The Cowboy Says I Do

Crush (Hot Fudge & a Heartthrob) sparkles in this small-town, friends-to-lovers contemporary, the first in her Tying the Knot in Texas series. Newly elected mayor Lacey Cherish is determined to save the dying town of Idont, Tex., by rebranding it as Ido and transforming it into a wedding destination. Deputy Sheriff Bodie Phillips, Lacey’s longtime friend, is on board, but first wants to figure out why his ethically challenged father and grandfather are moving the family business out of town. Meanwhile, Lacey arranges for magazine coverage of the town’s first wedding, but the bridezilla pulls out at the last moment. Desperate not to lose the coverage, Lacey lies to the reporter: saying the wedding is still on and she herself is the new bride, blurting out Bodie as the name of her fiancé. Bodie agrees to play along, and soon their pretend relationship turns all too real. There’s a surprising amount of intrigue in this quaint small town, including the mystery surrounding the Phillips family business and a subplot about abandoned dogs that readers will be excited to see resolved in future installments. Crush’s skillfully crafted romance is both sexy and sweet. Agent: Jessica Watterson, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Aug.)