The Road to Cardinal Valley

Ruby McGavin #2

by Earlene Fowler

In this heartfelt and poignant follow-up to Earlene Fowler’s national bestseller, The Saddlemaker’s Wife, Ruby McGavin returns to the small town of Cardinal, California, where a year ago she brought her husband’s ashes back to his family’s ranch, and discovered safety, peace, and a love...

Ruby never thought she’d return to Cardinal, but she’s hoping the place and people who gave her so much can give her brother Nash—who’s been drowning in drink in Nashville—the fresh start he so desperately needs.



Saddlemaker Lucas McGavin is thrilled that Ruby has come back. He hasn’t given up on his love for her, despite the awkward fact that she is his brother’s widow, and he’s well aware that this may be his last chance to win Ruby’s heart.

When Nash starts drinking again and ends up in a devastating accident, Ruby decides she must find her estranged mother to help with an intervention. Two states away, Etta Walker harbors a horrible secret that keeps her from reconnecting with the children she deserted so many years ago.



As they struggle with the present and confront the past, Ruby, Lucas, and Etta learn the power of forgiveness…and reach for a new future filled with hope, grace, and love.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Cozy Mystery, Novels

304 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 2012

About the author

Earlene Fowler was raised in La Puente, California, by a Southern mother and a Western father. She lives in Southern California with her husband, Allen, a purple pickup truck, and many pairs of cowboy boots. She is currently working on the next Benni Harper mystery.

Series:
* Benni Harper Mysteries
* Love Mercy Johnson Mystery

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big plot twist re: romance in this one. And a part that will bring on some tears. Well written.
SO pleased to find this at the library as I read the first book recently enough that I remembered Ruby and Birch and most of the characters :)
Quotes: “as far as Lucas could tell, no one got married these days before having kids, something his Aunt Birch lamented on a regular basis.”
(Casually observing people in a Las Vegas diner @ 1AM)
Cassie’s idea: Story Jam :)
Birch (retired elementary teacher) impacted Ely for life with an encouraging written word …
“She (Ruby) remembered Lucas telling her about horses and their need for the herd, even if only a herd of two. Without it, they could die of loneliness.”
Ely: Alcohol and drugs will do that to a person; make you do things you’d never do sober.

[Keilani Ludlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it! I read The Saddlemaker's Wife about 5-6 years ago. Funny, it did not seem so long when I picked up this book. However, it did matter because I did not remember a lot of the details of the first book which would have been helpful picking up the second book. So, first thing - if you haven't read the first book or haven't read it recently, read it.

Now, this story continues Ruby and Lucas's story, along with that of many of the characters Ruby met in the first book. After the last book, Ruby headed to Nashville to try and help her alcoholic brother - diagnosed with hepatitis. Things did not go well and now she is bringing her brother back to the small town of Cardinal, the town where her former husband grew up, to try and help him straighten out. The people who befriended her before gather around to help and encourage her.

The expected romances do not go as I would have thought, little twists and turns, and yet somehow I found myself really enjoying the changes and where things went.

Ok, final info - as usual - no swearing, no sex, just a good clean story that draws you in and makes you wish you could know this town and some of these people.

I've read all her books and as usual, this one does not disappoint!

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have loved all of Earlene Fowler's books but this one disappointed me. It has language, although not "bad" and the storyline didn't flow like the others. Instead of hoping the book would not end and I could just keep reading, I kept wondering when it would end. I'm sorry to write that because of her other books. Maybe it's just my take on it.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet love story that still manages to surprise. Earlene Fowler is at her best when it comes to creating characters and settings that pull a reader in and make her want to be in that place and know those people. The Road to Cardinal Valley revisits Cardinal, CA, and Lucas McGavin, the saddle maker, who still pines for Ruby, the wife of his dead brother. Ruby has gone to Nashville to take care of her brother Nash, a would be star with a drinking problem and a debilitating disease. Now she's returning and Lucas is wondering if they'll have a chance to find out if there can be something between them despite his family and her past.

I really love the characters in this book, especially bed and breakfast owners Birch and Bobby Hernandez, and felon-turned-barista Ely Grey. It's a good story that reminds us to keep our eyes and hearts open, because we might find love in the places we least expect it and with the last person we expect. I'm sure Earlene Fowler quite often hears from readers who simply want more of Benni Harper and her quilt mysteries--I know I do--but it's enjoyable to read the other stories she has on her heart. A nice read!

[Effie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book by Earlene Fowler. It took me a chapter or two to get into it, but I think that was because I didn't really want to get started knowing that she isn't going to be writing other books for awhile and I wanted this one to last as long as possible. I enjoyed how she presented each character and how they intertwined with all the characters in the town. Being from a small community I liked it because it reminded me of where I grew up and people looked out for each other and took care of them. You always have a few that seem to be hard nosed and uncaring, but in the end you find out it takes a village to support you from time to time. I would hope that this author will write again one day. I like her Benni Harper Mysteries and hope that she has at least one more of those to write! Of course, another book similar to this one would be good as well - using some of these characters and moving on with their lives.

[Melodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe I have said many times before that Earlene Fowler is one of my favorite writers. Her Benni Harper books are right at the top of my list. This book is a followup to THE SADDLEMAKER'S WIFE, which came out a few years ago. I liked it, too, but found this book to be far superior. "Real" people, like the ones you know, in a small town setting. Each is going through their own trials and tribulations, and they just keep on, keepin' on. There was great sadness in this tale, but also the possiblity of great joy and the idea that people can overcome insurmountable odds. There were some religious undertones to the story, but I never felt for a minute I was being preached at, and I am the type of person who is quickly turned off by that sort of thing. It was actually a great counterpoint to a lot of what was going on. Great start to the New Year! RECOMMEND!!

[Sharon Chance · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! I have read many of Earlene Fowler's quilting mysteries, and enjoyed them greatly. But I was totally surprised and delighted with "The Road To Cardinal Valley."

The second book telling the stories of the residents of Cardinal, California, this installment focuses on Ruby, her brother Nash, and their search for the mother who abandoned them when they were children. The story is a mixture of heartache, joy, friendship and family - and it all is written with such obvious care for the characters and their situations.

I was absolutely entralled with this book, reading it in one sitting and when reaching the end, I knew I miss the characters. I can't wait for Earlene's next edition in this slice of small-town living.

[Ginny · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a longtime Earlene Fowler fan who loves her Benni Harper series as well as The Saddlemaker's Wife and Love Mercy, I think The Road to Cardinal Valley is now my favorite of all her books. In addition to the small town local color, I especially appreciated the straightforward, simply-expressed message about reaching out to others and never knowing when even the smallest gesture of kindness, compassion, or love, "just a few words or a hug or buying someone a meal" can be the one act of grace that makes an enormous difference to someone who is struggling.

On a lighter note, I love the line "that first wife of his was a catfish best thrown back into the muddy Mississippi."

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

2015: fun to listen the second time, although I read some in the middle

2013: This sequel to "The Saddlemaker's Wife" is touching. Ruby returns to Cardinal a year later with her troubled brother, Nash, and rekindles her friendships with the people in town. They try to help her and Nash, but as his problems escalate she decides she must seek out the mother who abandoned them as children and ask for her help. The novel has Fowler's signature touch of the pitfalls and beauty in family relationships and how they affect us. Ruby, Lucas, Ely, and Cassie all find some happiness in this novel and even though it seems to end pretty completely, I wouldn't mind another sequel.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this sequel to The Saddlemaker's Wife. It is heartfelt, sad and still uplifting.
Relationships are sorted out, life needs answers that come through experience and time.

I was happy for Ruby, Lucas, Ely and the families in the community.

[Paula · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why was this labeled a mystery?

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forwards to this book and ... it was "What did I just read?" after I finished.

There was no mystery in the book, I felt that it's more like a general fiction. I can't even call it romance either because the romance that was supposedly set up in the first book never manifested.

I think this is her weakest book because it was just kind of disorienting with how the main characters hardly ever interacted anymore. Not to mention new characters that popped out of nowhere with very little interaction to them. "Oh, I'm now dating this awesome chick now!" (And color me very grossed out with Ruby dating her boss. Not the age, but the fact that he is HER BOSS to start with. The one who outright hired her. What happens if that relationship ends badly? Yeah, very uncomfortable.)
...I wonder if that was her intention to mislead the readers with the romance setup from the first book because there were some characters in the book who were disappointed. (My head hurts.)

I have no idea what happened to this series. I'm seeing that people are saying that there's a third book, I just don't see how it's going to happen with how the writer seemed to fix everything up in a neat bow in the second book.

I think I'm sticking with the Benni Harper series only from now on.

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

If a person does not like book 1 in a series, what are the chances that that same person will like book 2 any better? In this case, zero. I did finish book 2 so I could know how things ended (so automatic 2 stars). However, I do not want to read any book 3 no matter what. These books were profoundly depressing. I struggled to like most of the characters (I did like Bobby, Birch, Lucas and Ely). It was one catastrophe after another. When a book is described as "poignant," some people run toward it. I should run away from it. Kack.

[Kathie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally Finished!!!!!!!!!!
I only kept reading this one because I had to find out what the mom's big secret was, who Ruby ended up with, and if Nash survives to the end. A great book about forgiveness and finding love.
This book (and it's predecessor) are good books and worth the reading, I just happen to like another series by this author much better - the Benni Harper quilt series. (Shame on the publisher for canceling it.)

[Emily Kestrel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting a bit of suspense, since Fowler has also written a mystery series and the book is published by "Berkeley Prime Crime," but it's really a sappy and sentimental tale of love, addiction and redemption. One of the characters compared the events of the story to a "bad country song," and I couldn't concur more. I am sure that some people would enjoy this book, but it was too Lifetime-movie for my tastes.

[judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loyalty is the only way I could force my way through this book. I've read and enjoyed many of Fowler's Benni Harper mysteries. I probably thought that's what this was when I picked it up. It was a romance with a Western flair and not one I particularly liked. It always troubles me when there is a main character I can't stand--so count me seriously troubled. I think I'll wait to see if Benni turns up again.

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was written by one of my favorite authors and is the sequel to The Saddlemaker's Wife so of course I had to read it. I enjoyed it. I think I like that the main characters actually have standards and that they get married, etc. I wasn't disappointed.

[Carrie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF I thought I could just go along with this one as I read the last one, but no. Not even to find out the mother’s ‘secret’. And after not finding a spoiler to read, I decided I didn’t care enough to keep listening to the audiobook.

[Cyndi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This isn't a mystery, it isn't a romance, it isn't poignant. I just can't say what it was since the characters were unappealing, the story line was disconnected and unremarkable.

[Emily Cullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Book #2, Ruby goes back to Cardinal Valley, the only place she's ever felt at home. She brings her brother, Nash, an alcoholic, in the hopes that he will heal in this special place. Saddlemaker Lucas McGavin is glad that Ruby is back as he's thought about her ever since she left. Ruby also learns the whereabouts of her mother that she hasn't seen in over 20 years. This is a hopeful novel about a special town with special people. I am also a big fan of anything written by Earlene Fowler and have read all of her Benny Harper's cozy mystery series. I wish she would write something else!

[Mary L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books when you really get into it you can't stop reading it. I loved the characters: Ruby, Birch, Lucas, and Ely. I felt all of the characters were real and their emotions, dreams, and desires were real also. Some of the characters grew and some didn't with the things that they went through.
This book was less of a mystery and more of a romance than Fowler's other books but it was still one of the books that you really enjoy.

[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though I haven't read "The Saddlemaker's Wife", I enjoyed this sequel. Fowler has a way of creating characters that become friends with all the frustrations and joys they bring. In the little town of Cardinal, we get involved in the lives of all of them. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the main characters.

[Eileen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable family drama set in California ranching country. A young widow copes with her late husband’s difficult family and her own troubled relations—her alcoholic brother, her uninvolved father and the mother who abandoned them decades ago— as she strives to build a life and find friendship and love.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I was getting a Benni Harper story, but I got a Ruby McGavin story and it was just as good. I like the people in Earlene Fowler's books, and I'm always glad to hear more about their lives.

[Jemathomp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost put this down in the beginning because I had difficulty keeping all of the characters straight. Ultimately I enjoyed the story. She does a good job describing her characters and the setting was easy to visualize.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great character and dialog, a tad bit o' mystery, tragedy, love and sadness.

[Cyndy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The continuation of sorrow from the Saddlemaker's wife.

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, but I have no idea why it is classified as a mystery.

[Vicki · Rating 3 out of 5]

My library shelves this as a mystery, which this tearjerker is not. Presumably, the rest of the series fits that category.

[Cindy Norris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book. No mystery, just people.