luvbrxtt's review against another edition
4.0
Beautiful! As with every Lucinda Riley I really enjoyed reading ‘the Lavender Garden’! Beautiful story and really easy to read!
mandyist's review against another edition
1.0
I'm beyond stunned that this book is getting such good reviews. I have never read such an offensive piece of rubbish. This book moved from the despairing to the ignorant to the downright offensive.
Sometimes in books it is the little comments that betray the author's own beliefs, positions and ignorance. A blind woman who can't travel abroad because of her "disability", main characters who are Nazi sympathisers, and the painting of an addict as "dreadful" without an attempt to understand.
Perhaps I'm too independent, not small minded enough to enjoy this book?
A couple of choice comments and quotes:
"Drug-dependent paraplegic". Really. Could you get any more offensive?
Yes, it appears that you can:
"Drunken, paraplegic lunatic".
"Mad brother".
"Jacques was a man. He wouldn't understand".
"Whatever his nationality, political persuasion or even what he may have done over the past few years, this was a human being who currently deserved sympathy" - of a high ranking Nazi SS officer.
And then the Nazi goes on to lament how he had no choice but to join the Nazi Intelligence Service and kill thousands of people. Really? Because I personally know a man who escaped over land and sea, stowing away on boats and nearly dying on more than one occasion before finally arriving in South Africa. He did that to avoid becoming a Nazi. Not all Germans were Nazis but please don't go making excuses for one of Hitler's highest ranking officers.
Oh wow. My final thoughts on finishing the book? Disgust. Utter disgust. A happy ending for a high-ranking Nazi who managed to live undetected in France for 55 years? No, thank you.
Sometimes in books it is the little comments that betray the author's own beliefs, positions and ignorance. A blind woman who can't travel abroad because of her "disability", main characters who are Nazi sympathisers, and the painting of an addict as "dreadful" without an attempt to understand.
Perhaps I'm too independent, not small minded enough to enjoy this book?
A couple of choice comments and quotes:
"Drug-dependent paraplegic". Really. Could you get any more offensive?
Yes, it appears that you can:
"Drunken, paraplegic lunatic".
"Mad brother".
"Jacques was a man. He wouldn't understand".
"Whatever his nationality, political persuasion or even what he may have done over the past few years, this was a human being who currently deserved sympathy" - of a high ranking Nazi SS officer.
And then the Nazi goes on to lament how he had no choice but to join the Nazi Intelligence Service and kill thousands of people. Really? Because I personally know a man who escaped over land and sea, stowing away on boats and nearly dying on more than one occasion before finally arriving in South Africa. He did that to avoid becoming a Nazi. Not all Germans were Nazis but please don't go making excuses for one of Hitler's highest ranking officers.
Oh wow. My final thoughts on finishing the book? Disgust. Utter disgust. A happy ending for a high-ranking Nazi who managed to live undetected in France for 55 years? No, thank you.
kfrickle's review against another edition
I was interested in one timeline only. The present day timeline, I felt the character was not relatable to me, and her relationship was too fast paced (It is a hit or miss for me with fast paced relationships in books). <Spoiler> The 2nd timeline was interesting until I got to a part of the book were the main character is caught in a predicament where she has to "play a part" as a single woman. (She is married but the husband has no idea she is in France working as a spy). She is being "courted" by a Nazi, and he is basically harassing her. When she tells the person that she is living with (who knows she is a spy) he tells her that for the sake of her life (as a spy) and the lives of others, she would have to endure this man's advances. They don't want to give the Nazi any notion of her being a spy or working for the spy network. <Spoiler> I didn't want to read anymore from the book because that is not a theme I typically like to read.
ellie_grainger's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kayto4's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first Lucinda Riley book! It reminded me a bit of a Gothic novel with Emilie's setting and circumstances. I very much enjoyed Connie's part of the story and how her life effected Emilie. Other characters were a bit predictable (I'm looking at you Sophia and Sebastian...) but it was never a turn off from reading. A few times I was even suprised!
I wrote more about what I thought about it here at my new book blog!
I wrote more about what I thought about it here at my new book blog!
gloriamitchell821196844's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
srem's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
rubyscholtens's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25