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The McIntyre Men #3
Oklahoma Starshine
Fans of touching small town holiday romances like those of Debbie Macomber, Susan Wiggs, Susan Mallory, and Robyn Carr are going to relish this novel!
A deeply moving, emotional story of a mother’s anguish, a father’s love, a family’s hope, this novel will renew your faith and restore your belief in miracles.
Veterinarian and single mom Emily Hawkins’ world is turned upside down when her precious little girl is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Only a bone marrow transplant can save 3-year-old Matilda Louise. Emily isn’t a match, but she’s determined to find someone who is, and that means tracking down Tilda’s biological father and his filthy rich family, a family she believes would’ve preferred her little girl had never been born.
But when she arrives in Big Falls, Oklahoma, nothing is the way she expected. Joey McIntyre, the billionaire’s son who’d been her sweet teenage summer fling, is as handsome and smooth as ever, but he seems to fall hard for Tilda-Lou at first sight, and he’s furious that Emily has kept his child from him. Which makes no sense at all. Soon Emily begins to suspect that the version history she’s believed all these years, might not be the real one. And if that’s true, she’s done a terrible, unforgivable thing.
But none of that matters as dire symptoms set in. The doctor advises Emily and Joe to give their girl the best Christmas ever. Fortunately, Christmas is what the Brand-McIntyre clan does best.
Emily and Joey put their feelings aside, coming together in a desperate search for a way to save their little girl against all odds.
But the truth is that little Matilda Louise is the one who’s saving them.
If you enjoyed Maggie Shayne’s Award Winning Texas Brands Series and Oklahoma Brands, you are going to LOVE the McIntyre Men.
A deeply moving, emotional story of a mother’s anguish, a father’s love, a family’s hope, this novel will renew your faith and restore your belief in miracles.
Veterinarian and single mom Emily Hawkins’ world is turned upside down when her precious little girl is diagnosed with a terminal illness. Only a bone marrow transplant can save 3-year-old Matilda Louise. Emily isn’t a match, but she’s determined to find someone who is, and that means tracking down Tilda’s biological father and his filthy rich family, a family she believes would’ve preferred her little girl had never been born.
But when she arrives in Big Falls, Oklahoma, nothing is the way she expected. Joey McIntyre, the billionaire’s son who’d been her sweet teenage summer fling, is as handsome and smooth as ever, but he seems to fall hard for Tilda-Lou at first sight, and he’s furious that Emily has kept his child from him. Which makes no sense at all. Soon Emily begins to suspect that the version history she’s believed all these years, might not be the real one. And if that’s true, she’s done a terrible, unforgivable thing.
But none of that matters as dire symptoms set in. The doctor advises Emily and Joe to give their girl the best Christmas ever. Fortunately, Christmas is what the Brand-McIntyre clan does best.
Emily and Joey put their feelings aside, coming together in a desperate search for a way to save their little girl against all odds.
But the truth is that little Matilda Louise is the one who’s saving them.
If you enjoyed Maggie Shayne’s Award Winning Texas Brands Series and Oklahoma Brands, you are going to LOVE the McIntyre Men.
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2016
461 people are currently reading
192 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Shayne
257 books2,572 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
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 27, 2017
Sweet Small Town Love Story
Very sweet, clean love story about two people split apart by other people and brought together by a secret baby. Miracles, witches, shaman, everything we're thrown in to get to the HEA. Bring your Kleenex and your imagination and learn about the little town with a big heart. I wish I could live in a town like that myself. It was very gingerbread, mystical and Christmassy and suspend all beliefs before delving in. Loved little Tilda and look forward to reading about more Brands .
Very sweet, clean love story about two people split apart by other people and brought together by a secret baby. Miracles, witches, shaman, everything we're thrown in to get to the HEA. Bring your Kleenex and your imagination and learn about the little town with a big heart. I wish I could live in a town like that myself. It was very gingerbread, mystical and Christmassy and suspend all beliefs before delving in. Loved little Tilda and look forward to reading about more Brands .
April 5, 2022
Lovely, if somewhat unrealistic, story about a woman and her little girl who is sick. She comes to the father to see if he can help and finds that nothing is as she thought it was. Ups and downs. Truth and lies. Families and miracles. All around Christmas. What more could you ask?
February 6, 2017
oh my gosh I couldn't put this book down
November 18, 2019
Loved It
I’ve read most of the Brands of Texas books as well as the first three Oklahoma McIntyre books and enjoyed them all so much. This book recounts Emily and Joey’s story. They grew up together in Texas, his father being quite wealthy and her father being the gardener. Almost 4 years have passed since they last saw each other. He now lives in Oklahoma where Emily arrives one day with an almost 4 year old daughter. She needs Joey’s help for the daughter she has never told him about. Her daughter has been diagnosed with a blood disorder and needs a marrow donor. The premise asks how would you react under such circumstances and when is a lie of omission a good thing.
I’ve read most of the Brands of Texas books as well as the first three Oklahoma McIntyre books and enjoyed them all so much. This book recounts Emily and Joey’s story. They grew up together in Texas, his father being quite wealthy and her father being the gardener. Almost 4 years have passed since they last saw each other. He now lives in Oklahoma where Emily arrives one day with an almost 4 year old daughter. She needs Joey’s help for the daughter she has never told him about. Her daughter has been diagnosed with a blood disorder and needs a marrow donor. The premise asks how would you react under such circumstances and when is a lie of omission a good thing.
September 24, 2023
When single mom Emily learns her little three year old daughter Matilda is diagnosed with a terminal illness, she does everything in her power to find a bone marrow donor. Not being a match herself, she packs them up and returns to the town in which little Tilda's unsuspecting daddy Joey lives.
Tilda is an absolute delight and everyone who meets her falls under her charming spell, including this reader. The romance between Emily and Joey blossoms as secrets from the past unfold. This book is sweet and tender as the families and townspeople come together to save this beautiful little girl. Very, very enjoyable!
Tilda is an absolute delight and everyone who meets her falls under her charming spell, including this reader. The romance between Emily and Joey blossoms as secrets from the past unfold. This book is sweet and tender as the families and townspeople come together to save this beautiful little girl. Very, very enjoyable!
November 24, 2016
I absolutely loved this story. My only recommendation is to start it in the daylight. I ended up reading it all night because I couldn't put it down. Maggie makes characters who are the epitome of the girl/guy-next-door. There is no way the reader won't fall in love with Matilda Louise (Tilda Lou), the precocious three and a half year old daughter of the heroine Emily Hawkins. Then comes Joey McIntyre who has a history with Emily. You'll have so much fun with the Brand/McIntyre families. I dare you not to fall in love with them.
December 20, 2017
Wonderful Book
This was so good and so touching.
Emily was pregnant by Joey and still young.
Well things did not turn out right.
Three years later she comes back to Little Falls.
To ask Joey to help her with there sick Daughter.
As things turn out he finds out the the child is his.
Em tells him she needs a donor to save her little girls life.
Well as the days go by these re fall in love.
And A they are granted a miracle that no one can explain
Read the book you will not be disappointed.
This was so good and so touching.
Emily was pregnant by Joey and still young.
Well things did not turn out right.
Three years later she comes back to Little Falls.
To ask Joey to help her with there sick Daughter.
As things turn out he finds out the the child is his.
Em tells him she needs a donor to save her little girls life.
Well as the days go by these re fall in love.
And A they are granted a miracle that no one can explain
Read the book you will not be disappointed.
November 19, 2019
I found the actions of her father unforgivable. Once again most of the conflict was caused by poor communication. I’m glad it ended happy, but as with most of these second chance romance stories, all the pain could have been avoided if they had just spoken to each other. There’s a reason I mostly avoid these stories like the plague. The only time I get sucked in is when it’s part of an otherwise good series. Meh.
January 21, 2017
Loved it. Such a good storyline. Even though it takes place during Christmas time, it can be read anytime of the year. I loved the emotion in the book and the characters. Joey with how happy he was about finding out he had a daughter and the anger that she was kept from him all that time just broke my heart. The ending was great too but so expected.
January 8, 2019
Great Read!
This was a great story! I just loved reading about Matilda and her parents, Joey and Emily, and all the Miracles being handed out! You can feel the Love displayed in this story, that it really makes you believe! I think everyone who reads this book will enjoy it! I will definitely recommend this book to others!
This was a great story! I just loved reading about Matilda and her parents, Joey and Emily, and all the Miracles being handed out! You can feel the Love displayed in this story, that it really makes you believe! I think everyone who reads this book will enjoy it! I will definitely recommend this book to others!
December 13, 2020
For the love of a child
This is a story about a woman who gets pregnant leaves town and ends up coming back to the child’s father. You feel the heartbreak, fear and anguish the mother and the father go through. The characters were well-rounded and easy to relate to. The plot was so realistic it tears you up.
This is a story about a woman who gets pregnant leaves town and ends up coming back to the child’s father. You feel the heartbreak, fear and anguish the mother and the father go through. The characters were well-rounded and easy to relate to. The plot was so realistic it tears you up.
January 30, 2024
Wonderful book lots of feelings lots of beliefs and awesome love!
Ten years prior she became pregnant and moved away from her home town.
She returns with her daughter and faces up to the babies daddy .
Little does he knows that she arrived with a little girl. Read all you want as its one neck of good story!
Ten years prior she became pregnant and moved away from her home town.
She returns with her daughter and faces up to the babies daddy .
Little does he knows that she arrived with a little girl. Read all you want as its one neck of good story!
December 22, 2017
While this was a very predictable romance, I really enjoyed it. I like reading these little Christmas romances during the hectic days before the holidays. Fun and easy. It was perfect for me for right now. I plan to read more by Maggie Shayne.
March 7, 2019
Love these stories
I have said over and over again how much I love these books. If I could find a town like Big Falls I would move there tomorrow. I open the first page and feel like I opened the door to my home.
I have said over and over again how much I love these books. If I could find a town like Big Falls I would move there tomorrow. I open the first page and feel like I opened the door to my home.
December 23, 2022
Oklahoma Starshine (The McIntyre Men Book 3)
Tilda will grab your heart right in the deepest places and dig her way in.... book character she may be but I have laughed and cried and cried while I laughed and cheered and gasped... right in the deepest places I'm telling you!
Tilda will grab your heart right in the deepest places and dig her way in.... book character she may be but I have laughed and cried and cried while I laughed and cheered and gasped... right in the deepest places I'm telling you!
September 1, 2023
And the sweet story continues
I continue on my.journey with Maggie as she spins her stories. Life is so much like her story as we all follow the path mapped by which ever supreme being we embrace. My God and yours.
I continue on my.journey with Maggie as she spins her stories. Life is so much like her story as we all follow the path mapped by which ever supreme being we embrace. My God and yours.
October 10, 2024
The Little Miracle
That's a scary thing to think you are about to lose your child. This story game in tears. It was so heart warming. What love has joined together no one can break it apart. I truly enjoyed the third book. The first two were great also.
That's a scary thing to think you are about to lose your child. This story game in tears. It was so heart warming. What love has joined together no one can break it apart. I truly enjoyed the third book. The first two were great also.
November 19, 2024
Review
Do you believe in miracles well this town, this family does.
He didn’t know he was a dad before his ex appeared with a little girl with brown eyes like his. But the reason why was because she had a heiritary disease and the family needed to be tested.
Enjoy
Do you believe in miracles well this town, this family does.
He didn’t know he was a dad before his ex appeared with a little girl with brown eyes like his. But the reason why was because she had a heiritary disease and the family needed to be tested.
Enjoy
October 25, 2017
Great
Goodness such a great read love it will read it again and again this author makes you a part of the story
Goodness such a great read love it will read it again and again this author makes you a part of the story
November 28, 2017
Great story
I enjoyed this book . The plot was intriguing. I love tbe twists and turns. I am looking forward to reading more of this author's work.
I enjoyed this book . The plot was intriguing. I love tbe twists and turns. I am looking forward to reading more of this author's work.
December 24, 2017
Oh my cry
Yep cried like a baby, finished reading on Christmas morning. Another wonderfully written story from Maggie, go on download your copy TODAY.
Yep cried like a baby, finished reading on Christmas morning. Another wonderfully written story from Maggie, go on download your copy TODAY.
October 10, 2018
A Story that will break your heart
The story of Joe, Emily and Tilda will leave the reader wanting more, totally breathtaking, full of Christmas miracles and the ending awesome.
The story of Joe, Emily and Tilda will leave the reader wanting more, totally breathtaking, full of Christmas miracles and the ending awesome.
October 31, 2019
Would be perfect for a Hallmark Christmas movie!
Really wish the editor had changed "coy pond" to "koi pond" -- it is mentioned quite a bit...
Really wish the editor had changed "coy pond" to "koi pond" -- it is mentioned quite a bit...
December 3, 2019
Lovely holiday read. Loved the family bonds.
January 11, 2020
There’s nothing like the miracles of Christmas and a HEA
January 15, 2020
I truly enjoy a great Maggie Shayne book! This one didn’t disappoint.... sure wish the rest of the series was on Audible!!
May 13, 2020
such a sweet book, the little girl is so precious
December 19, 2020
Loving this series
This was my favorite so far in this series. Th we little girl in it is precious and the love story is excellent.
This was my favorite so far in this series. Th we little girl in it is precious and the love story is excellent.
March 27, 2023
Great book
OMG!!! Better grab some tissues before you start to read this!! What tear jerker for sure! Joey, Emily, Matilda and all the Brands! The power of prayer! And faith!
OMG!!! Better grab some tissues before you start to read this!! What tear jerker for sure! Joey, Emily, Matilda and all the Brands! The power of prayer! And faith!
May 14, 2023
Melted my heart!
Oh my land! This was quite possibly my favorite book of this series! It hit me in all the feels! I couldn’t hold back the smiles, the giggles, or the tears!
Oh my land! This was quite possibly my favorite book of this series! It hit me in all the feels! I couldn’t hold back the smiles, the giggles, or the tears!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews