"Fabulous western romance"

Big Jack Bailey blames dressmaker Jenny Fortune for the calamites that beset his three daughters after they wore Miss Fortune's showcase wedding dress at their weddings. Jack believes the designer cursed the dress since she can not find a groom of her own.

Saloon owner Trace McBride, who raises the three female "McBride Menaces" by himself, rents space to Jenny to run her business. His three girls decide that Jenny is the perfect Momma to replace their dead mother; being menaces they will do what it takes to bring their dad and momma Jenny together. With Jack's word of mouth accusing Jenny of seemingly every catastrophe in the region in the last year, her business suffers; who wants to buy a happy occasion gown from a woman who creates curses. To prove her best wedding dress is not a bringer of bad luck, Jenny decides she needs to wear it at her wedding; she agrees with the menaces that Trace is perfect for her, especially since she loves the dope, who refuses to have a second wife after the mistreatment he and the girls received from spouse number one.

This is reprint of a fantastic mid 1990s often amusing with plenty of pathos western romance that grips the heart and soul of readers due to the key cast especially the once burned Trace and his girls. Jenny is a courageous person who sees the three menaces as precocious children needing love, warmth and hugs to help guide them. Fans will appreciate this fine tale that holds up quite well and seek the sequels (THE BAD LUCK WEDDING CAKE and THE BAD LUCK WEDDING NIGHT).

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted January 1, 2005

Summary

Jenny Fortune was desperate.Just because of a little "bad luck" associated with one of her finest creations, she was losing her customers in droves. Widower Trace McBride seemed to be her only solution. He had three hellion daughters in need of a woman's touch. And since wearing the gown at her own wedding seemed the best way to turn her luck around, Jenny was determined to convince Trace that they would make the perfect match. If only things had turned out to be that simple!