This was an impulse buy from a bargain table. It caught my eye because of its small-town Illinois setting. My father's side of the family is from Illinois, and I've spent a lot of time in small Illinois towns.

Although this is a "gentle read" like Jan Karon's Mitford series, it doesn't measure up to that series. Baumbich doesn't have the ear for dialogue that Karon has. If you met someone who talks like several of the characters in this book you'd probably look at them strangely. Baumbich doesn't juggle multiple plot threads as well as Karon, either. Dorothy, the title character, seemed to be a minor character in this book.

I did like some aspects of the book. The story line about a retired couple, their Indiana cousins who arrive for an extended visit, and the wife's old beau was well written, and the resolution was touching. The characters were interesting and seemed more like real people than the characters in the other story lines. I would have liked the book better if it had focused on this single thread.

This is the fourth book in the series, but the first one I've read. There are references throughout the book to things that happened in prior books in the series, and I think most of the references could be considered spoilers for the previous books. If you're going to read this series, I think it's probably best to read them in order. Recommended with reservations. ( )