov's of Jackie and Ford, which does give the reader a well-rounded view of the events, as we get both their thoughts on everything that happens. However, this seriously inhibits the flow, as each chapter explains an occurrance, and then the next chapter goes over the same events in the other lead's pov. It's a bit like two steps forward, one step back. Also, in several places, Ms. Deveraux writes about what has already happened, but she writes in a present voice that leads the reader to think the story is progressing until they come to the event and realize it had already happened.
"Wild Orchids" is bascially tame and bland. The plot, if told better, could be a first rate romantic thriller. If you're a Jude Deveraux fan, then read it. If not, I don't suggest this book, as I am seriously put off the rest of her books now. Try Nora Roberts or Barbara Michaels instead.
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