Leaving Whiskey Bend

Dorothy Garlock

Hallie is a school teacher in Whiskey Bend, Colorado. Pearl, her friend, is an older, straightforward widow. They go to Mary's and rescue her from her abusive, cruel step-brother Chester and flee Whiskey Bend. All of them have had different trouble with men messing up their lives. They head west, hoping to find a new home where they can live in peace.

Eli left his family to seek his own fortune. His younger brother was murdered in Bison City just before he left. His parents couldn't forgive him for abandoning them on the day of the funeral. Now his uncle has called him home. He comes back to find his father has died, his mother is more bitter than before, and his older brother is - different.

While on running away from Chester, the women run into a thunderstorm beyond anything they've seen. They go for shelter beneath the trees. Mary ends up in the raging river. Fortunately Eli and his Uncle Hank discover them and are able to rescue them. The men take the women to their home.

But the person who killed Eli's brother may now be trying to kill him. Chester will not let Mary go and he plans to get his revenge on Hallie and Pearl. In the midst of this, love still takes hold. Will it last?

Hallie and Pearl are strong women caught in their culture of the the late 1800's American West. Hallie is shunned after a married man was angry she wouldn't spend time with him. Pearl has a bad history of men and working in bars. Mary is badly abused by Chester. Despite the situations in the book, it stays fairly quiet, which is Dorothy Garlock's style.

Leaving Whiskey Bend is an average romance. The characters never grabbed me or got me involved. The most vivid scene is when the women are caught in the thunderstorm and the rescue. If you've read and liked of Garlock's work before, you'll like Leaving Whiskey Bend as well.

Notice: Non-graphic violence; Strong indecent language; Strong sexual content

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