Stranger In Town.....two books in one!

Maggie Shayne does Cowboys!!!! (and cowgirls)

I have long read Maggie Shayne’s vampire books in the Wings in the Night series, so when I saw she also wrote a cowboy series, I was intrigued. I love cowboys and vampires, but couldn’t quite reconcile the fact that a woman who writes such amazing and enthralling stories about vampires could possibly come close to telling a tale of a rancher family. It is a giant leap between the two, but she does it….and how!

The Brand family is split between two branches which are located in Texas and Oklahoma. I have read all of the Texas Brand books and decided to keep going by reading about this estranged Oklahoma branch of the Brand family and all the so called crazy girl cousins. What I was delighted to find out is that I was even more interested in reading about these five fabulous sisters and their strong independent and a bit rough mother. Each girl has her very own personality and the adventures that follow are quite entertaining!

First there was the Texas Brand family and now you can meet the Oklahoma branch of the Brand family.

There are five sisters in this wild and ousted branch of the Brand family. Each one of them has a compelling story that you won’t want to miss. Stranger In Town offers the first two installments of the Oklahoma Brand family saga and tells you the story of how Maya and her sister Edie found love and happiness alongside unending adventure. Stranger In Town also introduces you to their other sisters Mel, Kara, and Selene to set the stage for the rest of the books in the series.

The First installment of Oklahoma……The Brands Who Came For Christmas

The first book, The Brands Who Came for Christmas is about Brand good girl Maya. She has strived her whole life to make the locals think highly of her despite her family reputation. She works hard to impress them and feels she has just about gained the town’s respect. She meets a beautiful and mysterious man in her family’s bar while working one night and they share one crazy night together without caution. After this reckless night, Caleb leaves town and he disappears. Without giving away the story, Caleb does not turn out to be what he seems.

The second book……..Brand New Heartache

The second story in Stranger In Town is cutely titled Brand New Heartache. It is about Maya's supermodel sister Edie who has come back to town. She has run into an old high school bad boy Wade who always secretly had a thing for her. Suspense and intrigue are abundant as Edie tries to stay safe with help from Wade, of course. Despite the fact that it is a predictable read, some of the twists and turns are surprising. As a result, the story is fun to follow and keeps you guessing.

Purchasing information…

Stranger in Town is a wonderful edition which reprints and combines the first two stories of the Oklahoma branch of the Brand family is readily available and published in 2004.

Final thoughts…

I really liked these stories! They of course are predictable as soon as you find out who the main characters are because such is the way of romance novels. The difference is that Maggie Shayne offers excitement and more twists and turns than Nora Roberts when it comes to getting to that final predictable destination. I read the Oklahoma Brand series as an afterthought and not really very seriously interested in the beginning, but found it to be far more interesting for me than the stories from the Texas Brand branch. I think this one is worth a read and it doesn’t have the cheesy covers of the romance novels from the Fabio era of days gone by.


Recommended: Yes