The Welcome Home Garden Club: A Twilight, Texas Novel (Twilight, Texas Novels) [Mass Market Paperback]

Lori Wilde (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 29, 2011 | Series: Twilight, Texas Novels

The fourth book in New York Times bestselling author Lori Wilde’s Twilight, Texas series, The Welcome Home Garden Club is a wonderfully poignant contemporary romance novel that captures the everyday magic of small-town life and love. Fans of Sherryl Woods, Susan Wiggs, Susan Mallery, and Debbie Macomber will treasure this love story about a Green Beret hero who returns to his home town with one goal in mind: to win back the heart of the girl he left behind.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Traditional meaning of Pink and White Roses: I love you still and always will.

Caitlyn Marsh stopped believing in happily-ever-after when high-school sweetheart, Gideon Garza, left for Iraq. Now she raises her small son while her matchmaking gardening club members drive her crazy. Then Caitlyn's world turns upside-down when Gideon swaggers back to Twilight.

Gideon had left town in the middle of night with threats ringing in his ears. A lot of things have changed since then. This bad boy-turned-Green Beret bears scars from the war, the timid girl he loved is an independent mother, and the father who refused to recognize his son in life has, in death, left him a vast cattle ranch.

He still aches for Caitlyn, and now there's a dark-haired boy who looks exactly like Gideon did at that age. Could the child be his? And can this war-weary soldier overcome the scars of the past to claim the family he so richly deserves?

About the Author

Lori Wilde is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty-five books. A former RITA finalist, Lori has received the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, the Holt Medallion, the Booksellers Best, the National Readers' Choice, and numerous other honors. She lives in Weatherford, Texas, with her husband and a wide assortment of pets.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Avon (March 29, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 006198843X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061988431
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (48 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #521,194 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

BIO

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Lori Wilde has sold sixty-nine novels to four major New York Publishing houses. She holds a bachelors degree in nursing from Texas Christian University and a certificate in forensics. She volunteers as a sexual assault first responder for Freedom House, a shelter for battered women. She has also served as the RWA National conference workshop chair and PAN retreat chair. In 2007 she was honored by her local college as alumna of the year.

Lori is a two-time RITA finalist and has four times been nominated for Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award. She's won the Colorado Award of Excellence, the Wisconsin Write Touch Award, The Lories, The More Than Maggie, the Golden Quill, The Laurel Wreath and The BestBooks of 2006 Book Award.

Her books have been translated into 25 languages and featured in Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Complete Woman, All You, Time and Quick and Simple magazines. She lives in Texas with her husband, Bill.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous! March 31, 2011

By Vanetta Quintana

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Book four, The Welcome Home Garden Club, was very well written. I loved how she put some of "today's" issues going on with a Green Beret in the Army. I couldn't put the book down.

I love all the "first love" books in this series, makes you think that "dreams" can come true in real life.

This book can be read as a stand alone, but once you read this one you will want to read the entire series! :)

Some sexual content, not to strong, but cautious for Younger Readers.

10-Stars for Lori! :)

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it! April 11, 2011

By Reader in Michigan

Format:Mass Market Paperback

It (the new Lori Wilde book) had me from the last sentence of the prologue.
"Then he stripped off his helmet, pulled away his goggles, and Caitlyn stared straight into the eyes of a dead man." Goosebumps popped out on my arms when I read this and I just knew I was going to love this story.

"The Welcome Home Garden Club" is the fifth of her Twilight, Texas series, and another winner as far as I'm concerned. This heart-warming story is one of Wilde's best. By the way, all of the other books in this series are very good and I have enjoyed reading all of them. The True Love Quilting Club (Avon Romance) The Sweethearts' Knitting Club The First Love Cookie Club

All of the books have endearing characters, just the right amount of sweet & spicy sex and stories, which will twist your heart but leave you feeling good with a happy ending. And that's why I read romance, and Lori Wilde is one of the best romance authors writing today. This book jumps to the top of my favorites-list from this author, for several reasons. I think it has some of her best story-telling. She is masterful at showing the reader -painting pictures with her words - rather than simply telling us. Our journey through the story is even more enjoyable because of this.
Her humor is also evident. One of my favorite passages is when she explains how the hero of the story, Gideon Garza gets his nickname, Giddy. Fun!

Each chapter begins with the traditional meaning of a flower. A clever and significant addition to the story, entwined nicely since the heroine, Caitlyn Marsh, is the town florist, who has a penchant for flowers and plants.
The story unfolds when the garden club asks Caitlyn to design a victory garden for a contest they want to enter; she is intrigued and is the natural person for the job. Caitlyn also has a personal reason for designing a very special victory garden, she intends to honor her first love, Gideon, who she believes died oversees after he enlisted when they were very young.
When Gideon, the war-weary, former Green Beret returns to Twilight for his father's funeral, Caitlyn is shocked and a sweet and romantic tale unwinds between these two soul mates, fate brought back together.

There is a sprinkling of characters from her previous Twilight stories, something I love. I like to keep in touch with characters once I have invested in their happily ever after.

Ms. Wilde's simple acknowledgement in the front of the book sets the tone for her story. She wrote, "Thank you to all the servicemen and women who daily put their lives on the line to give the rest of us our freedom. God Bless You."

I recommend this book (and all of Lori Wilde's books). If you are a romantic at heart and/or simply enjoy a good romantic book this one is sure to please you.
You might also enjoy The Wedding Veil Wishes series by Lori Wilde:
There Goes the Bride
Addicted to Love (Wedding Veil Wishes)
All of Me
Once Smitten, Twice Shy

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Improbable But Sweet May 4, 2011

By ruthjoec

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Once you get past the highly improbable premise on which the story is based, this is a better than average romance novel. Caitlyn and Gideon were high school sweethearts. She was the rich girl, he was the illegitimate son of a rich man and a poor woman. Their fathers teamed up to send him off to the Army to get him out of town. She thinks he died; he thought she forgot about him. His father died, and decided to make him the heir (rather than the two legitimate sons). She found out she was pregnant shortly after he left town, and married someone else, who conveniently enough was struck by lightening and killed just a few months ago.

As I said, a very improbable premise, but I really liked the characters themselves. Caitlyn was learning to be independent--and that it was ok to ask for help. Gideon is trying to put the horror of war behind him. They have their past, but have to work for a future.

The book is mass-market romance and it has some very steamy intimate scenes and they happen before marriage. Despite the sweet-looking cover, this is not a Macomber-style romance. Oh, and just in case you are wondering--they live happily ever after.

I'd like to thank the publisher for offering a complimentary review copy via NetGalley. Grade: B