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lmrivas54's review against another edition
5.0
Liked the references to meaning of flowers, liked the couple that Gideon and Caitlin made. I also liked that their interactions were realistic, with normal insecurities and doubts, no excessive stubborness that is sometimes presented as the plot and so annoying.
leasummer's review against another edition
4.0
Typical chick-lit: love comes home, angst, heartbreak, struggling to find their way back together, loss, and then the end...Love.
This was a good story, relevant to the times, enjoyed it. Read 2 of the 4 in this series.
This was a good story, relevant to the times, enjoyed it. Read 2 of the 4 in this series.
charms1976's review against another edition
4.0
I am in love with this author and her novels! I always love the people of Twilight, Texas that she introduces me to with each new installment of the series. Not only does she bring new romance with each book, but she also does my favorite thing and bring back characters from the previous books! I love when an author reminds the reader of previous books in the series by integrating them into the current read.
With this book, we meet Caitlyn Marsh who owns the florist shop in town. After having a whirlwind romance as a teenager with Gideon Garza, she discovers that she is pregnant and hires a detective to locate him after he enlists in the army after a run in with the law. The detective informs her that he died in service and she finds herself devastated. What she doesn't know is that someone paid off the detective back then and made him lie about Gideon being dead. Caitlyn moves on with her life and marries the local florist in town. Her son is given a name, but everyone in town knows the truth of who the father really is.
Gideon was the result of an affair between one of the richest men in town and the hired help. His true father refuses to acknowledge him when Gideon confronts him with the paternity issue and it angers him to the point that he burns the rich mans barn to the ground. Caitlyn's father, who happens to be the judge in town, offers him the ultimatum of jail time or army time. While Gideon chooses the army, he never expected to lose not only the love of his life, but also his hand in a bombing.
When Gideon's father passes away, he is shocked to learn that he has just inherited the ranch and the bulk of his monetary estate. Add to this the anger from two half brothers still coping with the death of their father, and you can guarantee there is going to be some turmoil and revenge. Now Gideon must return to Twilight and figure out if he wants to accept the money and ranch, or stay away from the love of his life for good. Upon returning to Twilight, Gideon finds out he is a Father and is shocked at the lengths that people took to keep Caitlyn out of his life. When they both discover the truth though, their romance blossoms again and second chances are given.
While I enjoyed this story, it is not one of my favorites of the series. I enjoyed the writing and the characters discovery of second chances, but I wish the author would have give us a chapter or two of the couple as a teenagers first before starting the current time frame. I think if I would have read how the interacted as teens, I would have enjoyed their story more and could have understood how much they each suffered over the years.
Other than that one point above, the book was a great new addition to the series. I still wish I could find myself in the fictional town of Twilight, Texas and enjoy each character on a daily basis. A sweet romance to satisfy that sweet tooth when we want a true romance book to read.
With this book, we meet Caitlyn Marsh who owns the florist shop in town. After having a whirlwind romance as a teenager with Gideon Garza, she discovers that she is pregnant and hires a detective to locate him after he enlists in the army after a run in with the law. The detective informs her that he died in service and she finds herself devastated. What she doesn't know is that someone paid off the detective back then and made him lie about Gideon being dead. Caitlyn moves on with her life and marries the local florist in town. Her son is given a name, but everyone in town knows the truth of who the father really is.
Gideon was the result of an affair between one of the richest men in town and the hired help. His true father refuses to acknowledge him when Gideon confronts him with the paternity issue and it angers him to the point that he burns the rich mans barn to the ground. Caitlyn's father, who happens to be the judge in town, offers him the ultimatum of jail time or army time. While Gideon chooses the army, he never expected to lose not only the love of his life, but also his hand in a bombing.
When Gideon's father passes away, he is shocked to learn that he has just inherited the ranch and the bulk of his monetary estate. Add to this the anger from two half brothers still coping with the death of their father, and you can guarantee there is going to be some turmoil and revenge. Now Gideon must return to Twilight and figure out if he wants to accept the money and ranch, or stay away from the love of his life for good. Upon returning to Twilight, Gideon finds out he is a Father and is shocked at the lengths that people took to keep Caitlyn out of his life. When they both discover the truth though, their romance blossoms again and second chances are given.
While I enjoyed this story, it is not one of my favorites of the series. I enjoyed the writing and the characters discovery of second chances, but I wish the author would have give us a chapter or two of the couple as a teenagers first before starting the current time frame. I think if I would have read how the interacted as teens, I would have enjoyed their story more and could have understood how much they each suffered over the years.
Other than that one point above, the book was a great new addition to the series. I still wish I could find myself in the fictional town of Twilight, Texas and enjoy each character on a daily basis. A sweet romance to satisfy that sweet tooth when we want a true romance book to read.
jbarr5's review against another edition
4.0
The Welcome Home Garden Club by Lori Wilde
Kaitlan runs the garden club and she supplies funerals and weddings with the flower arrangements. Members try to matchmake and find dates for her.
Cool that some meanings of some flowers are at the beginning of every chapter.
Legend of the fountain where you throw a penny into it and you'd find her true love is prevalent in this book as the others. It's a Twilight, TX tradition.
at a funeral for another Marine Giddeon rides up on his Indian motorcycle, she thought he had died in the war.
Love how the book got it's name and what it stands for. Like how she is working towards getting into her fathers life again and how he rushes to her when she's in the operating room.
Love the whole thing about the carousel horses and how it brings the whole family together.
Kaitlan runs the garden club and she supplies funerals and weddings with the flower arrangements. Members try to matchmake and find dates for her.
Cool that some meanings of some flowers are at the beginning of every chapter.
Legend of the fountain where you throw a penny into it and you'd find her true love is prevalent in this book as the others. It's a Twilight, TX tradition.
at a funeral for another Marine Giddeon rides up on his Indian motorcycle, she thought he had died in the war.
Love how the book got it's name and what it stands for. Like how she is working towards getting into her fathers life again and how he rushes to her when she's in the operating room.
Love the whole thing about the carousel horses and how it brings the whole family together.
gypsybaby75's review against another edition
5.0
Book 4 in the Twilight Texas series finds Caitlyn Marsh raising her son in the small community of Twilight, Texas after her husband is killed in a freak accident. Not to fear though, because the members of the local garden club rally around her in support. That is until Local bad boy turned local war hero Gideon Garza returns from the war a scarred man.
Caitlyn Marsh has found strength from her friends and fellow members of the local garden club in her hometown after her husband is killed by a lightning bolt while working on the roof of his house. Caitlyn knows that it will be rough raising a boy without a father figure around, but knows she will have to be the mother and the father to him from now on, that is until her childhood sweetheart and local bad boy Gideon Garza comes back to town after the war. Why did he mysteriously leave town all those years ago just when their relationship was taking off and why was he back?
Gideon Garza knew that he was never good enough for the daughter of the mayor, but they were in love and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. He should have known it would never had lasted, not with her father always around. Just when he and Caitlyn solidify their plans of running away together, her father sends him packing and into the front lines of the war in Iraq. Returning to town years later, Gideon discovers Caitlyn again with a son that looks exactly like him. How could the people in town think this was not is child? He knows one thing is for sure, Caitlyn is going to have a heck of a time explaining why she never told him he had a son.
The Welcome Home Garden Club is a sweet read. The town of Twilight feels cozy, the characters were endearing and the love between Gideon and Caitlyn is down to earth. 5 stars
Caitlyn Marsh has found strength from her friends and fellow members of the local garden club in her hometown after her husband is killed by a lightning bolt while working on the roof of his house. Caitlyn knows that it will be rough raising a boy without a father figure around, but knows she will have to be the mother and the father to him from now on, that is until her childhood sweetheart and local bad boy Gideon Garza comes back to town after the war. Why did he mysteriously leave town all those years ago just when their relationship was taking off and why was he back?
Gideon Garza knew that he was never good enough for the daughter of the mayor, but they were in love and wanted to spend the rest of their lives together. He should have known it would never had lasted, not with her father always around. Just when he and Caitlyn solidify their plans of running away together, her father sends him packing and into the front lines of the war in Iraq. Returning to town years later, Gideon discovers Caitlyn again with a son that looks exactly like him. How could the people in town think this was not is child? He knows one thing is for sure, Caitlyn is going to have a heck of a time explaining why she never told him he had a son.
The Welcome Home Garden Club is a sweet read. The town of Twilight feels cozy, the characters were endearing and the love between Gideon and Caitlyn is down to earth. 5 stars
scoutmomskf's review against another edition
5.0
I love stories about military/former military characters and this was just as good as I had expected. Gideon and Caitlyn had been high school sweethearts. She was the daughter of the local judge and he was the bad boy from the wrong side of town, but that didn't matter to them. When Gideon ends up in trouble with the law, he's given the choice of jail or the military. He left town, not knowing that Caitlyn was pregnant, and her father arranged things so that Caitlyn was told that Gideon was killed in action. She married another man who gave her and her son a place until he died. Now she's raising her son alone and trying to get her life back together.
I really liked Gideon. He had had a rough start in life. His father never acknowledged his existence, so he and his mother had been very poor as he was growing up. He didn't find out his father's identity until his mother died, and his confrontation with dad didn't go well. The only thing that had made his life bearable was his relationship with Caitlyn. That ended when he was forced into the military. He tried writing to her, but the letters came back marked refused. Feeling hurt and betrayed, he tried to forget her and concentrated on his career. After losing part of his arm in the war, he started working as security and a translator, until called back home by the death of his father. During his first encounter with Caitlyn he discovers that she thought he was dead and they'd been kept apart by her father. He also finds out that he is the father of her son. He goes from planning to leave town as soon as possible, to deciding to stay to be close to Caitlyn and Danny. Gideon has a lot of things working against his desire to get closer to Caitlyn and Danny. He feels that his disability makes it impossible for anyone to really care for him. He also feels that the things he had to do during the war have created a darkness in him that makes him unworthy of Caitlyn's love. I liked the way that he planned to stay and try to be a father to Danny. He also realized that his feelings for Caitlyn had never gone away and were only getting stronger. His issues had made him withdraw into himself, but being around Caitlyn was bringing him back to life, but he still worried about his past causing her harm. One of the things I liked best about him was that he was finally able to accept the help that was offered by other veterans. It was so hard for him to do, but he did it because of his love for Caitlyn and Danny.
Caitlyn had also been through a lot. Her father's overprotectiveness and then his fury at her pregnancy had driven a wedge between them. After finding out that Gideon was dead, she accepted the proposal of a man who promised he would care for her and treat her baby like his own. They had a satisfactory life together until he died. At that point she had to develop a lot more independence. She is shocked by Gideon's return and doesn't know how to tell him about his son. She also realizes that the old feelings are still there, but she is wary about following through on them. She can see that he is very different from the boy she used to know and doesn't want to risk her heart or her son's happiness. I loved seeing her get to know the new Gideon. She was able to break through some of his walls and show him that she accepted him just the way he was. It was still a hard road to overcome her own fears and then to help Gideon face his.
I really liked the attention paid to Gideon and his issues. He wasn't portrayed as a victim, but simply as a man trying to reacquaint himself with normal life. We get a good look at what has changed him from the boy Caitlyn used to know into the man he is today. I liked seeing the support he got from the other people in town. I also liked the way that fellow veterans let him know they were available to help but didn't try to force themselves on him.
I really enjoyed the gardening aspect of the story. The meanings of the flowers at the beginning of each chapter, and the way they related to the chapter itself was beautiful. The victory garden contest was great. I loved their idea of what they wanted and the reasoning behind their choice. The twist at the end was fantastic.
I really liked Gideon. He had had a rough start in life. His father never acknowledged his existence, so he and his mother had been very poor as he was growing up. He didn't find out his father's identity until his mother died, and his confrontation with dad didn't go well. The only thing that had made his life bearable was his relationship with Caitlyn. That ended when he was forced into the military. He tried writing to her, but the letters came back marked refused. Feeling hurt and betrayed, he tried to forget her and concentrated on his career. After losing part of his arm in the war, he started working as security and a translator, until called back home by the death of his father. During his first encounter with Caitlyn he discovers that she thought he was dead and they'd been kept apart by her father. He also finds out that he is the father of her son. He goes from planning to leave town as soon as possible, to deciding to stay to be close to Caitlyn and Danny. Gideon has a lot of things working against his desire to get closer to Caitlyn and Danny. He feels that his disability makes it impossible for anyone to really care for him. He also feels that the things he had to do during the war have created a darkness in him that makes him unworthy of Caitlyn's love. I liked the way that he planned to stay and try to be a father to Danny. He also realized that his feelings for Caitlyn had never gone away and were only getting stronger. His issues had made him withdraw into himself, but being around Caitlyn was bringing him back to life, but he still worried about his past causing her harm. One of the things I liked best about him was that he was finally able to accept the help that was offered by other veterans. It was so hard for him to do, but he did it because of his love for Caitlyn and Danny.
Caitlyn had also been through a lot. Her father's overprotectiveness and then his fury at her pregnancy had driven a wedge between them. After finding out that Gideon was dead, she accepted the proposal of a man who promised he would care for her and treat her baby like his own. They had a satisfactory life together until he died. At that point she had to develop a lot more independence. She is shocked by Gideon's return and doesn't know how to tell him about his son. She also realizes that the old feelings are still there, but she is wary about following through on them. She can see that he is very different from the boy she used to know and doesn't want to risk her heart or her son's happiness. I loved seeing her get to know the new Gideon. She was able to break through some of his walls and show him that she accepted him just the way he was. It was still a hard road to overcome her own fears and then to help Gideon face his.
I really liked the attention paid to Gideon and his issues. He wasn't portrayed as a victim, but simply as a man trying to reacquaint himself with normal life. We get a good look at what has changed him from the boy Caitlyn used to know into the man he is today. I liked seeing the support he got from the other people in town. I also liked the way that fellow veterans let him know they were available to help but didn't try to force themselves on him.
I really enjoyed the gardening aspect of the story. The meanings of the flowers at the beginning of each chapter, and the way they related to the chapter itself was beautiful. The victory garden contest was great. I loved their idea of what they wanted and the reasoning behind their choice. The twist at the end was fantastic.
asalters's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first time reading anything by this author. I thought this book was good though I guess I would have liked to see more of the details in the story with regards to the forgiveness of certain characters and more background to each of the characters themselves. Take for instance Gideon. We know he was in Afghanistan and he lost his hand there but we didn't really know that he had a head injury the first time. We didn't even know that there was a first time until later in the story.
I will definitely read more from this author. In fact the blurb at the end of this book about the next book she has coming out sounds really fun! Then again, I have a thing for cowboys so it could be that too!
I will definitely read more from this author. In fact the blurb at the end of this book about the next book she has coming out sounds really fun! Then again, I have a thing for cowboys so it could be that too!
loverofromance's review against another edition
5.0
Caitlyn Marsh, fell in love with Gideon Garza, but her father drove him out of town and she believed him to be dead all these years, and she has had to raise their son all on her own, still aching for Gideon and the love that they shared. But then he appears in Twilight and like a ghost she has no idea how to handle that he has been ALIVE. Gideon was born a 'bastard' and his father and brothers never have accepted him. He was driven out of his hometown, and joined the military, but lost something precious when a bomb exploded. When he learns that his father has died, he is summoned to Twilight, and Gideon knows this is the one way to get closure from his past so that he can move on with his future. But there is one person he doesn't know he can ever get closure with and that is Caitlyn. When he learns that he has a son, and a chance to be with Caitylyn he is determined as ever to win her forever...no matter what it takes.
Oh my what a lovely romance this turned out to be. I know that I keep saying this every time I read Wilde's stories, but can I just say she has to be one of my top top TOP favorite contemporary romance authors to read from, she knows how to write the best ones, and The Welcome Home Garden Club is definitely at the top of my list. I can't believe how much I loved this one. Quite frankly I love reunion romances, especially when you have the added bonus of a child. Lori Wilde has such a beautiful way of creating truly magical stories that wraps its way around your heart and holds on forever. A beyond memorable story.
It begins with Caitlyn in Twilight, where she and other members of the "Garden Club" decide to put a carousel--the carousel that has been in her family for generations, and create a garden circling around it with a "Welcome Home" theme, so they can win a contest. Tensions are still pretty high between Caitylyn and her father, and her father, well he basically has done some awful things, but we see his side of things and how much he regrets the past and all he wants is reconciliations with his daughter, a daughter that wants nothing to do with him. I fully understood why, and I don't blame her for her harsh feelings toward her father, because of him she has had to raise her son on her own. Then the least expected happens, the man she loved more than life and thought dead has arrived back in town, and wants her back in his life. Gideon has been serving in the military, believing he would never see Caitlyn again even though he still loves her. You see even though the last thing he wants is to stay in Twilight, learning about a son he never knew about changes everything. Gideon and Caityln have some powerful sparks and they start to reconnect.
It is definitely a emotional driven story and it had me in its tender hooks from the first few chapters. You can't help but be captivated by the set up of the story, and add the authors storytelling ability...good luck putting this one down, you won't regret it. What sexy fun this one was. The heat in it is pretty light, but I was in the mood for that, and I loved the focus on the building of the relationship and it had such a charming tone to it that you are captivated. Fun, Sweet and packed with everything you need for a solid romance!! UTTERLY CHARMING!
Oh my what a lovely romance this turned out to be. I know that I keep saying this every time I read Wilde's stories, but can I just say she has to be one of my top top TOP favorite contemporary romance authors to read from, she knows how to write the best ones, and The Welcome Home Garden Club is definitely at the top of my list. I can't believe how much I loved this one. Quite frankly I love reunion romances, especially when you have the added bonus of a child. Lori Wilde has such a beautiful way of creating truly magical stories that wraps its way around your heart and holds on forever. A beyond memorable story.
It begins with Caitlyn in Twilight, where she and other members of the "Garden Club" decide to put a carousel--the carousel that has been in her family for generations, and create a garden circling around it with a "Welcome Home" theme, so they can win a contest. Tensions are still pretty high between Caitylyn and her father, and her father, well he basically has done some awful things, but we see his side of things and how much he regrets the past and all he wants is reconciliations with his daughter, a daughter that wants nothing to do with him. I fully understood why, and I don't blame her for her harsh feelings toward her father, because of him she has had to raise her son on her own. Then the least expected happens, the man she loved more than life and thought dead has arrived back in town, and wants her back in his life. Gideon has been serving in the military, believing he would never see Caitlyn again even though he still loves her. You see even though the last thing he wants is to stay in Twilight, learning about a son he never knew about changes everything. Gideon and Caityln have some powerful sparks and they start to reconnect.
It is definitely a emotional driven story and it had me in its tender hooks from the first few chapters. You can't help but be captivated by the set up of the story, and add the authors storytelling ability...good luck putting this one down, you won't regret it. What sexy fun this one was. The heat in it is pretty light, but I was in the mood for that, and I loved the focus on the building of the relationship and it had such a charming tone to it that you are captivated. Fun, Sweet and packed with everything you need for a solid romance!! UTTERLY CHARMING!
ymiranda's review against another edition
4.0
I needed small town romance for my lunch break!
4 stars - I really enjoy reading Lori Wilde's small town romances.
4 stars - I really enjoy reading Lori Wilde's small town romances.
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