Dorothy Garlock's series set in the 30s and 40s has been truly groundbreaking -- not many romance novels being set in these decades.

AFTER THE PARADE continues the story of Johnny Henry and Kathleen Dolan from WITH HEART. And tells the story of them and their marriage after Johnny returns from World War II. Their marriage is in jeopardy after the death of their infant daughter -- a death Johnny blames on himself and his heritage. There is also something more dangerous about as an admirer of Kathleen's crosses the line from admiration to obsession.

Dorothy Garlock deftly tells their story as only someone of her talent can. Here's hoping more authors follow her lead and write stories set in the 30s and 40s. AFTER THE PARADE is a must read.

Once again Dorothy Garlock gives us a great book. Johnny Henry and Kathleen must overcome their own misgivings and issues surrounding their backgrounds and the death of their baby. A strange character that is fixated on Kathleen only adds to drama.

The characters in this book are very real. There were several times that I wished I could snap some common sense into Johnny Henry and get these two together.

This was a great ending to the war series. For anyone who has read "With Hope", "With Song" and especially "With Love" this is a must read.

This was my 1st Dorothy Garlock book that I have ever read. I loved the people in the book and the love that Johnny and Kathleen had. When I was reading it made me feel like I was there in the book. Hope mrs. garlock writes books in the future about these people! ITS A MUST READ!

In 1932 at Andy's garage near Sayre, Oklahoma on Route 66, a rabid skunk bites station owner Andy Connors. Yates, a person visiting the area, kills the animal, burns it, and buries the ashes. Next he takes Andy to the nearest hospital in Oklahoma City where the injured person will reside for six weeks receiving shots. Andy pleads with Yates to watch over his beloved Leona and his two preadolescent children. Yates explains to Andy that he owes him for saving his life when he was a youngster and will gladly do so.

Leona and the children worry about Andy and are uncomfortable with Yates staying with them. He feels he can handle anything except his attraction to Leona, who he believes, is Andy's wife. When he finds out she is not, but looked upon as a woman living in scandal, he defends her to the townsfolk who ostracized her. As Andy heals, Yates and Leona fall in love and he knows she is too good a person to be anyone's kept woman.

This tale is an exciting historical novel that fans of the Depression era stories like The Grapes of Wrath will want to read. The characters including passersby bring to life living or traveling in the 1930s on the MOTHER ROAD as Route 66 was called. The romance adds depth to the period enabling the audience to gain insight into the morality of the townsfolk. Though a murder mystery adds suspense and is used as an impetus to the romance, the story line is at its strongest when Dorothy Garlock opens a panoramic view of a bygone America.

Harriet Klausner

Route 66 can be a lonesome stretch of highway, but many travelers have followed it to California in search of bigger dreams and brighter tomorrows: the "Mother Road," they call it, paved with good intentions and seductive promises. Leona Dawson can only look down that dusty stretch of highway, however, and wonder about the glories beyond Sayre, Oklahoma. Her brother-in-law, Andy Connors, is a widower with two young children and needs a helping hand with their upbringing and with the running of Andy's Garage--Gas--Camping on Route 66.

Leona is perfectly happy to oblige, sharing living quarters with the Connors family, and turning a deaf ear to the gossip her fanatical brother, Virgil, has spread about her through the years. Oh, his hateful words still sting like the strop he wielded with such zealous fury when she was fifteen, leaving scars on her back, but she isn't afraid to standup to Virgil's meanness and rabid religious fervor. Of course, Leona avoids going into town whenever possible, painfully conscious as she is of every innuendo and overt insult to her virtue. As long as Andy's little girls are healthy and happy, though, that's all that matters. Ugly gossip can be ignored -- all right, made bearable through very thick skin.

When a skunk bite sends Andy to the hospital, Leona and the girls are suddenly vulnerable to Virgil's machinations. As luck would have it, however, an old debt has brought H.L. Yates to Andy's Garage, a debt Yates is very eager to repay before moving on. He quickly steps into the breach, drives Andy to the hospital in Oklahoma City, and prepares to temporarily settle down in one place and act as guardian and protector for Leona, Ruth Ann and JoBeth. Just until Andy has regained his good health, mind you, and his debt has been repaid in full.

After all, Yates is a loner, a wanderer, a man without roots -- not a man prone to softer emotions, feelings of jealousy and possessiveness, or an aching need to love and be loved in return...

Dorothy Garlock is a unique talent in the romance genre: Her Americana novels are heartwarming and grittily realistic by turn, embracing small town values and big-hearted dreams through the vivid poetry of prose. Mother Road continues the Garlock tradition in grand, if somewhat predictable, style with a down-home, countrified plotline (that has a bit of a kick to it) and vivid characterizations that stand strong in the face of adversity. Hope, determination and pride are commonly held and bravely practiced by strong, steadfast souls in this era of drought, financial disaster and looming despair. There's always the bright, burning beacon of a new and better life to revitalize the spirit, however, and to teasingly offer a wellspring of possibilities.

Leona and Yates have every reason to be cautious in pursuing a romantic relationship. A gently luminous love story, Mother Road has a sweet subtlety to it -- a refined tenderness, if you will -- that can be difficult to appreciate if readers are expecting blatant physical displays and overt sexuality. Tender touches duel with Leona and Yates's verbal spats, though, generating a kind of heated friction that's ever so rare and wonderful. On the other hand, Virgil's fanaticism is quite the overpowering -- and off-putting -- plot development. (I'm beginning to detect a pattern in the author's novels). Still, this reviewer is a growing admirer of Ms. Garlock's particular brand of fiction: Americana romances which are full of drama and vigor and understated passion. It's a road well worth traveling, dear reader, if you have yet to explore it.

Reviewed by C.L. Jeffries

A great collection of characters, like all of the Dorothy Garlock stories, that should entertain even the pickiest readers. This was an extremely entertaining story, however, not my favorite of hers. Still - it's a story that shouldn't be missed! It's very entertaining, suspenseful, romantic, and full of exciting twists. Ms. Garlock is the best creator of characters. I hope, as other readers will too, that Dillon Tallman will come back in another of Ms. Garlock's stories. My favorite thing about the Dorothy Garlock stories, is that characters from other books will return and give you a continuing glance of what is occuring in their lives, long after you finish the novel they were a key character in. Ms. Garlock is currently my favorite storyteller... you are sure to venture into a remarkable journey with every story. Enjoy!!!

Man, I sat down and read this story all day. I just couldn't stop. I kept wondering, "if I put it down, I won't know what happens next---" in the sense that----
A rancher is out in the wilderness, defending property of an attractive woman who comes to the wilderness, to the Larkspur, to have something of her own. She finds this rancher dude there.
Its a slow blossoming romance, but sweet. The suspense part was when was the land grabber gonna attack? Were the Indians hostile?
Who was the little old timer? Was her brother gonna come and get her and make her come home? Would this be her home with this man?
It was good. Made you feel like you were in the story.
Out on the western frontier, miles from anywhere. Indians and gunslingers at every turn---would they find love, too?
A real shoot em up! Its good.

Dorothy Garlock is one of the best romance writers of our time. This book is just one example of her outstanding work. This is one of the first books from her that I read. Since then I have read almost all of them. I can not say enough about Larkspur. If you haven't read it then I definately reccommend that you order it right now. I too would like to see more stories with any of the Tallmans in it.

I just finished this book and loved it...all the different charactors kept the book interesting I couldn't put it down. The ending was a little disappointing, but the rest of the story made up for it. I hope that there is a book to follow about Cassandra and Whit.

Wow! This was one excellent story! I loved every word of it, and was thrilled to discover it was the story of the wonderful twins, Trellis and Travor, first introduced in Midnight Blue by Dorothy Garlock. Pack and Shannon Mara Gallagher are mentioned throughout the book, and my only complaint is that we didn't get to read about their arrival at the end - since we knew they were on their way to meet the twins' new wives! After reading some of these reviews, I wondered if this book would be as good as the other books I've read of Ms. Garlock's... it was as good or better than any of them that I've read!! The arrival of Travor, Trell's twin, did not arrive as corny as another reviewer mentioned... he arrived before Jenny and Trell spoke their love for each other. This was an excellent book!!!

I fell in love with the twins in "Midnight Blue" when they were teenagers. I'm glad they got a story of their own. I enjoyed all the different storylines in the book. I do hope there will be another book about Cassandra or Whit.

THIS BOOK WAS SO BAD I COULDN'T EVEN FINISH IT!! I COULDN'T TOLERATE READING "I'M YOUR WOMAN, I KNOW IT" ONE MORE TIME! MAYBE IF I WOULD HAVE STUCK IT OUT THE STORY LINE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN BETTER. THE COVER ON THE BOOK WAS DECEIVING BECAUSE I PICTURED LORNA AS A SHORT LITTLE TWIT WHO PROBABLY WASN'T HALF AS PRETTY AS THE WOMAN ON THE COVER. SO FAR THE ONLY DOROTHY GARLOCK BOOK I'VE BEEN UNABLE TO PUT DOWN WAS MIDNIGHT BLUE. CHECK IT OUT FOR A BETTER READ.

A great book by Dorothy Garlock. I highly reccomend it to anyone who likes a good historical romance.

Dorothy Garlock is amazing! Always knows what the reader wants, and gives them a lot extra!!

This book is the second book of a trilogy, picking up where Restless Wind left off. What made this story so intriguing was the introduction of Lorna - the great grandaughter of Light and Maggie Lightbody (from "Almost Eden"). Also, featured is the wonderful Cooper Parnell, who we originally met in Restless Wind - the first of this trilogy.

Lorna resides at the home of Maggie and Light's - her great-grandparents - on Light's Mountain. At the end of Garlock's story, "Almost Eden", we understand the love story of Maggie and Light has become a legend. Lorna is wrapped up in the legend so much that even if a good man ever did make it on the mountain, other than the rugged mountain men and thieves and outlaws, they couldn't possibly measure up to her fantasy of a real love.

When a variety of conflicts arise, and she meets Cooper and Griffin, she knows Cooper is the man of her dreams... only her fantasy of romance and love is clouded by the legend of her great-grandparents, and her confidence that Cooper is the man of her dreams also pushes Cooper away - as he knows he cannot measure up to the dream romance she's created.

When Lorna makes a trip to Junction City, you'll again read about Mr. McCloud, Minnie, and Bessie - along with learning what's occuring in Logan and Rosdalee Horn's lives.

There are a variety of conflicts that arise for the couple, including horse theives, murderers, and old villains waiting to get their revenge... including Cooper Parnell's father, Adam Clayhill. Will this be the story that end's Adam Clayhill's evil ways... and is there another surprise character that will return to Adam's life with a similar connection as Logan Horn and Cooper Parnell?

Garlock is a genius when it comes to romance, character development, and weaving in characters from other stories. This is one of her best!

I have read several of Dorothy Garlock's books and expected this to be an enjoyable read. While Garlock is an entertaining writer and the story is very exciting with all of its twists and turns, I found this particular story very unenjoyable because the hero was such a brute. The hero, Jefferson, is so physically attracted to the heroine that he attempts to rape her fairly early on in the story. Yet all of the "good" characters that Annie trusts seem to think this guy is so wonderful and the author certainly otherwise portrays him as one of the "good" guys. Why would such a strong willed, intelligent heroine fall for a lout who mauled her roughly in the woods and would have successfuly raped her is someone hadn't come along. Usually this is the type of guy the heroine is miraculously saved from by the "good" male lead - she doesn't usually fall in love with him a few chapters down the road. I couldn't finish this book - I just didn't care about such a mean hero enough to find out what happens. This author has written much better books.

I love Dorothy Garlock's books but this one just didn't make it with me. The male character wasn't nice to anyone, especially Annie Lash. The story was disjointed and at times unbelievable. Maybe the 1700's just isn't the time period for me although I did like Wild Sweet Wilderness by the same author.

This has to be one of my favorite Dorothy Garlock stories, outside of the With Hope series. This story is full of exciting twists and turns, with a very spirited and independent female character.

There are two very touching and emotional love stories within these pages, that will keep you intrigued to find out what's happening next. At the conclusion of this story, another romance is developing between Maggie and Light... you'll find them next in the follow-up book, ALMOST EDEN.

Dorthy Garlock's Love and Cherish has an insipid meandering excuse for a plot. She drudges along a well worn path through historical romanance: the lovely but tiny young maid falls in love with the huge life-harden man and in turn wins his heart. I love a good roamance with a happy ending, but this is entirely too predictable. The dialogue is so honeyed, it is laughable. If this book is publishable, we should all give writing a book a try!

This is a charming little story, with a little of the hardships of the time. No, this is not Ms. Garlock's best... and no, there is not quite enough emotional conflict to carry the story for the 343 pages. However, it is a sweet story. If you're looking for a simple story without too much conflict, this is it!

Cherish spends the entire book letting Sloan determine the route of the relationship, and giving into his every whim. Unlike most of Ms. Garlock female characters, Cherish is quite dependent on Sloan. Otherwise, it's a good story.

Cherish Riley is displaced from her Virginian home and lost and alone with some crude grunts. She is waiting for the return of her brother but the crud wants to trade her off to some weasels.

She takes off to try and disappear into the forests along the Kentucky river. Mind you, this is Daniel Boone's time in history.

Terror, fear and exhustion dog her footsteps until she is rescued by a bear of a man and his unapproachable dog, Brown. [grin] Blink yourself into her time and see how you would fare. Traveling in October with no real warm clothing had to be a trial in itself. Sloan did his best to provide for Cherish.

Sloan Carroll is looking to pick up a wife to take home to his homestead to take care of his brother's child. Cherish is an angelic answer to his problem and he determines to return home sooner than expected. And he intends to keep his heart intact. No falling in love and giving any woman emotional power over him.

Except for those blasted Hurons slowing him down. The Frenchie, Pierre is one lovable character and puts Cherish at ease. It's not easy being seventeen in a land of men, and one needs a man's protection.

I could feel the freezing cold and exhustion of the characters as they arived home needing the help of Juice and True to make it inside. These two men turn out to be true friends.

The advent of Ada coming for her baby, Orah Delle and stalking Sloan was a bit wicked. And then the doubts raised by Minnie Dove and her pursuit of Sloan and the friendship of John Spotted Elk began to round out Cherish's life in the small community.

I don't see how she got over the visual extermination of the river rats so quickly - [I would still be having nightmares]but Cherish had the support of so many friends. I hope John Spotted Elk gets a story and a woman of his own.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED [if you can get in tune with the times.] I couldn't put it down and to me that makes an excellent story.

i was a little disappointed. First, it took forever to get into the book. Then, once i did, I found that Maggie was a bit vain. It was supposed to be taken as that it was so obvious that she was beautiful, but she shouldn't remind everyone how AMAZING she is. Anyway, Light and Maggie are together from the start, so there's no climbing romance there, and I found myself more interested in Aee and Eli. Also, I thought that her 'innocence' was a little irritating. She would say the craziest things, and her language was so poor that it was hard to invision her as the main female character. Although, the love was beautiful and the fantasy pretty beautiful. I just had to disregard a few things in it. It's worth reading once, but not more than that.

I didn't enjoy this Dorothy Garlock story as much as her others. I really liked Light when I was first introduced to this character in Annie Lash... but didn't find Maggie very memorable or appealing to carry off as a main character. She was interesting as a supporting character in Annie Lash, however. My mother and sister thought otherwise and loved this story... so if you were intrigued by Maggie and Light in Annie Lash, you will really enjoy this one.

Eli and Aee were a charming character, and would have made a perfect main pair of characters. There were many interesting conflicts in the story, including river pirates and hostile indians... and a couple surprises along the way. The conflicts seemed to take quite a long time to reach their conclusion... with little substance in between.

I found it very difficult to relate to either Maggie or Light, however, some of the supporting characters surrounding them were quite charming and intriguing. Light was, however, intriguing and fun to read. Maggie, on the other hand, was not much more than a spoiled child... though with strong dedication to Light, she had little other substance. It was exciting to hear more about other characters that I read about in Annie Lash.

As much a fan I am of Dorothy Garlock, I have to say this is the only one that I was capable of putting down each night. Ms. Garlock is an excellent writer, and this is a good story with some interesting characters.... it's just not her best.

I still gave her three stars, cause it was good reading... and I find even her worst stories are better than all other historical romance writers.

I will be reading Lonesome River next, and will post my review soon.

Though it's not a keeper I enjoyed listening to this audio cassette recording of Dorothy Garlock's Almost Eden and I liked the characters the lady named Maggie and the guy named Baptiste Lightbody who prefers to be called Light. Not my favorite but I liked it.