Stay a Little Longer

February 1, 2010
The prolific Garlock (The Moon Looked Down
) returns to a familiar setting—a smalltown boarding house run by a struggling young woman—in her true-to-form latest. In Carlson, Minn., circa 1926, Rachel Watkins ekes out a living overseeing an inn owned by her mother and her likable drunk uncle. She's also a part-time midwife, just as her mother was before Rachel's sister, Alice, died while giving birth to her daughter, Charlotte. Eight years have passed since Mason Tucker, Alice's husband, was presumed dead in WWI, and now Mason's greedy brother, Zachary, wants to force Rachel's family to sell the boarding house. But when Charlotte discovers a shell-shocked hobo with a familiar voice living in a decrepit cabin nearby, she begins to think that he's Mason. As Rachel and her family try to outwit Zachary, love blooms in heartwarming, predictable Garlock fashion. If you've read Garlock before, you'll know what to expect.

April 15, 2010
In the aftermath of World War I, and with the tragic deaths of both her sister in childbirth and her brother-in-law in the war, it's all Rachel Watkins can do to raise her eight-year-old niece, Charlotte, care for the rest of her relatives, and run the family boardinghouse. But when Charlotte discovers a delirious drifter hiding in a shack, Rachel agrees to take him in, suspecting that he just might be Mason Tucker, her supposedly dead brother-in-law. A greedy banker and a lecherous boarder add to the mix in this poignant, engrossing story of life, death, and second chances that pits strong characters against tremendous odds and lets them win. VERDICT Well written and swiftly paced, this story brings to life a time period that is seldom-used in romance. A touching read for most popular fiction collections. Iowa-based Garlock ("The Moon Looked Down") is noted for her realistic yet romantic family-centered stories set during the first half of the 20th century.

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.