Vegas Rich [Paperback]

Fern Michaels (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 1997

A multigenerational novel begins with the story of Sallie Coleman in 1922, when she runs away from her poverty-stricken life in Texas, becomes the richest businesswoman in Nevada, and is trapped in an unhappy marriage. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Playing off her bestselling Texas series (Texas Sunrise, 1992, etc.), Michaels ventures into a Vegas trilogy that introduces the Thornton dynasty but also revives the Coleman family of the Texas books. The new saga begins in 1923, when Sallie Coleman, saloon singer and prostitute, inherits a fortune from an eccentric millionaire. Determined to acquire polish and breeding, Sallie moves into her benefactor's mansion and hires Philip Thornton, a handsome tutor whom she eventually marries. The birth of Sallie's first son, Ash, is quickly followed by the arrival of her second, Simon, with whom she forms a deep bond that eventually pits the boys against one another. Before then, however, Philip's distaste for his wife's vigorous sexuality has propelled Sallie into a love affair with attorney Devin Rollins that's destined to last for decades. After Philip suffers a massive stroke, Sallie assumes responsibility for his care, losing her dream of someday marrying her lover. Meanwhile, her sons wage a rivalry that culminates when Ash's wife falls in love with Simon. Further plot bumps will keep readers on their toes, including a severe accident and the building of a palatial gambling hall. Michaels isn't a master stylist ("You don't know me at all, Ash. I'm not that stupid, starry-eyed girl you married 30 years ago"), but her characters are well constructed, with appropriately dysfunctional flaws, and she lays on enough melodrama to please a J.R. Ewing or Alexis Carrington. Major ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Best-selling author Michaels returns to the sweeping family saga reminiscent of her Texas series with the start of a new trilogy set in Las Vegas. The first book is solidly launched and will be eagerly snapped up by Michaels' fans. When Sallie Coleman first came to Las Vegas in 1923, she worked in a bingo parlor and occasionally picked up money on the side by doing things that her mama wouldn't approve of. One of her admirers leaves his vast fortune to the illiterate Sallie, and she uses it to improve herself, her friends, and the growing little town of Las Vegas. As her power and influence grow, Sallie marries a Thornton and they have two sons. When the marriage becomes increasingly bitter and the two sons are divided between parents, Sallie meets the love of her life and begins an affair that will span decades. But she never forgets that her older brother, Seth Coleman (of the Texas series), abandoned their family, and she relentlessly searches for him through all the years of her own family's triumphs and tragedies. Covering the Thornton family through each generation until 1979, Vegas Rich captures the founding of a dynasty. Fans will catch up on characters familiar from the Texas books and meet new ones who will have them anxiously awaiting the second volume, Vegas Heat. A necessary purchase for all popular-fiction collections. Melanie Duncan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 540 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (March 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821755943
• ISBN-13: 978-0821755945
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,450,844 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

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another family saga -- with the Colemans?, December 28, 1999

By 

Matthew D. Hydeman "voyage" (Tucson, Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Vegas Rich (Paperback)

I'll admit it -- I was suckered into getting VEGAS RICH because of the name Coleman. I thought to myself, "Is Fern Michaels creating an alternate history for the Coleman family, this time in Vegas?" I was half right -- there are Colemans involved, but not the ones I thought I would see from her TEXAS series. No, this deals with Sallie Coleman, Seth Coleman's younger sister, and her quest to make something of herself, thanks to the kindness of one of her clients -- Sallie's a prostitute, you see, in the early 1920s in the small and dusty town of Las Vegas. It's an interesting premise and I'll give credit to Michaels for creating Sallie's story and where her life goes from there. Had I never read her TEXAS series, I might have been completely drawn in...but I'm not. Michaels starts to occasionally drop in "crossovers" with the Colemans of Texas, and it's there I have the problem. Suddenly, Agnes Ames (Billie Ames Coleman's mother), companion to the callous Seth Coleman, has a heart! Billie Coleman flies out to see Fanny Coleman (Sallie's daughter-in-law) frequently! Sallie helps out Coleman Enterprises with her money! These intersections with the TEXAS characters don't pan out in terms of complimenting the TEXAS novels in the continuity department -- and for me, that's a glaring error. Those problems aside, it's a fair first novel for Michaels in her new series. If you like family sagas and Fern Michaels, you'll be content.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great, Entertaining and Fast Read, October 29, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Vegas Rich (Paperback)

I really enjoyed reading this first in the series of three family saga books. Fern Michaels does an excellent job of pulling you into the story. It's nearly impossible to put this book down...it is packed with new dilemmas, and you can't wait to see how they turn out. I just started the second in the series, and I know I will have to read all three so I know the lives of all of these characters will turn out OK. Finally, the writing style is very easy (but interesting) to read, so you move along quickly.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All Vegas books are simply fantastic!, June 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Vegas Rich (Paperback)

The Vegas series of books are really great books. Fern Michaels makes you think you really know the characters. These books are a must have for everyone!