I do, I do, I do, by Maggie Osborne

Ok, onto nicer subjects. The first book I read during the weekend was I do, I do, I do, by Maggie Osborne.

A rich, proper spinster aching for a man's touch, Juliette March is an easy target for the seductive Jean Jacques Villette. When he disappears with her inheritance after their wedding, Juliette sets out to find the scoundrel. She never expects to meet Clara Klaus, who ran a boardinghouse until Jean Jacques swept her off her feet, then swept himself out of town.

While following the trail of their no-good husband, Clara and Juliette run into Zoe Wilder, another victim of the debonair Jean Jacques. Now Juliette's ready to put a bullet in his cheating heart. When these three vengeful ladies embark on a misbegotten quest to Alaska, things get downright dangerous--especially for the unsuspecting men they entice along the way. . . .

My grade for this book was a B. There were many things I loved. It was quite funny and romantic, and the setting (Alaska, during the gold rush) was original and fascinating. Osborne obviously did her research, and it shows. The best thing was that it was very well integrated into the narrative. Also, I felt the characters showed real growth, especially Juliette. Except maybe for Clara, they had serious issues to deal with, and the way they got over them was very believable.

However, my problem was that I didn't feel too invested in the 3 love stories. This worked better as fiction than as romance, IMO, in spite of some wonderful love scenes. Also, I simply couldn't believe that they didn't check the legality of their weddings as soon as they realized what had happened. I would think that's the first thing one would do!