Under a Texas Sky

August 15, 2013
Anna Finnegan is plucked from Depression-era obscurity to star in a famous producer's epic film. Her life is further turned upside down when she travels to Texas, faces a saboteur on set and meets the man of her dreams. Since her childhood in the Chicago slums, Anna has known she can't depend on anyone but herself. Running away from her abusive father and brother, she makes a living as a street entertainer then moves through the ranks to become a theater actress. On her first night as a leading lady, she is discovered by star producer Samuel Gillen, who is convinced she's the perfect soon-to-be star for his next film on location in Texas. Whisked away cross-country to the middle-of-nowhere West Texas, Anna faces hostility on set as well as a nameless villain who seems to be sabotaging the production. However, she also meets local blacksmith and hardscrabble loner Dalton Barnes, who is suspicious of the demanding Hollywood interlopers but still feels an intense if unwelcome connection to Anna. As the two grow closer, and the attacks against the movie grow more menacing, Dalton must keep his family's livelihood intact and his new love alive, despite the fact that her success could mean the end of their relationship. Garlock has delivered a novel that sounds great in synopsis but doesn't live up to its potential. The book is bogged down by too many plot elements that will leave readers shaking their heads, as well as a writing style that lacks punch. Tepid and disappointing.

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August 1, 2013
Young actress Anna Finnegan is plucked from obscurity in a St. Louis theater to play the lead in a Hollywood western. Shot on location in hardscrabble Redstone, Texas, the film is being sabotaged by an unknown person who has hired local criminals to set fires, steal, and create mayhem on the set. If that's not enough excitement, Anna is also fending off advances from a lecherous costar and bullying from the other female lead. Off set, she manages to fall for the local blacksmith, Dalton Barnes, who is hardworking, handsome, fiercely proud, and not at all interested in the trappings of Hollywood. Dalton and Anna come up with a plan to expose the saboteur, save the movie, and live happily ever after. Set during the Prohibition era and replete with stereotypical Hollywood and western characters, the latest from romance doyenne Garlock mixes light suspense with traditional romance for an entertaining effect.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)