A Cowboy for Katie

Four Weddings and a Kiss

by Debra Clopton

It's 1885 and five preachers sit around a campfire out West, trading stories of unlikely couples they've seen God bring together. This is one of those stories . . .In which Katie, who has chased off half a dozen suitors with her shotgun, hires a rambling ranch hand who's finding Katie may change his wandering ways.Everyone in town knows Katie Pearl has no interest in getting hitched. She likes living on her own out on her departed Pa's big ranch, turning down suitors left and right--with a pistol by her side.But when she needs a strong hand to help with rebuilding her house, Katie hires wandering cowboy Treb Rayburn, knowing he's just in town to make a quick buck and then he'll be off for parts unknown. But Treb's got a heart big as Texas. Their blossoming friendship may change her loner status and his wandering ways for good."Debra Clopton is a master at creating characters you just have to love!" --Linda Goodnight, New York Times best-selling author

Genres: Westerns, Romance, Christian Fiction, Christian, Historical Fiction

85 pages, Paperback

First published September 9, 2014

About the author

International Bestselling Author and Kindle All Star who has sold over 3 million books worldwide and been translated into 3 languages.
Debra Clopton writes wholesome contemporary women's fiction, romance, and contemporary western romances set in Texas and on the beaches of Florida. Her awards include: The Book Sellers Best, Romantic Times Magazine's Book of the Year the Readers Choice Award, and many more. She's also a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Finalist, and a triple finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award.

A sixth generation Texan, Debra lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband Chuck. She loves to travel and spend time with her family. She has written for Harlequin and Harper Collins Christian and now with DCP Publishing. She is thrilled to write for DCP Publishing and see her books being sold worldwide. On any day she usually has books on the Top 100 list and ranks on 80 to a 100 retailer Bestseller list in the USA and around the world.
She loves helping people smile with her fun, fast paced stories.

Visit Debra's website at http://www.debraclopton.com
Check out her Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/debra.clopton.5
Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/debraclopton
Contact her at Debraclopton@yamil.com
Sign up for Debra's newsletter and contests at http://debraclopton.com/contest

COMING AUG 27 AND winter 2020 heartwarming women's fiction

1 WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF
2 WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF
3 WHAT HOPES ARE MADE OF


SUNSET BAY ROMANCE 2019
1 LONGING FOR FOREVER
2 LONGING FOR A HERO
3 LONGING FOR LOVE
4 LONGING FOR EVER AFTER
5 LONGING FOR YOU
6 LONGING FOR US

Ransom Creek 2018
1 HER COWBOY HERO
2 THE COWBOY'S BRIDE FOR HIRE
3 Cooper: CHARMED BY THE COWBOY
4 Shane: THE COWBOY'S JUNK-STORE PRINCES
5 Vance: HER SECOND CHANCE COWBOY
6 Drake: THE COWBOY AND MAISY LOVE
7 Brice: NOT QUITE LOOKING FOR A FAMILY

WINDSWEPT BAY SERIES 2017 & 2018
1 FROM THIS MOMENT ON (FREE)
2 SOMEWHERE WITH YOU
3 WITH THIS KISS short story
4 FOREVER AND FOR ALWAYS
5 HOLDING OUT FOR LOVE
6 WITH THIS RING (FREE)
7 WITH THIS PROMISE
8 WITH THIS PLEDGE
9 WITH THIS WISH
10 WITH THIS FOREVER
11 WITH THIS VOW

2017
She has released 13 books in Enhanced Editions with extra audio clips and photos inside of her Texas Matchmakers series set in her world of Mule Hollow. These Christian Romances will soothe your heart and tickle your soul.
(Previous titles listed)
1 Dream With Me Cowboy (The Trouble with Lacy Brown)
2 Be My Love Cowboy (And Baby Makes Five)
3 This Hearts Yours Cowboy (No Place Like Home)
4 Hold Me Cowboy (Dream a Little Dream)
5 Be Mine Cowboy (Meeting Her Match)
6 Marry Me Cowboy (Operation: Married by Christmas)
7 Cherish Me Cowboy (Next Door Daddy)
8 Surprise Me Cowboy (Her Baby Dreams)
9 Serenade Me Cowboy (The Cowboy Takes a Bride)
10 Return To Me Cowboy (Texas Ranger Dad)
11 Love Me Cowboy (A Mule Hollow Match)
12 Ride With Me Cowboy (His Cowgirl Bride)
13 Dance With Me Cowboy (A Mother for Mule Hollow)
The Turner Creek Ranch (Men of Mule Hollow) 1 1 TREASURE ME COWBOY (Lone Star Cinderella)
2 RESCUE ME COWBOY (Her Forever Cowboy)
3 COMPLETE ME COWBOY (Cowboy For Keeps)
4 SWEET TALK ME (Yultide Cowboy)

What readers are saying:
Debra always delivers...
Couldn't put it down!
Debra gives readers what they want.
I've read every book Debra Clopton has written and as usual I couldn't put this one down!


Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/#!/debraclopton

Reviews

[Sonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Michelle Kidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cowboy for Katie
A Four Weddings and A Kiss Novella
by Debra Clopton
Thomas Nelson--FICTION
Thomas Nelson
Christian | Romance
Pub Date 09 Sep 2014


I am reviewing a copy of Cowboy For Katie through Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:


It is 1885 when five preachers sit around a campfire out West, trading stories of unlikely couples they've seen God bring together. This is one of those stories .


Katie Pearl has no intention on getting married. She likes living on her own terms out on her dearly departed Papa’s ranch, with her pistol always by her side.


But needing a strong hand to help rebuild her home leads her to hires wandering Cowboy by the name of Thad Rayburn, knowing he's just in town to make a quick buck and then he'll be off for parts unknown. However Thad has a heart the size of Texas and soon their blossoming friendship may change Katie’s loner status for good.


If you are looking for a short, but fun Christian Christian Romance I recommend A Cowboy for Katie!


Five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cowboy for Katie by Debra Clopton
Gotta Have Hope Series Book Six
Katie Pearl lost her mom at an early age, so her dad raised her to be tough and able to run their Texas ranch. He taught her how to shoot and use a whip, but not so much how to attract a man. After she loses her dad, suddenly, all those no-goods show up wanting to marry her, but Katie knows they want the land—not her.
Treb Rayburn was traveling around this country, as his mom always wanted to do. No settling down for this cowboy. When his horse dies, he takes on a job for Katie to rebuild her house…and then he’s heading back to see more of the country. The Lord had other plans for their lives, though.
This is the prequel to Heart Healing Cowboy. Katie is Matt McConnell's great-great-great-grandma. Katie’s story is why Kelley Hanna bought the property that once was her ranch.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com...

[Ellen White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kate when she came to town, most folks walked on the other side, at least if they were smart, the town always meant trouble.
Treb came into Midway Texas, didn’t look like much. Hoped he could find work, and get a new horse and be on his way again. He is told of a ranch that might use him. When she try’s to get his attention, she wants to hire him. Double the pay and a good horse, she needs her house to be built.
He didn’t do emotions, and she looked like she would rather shoot him, then hire him. Seeing her place a wave of protectress washed over him.
Delightful humorous story

[Carrie Daws · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this story by Debra Clopton. The author focused on the main characters, pouring the majority of her time in the short book to their development. I loved the heroine's determination even in the midst of terrible circumstances and the hero's slow but eventual realization of the depth of her pain. Their interactions felt genuine, and their struggle to remain true to each other and themselves real. This is a good, light read between heavier books or when time is short.

[Paul Goble · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful and humorous romance set in Texas. Katie was traumatized and is somewhat crazy after surviving a tornado. Treb was passing through when his horse died, and he helps her rebuild her ranch and her life.

I appreciate how, in the limited space of a novella, Clopton develops the setting, the characters, and the plot. She made some very wise choices about what to include and what to exclude.

As a male reader, I enjoyed this story even though this is truly a western romance,

[Shelly Dabbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great choice for anyone who loves Historical Fiction set in the west. I have read numerous books by each of the authors in this book. This book did not disappoint. Each story had a great group of characters with lessons in learning to make their lives better. Can't wait to see if they do another book like this.

[Joanne T S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

A heartbreaking story of a woman who is misunderstood and mistreated following a devastating tornado. Healing and love comes in the form of a cowboy who doesn’t want to settle down. A heart warming story with a touching ending.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a very quick read and a cute romance.

[Donald And · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book.

Really enjoyed this book. Debra is a great author. I enjoy all her books. Debra is one of my favorite authors.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. I've read a couple of Clopton's books recently and since I liked those so much I decided to pick this one up without reading what it was about. It was fun to get sucked into the story and not know how things were going to unfold.

Katie had survived a recent tornado that took the life of her father and destroyed her home. Left alone in the world, some of the men from town start showing up wanting to marry her to get to her land. Katie is pretty feisty and can see through them and makes it painfully obvious that she is not interested. I loved how strong Katie was, even with suffering from PTSD (fear of storms, the dark, being inside, etc) she doesn't give up. She fights for her independence, for her home and to overcome her fears. She was a fun and interesting character.

I loved Treb. He totally won me over when he helps Katie get through a rough storm. Melted my heart. He's just an all-around great guy. He has suffered great loss as well and could really see through Katie's fears to her heart. I loved how patient he was with her and how he wanted to help her heal.

The overall story was fun, I liked the charcters and plot. I did feel the end wrapped up a little quickly and I would LOVE an epilogue or something. This was part of the Four Weddings and a Kiss anthology, so it is a novella-length story, but I think it'd make a great full-length novel. Even another fifty pages would be great.

I'm quickly becoming a fan of Cloptons books. Both her contemporaries and westerns have been entertaining, well written and I know I'll be checking out the rest of her books!

Content
Romance: Clean
Language: None
Violence: Very mild
Religious: Mild, not preachy

Source: Received review copy from Netgalley in exchange for honest review.

[Andrea Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

By Andrea Renee Cox

I was excited when I received an electronic galley copy of A Cowboy for Katie through NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review, because I love reading about cowboys. I like everything about cowboys. The hats, jeans, and boots. The hat-tipping, let ladies go through the door first, show respect to women kind of chivalry that is hard to come by these days. Ooh, I’m getting chills just thinking about it.

In A Cowboy for Katie, Katie Pearl is known as a crazy woman. With a threat on her lips and a gun on her hip—if it’s not in her hand—Katie Pearl will stop at nothing to protect her land from the squirrelly cowpokes trying to steal it from her by way of marriage. Treb Rayburn doesn’t know what he’s in for when he hires on to rebuild Katie Pearl’s house after a tornado destroyed it, killing her Pa. The only question is, will he have the gumption to love an unlovable crazy lady?

Don’t let this story’s small size fool you. Like its main character, Katie Pearl, it carries a whirlwind of spunk in a small package. I found myself chuckling many times through many of the chapters, thanks to Debra Clopton’s creative humor woven through the plot. The essence of cowboys was captured perfectly in Treb, and I couldn’t help but hope he could somehow find a way through Katie Pearl’s defenses. All in all, I discovered a new-to-me author I’ll be keeping my eye on.

[Larik · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is quite a teaser for the reader and is awesome introduction for the other four stories. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
Katie after suffering the tragedy of losing her father and the ranch house to a ferocious tornado has a strong phobia foe anything with roof on it and in the aftermath of being a sole remaining owner of a huge ranch and the whole passel of "gentlemen" proposing marriage to her in order to secure the ranch for themselves she has developed another and even stronger phobia-phobia for anyone in pants and a hat...but she couldn't continue living under the stars so the cowboy with wondering heart looking for a temporary position is an answer to the prayer....
Poor Thad, he should have know better then to get hired on Katie's ranch, she is liable to put a halter on his wondering heart faster then on the horse...
Sweet and touching romance with a lot of gentle healing for two very wounded hearts.
I'm looking forward to reading the other four stories.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Thomas Nelson Publishing, through netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

This novella is short and sweet. It has plenty of drama, action and romance for a short story. It is also a clean fast read.

Katie is mad at least the town thinks so. Katie was trapped in her house for three days after a tornado hit and destroyed her house. Men keep coming out to her ranch with the intention of marrying her now her father is dead and owning her ranch. She chases them off with a gun. I like the character of Katie.

Thad Rayburn's horse died. He wants to find work to help him get a new horse and stake. He wants to travel some more and see whats out their.

Katie hires him to help her build her a house again. She likes the idea of him not staying.

The setting for this is Midway, Texas 1871. Mostly set on a ranch.

Katie wants to be independent. She has a lot of issues to get over. I don't blame her what she went to would be tough.

I enjoy reading Debra Clopton's stories and will continue.

I was given this ebook to read by Net Galley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. In return I agreed to give honest review of A Cowboy for Kate.

[Tarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was reading along and looked down at the bottom of my Kindle and was shocked to discover that I was over half done with this Novella. Now, don't get me wrong, I understand that Novellas are short :) Really, I do. But some Novella's feel like one, and some feel more fleshed out and...complete. This felt like a Novella.

It left me wanting more. More of what I'm not exactly sure. More conflict from a bad guy maybe? The romance aspect was fine. I was okay with how it moved along, although the decision at the end seemed really sudden to me. Like all of a sudden things were fixed and okay, when they weren't hours before.

It was cute, and I liked the premise of the story, but it probably isn't one I will read again. I am curious enough that if I come across the other Novellas that make up the rest of the series I would read them.

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Cowboy for Katie

By Debra Clopton

This story is a sweet story, starts out with a cowboy looking for some work and with Katie needing help with her ranch. She tells him that she wants to hire him to build a house for her. The people I town tell him she is crazy. Well he needs the work so he goes and decides to help her.

I really loved how this book moved right along, the characters developed quickly and I wanted to read it all in one sitting. Just an awesome sweet book about a girl in the 1885’s. Life was not easy back them.

This is a clean story which also talks about God, and how they bring them together. Very inspirational.

I received this book from NetGalley for an honest opinion.

[Cynthia Marcano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the midwest in the late 1800s, A Cowboy For Katie was a really nice read. Katie, a loner and a bit wild, hires a workman, Thad to help rebuild her house after a tornado destroyed it and her entire life as she knew it.

A Cowboy For Katie has a bit of everything. Some laughs, some suspense, some drama, lots of romance and of a message of overcoming obstacles with God's help.

The story moved along very quickly which I liked. I wish the book could have been just a tad bit longer, but otherwise I really like it and recommend it to any who like Western Christian Fiction.

[June · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katie was buried for days after a tornado that killed her father. It made her turn into a bit of a crazy lady. When Treb came to town, Katie hired him to help her rebuild because he was just on his way through and that was perfect for her plans. Then Treb started to realize why she was crazy and did all in his power to help her get over it. Great story. Great characters.

[Cheryl Baranski · Rating 5 out of 5]

There was never a dull moment in this novella. I sure hope to see more of Katie in other books. This book made me laugh. Got to love the spunky Katie! Love Debra’s writing style. She knows how to tell a story and keep your attention. Looking forward to reading the next book by Debra Clopton! Be sure to get your copy of “A Cowboy for Katie” today. 5 stars.

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella was pretty sweet.
I liked the characters and the plot, but I expected a little more tension. More struggle with the falling in love and romance once they got there. And the action was also weaker than I'd hoped for. The tense moment towards the end wasn't nearly as threatening as I would've liked and was resolved a bit too easily.
But other than that, I enjoyed the story.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another quick, fun read from this set of novellas. This story really touched me as Katie learns she's not crazy, she's been through a set of traumatic circumstances and she needs time to heal. How many of us are so hard on ourselves when we just need a little grace?

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hilarious beginning and a heroine that is putting up a tough front to cover her brokenness. Will the new man she hires understand?

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this novella! There was constant humour, action, and romance!

[Susan Vance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great handling after the event of a trauma.

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story. Love women with spunk

[Strawberry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would have been a good story if their had been more romance.

[Mary Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Debra Clopton is an author I enjoy. I try not to miss her books. This novel is a novella, but it is a fun, quick, safe read. I loved the hero in the novel.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute story!!! I loved it!