The Stranger Next Door

This is a great read by itself but is better when read in order with the whole series (This is the third book out of four). The others are "Family Ties," "The Second Son," and "A Mother's Secrets." The books are about a close knit family of 4 brothers and their mom. The last three include a baby that was left at their home by a woman bleeding from a bullet wound and fainted before anyone could question her. The only thing the stranger says before she faints is that the baby is a Randolph. Enjoy!

This is Joanna Wayne at her best. From the opening paragraph, the reader is thrown into a danger-packed situation. The heroine, Danielle, is attacked in New Orleans and left bleeding from a head injury that leaves her with a temporary attack of amnesia. Langley Randolph tries to help her but ends up not even trusting his own instincts where this woman is concerned. He realizes early on that he is drawn to her as he's never been drawn to any woman. He also knows that while he loves his lifestyle, most women wouldn't, especially a woman like Danielle. The south Texas ranch he loves is isolated and lonely, a fact that sends most women running. But as the danger intensifies, he is certain that he'll do whatever he has to in order to save her and to find the man who wants her dead. The mystery is complex but the pacing is fast and never lets the reader forget that a vicious killer is out to kill Danielle.This was a top pick from RT. Don't miss it.

Joanna Wayne's hot streak continues with the second (or third) Randolph Family Ties book, "The Stranger Next Door." This time it's romance for nice guy Langley, or as his brother Ryder puts it, "the most honest, unassuming Randolph of all of us." Langley is filling in as the county sheriff while his brother Branson is on his honeymoon. The job gets to be more interesting when the beautiful Danielle arrives in town. Danielle has been struck with amnesia after an brutal attack in New Orleans. The only key to her identity is a letter from her dead uncle, who left her his ranch neighboring the Randolphs. Someone begins terrorizing her in an attempt to drive her off the land. Can the substitute sheriff keep her safe and find the culprit?In this well-told romantic suspense tale, the author manages a nice balance between the romantic and mystery parts of the story. Every chapter ends with a dramatic or suspenseful moment and in between the tension is kept high. The mystery has a number of suspects to keep readers trying to solve it all the way to the surprise ending. At the same time, there is good character development between the leads. The romance between Langley and Danielle is developed better than the one in "The Second Son." This is also the first amnesia book I've read in a while that didn't immediately annoy me, maybe because I didn't feel like the cover copy was shoving that plot hook down my throat. The author's clean, spare writing is effective, highlighted by amusing dialogue ("I bought you a present." "It's not my birthday." "It might be.") Best of all, she sets up the final book, "A Mother's Secrets" in a way where we won't be waiting to find out who baby Betsy's father is, sparing us a drawn out revelation in that one. I would have to say that readers who haven't read "The Second Son" should probably do that first, or else skip pages 158 and 159, where Wayne explains the whole plot of that book. Better yet, try and get your hands on a copy of "Family Ties" and start at the beginning. Either way, "The Stranger Next Door" is sure to win Joanna Wayne even more fans.

Romantic Times picked this as a top pick for the month of July and they were right on target. I loved every minute of it, and once again the Randolph brothers proved to be the most exciting cowboys in Texas.

Danielle is touring New Orleans when she has a very dumb idea. She decides to shortcut down a deserted alley in order to get to her hotel faster. Gee, guess what happens? Yup, she's attacked by a knife-wielding maniac and winds up in the hospital. Unfortunately for her, she also winds up with amnesia.The only clue Danielle has to her identity is a letter from someone claiming to be her uncle who lives in a small south-eastern Texas town. Danielle borrows money from her hospital roomie and takes a Greyhound there, arriving in the middle of the night in a rainstorm. The town is completely deserted and the phones are out, but luck is with her at last when she meets up with Langly Randolf, who is temporarily filling the position of sheriff while his brother (the real sheriff) is on his honeymoon. Langly takes her under his wing, so to speak (he'd like to take her under several under things, but he's too polite -- and values his life too much -- to say so), but he soon discovers he's got his work cut out for him, both as the town sheriff and as Danielle's protector.The bad news is that Danielle's uncle is dead. And that the person who attacked her in New Orleans has apparently followed her into Texas. And that people are trying to steal her cattle, and that the ranch house is a crumbling wreck. Also, her fiance shows up and she doesn't like him, not to mention her cousin-in-law, who's claiming the ranch for himself. In point of fact, there is absolutely no good news in Danielle's life -- except for the fact that she Langly are falling in love. And that could really be interpreted both ways.THE STRANGER NEXT DOOR is the third book in a four-part series about the "Randolf Family," and was a surprisingly good novel with a satisfying ending. It certainly succeeded in making me interested in the other installments in this series. Romantically, it didn't miss in the least -- the sparks between Langly and Danielle are strangely believable, and the complications of Danielle's amnesia add tension to the relationship that is understandable and makes for great drama. The suspense, however, could have been tighter and more dramatic, and many times feels like a non-entity, especially by the end of the book. Also, the dialog sounds stilted from time to time, especially when the characters are explaining the suspense to one another. If you're looking for gripping suspense, skip this book. If you like books that highlight complex relationships, THE STRANGER NEXT DOOR is worth the four or five dollars to get it.