Sandy M’s review of Branded (Cavanaugh Brothers, Book 1) by Laura Wright
Contemporary Western Romance published by Signet 3 Jun 14
I love reading about brothers, so any chance I get, I go for it. In the case of the Cavanaugh brothers, they’re also cowboys when they finally come home. So that’s a double whammy for me; I love cowboys just as much as I love brothers. Deacon is the oldest and he’s on a rampage. His chance has finally come to destroy the one place he and his siblings ran from when tragedy struck, the place their father turned on them.
Their father is now dead and the reading of the will is imminent. Knowing his brothers feel the same, Deacon knows his revenge will be nearly complete once they own the ranch. But what he doesn’t rely on is life throwing curves one after the other in their way. That first curve – in more ways than one – is Mackenzie Byrd, the ranch forewoman of the Triple C. He can’t let anything – or anyone – push him off track. Too bad his libido, and ultimately his heart, won’t take his plan into consideration.
Mackenzie has just lost the man who meant so much to her – like a father – and she’s not about to let his sons mar his name any further and she’s certainly not going to let Deacon destroy the one place she loves and that supports so many. But her years-old crush on Deacon is currently morphing into something more. Determined to use every trick she can think of, Mackenzie will save the Triple C.
Behind all of this are the tragic circumstances of the only Cavanaugh girl, who died ten years before and left a hole in the family, especially because the mystery of her death is still unsolved. The boys doted on their sister; Mackenzie lost her best friend. Deacon wants the memories gone, Mackenzie wants them preserved around the ranch Cass loved just as much as Mac herself does now. This is actually the best part of the book for me – the emotion each brother feels when thinking or talking about their sister.
Then there’s the big surprise at the will reading. Seems their father left the biggest laugh on them for last – instead of the siblings owning one-third of the ranch, they own one-quarter. The man’s fourth son, Blue, has grown up on the ranch and currently works there. He’s as shocked as everyone to learn the news. Deacon won’t let this little tidbit deter him, though – he makes an insane offer to Blue for a buyout. Yeah, he really wants that revenge.
It takes a while to warm up to Mackenzie. Usually I like a straight-forward heroine, but she’s more worried about herself and her spot on the ranch than about what these three men went through years before. I guess the same could almost be said of Deacon, but he has good reason for his plan of attack. I’m quite taken with the budding relationship between James and Sheridan, Deacon’s personal assistant. That book is definitely on the list to read.
All in all, a good book with a few issues with fun and family at the forefront.
Grade: C+
Summary:
In the small town of River Black, Texas, sits the Triple C—a working cattle ranch that sustains the town. But it also holds painful memories and shocking secrets for the Cavanaugh brothers….
When the Cavanaugh brothers return home for their father’s funeral, they discover unexpected evidence of the old man’s surprising double life—a son named Blue, who wants the Triple C Ranch as much as they do. The eldest son, Deacon, a wealthy businessman who couldn’t wait to leave the ranch and move on with his life, is looking to use his powerful connections to stop Blue at any cost. He never expected the ranch’s forewoman, Mackenzie Byrd, to get in his way.
Mac knows Deacon means to destroy the ranch and therefore destroy her livelihood. But as the two battle for control, their attraction builds. Now Deacon is faced with the choice of a lifetime: Take down the Triple C to feed his need for revenge, or embrace the love of the one person who has broken down every barrier to his heart.
No excerpt available.
Other books in this series:
