A good story overall, with decent writing...but the narrative drags at times.5 s Rhonda2,321 37

This is the first Mule Hollow novel. I read the twentyth novel and than went and bought the first and second.
I really enjoyed these books and look forward to the next one.
Lacy arrives into the town of Mule Hollow in a pink convertable with her friend Sheri. She saw the advertisement of wifes wanted and felt this was where she was needed. So she came to open a salon and help the town to grow.
The first day she got in a wreck with Clint the local rancher and got into a arguement right on main street. Lacy and Clint clashed and kept getting in each others way.
Lacy wants to help others find their match but is not going to get married for along time.
She paints her building bright pink and soon talks the town into painting bright colors and fixing the town up.
Clint keeps getting his cattle stolen and can't stop thinking about Lacy and rescuing her from trouble.
No sex scenes or swearing some scriptures and talking about helping others. Look forward to reading more about Mule Hollow.4 s Christena1 review1 follower

my favorite book of all time I still laugh til I cry each time i read this4 s Jessica Baker (A Baker's Perspective)1,232 71

Nothing beats reading a funny romance to me. I think love should be about laughter, otherwise it would be boring! The chemistry between Lacy and Clint is spot on, and so obvious (at least to us readers) from the start. It kind of reminds me of some of my favorite Hallmark movies - the two lovebirds start out bickering, as if they almost cannot stand to be around each other, and then end up realizing that maybe there is something more than bickering! Although the banter and slight bickering does make the storyline more interesting.

This was a quick and entertaining read. The storyline reminded me of a mail order bride story, only with a modern twist. Maybe Ms. Clopton's onto something here for the small towns across America :) What captured my attention the most was Lacy's love for the Lord and really trying to (mostly) focus on His plans for her life. So many times I've read similar stories where the leading woman is just thinking about herself and her own desires, not the desires of the Lord. That was refreshing to read, and an inspiration that we should be doing the same. I cannot wait to see what lies ahead of the residents of Mule Hollow!

I received a complimentary copy of this story and was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.2 s Terri2,012 40

I listened to the audio version of this book, previously published as The Trouble with Lacy Brown.
This was a cute, clean romance that had lots of humor thrown in. The story was so much fun!
What do you do when you've just arrived in your soon to be new home town and the first thing you do is back your mammoth car into that of a gorgeous man that you soon discover is your landlord? You argue that it was his fault, of course! Want to bet on who's going to win the argument? Lacy Brown is on a mission from God to save the town and nothing is going to stop her! Someone may need to save the town (especially hunky landlord) from Lacy.
The narration was wonderful and seemed to add a lot to the book.audio-books author-s-direct giveaways1 Brittany 2,455 170

This story was fun and sweet, sassy and uplifting! I really d the setting of Mule Hollow and the interaction between the various characters that were introduced. The story had a great small town feel and the chemistry between the two main characters was zinging along the pages!

Lacy and Clint were fun to read about, yet they both had events in their pasts that helped to shape who they were, both good and bad. This novel dove into that for both of them and looked at the heart of the issues they dealt with.

Dream With Me, Cowboy was charming and very enjoyable to read. I definitely recommend it to fans of contemporary romance.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

You can read this review on my blog at:
https://brittreadsfiction.wordpress.c...1 Joleen2,323 1,213

I have so many books by Debra Clopton I felt I needed to knock them off one at a time.

This is the first of the Texas Matchmakers series. It was the typical story where the hero and heroine have an uncomfortable first meeting, don’t each other, begin an attraction as they are thrown together, and, predictably end up in love (with some conflict thrown in).

These seem to be fast books so I’ll continue reading the rest.christian-romance cute own1 Paula Bothwell1,513 27

Dream With Me, Cowboy (Texas Matchmakers 1) - PG
Violence: armed assault
Language: nothing offensive
Sex: no sex, some kisses
Fast read, the characters are all very religious and kind Christians. Our h, Lacy, is a sweet and unintentional hell-raiser. This is a great beginning, but it kind of stalled for me. I'm not going to continue the series.clean-romance returned romance-western1 Carissa3,055 83

I really enjoyed this one.audiobook contemporary-romance gov-emergency-services ...more1 Sherrie747 6

I really enjoyed reading this book. Sometimes hilarious, other times sad. The emotions coming out of this book is very provoking. Lacy is on a mission to transform Mule Hollow into a beautiful thriving town once again. It's all dusty and needs lots of paint. It also needs women for all those lonely cowboys. She has her store and sets up her hair salon. Lacy also has a best friend, Sherri along to help. Lace paints her building a shocking pink and almost has a heat stroke, because she is trying to paint the building all by herself and doesn't listen to Clint when he tells her to take a break. The sparks fly around Lacy and Clint. Romance is in the wind. But will Lacy and Clint get together? You'll have to read the book to find out.already-read1 Judy3,116

I have read a few of the Mule Hollow books previously but now I have the whole set and this is book 1.

Debra Clopton has written a great series here.

I'm going to read the books I've read before within the series now as the names come together and complete the series although they are good as stand alone books as well.

I just going from book to book with the images of the buildings, area and people building with each book1 Marianne Lowe81 1 follower

I really loved this story. I found myself laughing out loud and crying, which very few stories have made me feel such strong emotions. The characters were so well portrayed and made me feel a real connection with them. I loved their strengths , but also their weaknesses. They felt much more real people. The story moved at a good pace and the connection between Lacy and Clint was well developed.1 Elaine140

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was a fun and quick read. Lacy Brown is a spit fire! I'm definitely going to check out others in the series. It is a inspirational book so there are references to God and the Bible. But it isn't too much. Just a really good book. 1 Susan Faloon975

I loved this book. Lacy is an unforgettable character.1 Dustyloup1,117 6

Actually not bad.1 Christopher Denton104 16

If Mule Hollow isn’t big enough for Lacy, she’ll make it bigger!

Dream With Me Cowboy is a fabulous Christian comedy cowboy romance (I should be shot for that alliteration!). If you want to read a romance that is bigger than the characters it involves, this sweet comedy provides you with action, humor, and a HEA (happily ever after) ending.

The Opening

The prologue successfully introduces the main protagonist and her best friend, and the opening chapter contains an excellent cute-meet that brings the two main characters together in an interesting and dynamic way.

The Characters

Lacy is full of energy and spirit. It’s wonderful to see her tearing through Mule Hollow and turning everyone’s life upside down in the best possible way. She is a strong female protagonist who isn’t content to let the men take charge when she knows a woman does it best.

Her recent experience with her ex-fiance makes her a sympathetic character while her proactive spirit makes her extremely likable. She has lots of interests beyond the plot that make her three-dimensional, such as her out-of-tune singing, her passion for gymnastics, and throwing the discus with a twist.

She flies through the Bechdel-Wallace Test with her many conversations with other named female characters. Although she does believe that relationships between men and women are important, this is not all there is to her life. She wants to rescue a dying town, and she strongly believes that this is where God wants her to be and what he wants her to do.

Clint is a grumpy soul, but he has his reasons. His issues at the beginning of the story make him a sympathetic character, too. He is also a well-rounded character, with his carpentry skills and love for the land.

The Plot

The main action plot revolves around cattle rustling, but it’s not the only thing going on. There are a lot of interesting things happening in Mule Hollow.

You’ve got the victim trope romance plot, a thriller crime action plot, and an intriguing save-the-town plot. That’s not to mention all the nice hints spread through the novel about other brewing relationships and conflicts in the town.

The action plot comes to an exciting and adrenaline-fueled climax and resolution near the end of the book. The relationship arcs also come to a very satisfying ending.

The Setting

The Texan setting is awesome. This town is really well introduced and described. As the story progresses, we get a real feel for the town. And the changes Lacy brings about are truly…colorful!

The Prose

Debra Clopton is an excellent writer. The third-person narrative is told through two viewpoints that work well to show rather than tell Lacy and Clint’s story. I was rapidly immersed in their dynamic.

With such a well-written and well-edited novel, I was surprised to find a few typos in the final chapters. On page 149 (Chapter 17) we find the sentence You might get a little carried away at times, times but I’ve come to love observing… and on page 152 (Epilogue) we find the sentence: Molly Popp, now a Mule Hollow resident for three weeks and seemed so happy. These tiny errors didn’t spoil the story at all, but I didn’t expect to find them.

My Opinion

Dream With Me Cowboy is an action-packed and entertaining Christian cowboy comedy romance. I certainly enjoyed reading it, and I believe other romance fans will enjoy Lacy and Clint’s story, too.

I rate this romance novel as 10 out of 10, which will translate to 5 out of 5 on Goodreads and Amazon. It is an engaging and satisfying story. Lis Carey2,197 117

Lacy Brown and her friend Sheri move from Dallas to Mule Hollow, Texas, to open a beauty salon. This little town isn't a random choice. The older ladies of Mule Hollow placed advertisements looking for women to move there and help revive their dying town by becoming potential brides for the men. The town is sadly reduced after the collapse of the oil industry locally cost them a large part of their former population, and nearly all the young families and unattached young women.

Lacy doesn't plan to be one of the brides. She's on a mission--a mission from God--to help the women who will come to find the right matches among the cowboys who currently have no one to marry.

This is a Christian romance. That can mean a lot of things. In this case, Lacy is, on the one hand, the kind of southern, Evangelist, talking openly about it, Christian that is very distant from my own New England, Catholic and Episcopalian, reserved sort of Christian. In my culture, you don't talk that openly about sincere religious belief, not because it's not important, but precisely because it is. It's for guiding your moral choices and judgments, and your relationship with God is a private matter, not for putting in the shop window, on public display. Lacy Brown is from a really different culture, where people who don't talk often and enthusiastically about their faith--about something that in my culture is deeply private--you are presumed not to have it.

With all that said, Clopton convincingly portrays Lacy as a woman whose faith differs from mine mainly in these cultural aspects, not in its essential substance or sincerity. And that's even as a good bit of her outward behavior is, in my culture, a marker of shallow and insincere claims of faith. I feel a connection to Lacy in the matter where her outward behavior is most alien to me.

That's good writing.

Lacy is smart, capable, tough. She genuinely s other people, and is not judgmental about people whose view of life is different from her own. She's clear-headed about knowing what values she does need a potential spouse to share with her. She has an enthusiasm for life that's captivating, and a commitment to keep trying to be a better person, and a natural and genuine impulse to help others in ways that will really make them better off.

Her plan to help Mule Hollow seems outwardly a bit nutty and impulsive, and she in fact goes about it in a thoughtful and intelligent way.

And of course, she's barely reached the town when she meets Clint Matlock, and clashes spectacularly with him on the main street in town, in front of everyone.

They're in some ways very different people, and in other ways have important things in common. They're both a bit damaged by abandonment by a parent--Clint by his mother, Lacy by her father. Each has something to learn from the other.

I really both of them, and it's fun seeing their relationship develop. Overall, this book is a lot of fun, and satisfying.

Recommended.

I bought this audiobook.arcs audiobooks fiction ...more Frode548 2

Looking for a quick read and an experiment on my Kindle, I downloaded Dream With Me, Cowboy by Debra Clopton. I enjoyed it. Clint and Lacey are two main characters. He is a cowboy, good-looking and owner of a ranch but single; his dad is dead, but the problem is his mom left when he was eight, and he doesn’t trust women, especially those who seem flighty. Lacey is a kick; she rolls into town in an old pink Cadillac with dreams of changing things for the better. She has a too quick mouth and says things without thinking. She, also, has a past issue with a parent, in this case a dad; he walked out on the family when she was little. Well, you can see where this is going. Their common issues come out, and forgiveness of the departed parent in Clint’s case needs to come about.

The setting is Mule Hollow, a fictional hill country Texas town that pretty much died when the oil companies left. Three local older ladies decided to put out advertisements to get young women to come and live there. There are plenty of young cowboys around who need wives, and women are needed to make the town thrive again.

Lacey and Clint meet when she first arrives, but he bangs into her Caddy with his Jeep when she is backing out. Sparks fly immediately, but over time their attraction for one another grows. There are a number of humorous spots in the book, and I had a few chuckles. Lacey is a fireball, but her impetuous nature gets her into various situations where Clint shows up to rescue her. No sex, no bad words, no lying or cheating, just good humor and able characters albeit a contrived plot, but it’s fiction, so it works. The strength of the story is in the characters of Clint and Lacey and their interactions.
Helen327 5

E-Reader. Christian Contemporary Romance

Lacy Brown & Sheri Marsh drive 500 miles to small Texas town called Mule Hollow.  The town almost looks it's deserted. But there is store that sells supplies for cows & horses.  And one very old diner on the end of town.


Lacy saw ad wanting young women to marry a cowboy in Mule Hollow.  She a vision from God that she should go there.  The ad was placed by three married womem, Esther Mae Wilcox, Norma Sue Jenkins & Adela Ledbetter.


Lacy knows what she wants to do, other than opening a hair salon.

She wants fix up the town by painting each building a different color & different color around the windows.  Lacy chose a pink to paint her rented store.  


She met a handsome cowboy, Clint Matlock.  He owns a cattle ranch.  He's trying to find out who's stealing his cattle.


There is also an old mansion in town that needs be repaired.  The three women she met have a meeting & they decide fix it up with electricity & running water. For women to rent a room, if they decide to stay in Mule Hollow.


Lacy starts having good feeling for Clint Matlock & he feels the same.  But they don't tell each other.


Eventually Clint tells all of his cowboys to help paint the buildings. Clint knows how build things.  He took off all the boards to replace them, you had walk on to stay out of the mud if it rained.  It was ran past each store on both sides of the street.


There to many characters in this book to list.  And there will be dangerous situations that will happen in this book.  And possibly love.


I don't want to say more about this book. 


I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I did! 



Birgit1,150 14

Hairstylist Lacy Brown believes in God, very strongly, and when she reads an advertisement looking for wives for the cowboys in a dying town, she feels it's her calling to go there and open a hair salon to help all those future wives look great.
Rancher Clint Matlock doesn't know what hit him - literally - when he first encounters Lacy on the morning of her arrival in town by hitting her bright pink Cadillac.
Bubbly Lacy, full of enthusiasm, is unpredictable and a little spitfire, whereas Clint, who doesn't trust women, seems to be destined to save her from the troubles she gets herself in.
First of all, it was funny. Far-fetched at times, but funny and very entertaining. Lacy as one of the main protagonists seemed to me a little bit unrealistic - no one I know at least, is this bubbly, this trusting in God, and willing to take on a whole little town of, what a surprise!, Christian inhabitants, and those that aren't will be made to listen. That leads me to the only other little bit I did not appreciate in this book, you were sort of "hit over the head" continuously with God, religion, belief and faith; if this book is only intended for a Christian readership, maybe that would be okay, but it would be a pity for non-Christians to miss this little gem. Not meant as a criticism, it just reminded me a bit too much of the old Catholic way of forcefully convert heathens and non-believers to their ways.
The plot, the narration style, the characters - they were all entertaining, original, with quirks that would endear them to any reader.
I really enjoyed this story, and the teaser for the next book in this series was enough for me to go out and get the next one. Lorie's a Book Addict284 19

Love this story

There isn't a book/series by this author I don't . Debra is an amazing author.

"There is someone out there for you and you can't pick a time and place for your life to fall into place."

Lacy was dangerous to Clint's mental health. She was trouble with a capital "T" and it wasn't only the looks that set her apart, it was her mouth when she smarted off, and Clint d it. Though Lacy admitted she was strong headed. If one thing didn't happen to Clint in the presence of Lacy, it was something else - he had been run over by a "pink" open-top rattletrap piece of junk Caddy; had himself painted "pink" from head to toe by that little filly.

Clint didn't want to think about what came next. Lacy seemed to be every man's nightmare! They knew how to sling mud at each other. What one didn't think of the other one did. Why did Lacy keep losing her temper around that maddening cowboy? But he sure has a handsome face.

Since coming to Mule Hollow, Clint knew Lacy could take care of herself despite the few mishaps. She was obviously a strong woman. He d her sense of humor, her love of life and her faith. Lacy was the most unpredictable woman he had met in years. Though Clint was concerned that one day she would get restless... pick up and leave. It was that fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants kind of fun spirit that drew him to her.

In the end, Lacy was Clint's answer to prayer. "Love is in the air ... Mule Hollow, where all your dreams come true." Happy reading! Joleen Devens177 13

This was the first Debra Clopton book I have read and I was wowed. It is a great fiction with Christian values. I loved the characters and the story. It had humor, drama, and of course romance. I found the book difficult to put down. The only downfall is that I am anxious to read the entire series, So off to the library for me. This is what Amazon has for the storyline:
Dream With Me, Cowboy is book 1 of an addictively fun Christian romance series! Hairstylist Lacy Brown believes love is in the air and the hair when she drives her ancient pink convertible into town and joins forces with three matchmakers who've started a national "wives wanted" ad campaign to save their dying town. The women will come~she believes and she’ll help each of them find their happily-ever after… But she’s not looking for love…
From the moment rancher Clint Matlock and Lacy Brown collide the unpredictable spitfire turns his life upside down and suddenly he’s having trouble keeping his mind on stopping rustlers...
If you fast paced, well written romance with loveable characters you’ll love this series! These stories will be etched into your heart forever! What a wonderful little town Debra Clopton's created ~ get your copy today!
Note: This book was previously published as The Trouble With Lacy Brown. This enhanced edition includes some fun extras.
favorites Elizabeth1,180

Dream With Me , Cowboy Enhanced Edition ( Texas Matchmakers - Book 1 )
By: Debra Cloptlon
Dream With Me is book one of Texas Matchmakers series by Debra Clopton. I absolutely loved this story. Clopton captured me right at the start and I was hooked. It seem I could not read fast enough to see what was going to happen next. This is a great page turner. The story is funny , romance , and I d the spiritual parts in the story. This story reminds me of mail order brides. Three women comes to Mule Hollow to start a “Brides Wanted “ campaign to get more women to come to Mule Hollow for all the single ranchers. Lacy says that God has sent her to Mule Hollow to help get ,more women to come to the small town, but she is not looking for a husband. Clint, a handsome rancher is not looking for a wife. He is having some ranch problems he has to take care of. Spark flies between these two . Can the woman get other women to come to this small town, Mule Hollow , looking for a husband. This was a fun read and I highly
recommend it , so be sure and get your copy of this new series.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book, but was not told that I had to give a positive review. Timothy Hendricks477 6

I am very happy to find Debra Clopton’s books and learning about the type of Author she is. She is a storyteller and she is a very good one. She includes a lot of good humor in her writing; but there are lots of other emotions as well. In this book there is joy, happiness, worry, sadness, anger, and hurt. All emotions that everyone feels and can relate too. She is able to tell her stories without resorting to the use of profanity. I found myself chuckling out loud a number of times as I read this book. I really enjoyed the characters in this book; especially Clint and Lacy. I really got a kick out of Lacy and enjoyed the interaction between her and Clint. I thought all of the characters in the story were very well developed and important to making reading of the story so enjoyable. I enjoyed the pace of the story as it progressed to the conclusion. I especially enjoy the part of the story where both Clint and Lacy confront the cattle rustlers. I also how this Author includes romance and affection in her stories without resorting to sexually explicit dialogue. I am looking forward to reading more in this series. Angie ThompsonAuthor 38 books1,100

To be honest, this book had a lot more of a spiritual focus than I was expecting--a lot more than a token prayer or two--although it did take Lacy a while to figure out the difference between God's leading and her own assumptions and plans. I did appreciate all the Christian elements, although it took me a little while to be sure the characters were serious and not just throwing around "the Lord's going to help us" flippantly.

I d both Lacy and Clint as characters--Clint a little more so, as Lacy's tendency to get her back up and mouth off even when it was very unwise when being held hostage by cattle rustlers got on my nerves after a while. It was also a little hard to tell whether they really complemented each other; I'm still not sure how Lacy's fiery independence is going to get along with Clint's huge protective streak in the long run.

The only thing I really wasn't a fan of was the fact that their entire relationship was based off physical attraction and "electricity" for such a long time. I'm not opposed to some spark, but when a pair of characters argue and stomp away frustrated after two seconds in each other's presence (over and over again), I seriously begin to question why they belong together. :S Also, when they meet as a result of an auto accident and Lacy can't even think straight about what's going on because she's creating an exhaustive catalog of his looks, I have to fight the urge to bang my head on the desk a bit. To be fair, none of the description made me feel uncomfortable in the way that some authors do ("rippling muscles", etc.), but physical details were what they kept coming back to and dwelling on, which didn't give me a lot of confidence in the depth of their feelings for each other. Just not my favorite foundation for a relationship.

Even with that, though, the premise was definitely unique, the characters were lovable, and the story was sweeter than I expected. :)

Content--some violence, including gunplay; mention of blood and wounds; a few kisses (not descriptive); a couple is stranded together for part of a night, which causes a bit of talk; mentions of desertion; a few mentions of chewing tobacco, smoking, and drinkinga-my-books-digital z-cfd-2019-ereader z-cfd-2019-kindle-challenge ...more Yvonne Cruz3,075 27


I had not read Ms Clopton’s Matchmaker series, and when this one was re-issued I knew I had to check it out.
This novel is quintessential Debra Clopton. It’s a sweet, Christian novel about taking chances, faith, forgiveness and love.
In this first book of the series we have Clint, a rancher in Mule Hollow, a town that has seen better days . A group of self-appointed matchmakers are advertising it a town filled with single cowboys.
In come Lacy and her friend Sheri. They move to the town in order to open a hair salon . Lacy feels God has sent her there to improve the town and make a life there for herself .
Clint and Lacy literally collide from the moment they meet and though there is a lot of chemistry, he’s been hurt and fears he will once again be left behind.
So join me in this first book of a series that will sure entertains us all.
I was gifted this book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Phyllis1,290 30

I finished Dream With Me Cowboy over an hour ago, and I’m still grinning from ear to ear. The book started with a bang (literally!) and the pace didn’t let up. Debra Clopton wrote a story that was the perfect combination of humor, adventure, emotion, and Christian growth.

Lacy, the main character, was larger-than-life. She was bold, sassy, impulsive and tender-hearted. Though the story was not told in the first person, I was Lacy for the time I was reading the book. Her adventures as she impetuously followed the Lord’s command into the small town of Mule Hollow, Texas were filled with laughter and sparks.

The author had great descriptions, fun puns and heartfelt messages in this light-hearted yet emotional journey that left me feeling I wanted to do a victory dance at the end. And I don’t do victory dances. Ever!

This review was originally posted on Among the Reads5-stars action-adventure christian ...more Judy3,116

Dream with Me, Cowboy by Debra Clopton
Texas matchmakers Series Book One
Lacy Brown feels the answer to her prayers when she reads an advertisement. The small town of Mule Hollow is looking for women. They have a lot of lonely cowboys who don't have the time to head to the larger towns to look for dates. Lacy doesn't want a cowboy...she wants to help the town and share her faith...and fix hair.

Clint Matlock didn't trust women and didn't want one. Especially not the new woman in town. If the matchmakers were bringing more woman this one...Mule Hollow was in more trouble than ever!

Previously published as The Trouble with Lacy Brown, this story never gets old. Poor Lacy just has trouble following her around. And laughter. Great humor, characters, and writing. I love this series.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com... Virna3,174 4

Overall this was a ok story, but is painfully slow, I would have preferred more on the characters and less on the other plot. This is about two people growing up and accepting the differences in each other.
I found myself bored & distracted while reading this book. Even though I d the story, the characters aren't interesting enough ok. I didn't feel the attraction at all
it failed to deliver in a few areas and I found that as a result, it was ridiculous. The big secret I figured out quickly and it was torturous to try to continue. At times I was frustrated with the main character, Katie, because she was so stubborn when it came
I did not him and he never redeemed himself to me
He is incredibly self-centered even to the end. Everything has to revolve around what he wants and needs, the narration was good. Shannon Hooks59 2

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