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Randolph Family Ties #2
The Second Son
The Second Son by Joanna Wayne released on May 25, 2000 is available now for purchase.
256 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2000
2 people are currently reading
20 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Wayne
187 books59 followersReal name: Jo Ann Vest
Pseudonyms: Joanna Wayne.
Joanna Wayne began her professional writing career with the release of her first novel, DEEP IN THE BAYOU, in 1994, but Joanna will be the first to tell you that the wheels were set in motion years before. She started reading at four years of age, the same age that she began making weekly trips to the library to check out as many books as they’d let her have, only to finish reading them all before bedtime. That love of books never waned.
Joanna was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana and was the middle child of a large family. She moved to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1984 when she married her current husband. New Orleans opened up a whole new realm of activities and she found the mix of cultures, music, history, food and sultry southern classics along with her love of reading a natural impetus for beginning her writing career. It was there that she attended her first writing class and joined her first professional writing organization. From that point on, there was no looking back.
Now, forty published books later, Joanna has made a name for herself as being on the cutting edge of romantic suspense in both series and mainstream novels. She is known for the suspense and emotion she brings to the page, as she takes ordinary people and thrusts them into life-and-death situations. She has been on the Walden Bestselling List for romance and won many industry awards. She is a popular speaker at writing organizations and local community functions and has taught creative writing at the University of New Orleans Metropolitan College.
She currently resides in a small community forty miles north of Houston, Texas with her husband. Though she still has many family and emotional ties to Louisiana, she loves living in the Lone Star state.
Pseudonyms: Joanna Wayne.
Joanna Wayne began her professional writing career with the release of her first novel, DEEP IN THE BAYOU, in 1994, but Joanna will be the first to tell you that the wheels were set in motion years before. She started reading at four years of age, the same age that she began making weekly trips to the library to check out as many books as they’d let her have, only to finish reading them all before bedtime. That love of books never waned.
Joanna was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana and was the middle child of a large family. She moved to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1984 when she married her current husband. New Orleans opened up a whole new realm of activities and she found the mix of cultures, music, history, food and sultry southern classics along with her love of reading a natural impetus for beginning her writing career. It was there that she attended her first writing class and joined her first professional writing organization. From that point on, there was no looking back.
Now, forty published books later, Joanna has made a name for herself as being on the cutting edge of romantic suspense in both series and mainstream novels. She is known for the suspense and emotion she brings to the page, as she takes ordinary people and thrusts them into life-and-death situations. She has been on the Walden Bestselling List for romance and won many industry awards. She is a popular speaker at writing organizations and local community functions and has taught creative writing at the University of New Orleans Metropolitan College.
She currently resides in a small community forty miles north of Houston, Texas with her husband. Though she still has many family and emotional ties to Louisiana, she loves living in the Lone Star state.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 17, 2018
July 19, 2000
Joanna Wayne revisits the characters of her best book to date, "Family Ties," with her best book since, "The Second Son." Sheriff Branson Randolph and his brothers are shocked when a woman arrives on their doorstep with a baby she claims belongs to one of them. The plot thickens when the woman falls over with a bullet wound in her back. Branson teams up with the woman's sister, who insists her sister has not had a child, to solve the mystery. It looks like Lacy Gilbraith is in as much danger as her sister. Who better to protect her than a tough Texas lawman?
I was more a fan of "Family Ties" itself than the brothers so many readers seem to have demanded hearing more of (Branson himself wasn't the nicest of characters in that book, and one didn't even appear), but I have to admit they bring out the best in the author. "The Second Son" is a masterfully plotted book with strong, dynamic characters and a story that never stops moving. Branson and Lacy meet in a unique opening encounter that sets off sparks right away, and Wayne crafts a complex, twist-filled mystery to keep readers turning the pages. Readers should be gladly looking forward to the stories of Branson's brothers in the next two books. Taut and exciting, "The Second Son" is an excellent start to this new miniseries.
Joanna Wayne revisits the characters of her best book to date, "Family Ties," with her best book since, "The Second Son." Sheriff Branson Randolph and his brothers are shocked when a woman arrives on their doorstep with a baby she claims belongs to one of them. The plot thickens when the woman falls over with a bullet wound in her back. Branson teams up with the woman's sister, who insists her sister has not had a child, to solve the mystery. It looks like Lacy Gilbraith is in as much danger as her sister. Who better to protect her than a tough Texas lawman?
I was more a fan of "Family Ties" itself than the brothers so many readers seem to have demanded hearing more of (Branson himself wasn't the nicest of characters in that book, and one didn't even appear), but I have to admit they bring out the best in the author. "The Second Son" is a masterfully plotted book with strong, dynamic characters and a story that never stops moving. Branson and Lacy meet in a unique opening encounter that sets off sparks right away, and Wayne crafts a complex, twist-filled mystery to keep readers turning the pages. Readers should be gladly looking forward to the stories of Branson's brothers in the next two books. Taut and exciting, "The Second Son" is an excellent start to this new miniseries.
October 16, 2016
I liked this book. Branson Randolph is sheriff in a small Texas town. He meets up and saves a gal named Lacey Gilbraith but someone is after Lacey and her sister Kate. The killer keeps getting closer and closer. I really liked the ending to the book. Hoping Kate will be able to find a happy ending too. I can't wait to read Langley's story either.
February 24, 2012
I really liked this. I'm not usually a "cowboy romance" fan, but this one had a genuinely enjoyable crime subplot, and really likable characters, so I was happy. (Usually, I dislike cowboy romances because the hero is a misogynistic jerk, but that's not the case here, as Branson was very satisfying as a hero.) The family was good and close-knit, and the setting felt realistic. It drew me in, and I had a great time with it - which is all I ask of romances.
There were a few minor drawbacks. I don't normally care about the title, but this title seemed only purposeful for the series setup, and had nothing to do with the actual book. The hero was described as much too young to be a sheriff, and seemed older than the early-30s the book said he was - I kept assuming he was more like 35+. The characters' names bothered me (they just seem kind of silly), but I got over that quickly, and, as always with HQ family series, I find it a bit hard to believe this much drama befalls any one family (but that is par for the course with rom-suspense series).
For mystery fans: I did guess the villain right away, but that doesn't bother me with romantic suspense, because the suspense aspect is not the only point of the story. There were also moments where Branson did things that I imagine no real cop would likely do, but it's not a procedural. If you're a fan of this subgenre of romance, these shouldn't bother you too much.
Also, as a side note - Is every rich guy in Texas named Kincaide? In the HQ universe, it seems so.
Overall, very enjoyable, with understandable characters, interesting plot, and compelling romance (and good chemistry between all the characters). I was pleased!
*
*
*POTENTIAL LIGHT SPOILER BELOW*
***
*
If you are planning on reading this as a stand-alone, be warned...
The one thing about the book that really bothered me was the way in which the main mystery was left unsolved (though you can guess the general outcome by which Randolph stars in the next book in the series, I think, or by the title of the last book, possibly). I'm not all that keen on romance series, especially when they leave a major thread unresolved to hook you on the next book, so I wanted to warn others who might feel the same.
However, the main crime subplot in this one (Lacy's sister's whereabouts, the murders, and the death threats) are resolved in this book. So while it isn't exactly stand-alone, it is worth reading even if you don't plan on reading the others.
I would certainly read the others in the series if I got my hands on them, despite the fact that the hook annoyed me a little.
There were a few minor drawbacks. I don't normally care about the title, but this title seemed only purposeful for the series setup, and had nothing to do with the actual book. The hero was described as much too young to be a sheriff, and seemed older than the early-30s the book said he was - I kept assuming he was more like 35+. The characters' names bothered me (they just seem kind of silly), but I got over that quickly, and, as always with HQ family series, I find it a bit hard to believe this much drama befalls any one family (but that is par for the course with rom-suspense series).
For mystery fans: I did guess the villain right away, but that doesn't bother me with romantic suspense, because the suspense aspect is not the only point of the story. There were also moments where Branson did things that I imagine no real cop would likely do, but it's not a procedural. If you're a fan of this subgenre of romance, these shouldn't bother you too much.
Also, as a side note - Is every rich guy in Texas named Kincaide? In the HQ universe, it seems so.
Overall, very enjoyable, with understandable characters, interesting plot, and compelling romance (and good chemistry between all the characters). I was pleased!
*
*
*POTENTIAL LIGHT SPOILER BELOW*
***
*
If you are planning on reading this as a stand-alone, be warned...
The one thing about the book that really bothered me was the way in which the main mystery was left unsolved (though you can guess the general outcome by which Randolph stars in the next book in the series, I think, or by the title of the last book, possibly). I'm not all that keen on romance series, especially when they leave a major thread unresolved to hook you on the next book, so I wanted to warn others who might feel the same.
However, the main crime subplot in this one (Lacy's sister's whereabouts, the murders, and the death threats) are resolved in this book. So while it isn't exactly stand-alone, it is worth reading even if you don't plan on reading the others.
I would certainly read the others in the series if I got my hands on them, despite the fact that the hook annoyed me a little.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews