Who would’ve guessed that Swainsburg, Wyoming, is the place to be? Well, after Mrs. Victoria is done fixing it up, that is. Starting in Salt Lake City, Utah, and traveling quickly through the Wyoming landscape – from brothels to neighbours’ front stoops to the edge of a cliff –  Mrs. Victoria Buys a Brothel spins a fascinating, eye-opening tale, ideal for a long, juicy gossip session.

Set in the nineteenth century, the novel centres on the adventures of Victoria Montgomery, a former upper-crust member of Salt Lake City society who, in a twist of fate, finds herself the owner of a brothel in the small town of Swainsburg, WY. Tasked with building a new life, she rolls up her sleeves and sets to it with intelligence, vigour, and a heaping scoop of refined manners. She becomes a major topic of gossip because of her friendship with the brothel’s sex workers and the tall, mysterious, and private widow, Mrs. Natane Diaz, a social recluse and farmer who lives on the edge of town. 

The plot thickens when she faces a series of dilemmas, including a persistent gang of hijackers and the sudden reappearance of her abusive husband. Experiencing enormous growth throughout the story, Victoria takes these challenges in stride and remains true to herself, allowing her to push the boundaries of what she believed was possible. In her third novel, Talhí Briones crafts a fun-loving and fast-paced tale filled with lovable, heartwarming characters, a multitude of pulse-pounding moments, and, most importantly, a love story that challenges the expectations and stereotypes of the times. 

Don’t let the wholesome Victorian façade of this novel fool you, though! It gets steamy up in that desert, in a way that is more than just a flash of the heels and a romp in the hay. Mrs. Victoria may own a brothel, but it takes some time for her to shed her petticoat layers and become comfortable in her own skin. When she does, however, it might leave one reaching for a fan to cool their blushing cheeks.

Briones also stitches together what may be the most diverse small town of the nineteenth century, giving voice and space on the page – and in history – to the wide range of immigrants present in North America at the time. The acknowledgement of the Irish, Mexican, French, Chinese, and Black populations living in the West during this period is refreshing and informative, although at times it risks reinforcing the stereotypes of the time. I appreciated the space the author gave at the end of the novel to talk about the subject of residential schools, which Natane is described as having been to.  However, Briones’ descriptions of the Shoshone people and Natane’s experience in residential schools could have been explored in more detail. A further developed backstory for characters like Natane, Consuelo, and Mrs. Zhao, more accurately representing their struggles and rich cultural background, would have been appreciated throughout the novel. 

Mrs. Victoria Buys a Brothel reads like a captivating bedtime story (minus the R-rated elements), and was overall a fun and relaxing read that will have readers softly smiling as they turn the last page. mRb