This book came to me through two friends. It contains two short stories. The female main character in both stories are related (cousins): Rene and Paisley. The two cousins have dreamed of living next to each other to raise their families.

Rene thinks she's in love with Trace--and she thought he was finally starting to like her too, until he proposed in such a way as to make her think he only wanted a mother for his niece, causing Rene to flee to her aunt in another town. Now, the town's matchmakers turn their sights to Paisley as the right one for Trace and his niece, Zoey.

I don't know how long Rene knew Clay before she had to rely on him to take her to her aunt's. Their relationship just seems rushed to me. It seems like they're getting married less than two months after the story starts. I also don't know how long Paisley knew Trace before the events with her cousin happened. It seems like he approaches her about the summer job around the same time that Rene gets married--so approximately two months or so after Rene breaks off with Trace--and again, their relationship seems rushed. It seems like Trace is asking Paisley to marry him after only a few weeks of her working for him as Zoey's caregiver.

I'm concerned that impressionable readers would read these and think that getting married after only a few months of knowing someone is okay--and in most cases, I don't think that's enough time to get a full picture of someone else. ( )

This was 2 stories for the price of one! In "A Dry Creek Wedding" we have Rene Mitchell fleeing Mule Hollow (which is another whole series by Debra Clopton) when she finds out the supposedly man of her dreams only wanted to marry her to take care of his child. Clay Preston finds himself towing her car and Rene all the way to Dry Creek, Montana and listening to her feelings about romance. When they arrive in Dry Creek they find themselves in a snow storm and having to rescue a very pregnant young woman stuck in the snow. While all this is taking place a touch of romance is happening between Rene and Clay. This was a cute and quick romantic read and helps you to understand the problems you will read about in "A Mule Hollow Match" which follows.

In the second story we are back in Mule Hollow, Texas. Paisley Norton is the cousin to Rene in the first story, and Trace Crawford is the man who broke Rene's heart. Paisley ends up caring for Trace's new neice who has come to live with him when her mother dies. Paisley can't seem to forgive Trace for how he broke Rene's heart, but she has a soft spot for the child. As Paisley gets to know Trace she finds herself falling for him and it is fun to watch these two try to come to terms with the past and embrace the future. Both stories were enjoyable to read and tied into one another very nicely. ( )