What do you think?
Rate this book
Mail Order Bride of Slate Springs #3
A Wicked Woman
Because of her stepsisters, Eve Jamison is driven from her hometown in scandal with a train ticket in one hand and a proxy marriage license in the other. But when she arrives in the small Colorado mountain town, she discovers her groom recently died. Even though she never met her husband, the new widow learns she is quite wealthy. At the mercy of her dead husband's money-grubbing family, Knox and Jed Dare each vow to protect her. They both want the beautiful bluestocking and refuse to cede way to the other.Eve has other ideas where the two men are concerned. Because she is now a woman of Slate Springs, she doesn't have to choose. She wants both Jed and Knox... and gets them.
111 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 6, 2017
196 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa Vale
255 books2,510 followersA USA Today bestseller, Vanessa Vale writes tempting romance with unapologetic bad boys who don’t just fall in love, they fall hard. Her books have sold over one million copies. She lives in the American West where she's always finding inspiration for her next story.
You can find out more about Vanessa at VanessaValeAuthor.com
You can find out more about Vanessa at VanessaValeAuthor.com
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
June 3, 2019
I love this series. A lot of the same, but I still enjoy them. I love reading Vanessa Vale!
4☆
4☆
February 28, 2019
3.5 Stars out of 5.
Book 1 was very good. Book 2 was meehhh. Book 3 was good.
Again, the main problem is all three books come across as soooo similar with regards to, well, everything. Overall, a fun quick read.
Now back to the regular scheduled typical historical - western romance reads. Well, for the time being, anyway!
Book 1 was very good. Book 2 was meehhh. Book 3 was good.
Again, the main problem is all three books come across as soooo similar with regards to, well, everything. Overall, a fun quick read.
Now back to the regular scheduled typical historical - western romance reads. Well, for the time being, anyway!
May 11, 2019
An Awesome Read!!
I loved reading A Wicked Women(Mail Order Bride Of Slate Springs Book 3). All about Eve Jamison a young girl in her twenties who just got her teaching certificate. Just before moving into school cottage, the board “Relieved her of her duties”. Because her evil step sister’s thought it was funny to say that their ugly step sister was caught in a compromising position with the gardener. On her way out her step sister’s told her their evil plan and handed her papers and a train ticket with some coins for the stage coach, and walked her to the train station. Stunned she got on the train in Clancy, headed for Denver. Final destination Slate Springs, where Mr. Tomkin’s her Mail Order husband resides. When she arrives, she meets Knox & Jed Dare two brothers who are silver mine owners in Slate Springs. They have come to get her, and gently tell her that her husband died last week in a massive mudslide. They bring her up the trail three hours to get to her new town, and bring her to their sister Pipers house. The author wrote a story about a resilient young women who basically has the rug ripped out from beneath her feet and tossed into the wind to land which ever way the wind is blowing! Slate Springs passed an Town rule three years ago allowing two men to marry one women. So Jed & Knox immediately fall in lust over Miss. Jamison or Mrs. Tomkin’s. Once she has a three hour long chat with Piper & meets her husbands & their baby girl she understands. She’s still confused, until her late husband’s two brothers show up, and she informs them she’s marrying the Dare brothers! Read this story and fall in love with Jed, Knox & Eve and see what other adventures these three get up to!! I have read all three books in this series, and each one was better then the first. It’s interesting to me why a women would opt to be a Mail Order Bride, but there are many interesting adventures that come when one goes this route! I hope you find this series as pleasurable to read as I have!!
I loved reading A Wicked Women(Mail Order Bride Of Slate Springs Book 3). All about Eve Jamison a young girl in her twenties who just got her teaching certificate. Just before moving into school cottage, the board “Relieved her of her duties”. Because her evil step sister’s thought it was funny to say that their ugly step sister was caught in a compromising position with the gardener. On her way out her step sister’s told her their evil plan and handed her papers and a train ticket with some coins for the stage coach, and walked her to the train station. Stunned she got on the train in Clancy, headed for Denver. Final destination Slate Springs, where Mr. Tomkin’s her Mail Order husband resides. When she arrives, she meets Knox & Jed Dare two brothers who are silver mine owners in Slate Springs. They have come to get her, and gently tell her that her husband died last week in a massive mudslide. They bring her up the trail three hours to get to her new town, and bring her to their sister Pipers house. The author wrote a story about a resilient young women who basically has the rug ripped out from beneath her feet and tossed into the wind to land which ever way the wind is blowing! Slate Springs passed an Town rule three years ago allowing two men to marry one women. So Jed & Knox immediately fall in lust over Miss. Jamison or Mrs. Tomkin’s. Once she has a three hour long chat with Piper & meets her husbands & their baby girl she understands. She’s still confused, until her late husband’s two brothers show up, and she informs them she’s marrying the Dare brothers! Read this story and fall in love with Jed, Knox & Eve and see what other adventures these three get up to!! I have read all three books in this series, and each one was better then the first. It’s interesting to me why a women would opt to be a Mail Order Bride, but there are many interesting adventures that come when one goes this route! I hope you find this series as pleasurable to read as I have!!
March 25, 2018
Wow
I'm working my way through all of Vanessa Vale's books and so far they have not disappointed me. She pulls you in with string characters and keeps you with steamy bedroom romps. And the ending never disappoints me. I look forward to more of her work.
I'm working my way through all of Vanessa Vale's books and so far they have not disappointed me. She pulls you in with string characters and keeps you with steamy bedroom romps. And the ending never disappoints me. I look forward to more of her work.
February 9, 2017
YOU CAN HANDLE US. YOU CAN HANDLE ANYTHING
The story is the third installment in the Mail Order Bride of Slate Springs but will read as a standalone. There are people in it from the first two stories, but easy to follow along what has been happening. Slate Springs, Colorado, a mining town that is rather isolated, especially in the winter when it is cut off from other places. The ratio of men to women has had the town council pass an ordinance allowing two men to marry and share a wife.
Back in Clancy, Eve Jamison has prepared, taken and passed her test to become the new schoolmarm. She will be leaving the home she was raised in, losing her mother when she was young, having her father remarry a cruel woman, and then he died. Eve has been tormented by her pretty stepsisters and stepmother, berated, belittled, and this is her chance for a clean start, or is it. Lies and deceit will destroy her dream of teaching. Finding out that she is being ostracized and her stepsisters have not only cost her the job teacher, but they also have her married by proxy and a train ticket out of town.
The story will take a twist when the new Mrs. Thomkins arrives in Jasper; Knox and Jed Dare will escort her to Slate Springs and her new future. Neither one has the heart or nerve to tell her that her husband was killed the week before. Married to a man she never met, and to learn she is a widow, just adds to the shock. Then to learn that two men are married to some of the ladies, she thinks they are part of Tara and Marina’s cruel joke. But this isn’t a joke, and before the evening, she will be married once again, but this time to two handsome men who both want her and aren’t afraid to admit it.
The plot is like a Cinderella tale of a sweet young maiden, her evil money grubbing stepmother, two cruel, conniving stepsisters and not one, but two knights in shining armor who will swoop in and claim the damsel in distress. Eve may have been a virgin bluestocking, but to her two husbands she will be the queen of their castle, and they will slay any dragons for her. When trouble comes to Slate Springs, not only family but friends will protect their beloved Eve. For a young woman who was willing to accept that being a spinster schoolmarm as her fate in life, she learns that a hometown scandal, marriage by proxy, a new town, widowhood, and two men’s desire will allow this wicked woman a future of happiness.
The story is the third installment in the Mail Order Bride of Slate Springs but will read as a standalone. There are people in it from the first two stories, but easy to follow along what has been happening. Slate Springs, Colorado, a mining town that is rather isolated, especially in the winter when it is cut off from other places. The ratio of men to women has had the town council pass an ordinance allowing two men to marry and share a wife.
Back in Clancy, Eve Jamison has prepared, taken and passed her test to become the new schoolmarm. She will be leaving the home she was raised in, losing her mother when she was young, having her father remarry a cruel woman, and then he died. Eve has been tormented by her pretty stepsisters and stepmother, berated, belittled, and this is her chance for a clean start, or is it. Lies and deceit will destroy her dream of teaching. Finding out that she is being ostracized and her stepsisters have not only cost her the job teacher, but they also have her married by proxy and a train ticket out of town.
The story will take a twist when the new Mrs. Thomkins arrives in Jasper; Knox and Jed Dare will escort her to Slate Springs and her new future. Neither one has the heart or nerve to tell her that her husband was killed the week before. Married to a man she never met, and to learn she is a widow, just adds to the shock. Then to learn that two men are married to some of the ladies, she thinks they are part of Tara and Marina’s cruel joke. But this isn’t a joke, and before the evening, she will be married once again, but this time to two handsome men who both want her and aren’t afraid to admit it.
The plot is like a Cinderella tale of a sweet young maiden, her evil money grubbing stepmother, two cruel, conniving stepsisters and not one, but two knights in shining armor who will swoop in and claim the damsel in distress. Eve may have been a virgin bluestocking, but to her two husbands she will be the queen of their castle, and they will slay any dragons for her. When trouble comes to Slate Springs, not only family but friends will protect their beloved Eve. For a young woman who was willing to accept that being a spinster schoolmarm as her fate in life, she learns that a hometown scandal, marriage by proxy, a new town, widowhood, and two men’s desire will allow this wicked woman a future of happiness.
August 18, 2020
A Wicked Woman by Vanessa Vale is the third book in her Mail Order Bride of Slate Springs series. In it we are introduced to three dynamic protagonists--Evie Jamison and Jed and Knox Dare. Evie dreamt of being a school teacher. However, after her evil step sisters lie and accuse her of inappropriate conduct, the school board terminates her teaching position. Her step sisters, in an attempt to get rid of her, arrange to ship her off to Colorado as a mail order bride. Upon arriving at her destination, she learns that her husband is dead. That's when Fate brings her two tall, muscular and handsome protectors in Jed and Knox. Together these three work at adjusting to their new life. But then, like a bad penny, her two step sisters appear. What damage will they cause? Will Evie, Jed and Knox find happiness?
This novella is well written and is definitely a character-driven plot. Vale's characters are well developed. I appreciate how Vale weaves characters from the other books in this series into this plot line. Vale does a remarkable job with literary devices such as dialog, point of view and descriptive language. I adored her skill in craftsmanship in developing dialog that pulls the reader into this story while endearing her characters to the reader. The internal dialog of our protagonists allow readers to understand their backstories and lends to their credibility. I also enjoyed her use of a triple POV with Evie, Jed and Knox. This approach reveals their true character. Additionally, her descriptive scene allows readers to feel they are first hand witnesses. I found Vale's writing style easy to follow and her characters are truly likeable. So if you enjoy historical western and ménage romances and you want to curl up with a delightful read then I recommend this HEA romance. Happy Reading
This novella is well written and is definitely a character-driven plot. Vale's characters are well developed. I appreciate how Vale weaves characters from the other books in this series into this plot line. Vale does a remarkable job with literary devices such as dialog, point of view and descriptive language. I adored her skill in craftsmanship in developing dialog that pulls the reader into this story while endearing her characters to the reader. The internal dialog of our protagonists allow readers to understand their backstories and lends to their credibility. I also enjoyed her use of a triple POV with Evie, Jed and Knox. This approach reveals their true character. Additionally, her descriptive scene allows readers to feel they are first hand witnesses. I found Vale's writing style easy to follow and her characters are truly likeable. So if you enjoy historical western and ménage romances and you want to curl up with a delightful read then I recommend this HEA romance. Happy Reading
February 6, 2017
I'm not sure how "wicked" Eve is, but she is definitely a woman. Pushed away from her hometown by made up scandal by her truly evil stepsisters, Eve finds out she is actually married by proxy to a man in Slate Springs. This starts her adventure into her awakening.
Unfortunately for Eve her proxy husband has died and she is now a wealthy widow. Fortunately for Eve, Jed and Knox have come to Jasper for supplies and were told she would be there as well.
Eve was shocked at the town marriage law and thought they were playing a huge joke on her. Nope, low and behold you can marry two men in Slate Springs. Good for Eve, she has two willing men.
She finds out what it is truly like being married. Then her lovely stepsisters find their way to town. Good thing Eve wasn't feeling good that day and she vomited on one of the sisters!! One of my favorite parts.
You get to keep up with the previous characters and Piper plays a good role in this book. I am interested to see what Vanessa does with the stepsisters in the next books.
Definitely a must read....not just this book, but the entire series!
Unfortunately for Eve her proxy husband has died and she is now a wealthy widow. Fortunately for Eve, Jed and Knox have come to Jasper for supplies and were told she would be there as well.
Eve was shocked at the town marriage law and thought they were playing a huge joke on her. Nope, low and behold you can marry two men in Slate Springs. Good for Eve, she has two willing men.
She finds out what it is truly like being married. Then her lovely stepsisters find their way to town. Good thing Eve wasn't feeling good that day and she vomited on one of the sisters!! One of my favorite parts.
You get to keep up with the previous characters and Piper plays a good role in this book. I am interested to see what Vanessa does with the stepsisters in the next books.
Definitely a must read....not just this book, but the entire series!
June 9, 2025
Because of her stepsisters, Eve Jamison is driven from her hometown in scandal with a train ticket in one hand and a proxy marriage license in the other. But when she arrives in the small Colorado mountain town, she discovers her groom recently died. Even though she never met her husband, the new widow learns she is quite wealthy. At the mercy of her dead husband's money-grubbing family, Knox and Jed Dare each vow to protect her. They both want the beautiful bluestocking and refuse to cede way to the other. Eve has other ideas where the two men are concerned. Because she is now a woman of Slate Springs, she doesn't have to choose. She wants both Jed and Knox... and gets them.
Heather's Notes
I enjoyed this book and wish this series had been a little longer. I would have like to see more. I also would have liked to see more of how the sisters got what they deserved. Still this was a good book.
Heather's Notes
I enjoyed this book and wish this series had been a little longer. I would have like to see more. I also would have liked to see more of how the sisters got what they deserved. Still this was a good book.
April 24, 2020
I loved this one. These books all follow a similar pattern, so you know what to expect. The author still managers the keep the erotic scenes hot which is amazing because she has written so many of these kinds of books. I really liked Eve and was happy to see her get her happy ending in life after the hardship she had in her life caused by her evil stepmother and stepsisters. One difference in this book is that the brothers wanted to marry Eve but not together. They wanted to fight over her and it was Eve that decided she would marry both of them. In all the other books like this which I have red, the men already new they would be sharing a wife. As I understand the stepsisters were also going to be married in the end of the book, wished the author would continued with their stories. See how the husbands would turn those evil stepsisters into loving wives.
January 15, 2018
Vanessa Vale's "A Wicked Woman" is the third M/F/M tale in the Slate Springs series. You could read it as a standalone, but why would you want to? This is a great story, with a different vibe than any of her other menage stories. Love that the leading lady is bookish and full-figured. Jed & Knox Dare sound absolutely yummy! I'm loving the series. Hope we get to see the taming of the step-sisters over a long winter trapped in Slate Springs!
January 15, 2018
Vanessa Vale's "A Wicked Woman" is the third M/F/M tale in the Slate Springs series. You could read it as a standalone, but why would you want to? This is a great story, with a different vibe than any of her other menage stories. Love that the leading lady is bookish and full-figured. Jed & Knox Dare sound absolutely yummy! I'm loving the series. Hope we get to see the taming of the step-sisters over a long winter trapped in Slate Springs!
September 15, 2019
A wicked woman
Being set up to lose your school teacher job, by your two stepsisters, that is devastating. Being forced on a train to go and meet your proxy husband, was yet another blow. Upon arrival to discover that said husband had been killed in a mudslide, but that two gorgeous red haired brothers would marry you instead was amazing. To say the rest of the story is tumultous is just teasing!
Being set up to lose your school teacher job, by your two stepsisters, that is devastating. Being forced on a train to go and meet your proxy husband, was yet another blow. Upon arrival to discover that said husband had been killed in a mudslide, but that two gorgeous red haired brothers would marry you instead was amazing. To say the rest of the story is tumultous is just teasing!
October 2, 2023
Keeping this series short and sweet was a great decision. Still set in the historical western time - although the gimmick for the menage is different, I enjoyed this series more than the Bridgewater series because the FMCs were different and had personalities and they simply weren't the same FMC every single time, with the same submissive personality. So that was really fun. The MMC were kinda blending, but whatever.
Also I loved the ridiculous plots and adventures. Much fun, much laughter.
Also I loved the ridiculous plots and adventures. Much fun, much laughter.
August 5, 2020
Wicked good reading
I loved this book by miss Vanessa Vale just like all the others I have read by her. I really wished she had punched her sisters though. Also, I would have liked to have heard what became of the sisters after she turned them away. Keep up with your writing style, your extremely talented.
I loved this book by miss Vanessa Vale just like all the others I have read by her. I really wished she had punched her sisters though. Also, I would have liked to have heard what became of the sisters after she turned them away. Keep up with your writing style, your extremely talented.
May 23, 2022
Wicked
You know it sucks to be accused of something and not even have the first idea how to actually do the thing you are being accused of doing. An the hella is a scandal, Eve is forced to leave town as a mail order bride. Through a twist of fate she ends up marrying Jed and Knox who truly show her the joys of being wicked.
You know it sucks to be accused of something and not even have the first idea how to actually do the thing you are being accused of doing. An the hella is a scandal, Eve is forced to leave town as a mail order bride. Through a twist of fate she ends up marrying Jed and Knox who truly show her the joys of being wicked.
February 10, 2017
Another fabulous story from Vanessa Vale that demonstrates her finesse with romance and humor. Always great stories to dive into for a quick escape that entertain and feed my inner Cinderella dreams and this one doesn’t disappoint.
February 18, 2017
Bluestocking
The troubles two jealous sisters can cause. Who knew that all the hateful things would send her into the arms of the perfect MEN. A great series. And if you like a little more it hits all the right spots..
The troubles two jealous sisters can cause. Who knew that all the hateful things would send her into the arms of the perfect MEN. A great series. And if you like a little more it hits all the right spots..
January 1, 2018
I found this series by accident and decided to give it a shot. I fell in love and really want the author to write more. The story was very well done and I enjoyed the read a great deal. This was another great read. I liked the romance and everything about it.
February 25, 2018
Ready for More
Whay happens when your mean step-sister lies about you and your run out of town as a mail order bride but by the time you get to your new town your husband is killed in a freak accident - well hope on for a wild ride with Eve as she meets Jed and Knox.
Whay happens when your mean step-sister lies about you and your run out of town as a mail order bride but by the time you get to your new town your husband is killed in a freak accident - well hope on for a wild ride with Eve as she meets Jed and Knox.
December 18, 2018
Pretty good. I’d read another.
March 7, 2019
This story was barely 3 stars.
As an aside, I hate it when the women on the cover doesn't resemble the heroine in the least.
As an aside, I hate it when the women on the cover doesn't resemble the heroine in the least.
March 9, 2019
Love this series
These books had quick action, with a lot of passion and love. The problems and things that threatened the women seem small with two men to defend.
These books had quick action, with a lot of passion and love. The problems and things that threatened the women seem small with two men to defend.
July 11, 2019
Vanessa Vale never ever fails to disappoint. Another good read.
April 1, 2020
Always some evil stepsisters who karma kicks in the butt while making the heroine end up with a fabulous life!
September 2, 2020
Excellent
Excellent quick read. Strong characters with a good story line. Well worth the time and cost. Looking forward to the next installment in the town series.
Excellent quick read. Strong characters with a good story line. Well worth the time and cost. Looking forward to the next installment in the town series.
January 4, 2021
I would have like to see what happened to those two wicked stepsisters.
October 17, 2021
GREAT BOOK…,RECOMMENDED
July 28, 2023
3,25/5⭐️
✨ MFM
✨ Mail Order Bride
✨ Vir!nia FMC
✨ Short/Quick Read
✨ Smutty
✨ Insta-Lust/Love
✨ Interconnected Standalone
✨ MFM
✨ Mail Order Bride
✨ Vir!nia FMC
✨ Short/Quick Read
✨ Smutty
✨ Insta-Lust/Love
✨ Interconnected Standalone
May 7, 2024
Great read.
February 6, 2017
This is the third title in Vanessa Vale's Mail Order Brides of Slate Springs series, and I'll admit to being a fan, but although I gave her last book, A Wild Woman, 4.5 stars, I can only give this one a 4-star rating, so although I really liked it, I didn't absolutely love it.
The heroine in this novel is Eve Jamison, and this novel is definitely a Cinderella spin-off, as Eve has a two dreadful, malicious stepsisters, Marina and Tara, her father having died not long after his marriage to her evil stepmother. The stepsisters have taunted Eve for years for wearing glasses, being slightly overweight, being short and having no suitors, and they've really cooked up quite a scheme against her. All Eve wanted was the schoolteacher position in town, which would have given her a purpose, provided her with her own small home and income, and required that she be unmarried and without suitors. That wasn't good enough for the stepsisters, so they spread the rumor that she's been intimate with the family gardener, assuring that such unseemly behavior would take her out of the running for the job, and it did. As if that wasn't enough damage, the stepsisters made sure no one in town would have anything to do with Eve and instead they've lied to a mail-order bride agency, informed her that she's already married by proxy to a Melvin Thompkins of Slate Springs, Colorado, packed up a few of her belongings, and helped her board the train within the hour.
When she arrives in Jasper, there's no one there to greet her. Unbeknownst to Eve, her husband by proxy died when a mudslide buried his home, leaving her a wealthy widow. Eve soon meets Jed and Knox Dare, whom we met in the second title in this series, and they inform her of Melvin's untimely death, but the two brothers are so taken with her at first sight, they offer to marry her--together. Eve, who is used to having evil tricks played against her, thinks they're kidding, but they explain the new marriage law to her and she soon learns that not only are they telling her the truth, but within two hours of her arrival she finds herself marrying them and sitting between them en route to their home in Slate Springs, where they proceed to make Eve their wife in more than name only. If explicit menage sex offends you, here's the warning that what follows is for the 18+ year-old reader. There's more to this story, especially when Eve's stepsisters suddenly show up in town, but I'll let you discover that situation for yourselves.
Back to the reasons for my 4-star rating. First, although I understood Eve's low self-esteem, when her stepsisters betray her by lying to the school board, it seemed unlikely that Eve wouldn't have said a single word in her own defense, or asked that her supposed lover be called in and questioned, nor did it make sense that the school board wouldn't even try to verify whether or not the rumor was true. Second, I found virginal Eve's willing and overly enthusiastic participation in a menage with her two new husbands, whom she'd known for less than a single day, stretched my willing suspension to disbelief to the breaking point. I think that having this poor innocent at least offer some degree of token resistance would have been far more believable. Third, at no point between the menage scenes is Eve ever seen doing a single wifely task. She may be a newlywed with exceedingly horny husbands, but don't they ever need to eat, bathe, or do anything but have sex? Finally, while I've thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Vane's novels, and this one was no exception, I did find it a bit lacking for the aforementioned reasons as well as wondering why the money-hungry brother of her proxy husband who would have married her to get his hands on her fortune, was introduced early on but given short-shrift thereafter. A subplot with him trying in some underhanded way to get his hands on the fortune he thought should have been his would have added depth and complexity to this rather simple story line.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
The heroine in this novel is Eve Jamison, and this novel is definitely a Cinderella spin-off, as Eve has a two dreadful, malicious stepsisters, Marina and Tara, her father having died not long after his marriage to her evil stepmother. The stepsisters have taunted Eve for years for wearing glasses, being slightly overweight, being short and having no suitors, and they've really cooked up quite a scheme against her. All Eve wanted was the schoolteacher position in town, which would have given her a purpose, provided her with her own small home and income, and required that she be unmarried and without suitors. That wasn't good enough for the stepsisters, so they spread the rumor that she's been intimate with the family gardener, assuring that such unseemly behavior would take her out of the running for the job, and it did. As if that wasn't enough damage, the stepsisters made sure no one in town would have anything to do with Eve and instead they've lied to a mail-order bride agency, informed her that she's already married by proxy to a Melvin Thompkins of Slate Springs, Colorado, packed up a few of her belongings, and helped her board the train within the hour.
When she arrives in Jasper, there's no one there to greet her. Unbeknownst to Eve, her husband by proxy died when a mudslide buried his home, leaving her a wealthy widow. Eve soon meets Jed and Knox Dare, whom we met in the second title in this series, and they inform her of Melvin's untimely death, but the two brothers are so taken with her at first sight, they offer to marry her--together. Eve, who is used to having evil tricks played against her, thinks they're kidding, but they explain the new marriage law to her and she soon learns that not only are they telling her the truth, but within two hours of her arrival she finds herself marrying them and sitting between them en route to their home in Slate Springs, where they proceed to make Eve their wife in more than name only. If explicit menage sex offends you, here's the warning that what follows is for the 18+ year-old reader. There's more to this story, especially when Eve's stepsisters suddenly show up in town, but I'll let you discover that situation for yourselves.
Back to the reasons for my 4-star rating. First, although I understood Eve's low self-esteem, when her stepsisters betray her by lying to the school board, it seemed unlikely that Eve wouldn't have said a single word in her own defense, or asked that her supposed lover be called in and questioned, nor did it make sense that the school board wouldn't even try to verify whether or not the rumor was true. Second, I found virginal Eve's willing and overly enthusiastic participation in a menage with her two new husbands, whom she'd known for less than a single day, stretched my willing suspension to disbelief to the breaking point. I think that having this poor innocent at least offer some degree of token resistance would have been far more believable. Third, at no point between the menage scenes is Eve ever seen doing a single wifely task. She may be a newlywed with exceedingly horny husbands, but don't they ever need to eat, bathe, or do anything but have sex? Finally, while I've thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Vane's novels, and this one was no exception, I did find it a bit lacking for the aforementioned reasons as well as wondering why the money-hungry brother of her proxy husband who would have married her to get his hands on her fortune, was introduced early on but given short-shrift thereafter. A subplot with him trying in some underhanded way to get his hands on the fortune he thought should have been his would have added depth and complexity to this rather simple story line.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews