The Brands Who Came for Christmas

Fabulous first in the Oklahoma series!!! I have read all of the Texas Brand books and decided to keep going by reading about this estranged branch of the family. I found myself even more interested in reading about these five fabulous sisters and their mother. Each girl has her own personality and take on the experiences they had growing up. The first book, The Brands Who Came for Christmas is about good girl Maya who has strived her entire life to impress the locals despite her humble beginnings. She meets gorgeous and mysterious Caleb in the bar she works in one night and they share one wreckless night together before he disappears. I don't want to give away the rest of the story, but Caleb is not what he appears to be and this story was very fun to read! Truly entertaining.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SISTER'S BOOKS TO BEGAN .

Maya Brand had a plan. It wasn't a big plan by anyone's standards, but it was her own personal ambition to rise above the stigma placed on her mother and sisters due to the scandal surrounding her father's bigamy and criminal activities. She was on the brink of succeeding when she succumbed to the endearing charm of a drifter she only knew as Caleb. When he left town without a word, she would have renewed her efforts to fulfill her plan. Only, she discovered she was pregnant with his child. For Cain Caleb Montgomery III, life was set. His political ambitions were directed by a group of advisers and his father. In fact, he began to feel unnecessary. In a moment of superfluity, he began to question the purpose of his life. Determined to abandon his responsibilities for a night, he drove himself right into Maya's unsuspecting heart. Maggie Shayne has written a heartwarming spin-off to her Texas Brand series. This family of five daughters and one brash mother has clearly been through a lot thanks to Maya's father. And his betrayal has affected the six women in different ways. Because of this background, it becomes very hard for Maya to accept Caleb when the truth comes out that he is anything but a drifter. But he is determined not to abandon her and their children. Both Maya and Caleb are admirable characters who feel a heavy sense of responsibility. They are both seemingly conservative despite Maya's outlandish but loving family. Surprisingly enough, it isn't Caleb who is closed off to the idea of love. Instead, he embraces the time he had with Maya as something he longs to recapture because of its simplicity. Maya, on the other hand, is initially unimpressed with the dual picture Caleb presents and it does take a while for her to overcome her distrust. This is the story of two people who come from very different upbringings and must, therefore, deal with both their pasts and the direction of their future. They are both determined to protect their children and with the help of Maya's family, they might just open their hearts to the love they feel for each other.

All her life, Maya Brand had been trying to live down the scandal created when her mother discovered that her husband, Maya's father, had another wife in California. And Maya's been making some headway. But her twenty-ninth birthday is closing in on her, so she's beginning to think that life has passed her by. Then one rainy night Caleb Montgomery, a good looking stranger who's just passing through has a flat tire right outside the bar where Maya works. When Maya Brand decides to celebrate her twenty-ninth birthday by losing her virginity to this good looking stranger, she never realizes she'll end up with not one, not two, but three surprises. For one, the good looking stranger she falls for isn't who he claims to be. Surprises two and three come in the form of two little unexpected bundles of joy. Maggie Shayne does an excellent job creating characters we can relate to and sympathize with. We cheer them on as they struggle to make the best of their respective situations. The minor characters are interesting, too, especially Maya's mother and sisters. The only character that wasn't well-developed was Caleb's father. I read the book straight through in one sitting. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read.