Amy's character was just so whiny that I had a really hard time getting far in to the book.

Another extraordinary hit from Hope Ramsay!!!! I thoroughly enjoy reading books that seem to include you in the day to day life of the characters! I've already purchased extra copies to give as birthday gifts to my friends!!!

My favorite read of April 2017 is the sparkling gem A Small-Town Bride by Hope Ramsay. I never get tired of poor-little-rich-girls and in this case, Amy Lyndon really is rich until “Daddy takes the T-Bird* away.” She doesn't really drive that car* but her Daddy actually does take away her “breath of life” aka her credit cards.

How Amy makes it on her own AND finds the man of her dreams is a fast-paced, occasionally poignant, always enjoyable story.

Amy Lyndon is spoiled and relies too much on her father to bail her out of trouble. Since nothing was expected of her, she did not have any skills. But once she has been cut off financially by her father, she acquires a job. Dusty McNeil is her new boss and does not believe she is up for the tasks at hand. However, she slowly proves him wrong and soon becomes drawn to her.

Both Amy and Dusty's interaction with one another was a great. I loved that Dusty was there to witness her character development from being a spoiled rich girl to an independent woman.

Amy's interaction with her family is very telling. All of them thought similarly to her uncle except one.

Even though this is the second book to the series written by Hope Ramsay, it did not feel like I was missing something and trying to figure out what happened. It could be read as a standalone. I recommend this to readers who like positive personal progression within a character. A good chicklit novel.

A fun read. I would have liked a stronger conflict. I'd recommend A Small Town Bride to anybody who likes sweet contemporary romance.

Amy and Dusty were perfect. She was dynamic and interesting, and really stuck to her guns as far as standing up to her family. Dusty went out on a limb to help her, and she not only didn't let him down, but they found something special with each other.

A Small Town Bride isn’t a sweet and simple romance. It’s packed to the brim with family drama, growing pains, and unending love.

I wasn't sure about A Small Town Bride at first. When I do read romance I generally read Regency and this to me felt like the contemporary romance version of a cozy mystery novel. Amy is a spoiled and aimless member of a large Virginia family, and after she refuses to marry the very successful hedge fund manager who just proposed to her, Amy's father cuts off her credit cards and phone and goes on vacation, locking her out of the house. (Ha - that does sound kind of like the modern version of a Regency plot, where the evil father tries to force the daughter to marry the fat, old, balding guy...)

But as I read, the dynamic of this book started to remind me of one of the contemporary romance authors I have read, Susan Elizabeth Phillips -- you know, Phillips' books with the scrappy, formerly-cushy-now-down-on-their-luck heroines, women like Francesca in Fancy Pants or Sugar in Ain't She Sweet or Daisy in Kiss an Angel. Phillips' heroines are MUCH more vivid and her books pack MUCH more of an emotional punch, but I still think the similarity is there.

Out of money and out of options, Amy takes a job as a member of the grounds crew on the estate of one of her relatives. Her boss is the attractive Dusty McNeil, who doubts her abilities at first but slowly begins to be drawn to her.

This is part of a series about the larger Lyndon family. I do like books that incorporate family, but because I hadn't read any of the prior books, I had some trouble keeping all the uncles and aunts and cousins straight. The book also has a side plot featuring Amy's cousin Danny and his upcoming televised, reality TV wedding to a Vegas showgirl. Is this relationship part of another book? I don't know but the subplot added some needed oomph.

I did like Amy's character development. In the first few pages she's written as spoiled, but the story quickly reveals that she is really just someone who is constantly underestimated by her wealthy family, and thus has low self esteem. One of my favorite parts of the story was watching her confidence grow. And the dogs. I'm a sucker for dogs.

While I enjoyed many of the humorous moments, this book never really grabbed me. It makes a good beach read, with plenty of drama to enjoy.

Received in exchange for a honest review.
This is a delight to read. I love how Amy and dusty both grow but also learn from one another. For Amy in order to take control of her life after her dad kicks her out she proves to her family and herself that she can stand on her own and make it. For Dusty we see how he falls in love and shows others that he isn’t what they think he is. Both help each other learn to grow, mature and love.
Dusty was a stand up guy. He had everything be a learning opportunity and he had a heart of gold. He wasn’t looking for love but found it with the spunky and determined Amy. I loved watching Amy change. She goes from spoiled rich girl to one who is determined to be on her own and sees the value of a dollar. That vegas wedding show scenario was funny but sobering as well. It shows us what some will sacrifice for the love of a child and how cold and selfish some can be as well. We see how vapid some people are and how love is just a word for it is attached to what you can give them.
Amy and Dusty don’t start out liking each other but grow to love one another. Neither looking for a relationship but trying to prove something-one to family and the other to a town. One showing that they are not the horrible person he is made out to be and the other trying to gain respect from the family. We get some really precious scenes where we see the tender side of Dusty. How he is encouraging and supportive. How he shows his love and doesn’t realize it. We see the patient side of him. With Amy we see her become determined and independent. She gains respect and sees the value of a hard days work. She learns to stand on her own and be proud of who she is. Dusty helps her gain confidence in herself and her job helps her gain more. 
Their story is sexy and entertaining. We see two people help one another mature and fall in love. Two people believe in each other and support one another. Two people accept love and fight for it. They stand up for each other and themselves and show the town and themselves they are more than what is thought of them. A love story that is sweet, sexy, full of surprises, sass and vinegar, growth of characters and entertainment that has you smile.

Sweet, not so simple romance between an unlikely pair. The towns poor little rich girl and the man that was not right for her, but challenged her. Amy was more than anyone would have figured. I was hoping to have more than just another rich spoiled female as that lead. Amy shows that she was made of more than just the life she lived. I personally felt like dad and the rest of the family was selling her short. Just because she did not conform to what they wanted her to do, say, and be.

If you are looking for a read where the heroine grows and becomes more of herself. You will enjoy this one. Amy grows. She gets that something that she needed to show the world (or just her family) that she was not the spoiled, do nothing rich girl everyone assumed her to be.

Another piece of the puzzle falls in to place. The series carries on.

Amy Lyndon has spent her life being the spoiled rich girl of the town with the only skills she learned growing up was how to shop. When Amy’s father insists that the twenty eight year old accept a marriage proposal from a rich man that she doesn’t love or he will cut off her allowance and throw her out of the house Amy however decides to take her life into her own hands.

Living out of her car with only the clothes on her back Amy decides the way to defy her father is to get a job and stand on her own two feet. Amy finds herself getting a job working on the landscaping crew for minimum wage for Dusty McNeil. While Dusty finds Amy a bit naive he can’t help but respect her dedication to teaching her family a lesson and standing on her own for a change.

A Small Town Bride by Hope Ramsay is the second full length book in the Chapel of Love series. Along with the full length books there are also a couple of novellas available from the series. Each book in the series is set in the picturesque town of Shenadoah Falls and features a new couple falling in love and can be read as standalone novels.

When starting out reading A Small Town Bride I wasn’t sure if I was going to like the main character in this story of not being twenty eight and begging for daddy’s help. But once Amy is off on her own she grows into a rather strong determined young woman that I couldn’t help but root for. The relationship between Amy and Dusty was one to watch as they both dealt with the problems in their lives and found what they needed was each other. In the end I became a fan and would definitely recommend this one to any romance fan.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Amy Lyndon was living the life one day and the next the boom was lowered by her father, no more credit cards, cell phones, shopping sprees and what’s more was given the boot from her home. Her father was not paying for her lifestyle anymore. Amy thought her father was just having his usually rant but he was serious this time when she refused to marry the man he had chosen for her. He locked her out of the house and with no job and not money in the bank, she was desperate. After a night spent in her car she finds out that there is a job going at her cousin’s business for a wedding planner and she hightails it over there to find out that the job is already been given to someone else. Amy is desperate and takes as job on the grounds crew, for which she has no skills but she is willing to learn to be able to survive.
Dusty McNeil can’t believe that he has to hire on The Lyndon Princess. He knows that she is not qualified in anything but spending her daddy’s money, not working on his landscaping crew. But he has no idea that she has determination on her side and after a night out in the woods, which he practical dared her to do, that she would find her way into his heart with her that denervation and to never give up. She became his champion when her family members were trying to take land away from him that had been in his family for generations. He taught her about flowers and shrubs, but she taught him how to be strong and to never give up with determination and love on their side.
I liked this story which is the second novel in Hope Ramsay’s Chapel of Love series. It is set in Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley around the Lyndon family being the prominent movers and shakers around town. But some of the younger generation are starting to rebel against the status quo and want lives of their own making and not ruled by the head of the family…
At first Amy was not a character that I thought I would like but she grew on me as I read this book. She has a moment of panic at her lifestyle change, but then she changes her high heels for hiking boots that didn’t quite fit and make a new her that she can like and admire and others will too. With the help of some other people that would not otherwise come into her life, like Dusty who turned from teacher to lover to love of her life, she finds that a once pampered Princess can become the Queen of her life.

Amy Lyndon really was a spoilt and sheltered rich girl, but she was also to be pitied because she was dirt poor when it came to her kinfolks, particularly her dad and brothers, treating her like she was a ditzy simpleton only good for blowing through the money. And she was, but then getting kicked out and forced to shift for herself and really think for herself was the making of her.

I’m always a fan when an author portrays characters who grow and comes into their own. In this case, Amy wasn’t the only one. Rusty, the hero had to do his own amount of soul-searching, too, which included his dawning respect and interest in Amy and need to live down his family’s bad reputation in town.

This isn’t a deep story and the Lyndon family antics could be over the top. There was also a side story with Amy’s cousin Daniel that really had me bemused. But, it was fun and light. Not really challenging, but just such a story to offer an engaging distraction.

All in all, this was cute one and I’m looking forward to the next installment to see who finds love and just how the zany and snobby antics of the Lyndons will crop up next. This book is for those who want something light and easy, yet slightly spicy in their contemporary romances.

I rec’d this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a "feel good romance" that had me rooting for Amy from the get-go. She proves living a pampered life style doesn't mean you're dumb and can't make something of yourself. After being cut off by her father because she refused to marry into another rich family, Amy gets a job as a gardener. She embraces this job and quickly begins to learn the plant names and tries to make the best of her circumstances. In the meantime, her new boss starts to see her in a different light and begins to have feelings for her. Against the odds, they both begin to rely on each other and form a relationship.

Overall I enjoyed the love story of this book.

A Small-Town Bride was a great book. I really enjoyed the story and Amy's development into a mature, responsible woman. I honestly did not think I was going to like Amy at the beginning of the book. She seemed so spoiled and clueless, but thankfully, it didn't take long for her to grow up.

I loved Dusty. He was a kind, hardworking man. He gave Amy a chance to prove herself and was always there to help her out. He also put up with more than most people would when it came to dealing with his alcoholic, bum of a father.

Although they came from two very different worlds, Amy and Dusty developed a deep friendship and love for each other. Amy because such a strong person, and by the end, she seemed to be tougher than Dusty.

I really enjoyed this second book of this Shenandoah Falls series. What others perceive versus what is true is one of the prevalent themes throughout this story. Tearing each other apart is upfront and personal, and yet when a character explains how he or she actually feels, you are able to see beyond the gossip and either accept or disagree with the reasons for their own behavior due to the circumstances they have been dealt with. I truly appreciate the insight this author has. I cheered for the independent decisions and truthful relations that evolved with the main characters, Amy and Dusty. The characters that were set in their ways and without any chance of changing tried to shape everyone else’s lives. But some stand up to those dictates and eventually do what is best for themselves. I really liked this book and highly recommend it. [I received a complimentary copy of this book through the author and NetGalley.]

Judging people is going to get you into a world of hurt – believing the judgement of other people about yourself is one hundred times worse. These are things that Amy and Dusty know, but have to learn the lesson the hard way – usually the way to learn anything is by doing, experiencing it yourself. These two are about to get an education.

In many ways Amy was the spoiled rich girl. In other ways she was the odd one in her family, the one without the high level education, the one who others called dumb, stupid and odd. She wants more than the loveless marriage that is being pushed at her. She believes in love, and happy ever afters and possibilities beyond what she seems destined to experience. In a moment of rebellion she ends up being cut off from the family she loves, the money she’s accustomed to, even the home where she lays her head. With nothing but her stubbornness, her determination and yes, her hurt to drive her Amy does what no one expected… she survived, she made her own way and she found what she’d been looking for.

Dusty wasn’t expecting much at all from the spoiled princess who ended up working the grounds of the estate. She’d never cut it here, and he could wait her out before ending her employment. But a funny thing happened along the way to the unemployment line in Dusty’s mind – Amy worked, she learned, she grew and she blossomed into someone he never expected. As his judgement slowly grew into something much more, Dusty began taking a good long look at his own life and began making changes of his own.

I enjoyed A Small-Town Bride very much. Not only do Amy and Dusty work well together as a couple, they give us a good life lesson in how not to judge others without knowing what we’re talking about. This romance has bits of happy and sad mixed in with the growing of both Amy and Dusty from what they were to what they could become. As always, Hope Ramsay gives us a realistic romance with likable characters, and a whole slew of secondary characters to enjoy. I don’t look for things to learn from the romances that I read, but sometimes I’m reminded, gently, that what you see isn’t always the entire story – and to hold off judgement until you know the facts. I liked this couple, and I believe you will, too. Definitely recommend this story, and the entire series.

*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.*

Ha, that blurb is so not telling the truth. Amy loves spending money, she loves the easy life, but then her father throws her out and tells her to marry her boyfriend. And here the truth of the blurb comes in. Sure she is all wtf!? at first. But she does not go running to her bf cos she decided she wants love and he is not that. And she does not go running to family either. She buckles down, gets a hardworking job and tries to fix her life.

Amy was sure a spoiled princess at first, but she truly changed fast because she had no other choice. And she was angry, she was upset, proud and mostly stubborn. She would not give in, she would show them! I liked that about her. I also felt bad for her cos even her family called her stupid, so she saw herself as no good, not even pretty and not really worth much.

Dusty does not know what to do with this spoiled princess, but he grudgingly starts to appreciate her. And fall for her of course, but it takes a while, he is a player. And he has his own trouble with family.

One thing that I did not care for was the sudden appearance of a side story with her cousin, I was all, who are these people? It stole from the main story. I do not mind a side story, but it was even wrapped up in a happy ending. It could have been in the background and then there would have been a story about them instead in another book.

Conclusion;
Back to this story. It was a cute story. They fell in love. They found out what they wanted from life and lived happily ever after.

This is a fantastic romance. Amy is a rich girl whose father gets testy one day and throws her out of the house believing she will go to her supposed fiancé or her aunt. She fools her father and gets a job at minimum wage. I love how she learns to stand on her own two feet. I also love how Dusty learns to become a better man also. This is two people learning to be better people. Received this from Grand Central Publishing for a fair and honest review that I gave of my own free will.