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The Orchard #1

The Orchard

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On the idyllic shores of Flathead Lake, Montana, Alisen Embry finds purpose and comfort tending her late mother’s cherry orchard adjacent to the family’s beloved lake house. Though pained by the loss of her mother and her father’s estrangement, it is Derick Whitney—the man she fell in love with four years earlier—who truly influences Alisen’s view of her future . . .

Derick and Alisen wanted nothing more than to spend eternity together; however, intolerance and secrets forced Alisen to make a shattering choice between her family and the man she loved.

But destiny always has a way of setting things right . . .

Now the Embry family has found themselves hopelessly in debt, and they realize renting the lake house is the only hope of saving the cherished orchard and family home. When Alisen discovers the new tenants have a connection to her past, her life takes an unexpected turn. Will fate find a way to reconnect what was broken so many years before?

245 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

4 people are currently reading
283 people want to read

About the author

Krista Lynne Jensen

14 books188 followers
Krista writes contemporary romance, historical romance, and fantasy. She is the author of OF GRACE AND CHOCOLATE (2012 Whitney Award Finalist), THE ORCHARD (2013 Whitney Award Finalist), FALLING FOR YOU (2014), and KISSES IN THE RAIN (2015 Whitney Award Finalist) through Covenant Communications, Inc.. She has novellas in Love Unexpected: With All My Heart (2014, Covenant), A Timeless Romance Anthology: Love Letters, and A Yuletide Regency (2014, 2018, Mirror Press), and Christmas Grace (2017, Covenant).

Krista has lived in lush Oregon and rugged Wyoming, but Washington is her beloved home state. She likes to choose familiar settings for her stories, and is grateful to have such inspirational places to choose from. She is a mother of six, gramma of three, a gardener and cook, loves to travel, laugh, and lives to make the best of what she's been given.
Krista is a member of LDStorymakers and ANWA.
Author blog: kristalynnejensen.blogspot.com
IG: @kljbooks

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5 stars
116 (25%)
4 stars
174 (38%)
3 stars
132 (29%)
2 stars
27 (5%)
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3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
Profile Image for Katie (hiding in the pages).
3,523 reviews332 followers
May 29, 2013
First of all, isn't this cover absolutely adorable??? It fits the book so well. I love the way the author weaves the story together. The setting was painted in my mind and the characters were vivid. Alisen truly finds solace (and love) in the orchard and when her father demands a choice, she feels she has to listen to duty. Alisen is so tough and committed, even without familial support. And Derick--what a guy!! My heart cracked a little bit when things took that turn.

I hated Alisen's father!! In a way, I could understand why he would act the way he did, but it really wasn't fair. I felt like giving him a talking to. Oh wait!! This is only a story--not real life. :) I just really connected to the story and felt a part of it.

I loved pretty much everything about this story--except for the father...and Will. I can't forget about that smooth-talking guy who is a little too...smooth for my taste.

This is totally the kind of book that I just eat up and love every minute of.

Content: LDS talk, but not preachy; mention of cheating; CLEAN.

Katie's Clean Book Collection blog
Profile Image for Erika B. (SOS BOOKS).
1,318 reviews135 followers
October 19, 2016
Hey-not bad! I really was expecting something different but this story actually had some depth and some really likeable characters! I liked that not everything was a bowl of cherries in her orchard! (tee hee...her cherry orchard!) After her mom's death, Alisen Embry throws herself into maintaining her families cherry orchard. She meets a cute boy but must choose him or her family. Years later destiny steps into play and throws the story into chaos! I was entertained! The romance was cute! My one and only complaint is I really would love for Mormon authors to stray away for this one line that seems to be in every dang Mormon fiction story! "You can be baptized and a year later we can be married in the temple!" Yuck! Stop it! It's generic and cliche! But mofic (mormon fiction) just always seems to thrive on the story line of flirt to convert!
Profile Image for Kathy * Bookworm Nation.
2,165 reviews705 followers
August 25, 2013
3.5

I enjoyed this one. I’m a sucker for Persuasion retellings and thought this was a good one. It was a bit more religious than I thought, not a favorite plot device for me. I liked Alisen and Derick, thought they had a cute relationship. It was sad when they are separated, with Alisen clearly being manipulated by her family. I liked that it stuck with the original Persuasion, but had enough differences to make it unique and held some surprises.

I did want a bit more closure on some things at the end. For example, Derick’s job takes him all over the world and it doesn’t seem like he wants to settle down in Montana. While Alisen seems much more of a homebody and her cherry orchard means everything to her. How are they going to compromise their two lifestyles? I also thought their reconciliation was too fast. They haven’t seen each other in four years, have hardly spoken and Derick is suddenly proposing. Too fast. Regardless of whatever connection they may have, it was too unbelievable for me to buy.

Overall, a cute story. I thought it was well written and will be checking out more from Ms. Jensen.

Content: Clean.
Profile Image for Lucinda.
Author 22 books1,302 followers
April 6, 2013
I read Of Grace and Chocolate last year, and liked it immensely. I was sure I would like The Orchard just as much. I actually love it more, I think it's my favorite from this author. I can't wait to read the other two novels in this series.

The plot is loosely based on Jane Austen's Persuasion. I say loosely because the story holds its own, and so do the characters. I loved Alisen and Derick- they are real and honest, they make mistakes and regret them, and I cared about their future. I wondered how they would overcome the obstacles and come together.

The setting was a treat, and so expertly done. I was able to see myself there, in that orchard, on that lake.

It's a wonderful story, beautifully written, with memorable characters, and one that I will read more than once.

I highly recommend.
Profile Image for Amy.
685 reviews41 followers
May 14, 2018
If I had known this book was based around Austen's 'Persuasion' I'd have probably picked it up earlier. It's my favourite, there's just something about all that underlying tension between two reunited souls, painstakingly avoiding each other to deal with the pain of the past.

I wasn't particularly thrilled at first that so much of this story covers in detail the events that led to and then dissolved at the first engagement between Alisen & Derick. Afterall, its one third of the entire book. As I turned the pages though, I started to appreciate just why the reader needed all of the history. There is so much to it, that we would have lost had we been left to assume all that had gone on between them. It added so much more depth to the story later on, and the scene around the campfire as Alisen shares her conversion story, was very touching to me.

I've really enjoyed the way that Krista incorporates her LDS faith into her fiction. She does it in a way I am used to reading other Christian authors do it. It's something I appreciate about that genre. Thank you for being brave enough to do it, and sharing the light of your testimony through the words you write.

I loved this story. Not only that but its set in and around Flathead Lake & Glacier. One of my most favourite places in America. Beautiful. I could easily picture the abundant Cherry Orchards that line the hillsides around the Lake. Great read.
687 reviews8 followers
August 3, 2013
(Genre:LDS Fiction/romance) 3.5 stars. I have read several current day retellings of Jane Austen's "Persuasion" (which is one of my favorite Austen stories), and in my opinion, this is probably one of the best. It isn't perfect, but it was quite enjoyable for the most part. Alisen Embry is a 23 year old young lady who loves her family's lakeside home and orchard. When her mother died 9-10 years earlier, the orchard is where Alisen found peace and acceptance. By working among the trees that her mother loved so much, Alisen can still feel connected to her mother's love. But the Embry family is in danger of losing the house and orchard due to her father's excessive spending and his need to maintain the facade of wealthy affluence. At Alisen's urging, a plan is put in place to save the property by renting the lake house and moving Mr. Embry to an upscale condo in a neighboring city. But the renters turn out to be related to Alisen's first love, Derick who she broke up with 4 years earlier due to excessive family pressure.
I really enjoyed how Jensen changed some of the details to make this story work for modern times and for these particular characters. Derick is a returned missionary and introduces Alisen to the church/gospel and this angle is used as part of the break up, as her image conscious father hears negative things about Mormons. I enjoyed that Alisen's younger sister is more likeable than her Austen counterpart and can be a real friend to Alisen--an anchor in her dysfunctional family relationships.
But part of what makes "Persuasion" work in Austen times is the societal norms. When we hear Captain Wentworth's side of the story and how he is feeling, it makes everything work--it is plausible. It is harder to make this work in modern times and I felt a little disconnected to Derick when he isn't part of the flashback to his and Alisen's past. I also had a hard time with Will Eliot/Mr. Elliot and his angle. It just didn't seem right to have this rich guy who drove a corvette working as a ranch hand. I wasn't buying it. :) So while I thought it was a good story and a worthwhile read, it just missed making my 4 star mark.
Profile Image for Jenny Proctor.
Author 39 books2,207 followers
Read
May 20, 2019
So here's the deal... one of the challenges of writing romance is that enough has to happen to keep your characters apart for a "book length" length of time. This often means that your characters end up making ridiculous assumptions for long periods of time that blind them to what's really the truth. It's so hard to strike that balance between keeping your characters apart, but doing so in a way that doesn't feel contrived.

I said ALL of that because I think Krista Lynne Jensen does a great job doing JUST that in this novel. The estrangement between her characters felt real and believable, and the assumptions they made about each other, and others involved in the story line all felt natural. I didn't roll my eyes because the characters were being totally obtuse or blind to each other (because this happens so much in romance... you want to scream... OH COME ON! IT'S SO OBVIOUS!) one single time. They both made mistakes, worried over their choices, and reacted in real and honest ways. I really love Krista's writing and enjoyed reading this one very much. Well written and very fun, it was a delicious indulgence!
Profile Image for Ranee Clark.
Author 40 books301 followers
June 18, 2013
Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: LDS Romance
Length: 245 pgs
Rating: *****
Review: All. The. Feels. This book was inspired by the Jane Austen book Persuasion, which, along with Northanger Abbey, is my favorite of Austen's. So I pretty much knew I'd love it. But it also made Alisen's so-so-sweet romance with Derick so difficult because I knew what would happen. I despised her dad and aunt for a while there--all-out hated them. Krista just did a fantastic job of involving me with the characters so much that I was absolutely invested in what was happening to them.

(see more reviews at http://raneesclar.blogspot.com)
Profile Image for Shauna.
975 reviews23 followers
March 15, 2014
A tender story of the heart, emotions, and the sometimes struggle of loving your family. SO GOOD!

Alisen has been taking care of her mother's cherry orchard since her mother's passing.

Her father has a hard time facing Alisen as she reminds him so much of his late wife.

When Derick comes to the orchard after her graduation life seems to be happier.

BUT...

"intolerance and secrets" keep Alisen from following her dream of a life with Derick.

NOW...

Four years later Derick has come into her life again...

"Will fate find a way to reconnect what was broken so many years before?

A sweet read!
Fully recommend it!
LOVED IT!
Profile Image for Julie Daines.
Author 17 books410 followers
April 15, 2013
A cute retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion with lots of LDS content. The only thing missing was the letter from Wentworth to Anne (I mean Derick to Alisen) at the end. Where was the letter?! A fun and romantic read.
Profile Image for Leah.
719 reviews9 followers
April 4, 2014
I read the whole thing. But it would be really good for a jr high or young high school student. Kindof Jack Weylandy with an older girl. I wasn't expecting the LDS stuff, which put me off. And, Persuasion being my favorite Jane Austen book, it was hard not to compare. So, 2.5.
Profile Image for Aimee .
3,072 reviews298 followers
March 27, 2014
LDS fiction

Clean. I loved the setting. Cherry Orchard? By water? Yes, count me in. This was a sweet romance.
Profile Image for Jamie Hood.
508 reviews6 followers
January 14, 2022
If you’re looking for a cheesy romance book focused on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this is it. Reading this book starts out as any other cheesy romance book-will I really make it through it all? But then you hit about halfway, and you just want to finish it so that they’ll finally get together!

I thought the plot was interesting. But I also think there were some unneeded scenes. The whole trip to the ranch was not necessary. I feel like the author pounded out a bunch of extra events in the last 40 pages that weren’t needed, such as the horse accident, the married ranch hand, even Ben’s storyline. I see why the author wrote it all though. There were definitely some characters who could be combined and condensed into one character since many of them were one dimensional. I realized this book is a retelling of Persuasion, so maybe the extra characters would make sense if I knew that story, but alas I have not read Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

Despite not liking all the extra fluff, the actual story between Alisen and Derrik was entertaining and kept me flipping the pages. For that reason, I give it three stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Michelle Van Dyke.
161 reviews2 followers
February 24, 2022
3 and a half stars really. It's a good book. I liked it a lot but I don't love it. Something's missing. Maybe it was alison. Her innocence in the beginning was almost unreal, almost a scared as a rabbit, ready to run. Maybe that's how she's supposed to be but it had a dream like trance about it and maybe that wasn't so enjoyable to read. It picked up though and I like I said, I like it. Glad I read it. Seemed like in the end the feelings of Derrick were kind of glossed over, not emphasized. It did pick up in the end but the beginning was rather slow and not a page turner.
Profile Image for NaDell.
1,195 reviews14 followers
October 3, 2019
The writing in this book took a little getting used to because the characters were switching viewpoints often and they were mentioned by name (third person) rather than first person. There were a lot of characters too, but it was a fun book and heartbreaking and spiritual and romantic and hit all the right notes.
Profile Image for K. Parker Richmond.
48 reviews2 followers
April 26, 2020
I prefer classics to romance and Jane Austen's Persuasion is one of my favorites because of the gentle yet insightful satire of British society. The Orchard was a pleasant surprise: Krista Lynne Jensen did a lovely job putting a modern spin on her source material, focusing on the romance and breathing fresh life into familiar characters.
Profile Image for Maree.
733 reviews
August 24, 2023
I enjoyed this Persuasion retelling. I particularly liked that the family relationships had more depth and improved throughout the book (as opposed to Persuasion). The main downside for me was that I felt Allison was smarter than she acted near the very end, and also that the ending felt a bit rushed. But overall I enjoyed it.
Profile Image for Daisy Dandelion.
766 reviews3 followers
January 4, 2017
The beginning of this book was REALLY slow. I almost quit reading it, except for the positive reviews I had read online. Well, it got a lot better once the real story began. It was hard to put down. Had to know how it would all turn out...
115 reviews1 follower
December 21, 2020
Excellent read

Loved the characters and the way the story allowed them yo develop and grow. It was all could do yo put it down long enough to eat and sleep. Highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Tiffany.
Author 3 books22 followers
May 5, 2017
I loved this book! It was funny, sweet, and really sparked my interest! I thoroughly enjoyed it!
Profile Image for Julie.
296 reviews4 followers
June 22, 2017
This was a fun take on Persuasion by Jane Austen. I always love these stories, and this one was no exception. It was a fun story.
756 reviews
July 8, 2018
This was a great book! So wonderfully written with characters that drew me right into the story. I would definitely recommend this book!
Profile Image for Dorry Lou.
870 reviews
April 26, 2021
First time I have read anything from this author. I found it an o.k. book. Nothing too exciting.
Profile Image for Autumn.
82 reviews2 followers
March 19, 2021
It started off kind of slow but the last third of the book was pretty good.
Profile Image for Shanda.
354 reviews68 followers
February 25, 2014
I might as well start out by saying that Persuasion is my favorite Jane Austen novel. It’s not perfect (especially not the movies — that’s for another post), but…that letter. I mean, wow. It sets my heart aflutter, though not as much as The Orchard did. My, oh my.

Honestly, I had forgotten that The Orchard was based on the basic story of Persuasion but recognized it soon after I started reading. That made me doubly excited. Not only was I finally getting to read the long-awaited book that had been staring at me from my bookshelf, but it was based on PERSUASION!

The Orchard starts off with the budding romance of Alisen and Derrick, something we don’t get to witness with Anne and Captain Wentworth. There are some lovely romantic moments between them and everything is moving along exceptionally well. That is until certain events, as well as her widowed father and a family friend, complicate matters and Alisen is forced into a heartbreaking decision.

When her family’s financial situation becomes desperate a few years later, Alisen and Derrick come face to face once more. The tension and chemistry is running high between Derrick and Alisen, easing only a little as circumstances continue to throw them together. They discover they have both changed–grown–since that summer years earlier. The question is whether these changes will bring them close once again or drive them further apart.

Even if Persuasion isn’t your cup of herbal tea, you’ll want to read The Orchard. Great romance, thoughtful writing and a touch of humor have earned The Orchard a place on my Favorite Romances bookshelf. Next up — Falling for You, which is signed and waiting as motivation for me to finish another category of Whitney reading.

Review originally published on LDS Women's Book Review - www.ldswbr.com
FTC FYI: purchased my own copy with my own money at LDStorymakers 2013
1,247 reviews23 followers
June 23, 2013
What a wonderful conversion story amid heartache, loss, love, friendship and coming home.

Alison was destroyed by her mother's death when 14. She didn't have a good relationship or understanding of her father before and her similar appearance to her mother, helped her father to distance himself from her all together. He comforted her older sister, elizabeth and younger sister Amanda in their life choices. Alison asked for one thing. The orchard her mother loved. She had help till she was older and then after graduating high school took over after her business classes.
She meets Derrick one summer and he fills her with love and happiness. He shares the gospel with her and wants her to marry him. She first accepts then takes it back when her father manipulates her into his need for her to stay and making her choose between her family, her home, and the orchard if she marries.
Derrick is heartbroken and leaves to use his agricultor grant.
Alison tries to move forward but is so lost without the church and Derrick. She gets baptized and doesn't tell Derrick. Four years later they are both single and their paths cross. It is aqward for both and they both avoid each other. Then alison conversion story is shared and her part in her younger sister and her husbands conversion. Derrick is drawn to her again, but doesn't know how to mend the bridges. When a misunderstanding happens it almost becomes too late, luckily true love finds a way home.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews

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