The Littlest Cowboy by Maggie Shayne

This is book one of the Texas Brand series and honestly I am not motivated to continue reading it. Over Christmas I read the first book of the Oklahoma Brand series and that one was much better so I picked up this one hoping that it would follow suit but I was a bit disappointed.

Garrett Ethan Brand is the eldest of 6 Brands. At the age of 18 he was left orphaned with 5 siblings to raise. It has not been an easy road but the big lug of a man has done what he could to provide a safe home for his 4 brothers and young sister. He is now the sheriff of Quinn, TX. When the story starts Garrett discovers a small babe at his doorstep. A note tucked inside the basket says the child is his and bears his name. Garrett is floored and knows for a FACT that he has not fathered the child. He decides to keep the child in his care until social services opens Tuesday, which will give him a few days to investigate the situation and see if he can find the mother. Who comes knocking at his door is Chelsea Brennan.

Chelsea has just come from the morgue after identifying her younger sister's body. Her sister had a pendant with a picture of her child and the address to the Brand ranch and she is there to rescue her nephew from the clutches of the man who killed her sister.
Yeah, a bit off kilter this Chelsea girl.

Chelsea really never falls into my good graces. Due to her abusive father, she has a bit of a trust issue when it comes to men so it's understandable that she takes a difficult stance against the Brands but she is a bit irrational and even after baby Ethan's parentage is cleared up and Garrett is proved to be a gentle and caring man she is always an argument away from jumping down his throat. When she finally trusts the guy she flies to the other extreme and runs away from him , putting him and his family in danger.

The story also dragged for me. It could have been my lack of love for the heroine and the little interest I developed for the outcome but it took me a week to read the 260 pages of the book. I think I will order the 2nd of the Oklahoma Brands and leave the Tx clan to their own devices.

Grade:C-