Give Me A Texan [Mass Market Paperback]

Linda L. Broday (Author), Dewanna Pace (Author), Phyliss Miranda (Author), Jodi Thomas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2008

Roots that go deep...men who stand tall...and real women who have what it takes to love and be loved by them. Jodi Thomas, "New York Times" and "USA Today" bestselling author, teams up with Linda Broday, Phyliss Miranda, and DeWanna Pace to bring you four of the best Texas romances ever...Hank Harris wasn't even looking for a woman when he ended up with a wife. Their hasty marriage is for appearances only: a capable, intelligent woman like Aggie is exactly who he needs as a business partner - if only she weren't so damn beautiful, spirited - and in his bed...Payton McCord thought he was one tough cowboy until Amanda Lemmons made him mind his manners. And a woman of her caliber is worth the trouble she causes...Newspaperman Quinten Corbett wasn't expecting his new apprentice to be female. Boston-born Kaira Renaulde is far too refined for a rough-and-tumble frontier town - and far too pretty for his peace of mind...Briar Duncan knows he needs someone to help him raise his headstrong little daughter. But Mina McCoy is more than he bargained for - much more! The woman has the face of an angel and a very definite mind of her own...

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 382 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (February 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 142010103X
• ISBN-13: 978-1420101034
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #603,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Two out of four isn't bad? Depends on your point of view., February 5, 2008

By 

J. Lesley "(Judy)" (Midsouth, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Give Me A Texan (Mass Market Paperback)

An anthology always has at least one popular author to anchor it so that fans of that author will buy the book. In this case, Jodi Thomas was the anchor for me, and the fact that there was also a story by Linda Broday was a pleasant addition. The two other authors, DeWanna Pace and Phyliss Miranda were new to me.

"Amarillo by Morning", Jodi Thomas, Fort Worth 1889, 4 stars
Hank Harris was invited to dinner but he didn't discover until later what the catch was for the invitation. He, along with two other men, were there to meet the spinster sister of Dolly Tucker. Marriage was definitely the ultimate goal, although not necessarily the goal of Aggie. She was the last of the unwed sisters in her family and was being sent from the home of one sister after another in an attempt to find her a husband. Aggie didn't want to get married but her father wanted to re-marry and his home wasn't big enough for two women.

I liked this story. Aggie was a very unusual character. Physically beautiful but painfully shy is a combination which is hard to write about convincingly but Jodi Thomas managed to make me believe that Aggie could actually be more concerned with being a gunsmith than with being a wife. I have no idea when the story was actually written by Ms Thomas but I am glad to see that it reminds me much more of the writing she has done in the past. I am not a fan of the Whispering Mountain series and so was glad to see the Jodi Thomas style I enjoy more than the stories I've read from her lately.

"A Shade of Sunrise", DeWanna Pace, February 19, 1916, No stars
Briar Duncan was the station master for the railroad in Amarillo. He has a seven year old daughter, Violet, and is a widower. The heroine of the story is Mina McCoy, a poor Irish girl who speaks throughout the story with an Irish brogue. Let me quote a paragraph from the book: "The stranger wore a lampshade tunic with baggy trousers gathered at the ankle and a matching yellow turban that offered an exotic halo to a mixture of doe-shaped eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips. A woman?" Please, a penniless Irish waif? A telegraph operator penniless Irish waif? A thick Irish brogue spouting, tree climbing, pants and turban wearing penniless Irish waif in Amarillo, Texas in 1916?

I tried to read it, really I did. I even went back after I read the other three and tried to read it again. No luck. It just wasn't going to happen. I can't tell you what happened. I didn't care!

"The Love Letter", Linda Broday, Spring 1889 Texas Panhandle, 4 stars
Amanda Lemmons is a single woman trying to live her life the way she wants to live it. She has a small parcel of land and raises sheep. That is a huge problem when you are smack in the middle of cattle country. Payton McCord had his own cattle ranch until he lost it through a legal trick used by the railroad company to gain the rights to his land. He now works the cattle on the Frying Pan Ranch. He and another ranch hand like to play practical jokes on each other but Payton has no idea that one of Joe's pranks has involved him with Amanda. And she is not finding it funny.

I liked this story very much. The characters were very well portrayed and I understood, and accepted, the motivations for both Amanda and Payton.

"No Time for Love", Phyliss Miranda, Spring 1889 Texas Panhandle, 2 stars
Quinten (Quin) Corbett is the editor of the Amarillo newspaper. He is awaiting the arrival of his new apprectice sent by the newspaper owner in Boston. When Kaira Clairce Renaulde arrives, she is definitely not what Quin had expected. First of all, she definitely is not a man. Second, she is the granddaughter of the owner of the paper. She is also a most proper Boston lady with more Saratoga trunks than he can count, not to mention all the hat boxes.

I didn't like this. Kaira was an irritant for me from the first time she opened her mouth. She was spoiled, frivilous, pampered and self centered. I don't like that type heroine and so this story did not stand a chance with me. I also just plain did not like the story. Kaira was such a proper lady that she only drank TEA while waiting in the saloon for hours while Bat Masterson played cards? Hours? She wanted to interview him and prove that she could get a story. She announced to the entire saloon what his cards were and yet Bat Masterson thought that was O.K.? I think not!

There is a theme running through all four of these stories; Amarillo by morning. I wonder if these four writers are fans of George Strait because that phrase is present in all of the three stories I finished. Another theme is the word "snot". I absolutely HATE that word and to have to read it over and over in these stories was pure torture for me. As is always the case with an anthology, the good stories are much too short and would have made wonderful full novels. The other two, well, I'm sure you get my point. Overall, I would recommend this book only for the Thomas and Broday stories. I was very pleasantly surprised by the Linda Broday offering and glad to read a Jodi Thomas story that at least reminded me of why she has been one of my favorite Western Historical authors in the past. What I don't understand is why the editorial decision was made to present these four stories in the order in which they are presented. It makes no sense. Stories #1, 3, and 4 all take place in 1889. Story #2 takes place in 1916. Why this placement? It was definitely jarring to me as a reader. Each of the four stories carries through, in one way or another, the characters from the other stories. And there are grammatical errors in several stories. That type of mistake is not acceptable from a publishing house as large as Zebra.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick, funny read, February 7, 2008

By 

Charlene "Charlene, and Avid Reader" (Mid-West) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Give Me A Texan (Mass Market Paperback)

Four quick reads for busy folks. I found the short stories to be funny, easy to read, and an opportunity to lean back and enjoy getting away from the pressures of the day. Truly enjoyed them.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must read for all romantics!, February 7, 2008

By 

Kim S. Campbell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Give Me A Texan (Mass Market Paperback)

A quick read that was hard to put down! Recommended for all romantics.

Jodi Thomas delivers a truly unique wedding twist. Hank is the kind of reluctant hero I like to read about, and Aggie proved to be a very special heroin. Reminiscent of all her novels, Jodi delivers a beautiful "growing into love" story.

DeWanna Pace's story of widower Briar Duncan, his daughter Violet and Mina McCoy tugged at my heartstrings just like her previous book Beckoning Shore.

Linda Broday creates wonderful characters in sheep rancher, Amanda Lemmons and cattle cowboy Payton McCord. Amanda daydreams about true love, but fears to trust any man. Payton McCord doesn't know much about love but soon finds himself infatuated with the woman on the opposite side of the fence. A truly romantic read!

Phyliss Miranda contributes a humorous tale centering on spunky Kaira Renaulde and sexy Quinten Corbett. And man do the sparks fly between these two as the author weaves a wonderful spellbinding story!