This is a sweet quick read! If you’re in need of some cotton candy for the brain this is it. However, I will admit that it never really captured by heart. While Bodie and Lacey are likable characters, I found their behaviors and thoughts and repetitive even for romance. Moreover, I found the shady Phillips family to be a bit of a cardboard villain and backdrop to the story. While I rooted for the hero and heroine throughout, the novel was a bit too formulaic for me.

All that being said, this is a fun short read and I was glad to spend an afternoon with the book!

The Cowboy Says I Do by Dylann Crush is the First book in the Tying the Knot in Texas Series. This is the story of Bodie Phillips and Lacey Cherish. Lacey comes to save the family name and the town of Idont Texas when her father who was the town's Mayor had to resign. So as the new Major, Lacey has to rejuvenate the town because after the major business closed down which will lead to hardships. So Lacey thinks to renamed the town 'Ido' then make it a successfully destination to have your wedding at. But, things start going crazy after the intended bride changes her plans. Lacey has set up for a magazine to come down to give them publicity for that wedding...now she has to scram to find another couple...her and Bodie. Lacey has always had a crush on her brother Luke's best friend, but Brodie only saw her as the little sister. Brodie is now the Sheriff of Idont and hasn't seen Lacey in a while but is taken back about how she has grown into a beautiful women. Brodie out to solve his own family issues but somehow Lacey has him fully involved into her world wind of town issues too. But, along the way during fake relationship, loose dogs and some other crazy mishaps they start to have real feelings. This was a funny, enjoyable and page turning read for me. I would recommend this book and of course this author's writing.

Small Town Diamond in the Rough...

A wonderful first book in this series and I am already looking forward to the next one.

Lacey Cherish is a girl after my own heart. She has taken on the daunting task of becoming the new Mayor of the town of Idont, Texas. She is driven and feisty and does not let anything or anybody stand in her way to put her town on the map. Unfortunately, Deputy Sheriff Bodie Phillips is a distraction that puts a wrench in her plans. He is so gorgeous he makes your teeth ache. Lacey has had a crush on him since she was still wearing braces. He is her big brother Luke's best friend. Bodie only saw her as a tag along when him and Luke were together. Bodie has not seen her in years and boy is he shocked. Little Lacey is all grown up and definitely a looker.

It was so much fun seeing these two push and pull at each other throughout their story. The high jinks from them had me laughing out loud and please don't get me started with the amusing behavior of the many critters that show up. You need to read this to see for yourself. Lacey's persuasion tactics to get Bodie to do her bidding were hilarious, they went above and beyond his comfort zone.

This story is funny and romantic, everything you would ever want in a love story.

Lacey Cherish is the new mayor in town and she has big plans for her town Idont. Namely to change the name to Ido and make it a wedding destination! But she can’t do it all alone and needs the help of Deputy Sheriff Bodie.

Bodie has a complicated relationship with his family – specifically his father and grandfather. Where Bodie’s badge binds him to the law, his family doesn’t always operate in black and white. Bodie’s not sure how much longer he can take it – knowing that someday he might have to confront his family. He’s not quite sure what his family’s ulterior motives are and doesn’t want to be mixed in with their shady deals.

I loved how strong and independent Lacey was! She wants something to happen and finds a way to make it happen. She’s determined and not afraid of going up against residents of the town who think they know whats better for the town.

Lacey and Bodie have known each other since they were kids, but only recently became reacquainted with one another after not seeing each other for a number of years. And now they will be working very closely with one another. These two are trying so hard to fight their attraction towards one another, but they both want the same goals – the best interest in their small town. How far are they willing to go without letting their feelings get in the way?

The chemistry between Lacey and Bodie is evident right from the beginning. I loved when these two were verbally sparring with one another! I do feel that sometimes maybe their antics towards one another were a bit much and the miscommunication between Lacey and Bodie felt a bit forced at times. My favorite moments were when Bodie and Lacey had their guards down and how sweet they were with one another.

I enjoyed this charming small town romance that totally gave me hallmark movie vibes!

This is the first time I read anything by Dylann Crush. I liked the concept and thought the author did a good job bringing Lacey and Brodie, the two main characters, together.

Lacey is a happy-go-lucky, go getter. Despite whatever negativity came her way, she didn't let anything bring her down. Her sunny disposition helped carry the story.

I really liked Brodie. He was sweet on Lacey, his best friends little sister. She asked and he did her bidding. While their relationship was supposed to be fake the couldn't deny their feelings. That was evident from the start.

The story did keep me entertained but there were a lot of different storylines involved. Perhaps with a little less it could have been more. After a lot of work they finally found their HEA.

There are no cowboys in this story. But it’s delightful nonetheless. A new mayor tries to reinvigorate a dying Texas town by transforming it into a wedding destination. Lacey’s older brother’s best friend, the deputy sheriff, is a skeptical but supportive ally turned love interest. This is frenemies to lovers and fake engagement with a dose of best friend’s little sister tension thrown in. Bodie and Lacey have great chemistry and banter. What distinguishes this story from a lot of other small town romance, though, is the surprising amount of suspense and intrigue involving Bodie’s ethically challenged family members which creates a tug of war between his growing love for Lacey and his family loyalty. So there’s a tiny bit of a mini cozy mystery feel as well. The crime and corruption provide a good amount of external conflict that stimulates the interpersonal conflict.

This might be my favorite read from Crush yet. Full of the witty banter I've come to expect (seriously, y'all, Crush is the queen of dialogue), small-town charm, zany characters, pit bulls, flower arrangements, and even an appearance by...ahem, Moses, this book couldn't have been any more perfect.

Crush has delivered an exquisite blend of drama, laughter, sweetness, and sizzling chemistry, and I only wish this book existed before I got married-- it certainly would have made my floral arrangements much more interesting. I love that every character is well-defined and well-developed, so much so that I'd totally get in line to read a spin-off series for each one. No one fades into the background, but they still serve to enhance Bodie and Lacey's story rather than distract from it.

I've never read anything by Crush that didn't make me just a little bit sad that it was fiction-- the worlds she creates steal my heart every time, and I'm always a smidge disappointed when the book ends and I remember I can't actually be friends with her characters.

On a brighter note, the first book in a new series is always a reason to celebrate, and I'm already (impatiently) waiting to return to Ido and catch up with everyone there ❤

**Many thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and review an advanced copy! All thoughts expressed are my own **

I'm afraid this book and I had to part ways. The "enemy" in the book is fat and that fat is used as a shorthand for "lazy and evil". This kind of fatphobia has no place in an otherwise really charming book.

The newly elected mayor of Idont Texas, Lacie, needs to solve a big problem. One of the Deputy Sherriffs, Bodie, ends up helping her. The towns biggest business has closed and the town needs to be revived. Lacie decides to change the town name to Ido and market it as the ideal place to get married. When the chosen bride abandons ship on the event center and with a magazine coming to give free publicity, Lacie needs a fix quick. Lacie tells the magazine journalist that she and Bodie will be the first couple to be married there. (But the wedding will be a fake wedding.)
The book is riddled with many other problems to include a dog fighting ring, illegal importing business, a key character getting arrested and true feelings being hidden.
Opinion
This is my first book that I’ve read by Dylann Crush and it blew my expectations out of the water. The chemistry between Bodie and Lacie is off the charts. The reasons each held their feeling back are relatable. (Though I do want to smack each of them upside the head a few times so they can see how the other feels.). I think my absolute favorite part was Shotgun. (She is a pit bull rescue.)
If you are looking for a fun, sweet romance, this is it. This would make a great beach read. It moves fast, the characters are charming and there is just plain fun in the story.
I’d like to offer up my thanks to netgalley.com for providing me with an ARC of this book.

There are a handful of authors who can write really charming contemporary romances and make me laugh effortlessly.  Sarah Title is one of them.  Jackie Lau is another.  Add Dylann Crush to the mix.  Her The Cowboy Says I Do is funny, fresh, and delightful.

Lacey Cherish has inherited one doozy of a problem.  Her father was removed from the office of mayor in a hail of scandalous revelations (and had, in fact, been arrested), and she ran for the office in order to restore the family name and capture the seat. Lacey is now the new mayor of Idont, Texas, but it’s no victory march; the city is saddled with major debt and is in deep competition with the neighboring town of Swynton, whose new mayor, Buck Little, has turned his economy around with lots of cheap construction jobs.  Worse, with Idont’s warehouse shuttered and its importing business subsequently closed, their economy’s undergoing a crush, and Mayorship does not pay a lot in Idont.  Lacey still has her day job at the Burger Barn.

Sheriff Bodie Phillips is both one of Lacey’s best and oldest friends and her bodyguard, and he’s the one who’s trying to help her keep her priorities straight while maintaining law and order.  When Lacey suggests that they try to turn Idont into the wedding capital of Texas and bring in lots of revenue from brides looking to book destination weddings, he thinks it’s all horsefeathers.  He doesn’t have the time to help her with this when he’s got a city to keep his eye on – his father and grandfather own that big warehouse that employed so much of the townsfolk and shuttered it without explaining why.  Worse, there’s someone mysteriously abandoning dogs within the city limits, making life difficult for Idonts local dog rescue. But Lacey has always been Bodie’s weak spot, and soon he finds himself helping her shop for dresses.

Lacey and Bodie have always been attracted to one another, but the whole wedding thing is starting to put things in a new perspective for them.  But with him being her big brother’s best friend and his family’s shady behavior over the town’s finances, can she truly convince him to say “I Do?” for a fake ceremony?

Better believe it, and the ride there is super fun as well. The Cowboy Says I Do works for many reasons, and characterisation and romantic chemistry are just  the half of it.

Lacey and Bodie are wonderful together, steamy but funny and awkward (there’s a long running gag where he keeps tossing unintentional innuendos at her that works because he’s absolutely not trying to pick her up).  The courtship is perfectly tropey – bedsharing!  Feuding families!  Work colleagues thrown together! Surprise/fake engagements! - but they come off as unique characters with distinct personalities.

And they’re a great friends-to-lovers couple, not losing an iota of their spark along the way.  The banter is great when they’re fighting or working together – such as when they meet up with a magazine writer who’s writing about their ‘engagement’ and Bodie plies her with embarrassing but untrue personal stories about their lives to get revenge on Lacey for springing the fake engagement on him.  But their romance is also easy to believe, and the way they support one another toward their differing goals is touching.

The book’s minor characters are so much fun.  I liked irascible Helmet, Lacey’s boss, Bodie’s shitkicking father, and Zina, Lacey’s no-nonsense best friend (who’s slated to be the next heroine in the series.)  There’s also the pitbull that Bodie fosters, Shotgun, who is properly pit-like without coming off as a cute dog that exists for the sake of a cute dog being there.

I didn’t really detect any further flaws in the book, and you should all know how serious I am with my As on this website.  Ergo, The Cowboy Says I Do gets my highest recommendation.

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DNF at 21%

This is in no fault of the book or the author, but the premise is bit cutsey and not my thing. I hadn't realized until I started reading it, and I don't think it's fair to continue if I know I won't like it. That being said, I liked the writing so far and would rec it to anyone intrigued by the blurb.