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Series · contemporary romance

MacKade Brothers

by Nora Roberts

The MacKade Brothers series by Nora Roberts has 4 known books (4 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with The Return of Rafe MacKade (1995).

Books
4 known books (4 novels)
Published
4
First published
1995
Status
completed
Shelved under
Romance
Start here: The Return of Rafe MacKade (1995) — then read straight through in publication order.
Book one
Cover of The Return of Rafe MacKade
The Return of Rafe MacKade (1995)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. The Return of Rafe MacKade

    Novel
    Nora Roberts opened the MacKade Brothers series in 1995 with The Return of Rafe MacKade, the longest book in the quartet at 505 pages. It brings eldest brother Rafe back to the small Civil War battlefield town of Antietam, Maryland to renovate the supposedly haunted old Barlow place, alongside schoolteacher Regan Bishop — a haunted-house subplot that recurs through the rest of the series.
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  2. The Pride of Jared MacKade

    Novel
    The same year, 1995, brought The Pride of Jared MacKade, considerably shorter than its predecessor at 249 pages. It pairs the family's buttoned-up lawyer brother, Jared, with Savannah Morningstar, a free-spirited single mother, continuing the quartet's small-town Antietam, Maryland setting.
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  3. The Heart of Devin MacKade

    Novel
    The Heart of Devin MacKade continued the series in 1996 at 320 pages, its third book, following the town's own police chief brother, Devin. His complicated history with Cassandra "Cassie" Connor, a woman tied to a local Antietam tragedy, gives this installment a darker undercurrent than the earlier two.
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  4. The Fall of Shane MacKade

    Novel
    Roberts closed out the quartet later in 1996 with The Fall of Shane MacKade, 384 pages, completing all four books across just two years. It gives the youngest, most restless brother his turn opposite Sylvia Fairfield, an old family friend he's never quite managed to shake, bringing the Antietam-set family saga to a close.
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Key facts about the MacKade Brothers series

Our list has 4 books in the MacKade Brothers series. Since all 4 are out now, you can read the whole list today.

Start with The Return of Rafe MacKade, since it opens the publication order in 1995. The Pride of Jared MacKade is book 2, from 1995. The Heart of Devin MacKade is book 3, from 1996. The Fall of Shane MacKade is book 4, from 1996.

The list keeps the books in date order, while each title links to its own page. Each book page shows its dates and editions. Since the catalogue marks the series as complete, we list no next book.

The books came out between 1995 and 1996, while their length runs from 249 to 505 pages. That is a run of 1 year.

Nora Roberts has 139 books on our list. Additionally, they write Irish Hearts, MacGregors and Cordina's Royal Family, plus 23 more series. We shelve the books under contemporary romance.

About the MacKade Brothers series

The MacKade Brothers follows four hard-living, once-notorious brothers in the small town of Antietam, Maryland — long the source of local gossip for their wild younger years — as each settles down with an unexpected match. The Return of Rafe MacKade brings the eldest brother back to town after years away to renovate the old Barlow place, a supposedly haunted house, alongside schoolteacher Regan Bishop. The Pride of Jared MacKade pairs the family's buttoned-up lawyer brother with Savannah Morningstar, a free-spirited woman raising a daughter alone. The Heart of Devin MacKade follows the town's own police chief and his complicated history with Cassandra "Cassie" Connor, a woman with ties to a local tragedy. The Fall of Shane MacKade closes the quartet with the youngest, most restless brother and Sylvia Fairfield, an old family friend he's never quite been able to shake.

Set against the real Civil War battlefield town of Antietam, the series leans on small-town history and a haunted-house subplot introduced in the first book to thread the four brothers' otherwise self-contained romances together into one recognizable family quartet.

Frequently asked questions

How many books are in the MacKade Brothers series?

Four: The Return of Rafe MacKade, The Pride of Jared MacKade, The Heart of Devin MacKade, and The Fall of Shane MacKade.

What order should I read the MacKade Brothers in?

Publication order, one book per brother: Rafe, Jared, Devin, then Shane.

Do I need to read the MacKade Brothers books in order?

Not strictly — each is a self-contained romance — but reading in order follows the family and town of Antietam as they build across the quartet.

Where is the MacKade Brothers series set?

In the fictionalized small town of Antietam, Maryland, near the real Civil War battlefield of the same name.

Is the MacKade Brothers series connected to any other Nora Roberts series?

No, it's a standalone quartet.

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