Jennifer's Garden [Kindle Edition]

Dianne Venetta (Author)

Book Description

In a race against time, cardiologist Jennifer Hamilton is caught between her mother's dying wish and taking the risk of a lifetime with Jackson Montgomery. He's the man hired to complete the landscaping for her new home; the venue for her upcoming wedding. He's everything she never wanted in a man, but his lure pulls strong, putting her career on the line...

First in a series of three (followed by Lust on the Rocks and Whisper Privileges)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Best in Romance ~ IndieReader.com Discovery Awards 2012

"Frame by frame, Venetta's easy prose tells of a storybook romance woven into the joys and heartbreak of everyday life.  From the glamour of the art world to the tension of the operating room to the glories of nature, this novel resonates on every level."  ~ 4 1/2 stars RT Book Reviews, May 2012

About the Author

Dianne Venetta lives in Central Florida with her husband and two children--and her part-time Yellow Lab (Cody!). An avid gardener, she spends her spare time growing organic vegetables. Surprised by the amazing discoveries she finds there every day, she wondered, "Who knew there were so many similarities between men and plants?"

What began as a brief hiatus from writing has blossomed into an ever-expanding home garden and blog at BloominThyme.com -- stop by and share some tips!

When she's not knee-deep in dirt or romance, Dianne contributes garden advice (challenged!) for various websites (a crazy existence to be sure). But at the end of the day, if she can inspire someone to stop and smell the roses--or rosemary!--kiss their child and spouse good-night, be kind to a neighbor and Mother Earth, then she's done all right.

Her debut novel, JENNIFER'S GARDEN received 4 1/2 stars from RT Book Reviews, May 2012 and won Best in Romance from IndieReader.com Discovery Awards!

Product Details

• File Size: 542 KB
• Print Length: 396 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0983246424
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0050BQZ9E
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,127 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #44 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Women's Fiction
  • #65 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Contemporary Fiction

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read romance! August 22, 2011

By S. Lane

Format:Kindle Edition

I usually read historical romance novels but this one was given to me so I read it. I am sooooo glad I did! A well written story filled with love, happiness & sadness. The characters showed such emotion I could feel it. Two best friends, Sam & Jennifer, that are opposites deal with loved ones and family situations. Then enters Jackson Montgomery, a landscaper and part-time bartender. I won't give away the story but I will say that I want my own Jax! This is one character you can daydream about! There aren't many books that I am sooooo excited about that I just cannot wait to continue to read but 'Jennifer's Garden' is one of those books. All I could think about was what will happen next?! What direction will Jennifer go? Will Jax be there tomorrow? Well worth the read and will definately recommend it.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Light & Airy, An Enjoyable Read April 17, 2012

By Tia Bach

Format:Kindle Edition

Jennifer Hamilton advises people how to take care of their hearts for a living, but can she protect hers? Facing losing her mom, and only family, Jennifer doesn't want to be left alone. Her fiance is just the steady safety net she needs; the fact that he doesn't cause her toes to curl is a minor flaw in the scheme of things.

Not so according to her best friend, Sam. Sam, driven by heat and desire, wants more for Jennifer. Cue Jackson Montgomery, sexy bartender and landscaper. Jax is a man who embraces life and encourages people to live their garden.

With each passing day, Jennifer finds herself more drawn to Jax and less sure of her safe plans, and I found myself rooting for her to go for it.

Some of my favorite books explore female relationships, so I particularly enjoyed Jennifer with her mom and Sam. Maybe because I read Dianne Venetta's Lust on the Rocks first, where Sam is the main character, I was drawn to Sam's character and her free spirited ways throughout. Jax and Jennifer had rooting value, but I wanted more heat sooner.

The writing is engaging, the characters are well-developed, and the romance believable. Venetta has a breeziness to her writing that draws you in and makes you feel at home. I just found her Lust on the Rocks more exciting and memorable. It was the choice between heat and comfort, and I liked the heat but certainly understand there are times for comfort.

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not guaranteed or requested; the opinions expressed are my own.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Summer Read June 6, 2011

By HeatherLaver

Format:Kindle Edition

This is a Great Summer Read. A light and fun afternoon escape. I would recommend this book when you want a romance that can pack a punch or can affect you emotionally. Two friends, two opposite views on love, life and the pursuit of happiness. Add a handsome gardener, some serious chemistry, an alluring attraction mixed with a twist of fate and you have a novel cocktail perfect for a day by the pool.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars 2.5 stars and I'm being generous... September 25, 2012

By D. Richardson VINE™ VOICE

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Warning, spoilers... spoilers ...spoilers... spoilers ...spoilers... spoilers ...spoilers... spoilers ...

This book was boring and a real let down. Jennifer is a top cardiologist in Florida, engaged to be married to Aurelio who owns (or runs?) an art gallery. She wants to please her dying mother by getting married in the garden of the beautiful home she recently purchased. Her home needs landscaping, so at a party at the home of friend, she gets the name of his landscaper who has done a wonderful job at his home. At the party, she meets Jackson who unbeknownst to Jennifer, is bartending that night only as a favor to their mutual friend. Jackson is handsome and charming, but Jennifer dismisses him, because he's only a bartender and she's a doctor (rolling my eyes). The friend makes an appointment for her to meet with his landscaper for a bid. The next morning she opens the door to the bartender (owner of a small landscaping company) and insults him.

What I didn't like--to start with: the mom. The dying mom was so sticky-sweet, she made my teeth hurt. The mom's doctor was shockingly rude and condescending to Jennifer and dismissive of the mother, when discussing her care. The mother then defends him as a good doctor?? What?? I've been around a few doctors, and the way he spoke to Jennifer just wasn't believable. They may snipe in private, but need lip balm for kissing each others' behinds publicly. There is no way that doctor would have spoken to a respected fellow physician like that (especially without cause as shown in the story).

Jennifer is a nice, supposedly intelligent person, in her mid-thirties and a hard-working professional. She acted like a childish snob and had an over-the-top reaction to everything.... She was rude to Jackson simply because he was "Nothing but a bartender." She irritated me so much, I wanted to slap her. I also never got the point of why she (for her mother's sake and love of tradition) was so obsessed with getting married in her own garden, etc. I got that the mom loved flowers but if getting married in a beautiful garden was so important for her wedding and to her dying mom, then she could have bought a place that was already landscaped or had the wedding somewhere else - the whole premise made no sense. The fiance was a cardboard prop and there was no sense that they were a couple in a relationship and about to be married. There was no indication of a sexual relationship, which is almost unheard of, especially for an engaged couple. The wedding appeared important only in relation to the garden and was a weak vehicle to get the two characters together. The way Jennifer carried on about her garden, you would have thought she was marrying a bush or a tree instead of a man!! Jackson was sweet and could have been a great character, but was underdeveloped and the poor thing must have had self-esteem issues, considering that Jennifer treated him like dirt for many pages into the story. Jennifer's best friend, Sam (Samantha), was nothing but a female version of the stereotypical lusty aggressive man who leers at good-looking women. The story could have worked if the characters were more fleshed out, if Jennifer had a better reason for getting married and the author toned down all the to-do over the garden and just made the garden wedding a backdrop to the story. It was like watching an episode of Bridezillas but instead of obsessing over the wedding dress and reception, like most brides-to-be, Jennifer obsessed over her garden. The most interesting part about the story was the garden, which I'm sure was not the author's intent. There was mention of several other hanging plot points, such as the dream about the Greek tycoon and Jackson talking about retiring (at what 36/37?), etc, which I found distracting, rather than interesting. In all, I found the story much ado about nothing... of course, YMMV. Read more ›

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Didnt like the main character - she doesn't deserve him! October 28, 2012

By J. Kutchka

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

The main character was such a snob. She spent the entire book looking down her nose at the landscaper. Ugh!! He should have found someone besides Jennifer.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Romance Novel for Those Who Don't Usually Read the Genre July 23, 2012

By A.M.B.

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Dianne Venetta's JENNIFER'S GARDEN tells the story of Dr. Jennifer Hamilton, an accomplished and ambitious cardiologist in Florida. She is engaged to Aurelio, a wealthy man who treats her well, but whose plans for their future will likely limit Jennifer's ability to balance her career and her personal life in the way she had envisioned. Feeling pressured to marry before her mother passes away from cancer, Jennifer hires a landscape designer and builder, Jax, to transform the dirt surrounding her house into a magnificent garden, where she plans to hold the wedding ceremony. Jax is attractive, intelligent, and considerate, but, in Jennifer's condescending opinion, merely a gardener who bartends on the side. Nevertheless, could he be a better match for her than Aurelio? This is a romance novel, so everyone already knows the answer.

As a person who doesn't typically read romance novels, I liked this one more than I thought I would. Some of the characters annoyed me at first: Jennifer is too snobby for me to root for her, and her best friend Samantha is too overbearing. The novel dragged at the end, too, when miscommunications between Jennifer and Jax prolonged the drama unnecessarily. The novel's strong points, however, include its compelling non-romantic relationships, such as friendships, a sibling relationship, and mother-child bonds, and its underlying theme of what should constitute a good marriage: one based on mutual compromise or one based on traditional gender roles, where the man is the dominant partner.

I recommend this book, particularly for people who like women's fiction/chick lit but who don't usually read pure romance novels.

More About the Author

Dianne Venetta lives in Central Florida with her husband and two children--and her part-time Yellow Lab (Cody!). An avid gardener, she spends her spare time growing organic vegetables. Surprised by the amazing discoveries she finds there every day, she wondered, "Who knew there were so many similarities between men and plants?"

What began as a brief hiatus from writing has blossomed into an ever-expanding home garden and blog at BloominThyme.com -- stop by and share some tips!

When she's not knee-deep in dirt or romance, Dianne contributes garden advice (challenged!) for various websites (a crazy existence to be sure). But at the end of the day, if she can inspire someone to stop and smell the roses--or rosemary!--kiss their child and spouse good-night, be kind to a neighbor and Mother Earth, then she's done all right.

Her debut novel, JENNIFER'S GARDEN received 4 1/2 stars from RT Book Reviews, May 2012!