Novel number two in popular romance writer Garlock's Depression-era Route 66 trilogy (after Mother Road
) follows a caravan of trucks on their way to California. Twenty-three-year-old Margie Kinnard's dream of going to Hollywood to become a star seemed to vanish when a conniving boyfriend abandoned her after stealing her money. She decides to join her recalcitrant father, Elmer, when he sells his ice business in Missouri and heads west to start anew. Elmer is a bitter, mean man who has had nothing to do with his daughter since her mother—his second wife—died, and Margie has spent most of her life away from him being raised by her maternal grandmother. Margie decides to put up with her father's ornery ways to achieve her dream, though it becomes clear that Elmer wants her along merely to take care of the usual womanly chores. Life starts looking up for Margie when they hook up with three other families—some of whom are set to go into the ice business with her father. Garlock presents an entertaining cavalcade of characters, from the loving couple whose blind son is a talented musician to the naïve husband whose new wife is a bane to his children's lives and a troublemaker from the get-go. There is also Brady Hoyt, a handsome cowboy and love interest for Margie. Garlock, known for her heartwarming Americana, does not disappoint here. She's got bad guys pitted against a group of hardworking men and women; an evil, sassy lady who finally gets her comeuppance; and a heart-throbbing romance at the heart of it all. (Jan. 9)
