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The Texas Brands #4
Long Gone Lonesome Blues
Back from the Dead?
Ben Brand is still in mourning for his long lost wife, Penny, although it’s been two years since she died in a fiery car wreck leaving her wedding band as the only identifiable thing on her body. Now he wonders if his endless grief has finally driven him crazy, because he’s seen her, twice now, once outside his gym in town where he teaches martial arts to kids, and ones right outside his bedroom window. Is Ben losing his mind...or experiencing a miracle?
Ben Brand is still in mourning for his long lost wife, Penny, although it’s been two years since she died in a fiery car wreck leaving her wedding band as the only identifiable thing on her body. Now he wonders if his endless grief has finally driven him crazy, because he’s seen her, twice now, once outside his gym in town where he teaches martial arts to kids, and ones right outside his bedroom window. Is Ben losing his mind...or experiencing a miracle?
196 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1998
536 people are currently reading
533 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Shayne
257 books2,574 followersI live in the teeny, tiny town of Taylor, NY, (Alliteration Alert!) though my mailing address is Cincinnatus, my telephone exchange is Truxton and I pay taxes and vote in Cuyler. All of these are at least in the same rural county in the southern hills of New York State; Cortland County. There are more cattle than people here. The nearest “big” cities are Syracuse and Binghamton and they are an hour away, in different directions, and not really all that big by most standards, though they both seem humongous to me. I look out my window to see rolling, green, thickly forested hills, wildflower laden meadows and wide open blue, blue skies. My road is barely paved. The nearest neighboring place is a 700 acre dairy farm.
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
My house is a big, century old farmhouse. I moved in here after my divorce in 2006. Just a little over a year later, the house, which I had named, SERENITY, burned. It was 99% gutted, and I lost my two dogs, Sally, an 11-year-old great Dane, and Wrinkles, my 14-year-old, blind bulldog. This was the culmination of my Dark Night of the soul, which had seemed to hit me all at once in 2006-2007. My mother died that year, after a 14 month battle with pancreatic cancer. She was only 60. The youngest of my five daughters had left home that same year, and while that’s not a tragedy at all, it felt like one to me. Then came the divorce. And finally there was the fire--it seemed my darkest night wasn’t quite finished with me after all. I had lost almost everything before that point, and as I poked through the wet ashes and soot the next day, I realized that I had now been stripped all the way to the bone.
No better time to start over. (And no, I didn’t come to that realization that day--there were a few days of wallowing in pity first, particularly the day after the fire, when I hit a deer and smashed up my car, which I was practically living in!)
That’s when I started to laugh. Just sat on the side of the road as the deer bounded, uninjured and carefree, out of sight, and laughed. It was just too ridiculous at that point, to do anything else!
And from there, I picked myself up, and brushed myself off, and said, okay, there’s only one way to go from here. Forward. And that’s what I did. There I was at the age of harrurmphemmph, living in my one, mostly undamaged remaining room, with a dorm-sized mini-fridge, a futon, a TV, my cat (nine lives!) and a laptop. And not much else. (Though thank goodness the room that survived the fire, was a room that had its own attached bathroom!)
Since then I have rebuilt my beloved home, which really has become my haven, my “Serenity.” I share it now with my fiancé, Lance, and we have accumulated quite the little family together. “Little” being a relative term. We have a pair of English Mastiffs, Dozer and Daisy, who weigh 203 pounds and 208 pounds respectively, and a little pudgy English Bulldog named Niblet, who is bigger than both of them, inside her mind. We also have the aforementioned cat, Glorificus (“Glory” for short,) who adores her canine pups and keeps them firmly in line. And we've acquired a pair of stray cats as well, a mother and son, Luna (Lulu for short) and Butters aka Buddy. Lulu showed up pregnant during a lunar eclipse, had a litter, and vanished again. We found homes for all the kittens except one. Butters. We got him fixed and kept him. A few months later, Lulu returned, again expecting. This litter was born on the "Monster Moon." Again, all the kittens were spayed and neutered and placed in homes, and this time we got Lulu to the vet in time to spay her before the cycle could repeat.
Glory is not amused.
She has a story of her own, my old Glory cat, having been with me before the Dark Times descended, she went through it all with me, moved with me, survived the fire, and remains with me still. She's tolerating the newcomers. Barely.
My partner is an artist, a mechanic, a welder and an inventor, and the rumors are true, he is much younger than I
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
June 7, 2010
Ben lost his wife 2 years ago to a terminal illness and has mourned her every day. He's both shocked and surprised to find her alive now - but with no memory of him or their life together. Penny only remembers waking up in a hospital bed in England with everyone telling her she was alone in the world, and no memory of her previous life, Ben or herself. But she found a slip of paper with an address on it and knew it meant something, so she lied, cheated and thieved her way from England to Texas to find out if it had any connection to her.
The plot had a lot going for it but for me, was ruined by the cheesiness of Penny. Ben was duly shocked as you would expect, and beyond overjoyed to have his wife back, memory or not. Even his family was happy to see her. But Penny was suspicious of everyone, at one point even considering that Ben's brother might have hurt her, but there was never any explanation for why she thought that. Penny was also obsessed with.....wait for it.....Nancy Drew. She constantly referred to "what would Nancy do" when she found herself in dire straits, and it made the story seem juvenile. Oh, and the terminal illness? Conveniently wrapped up with the use of a mad scientist doctor.
D+
The plot had a lot going for it but for me, was ruined by the cheesiness of Penny. Ben was duly shocked as you would expect, and beyond overjoyed to have his wife back, memory or not. Even his family was happy to see her. But Penny was suspicious of everyone, at one point even considering that Ben's brother might have hurt her, but there was never any explanation for why she thought that. Penny was also obsessed with.....wait for it.....Nancy Drew. She constantly referred to "what would Nancy do" when she found herself in dire straits, and it made the story seem juvenile. Oh, and the terminal illness? Conveniently wrapped up with the use of a mad scientist doctor.
D+
August 13, 2011
This was a really good one for my amnesia mania. It had all the great elements, a lot of angst, a little mystery, young love, a grieving husband and high drama. Well written, fast moving. It might not have been the most believable story line ever but it hung together and made sense. And let's face it, we don't read these things for believability. :-)
The heroine was spunky and sweet but definitely had a back bone and knew how to use it. The hero was just as sweet as he could be. He had loved the heroine since they were in grade school and stood by her through thick and thin.
I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series now about his brothers.
This book was provided to me free from netGalley.
The heroine was spunky and sweet but definitely had a back bone and knew how to use it. The hero was just as sweet as he could be. He had loved the heroine since they were in grade school and stood by her through thick and thin.
I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of the series now about his brothers.
This book was provided to me free from netGalley.
October 3, 2014
A wonderful read. A heartwrenching mystery with an amazing family; a loyal bulldog; a devoted husband; a wife back from the dead; and a pyscho doctor. This book was such an emotion read as we journey with Penny as she wakes from a 2 year coma with no memory of her past life and in a strange country. She has nothing but a scrape of paper with a name on and her gut feeling that there is someone out there for her. She ends up in Texas and drawn to certain places that have no meaning; her husband Ben spots her but when he looks again she is gone. Poor Ben has never recovered from losing his wife whom he has loved since they were teenagers. People tell him to move on but his love is so strong he can't so he still suffers. He believes he is seeing her but others believe he is losing his mind. Believing in his gut feeling he starts looking for her but Penny is already on her way to him. Finding each other is just the start for them.....they will need to wade through clues, death, memories, danger, and a crazed doctor to find the truth about her illness and mysterious death. The Brand family is such a wonderful, amazing, and interesting family that is such a joy to read about them. An amazing read!
March 14, 2022
A totally unexpected story. I was broadsided almost all the way through. There were times that I didn't understand Ben's reactions and others when I was so anxious that I felt sick, mainly due to a murder that was not really necessary and which changed my whole take on what was going on. This book definitely will make me think for some time to come.
July 11, 2025
Fantastic!
I tell you, if I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would! The ending made me smile in pure joy! I'm all set for the next book! Thank you, Maggie Shayne, for the best read I've had in a long time! Loved it! ❤️
I tell you, if I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would! The ending made me smile in pure joy! I'm all set for the next book! Thank you, Maggie Shayne, for the best read I've had in a long time! Loved it! ❤️
August 13, 2022
Reginald is such a gross name poor baby😭
March 13, 2009
From the book blurb:
BACK FROM THE DEAD?
Ben Brand had thought nothing could hurt more than losing Penny, his cherished wife. He was wrong. When Penny mysteriously turned up on his ranch, dazed but alive, Ben faced a new kind of anguish. His beloved had no memory of her past - or of him.
Ben set out to discover what had happened to his wife. Penny had to remember everything: who she was, where she'd been - the love they'd shared - because he couldn't stand to lose the only woman he'd ever loved - again.
THE TEXAS BRAND
This family was born, bred—and bound to be wed - in Texas!
**********
BACK FROM THE DEAD?
Ben Brand had thought nothing could hurt more than losing Penny, his cherished wife. He was wrong. When Penny mysteriously turned up on his ranch, dazed but alive, Ben faced a new kind of anguish. His beloved had no memory of her past - or of him.
Ben set out to discover what had happened to his wife. Penny had to remember everything: who she was, where she'd been - the love they'd shared - because he couldn't stand to lose the only woman he'd ever loved - again.
THE TEXAS BRAND
This family was born, bred—and bound to be wed - in Texas!
**********
Read
December 19, 2014The heroine's paranoia about someone from the family wanting to hurt her, when she's seen with hero own eyes the hero crying over her grave without knowing she was watching, was a little too much to take. Plus the mystery took time and focus away from the romance.
I generally dislike romantic stories by wannabe-detective heroines who have more belief in their abilities than they should. I wish I'd known it before I picked it up. Not bad, but definitely too out of my style to be rated objectively.
I generally dislike romantic stories by wannabe-detective heroines who have more belief in their abilities than they should. I wish I'd known it before I picked it up. Not bad, but definitely too out of my style to be rated objectively.
January 26, 2015
This book was very good. I like that she was saved from her disease and that she found her way back home. I was only a little bit disappointed by Ben's reaction to her deception but mostly because I thought it was out of character for him. I think his reaction was totally justified but it didn't fit the calm reasonable personality Shayne painted him to be. I guess everyone has to explode at some point.
January 10, 2025
In book 4 of the series, we get Ben's story. This was an enjoyable read although I didn't like is quite as much as some of the previous books. Ben has been mourning his dead wife for 2 years now and just can't seem to get over her. What is crazy, is he swears he has seen her a couple of times recently and thinks he might just be losing his mind. Penny wakes up from a coma not knowing who she is or where she is. As the weeks pass, she gets stronger and more suspicious when no one will answer her questions. When she finds a scrap of paper with the name of a ranch and address in Texas, she decides to escape and see if they can tell her anything. Always suspicious, she watches the ranch first and is immediately attracted to the big blond cowboy who seems so melancholic. When she accidently comes face to face with Ben, he recognizes her immediately and can't believe it. Penny had a terminal illness and was supposedly killed in a car crash but here she is, alive and well but doesn't remember anything. Ben and his family welcome Penny home but will she ever remember anything? Will they stop treating her like she is some fragile woman who can't do anything. Meanwhile, the scheming doctor from the clinic is out to find her to protect his secret and his greatest accomplishment. Will he get to her and take her away or will she remember in time to help Ben and his family save her?
January 19, 2020
I couldn’t put this book down. I feel like this series gets better and better each book I read. Poor Ben you feel for from the first book where you hardly meet him through the next two books. I love how much he loved Penny. In the previous books though I thought Penny had died of her illness not in an accident. So I was very interested in how they were going to bring her back. This was a really good book and Ollie the dog was definitely one of the best characters. To cute that Penny adopted this little partner in crime. There was so much going on in this book and there was a bit much when Ben was hoping Penny remembered things. It was like come on give her time and space to think. Clearly her headaches were from herself trying to force her memories. I also loved the notes she scribbled for herself when she was captured and afraid she would loose her memory again. It brought me to tears. I do love the overly sappy love stories so this is definitely one of them. I will say it is very clear that whatever Kirsten did to save Penny was a bribe and that is why she got stuck leaving Adam to merry the old guy. Obviously that is the secret she was begging Ben not to share with Adam when they were at the dojo. Now just to get to their story to see if I’m right. Very good read!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2025
I really liked this one, enough to make me want to check out some of others in the series. The only faults were not big deal, but it was a tad exaggerated that the h was able to successfully leave so many clues in the drugged-up condition she was in, and also all that nonsense about the H preferring her the way she was before her memory loss, as if her personality when she thought she was dying was anything like her real self! And of course he'd treat her like she was a fragile flower, she had a fatal disease, for crying out loud! What was he supposed to do, ask her to go mountain climbing and then parachute down???
Aside from those things, this was a great story!
Aside from those things, this was a great story!
January 7, 2021
I read the previous books, about the Brand family. So glad they brought Ben and Adam back to ranch. Reading about Ben and Penny,made my heart ache for Ben.It had mystery, drama ,love, anger,danger. Lots of unexpected turn of events,finding out Penny was alive,what she went thru past two years, both came overcame obstacles.Very emotional, but lots love from Ben's siblings.
November 20, 2022
Great book?
Characters were great. Penny was taken away from Ben when she skidded down a ravine, but she was at the final stages of a disease that was terminal. Ben suffered every day for the loss of Penny. But Penny showed up in El Paso, alive. This is the shocking story of a woman brought back to life, to love and be loved by her true love.
Characters were great. Penny was taken away from Ben when she skidded down a ravine, but she was at the final stages of a disease that was terminal. Ben suffered every day for the loss of Penny. But Penny showed up in El Paso, alive. This is the shocking story of a woman brought back to life, to love and be loved by her true love.
December 13, 2022
Long Gone Lonesome Blues (The Texas Brands Book 4)
Long Gone Lonesome Blues is the fourth book I've read by this author. Her storylines are... twisted, topsy turvy... something completely different and unusual. I enjoy them but following the steps of the story is somewhat... difficult, confusing... for at least the first half of the book.
Long Gone Lonesome Blues is the fourth book I've read by this author. Her storylines are... twisted, topsy turvy... something completely different and unusual. I enjoy them but following the steps of the story is somewhat... difficult, confusing... for at least the first half of the book.
August 13, 2023
Bigger They Are the Harder They Fall
Ben Brand was a big dude with an even bigger heart. For two years he mourned his wife's death - imagine his shock when he finds out she's alive and is not a spirit. Not going any further than this so the story isn't ruined for a future reader. This love story is full of plot changes. A must read!
Ben Brand was a big dude with an even bigger heart. For two years he mourned his wife's death - imagine his shock when he finds out she's alive and is not a spirit. Not going any further than this so the story isn't ruined for a future reader. This love story is full of plot changes. A must read!
January 2, 2019
Another Great Read!
Maggie Shayne is starting to become one of my favorite Authors! I believe everyone who reads her books will enjoy it! I will definitely recommend this book to others!
Maggie Shayne is starting to become one of my favorite Authors! I believe everyone who reads her books will enjoy it! I will definitely recommend this book to others!
March 5, 2023
Amazing story
Ben, Penny, Adam, and Kirstin all come to terms with what they all thought was Penny dying in a car accident when it wasn't that at all but a carefully/carelessly plan put together by Kirstin and Penny!
Ben, Penny, Adam, and Kirstin all come to terms with what they all thought was Penny dying in a car accident when it wasn't that at all but a carefully/carelessly plan put together by Kirstin and Penny!
June 3, 2023
Picked this up at a church car boot sale - didn’t realise at first it was one in a series. Does stand alone and I will try and read the others, specifically to see if this story is referenced in any of the earlier books.
September 14, 2023
Not as good as the last 3, but it was ok. Not totally disappointed, just hoping the rest are not quite as mysterious type.
I enjoy more historical or modern day western/ romance. I've already downloaded the next two in the series, so hoping for them to be a little different.
I enjoy more historical or modern day western/ romance. I've already downloaded the next two in the series, so hoping for them to be a little different.
June 3, 2024
Penny
The Nancy Drew of love. Exciting thriller. You never known how much you have until it's gone. To think love could run so deep. Knowing these stories aren't real actually makes you want to look for a Love that is jus close to being jus like this.
The Nancy Drew of love. Exciting thriller. You never known how much you have until it's gone. To think love could run so deep. Knowing these stories aren't real actually makes you want to look for a Love that is jus close to being jus like this.
August 11, 2018
3.5 stars.
It was a good read - the storyline and characters were pretty good. I wouldn’t read it again.
It was a good read - the storyline and characters were pretty good. I wouldn’t read it again.
November 16, 2018
Another good read
Love the action packed romance story line of The Texas Brand series Ms Shayne has written. Cant wait to continue with Adams story.
Love the action packed romance story line of The Texas Brand series Ms Shayne has written. Cant wait to continue with Adams story.
June 2, 2022
This was the one that drew me to the series. Kind of wish I hadn't bothered. It was all just too... juvenile.
And bizarrely, I really really didn't like Ben or Kirsten. Penny was just irritating.
And bizarrely, I really really didn't like Ben or Kirsten. Penny was just irritating.
August 23, 2023
Great suspenseful read
What a story...what an imagination created the storyline! I can't wait to continue my journey with the Brands. READ ON!
What a story...what an imagination created the storyline! I can't wait to continue my journey with the Brands. READ ON!
September 18, 2023
Unique plot.
Main plot evolves around curing a fatal disease
Main plot evolves around curing a fatal disease
February 19, 2024
Great book
Another wonderful book in this great set. This is a wonderful author that writes great books. You do not want to miss this set.
Another wonderful book in this great set. This is a wonderful author that writes great books. You do not want to miss this set.
April 13, 2024
The best escape
Maggie Shayne brings each story to life and I am so excited for each new one that I can get my hands on!
Maggie Shayne brings each story to life and I am so excited for each new one that I can get my hands on!
September 8, 2024
Memory loss
Easy to read as all the books are in this series but maybe a little too farfetched in my opinion...
Easy to read as all the books are in this series but maybe a little too farfetched in my opinion...
May 13, 2021
I enjoyed the first three books in this series, but I was disappointed in the plot of this book. Many things weren't explained such as how Penny got to England and then back to Texas. I usually like Maggie Shayne's books, but the idea for this novel just seemed far-fetched.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews