The Lemon Orchard by Luanne Rice

California, Mexico, a lemon orchard, an estate owner, and a special Mexican worker in the lemon orchard.

Roberto, a worker in the lemon orchard, and Julia, the niece of the owner of the lemon orchard had one thing in common, and they were drawn to each other.

Julia and Roberto had both lost children, one in an accident and one in the desert.  Both of their lives were consumed with the grief of their loss even after five years, and they shared this common bond.

THE LEMON ORCHARD was a beautiful story about the cruelty as well as the beauty our lives hold for us.  You will become a part of the lives of Julia and Roberto in this splendidly told tale of what it means to truly love and to truly lose something or someone you love.

Ms. Rice’s descriptions of the California and Mexico landscapes was amazing.  I could easily visualize the lemon orchard, the estate's house and grounds, and the raging forest fire as well as the desert and the path Roberto had to follow to cross the border from Mexico into the United States.

The characters were well developed and believable.  The authenticity and reality of the border control operation and the suffering of the Mexicans crossing the border definitely had been well researched.

This is the first book I have read by Ms. Rice, and I  was very pleased with her writing as well as the storyline.  The story flowed nicely, kept your interest, and the ending pages had me turning as fast as I could to see how things would turn out.  The book will pull you right in as you soak up the beauty of the Malibu countryside as well as the lives of the characters.

Marvelously written and researched, I hope you are able to read this book.  It took a few pages to see where the book was headed, but THE LEMON ORCHARD is well worth the wait.  ENJOY!!  5/5

This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.