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Wabash River #2
Dream River
The million-copy bestselling author of Wind of Promise and Annie Lash continues her breathtaking Wabash River Trilogy with this second exciting novel set in Arkansas in 1819. Amy Deverell joins Rain Tallman as he blazes new trails across the American frontier--and across her heart.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1988
39 people are currently reading
223 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Garlock
86 books382 followersDorothy Garlock was a best-selling American author of over 60 historical romance novels, most of them set in the American West. More than 20 million copies of her books are in print, in 18 languages. Her books have been on the New York Times best seller list seven times. She was named one of the 10 most popular writers of women's fiction four years in a row, from 1985-1988. In 1997, she was awarded the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award. Garlock is also a member of the Romance Writers Hall of Fame.
Garlock worked as an editor, agent and publicist for most of her writing career. She was a native of Texas who grew up in Oklahoma then married and moved to Iowa. Garlock donated many of her manuscripts and other unpublished writings to the University of Iowa libraries.
Pen names include:
Johanna Phillips
Dorothy Phillips
Dorothy Glenn
Garlock worked as an editor, agent and publicist for most of her writing career. She was a native of Texas who grew up in Oklahoma then married and moved to Iowa. Garlock donated many of her manuscripts and other unpublished writings to the University of Iowa libraries.
Pen names include:
Johanna Phillips
Dorothy Phillips
Dorothy Glenn
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 18, 2018
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars
January 12, 2024
I've been playing Oregon Trail lately, which oddly made me think of this book. I read this book when I was a teenager, which was a very long time ago. I was surprised that I was able to find it in ebook format, but it was a nice walk down memory lane.
January 24, 2010
Great book! This is the second time I have read it. The first time was probably when it first came out in 1988. After re-reading just now, I can honestly say that I really enjoy the ole romance and western style books. Dorothy Garlock does a great job with this book. The first in this trio was good too. Rain Tallman grew up sweet on Amy Deverall. But when it came time for her to marry because her father was going to force her into a marriage at 12 years old with a horrable man. Rain was too young so when Uncle Juicy stepped in to make sure that Amy would be taken care of and she would not have to marry anyone and leave home. He offer to marry her, after all he was near 80 years old and treated her like a daughter and it would remain that way. He even made sure Rain knew it. Rain left home to find out what kind of a man he was. When Juicy passed away and Rain did not come home Amy became depressed. Rain was all she thought of.
Well he finally comes home and doesn't even act interested anymore. Wow what a shock to Amy. They travel across country and find there way back to one another. And along the way major danger happens.
Well he finally comes home and doesn't even act interested anymore. Wow what a shock to Amy. They travel across country and find there way back to one another. And along the way major danger happens.
March 28, 2011
Dorothy Garlock was the first ever romance books I read, I was in 9th grade. They have stayed in my memory as great reads. Two series stick out in my memory, the Wind series and the River series. I found them for my kindle and am going to re-read them and see if they are still as magical as way back then
December 22, 2008
This is classic Dorothy Garlock- hardships of western pioneer life enlivened by courage and romantic and familial love. Good quality subplot between Gavin and Eleanor that provided the most development within a character of any in the book.
August 18, 2008
Rain and Amy *sigh* Strong characters...you love them to peices and wish you knew them personally in real life.
Read
May 8, 2012Excellent Book !!!!!!
November 24, 2019
I was interested in this book because, despite it being a romance, the author has been described as an expert in early American pioneer life. Hence it was also a Western.
Did I enjoy it? You bet! There were no surprises. The men were 'real men' and the women were happy about it (though this is not to demean the women in the book; they were in the main highly skilled in carving out a family life in what was then a wilderness). It was also predictably full of nefarious plots against the heroes and heroines which they had to negotiate to bring about the inevitable happy ending.
Why did I enjoy it so much if the plot was almost cliched? Garlock's prose was very easy to read and the descriptions of life in general at the time seemed realistic, at least to me, and were not a straightforward hankering of a time past. The disadvantages of life at the time such as loneliness, the scarcity of opportunities for pleasure in the daily grind and the lack of laws, or at least the absence of any meaningful machinery to enforce the laws, meant that many settlements were populated by less than savoury menfolk. Hence the reason why there was so many adventures in the book!
So, an easy and enjoyable read which did not stretch the intellect. My one regret, however, was that I bought this book on a recommendation and as an ebook and I didn't know it was the second book in a trilogy (nor did it have the ludicrous picture on its front displayed above. If it did, I probably wouldn't have read it, though I don't know why). Naturally, I now feel compelled to read parts 1 and 3 ... so I will be reading at least 2 more Dorothy Garlock books in the future. Let's hope they entertain as much as this one did.
Did I enjoy it? You bet! There were no surprises. The men were 'real men' and the women were happy about it (though this is not to demean the women in the book; they were in the main highly skilled in carving out a family life in what was then a wilderness). It was also predictably full of nefarious plots against the heroes and heroines which they had to negotiate to bring about the inevitable happy ending.
Why did I enjoy it so much if the plot was almost cliched? Garlock's prose was very easy to read and the descriptions of life in general at the time seemed realistic, at least to me, and were not a straightforward hankering of a time past. The disadvantages of life at the time such as loneliness, the scarcity of opportunities for pleasure in the daily grind and the lack of laws, or at least the absence of any meaningful machinery to enforce the laws, meant that many settlements were populated by less than savoury menfolk. Hence the reason why there was so many adventures in the book!
So, an easy and enjoyable read which did not stretch the intellect. My one regret, however, was that I bought this book on a recommendation and as an ebook and I didn't know it was the second book in a trilogy (nor did it have the ludicrous picture on its front displayed above. If it did, I probably wouldn't have read it, though I don't know why). Naturally, I now feel compelled to read parts 1 and 3 ... so I will be reading at least 2 more Dorothy Garlock books in the future. Let's hope they entertain as much as this one did.
April 11, 2022
I read this book for the first time in 1988, when I was just discovering my love of pioneer historical romance. I think I may have been 16 or so and this book had a hold on me. I simply fell in love with it and the way the story developed. So, when I saw someone's post about picking up this book, I knew it was a reread for me.
Turns out that I still love this book. Yes, some of the situations and language were problematic but history is messy.
It had twists and turns and a plot that had substance. I love history and how Dorothy woven it through her fictional story, I really appreciated it. Amy was quite a woman with a mind of her own and how she knew what she wanted. She had integrity and saw all people as equals.
Trigger warnings: spanking scene, kidnapping, fighting, and killing. It's a frontier period piece.
Turns out that I still love this book. Yes, some of the situations and language were problematic but history is messy.
It had twists and turns and a plot that had substance. I love history and how Dorothy woven it through her fictional story, I really appreciated it. Amy was quite a woman with a mind of her own and how she knew what she wanted. She had integrity and saw all people as equals.
Trigger warnings: spanking scene, kidnapping, fighting, and killing. It's a frontier period piece.
December 18, 2024
Great book highly recommend it. Rain and Amy's story was terrific read I did feel that a good spanking would have been good for Amy too. But all in all it was a good read and Eleanor and Gavin were awesome addition to the story read and enjoy
April 8, 2020
Good story
This was another good book by this author. The second in a series of four. I don't think I will be reading the last two.
This was another good book by this author. The second in a series of four. I don't think I will be reading the last two.
January 3, 2021
Fun easy read. Characters were enjoyable
June 7, 2019
This book is second in the Wabash River series. If not read in order, you will not understand many of the references to other characters that appear in the novels of this series.
It was a delight to see Farr and Liberty again. It is 7 years after the first book, LONESOME RIVER (now 1818). When Rain Tallman returns, he talks of new land near the Arkansas River. This renews Farr's desire to move someplace where he and his family can stretch out; Quill's Station is becoming crowded with new families.
As the story begins, Amy has been waiting years for Rain to return. She's a widow now and 19 years of age. When Rain arrives, they have an uneasy time of reestablishing their relationship - as adults. It does not help that Rain has brought Eleanor Woodbury, a drop-dead beautiful woman with him. She is meant to be a wife for Rain's friend, Will Bradford, a military officer.
However, Eleanor leaves no stone unturned in her efforts to get Rain to notice and admire her. Amy doesn't waste much time warning Eleanor off - Rain is hers. Their hostility is ignited and no one can miss the animosity. Rain tells Amy that he is taking Eleanor to her fiancée and asks her to come along - for appearance's sake (Eleanor needs a chaperone - an unmarried woman traveling with a man is a no-no). Amy reluctantly agrees.
Thus begins a long trek to Belle Point, where Rain expects to deposit Eleanor with her fiancée. The bad boys (from book one) emerge again - stirring up murder and mayhem. They provide much of the suspense and action of this story. As usual, Garlock makes this a page-turner to the last paragraph. 4 stars
Wabash River
1. Lonesome River (1987)
2. Dream River (1988)
3. River of Tomorrow (1988)
4. Yesteryear (1995)
It was a delight to see Farr and Liberty again. It is 7 years after the first book, LONESOME RIVER (now 1818). When Rain Tallman returns, he talks of new land near the Arkansas River. This renews Farr's desire to move someplace where he and his family can stretch out; Quill's Station is becoming crowded with new families.
As the story begins, Amy has been waiting years for Rain to return. She's a widow now and 19 years of age. When Rain arrives, they have an uneasy time of reestablishing their relationship - as adults. It does not help that Rain has brought Eleanor Woodbury, a drop-dead beautiful woman with him. She is meant to be a wife for Rain's friend, Will Bradford, a military officer.
However, Eleanor leaves no stone unturned in her efforts to get Rain to notice and admire her. Amy doesn't waste much time warning Eleanor off - Rain is hers. Their hostility is ignited and no one can miss the animosity. Rain tells Amy that he is taking Eleanor to her fiancée and asks her to come along - for appearance's sake (Eleanor needs a chaperone - an unmarried woman traveling with a man is a no-no). Amy reluctantly agrees.
Thus begins a long trek to Belle Point, where Rain expects to deposit Eleanor with her fiancée. The bad boys (from book one) emerge again - stirring up murder and mayhem. They provide much of the suspense and action of this story. As usual, Garlock makes this a page-turner to the last paragraph. 4 stars
Wabash River
1. Lonesome River (1987)
2. Dream River (1988)
3. River of Tomorrow (1988)
4. Yesteryear (1995)
February 13, 2015
Not her best writing, although I like the people and the setting.
November 1, 2015
Rain finally returns
Amy loved Rain from the first time she saw him. They annoyed each other for years. It is wonderful to see them all grown up and together again.
Amy loved Rain from the first time she saw him. They annoyed each other for years. It is wonderful to see them all grown up and together again.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews