From Literary Times
Following her dream of becoming an opera singer, sweet Laurel Martin ends up in Denver, auditioning for the local opera house. While Laurel's voice certainly has the volume needed to sing opera, she is unable to carry a tune, and after several unsuccessful tries, she is told in no uncertain terms that she will never be hired, no matter how much she practices. Discouraged but not defeated, Laurel comes to the humbling realization that her alternatives are very limited. Thus, when Chance Rafferty offers her a job singing for miners and gamblers in his saloon, the Aurora Borealis, Laurel accepts on the condition that singing is all she will be required to do. Chance Rafferty has no idea why he hired Laurel. She can't sing worth a hoot, her womanly attributes don't even come close to filling out the satin dresses he provides for her, and to top it off, she is constantly preaching about the evils of drinking and gambling. Add to that negative list the fact that she has somehow drawn the attention of the town=s most notorious and dangerous pimp, and Chance now has a full-time job protecting the saloon-singing sweetheart's virtue. But who's going to protect her not-until-I'm-married virtue from him? And who's going to protect his live-for-the-moment heart from her? The Aurora Borealis is home to a menagerie of social misfits, including a black couple, Bertha and Jup, who are substitute parents for Chance and his childlike cousin, Whitey; Pearl and Flora Sue, the barmaids who earn a little extra money in the upstairs rooms; Bull, the bartender, who somehow manages to gain the ire of a local temperance worker; and Percy, the bar's resident parrot, who cusses like a drunken miner, but does so with wonderfully impeccable (and embarrassing) timing. When taken into consideration that this unlikely group is Chance's adopted family and that he takes care of and provides jobs for all of them, it's not surprising to the reader that Chance also takes Laurel in. It also comes as no surprise to the readers that Laurel slowly eases her way into Chance's heart without even trying, but it sure as heck surprises Chance, and he does everything he can think of to deny that he is Laurel's Prince Charming, complete with white charger.Sweet Laurel is the second book in Millie's Flowers of the West trilogy. Packed with well-drawn characters who don't act entirely as expected and aren't quite what they appear, Sweet Laurel delivers the romance in typical, humorous Criswell style. Ms. Criswell includes snippets about the other Flowers in her trilogy, Heather and Rose, in the form of letters written to Laurel. The stories are happening simultaneously, and these sisterly letters will make the reader anxious to complete the entire series. Millie Criswell's romantic style keeps the reader happily turning pages. Ms. Criswell writes with humor and love, creating characters and situations that charm the reader into believing. Flowers are more romantic when delivered by Millie Criswell.Gerrie Shepard -- Copyright © 1994-97 Literary Times, Inc. All rights reserved


Download Description
Laurel Martin sets out to turn her father's deathbed wish into her very own dream come true. Having agreed to leave Salina, Kansas, in search of a husband, Laurel arrives in Denver, Colorado, determined to sing in its fabulous opera house. Unfortunately for Laurel, she is the only one who thinks she is qualified, or that she can carry a tune! When Chance Rafferty, a gambler and local saloon owner, offers to hire her, Laurel reluctantly accepts. She is convinced this is but a temporary arrangement until she successfully auditions for the opera. What Laurel Martin least expects is to like singing in a saloon. She is even more surprised when she finds herself passionately in love with Chance, a man who has sworn off a commitment to any woman and who considers the idea of raising a family while owning a saloon nothing short of preposterous. Laurel's wit and passion convince him otherwise!

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Respecting her father's dying request, Laurel leaves Kansas for Colorado in search of a husband. But she is more determined to fulfill her dreams as an opera singer than she is to honor her father's last wish. However, after Laurel finds disappointment at the opera house, she reluctantly accepts work at a local saloon--and discovers a more passionate endeavor.

SYNOPSIS

Laurel Martin sets out to turn her father's deathbed wish into her very own dream come true. Having agreed to leave Salina, Kansas, in search of a husband, Laurel arrives in Denver, Colorado, determined to sing in its fabulous opera house. Unfortunately for Laurel, she is the only one who thinks she is qualified, or that she can carry a tune! When Chance Rafferty, a gambler and local saloon owner, offers to hire her, Laurel reluctantly accepts. She is convinced this is but a temporary arrangement until she successfully auditions for the opera. What Laurel Martin least expects is to like singing in a saloon. She is even more surprised when she finds herself passionately in love with Chance, a man who has sworn off a commitment to any woman and who considers the idea of raising a family while owning a saloon nothing short of preposterous. Laurel's wit and passion convince him otherwise!

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly - Cahners\\Publishers_Weekly

In Criswell's second volume in the Flowers of the West (Wild Heather) trilogy about three sisters who leave Kansas in search of good husbands, Laurel Martin travels to frontier Denver to become an opera singer. Not only can't she sing a note worth hearing, she doesn't even have a decent 'pair of hooters,' the hero observes. Nevertheless, womanizing gambler Chance Rafferty hires her to sing at his Aurora Borealis saloon, among a few other goodies he has planned. It's the old story of the virgin and the rogue. Laurel puts Chance in touch with his heart, and he acquaints her with the 'forbidden area nice women never talked about.' Criswell gets lots of coarse mileage out of innocent Laurel's demimonde pals, including a parrot who squawks, 'How about a poke, sweetie?' And even in historical context, some readers may be offended by her Aunt Jemima depiction of black characters and the use of the word 'nigger.'

Publishers Weekly