Reviews - Hothouse Flower | The StoryGraph

308 reviews for:

Hothouse Flower

Lucinda Riley

3.55 AVERAGE

balancinghistorybooks's review against another edition

2.0

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Utterly ridiculous.

snailinglife's review against another edition

4.25

emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

jazman's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

mirtzu's review against another edition

2.0

emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

readingfar's review against another edition

3.0

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kayse88's review against another edition

4.0

Right from the haunting prologue, the Orchid House draws you in. You’re introduced to the contemporary protagonist, Julia Forrester, who is tormented from an unspeakable tragedy. Although you’ve never before known Julia, or even what happened to make her suffer so, you can tell from her sister’s perspective that Julia is only a shell of her former self. In an effort to cheer her up, her sister offers to take Julia to Wharton Park, an English country manor, where their grandfather once worked as a gardener and where Julia spent many idyllic childhood summers. The family has been struggling for years to afford the upkeep of the manor, which is squandering in debt, and the current Lord, Kit (whom Julia knew as a child) is forced to sell it. A rummage sale reveals an old diary, discovered in the floorboards of the gardener’s cottage, written by a World War II prisoner of war. Julia goes to her grandmother to learn about the contents of the diary, but gets so much more in the bargain—secrets about the Whartons, her own family, and, ultimately, herself.

The story flips between the present day and the 1940s, when Kit’s great-uncle Harry brings home Olivia as his wife. The choices made and the actions taken then directly affect the future generations of Wharton Park.

The book did take a turn for the ridiculous at one point,

Spoiler

when Julia’s dead and perfect husband turns out to be not-so-perfect, and also not-so-dead,

but besides that, the story was lovely in every other way. Romance, turmoil, intrigues—it has it all, and wrapped up in a satisfying, but maybe a little too convenient (but after all of their suffering, it’s what I would’ve wanted for them) conclusion.

emmastinylibrary's review

2.5

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Julia, a world-famous pianist, has recently been bereaved of her husband and son in a tragic accident and she returns to England to be with her family. She soon finds herself back at Wharton Park, where her grandparents worked during WW2 and is reacquainted with Kit, the current owner of the estate and an admirer of hers.

In true Lucinda Riley style, we are soon in a dual timeline story of love and heartbreak through the war, travelling to Bangkok with two characters as they fought. Unfortunately the book contains several themes which I felt uncomfortable reading about, such as racism, sexism and slurs on sexuality.

I found the story very choppy and long-winded, it is far too long at almost 600 pages. Lucinda Riley is one of my favourite authors, but, sadly, this book just didn't do it for me and I was glad when I had finished.