Carol Van Den Hende

I have been with Phoenix and Orchid since the very beginning on their journey. They have endured so much heartache. Yet, they both have shown great resilience and their love for one another has only grown stronger.

"What did one man's action have to do with the care of the other?"

I am so invested in Phoenix and Orchid' story that my heart just ached so much that it felt like there was a vice grip on it the whole time. When the highs were high, I rejoiced and then they were low, I was sad.

If you have not read any of these books by Carol, you need to as all of the book awards are very much earned. Carol takes me on beautiful journeys with each book. Carol is my "always" recommended read author!… (more)

As I close the book, I feel emotionally drained. What a story! What an emotional rollercoaster! This book brought to mind the 1957 romantic movie “An Affair to Remember.” Did you see it? Two people fall in love and promise to meet up in six months atop the Empire State Building. On that day, the woman is running late. She jumps out of her taxi and gets hit by a car, resulting in her being a paraplegic. She does not want her love to see her, so she ignores his attempts to contact her.

“Goodbye, Orchid” is a modern version of that story. Deeply in love, Phoenix sees Orchid off to her adventure in China. But a tragic accident in the subway leaves Phoenix a broken man. Now he has to make the hardest decision of his life. He believes it would be best to let Orchid go in order to protect her from his trauma.

The author has delivered a real page turner! A story of love, sacrifice, and resilience. This story is very raw with emotion. The author has very realistically presented a character going through the stages of grief – facing the loss of the life he had, trying to build a new life, the blow to his self-esteem, and the perception of how others may now see him.

And then there is Orchid. She is so confused, not knowing why Phoenix has rejected her. Orchid has her own trauma to overcome, and it may prevent her from being able to accept Phoenix as he is now.

Both Phoenix and Orchid will need to dig deep into their own perceived inadequacies if they are to find their way back to each other.

I highly recommend these two beautifully written books – “Orchid Blooming” and “Goodbye, Orchid.”… (more)

After her parents tragic death Orchid Paige yearns to win a promotion to China to connect to her mom’s ancestry. But with competition fierce, she despairs she’ll never make the grade until she meets an encouraging. After Orchid convinces the handsome entrepreneur to let her gain experience at his nonprofit project, she’s determined to keep their relationship professional and ignore their attraction. But when working on his military ad campaign for veterans she fears her confident mentor may be too good to be true even if she could trust him with her heart.

This is a heartwarming love story. With great writing and interesting and complex characters this story will appeal to many readers! It touches on PTSD and childhood trauma but it's also about healing and moving on. It's a slow burn emotional and thought provoking novel that will capture many readers!… (more)

Manhattan entrepreneur Phoenix Walker accompanies his love, Orchid, to the airport. Neither believes today is goodbye. But after she leaves, disaster strikes. Phoenix wakes in the hospital, broken, forever changed. He longs for Orchid. Now, he's faced with the hardest decision of his life. Does he burden the woman whose traumatic past makes him feel protective of her? Or does true love mean leaving her?

Such a beautifully written story! It's a love story but so much more! Orchid and Phoenix's story reminds us that sometimes love really can conquer all. I really enjoyed being able to hear from both of them. It really paints a clear picture. Just a heads up once you start reading you won't be able to stop! Once again a powerful, emotional and thought provoking page turner!
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