New Release! Dear Orchid by Carol Van Den Hende ~ My Thoughts #DearOrchid @c_vandenhende

Congratulations Carol

on the recent release of

Dear Orchid!

Dear Orchid: Letters and New Beginnings—True Stories and Fiction filled with Heart, Humor, and Hope by Carol Van Den Hende

Contemporary Women's Fiction, 164 pages

Published November 11, 2025 by Azine Press

“Powerful, haunting, and precise.”—Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen

These aren’t just stories. They’re love letters.

Told through a mix of true stories and new fiction, Dear Orchid opens the heart in unexpected through loss and love, silence and recovery, and the hard-won resilience of people who don’t always fit the mold.

With tenderness and heart, Dear Orchid is an Asian American author's homage to Mary-Louise Parker’s Dear Mr. You, through letters to a girl newly freed from East Berlin, an aunt lost to Communist-era borders, and Purple Heart-decorated heroes. These intimate portraits explore the messy beauty of friendship, family, disability, and belonging.

You’ll meet a wounded hero who jokes through his pain, a beloved cat with a crayon note taped to his back (“HELP ME”), and characters who refuse to be defined by what they’ve lost.

The final chapter brings a fictional reunion with the unforgettable cast from the Goodbye Orchid trilogy, offering healing, closure, and a second chance romance.

Written in a lyrical, letter-style format, this collection blends memoir and imagination in a deeply personal exploration of grief, identity, and human connection. It’s a window into private moments that echo something universal.

Underneath the heartbreak and humor runs the quiet pull between star-crossed lovers, whose stories unfold across time, distance, and impossible odds.

Whether you’re drawn to true stories of survival or fictional narratives filled with tenderness and truth, Dear Orchid offers an emotional journey that celebrates love in all its forms.

A collection for anyone who’s ever loved, lost, or longed to understand the emotional truth behind the quiet moments that shape us.

Includes elements of multicultural and medical romance, true stories, and unforgettable moments of vulnerability and hope.

Also look for the Goodbye Orchid trilogy. 

My thoughts about Dear Orchid ~~

I loved the Goodbye Orchid series and absolutely devoured all three books. Dear Orchid is right up there at the top of my favorite reads. 

This book is filled with letters and memories that link to the series or the writer's experiences during her journey to get the Orchid books written, and to her life in general. The chapters are touching and heartwarming, and demonstrate the author's love and respect for wounded veterans.

Dear Orchid is the perfect companion book to the series and I highly recommend it. First, read the three books in the series and then this one and you will see how it all ties together. Such a beautiful tribute to life, love, and determination.

I received a copy of Dear Orchid and this is my honest opinion.

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The Goodbye Orchid series

Book #1

Read my thoughts here

Book #2

Read my thoughts here

Book #3

Read my thoughts here

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About the author

Carol Van Den Hende is the award-winning author of forthcoming Dear Orchid, Orchid Blooming, Goodbye, Orchid and Always Orchid which are inspired by wounded veterans and have won 40+ literary awards, including the American Fiction Award, IAN Outstanding Fiction First Novel Award, and Royal Dragonfly for Disability Awareness.

Buzzfeed, Parade, and Travel+Leisure named “heartwarming, heartbreaking” Goodbye, Orchid a most anticipated read. Glamour Magazine recommended this “modern, important take on the power of love.” The International Pulpwood Queens, selected all 3 Goodbye, Orchid books as Books-of-the-Month.

Carol’s mission is unlocking optimism as a writer, speaker, strategist, Board member and Climate Reality Leader. One secret to her good fortune? Her humorous husband and twins, who prove that love really does conquer all.

Please sign up for Carol’s newsletter at carolvandenhende.com/contact or linktr.ee/cvdh

If you enjoyed reading the Goodbye Orchid series, she would appreciate it if you would:

Recommend them: Please help other readers find her books by recommending them to friends, readers’ groups, and discussion boards.

Review them: Please tell others you liked her books by reviewing them at Amazon, Goodreads and Bookbub. 

When you do write a review, please drop her a line at http://www.CarolVanDenHende.com/contact

Thank you!

Connect with Carol

Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Goodreads

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New Release! Always Orchid by Carol Van Den Hende ~ My Thoughts #AlwaysOrchid @c_vandenhende @azinepress @GoSparkPoint

Congratulations Carol

on the recent release of

Always Orchid!

Always Orchid by Carol Van Den Hende

(Goodbye, Orchid #3)

Contemporary Women's Fiction, 348 pages

Published October 24, 2023 by Azine Press

Shortlisted for the 2023 Hawthorne Prize for Fiction

He almost let her go. Her past could tear them apart. But a love like theirs is worth fighting for...

Phoenix Walker will never be the same. Nine months after a heroic act leaves him forever changed, he refuses to hurt Orchid Paige ever again.

Orchid is ready to forgive. Convincing her guy she still loves him, no matter his injuries, she works to rebuild their intimacy. But their move to her family's ancestral country unveils China's superstitions against people with disabilities. Worse, their friend's life has been upended by those prejudices.

Will Phoenix and Orchid find a way to beat the odds and turn discrimination into acceptance?

Always Orchid is the riveting third book in the Goodbye, Orchid contemporary fiction series, and can be read as a standalone. If you like relatable characters, surprising twists, and stories that pull on your emotions, then you'll love award-winning author Carol Van Den Hende's journey to unconditional acceptance.

My thoughts about Always Orchid ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"Hope is a finite resource for the homeless. Each handout and act of petty theft had whittled away Roy's dignity."

Always Orchid lives up to the wonderfulness of the other two books in this series. Written as book three of the Goodbye Orchid series, this can definitely be read as a standalone. The author does a great job of filling in the story but to experience the depth of the characters and their love, I would recommend reading all three. 

I love both Orchid and Phoenix. They have had their share of hardships and drama but they have a love that is meant to be, no matter what. I just wanted them to work through all the issues and get to their satisfyingly great love story! 

The introduction of a new character on the first page and seeing where his life went, helped satisfy that issue of the story for me. And I love how the author has taken up the cause to support disabled veterans. "The Goodbye, Orchid series came about as a way to pay homage to the wounded veterans who inspired me." (Carol Van Den Hende) 

Always Orchid is an emotional, fulfilling look at two people who are meant to be together, and the trials they go through to get there. Total star-crossed lovers. So much drama.... so much love. I love this series and all of the characters within the pages. I, honestly, am a little sad that the Orchid/Phoenix story is over. I highly recommend the entire series! 

And I have to say this as a parting comment—these covers are absolutely amazing, aren't they? Their beautifulness is what drew me in to begin with. Anyway, pick up these books, you will not be disappointed! 

I received a copy of Always Orchid from SparkPoint Studio and this is my honest opinion.

Book #1

Read my thoughts here

Book #2

Read my thoughts here

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About the author

Carol Van Den Hende is the award-winning author of Orchid Blooming and Goodbye, Orchid which are inspired by wounded veterans and have won 20+ literary awards, including the American Fiction Award, IAN Outstanding Fiction First Novel Award, and 2020 Royal Dragonfly for Disability Awareness.

Buzzfeed, Parade, and Travel+Leisure named “heartwarming, heartbreaking” Goodbye, Orchid a most anticipated read. Glamour Magazine recommended this “modern, important take on the power of love.” The International Pulpwood Queens, selected Goodbye, Orchid as a 2022 Bonus Book-of-the-Month.

Carol’s mission is unlocking optimism as a writer, speaker, strategist, Board member and Climate Reality Leader. One secret to her good fortune? Her humorous husband and twins, who prove that love really does conquer all. ~ Goodreads

Please sign up for Carol’s newsletter at carolvandenhende.com/contact or linktr.ee/cvdh

Connect with Carol

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways! 

Goodbye, Orchid by Carol Van Den Hende ~ My Thoughts #GoodbyeOrchid @c_vandenhende @GoSparkPoint

Goodbye, Orchid by Carol Van Den Hende

(Goodbye, Orchid #2)

Contemporary Women's Fiction, 320 pages

Published October 1, 2021 by Koehler Books

Can love blossom after life changes in an instant?

One July morning in Manhattan, handsome athlete and entrepreneur Phoenix Walker accompanies his love, half-Asian beauty Orchid, to the airport. Neither believes today is goodbye.

But after she leaves, disaster strikes. Phoenix wakes in the hospital, broken, forever changed. He longs for Orchid but remembers the tragedy in her past that makes her panic over images of trauma.

Now, he's faced with the hardest decision of his life. Does he burden the woman whose traumatic childhood makes him feel protective of her? Or does true love mean leaving her without explaining why?

Rising from ashes is hard. Giving up the one you love is harder.

My thoughts about Goodbye, Orchid ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"Phoenix never believed today was goodbye. Even though hellos come with goodbyes. Like black holes and Stephen Hawking. Like doughnuts and doughnut holes."

Okay, this book took a spin that I was not expecting. I imagined a continuation of a potentially great love story that started bubbling up in Orchid Blooming. That is not the road the author took. 

As Orchid takes off on her trip of a lifetime—one that could change her whole life—Phoenix suffers a tragedy that does indeed change his whole life. In addition to the physical challenges he faces, Phoenix is torn over whether to contact Orchid or not. I just want to say, his decision stirred up some emotions in me and I sometimes just wanted to shake him! 

Orchid Blooming seemed to be more focused on Orchid herself so I loved that we get a better look at Phoenix and his life in this book. He feels more real to me now. I can't wait to see where book three takes me!  

The tagline for Goodbye, Orchid is "To love her, he had to leave her." I absolutely love this line and it truly represents the tone of this book. The story is heartbreaking while also beautiful. I am in love with both Orchid and Phoenix and am rooting for their relationship. I'm so excited to read book three, Always, Orchid, coming soon!

I received a copy of Goodbye, Orchid from SparkPoint Studio and this is my honest opinion.

Book #1

Read my thoughts here

Book #3

Pub date ~ October 24!

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About the author

Carol Van Den Hende is the award-winning author of Orchid Blooming and Goodbye, Orchid which are inspired by wounded veterans and have won 20+ literary awards, including the American Fiction Award, IAN Outstanding Fiction First Novel Award, and 2020 Royal Dragonfly for Disability Awareness.

Buzzfeed, Parade, and Travel+Leisure named “heartwarming, heartbreaking” Goodbye, Orchid a most anticipated read. Glamour Magazine recommended this “modern, important take on the power of love.” The International Pulpwood Queens, selected Goodbye, Orchid as a 2022 Bonus Book-of-the-Month.

Carol’s mission is unlocking optimism as a writer, speaker, strategist, Board member and Climate Reality Leader. One secret to her good fortune? Her humorous husband and twins, who prove that love really does conquer all. ~ Goodreads

Please sign up for Carol’s newsletter at carolvandenhende.com/contact or linktr.ee/cvdh

Connect with Carol

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways! 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? September 11, 2023 #IMWAYR

         

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

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Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

Mrs. Winchester's Biographer

by Deanna Lynn Sletten

eARC from author

Pub date ~ October 3

Love Deanna's stories!

Seekers

Apocalypse in Eden, Book 2

by Ann Swann

Narrated by Matthew Hyland Cook

audiobook gifted from author

Published July 7, 2023

What I recently finished

A Storm of Infinite Beauty: A Novel

by Julianne MacLean

print ARC from publisher

Pub date ~ September 12

Under the Java Moon

by Heather B. Moore

print ARC from publisher

Published September 5

Read my thoughts here

Goodbye, Orchid

(Goodbye, Orchid #2)

by Carol Van Den Hende

Published October 1, 2021

Read my thoughts here

Read my thoughts about book #1 here

What I am going to read next

The River We Remember

by William Kent Krueger

eARC

Published September 5

I love his stories!

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? ~ August 28, 2023 #IMWAYR

        

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's an opportunity to visit other blogs and to comment on their reads. And ... you can add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date. And here we are! 

**************************************

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a good week. 

Happy reading!

What I'm currently reading

Goodbye, Orchid

(Goodbye, Orchid #2)

by Carol Van Den Hende

e-book from publisher

Published October 1, 2021

Read my thoughts about book #1 here

Seekers

Apocalypse in Eden, Book 2

by Ann Swann

Narrated by Matthew Hyland Cook

audiobook gifted from author

Published July 7, 2023

What I recently finished

Ride or Die: Loving Through Tragedy, A Husband's Memoir

by Jarie Bolander

print ARC

Pub date ~ September 5

Stairway to the Sea

(The Seaside Saga #19)

Joanne DeMaio

e-book gift from author

Published August 1, 2023

Read my thoughts here

What I am going to read next

Under the Java Moon

by Heather B. Moore

print ARC

Pub date ~ September 5

I really love my reading life!

What are you reading this week?

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Be sure to check the sidebar for all of my current giveaways!

Orchid Blooming by Carol Van Den Hende ~ My Thoughts #OrchidBlooming @c_vandenhende @GoSparkPoint

Orchid Blooming by Carol Van Den Hende

(Goodbye, Orchid #1)

Contemporary Women's Fiction, 249 pages

Published September 13, 2022 by Azine Press

A childhood tragedy followed her into adult life. Will she ever claim real happiness again?

Kind and generous, twenty-seven-year-old Orchid Paige will never forget that day. Living as best she can after witnessing her parents’ fatal accident, the beauty industry marketer yearns to win a promotion to China to connect to her mom’s ancestry. But with competition fierce, she despairs she’ll never make the grade… until she meets an encouraging man who makes her feel safe despite her usual distrust.

After Orchid convinces the handsome entrepreneur to let her gain experience at his nonprofit project, she’s determined to keep their relationship professional and ignore their powerful attraction. But when working on his military ad campaign for veterans triggers her own unresolved PTSD, she fears her confident mentor may be too good to be true even if she could trust him with her heart.

Can she conquer her vulnerabilities before she loses her chance at forever?

Orchid Blooming is the captivating first book in the Goodbye, Orchid women’s fiction series, and can be read as a standalone. If you like complex characters overcoming trauma, heart-warming stories, and compassionate connections, then you’ll adore award-winning author Carol Van Den Hende’s emotionally satisfying page-turner.

“Tension and compelling chemistry that will leave you breathless.”—Barbara Conrey, USA Today bestselling author of Nowhere Near Goodbye

My thoughts about Orchid Blooming ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First lines—"Fifteen years ago, Orchid Paige could've never imagined a world without her mother."

I had never heard of this author nor of this series. What first drew me to these books were their absolutely beautiful covers. I just had to look into them further. And I'm so glad that I took a chance on the series, and this author. 

I loved Orchid Blooming and the wonderful character of Orchid Paige. She has had trauma in her life but just seeks happiness and success. If love happens to be a part of that whole deal, then that would be just fine as well. But will the trauma from her past and her fear of the future put her happiness in jeopardy? 

I thoroughly enjoyed Orchid Blooming and have book #2, Goodbye, Orchid, up next to read so I'll be ready when book #3, Always Orchid, comes out in October. I'm excited to see where Orchid's life adventures take her and what this author has in store for her. 

I received a copy of Orchid Blooming from SparkPoint Studio and this is my honest opinion.

Book #2

Book #3

Pub date October 24!

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About the author

Carol Van Den Hende is the award-winning author of Orchid Blooming and Goodbye, Orchid which are inspired by wounded veterans and have won 20+ literary awards, including the American Fiction Award, IAN Outstanding Fiction First Novel Award, and 2020 Royal Dragonfly for Disability Awareness.

Buzzfeed, Parade, and Travel+Leisure named “heartwarming, heartbreaking” Goodbye, Orchid a most anticipated read. Glamour Magazine recommended this “modern, important take on the power of love.” The International Pulpwood Queens, selected Goodbye, Orchid as a 2022 Bonus Book-of-the-Month.

Carol’s mission is unlocking optimism as a writer, speaker, strategist, Board member and Climate Reality Leader. One secret to her good fortune? Her humorous husband and twins, who prove that love really does conquer all. ~ Goodreads

Please sign up for Carol’s newsletter at carolvandenhende.com/contact or linktr.ee/cvdh

Connect with Carol

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads

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Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!