This is actually the first book I have read by this author and I must say I enjoyed it. While it is set in the 1950's, this book is oddly reminiscent of a contemporary small town romance. Overall, an enjoyable story that is perfect when you just need a little escape from daily life.

Dorothy Garlock writes really good romance/ mystery books. I love books set in small towns,and throw in a library for the win.

Lily has longed for another life but ever since she was little, her over-protective father has made sure that she stays close to home and stays put in Hooper’s Crossing. When the book opens Lily almost dashes off to New York City with her best friend but ultimately decides to stay behind, thinking to herself that maybe her life will always be in Hooper’s Crossing.

Meanwhile for photographer, Boone Tatum, his work at Life magazine has taken him around the world. He is willing to take risks to get the right shot but one bad judgement too many and now he is sent on assignment to Hooper’s Crossing to cover the Harvest festival. He even has to take an eager but still wet around the ears, writer with him.

Boone is sure that he can take a enough pictures and be out of the small town in a couple of days and finally get his career back on track capturing the next amazing shot. What he doesn’t count on is catching a glimpse of the beautiful Lily. The two immediately hit it off after a chance encounter and Boone now thinks maybe he needs more than a couple of days in town to woo Lily. Throw in some danger to boot and you have the two main characters facing a lot of important issues in a few days time.

This was a light romance with some great descriptions of life in a small town in the 1950s. While I enjoyed the storyline and both characters there is one major quibble I had with their relationship which just didn’t seem to fit in with the timeframe this was set in. I don’t want to say more for fear of spoiling it but if you’ve read this I would love to hear your thoughts.

Stevie‘s review of The Nearness of You by Dorothy Garlock
Historical Women’s Fiction published by Grand Central Publishing 11 Jul 17

Having enjoyed my first book (out of an extensive bibliography) by Dorothy Garlock, I decided to give her latest one a go too. Once again set in 1950s small-town USA, this story features a very different hero and heroine, although, as before, the heroine is a local while the hero, as well as his sidekick, is a temporary visitor. We also get younger protagonists than previously – not always a bad thing, much as I prefer my more mature heroes and heroines – and a completely different family set up for the heroine.

Librarian Lily Denton has been brought up by her overprotective father, the mayor of Hooper’s Crossing, since her mother’s unexpected death when Lily was six. Although she dreams of moving away to New York, Lily turns down her most promising opportunity, allowing her best friend to drive off and explore life in the big city alone. Soon, though, Lily is caught up in the preparations for the town’s annual fall festival, an event in which her father is heavily involved, and which promises to bring tourists from all over the country, including this year a journalist and photographer from New York-based Life magazine.

Boone Tatum is a successful and admired photographer with Life, who is preparing for another high-profile overseas trip, when he gets into trouble while trying to get the perfect shot of a view close to his home. As penance, his editor sends him to Hooper’s Crossing, accompanying an inexperienced – and quite annoying – young reporter. Boone is not best pleased, even though he’s glad that for once he can take his beloved dog away with him; however, his feelings about the town change when he meets Lily during her lunch break.

Boone and Lily are very taken with each other, but she has also caught the eye of another visitor: one of a pair of crooks planning to rob the town’s bank at the height of the festival. The smitten criminal is soon falling out with his older companion, who is keen that they should lie low until the day planned for the robbery, because he’d rather go back into town for another chance at meeting Lily. Things get even more complicated when the younger crook realises that a photo Boone took of Lily may also feature his face in the background. And so the robbery plans get ever more tangled around Boone and Lily’s budding romance.

I wasn’t as keen on this book as I was on Garlock’s previous one. The characters felt rather too immature and unfinished, and I couldn’t get excited about either the town or the festival, much less the robbery subplot. If I decide to try the author again, I suspect I’m going to look very closely at what the blurb has to say about all the main characters.

Grade: C

Bad boys. Why are they so tempting, so intriguing? Each generation of parents tend to forget the lesson 'the tighter you hold on, the more irresistible your kids will find the inappropriate'. Such is the case in Dorothy Garlock's The Nearness of You.
Set in the small town of Harpers Crossing, NY in 1952, Lily Denton longs for the excitement of NYC. Her overprotective father keeps her close however, holding tight after the death of her mother. Boone Tatum is a well traveled, accomplished photographer, and trouble with a capital 'T'. An assignment in sleepy Harpers Crossing is a punishment. Lily and Boone cross paths at the Fall Festival where he takes her photograph.
As the story unfolds and I was immersed further I realized although set in 1952 so many themes are universal. Dorothy Garlock really does a beautiful job weaving a story of coming of age, love, loss, identity, family, community, the complicated messy, beauty of life. She manages to do this in a way that is uncomplicated, unfussy, unhurried. That's a good book. I really enjoyed this and recommend.
I received an advanced reader copy (eGalley) from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinions.

This book was super sweet, dramatic, and everything you would expect out of a Dorothy Garlock novel. My favorite part is the beginning. She writes about Lilly, a woman who is looking to chase her dreams but feels guilt about those she's leaving behind, and she writes about Jane, her best friend who is excited to start chasing the dreams she's had. I loved the relationship between these two girls. The development of characters is something that I really enjoyed about this book. I can't wait for it to hit the shelves so I can purchase a copy for myself!

This was a sweet story and I enjoyed it, but for me it was missing a bit of the I can't put it down! I liked the historical aspects of the story, and the town of Hoopers Crossing seems delightful. I enjoyed Lily's journey in the book, more than just falling in love. It was more of a story of her blossoming and growing and getting out from the shadow of her old life.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

Overall I enjoyed the story. I loved seeing Lily gather the courage to go after her dream. I loved Boone gain a new perspective and be brought down to earth but also fall in love. I enjoyed watching Lily’s dad see things through his daughter and loosen up at some point. I also really liked the mystery that was part of the Fall Festival. Seeing Boone help Lily gain strength and stand up for what she wants. he also helps keep her safe for she is in danger even when she didn’t realize it. At times there was too much description but it doesn’t detract from the story. Just for me it slows the story down.

I really loved watching Boone’s view change and how Lily helps change him and have him fall in love. I love how one picture changes a series of events and places danger unknowingly around those in the picture and the one who takes it. I love that danger and intrigue and how it was solved. I enjoyed how in the end Lily finds her niche and makes it, how her dad supports her and how her and Boone fall in love and are together.

A wonderfully complex and emotional tale that has multi-dimensional characters, intrigue and love.

I have chosen to DNF this title. While this is a popular author, I have not read a lot of her books and this one did not really work for me.

I appreciate, as always, the opportunity to read the title.

Dorothy Garlock
The Nearness of You
Grand Central Publishing / July 11, 2017 / $26.00 print, $13.99 digital

One of the most accepted truism about falling in love is that when it happens we become better individuals. For some people, it might be that they become kinder, or less prone to impatience or anger. Other individuals finally have the courage to make changes or take risks.

In Dorothy Garlock’s newest book, The Nearness of You, she sweetly shows how Lily Denton and Boone Tatum bring out the best in each other.

Lily’s mother died when she was six-years-old and her protective father brought her up alone. And while her father put a lot of energy into his position as mayor of their small town, he still had plenty left over to smother Lily.

Lily has always dreamed of living somewhere more exciting. So when her best friends states that she’s leaving for New York City, and asked Lily to come along, she excitedly agrees. But when push comes to shove, Lily doesn’t have the courage to leave:


On the road ahead, the car’s headlights illuminated a large sign announcing that they were leaving Hooper’s Crossing. It quickly loomed before them its colors bright, then vanished and all was dark.

Sitting in the silence, Lily searched her feelings, trying to understand why she’d suddenly gotten cold feet. The answer didn’t take long to find; it was there in the silent stalls of the festival, the shops along Main Street, the billboard on the way out of town. Hooper’s Crossing was her home. No matter how much she had dreamed about leaving the truth was, she was scared to go. The grass might be greener elsewhere, but what if it wasn’t? And even though her father meddled in her life, Lily still loved him. In the years since her mother’s death, all they’d had was each other. If she left, especially like this, without telling him, she would be abandoning him. She wasn’t willing to break his heart all over again.

“I can’t do it,” she finally said, staring at her hands, folded in her lap “I can’t go to New York City.”

Twenty-six-year-old Boone Tatum has spent four years working as a photographer for Life magazine. There is no doubt that he talented, but he attracts trouble like a magnet. After his latest escapade, his editor not in the mood to cut him any slack:


“You’re not going.” The editor interrupted.

Boone was momentarily stunned into silence. “Wait. . . what’re you saying. . .?” he stumbled

“You might have skated out of that jail cell without much of a scratch,” Walter answered, pointing at the mark on Boone’s face, “but didn’t you think there weren’t going to consequences for this, did you? You’re off any plum assignments, effective immediately.”

“Oh, come on!” Boone snapped rising out of his chair. The Havana trip had been planned for months, long enough for him to have spent plenty of time imagining the sandy stretches of beach, cold beer, and lovely senoritas waiting there for him. He wasn’t going to let it go without a fight. “I just got in a little scrape, that all! Now you’re telling I’m shelved? This is ridiculous!”

“First things first, sit back down,” Walter said with a hint of steel in his voice, pointing at Boone’s recently vacated chair. Once the young photographer had reluctantly done as he’s been told he continued. “Second, I didn’t say you were being suspended, only that you’re not going to Havana.” He slid a folder across the desk toward Boone. I’ve got somewhere else in mind for you.

“Boone snatched up the folder and began to quickly read it contents. With every passing word, his mood soured. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Hooper’s Crossing, New York,” the editor said with a smile, crossing his arms behind his head. “They have a fall festival that apparently draws quite the crowd. Music, crafts, food, that sort of thing. Hell, maybe there’s even a hayride, a barn dance, or a contest where you bob for apples.”

You would think that two dissimilar people would have little in common. Boone has traveled the world in his career as a photographer and Lily a small-town girl, too afraid to leave small town, USA, but the sexual attraction between the two is immediate”


Lily saw a quick, almost imperceptible surprise cross his face. Just then, the two of them crouched beside each other in the street, it felt like a moment frozen in time. Neither of them moved or spoke, a powerful something between them. Strange as it was, Lily felt as if they were alone even as they were surrounded by hundreds of people. Her heart pounded and her body was tense with excited nerves, but she didn’t look away. She couldn’t.

There not a lot of tension to keep the two lovers apart, but Garlock provides a bit of suspense when a criminal element decides the fall festival is the perfect time to execute their trade.

The underlying theme that a woman needs a man to be adventurous is a bit disconcerting, and the behavior of Lily and Boone at the end seems out-of-place for 1952 but fans of fans of Garlock will enjoy her natural storytelling, the sweet love story and appealing characters.

Abby and her friend dream of living in New York City and leaving the little town of Hooper's Crossing, New York in 1952. A big festival is going on in town and a big-time photographer for Life magazine, Boone Tatum, comes to town to do a story. There are also two men who come to town, pretending to be tourists but really are planning a bank robbery. Their lives all collide in this realistic, historical romance about "small town U.S.A." I appreciated the nicely designed characters who could be anyone next door! I felt the tender, sweet ambiance of a small town in the 1950's. Dorothy Garlock does an amazing job of creating an engaging story with likable characters. A great addition to historical romance!

The Nearness of You by Dorothy Garlock is now available from Grand Central Publishing. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

I enjoyed this book it is the first i have read by this author and i look forward to trying more.well written with really likable characters and a good storyline a super read for a lazy weekend.

This is a DNF for me. The author's writing style doesn't click with me so I won't be rating or reviewing this title. Thank you for sending the book for me to try.

This story had everything going on in it. Lily is the daughter of the town mayor that longs for adventures in the big city. Boone is the jaded news photographer uninterested in the small town until he sees Lily. There is romance and suspense thrown together and did I mention the bank robbers? This was a sweet story with a small town feel to it. The romance had a slow but steady build and I was mesmerized from the beginning. I recommend this book to everyone looking for a good, old-fashioned love story.

A thoroughly enjoyable book set in the 1930s and 1950s. Dorothy Garlock has a writing style that I can only describe as classical beauty. As the reader you fall into the story and become one with the characters.

The main character, Lily, finds herself at a crossroads in life. Should she stay in Hooper's Crossing and stay the librarian or move to NYC with her best friend? As she is making her decision she befriends a Life photographer during the famous fall festival and finds herself falling in love. Will he be the reason she leaves?

I have never been disappointed with a Dorothy Garlock book and you make it about a small town librarian and I'm hooked.

Whether this is your first Garlock book or your 20th you will not be disappointed.

I fell in love with this book cover and thought the story had to be good so I didn't even bother reading the blurb. I'm pleased to say my gut feeling didn't let me down. The Nearness of You by Dorothy Garlock is the perfect beach read.

It's a lighthearted romance with a sprinkle here and there of suspense and action, that keeps the reader turning pages until the end.

The story starts in 1937 but it then fast-forwards to 1952, when Lily (the heroine) is all grown up and about to leave town with her best friend Jane. I think this is my favorite part of the story. I love the dynamic between Jane and Lily. Jane's vivacious and doesn't settle for anything less than it's worth. She dreams big and always wants more.

Lily, on the other hand, has big dreams but the guilt of leaving her father behind weighs heavy on her. Reading about two girls leaving town for the big apple, had me turning the pages until Lily changes her mind. I was disappointed with that twist because I was looking forward to seeing what the two of them would do in NYC.

Despite that bit of disappointment, I enjoyed the story. The author does a great job of letting the reader see/understand the reasons Lily decides to stay in town. It's not as though she never gets to leave anyway.

I do, however, wish that Jane would've had more of an active role given that she's Lily's best friends. Maybe perhaps Jane would've stolen the spotlight from Lily, but I think that the two together would've been a lot more fun to read.

The dynamic between the Boone and Clive duo was fantastic. Clive--though not attractive and a pain in the ass as only he can be--is hilarious in his own way. It was nice to see how Boone learns to appreciate Clive for who he is and even admits there might just be a lasting friendship in the making.

I have to say that if there's ever a story for Jane in the Big Apple, I will absolutely read it.

I am a huge fan of old black and white movies. When I was reading The Nearness of You I felt like I was watching one of those movies. Dorothy Garlock beautifully described the clothes, the people, the feeling of a small town in the 50's. I wanted to be in the middle of all of the festivities in Hooper's Crossing. I could just see Doris Day playing the role of Lily. What a refreshing read!

The Nearness of You is a wonderful story about finding what you didn't even know you needed where you least expect it. Lily thought that she would need to go to the big city to find adventure but love and adventure wind up finding her in her hometown. Big Apple photographer, Boone, wants to be on assignment in Havana but finds himself in Hooper's Crossing instead. Fate brings them together and love blooms. So sweet!

In addition, a bank robbery is planned in Hooper's Crossing and the scoundrels find them in the midst of more than they bargained for. They thought that they had their crime perfectly planned out but they weren't as smart as they thought they were.

You will cry, you will cheer, you will feel like you are watching a classic movie on the big screen. I would love to see this a movie!

This is a very sweet romance with a bit of a criminal twist. Set in the 1930's the backdrop for this novel is a small, adorable American town.

I liked this book right away, as with other Dorothy Garlock novels, this book is all about family connections and friendships aside from the main romance plot and the setting is so well described that you feel like you are right there with the characters.

This book has a lot going on in it besides the romance and I was particularly impressed with the way the author described the friendship between Lily and her police officer best friend. The dialogue is good in this book, but for me it was the subtle body language descriptions and the reactions that made the book what it was. It also had a happy ending that was believable, and I like that.

This would be a great book for a weekend away, when you are looking for a book you can really get into.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.