The Lavender Field

by Jeanette Baker

Cool, gracious, international relations attorney Whitney Benedict hasn't completely given up on marriage, but she does have a checklist of qualities for the man of her affluence, intelligence, good looks and absolutely no prior baggage.

So when she travels to California to make an offer on behalf of the Austrian government for Gabriel Mendoza's famous Lipizzan horses, no one is more surprised than Whitney at the effect Gabe, his children, his stepchildren, his ex-wife, his mother and the rest of his zany family have on her heart.

When an accident prolongs her stay, she settles into the routines of the "hacienda" with every intention of organizing this dysfunctional family, only to find that horses and children have a way of rearranging the best-laid plans and that a checklist isn't always the final measure for happiness.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 1, 2006

About the author

I love all things Irish, the language, a good cup of tea, soda bread, stew, smoked salmon, banoffee pie, green hills, happy cows, chedder cheese,... and all things Southern, sweet iced tea, southern hospitality, everything written by Anne Rivers Siddons and Johanna Trollope, blazing sunsets, driving through hot desert nights with the windows open, coffee and conversation with good friends, Katherine Hepburn movies, dessert, intimate gatherings and bright breezy days.

I live in Southern California during the winter months where I teach school to remarkably well-behaved 6th graders. During the summer months I live in County Kerry, Ireland where I take long walks, listen to traditional music, sigh over gray skies and write, write, write.

Reviews

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have never read anything by Jeanette Baker and I liked The Lavender Field. It was a cute story involving nontraditional family structure, strong women (strong has many definitions), and Asperger Syndrome. I'm glad that AS was included in the story although the book was written in 2006 and some of the comments and attempts to understand AS were well meaning but very out of date. There were a few items that bothered me, non-AS related. I assumed that the Kentucky horse farm, part of the setting, was somewhere in the Lexington area since that is were most horse farms are located. First, if a person is trying to fly last minute into either Lexington or Louisville just a day before Derby Day, there are so few available flights that it is next to impossible to fine a seat, let alone three seats. In this same scenario, there is not a rental car to be had anywhere within a 50-mile radius of either Lexington or Louisville. Next, if one is in the Lexington horse farm area, you don't say you are heading over to Churchill Downs, you would be heading down to Churchill Downs. Also, if a person has a horse in the Derby race either as a breeder or owner or trainer, you would not head down to Churchill Downs the morning of the race. You would have been down there for at least a week working together with the horse building up to Derby Day. OK, rant over. Overall, this was a sweet read.

Go Cards! L1C4!!

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Jeanette Baker.

Gabe trains Lipizzaner horses that were brought from Austria with his father during the war. He is going through a rough spell with his daughter (who has autism), his 2 teenage step-children, the ex wife who abandoned all three kids to Gabe, his mother who claims to never interfere but always does and 3 sisters that he feels responsible for. Whitney is an attorney who Austria hires to buy all the Lipizzaners. So she goes out to California to make Gabe a offer. The chemistry is immediate. This is the story of a blended family of misfits.

Ok this book was good but about 75 pages to long. It seems the characters go from nothing (not even a kiss) to "Do you like me? Lets have a long distance relationship" and the reader has to wonder if they missed a chapter. The children in the story really are not written in a endearing way (except maybe the youngest when she is with her horse) but you really just don't worry about what is going on with them. Mercedes (Gabe's mom) is an interesting character but the writing is not really well rounded on the character. And Pryor (Whitney's mom) is bi-polar I think. She is desperate to marry off her daughter and have grandchildren but then every time Gabe is brought up the mom tries to talk her out of seeing him. And she is never becomes a beloved character. I liked the book but didn't love it. Would I read another from her? YES! Would I run out to buy it? NO! This story is more about the history of horses then romance.

[Ayny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty cover, but the story was an insult to a person's intelligence. It seemed every interaction between people we had to be reminded of their foibles and their careers. I couldn't finish this one. meh

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Horse book about Lipizzaner horses rescued by an Austrian and taken to Ca. With his son Gabe continuing the legacy breeding and training the horses, the Austrian government wants to buy his horses and take them home. Whitney a professional lawyer from Kentucky with more than a passing knowledge of horses herself comes out to broker the deal. At first Gabe resists selling his fathers horses, but comes ti appreciate they need to return home. He almost refuses to sell when they insist on buying his daughter’s horse too. His daughter has autism and I loves the horse. Eric his stepson is as much of horseman as his sister Emma is not with her resistant rebellion. Will he come to an understanding about selling the horses that doesn’t feel like selling out? Will he & Whitney trust enough to love again? Will his ex wife make trouble after years of minimal contacts with the kids pursuing her singing career? Will her mother make trouble too trying for custody?
What will Gabe’s family do if he doesn’t sell the horses?

+ love the descriptions of the horses, riding, dressage, thorough bred horse racing in Ky, Lipizzaner horses
+ descriptions of Hispanic food and lavender fields
+ autistic character fairly believable
- info on Autism dated even for those days 2006
-stereotypes about women’s roles all or nothing
+ infertility influence on family life & choices- now would have had options

[Donna Schwartz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. I loved the idea of including the Lipizzan horses. The two main characters, Whitney and Gabe both come from families involved with horses. Whitney's family breeds race horses and Gabe's family breeds and trains the Lipizzaners.
There were many difficulties with any relationship between the two. Whitney and her mother had a lot to work through as did Gabe and his mother. He also had struggles with his stepchildren and his natural daughter.
I also loved the idea of the fields of lavender!
So many problems, but the author kept me hanging in there as she tied up all the loose ends. I will be looking for more of her books.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read by Jeanette Baker and I thought this was a very good romance story. I liked it also because there were little twists and turns in the story that kept you turning pages to see what would happen next. I enjoyed reading this book.

[Jane Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this but lost my hard copy when I moved home. I loved the way it was written and the parts I read. I dearly need to buy it again 😍😍

[Terryls · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lavender and horses: two of my favorite things. Good beach read.

[Sarah Allen]

The book was okay, but I didn’t feel the chemistry between Whitney and Gabe. I think there were too many “stories” going on here. I wouldn’t go out of my way to read more by this author.

[Renee Kamenszki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just loved this book from beginning to end.

[Dawn Wells · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like horses so for me this book was okay. If you don't like horses and read this for the love story you may be a little disappointed. This is a love story about Gabe a horse breeder and Whitney an attorney sent to buy the horses. Although, it may be realistic to have the bratty kids, loser ex-wife, his mother, and his sisters as big influence and all their craziness to play apart of the story. It was too much of the story. I did enjoy the fact that the Whitney moved beyond her perfect idea of a husband and discovered her true capacity of love.

[Tommy · Rating 5 out of 5]

gret reading, very enjoyable

[Lisa Currier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. The characters were likeable, the story moved along.

[Jodi Saylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a bit slow for me... Disappointed.

[Merrie Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet, feel good read that will leave you calm in a world that is chaotic.

[Dpic]

nice story

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet, relaxing book and an enjoyable read. There were a few incidents where I rolled my eyes, but mostly I really enjoyed it!