Vegas Heat [Hardcover]

Fern Michaels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1997

Unhappily married to the jealous, domineering Simon, Fanny Thornton finds herself estranged from her four children by Simon's obsessive paranoia about her ex-husband, Ash, but with Babylon, the family's casino, threatened by Ash's illness, Fanny is forced to step in to save the business and reunite her family.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Continuing the family saga begun in Vegas Rich (Kensington, 1996), Michaels serves up a murky brew of sibling rivalry, jealousy, love, and hate. Fanny Thornton, now the clan matriarch, is torn apart by the competing demands of her family, with her adult children taking sides in her battles with her ex-husband, Ash. Things become even more complicated when she marries Ash's twin brother, Simon. The story does not end with this book, however. A third volume is promised, although it is hard to imagine the need to continue the story of such a dysfunctional group. In addition to the greedy, selfish characters, Michaels has created a confused and muddied plot. Rather than developing her characters, she simply has them react to various episodes in their lives, changing motivations and actions as seems expedient for the story. Buy on demand, though libraries would do better to wait for the paperback.?Barbara E. Kemp, SUNY at Albany Libs.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Michaels's second in her highly touted trilogy (Vegas Rich, 1996) is more like Vegas lukewarm: Far too many characters' personalities flip-flop 180 degrees, and an overabundance of fatal illnesses, vicious betrayals, reunions with never-before-met relatives, and general excess dilute the story instead of intensifying it. Fanny Thornton is following in the footsteps of her mother-in- law Sallie, the intrepid hooker-turned-entrepreneur of this series' equally jam-packed opener. Not that Fanny's turning tricks; she's just taking Vegas by storm as the most powerful woman in the state of Nevada. When Ash, her manipulative ex-husband, falls ill and learns that he's dying, he insists that Fanny, now married to Ash's brother Simon, take over Babylon, the booming casino that maintains and builds the Thornton family fortune. But Simon can't deal with sharing Fanny with either her family or the Vegas business world, so he files for divorce, leaving Fanny alone again. Meantime, Fanny and Ash's sons, twins Sage and Birch, are also in the picture, as are their daughters: Billie, who remains a shadowy figure throughout, and Sunny, who develops multiple sclerosis but seems more like a schizophrenic with all the inconsistencies her character exhibits (one minute she's an angel, the next a child abuser; one minute she's on mom's side, the next on dad's, etc.). Suddenly Ash--out of nowhere it seems--becomes the good guy, helping Fanny mend her messy relationships with her children, and Simon becomes the villain, trying to steal Babylon and make Fanny's life generally miserable. Michaels sets the stage for book number three with Fanny's purchase (at Ash's request) of land in Atlantic City (wonder what they'll build there?), her newfound ``friendship'' with the mysterious and handsome Marcus Reed, and the introduction of a new and (of course) suspect branch of the family. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 392 pages
• Publisher: Kensington (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575661381
• ISBN-13: 978-1575661384
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #356,397 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Fern Michaels is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Fool Me Once, Sweet Revenge, The Nosy Neighbor, Pretty Woman, and dozens of other novels and novellas. There are over seventy million copies of her books in print. Fern Michaels has built and funded several large day-care centers in her hometown, and is a passionate animal lover who has outfitted police dogs across the country with special bulletproof vests. She shares her home in South Carolina with her four dogs and a resident ghost named Mary Margaret.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Trying to be too many things in one book, August 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Vegas Heat (Paperback)

I read this book prior to reading any of the reviews; and I have to say that I agree with the editorial review. The author tried to put in too many things without developing the characters. There is one chapter that feels like it was misplaced, right in the middle of two consecutive chapters because it could not have happened in the time frame that was discussed. It didn't even make sense that the author put in this particular chapter in the first place. I almost feel that the other readers fell in love with other book(s) written by Ms. Michael, and were just happy to have another book!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Fern Michaels "Treasure", July 31, 2011

By 

Sheila M. Bradley (Meadville, PA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Vegas Heat (Hardcover)

I have found the "Vegas" series to be yet another of Fern Michaels' "treasures." Her writing enthrals you to the point where you must continue to read until the very end and you find yourself hungry to begin her next novel.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Bad, April 4, 2007

By 

cntrydaze "cntrydaze" (Citrus Heights, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vegas Heat (Paperback)

I stayed interested enough in this book to finish it. However, it isn't a book I would save for a later reading like I do with some of my "keepers". It was a little hard to keep track of all the different characters. The book wasn't bad; it did keep me reading. I have to say though that a lot of the dialogue seemed excessive, childish and unreal, as if everyone were just thinking out loud. Many of the characters weren't developed enough for me to fully comprehend what they were really like.