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The Carradine Brand
The rancher's daughter and the cattle king
Curt Carradine is one of the biggest landowners in Australia. Smart, tough, extraordinarily handsome. Other men admire him. Women fall in love with him.
Rachael Munro is no exception. As a teenager, she'd loved him with all the intensity of youth. She still loves him, but as a grown woman now. Curt still regards her as a child, though--especially since her father's recent death....
Worse, he seems more than a little interested in acquiring Miriwin, the Munro ranch. And in acquiring her glamorous stepmother, Sonia, as his wife.
A double betrayal, to Rachael's way of thinking. She's already lost her heart. Is her land next?
Curt Carradine is one of the biggest landowners in Australia. Smart, tough, extraordinarily handsome. Other men admire him. Women fall in love with him.
Rachael Munro is no exception. As a teenager, she'd loved him with all the intensity of youth. She still loves him, but as a grown woman now. Curt still regards her as a child, though--especially since her father's recent death....
Worse, he seems more than a little interested in acquiring Miriwin, the Munro ranch. And in acquiring her glamorous stepmother, Sonia, as his wife.
A double betrayal, to Rachael's way of thinking. She's already lost her heart. Is her land next?
187 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 1994
2 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Way
613 books162 followersMargaret Way was born and educated in the river city of Brisbane, Australia. Before her marriage she was a well-known pianist, teacher, vocal coach and accompanist, but her hectic musical career came to a halt when her son was born and the demands of motherhood dictated a change of pace.
On a fortuitous impulse she decided to try her hand at romance writing and was thrilled when Mills & Boon accepted her first effort, Time of the Jacaranda, which they published less than a year later in 1970; a feat that brought tears to her father's eyes. Some seventy odd books have followed resulting in a loyal readership whose letters provide a source of support and encouragement. A driving force in all her writing has been the promotion of her much loved country, Australia. She delights in bringing it alive for her readers; its people, way of life, environment, flora and fauna. Her efforts so far have not excited official recognition, but she expects one day she will be awarded the "Order of Australia."
Her interests remain with the arts. She still plays the piano seriously, but her "top Cs" have gone. She is still addicted to collecting antiques and paintings and browsing through galleries. She now lives within sight and sound of beautiful Moreton Bay and its islands, inspiration for some of her books. Her house is full of books, spectacular plants, Chinese screens and pots. She is devoted to her garden and spends much time "directing the design and digging and providing cold drinks and chocolates."
On a fortuitous impulse she decided to try her hand at romance writing and was thrilled when Mills & Boon accepted her first effort, Time of the Jacaranda, which they published less than a year later in 1970; a feat that brought tears to her father's eyes. Some seventy odd books have followed resulting in a loyal readership whose letters provide a source of support and encouragement. A driving force in all her writing has been the promotion of her much loved country, Australia. She delights in bringing it alive for her readers; its people, way of life, environment, flora and fauna. Her efforts so far have not excited official recognition, but she expects one day she will be awarded the "Order of Australia."
Her interests remain with the arts. She still plays the piano seriously, but her "top Cs" have gone. She is still addicted to collecting antiques and paintings and browsing through galleries. She now lives within sight and sound of beautiful Moreton Bay and its islands, inspiration for some of her books. Her house is full of books, spectacular plants, Chinese screens and pots. She is devoted to her garden and spends much time "directing the design and digging and providing cold drinks and chocolates."
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 26, 2020
Stepmama is front and center in this story of a tomboy heroine who loves her family’s Outback station, but only has a 10% share of it after her father dies. Her cityfied half brother (he wants to be a model!) and Stepmama own the other shares. The hero has an adjoining station and is interested in buying it.
Stepmama wants to sell the station and also wants the hero for hubby #2. Heroine is attracted to the hero, but doesn’t trust his intentions - much to his outraged honor. There is also a subplot about the half-brother’s girlfriend who is run out of the house after the stepmama set her up for a theft.
Usually it’s the heroine who is falsely accused, so it was disconcerting to see an innocent victim so thoroughly trounced by the villain of the piece. The half-brother is a weak, selfish idiot. The hero ends up with the station – recovering nicely from a drought - and the heroine. Stepmama has no comeuppance. So a typical day in Margaret Ways’s Outback.
Naksed and Vintage have more details in their reviews.
Stepmama wants to sell the station and also wants the hero for hubby #2. Heroine is attracted to the hero, but doesn’t trust his intentions - much to his outraged honor. There is also a subplot about the half-brother’s girlfriend who is run out of the house after the stepmama set her up for a theft.
Usually it’s the heroine who is falsely accused, so it was disconcerting to see an innocent victim so thoroughly trounced by the villain of the piece. The half-brother is a weak, selfish idiot. The hero ends up with the station – recovering nicely from a drought - and the heroine. Stepmama has no comeuppance. So a typical day in Margaret Ways’s Outback.
Naksed and Vintage have more details in their reviews.
August 23, 2017
A fun and bumpy ride.
Australian outback setting where the heroine wants to keep the station, but evil but beautiful step-mom has wangled the shallow stepbrother as heir. The heroine is not cut out completely, but her share is minimized. The H is a long time crush of apparently both h and step-mom and is waiting in the wings to swoop in and buy the station. The heroine fights tooth and stepmother to keep the estate, but it's an uphill battle.
The h is a feisty one and the real fun is the wrangling between her and her stepmother. Sonia aka evil OW stepmother is vain, fighting aging tooth and nail, and could give Lady Macbeth lessons in manipulation. She gaslights the heroine into believing that stepmom and the H are lovers then maneuvers her son's girlfriend out the door by planting her opal ring in the girl's room, and ten offers up sickly sympathy to her duped son,What a pity you brought home one who is not one of US, sweetheart! The girlfriend is so horrified that, one, she's accused of theft, and two, her boyfriend thinks she might be culpable that she's sick to her stomach. All step-mom can say is, Not on the rug! Ah, what a warm loving woman.
Romance is secondary to the shenanigans of the step-mom and the heroine's interaction with her as well as the heroine's emotions for the land.
Australian outback setting where the heroine wants to keep the station, but evil but beautiful step-mom has wangled the shallow stepbrother as heir. The heroine is not cut out completely, but her share is minimized. The H is a long time crush of apparently both h and step-mom and is waiting in the wings to swoop in and buy the station. The heroine fights tooth and stepmother to keep the estate, but it's an uphill battle.
The h is a feisty one and the real fun is the wrangling between her and her stepmother. Sonia aka evil OW stepmother is vain, fighting aging tooth and nail, and could give Lady Macbeth lessons in manipulation. She gaslights the heroine into believing that stepmom and the H are lovers then maneuvers her son's girlfriend out the door by planting her opal ring in the girl's room, and ten offers up sickly sympathy to her duped son,What a pity you brought home one who is not one of US, sweetheart! The girlfriend is so horrified that, one, she's accused of theft, and two, her boyfriend thinks she might be culpable that she's sick to her stomach. All step-mom can say is, Not on the rug! Ah, what a warm loving woman.
Romance is secondary to the shenanigans of the step-mom and the heroine's interaction with her as well as the heroine's emotions for the land.
May 13, 2017
*cringe* This story has the h and her stepmom fighting over the bone that is the uber-sexy Hero. Hero gives h a lot of punishing kisses and groping but the next minute, is letting step mom coo and drape herself all over him. But it's all innocent you see. Cause that's just the way he's comforting an old friend's widow. *eye roll* Another OW who has been hanging around him for years also manages to give him a great, Big, public smooch in the five seconds where he manages to extricate himself from this tug of war. I don't know. I somehow don't see a very solid future for them when he is just so complacent with all these lovely touchy feely ladies.
There is also a land dispute and an ancient family feud, which really puts a damper in the romance. Up until almost the last page, h is convinced H has been manipulating her to get his hands on her cattle station. And the h's true love is her land. I don't think the hero can compete with that obsession.
The most memorable scene is when the long drought they have all been suffering is finally relieved by a long awaited torrential downpour and the ecstatic heroine performs a pagan dance in the stormy night before the delighted eyes of the hero, who looks like he is a front row spectator for the dance of Salome and her seven veils. Fantastically campy and over the top :)
There is also a land dispute and an ancient family feud, which really puts a damper in the romance. Up until almost the last page, h is convinced H has been manipulating her to get his hands on her cattle station. And the h's true love is her land. I don't think the hero can compete with that obsession.
The most memorable scene is when the long drought they have all been suffering is finally relieved by a long awaited torrential downpour and the ecstatic heroine performs a pagan dance in the stormy night before the delighted eyes of the hero, who looks like he is a front row spectator for the dance of Salome and her seven veils. Fantastically campy and over the top :)
January 2, 2017
Ridiculous.
September 30, 2025
Kyrielejson. A myślałam, że Lissa ze Skradzionego serca była tępą dzidą. Ona przynajmniej próbowała czasem myśleć...
Książka nie jest zła, o ile jest się w stanie przetrzymać bohaterkę tępą jak zardzewiała siekiera. W sumie kolor włosów by się zgadzał... Ogólnie jest bardzo ,,disneyowsko" - ukochany ojciec umiera, bohaterka zostaje ze złą macochą, młodszy brat niby współczuje siostrze, ale boi się postawić matce, a w tle ,,książę z bajki". Ot, schemat jak schemat, nawet nie tak źle odtworzony, ale wszystko psuje Rachel, która z myśleniem i wyciąganiem wniosków jest ewidentnie na bakier. Curt (,,książe z bajki") od samego początku smali do niej cholewki. I to nawet nie przez sam fakt, że musi, bo to romans i nie ma innego zabójczo przystojnego kawalera - on się o nią martwi, stara się być jak najbliżej, aby pomóc jeśli czegoś będzie potrzebować... i tak dalej. No, do rany przyłóż, dla każdego jest miły, ale dla Rachel szczególnie. A gdy ta tępa dzida nie potrafi się tego domyślić, to łopatologicznie jej tłumaczy, że mu na niej zależy. Wszyscy dookoła to widzą. Ale nieee, wystarczy, że Curt porozmawia tylko z jej macochą i już jest, że na pewno zdradza i oszukuje Rachel! I jeszcze pal licho, ale Rachel doskonale wie, że jej macocha notorycznie kłamie... Więc komu od razu wierzy bohaterka? Curtowi, który okazuje i powtarza, że świata poza Rachel nie widzi, czy wrednej macosze, która kłamie i manipuluje dziewczyną od dziecka? NO OCZYWIŚCIE ŻE MACOSZE!
Odstawiając na bok tę tępą dzidę - sama historia jest całkiem okey, bo było w niej miejsce też na parę innych wątków. Pupy nie urywa, ale też nie obraża intelektu czytelnika. Ot, spoko czytadło jeśli nie ma się nic innego pod ręką.
Książka nie jest zła, o ile jest się w stanie przetrzymać bohaterkę tępą jak zardzewiała siekiera. W sumie kolor włosów by się zgadzał... Ogólnie jest bardzo ,,disneyowsko" - ukochany ojciec umiera, bohaterka zostaje ze złą macochą, młodszy brat niby współczuje siostrze, ale boi się postawić matce, a w tle ,,książę z bajki". Ot, schemat jak schemat, nawet nie tak źle odtworzony, ale wszystko psuje Rachel, która z myśleniem i wyciąganiem wniosków jest ewidentnie na bakier. Curt (,,książe z bajki") od samego początku smali do niej cholewki. I to nawet nie przez sam fakt, że musi, bo to romans i nie ma innego zabójczo przystojnego kawalera - on się o nią martwi, stara się być jak najbliżej, aby pomóc jeśli czegoś będzie potrzebować... i tak dalej. No, do rany przyłóż, dla każdego jest miły, ale dla Rachel szczególnie. A gdy ta tępa dzida nie potrafi się tego domyślić, to łopatologicznie jej tłumaczy, że mu na niej zależy. Wszyscy dookoła to widzą. Ale nieee, wystarczy, że Curt porozmawia tylko z jej macochą i już jest, że na pewno zdradza i oszukuje Rachel! I jeszcze pal licho, ale Rachel doskonale wie, że jej macocha notorycznie kłamie... Więc komu od razu wierzy bohaterka? Curtowi, który okazuje i powtarza, że świata poza Rachel nie widzi, czy wrednej macosze, która kłamie i manipuluje dziewczyną od dziecka? NO OCZYWIŚCIE ŻE MACOSZE!
Odstawiając na bok tę tępą dzidę - sama historia jest całkiem okey, bo było w niej miejsce też na parę innych wątków. Pupy nie urywa, ale też nie obraża intelektu czytelnika. Ot, spoko czytadło jeśli nie ma się nic innego pod ręką.
July 30, 2017
I liked this book. There was a lot of tension and a lot of lies. A stepmother who manipulates everyone.Not everyone has a HEA. Liked the characters it was different.
October 29, 2009
I loved this book when I read it years ago and it's still just as enjoyable. Margaret Way is one of my favorite Harlequin authors.
February 25, 2015
I know I loved this book when I was a lot younger. Now I give it 4 stars for the descriptions and 3 starts for the story.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews