In Orchid House, Julia travels to the Philippines after her grandfather’s death to attend his funeral and finds the family estate, Hacienda Esperanza, “the plantation of hope.”

 
This story was riddled with folklore, legends, and a bit too much description at times. The ‘accidental’ finding of the infamous family orchid was a bit of a stretch and just a tad too coincidental.
 
Yet Martinusen’s writing style can be very engaging. I will continue to pick up whatever she writes. This book did have suspense and romance, which is a nice combination.
 
Recommendation: I would recommend picking up “The Salt Garden” as a first choice read from Martinusen. I highly enjoyed it. Read my review of it here.