HERE COMES THE BRIDE by Hope Ramsay

Publisher:     Forever
Published:     August 29, 2017
ISBN:        978-1455564880
Genre:      Contemporary Romance
Format:     Print  
Obtained via:  Publisher
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina  Ginalrmreviews@gmail.com

FIVE HEARTS

 

Laurie Wilson is about to make her march down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams.  Or at least the man she’s spent the last ten years with and has always known she would marry.  For Brandon Kopp, her soon to be husband, she’s given her all—given up a job she would have loved, bought a house that needs some serious work and shifted every aspect of her life just for him.  As she approached her groom the last thing Laurie expected happened—Brandon walked away.  In a matter of minutes her friends rallied around her.  Surprisingly it is Brandon’s best friend and best man, Andrew Lyndon, who is among the first to step up to care for Laurie. 

 

Not that Laurie’s friends are slouches when it comes to standing by their friend.  They want revenge; Laurie wants her groom back.  Added to the mix is her father, Noah, a prominent D.C. attorney.  Noah wants his daughter to be happy and if marrying Brandon is what she wants, then marrying Noah is what she’ll have.  To do that he has a plan, a plan that includes Andrew.  As an employee of Noah Andrew has little choice but to go along with the older man’s plan—which is for Andrew to set Laurie up with a string of dates.  Noah is convinced that will bring Brandon to his senses…and down the aisle with his daughter.

Hope Ramsay’s Chapel of Love series just gets better and better. I love the characters, the way she describes the town of Shenandoah Falls and how you have a chance to catch up with the core characters while meeting new ones that appear in each book. Even knowing how her latest, HERE COMES THE BRIDE is going to end – it IS, after all a romance, I couldn’t wait to see how Ramsay got Andrew and Laurie down the aisle. And how she did gave me an out loud chuckle.  Nicely done. 

 

Ramsay gives her characters a nice mix of backgrounds – there are the Lyndons with their political connections that go back quite a long time, a family with wealth, an average family and a host of Shenandoah Falls residents with different, true to life, jobs and issues.  There were some nice changes in Andrew from SMALL TOWN BRIDE to HERE COMES THE BRIDE.  The protectiveness he had for his sister, Amy, in SMALL TOWN BRIDE carries through when Laurie is left at the altar, but with a mellowness to it.  Ramsay also does a great job with how Laurie becomes her own person – going after what she wants, through the story.  There are no jarring epiphanies that rush to the finale, but a really nice, realistic progression. 

 

One character I really liked and hope we see his story soon is Ryan Pierce.  From Marine to police officer you know he’s got a story to tell.  Then again, there’s Matt and Edward and Courtney…among others.  Ramsay brings you into their lives and you can’t wait to see where she takes them next.

 
This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.