Description:

"Vegas Heat" is the story of the Thornton dynasty...of Fanny Thornton, who takes over Babylon, the family's magnificent Las Vegas casino, when her ex-husband Ash falls desperately ill...of Fanny's twin sons, Sage and Birch, one content in his conventional life, while the other's search for happiness leads to tragedy - and renewed hope...of Fanny's daughter Sunny, betrayed by her husband, fighting a battle no woman should ever have to face...of her daughter Billie, whose devotion to the Thorntons' children's clothing empire has kept her from finding love. It is also the story of Fanny's relationship with enigmatic businessman Marcus Reed - and the poignant, powerful quest for acceptance that drives the members of these two unforgettable families.

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.