[womble]

TITLE: Star Wishes
AUTHOR: Missy Martine
GENRE: Historical, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Western/Cowboys
PUBLISHED: 19 June 2012
RATING: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
PURCHASE LINKS: Siren BookStrand.com
MOBILISM LINK: Star Wishes
WORD COUNT: 83,693
ISBN: 978-1-61926-845-6

Description: When Sarah came of age she took a job cooking and cleaning at the orphanage to be close to the little boys she has come to love Jonathon, Daniel and Zeke. Zeke overhears a plot to steal her inheritance by headmistress Hannah Reeves.

When Zeke tells Sarah of the plot she begins to plan their escape when Hannah and Raymond are away delivering a child to his adoptive parents. She decides to disguise the three boys as girls and herself as a man to head out west.

While taking back her inheritance from Miss Reeves draw she and the children discover the pair have been selling orphans to adoptive parents as slave labour, they also discover the plan to sell the new girl Rachel to a brothel and Sarah can’t leave her behind.

She saw a separate letter, under the journal, and pulled it out. The name didn’t match up to any of the ledger entries. She opened it and read out loud. “Dear Miss Rivers,By now you will have received a letter of introduction for me from Mr. Alexander Whitley. He assures me that I can count on your discretion in this matter. I’m in need of a young lady, preferably over the age of fourteen but under the age of eighteen. She should be pretty and innocent in appearance. We’ll pay one hundred dollars for the right girl. Please send me a wire if you have such a person living at your home and I’ll make a trip to St. Louis immediately.” There was only one girl at the home that fit that description. “Miss Rivers is probably thinking about selling off Rachel Evanston to these people.” “You mean that girl that came to live here last month?” asked Daniel. “Yes, she’s fourteen years old and she certainly fits the description of what they’re looking for.”

When Ike arrives in Big Springs, he describes to Abe meeting the strange group on the journey and their subterfuge and comes to the conclusion they’re on the run and need help.

Abe threw back his head and laughed heartily. “Are you telling me she dressed up those boys as girls?” “That’s exactly what I’m telling you. They had dresses down to their ankles and bonnets tied under their chins.” He laughed remembering the sight of them in St. Louis, and then sobered. “It really wasn’t all that funny. Abe, those kids looked half starved. They’re so skinny you can see their bones.”

Abe and Ike come up with a plan to secretly help Sarah and the kids without letting on they know Samual is really Sarah.

“Just a little over a week ago, Oliver Weston got word his pa had up and died. His ma is in bad straits, and he decided it would be better to take his family back to Kentucky so he could take over his pa’s place. He wanted to sell out, so he sold to me.” Ike shifted nervously on the hard chair. “I still don’t see how that solves any of our problems.” “Weston had trouble finding anybody to buy his place because it’s so small, only about twenty acres total. It’s not good for much more than a vegetable garden.” “You’re saying you’ll sell this place to Sarah and her kids?” “Hell, I’ll give it to them if she’s as pretty as you say.” He chuckled. “It’ll be real convenient, too, since it’s tucked up in a little valley with our farm surrounding it on three sides.”

When the group settle in Big Springs they become a proper family, even including Jake another orphan as one of the family, and Samual reverts to Sarah - Samual’s sister from back East when Abe discovers her bathing. She gets closer to both Ike and Abe and can’t choose between them and they eventually let her in on their plan to one day share a wife. Just as things are going well, Daniel discovers a wanted poster for Sarah

“Wanted. Sarah Keevers, daughter of Mad Dog Keevers. Five hundred dollar reward for her capture. Wanted for theft and kidnapping of four orphan children. Inquiries should be sent to St. Louis Circuit Court, St. Louis, Missouri.” He took a deep breath. “They’re looking for Sarah.” He glanced up at the door and then quickly folded the poster and stuck it inside his shirt. “I’ve got to warn her.” He opened the door and glanced toward Sadie’s diner. When he didn’t see the sheriff or Ike, he mounted his horse and quickly rode off toward the farm.

Review: This was a Siren Ménage Amour book by Missy Martine the author of Anna Doubles Down.

Star Wishes was a fast paced historical MFM book, the steamy erotic scenes were hot, but didn’t dominate the story, and the villains Hannah Reeves and Raymond Estes were definitely nasty, I wanted to see them fail miserably!
Sarah was a wonderfully strong, sweet character determined to keep them together as a family, and taking in another orphan Jake.

I loved the idea of the three rambunctious boys dressing in dresses and bonnets for their escape and Rachel posing as a young man to escape life in a brothel.
The heroes were determined to court Sarah even when it proved a contradiction to their duty. Although I did slightly frustrated when Abe and Ike seemed to see thought her disguise as Samual she persisted in it. Their reunion was sweet and emotional as she discovers they accept and love her, and determined to court Sarah even when it proved a contradiction to their duty.

I loved this book and give it 4 stars and definitely recommend it.