From Publishers Weekly
Set in California's Santa Cruz mountains, Gould's (Till the End of Time; Rhapsody) new drama tells a story of selfless love colored by the machinations of players in the high-stakes orchid business. But plot clich?s and hyperventilated dialogue mar this tale of jealousy, betrayal and sacrifice. Young, attractive couple Josh and Joanna Lawrence run a successful nursery, supplying some of the world's most sought-after orchids. The Lawrences inherited the business from Joanna's father, along with a gorgeous mansion and the Lawrence family maid, Connie Cespedes. Connie's brother, Carl, manages the greenhouses and his wife, Luna, handles administrative matters. All appears serene in this close-knit enterprise, but Joanna is hiding a secret from Josh: she has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and has only a few months to live. Before she dies, she wants to complete two projects, one of which is to build a peaceful grotto in an old stone building behind the house. In hiring artist April Woodward to carry out her plan, Joanna fulfills her second purpose, which is to prepare for her successor in Josh's life, by cultivating a friendship with April and bringing her into their home. Meanwhile, Joanna's jealous sister, Christina, is busy trying to ruin her sister's happiness. The thrice-divorced Christina begins an affair with Peter Rossi, the unscrupulous owner of a rival orchid nursery. Together, they attempt to sabotage the Lawrence greenhouse and force Joanna and Josh to sell out, eliciting the aid of one of the Lawrences' trusted employees. Despite the stretch of credibility that Joanna's noble sacrifice requires, this might have been a sensitive, quirky tribute to selfless love. But its lack of stylistic grace and a predictable denouement worthy of a bodice-ripper keep it soapily formulaic. (Aug.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Joanna Lawrence has a plan, and loveDin perhaps its purest formDmakes it successful. Joanna and her husband, Josh, live in the mountains near the Monterey coast, a beautiful setting where they grow orchids. A lover of shells and art, Joanna develops a project that uses the shells she has been collecting for years on the walls of a grotto in her garden to reflect her family's longstanding connection with orchids. Joanna asks artist April Woodward to bring the seashell-covered walls of the grotto to life. In so doing, Joanna discovers that her love for Josh and her concern for his future are both connected to April. As always, Gould (Second Love: Till the End of Time) not only offers love (with some sex) but also insight into an usual environmentDin this case orchid farming.
-DAnnelle R. Huggins, Univ. of Memphis Lib., TN Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
