REVIEW: Always Orchid by Carol Van Den Hende is a must read. It is actually the third book in the series about a woman named Orchid. This book is written as a stand alone novel and if you don’t read the other two books you won’t be lost at all. In fact, I still have not gone back and read the first book yet. I will. I just have to find the time in my packed schedule. I loved these two books that I read and they pulled out so many emotions from my heart, soul and right down to my tippy toes!

This book is about Orchid and all that she has gone through in her life. She has had a major tragedy that will never leave her. Phoenix Walker becomes her love interest. These two have not come through life unscathed. Phoenix is a man to look up to and has also had tragedy in his life. 

What I really like about these books is the insights we get into what each of them are thinking. Do we ever feel like we are enough for the one we love? What these two go through and what they have gone through and still they keep trying. They sometimes work together and sometimes they pull apart. I was always pulling for them and you will too as you read their story.

I don’t want to ruin anything for you but, I will say this. If more people put the work and love into their relationships that these two do there would be more successful unions. I’m not saying one way or the other whether they make it. I’m just saying the effort was there. I admire them and this book.

This book deals with disabilities and how they are seen in different parts of the world and the superstitions about folks with disabilities. I didn’t know some of this before reading Always Orchid. I think you will love the charitable spirit that comes out of this book. There are so many things to love about this story. There is also a homeless man that we meet and learn to admire for the steps he takes in his life.

This book is not all fluff and not just a love story. This book has a lot of good that comes out of it. We all need to look harder at how disabled people are treated and at why we have so many homeless people in our country. This is a beautifully written story and I highly recommend you picking up a copy for yourself.

If you love a book that makes you stop and think. That makes you actually put the book down and think about your preconceived notions then this just might be the book you need to read next. Until next time…Happy Reading!

I received a complimentary copy from the author. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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SYNOPSIS: “An engrossing, inspiring depiction of traumatized individuals growing amidst challenges.” — Kirkus Reviews

He almost let her go. Her past could tear them apart. But a love like theirs is worth fighting for…

Phoenix Walker will never be the same. Nine months after a heroic act leaves him forever changed, he refuses to hurt Orchid Paige ever again.

Orchid is ready to forgive. Convincing her guy she still loves him, no matter his injuries, she works to rebuild their intimacy. But their move to her family’s ancestral country unveils China’s superstitions against people with disabilities. Worse, their friend’s life has been upended by those prejudices.

Will Phoenix and Orchid find a way to beat the odds and turn discrimination into acceptance?

Always Orchid is the riveting third book in the Goodbye, Orchid contemporary fiction series. If you like relatable characters, surprising twists, and stories that pull on your emotions, then you’ll love award-winning author Carol Van Den Hende’s journey to unconditional acceptance.

American Fiction Award Winner Multicultural Fiction. Shortlisted Hawthorne Prize for Fiction. Longlisted Chatelaine Award. Pulpwood Queens 2024 Book-of-the-Month.

Book 1: Orchid Blooming
Book 2: Goodbye Orchid
Book 3: Always Orchid (can be read as standalone)