"Can you tell a lie if you never open your mouth?" [HOW to BE a MILLIONAIRE]

In How to Be a Millionaire, Farley Joshua needs to find a financial backer so that he can purchase a one-third share in a copper mine. He wants to approach wealthy hotel owner, Willoughby Matthews, with the venture. Farley thinks that there is a chance Mr. Matthews won't go for it on just his word and a mining report. He needs a feather in his cap.

Farley's sister, Penny, proposes, "What if ... what if we can find someone who looks important to go with you?  What if Matthews only thinks the man is rich and backing the mine?"

Farley answers, "That's dishonest."

And she counters, "Can you tell a lie if you never open your mouth?"

Shortly thereafter, Penny comes up with a plan to train a waiter to act like a millionaire to help refer Farley for loan approval.  Because the waiter won't actually say anything (he'll just look impressive) and the mine is a good investment, Penny believes that this presentation is not really lying. 

So I ask you, dear reader, what do you think? "Can you tell a lie if you never open your mouth?"

What did I miss? Is it me? Or bad editing? [HOW to BE a MILLIONAIRE]

For such a short story, the publishers seemed to make some distracting errors in their prints.

1. The subtitle for all of the books of Rosey Dow's Colorado Christmas series is "Love Comes in an Unexpected Package During the 1880s." However, the first chapter of How to Be a Millionaire (book one in the series) starts in December 1890. Wouldn't that make it "Love Comes in an Unexpected Package During the 1890s?" [publisher, Thorndike Press]

2. At the beginning of How to Be a Millionaire, it states that Farley's potential mining financier is Willoughby Matthews, the owner of the Regal Astoria hotel. At the end of the story, it is a Mr. Montgomery. Is the person at the end really a different person and I missed it? [publisher, Thorndike Press]

3. From the description on the cover: "Penny Joshua decides to train a bellboy to act like a millionaire to refer her brother for loan approval.  Um, no.  He's a waiter. It says so in chapter 2: "He's a waiter at the Olympia. He's a bit young, but he fits the part perfectly. And he said he'd do it for twenty dollars."  [publisher, Thorndike Press]

4. On the Colorado Christmas collection cover, the back references Maggie Collier as the main character in How to Be a Millionaire, when it's supposed to be Penny Joshua. And repeats the bellboy error in number three.  [publisher, Barbour Publishing]

Is it me? Or do Rosey Dow and her publishers need to step-up their editing procedures?

Related Posts:

How to Be a Millionaire by Rosey Dow [Book Review]

HOW to BE a MILLIONAIRE by Rosey Dow [Book Review]

Author: Rosey Dow
Hardcover: 171 pages

Publisher: Thorndike Press; Large-print edition

Language: English

From the Cover:

Christy Award - winning author Rosey Dow creates a rich Christmas romance in this story from nineteenth-century Colorado. Penny Joshua decides to train a bellboy to act like a millionaire to refer her brother for loan approval. Will a case of mistaken identity lead to a hot spring of shame, or heat up to romance over the Christmas season?

Twitter-Sized Summary

A ruse to garner financing gets more complicated when a case of mistaken identity and a touch of romance are added.

short, sweet, clean #3Words2DescribeU


My Thoughts

How to Be a Millionaire is an okay weekend read. The waiter-millionaire scenario is a bit of a stretch (just go with it). It is also a little too predictable for my tastes, most likely due to its length. [I must admit that I am not a big fan of short-stories and novellas. So of course, I wished that it was longer.] The story was pleasant enough though: easy to read, wholesome, and sweet. For such a short story, the publishers seemed to make some distracting errors in their print editions.

How to Be a Millionaire is a Christian-based read (i.e. clean - no foul language or sex, references to faith). Therefore, I think that it is accessible to a wide range of readers - from younger teens to adults. Through the romance, the story also delivers a gentle message about the fine line between lies and purposeful misdirection.

Recommended for:

• Romance readers
• Historical romance readers
• Christian fiction readers

How do you rate the book?

NOTE: The story seems more like a novella than a novel (making the single story asking price seem a bit steep). I would recommend getting the collection book, Colorado Christmas. It includes all of the individual stories in the series:  How to Be a Millionaire, A Wife in Name Only, and Love by Accident.



Related Posts:

What did I miss? Is it me? Or bad editing?