Here Comes the Bride

Chapel of Love #3

by Hope Ramsay

For Professor Laurie Wilson, planning her wedding to longtime boyfriend Brandon Kopp has been a whirlwind. But somehow, between all the cake tastings and dress fittings, she never imagined being left at the altar. In the aftermath, she does what any sensible woman would - she swigs champagne and considers keying his car. Until someone knocks on her door with a much better idea for revenge.

Best man Andrew Lyndon thinks Laurie's better off without Brandon. But Laurie's father - and Andrew's boss - isn't going to accept anything less than a reconciliation. And he's made it Andrew's problem to solve. So Andrew decides to make Brandon jealous by setting Laurie up on a string of "dates." After a couple of weeks, Brandon will be begging Laurie to take him back. But Andrew's plan works a little too well because suddenly he's the one falling for Laurie -- and planning a proposal of his own.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Adult

274 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 29, 2017

About the author

Hope Ramsay is a USA Today bestselling author of heartwarming contemporary romances, set below the Mason-Dixon Line. Her children are grown, but she has a beloved fur baby, Daisy the Cockapoo who keeps her entertained. Hope lives in the medium-sized town of Fredericksburg, Virginia and when she’s not writing or walking the dog, she spends her time knitting and noodling around on her collection of guitars.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurie Wilson has spent the last several months planning her wedding to her longtime boyfriend Brandon Kopp and through all the dress fittings and cake tasting she expected the day to be nothing but perfect. Laurie’s big day however turns out to be anything but perfect when Brandon decides to call off the wedding saying the two needed to take a break from one another and see other people to know if they are doing the right thing.

For Laurie the break up was devastating but her friends refused to let her wallow in misery and insisted she needed to do just as Brandon said and live a little. Laurie however fought the idea of getting out and dating until she’s approached by Brandon’s best man Andrew Lyndon who also works for Laurie’s father with the idea that they should set up some fake dates to get Brandon to see the error of his ways. What Andrew and Laurie were not expecting was that their time together would begin an attraction between them.

Here Comes the Bride by Hope Ramsay is the third full length book of the Chapel of Love series. Each of the books in the series features a new couple so they can be read as a standalone if choosing to. There are also a couple of novella length books that belong in the same series but again they may be read separately if desired.

This edition to the series had a scenario that I’m not too big of a fan of which is moving on rather quickly from a long term relationship. However, in this book it does get explained that Laurie and Brandon really weren’t so much in love but together more out of comfort and familiarity so the idea of her moving on didn’t bother me as much as it might in a different scenario. This also actually made me enjoy Laurie a bit more as she turned into a strong character by not breaking down but getting back out there with her friends and eventually dating.

Now the idea of two people sort of faking a relationship or in this case setting Laurie up to fake date if often one that I quite enjoy since it gives a friendship level and getting to know one another before becoming romantic and I wasn’t disappointed in the least with Laurie and Andrew. I also thought the author did a pretty good job also bringing in a lot of secondary characters and situations into the mix to keep the story going. Having all the extra might have been a tad confusing but not too bad and it added a but of crazy fun into the mix with some of the actions going on.

Overall I thought this was a nice addition to the series with a bit of crazy fun and flirting and would recommend checking it out.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....

[Vintage · Rating 2 out of 5]

Should have listened to Kiki although I disliked it for slightly different reasons. Although Matt is a hypocritical pig and manwhore of epic proportions.

The ditched bride is one of my favorite tropes. I do not know why. To ramp up the illness...no never mind.

Anyhoo, the h is dumped at the altar, and the ever-present best friend that has yearned for her forever ...does nothing. Really. Okay, they end up having cataclysmic sex, but then he lets her get back to finding herself.

Random characters manipulated and bossed and were, in general, irritating, but the clincher for me was at the end when the idjit heroine goes back to her first fiancee. I mean it's not like I didn't know what was going to happen at the last minute, but this is freacking 2017 so why does she HAVE to get married? The heroine acts like she has no choices, and if it doesn't work out with one guy she might as well marry the fatheaded fool who dumped her publicly then realized that the grass wasn't greener.

Okay, yes it IS a romance, but that doesn't mean the heroine or the hero HAS to get married for the romance to perk along.

I'm...again, never mind, but girls, women, it is okay not to jump the broom right away if your fiancee dumps you at the altar in front of friends and family and you find the next love of your life within six short weeks.

We are women, hear us roar!

[Kiki · Rating 2 out of 5]

This Matt guy was completely disgusting and barfworthy, spewing misogynistic shit and double standards throughout the book.
His friend dumps a woman and altar and he thinks he is entitled to belittle her and treat her like shit? He keeps on claiming they're HIS friends so their loyalty lies with him, the hero pointed out numerous times that no, it doesn't. He dumped her, HE humiliated her and that's wrong and just because he's their friend doesn't make it right or doesn't mean he'll by default pick his side. What is wrong is wrong. But this guy keeps blaming Laurie for standing up for herself, then for moving on, then for getting a social life without feeling awkward. He makes her feel so openly unwelcome at a party that the grooms sister had to speak up that NO! Laurie isn't at fault here, her piece of shit brother is, and Matt is an asshole who at least needs to grow up and act like an adult asshole.
Also he backs up Brandon's jealousy saying Laurie shouldn't have acted on the "let's date other ppl" queue. She should have cried a river, moped and waited faithfully while Brandon went and sampled lady buffets, because it's totally different for woman.
Nothing short of him being hit by a meteor could have saved the book for me!
And hero doesn't even hit him once or cut the ties with him, and there is a huge chance a strong woman like Courtney would end up with him WHEN he almost screwed a woman in front of her, and she wasn't really impressed.
Yuck! Yuck! Yuck!
Here's an awesome conversation from Matt:
“Look, dude,” Matt said. “Brandon may” “have said that he wanted a break from Laurie so they could both see other people. But he sure didn’t mean for Laurie to follow through on that, you know?”
“Matt, you’re an idiot,” Edward said. “Just shut up and watch the game.”
“Come on. No guy wants his girlfriend to really date other guys.”
Andrew let go of a long-suffering sigh. “Matt, are you completely blind to the fact that you have a double standard? If Brandon is going to go off to Bermuda to pick up women, shouldn’t Laurie be allowed to do the same?”
“Hell no. It’s different for women.”
Yuck!
(2 stars, because Brandon the "perfect guy,not" didn't score ANY after dumping the bride (even though he was saying something about ONS being available but that's all they were, my understanding was he really didn't score any as he admitted not going on any dates since the wedding, knowing Laurie went on a number of them) but Laurie, well..clearly did score at least once!

[Anna's Herding Cats · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup. (live on the blog 9/1)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2udVUfv

Here Comes the Bride was a fun read as a jilted bride maybe kinda falls for her ex fiance's best man.

The Gist:

Laurie's fiance is a wanker. And leaves her at the alter. Prick move, buddy. Prick move. The best man, Andrew? His goal is to make sure she's okay. That's all he cares about. Only problem? His boss-- Laurie's dad-- wants the split couple back together and tasks Andrews with that mission. Oy!

The Good Bits:

Andrew and Laurie. Individually they were both pretty easy to like. Interesting and good people.
And they were nice together. There's some good flirty bits and some very sweet bits but not a lot of actual heat on the page. I was definitely rooting for them.

There's a good bit of crazy from their friends/family/her ex that kept things moving along and was in turns funny and frustrating watching it all play out. Not a bad thing, though!

The writing was fantastic as always. I enjoy Ramsay's storytelling. It was easy to read and moved quickly. Its always fun spending time in her world.

The cover is absolutely lovely!

The Not So Great Bits:

But holy cow the man bashing. There's an insane amount of man bashing in this one. It could have been reduced by 50% and still would have been laying on the 'women are perfect men are horrible and worthless' way too thick. I get it when applied to the douche ex-fiance but it was tacked on to every male. It was crazy and definitely took away from the book. I struggled with a 3 or 3.5 rating because of it and eventually settled on 3.5 because the story was enjoyable and kept me reading.

Oveall, though. Enjoyable characters, a sweet romance, and a nice setting made Here Comes the Bride a fun little contemporary romp.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Left at the altar by the groom finds a jilted bride plotting to get a bit of her own back with the her former fiance's best friend. All sorts of bridal and family drama ensues, but above all there was a light and heartwarming romance that rose up from it all.

Here Comes the Bride is the third book in the Chapel of Love series. It's connected with earlier books through setting and a large cast of returning characters, but it easily can read as a standalone.

So, yes, lovely Laurie Wilson plans to wed her college sweetheart after ten years from first date until now in the most gorgeous dream wedding her organizational habits and lists could make it. Only, Brandon backs out right at the altar. Not cool, dude! Seriously?!? At. The. Altar. Then tosses out there that they should both live a little before chaining themselves to each other. And then, the handsome, suave, and oh-so put together knight in shining Brooks Brothers suit steps in to clean up the mess. I adored Andrew in his story (and this was a shocker since I wasn't all that impressed with him in his sister's story). He truly shone through like polished gold in this one.

The story was fun and lightly engaging, but it wasn't without its issues for me. I loved the romance pair together, but I only moderately liked the situation for this romance. A rebound romance with all the fake dates, manipulating, both pairs of exes, interfering family on both sides, and even the final build up left me wanting to see a bit more down time and relationship building. They were great friends and there were indicators that they were a superb fit, but I felt their whole romance was happening under duress. Though, that dance club scene was convincing as to the electric attraction born between them.

The side plot with the playboy cousin of the hero, Matt, and Courtney, the wedding coordinator and new friend, was maybe meant to be funny and definitely was setting up for a future story, but it was only funny for a short time. Their separate issues, particularly Courtney's got old. Courtney has these over the top manhater issues and Matt was the opposite with his rakish casual seductions and affairs.

Another distraction, though I confess a welcome one, were those over the invasive and hilarious Lyndons. Andrew's family plotted and connived in their matchmaking efforts that were obvious to the reader, but not so much to Andrew and Laurie. They are just so fun in the way they interfere with good motives. And sigh... loved seeing things going well for another Lyndon's relationship that was burning in the background of the last book to a happily ever after. Oh, and a storyline for Junie is percolating nicely for a future book.

The tone of the story invites the reader to just go with it for an easy and fun romantic read with enough conflict and passion to keep it from being too bland. I love the author's gift for blending humor and endearing characters. I would definitely recommend this series to Contemporary Romance fans who enjoy small town and family elements infused in the story.

My thanks to Forever for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa (Remarkablylisa) · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY RATING: 4/5 STARS

I was provided an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Where do I begin with explaining my love for this book? 

Let's start with the premise of this story. It's basically about Laurie being dumped at the alter in the beginning of the book. Her ex, Brandon, tells her the classic tale that they should take a break so they can figure things out, find out what love really is, and date around before settling in with someone. Determined to not look like a heartbroken fool, Laurie takes up on the offer to make Brandon jealous, all planned by none other than Brandon's best friend, Andrew, and our hero. What you shouldn't expect is that Andrew will be going on a series of dates with Laurie but rather, he is the one setting up the dates for her. Of course, Andrew grows more and more uneasy, developing feelings for Laurie along the way. And vice versa. 

What I really enjoyed about the story is the heat factor that came with Andrew and Laurie. You could really tell they had great chemistry together as friends first and then the slow burn of it all really made me keep reading to see them become the couple I wanted from the very start. 

I also enjoyed the fact that this story told me multiple stories along with the main one. We got to learn more about the tense relationship between Laurie's father and mother and why they separated. We dove into the super cute relationship between Courtney and Andrew's brother, Matt. Which, by the way, I want a separate story for please. Unfortunately, the next story focuses on Amy Lyndon and her journey to find her HEA.

What frustrated me about this story was that Andrew was too nice. He was selfless, always thinking about others before fighting for what he really wants. And towards the end, I was very nervous, thinking he would be willing to give up his shot at true love to please others. I wanted to yell at him so many times to stop being afraid and just tell Laurie how he felt. How he wanted a strings attached relationship and not just friends with benefits sort of deal. I guess, in a way, it made me appreciate the story more because of how stubborn Andrew was. 

A little thing that irked me about Laurie was that she became a little bitter and jumped to conclusions, questioning people's characters. At one point, she was criticizing her date's dating history and character and it made me really think wow, she's a total bitch. However, I can see that it's part of her character as someone who has just been left an alter. She has every right to be bitter but she should have at least recognized how ridiculously rude she sounded.

Finally, the ending. Man. Was it super angsty. While I enjoyed it, it felt like someone chopped off the last two chapters to the book or at least, the epilogue. I want to know what happened next. I want to know if they're moving on well or if they're going to have a true happily ever after at the alter.

UGH.

MY RECOMMENDATION: 

READ IT! Hope Ramsay is definitely an author I'll be keeping an eye on.

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars, Rounded

I’ve read the first two books in this series, and what stands out most from those is the heart and the writing. Now we have Laurie, left at the altar by her fiance and understandably devastated. Her father, however, thinks they are meant to be together and sets his employee (and the best man) Andrew a task: strategize a reconciliation and make sure Laurie ends up married. So Andrew sets his plan in motion: set Laurie up on a series of dates to make her ex (Brandon) jealous: everyone is convinced he just has cold feet and his excuse (we need time to discover what love really is, blah, blah, blah) is nothing more than a way to hide his own insecurities. Well, Laurie agrees to the plan, she still isn’t seeing what’s truly in front of her.

Of course, this is a romance, so we know that she and Andrew will start to see one another as more than friends and conspirators, despite the repeated (and often amusing) meddling by family and friends. Throughout the story, even with the repeated (and overdone I think) man bashing that cropped up at near every turn, you want to cheer on Andrew in his quest to win Laurie’s heart, and the slow kindling of a relationship as it morphs from friends to loves is quite cute, even as we don’t get ALL the answers in the end.

This isn’t solely a story about Laurie and Andrew though: characters from earlier stories make several appearances, and we see couples in all stages of their relationships, from settled and happy to starting fresh to even those discovering that love is in the air. Told in 3rd person, the story gives a decent insight into interior voices from all of the characters, although I found that Laurie’s constant rehashing of her trust issues (understandable) and her quick-to-judge motivations from each new man she met (less so) wore on me quickly. Fortunately she is able to find some solace with Andrew, and with his family playing puppeteers in the background, working determinedly to push them together, the interplay between all of the characters gave a real sense of the small-town, everyone in for romance sort of feel. As always, Ramsay’s writing is solid and clear, and her characters are believable, from the ones you adore to the ones that frustrate you endlessly. A solid installment in the series, easy to read as a stand-alone title, the book is sure to please people who want a bit of drama and angst to go with their read.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at I am, Indeed

[Zoey Zane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm, I have conflicted feelings about this book.

Don't get me wrong, I totally enjoyed numerous parts of this book.

But. I just couldn't get over how much of an idiot Brandon is. Like, come on dude. Absolutely nothing about him appealed to me! But on the other hand, Laurie was a doll.

I love how strong she is portrayed. I haven't been left at the altar, but I have been through a divorce (or two). I love how her entire world didn't end because of this guy. Picking yourself up after something like this is definitely a tough situation. However, she had some amazing friends, and they were there for her every step of the way.

One thing I didn't like about this book was that there were so many different characters. In a way, it's good because it definitely sets the scene for other books in the series. (Looking back, this book is #3 in the series). So I do like that. But I didn't like it because, at times, I felt it took away from Laurie's story. To that point, I do feel the book was written in a third person omniscient point of view. We could tell the feelings of most of the characters, which did deter from Laurie's point of view. I normally like this pov, but I think it was just too much.

Overall, this was a sweet, romantic read. I enjoyed the premise and read through it fairly quickly. The only reason my rating is a 3 instead of a 4 is because there are just too many secondary characters. Occasionally, I did feel lost within the story.

*I received an ARC from the publisher. Thanks!

[books are love · Rating 4 out of 5]

Received in exchange for a honest review.

Laurie was smart and strong. i hated to see her be so kind to Brandon after what he did. Seeing her with Andrew was so fun. they had witty banter and respected each other.

Brandon on the other hand was a jerk. An idiot and needed to grow up. I was glad that he got what was due to him. He was wrong in what he did. I understand that his thought process wasn’t entirely wrong when it came to their feelings but everything else was wrong. And the way everyone treated Laurie afterwards was all kinds of wrong. She wasn’t the one who did anything it was Brandon. I was glad Andrew and a few others saw that and stood by her. Especially Andrew.

Andrew was smart and kind. He was the one who always fixed things. This time though he didn’t want to. He felt Brandon was a idiot. He didn’t want to see them back together but his job was on the line. Watching him and Laurie scheme to make Brandon jealous and notice Laurie was entertaining. The two slowly got to know one another and develop not only friendship but feelings for one another. He also helped Laurie gain confidence in herself and truly look inside herself to see who she was and her feelings for Brandon. She helped her learn to stand up for herself and get her voice heard. He knew he wanted her but also felt he couldn’t act on them because of the situation. It was hard to see him so conflicted. He is a good honest hardworking guy and caught in a rock and hard place. He to went through some self actualization. He started to look at his job and future and where he wanted to be as well. He saw what he wanted and what his situation was.

His aunt was a hoot. That woman was clever and manipulative but her manipulations were done with good intentions.

the characters had you love the story and the situation they were in. Had you appreciate the idea of family and friendship. Of love and loyalty. we see love shine and fight to be heard while characters grew and found themselves as well. the attraction and respect between Andrew and Laurie was palpable and they supported one another in so many ways. They also calmed one another and complemented each other. Watching them fall in love was a fun entertaining journey.

The story was fun and flirty. Andrew was perfect for Laurie. He helped her grow and become more vocal. She helped him find himself and what he wanted. She was part of what he wanted. The way his aunt worked them was truly entertaining. At the end I held my breath hoping beyond hope that Laurie would come to her senses and wouldn’t follow through with Brandon. He didn’t deserve her and really needed to grow up. It was Andrew that came through and give us all what our hearts wanted to see. Love wins in the end.

[Marsha Keeper Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed at Keeper Bookshelf

Here Comes The Bride was a charming, entertaining romance between, at first, unlikely people. Being practically left at the alter is certainly no woman’s dream wedding. Although Laurie and Brandon had been together for about a decade, he still decides at the last moment that maybe getting married just yet isn’t a good idea. They should live a bit, date others, be sure of their future together before taking the final plunge. Yeah. Cold Feet. And a crappy move. I’d be more angry for Laurie if I did’t agree with Brandon, they aren’t right for each other. His last minute bail out was all the proof I needed, even before Laurie and Andrew were looking more like a real couple and not a pretend one.

It was so unfair of Andrew’s boss to put his job on the line if he didn’t get Brandon and Laurie back together. Really? This is how you love on people? No thank you very much.

There is a lot going on in Here Comes The Bride, several romances in the background getting some attention, the growing feelings between Laurie and Andrew… and a whole lot of man bashing. Too much man bashing actually for my taste. Sure, I’ll trash talk a jerk any day of the week, but there comes a point of saturation and overboard.

I liked Laurie and Andrew’s slow burn romance. She was far too good for Brandon, that boy needs to do some growing up before he hitches his future with the right woman. I’d recommend this story or the entire series to any Romance reader who enjoys a good solid story, a lot of sub-stories going on, issues that are real to life to be dealt with and the promise of everything working out… somehow by the ending for that happy ever after moment.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laurie Wilson had known Brandon Kopp for ten years and was prepared to become his wife. As the minister began their wedding however, Brandon stopped her and asked Laurie for a six month separation to see other people and make sure he wasn't making a mistake. Appalled, best man, Andrew Lyndon hurried her out of the chapel. On Monday morning while Andrew was at his desk at Wilson Kavanaugh, LLC, his boss/Laurie's dad asked him to convince her to go out with other men to "help" Brandon see the error of his way. So reluctantly Andrew facilitates a few dates for Laurie while keeping an eye on her. Over time, Laurie and Andrew's relationship shifts while Brandon decides he wants to go through with a wedding. Here Comes the Bride is a fun contemporary romance by Hope Ramsay. It has interesting characters and situations. It is an entertaining story. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

[Isha Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here Comes the Bride (Chapel of Love) by Hope Ramsay  
Discovering author Hope Ramsay is delightful.  She puts her heart and soul into her stories and the results are an enlightening experience.  Here Comes the Bride is a sweet take on getting even.  Revenge has never been so deliciously satisfying. Laurie and Andrew deliver a kick to the funny bone and a tingling within the heart.   This is one author who knows how to make the heart happy.  Even in the darkest of moment there's always a brighter side. Words to live by and a romance that is hard to forget.
 

[Peggy Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book. I love to read Hope's books as they are always so good and never let you down. Hope hit a home run with this book!

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just found another writer to read.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

These people were ridiculous, mean, manipulative, and just plain silly.
The main couple were nice enough but completely passive and everyone else were jerks.

[Booklover, Indianapolis · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Oct) I kind of hate read this book. I mean, I think I hated it from the beginning and kept reading so my mind could continue to criticize what was a ludicrous plot – here, in 2017, a woman who has been dating the same guy for 10 years is left at the alter by him. And she’s in shock (makes sense) but still wants him back (I get it’s hard to just stop loving someone, but she immediately decides it’s her fault for being a cold fish and if he’d come back she’d totally still want to marry him, even though rather than discuss it the week before, the night before, 5 minutes before walking down the aisle, he instead waits until she’s up there in front of everyone to humiliate her completely. Which makes him a 100% pathetic, insecure dickhead). And rather than allowing her to wallow for a few days she’s dragged out of bed by her mom for breakfast the next day and Mom proceeds to explain how this is a perfect time to change herself so she can get a man (her man or another one). And others are dying to set her up, less than 24 hours after being left at the alter by the love of her life. Yeah, most guys would just want to run towards that. And her father then essentially uses the groom’s best friend, who works for him, to be his daughter’s pimp (because Daddy knows best and he’s going to take care of his little girl and if he thinks what’s best for his daughter is getting back together with the guy who humiliated her then so be it). Call it what you want, but he’s decided his daughter must date to show groom what he’s losing, and asks bestie to set up dates for her (telling him to drop all other work at their successful law firm). And this is all in the first couple of chapters. I was ready to tear my hair out, but decided I needed to keep reading, although I’m already confused by who is who (this is part of a series but was led to believe they were all readable as stand alones.

The storyline actually got convoluted from there, because I couldn't figure out exactly what Dad wanted, everyone seemed to have a different opinion about who was doing what, douche ex wants her back, she sleeps with his bestie (in an off page scene - sorry, but closed door romanced don't work for me!), and in the end she ends up w/his best friend. And that's ok w/everyone, I guess. I have no interest in picking up any more books in this series. Blech!

[Heather andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andrew is a man who knows how to take care of his girl, "Andrew didn’t leave Laurie’s side until she drifted off to sleep about thirty minutes after she’d taken the Excedrin." This book was an okay read, for some reason at some parts my interested waived and it was hard to get back into the book. I just think it was too much going on with all the charactera not a bad read but not great either.

[Margaret Dombrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this ARC of Here Comes The Bride. It's quite the story, from the bride getting jilted at the alter, the best man is "recruited", or rather coerced into arranging dates for the bride. You are quite immersed in the functionality of a high power D.C. family, so there is social issues to deal with. I'm enjoying this new series!

[Kiki Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ve said it a million times before but you need to buy a romance in order for a romance book to work. And I just didn’t.

To start with, the romance happens way too soon after the break up of a ten year relationship for me to really feel like Laurie is genuinely over Brandon, although she should be. He’s an entitled whiny brat for most of the book. If he was having doubts he had plenty of time to act on them instead of humiliating his fiancée at the alter. After suggesting they see other people and then get back together, he has the audacity to get angry and upset when she starts going on dates. This, mind you, after he takes his awful friend Matt with him to Bermuda on the honeymoon trip LAURIE paid for to pick up women. He leaves Laurie with the expenses of a fixer upper she never even wanted.

Important quick side note: all of Brandon’s friends are awful and enablers but Matt is by far the worst. (The fact that I’m supposed to believe he’s part of Courtney’s healing process is utterly offensive.) The friends have the audacity and sheer stupidity to say Brandon deserves sympathy in this situation when he has been the catalyst of the problem. I agree he shouldn’t necessarily be abandoned by his friends but you don’t have to agree with your friends’ bad behavior. Enabling someone’s bad behavior makes you a bad friend and complicit in their actions. They’re also spouting double standards at every turn, basically saying Laurie has zero right to take BRANDON’S suggestion because she’s a woman so she should’ve waited for him to come back. These guys are just terrible and I can’t believe they’re the cousins/brothers of our hero.

So the romance. One, manipulation galore on the part of family members who may have their children’s best interests in heart but I still don’t care. I hate when it feels like a couple is forced into a relationship. Two, zero chemistry. Andrew and Laurie are mostly fine characters (at least until the end where Laurie makes a wtf decision for unnecessary drama.) But these two have zero chemistry. The lust just hits them suddenly and there’s some jealousy and a little affection but I don’t ever buy love. They have a long history together but I never got the feeling that they knew each other exceptionally well. Three, the all guys but the hero are assholes trope. Four, the lack of time I mentioned earlier. This all happens in like two months, starting the day after the failed wedding. Five, Laurie thinking she’s frigid and hates sex until the magical penis of our hero fixes it all for her. This is the modern world. This book is from 2017. There’s no way she hasn’t at least researched something about sex on the internet. This trope needs to die in modern books. It’s almost always stupid and it’s outdated. You’re allowed to enjoy more than one sexual partner in your life, and a relationship of ten years would probably have some measure of experimentation in it. Even if it didn’t, this magical dick bullshit needs to go away forever.

The ending was unnecessary drama as well as basically undoing what Laurie had done for herself, so typical romance bullshit because women have to have a man, any man, in these stories.

At least we had Ryan. And at least no woman wanted Brandon.

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walking down the aisle to marry the man she loves was supposed to be the happiest day of Laurie Wilson's life, but when the groom leaves her standing at the altar, she decides to take his words to heart and date other people. However, the more time she spends with the best man, Andrew Lyndon, the more she finds herself realizing that the groom may have done her a favor by calling things off. Will she give Andrew a chance or will the man she was going to marry be able to convince her that he wants her back?

What a thoroughly entertaining, fast-paced, wonderful read Ms. Ramsay has penned in this story that had me hooked from the moment I started reading, as the heroine is completely blindsided because she thought that her groom loved her as much as she loved him. However, it was from the moment Andrew helps Laurie that had me hoping the heroine would realize what a blessing she's been given, as it's palpable the hero is determined to do whatever it takes to help her.

As for the dialogue, it was compelling and had me absolutely loving the main characters back stories, as Andrew knows what it's like to be blindsided by someone he loved, so he's the perfect person to be able to help Laurie overcome the rejection she's suffered. Moreover, both the main characters were enchanting and I really liked how resilient and courageous the heroine was when it comes to moving forward and seeing if dating other people would be worthwhile. However, in saying that, I felt sorry for her when it came to the secondary characters and the fact that everyone had an opinion on who she dates that isn't all that positive. Will they understand her need to try and pick up the pieces of her life and move on?

While the hero, he's confident, worked hard to where he's gotten to in his career and I liked that he sided with the heroine instead of siding with his best friend. I also liked how the hero dealt with his family when they were annoyed by the decisions he made that they didn't agree with. Those moments had me cheering for the hero and thinking how great of a guy he was. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero is his determination to help the heroine, even though it seems he may have an ulterior motive. Is the hero using the heroine for his own personal gain when it comes to his career?

Overall, Ms. Ramsay has penned a delightful read in this book where the chemistry and romance between this couple was wonderful and the ending had me cheering for this couple's happy ever after, because of what the hero does to ensure that he's the one the heroine ends up with. However, in saying that, I just wished that there had been an epilogue to wrap things up a bit more and give me -- as a reader -- the knowledge of whether the hero got his wish of how he wants their relationship to go to cement their forever after even more. Do they get married? I would recommend Here Comes the Bride by Hope Ramsay, if you enjoy the revenge trope or books by authors Lori Wilde, Emily March, Debbie Mason and Catherine Bybee.

[Melody May (What I'm Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posted on What I'm Reading

Okay, Brandon is a jerk. Good thing he's not hero. Seriously, who waits until the day of the wedding and drops hey I think we should play the field before we get married. That's a loser. Laurie is better off without him, but it's going to take some convincing on a few people's part. Yes, Hope Ramsay brings another fun fill small town romance in Here Comes the Bride. Don't get me wrong, Laurie is a bit lost at the beginning of the story. I mean she's wasted 10 years of her life with the loser. Everyone seems to want her help her move on or try to make Brandon jealous. However, there is an underline scheme going on that Laurie and Andrew have no clue is going on. Honestly, I didn't know it was going on at the time. Then again it's a small town romance.

So, we have three main characters in the story Laurie (the bride), Brandon (the runaway groom), and Andrew (the best man/ best friend). However, Brandon is mainly supposedly having fun while Laurie is trying to pick up the pieces of her life. Fortunately, she has Andrew in her corner. However, those two have a better connection than Laurie and Brandon ever did. Okay, I wasn't sure if I was going to like Laurie. She's a little high strung for me, but she did get humiliated by her fiancee. Then we have sweet, reliable Andrew. He's kind of torn by the situation, because he wants to be there for his best friend at the same time he sees the havoc he has caused. In essences he's stuck in the middle. Of course things get a little complicated, okay it gets super complicated. As I got closer to the end I was a getting a little worry that Laurie would take the easy way out. Oh my goodness that would be such a horrible mistake.

Anyway, I did enjoyed Here Comes the Bride. The beginning was a little rough for me, but then again we did have a runaway groom, and a devastated bride. After I got through the first couple of chapters the story started to flow and I was totally waiting for Andrew and Laurie to hook up. By the way you will be waiting for sometime. Still a satisfying read.

Copy provided by Forever Romance

[Tea, And My Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Hope Ramsay creates a story that touches the heart with her second book in the Chapel of love Series. I whole heartedly enjoyed this read and it especially touched my heart because I am going through a break-up myself after eight years. This story uplifted me and I could not have read a more better book at this point in my life. There were tears, laughs, and some heat to carry this story and Laurie was a great heroine and she gave this story some realism. Laurie has suffered the most humiliating that can happen to a bride on her wedding day. She was left at the altar by the man that she has been with for the last ten years and to her surprise the best man comes to her aid. Andrew is stuck between a rock and a hard place because the groom that ran out of his own wedding is his best friend and the bride is his boss's daughter. Forced to set Laurie up on some dates to get under Brandon's skin, Andrew starts to develop feelings that he hadn't felt in ages.

I do not know if I said this before but…I loved this story. It was fast paced and the chemistry between the main characters was electric. Even though the thought of Andrew getting it on with his best friend's ex-fiancé rubbed me the wrong way, the author writes the thoughts of Andrew so well that you really root for Andrew to get the girl. The secondary characters added humor to this story and it also added that family dynamic and drama. Andrew was not an alpha, but he was a level-headed hero who wore his feelings on his sleeves and I absolutely adored him. Laurie was a character trying to find herself after a break-up and towards the end I wanted to knock her down, but fortunately she regains her senses and makes this book nice gift with a silver bow.


Read more at Tea,Blanket,& my book

[Book Loving Fairy-Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

Here Comes the Bride is my first novel by Hope Ramsey. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters were easily relatable. Here Comes the Bride is a light and fun read even with the dynamic of the situation of the story. From page one I was pulled into a scene that created the ultimate dream wedding. Everything a bride wants for a perfect day is envisioned beautifully. You know instantly that everything is too perfect and the fallout begins.

I really enjoyed the wholesomeness of this book but I felt the strong chemistry and attraction of our leading couple. The anticipation of them was so much fun to experience. There were many characters that were included and I am looking forward to knowing their stories. We get glimpses and teasers of the other characters that kept my attention and entertained. Even though there were times I just wanted to know about Laurie and Andrew, it worked out because it really rounded out their story.

Andrew, the best man is truly a friend to both the bride and groom and his devotion to this couple is shown when the groom waits until the bride is at the altar to reveal his fear of missing out on life. Then the bride’s father decides that he wants his daughter and the groom to make amends so he recruits the best man to mediate dates to get Laurie’s ex fiancé jealous and realize his mistake.

Laurie’s friends and bridesmaids are overly protective and will do whatever necessary to get back at the man who jilted their friend. Andrew is perfect for the task he is given of “arranging” dates and playing wingman to Laurie. Their dilemma and relationship grows as the story goes on but the struggle and decisions they face not only affects them but those around them.

I look forward to reading more from Hope Ramsey and I am so happy to have been given the opportunity to review Here Comes the Bride.

[Cyndi Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here Comes The Bride is one of those sweet and smart gems that will leave you feeling, well relief. From the very opening when Laurie Wilson is left at the alter, her life begins a accent toward enlightenment. Sure she's broken-hearted but but once the grief lifts and she begins to follow her ex-fiance Brandons' suggestion that they take a "break" and date other people, her world really opens up.

There to help her, is Brandon's best man Andrew. There's a complex web of connections in the small town of Shenandoah Falls, and Andrews hand at helping Laurie move on is brought about by the machinations of her father, his Aunt, and the input of the small group of friends Laurie and Brandon once shared. We quickly realize that Brandon is really not worthy of Laurie, that she can consider Andrew a genuine friend, and that she really is a bit of a lost soul. She's left a lot of choices to Brandon and she has unfulfilled needs and a new path to forge.

The story is filled with a plethora of well developed characters that help to make this a very entertaining read. Even though some only appear sporadically, it was easy to get a clear take on the group people in the inner circle. As Laurie and Andrew begin to interact more, we come to see just how good a match they would make. But there's many reasons why they are such a bad idea, why they can't be, and Laurie's time exploring all the options allows her to see herself more clearly.

Hope Ramsay plots this story out so well that we experience Lauries' ups and downs. With hope dashed and feeling great disappointment, Laurie begins to make questionable decisions. It surprised me to find that this one kind of a nail biter but I had confidence Laurie would follow her intuition and find her way. Here Comes The Bride is a great second chance, friends to lovers read and I highly recommend it. 4.5 Stars

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laurie is left standing at the altar by the man she was suppose to marry, the man who was suppose to love her no matter what. However it seemed he had other plans and she was left trying to figure things out with more questions the answers. Will she be able to get to the bottom too things while everyone else seems to have other plans for her? Andrew is being pulled every which way and it seems no matter what he does not one is happy. His boss wants him to help Laurie and Brandon get back together. It seems there may be more to everything the meets the eye. Will he be able to be honest to himself and those involved in all of this crazy madness?

I have read the other few of the books in this series and have really enjoyed them, this one was really not a favorite of mine. I felt this book is about matchmaking gone rogue and it added a twist you really didn't accept which added the fun element to this book and you found your self laughing and rolling your eyes at Aunt Pam and her crazy antics. Off the bat the author makes it known Andrew is dealing with a past relationship and healing however he came off more as a push over and kind of didn't have much of a backbone I guess I wanted more from him so it got a little annoying. I did enjoy reading this story it flowed well and Laurie had this empowering kick butt but be a good girl type of attitude which made the book fun to read because you didn't know what was going to happen next. This book does have adult scenes in it. This book is so worth the read if your following this series. I am not sure where the author is going next but I can't wait to ready Courtney, Matt, Roxy, Daniel and Ryan's stories all play a part in this book and super fun characters

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read Hope Ramsay “Last Chance” series and as much as I like that series. I was disappointed in this book. There were parts of the story that I got and understood, but overall I was just left feeling huh. I mean first the groom walks away from the bride at the alter and every guy but one from his side of the family thinks it is the bride’s fault really! Laurie Wilson the bride has been with this jerk (feel free to add any other word or words you wish), for 10 years and has change her life for him. As a father I say good riddance, but no people actually think they should get back together. WTF are they talking about. In real life I say if it took him ten years to get to the chapel and he still walks away good. She already gave up a great job at Michigan the University, bought a house she really did not want, used her money to secure the honeymoon that by the way that she did not use, he did with a cousin. When you get into the story and you realize the person she should be with of course will realize this at the end when she really is still thinking about marrying the jerk again, who still has not paid for anything. Any way you see where I’m going. I did like the female bridesmaids who were in her corner and the groom’s sister Roxy who actually said her brother was a stupid for not marrying her and so where her cousins for blaming her and not her brother Blaine. Me personally I would read the author’s “Last chance series”. I got this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 3 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Misty (Reds Romance Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laurie Wilson is about to embark on the most special journey of her life, marrying the man of her dreams, and starting a new life with him, but in an instant her whole world changes.. . when her fiance decides he's not ready for marriage and leaves her standing alone at the altar. Now she is left hurt, and a little part of her wants to get revenge... luckily for her the Best Man has a plan to do just that!

Andrew Lyndon is stuck between a rock and a hard place, he just watched his friend stand up his bride to be, and his boss is asking him to reunite the happy couple... even though he doesn't think it's such a wise idea. So, against his better judgement, and to ensure his job stays intact, he decides to help her get a little revenge and possibly make her ex-fiance jealous enough to come back around. But the more time he spends with Laurie the more he wants to keep her for himself...

This touching little read is filled with moments that will make you smile, make you swoon, and make your heart sing. Ms. Ramsay has created some very charming characters here that I fell for as soon as I cracked the cover, they drew me right in, made me feel at home, and held onto my attention until the very end! Highly recommend you get your hands on this one, you will not be disappointed with what you find!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this title.

[The Book Junkie Reads . . . · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hope Ramsey gave me another small-town romance that make you believe in the power of small-towns and romance. Most little girls wait for the day that they can play their wedding and marry the man they dreamed of. That was the plan for Laurie Wilson. She had spend years finding the right man and months playing the perfect day. Only to be left. Then prodded in to going on more dates to make the man that left her come back. Damn, that was a big pill to swallow. Brandon had his on agenda going on so that leads to Laurie's dad wanting action taken to make the wedding happen. In comes the best man and an employee of her father's, Andrew.

Andrew was interesting and had a bit of a problem. He must get Laurie and Brandon to the alter. The idea of making her more desirable by showing all the fun she was having by dating and dating often other men. Laurie grows herself during this time. She finds that what family expects of her is not how her life should be. She learns who she is, what she wants, and grows to accept all of that. Watching Laurie grow a friendship with Andrew was pleasant. The extra characters, events, and backdrops were fun additions. Small-town community feel can add it own extras to a story and Hope Ramsay gave a good read that allowed you to see the two characters grow as friends and allowed it to move in to more.

[Marjorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book delightfully entertaining and fun, although what happened at the start was heartbreaking and embarrassing for Laurie. Her groom, Brandon, ran from the altar because he wanted to sew his oats before tying the knot. Seeing her devastation, Laurie's friends and family take over and decide what is best for Laurie to heal her pain. Her friend (and Brandon's best friend) Andrew follows through on what is asked of him, which is to set her up with dates to prove Brandon wrong in taking a pause from the relationship they had. I wanted revenge on Brandon and for Laurie to do an "I'll show him!" I wanted both Laurie and Andrew to step it up and defy what everyone else wanted them to do. Maybe this temporary or permanent break between Laurie and Brandon wasn't so bad after all! This can be read as a standalone, but will also hook you in wanting to read the previous books in the series. And I found some other relationships that may blossom in the future. [I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author.]

[etoile1996 · Rating 4 out of 5]

when laurie wilson is left at the altar by her boyfriend of ten years, brandon kopp it feels like an out of body experience. things are happening, her mother is crying, her father is furious, her bridesmaids are out for blood and the groomsmen are defensive. and the best man, andrew lyndon, is calm and concerned for her and takes her away from the mess and listens to what she wants and tries to fix everything for her.

that's just the kind of guy andrew lyndon is. he's unflappable and cool and so very generous and kind. and laurie isn't expecting to start feeling flutters about her runaway groom's best friend. andrew is also taken by surprise by all these feelings. but she's his best friend's ex-(or maybe still)-fiancée. he grew up with brandon. and shenandoah falls is a small town full of lyndons and kopps, and there is no escaping anyone.

and everyone has an opinion about laurie and brandon or laurie and andrew or andrew and brandon or laurie and hot date number 2 or andrew and val and it's enough to make a sane person crazy so it's no surprise that laurie and andrew go a bit crazy by the end of it. this is a sweet, unexpected love type story. i kind of wish we had more alone time with laurie and andrew because as it was it felt like every time they were together there were about 5 other characters on the scene interrupting the flow of chemistry. but there was chemistry and it's hard not to love these two characters. they're really perfect together.

**here comes the bride will publish on august 29, 2017. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgally/grand central publishing (forever) in exchange for my honest review.