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The Oklahoma Brands #3
Secrets and Lies
When former Secret Service agent Alex Stone is asked to impersonate a foreign dignitary who wears a full beard and is rarely seen without his sunglasses, it’s not a problem. But getting someone to impersonate the man’s new bride, a beauty the world adores, is a little bit harder.
Melusine Brand looks astoundingly like the pampered princess. She’s also a rough and tumble Oklahoma girl with colorful language. Besides, she’ll never agree.
Only, she does.
Alex has to tutor her to survive the glitzy world he’s used to. But when things take a turn and they’re on the run in the wilderness with killers on their heels, it’s Mel’s turn to school him.
Depending on each other to stay alive, these two opposites find a love that’s stronger than either of them could have imagined...and hope they can live long enough to claim it.
Melusine Brand looks astoundingly like the pampered princess. She’s also a rough and tumble Oklahoma girl with colorful language. Besides, she’ll never agree.
Only, she does.
Alex has to tutor her to survive the glitzy world he’s used to. But when things take a turn and they’re on the run in the wilderness with killers on their heels, it’s Mel’s turn to school him.
Depending on each other to stay alive, these two opposites find a love that’s stronger than either of them could have imagined...and hope they can live long enough to claim it.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2002
794 people are currently reading
444 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Shayne
257 books2,571 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 45 reviews
December 10, 2011
Alex Stone, former Secret Service Agent, highly priced PI and Mel Brand met in the last book and they mixed like oil and water. Alex is GQ type, comes from wealth, all well-mannered, while Mel is crude, rude, tactless and honest to a fault.
Alex is called by his former boss to help out on an assignment to impersonate some foreign dignitaries and Mel has to be his wife because of the resemblance she has to the princess, but Mel hates being quite and all dignified and all primped.
During the charade Alex finds himself attracted to Mel, so does Mel but she thinks Alex likes her now because of all the changes, the make-up, the heels, after all she doesn't fit into his life but when danger calls both of them have each other for survival and we have Alex suffering through his own self-doubts, that Mel is more self-sufficient than him while he isn't.
We also get to see the Texas Brands again, who all come to their rescue.
The book was decent.
Alex is called by his former boss to help out on an assignment to impersonate some foreign dignitaries and Mel has to be his wife because of the resemblance she has to the princess, but Mel hates being quite and all dignified and all primped.
During the charade Alex finds himself attracted to Mel, so does Mel but she thinks Alex likes her now because of all the changes, the make-up, the heels, after all she doesn't fit into his life but when danger calls both of them have each other for survival and we have Alex suffering through his own self-doubts, that Mel is more self-sufficient than him while he isn't.
We also get to see the Texas Brands again, who all come to their rescue.
The book was decent.
October 24, 2017
***4.25 Stars***
This was another great book by Maggie Shayne and I love 'The Oklahoma Brands!' The stories are unique and not too filled with angst.
In this book we have Melusine Brand front and center as she goes undercover with former secret service agent, Alex Stone, to protect a prince and princess as look-alikes. They take us on a pretty wild ride as they try to protect and then escape their own execution. Fasten your seatbelts for a wild ride.
I highly recommend this book and the series.
This was another great book by Maggie Shayne and I love 'The Oklahoma Brands!' The stories are unique and not too filled with angst.
In this book we have Melusine Brand front and center as she goes undercover with former secret service agent, Alex Stone, to protect a prince and princess as look-alikes. They take us on a pretty wild ride as they try to protect and then escape their own execution. Fasten your seatbelts for a wild ride.
I highly recommend this book and the series.
March 21, 2022
Over the top as far as the story goes, but a lot of fun as far as the relationship between Alex and Mel goes. Mel is a curious mixture of intrepidity and fear. It's as if she has a threshold. As long as what is happening is not likely to be fatal, she is intrepid, but if it is likely to end in a fatality, fear almost incapacitates her. That took some getting used to. Alex and Mel start out as opposite as they can get, but as they learn more about each other, they find they are not so different after all.
July 17, 2019
Entertaining plot with good characters. I enjoyed the action in this book as well.
March 25, 2015
I've been jumping around between both the Texas Brands and the Oklahoma Brands. So far that tactic hasn't caused any conflict. Secrets and Lies came close though ;)
Secrets and Lies featured two of my favorite characters from both series... Mel and Wes. They could both probably be considered the black sheep of each of their immediate families to some extent. Wes definitely more than Mel, but she still stood out from the rest. Vidalia Brand had raised all her daughters to be strong and independent. Mel took that to the extreme. She considered herself the family's protector. The strongest and sometimes even the meanest (if she or anyone she cared about was crossed.) No one messed with Mel and no man was brave (or dumb) enough to attempt to tame her. Until Alex, then he realized he respected the strong, independent, feisty Mel more than the tame version.
Alex may have been born and bred in a totally different world than Mel, but that didn't mean he didn't appreciate the woman she was, regardless of how well she hid it. There was definitely a humorous side to Secrets and Lies, but there was a heart warming one as well. This book had everything I've grown to love about all the Brands' books. My only complaint is that I wish there had been a little bit more.
As I mentioned, Wes played a big role in Secrets and Lies and so did the rest of the Texas Brands. This is the first book that the Brand families reunite and it turns out that they have a lot more in common than just blood. There are 'fences' that need to be mended and a few more secrets that are begging to be revealed. Needless to say, there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end of this book. So many that I'm not sure which series I should jump to next. I'm tempted to go back to the Texas Brands and finish it up until it leads me back to the Oklahoma Brands but I'm not sure I can wait to see what happens next. *sigh*
Secrets and Lies featured two of my favorite characters from both series... Mel and Wes. They could both probably be considered the black sheep of each of their immediate families to some extent. Wes definitely more than Mel, but she still stood out from the rest. Vidalia Brand had raised all her daughters to be strong and independent. Mel took that to the extreme. She considered herself the family's protector. The strongest and sometimes even the meanest (if she or anyone she cared about was crossed.) No one messed with Mel and no man was brave (or dumb) enough to attempt to tame her. Until Alex, then he realized he respected the strong, independent, feisty Mel more than the tame version.
Alex may have been born and bred in a totally different world than Mel, but that didn't mean he didn't appreciate the woman she was, regardless of how well she hid it. There was definitely a humorous side to Secrets and Lies, but there was a heart warming one as well. This book had everything I've grown to love about all the Brands' books. My only complaint is that I wish there had been a little bit more.
As I mentioned, Wes played a big role in Secrets and Lies and so did the rest of the Texas Brands. This is the first book that the Brand families reunite and it turns out that they have a lot more in common than just blood. There are 'fences' that need to be mended and a few more secrets that are begging to be revealed. Needless to say, there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end of this book. So many that I'm not sure which series I should jump to next. I'm tempted to go back to the Texas Brands and finish it up until it leads me back to the Oklahoma Brands but I'm not sure I can wait to see what happens next. *sigh*
December 11, 2016
Cant imagine a better story for Mel! She was the one protecting her sisters always! It was her turn to shine through action and run overs just to continue fighting with a partner made for her measure! Alex was not only capable of protect her, he has to follow her pace and go shoulder by shoulder! Couldn't ask for a better duo! Great story and now, is not only time for next Brand sister, is time for Texas gang too.
December 9, 2024
In the third book of the Oklahoma Brands series, we get Mel's story. This is an enjoyable addition to the series. This book featured a lot of action adventure and some suspense along with the romance. It was a quick read.
Alex Stone was introduced to us in the second book (Edie and Wade's story). Alex and Mel are asked to impersonate the daughter of an important small country and her husband. The two have gone missing, presumably to share some alone time. The decoys are there to keep things cool until the real couple shows up. While Mel is the spitting image of "the princess", her personality couldn't be more different. After a day of the impersonation, they discover that the real couple might in fact have been captured by enemies. Mel and Alex have to keep playing alone since the bad guys are not quite sure who is the real couple. After a harrowing escape, Mel and Alex fall into a trap and end up in the same cell as the real couple. Can they escape? Do Mel and Alex fall in love in the process?
Alex Stone was introduced to us in the second book (Edie and Wade's story). Alex and Mel are asked to impersonate the daughter of an important small country and her husband. The two have gone missing, presumably to share some alone time. The decoys are there to keep things cool until the real couple shows up. While Mel is the spitting image of "the princess", her personality couldn't be more different. After a day of the impersonation, they discover that the real couple might in fact have been captured by enemies. Mel and Alex have to keep playing alone since the bad guys are not quite sure who is the real couple. After a harrowing escape, Mel and Alex fall into a trap and end up in the same cell as the real couple. Can they escape? Do Mel and Alex fall in love in the process?
July 29, 2020
In Maggie Shayne's 3rd book of 6 "Secrets and Lies (The Oklahoma Brands Book 3) we meet up with Melusine Brand aka Mel and former secret service agent Alex Stone. They're impersonating a visiting Princess and her husband who came to the United States only to have gone missing. The book started out a little slow but BAM about 1/4 of the way in it became a page turner. I liked the two previous stories to this series, but each one just seems to get just a little better than the one prior to it. This book has some intense action scenes. Although it can be read on it's own I highly recommend starting at book 1 in the Oklahoma Brand series as each book gives thought to characters you will meet again in another book.
November 20, 2024
better than book 2
Mel Brand goes undercover with agent Alex Stone, posing as a missing Princess and her husband. Mel and Alex can’t stand each other at first but learn to rely on each other to stay alive. This book is full of action and kept me engaged. There are no lewd or suggestive comments or sex like the last book. There is a little violence, but nothing that is excessive. Overall, it’s a good book.
Mel Brand goes undercover with agent Alex Stone, posing as a missing Princess and her husband. Mel and Alex can’t stand each other at first but learn to rely on each other to stay alive. This book is full of action and kept me engaged. There are no lewd or suggestive comments or sex like the last book. There is a little violence, but nothing that is excessive. Overall, it’s a good book.
June 15, 2017
I want to love this author but....
Editting and proof reading mistakes are unforced errors that make this story, this author look sloppy. One or ten I can live with. But 50? Come on. This is my main complaint for an author who prices herself as if she has overhead for an editor. At the tease for the next book, it's Kara, not Cara!
Editting and proof reading mistakes are unforced errors that make this story, this author look sloppy. One or ten I can live with. But 50? Come on. This is my main complaint for an author who prices herself as if she has overhead for an editor. At the tease for the next book, it's Kara, not Cara!
April 23, 2021
Secrets and Lies by Maggie Shayne
I absolutely love these Brands. Add Alex Stone and the mix becomes an enchanting, captivating spy thrilled. I especially love when they call in the cavalry of Brands. It lets me remember the previous stories. Shayne's writing style meets the challenge of being both thrilling and romantic.
I absolutely love these Brands. Add Alex Stone and the mix becomes an enchanting, captivating spy thrilled. I especially love when they call in the cavalry of Brands. It lets me remember the previous stories. Shayne's writing style meets the challenge of being both thrilling and romantic.
December 24, 2018
Another Great Read!
OMG! What a ride! This was an excellent book! I know everyone who reads this book/series will definitely enjoy it! I will recommend this book to others to read!
OMG! What a ride! This was an excellent book! I know everyone who reads this book/series will definitely enjoy it! I will recommend this book to others to read!
December 21, 2022
Secrets and Lies (Oklahoma Brands Book 3)
Mel and Alex's book is my favorite of all the Brands books so far. I really enjoyed this storyline and for the icing on the cake? An appearance by the Texas Brands!!
Mel and Alex's book is my favorite of all the Brands books so far. I really enjoyed this storyline and for the icing on the cake? An appearance by the Texas Brands!!
May 21, 2017
Another great Brand book!!
Maggie Shayne has done a gray job on this series. Have loved every single book so far. Once I start reading I can't seem to put it down!!
Maggie Shayne has done a gray job on this series. Have loved every single book so far. Once I start reading I can't seem to put it down!!
May 11, 2018
I enjoyed it very much. A nice addition to the series. Love how the entire family comes together to help one another.
December 2, 2020
I thought Mel would be tougher and I'd like to have seen their couterparts get their comeuppance. But enjoyable.
February 6, 2024
Good book
This was an interesting story. So far every book in this set has been really. The characters in this set of books have been well worth reading.
This was an interesting story. So far every book in this set has been really. The characters in this set of books have been well worth reading.
June 6, 2025
great book
December 19, 2014
Melusine Brand, better known as Mel, is more likely to kick you in the nads than kiss you. This sister is tougher than nails! Mel is the self-proclaimed protector of the Oklahoma Brand girls. Alex Stone, our hero, is former Secret Service agent tuned P.I. Introduced in a previous book from the series, Alex is not exactly Mel's type. Alex had helped to save 2 of Mel's sisters (book 2) earning the respect of the Brand women.
Mel and Alex will team up and go undercover as Princess Katerina and her husband to protect their country. While undercover Alex falls even deeper for Mel. Unfortunately, Mel believes that he is only in love her when she is playing the role of Princess. Together they survive everything from a helicopter crash to armed gunmen! Will their love survive the doubts and bridge the gap between their worlds?
This book is the third book in the Oklahoma Brand series! It is definitely a page-turner packed with equal amounts of roman and action! Buy this book and you will not regret it. Maggie Shayne is a master storyteller! So grab one of her books, sit back, get comfortable, and become part of the Brand family as you going them on a wild ride!
Mel and Alex will team up and go undercover as Princess Katerina and her husband to protect their country. While undercover Alex falls even deeper for Mel. Unfortunately, Mel believes that he is only in love her when she is playing the role of Princess. Together they survive everything from a helicopter crash to armed gunmen! Will their love survive the doubts and bridge the gap between their worlds?
This book is the third book in the Oklahoma Brand series! It is definitely a page-turner packed with equal amounts of roman and action! Buy this book and you will not regret it. Maggie Shayne is a master storyteller! So grab one of her books, sit back, get comfortable, and become part of the Brand family as you going them on a wild ride!
January 4, 2015
Apart from the repeated grammatical spelling errors/word selections, that have plagued so many of this author's ebooks, this novel about Mel and Alex's romantic development casted Mel in an unbelievable role. Even though this is fiction, and fictional characters can do anything, their actions should be supported or established from prior developed behaviors. The plot was predictable but the action was a grade above her other books in this series. If you want to kill two hours, it maybe worthy of your precious time.
February 6, 2015
Mel is a loud, potty mouthed, tough Tom boy, that most men are scared of... She says it as it is and doesn't care what people think of her.... Months earlier she met Alex, who works for the secret service, while saving her sister from a crazed stalker... Mel thinks he's just a posh pretty boy and he thinks she's everything he detects... They're brought back together for an undercover mission, to stop terrorists causing a war... Their feelings for each other grow and at first they try to fight it.... This book had me laughing out loud, loved every minute of it!!!
June 28, 2012
Mel is one of my favorite characters of all time, She reminds me of myself tough little female tht don't take crap from anyone especially males. I really enjoyed reading this book, I really like all the Oklahoma All Girl Brands books, but I was sad tht this book ended. It was a great read but I just wished it was longer.
May 11, 2015
Mel the Princes
Well another book done started reading on the way home from VA. All I can tell you is if you want a series to read that keeps getting better and better you need to read about the Oklahoma Brands. Maggie Shayne is a refrigerated . I can,t believe that I never read any of her books before.
Well another book done started reading on the way home from VA. All I can tell you is if you want a series to read that keeps getting better and better you need to read about the Oklahoma Brands. Maggie Shayne is a refrigerated . I can,t believe that I never read any of her books before.
February 16, 2020
Another enjoyable book in this romantic suspense series with lots of fast paced exciting action. I liked how each character had their individual strengths and used when needed. It is always fun seeing the Brand family together fighting a foe. Alex is asked to impersonate a missing foreign dignitary with Mel as the wife because she looks just like the woman.
January 11, 2015
Mel is really a romantic!
Sorry for the spoiler. Mel tries so hard to be the hard sister with no feelings and a man hater. But underneath it all, she just wants to be loved like anyone else. I like that Alex is her match because he is the perfect man to handle her attitude.
Sorry for the spoiler. Mel tries so hard to be the hard sister with no feelings and a man hater. But underneath it all, she just wants to be loved like anyone else. I like that Alex is her match because he is the perfect man to handle her attitude.
January 17, 2017
Mystery, action, passion, suspense and fun on the run this story has it all and then some. Melusine Brand and Alex Stone are a classic case of opposites being explosive. They are an amazing kick-ass couple.. Love the Oklahoma Brand Girls.
May 24, 2016
Even the feisty Brand girl brings home the guy. Sweet is the main word I use with this series. Introduced a bunch of the Brands from Texas. Not sure if this is a before or after this series. On to book 4.
December 4, 2014
Secrets and Lies review
The Oklahoma Brands series by author Maggie Shayne just keeps getting better and better. This third book is about Mel.
The Oklahoma Brands series by author Maggie Shayne just keeps getting better and better. This third book is about Mel.
January 14, 2015
More Brand Adventures
Lots of suspense and romance. Just what I expect as I read this series. It's a nice diversion when life is overwhelming to escape with the Brands.
Lots of suspense and romance. Just what I expect as I read this series. It's a nice diversion when life is overwhelming to escape with the Brands.
January 20, 2015
Another one
Another great book in the series. If you like reading books in series, start with the Texas Brand series and then the Oklahoma Brand . They are all really great books.
Another great book in the series. If you like reading books in series, start with the Texas Brand series and then the Oklahoma Brand . They are all really great books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews