The man that Mindy has loved forever is getting married to someone else. She's also broke so she moves home with her grandmother to help her run her B&B. She is shocked to find out that the innkeeper that is working for her grandmother is actually using the B&B as a Brothel. She feels she needs help so she enlists the aid of the local mystery man, Brett. Can Mindy get through the secrets and get to know the man underneath?

I enjoyed the characters in this book very much. They were sincere and complex. While the plot was a bit predictable, it was still interesting and kept me hooked till the last page.

I voluntarily read an ARC of this book.

This was a typical contemporary romance with an playboy hero and a heroine who's pretty much disillusioned with men. Nothing really stood out with me.

The Bride Next Door by Hope Ramsay is the fourth full length novel in the romantic Chapel of Love series. All can be read as stand-alones. I did not even come close to finishing this as I have no time to read rom-coms that involve men who act like they're still in high school. I am sure many will like the book and the writing style is done quite well and is fluid.

Funny how people label other people or consign them to a particular group. Not necessarily as a compliment. In fact most often a definite slight. So we are entertained by labels given to man/boys by the lovely ladies in this story. And we can see it.
Understand the criteria. But then we come to see the road goes both ways. All part of the joy of dating and meeting people I guess. Then you see men who think of their friends with labels as well and then it just becomes really humorous.
THE BRIDE NEXT DOOR challenges stereotypes. And makes you smile with a silly grin on your face while Hope Ramsay treats you to a battle between two forces of nature, two cats and a collection of friends and family assured to win your heart.
Courtney Wallace is the wedding and event planner at Eagle Hill Manor and candidly hated the month of June. Well actually it was the whole June bride thing that got to her. Courtney knew firsthand what it was like dealing with bridezillas. Courtney was also really good at making lists – planners do that – but her lists were more like a compilation of labels for men with issues. Well again according to Courtney. Courtney even has a list of what she calls the Ten Male Losers.
But that list didn’t prevent Courtney from ogling Matthew Lyndon. Matthew a few years younger than Courtney had a reputation – but didn’t all Lyndon men – at least those that were still bachelors. It didn’t help that Matthew hung around with men of equal repute – in regard to women. But as we learn Matthew loved the ladies – but with respect. He was definitely not a kiss and tell kind of guy. Reputations take on a life of their own and with the men that Courtney met in her small town and through her job as wedding planner those reputations were well earned.
And now there’s The Bet. Yes Matthew is crazy enough to enter into a bet with his friend Brandon that he could and would melt the ice lady – Courtney. Brandon has a reason to want to punish Courtney – she and her little band of friends have really given him their own special brand of angst after he left their friend at the altar. But even that has become dated – except Brandon now sees a way to even the score.
Strange thing about plans – they have a way of becoming morphed by situations. This is the lesson that both Courtney and Matthew are going to learn. Matthew is going full speed with his best stuff to get Courtney to notice him as he has her. Yes Matthew it seems has been keeping an eye on Courtney for a while now but without any opportunity to move to the next step. Emboldened by The Bet Matthew is determined to see if this attraction has any merit.
Courtney though sees right through Matthews little charade. She know about The Bet. But what’s the harm in enjoying the company of this handsome young man who seems set on wining and dining her. Courtney’s schedule is already burgeoning with weddings and such. But there just may be a short window of opportunity for her to find out more about this Lyndon man. See if the label fits. No harm no foul after all it’s all about a bet.
Of all the Hope Ramsay books I’ve read – and believe the list is long – THE BRIDE NEXT DOOR is one of my all-time favorites. It is part of the Chapel of Love series. THE BRIDE NEXT DOOR is book three in this lovely series and totally stands on its own. So it’s never too late to jump into the Chapel of Love series but if you get the chance - read them all. Great fun and enjoyment and each one guaranteed to touch your heart and soul.

I was so excited when this book was announced because I absolutely loved the other two books in the series. Actually, "Small Town Bride" was one of my fav books of 2017 and the second installment, "Here Comes the Bride" was just as good. Feel free to check out my reviews for these two books on my blog. Did this book meet my expectations? I had high hopes for this book because Courtney and Matt had great chemistry in the other two books and I just knew that their relationship would melt my kindle.

First, let me tell you a little about the story. Courtney is the wedding planner of the small town and a renowned "ice queen". Courtney has this little side assignment where she labels guys such as "Not so nice guy" or "Player", but she gets a rude awakening when Matt comes along and knocks her on her heels. Matt is sort of like the bad apple of the Lyndon bunch. This family is full of lawyers and politicians and he just can't seem to fit in with either career path. When I say bad apple, I mean that he is seen as the one not living up to the family name, but he wants to so badly. What happens when Matt and Courtney become neighbors? If you guessed sexy time, then you have a dirty mind my friend, but you are also correct. :)

Now it is time for my thoughts on this book and to be completely honest with you, this book was okay. My expectations were so high that I felt very underwhelmed and third time was not the charm with this series. The chemistry that these two shared in the previous books were not as powerful in their story. The story dragged a little for me and Courtney's friend had a more exciting story to tell and I was more interested in her and her hot, tatted Irish hunk.


But….this book did have heart and the character development was spot on. Under Courtney iced exterior was a woman who wanted to be loved and to share her life with someone. Matt and Courtney both found something, but neither one of them wanted to take that leap. The ending was very cliché and it just wrapped up everything with a big pretty bow.

FIN.

I have read most of Hope Ramsay’s books, and this one, compared to most of the others, came across as rather mediocre. My biggest problem was that the book was very predictable and about one quarter too long. At about the three-quarter mark, I knew what was going to happen, and then had to read through a lot of “filler” to get to the end. This was okay, just not all that interesting and made the book drag for me.

Courtney Wallace, a wedding planner, has given up on finding the man of her dreams. She wonders, from time to time, if she has set her sights too high, but then figures she would rather be alone than with someone she does not really love. In fact, at this point in her life, Courtney has devised categories for the men she encounters—e.g. the player, man baby, nice guy not, etc. She generally meets up with her friends at the local town bar hang out, where they meet to discuss what their lives are like, who is dating who, etc. One evening, Courtney is approached by Matt, son of a local prominent family, who has just returned home to work in his family law firm. Matt, a nice guy not, is not the type guy Courtney ever wanted to pair up with. In fact, Matt has just made a bet that he can seduce Courtney and get her into bed in a few short dates, but Matt does not know that Courtney knows about the bet. They begin dating, and things go better than expected by both. In fact, unbeknown to both, Matt moves into the apartment next to that of Courtney, so, though they may want to, they cannot avoid seeing and encountering each other regularly. As time passes, both Courtney and Matt learn things about each other they never would have believed, as they grow increasingly closer to each other.

Both Matt and Courtney were interesting characters and well developed by the author. There were other secondary characters sprinkled throughout, who were also well done an added a lot to the story. However, as I said, I think the book could easily have ended sooner, and then dragged toward the end, which is generally unusual in most books. This is part of a series but is really a stand-alone book. I have not read any other books in the series, but it never felt that this was part of a series or felt I needed to be familiar with them to understand or follow the story. The ending, of course, was very predictable, but it was interesting to watch the two characters, Matt and Courtney, move along through their daily routines, to get there. After reading the book, I’d say that this was actually a nice romance. There were a few sex scenes, but not many, and could easily be glossed over by anyone who prefers not to read the details. As I said, however, this will never be one of my favorite Hope Ramsay books. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

I was so happy to finally be able to read Courtney & Matthew's story. The book, as always, was very well written. I really enjoy that the characters from the prior books in the series are always showing back up in the new stories. This was a very quick read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is very much like returning to visit old friends. I hope that there are many more books left in the series and Hope is always one of my go to authors.

Here comes the… player and the man-hater! Sparks fly and a battle wages as the two least likely to walk down the aisle get their story.
Review

The Bride Next Door is the fifth book in the Chapel of Love series. The stories wouldn’t be impossible to read out of order, but this series really does work best when the reader takes it from the beginning. Both main characters have been around since the beginning and really got some page time in the last book, Here Comes the Bride.

Now, that said, maybe newbies who jump in with The Bride Next Door might do better with this one since they won’t have all the previous scenes to develop antipathy toward both the hero and the heroine. Yep, this one was going to be a doozy for me any way I approached it.
See, I couldn’t stand either Matt or Courtney in the last book. Matt earned his rep as a player with me when he sided with the thoughtless, selfish run-a-way groom in the last book and encouraged him to play the field before settling down. And Courtney? Well, this dear lady is one of the most cynical women there is having a label for everyone male and being more destructive of property and aggressive about revenge than the jilted bride. I’ll be honest, I might have skipped this book if I’d been paying closer attention to who the protagonists were instead of just auto clicking because I love this author.

But, in the way of things, I’m glad I didn’t realize and that I did click because I ended up enjoying much about this book. Both Matt and Courtney had a reason for their issues. I actually knew this because, hey, people don’t get that jaded or cynical without a reason- at least I hope not.
I ended up falling for Matt long before I… let’s say I learned to tolerate Courtney- never did fall for her. He turned out to have a lot more to him than just a player. And, in this story, he wasn’t a player at all, but a wonderful hero who worked hard to batter away at Courtney’s titanium wall and prove himself on the job as he worked to help a bunch of people to keep their homes and proving himself to his dad (I couldn’t stand his dad who was always disappointed in Matt no matter what and always comparing him to others in the family including his brothers). He was more open to believing in chances and trying something than Courtney, well, until the end where he had to have his prerequisite huge mistake that fortunately, didn’t last long.
With Courtney, I got sick of her man categories and constant suspicions (he’s being the Player, oh wait, no more of a hybrid with the Perfect Man, but, or wait no make that Manwhore…and so on). Just when I think she’s softening after the half-way point… nope, she hauls that tender feeling and trust stuff back in and dramas stuff up more than once. I hated seeing Matt make his mistake with her, but there was a fed up part of me that was happy to see her getting a taste of her own bitter medicine of what it’s like to have someone label you and toss your truth and true feelings back as a slimy lie. I’m thinking that’s not a good reaction to have in a romance book.

So, despite appearances here, I was actually rooting for this pair and enjoyed a few of the side plots like Matt’s father, Matt’s work with Arwem on the homes, and Courtney and her work. I think that’s why I got frustrated with them. I got into seeing Courtney and Matt going from hostile to interested, learning about each other, and seeing there was so much more than other people even realized including me.

In summary, it was a surprise and better than I imagined. It had its iffy times so I liked it rather than loved it, but still adore this series and want more. Those who enjoy the more people-driven stories set against a small town should take a gander at the Chapel of Love series.

Received in exchange for a honest review.

This was sweet. I loved how Matt wasn’t what Courtney thought. He kept surprising her and she began to see who he really was.

Matt wasn’t stuck up or competitive and he certainly wasn’t a player. He was a young man who was trying to survive the shark waters that was his family. He struck out on his own and forged a path but bad luck hit and he ended up coming home. He went to work for his dad where he was treated like a lackey by many. He had alot of self doubt due to his family but he was a sweet and caring guy. When it came to his clients at the apartment complex he really cared and did all he could for them. Even when some thought he was incompetent and arrogant, he ignored it all and put everything he could into helping his clients and doing what was right. He showed people he wasn’t what they thought. He wasn’t cutthroat or a player. He was kind and caring. He was intelligent and honest. I understood at the end when he didn’t trust Courtney but than let go of his issues and truly let her in and gave her the chance.

Courtney had some issues with trust as did Matt but hers went deeper. She was angry and frustrated. Great at her job but wary of happy ever afters. She was also very loyal and kind. Her fears of losing people got her to do something to help in a situation she normally wouldn’t get involved in. when she first sees Matt it wasn’t under good conditions. He was taking on a bet about her and she let him have it . From there her opinion of him could only go up but it wasn’t easy for him.She thought of him as spoiled, arrogant and a player so when he moved in next to her she was not very happy. Over time she saw who he really was and they fell for each other.

The chemistry between these two flew off the page. They were two people who supported and respected one another. Only for Courtney she never really trusted Matt. It almost ruins their relationship. when she heard what his dad did to him over the apartment complex clients, she was mad for him showing that she loved him but it was almost to late. They both needed to work on trust and letting go of the past. When they finally work things out it is wonderful and sweet at the end.

A wonderful sweet story that flows well and has you smile as these two learn about one another and fall in love.

Very enjoyable read. Courtney feels she's the last of her friend that's still single and not pregnant, oh, and her biological clock is ticking. But even with all that she's still relationship shy because of some image hangups and high school drama. Matt has moved back home after loosing his job, joining his father's law firm at the bottom of the totem pole, it's not easy. He also feels he needs to prove himself to his father. Courtney sees Matt as a hookup artist, not her style, even if he wasn't so much younger than her, but does he make her melt. Well written, great main and supporting characters and fun story line.

I reviewed this title for the April digital edition of RT Book Reviews and my review can be seen in the April edition

I wasn't a fan of this one. The two main characters, Courtney and Matt, both have issues that needed to be dealt with. Courtney automatically puts every guy she meets into a category, regardless of the fact that she knows nothing about them personally. She was harassing a guy that left his fiancee at the alter, even though it had nothing to do with her. Matt was trying to pick Courtney up because of a bet he made with the guy she was harassing. I didn't really like them together. I wasn't a fan of the 3 POV either. Courtney's friend Arwen was given her own voice in this story. I didn't really like having another person's thoughts to read. She should have her own story, not part of this one. This was a first for me from this author, but I would give her another read.
I voluntarliy reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

Courtney is a wedding planner in her quaint home town. While she’s busy planning each bride's perfect day, she’s also watching most of her single friends enjoying their own happily ever afters and now starting families. She’s torn between wanting her own ever after or resigning herself to cat lady spinsterhood, because every guy she meets conveniently fits into her preconceived, labeled boxes like Man Baby, Hook-up Artist or Emotionally Unavailable. When she finds out that Matt makes a bet he can hook up with her, she decides to teach him a lesson.

I became a fan of this author as I blazed my way through her Last Chance series yet somehow missed this series when it started, so I jumped at the chance to read an advance copy of this book. I think this is a book that’s meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek and not taken too seriously. Otherwise, there are plenty of potential offenses, with a young, cocky, womanizing hero who bets his friend he can get “the Ice Queen" into bed, and a heroine who pigeonholes all potential dates into one loser slot or another before getting to know them. There are definitely some examples of what not to do, and going on this journey with Matt and Courtney as they grow and change is as heartfelt as it is fun. So sit back, relax and prepare to be entertained, and possibly glean a few bits of wisdom along the way.

*I reviewed this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide a review and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source for this review.

Courtney is in her “zone” as a wedding planner: she’s got her life, her list about ‘men’ and with both of her friends now pregnant, she’s also got a ton of work to do. She’s well and truly out of the dating game (or so she tells herself) because in an instant she can put any man into a category and decide he’s not worth her time. At the heart of things – she’s scared that she’ll never have what her friends do: happiness, love and families on the way.

Matt is back in town after his job with an environmental lobbying firm was eliminated in DC. Unable to find more work in his chosen field, he’s returned to Shenandoah Falls and joined the family law firm – a job that most definitely isn’t what he hoped for. In addition, Matt’s reputation as a ladies man precedes him. He’s handsome and honestly wants to do well, but he’s riddled with insecurities at the law firm where the pro-bono cases have been dropped in his lap. But, like all boys – he’s made a bet with a friend that he’ll be able to take Courtney out – not really meaning anything more than that. He finds her attractive and intriguing – made only more so by her apparent untouchability.

Of course, Courtney finds out about the bet – with a bit of a warning-off by the town cop, and she’s decided she’ll play Matt to teach him a lesson. But things are much deeper: she’s unaccountably attracted to him, even as she repeatedly tries to fob him off with dismissive comments, a sharp and snide attitude and general unpleasantness.

Unlike others in this series: this story has plenty of outside input from other couples in town: with plenty of moments where Matt’s actual desire to do the best for the people he’s representing, and our realization that Courtney’s quick dismissal of him and ‘his type’ are more representative of her own insecurities and fears than anything he actually is. Matt is solid and strong – with a determination to make the best of the situation he’s in at the law firm, do the best for his clients, and wanting to make a real impression on his family where he’s always felt like the afterthought. Slowly, and with plenty of pushback, Courtney comes to see Matt for who he is – and her constant second-guessing of his motives and intentions do slowly slide away – but not until the frustration with her immature behavior had me (and some of those around her) more frustrated with her than supportive.

A bit of a difficult story – I was glad to see Courtney find a match: and Matt seems to be level enough – and strong enough in his own self to withstand her on again off again affections and maturity, but it just was a long road to the happy ending. It was nice to check in with others from the series and see their lives moving forward, and there is something rather comforting in the small town of Shenandoah Falls – a decent installment for fans of the series.

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 <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-9Hj /”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

the extended lyndon family and assorted other residents of last chance, are still looking and finding love in the bride next door. matt lyndon has a playboy reputation, even if he actually started out as less than smooth with the ladies. courtney knows that matt is a player and based on her male classification system this means that he's not worth the effort.

when matt and courtney are actually spending time together and she puts down her walls, there's a lot to enjoy about their relationship. the problem is that there is so much baggage that poot matt is carrying around, everyone makes these terrible assumptions about his character. it's really bad. i spent most of the book feeling sorry for matt and hoping he could escape back to d.c. away from his horrible family. and even courtney at times. because she's a super jerk to him too a lot of the time.

the only other characters worth spending any time with were arwen and rory. and maybe the hints of ryan and joni. but i kind of hate the lyndons, and have no way of keeping them all straight.

**the bride next door will publish on april 3, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/grand central publishing (forever) in exchange for my honest review.

The Bride Next Door by Hope Ramsay is the fourth full length novel in the romantic Chapel of Love series. There is also two novellas that fit into this same series but like the full length titles all of these move onto new main characters as couples so they all could be read as a standalone if choosing to do so. There are however updates of former characters involved for those that follow the entire series.

In this installment Courtney Wallace is a wedding planner but unlike most of her friends she is still single and looking for her own happily ever after. Being single is really starting to hit Courtney as it seems her married friends are all announcing their pregnancies at once.

When Courtney is out with her friends she finds out that Matthew Lyndon, a hotshot lawyer and local playboy, has taken a bet that he can get ice queen Courtney into bed. Courtney decides to turn the tables and teach Matthew a lesson but little did she expect loosing her heart to a man that doesn’t fit into Courtney’s neat little box of what she expects.

I have to say that Courtney was not my favorite lead female of this series so far. Her attitude of everyone is some type of stereotype was annoying to me so I can’t imagine how a man would feel to be put into her labels. However, I did absolutely love Matt and his breaking all of Courtney’s molds she tried to fit him into.

This one also featured Matthew as he is learning the ropes as a lawyer working with his family and I loved that side of the story as well. Another Lyndon steps out of the family’s shadow and goes against the rest to help some residents of an apartment complex before they lose their homes. Great story to weave a romance into as you can’t help but feel for the clients in this one.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Shenandoah Falls, Virginia, is far enough away from the DC area to have a small town feel, yet close enough to attract greedy developers who want to make hefty changes to it. The apartment complex in Dogwood Estates is feared to be demolished and the residents driven out. Matthew Lyndon, single at 25, has just started working at the Lyndon family law firm. With Arwen’s help as a paralegal, they try and salvage the lives of those living there. Courtney Wallace, single at 36, believes her chances at finding love and family have slipped away. As an event and wedding planner at Eagle Hill Manor, she can’t help but notice that most of her friends and acquaintances have found true love, gotten married, and either have children or are pregnant. If only she could find someone who wasn’t on her negative-types she has categorized all single men in. Both Courtney and Matt have had past experiences that caused them to not to trust a new relationship, and yet they are attracted to each other. They become closer after Matt moves into the apartment next door. I especially liked the scenes at the Jaybird Cafe and Music Hall, which is the place where most of Courtney’s and Matt’s friends end up at the end of the day. I enjoy the witty humor Hope Ramsay brings to her stories. Serious problems are added with the town attempting to solve them. The Lyndon elders are a challenge to deal with. Their heirs try to break away and make a life of their own, a challenge of its own. This town may be a bit disjointed, but there are some that try to save it for their own future. [I received a complimentary copy of this book.]

Spring makes me think of weddings. That makes it the perfect time for the next installment in Hope Ramsays Chapel of Love series. We’ve watch Courtney judge everyone around her for the past few books. Now, she’s met her match in Matthew Lyndon. Courtney and Matt are fun from page one. Both tend to judge current circumstances by past experiences, though more dramatically than most. Watching them lose their shields and let each other in keeps you turning pages. After all, how can a CAT GUY be all bad...?

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this next book in Hope Ramsay's new series Chapel of Love.

Courtney and Matt are adversaries in the start of this book. Courtney is in the wedding business, she works for Edge Hill Manor in her capacity of Wedding and Events planner. Who oddly enough would like her own HEA, but she does not anticipate this with Matt Lyndon, who's family is Royalty in the State of Virginia. He is a the hot-shot new lawyer in town, after coming back from DC. Who is also a" Player" which does not fit in with her plan, and when she gets wind of a bet he made with one of her best friend's ex's, well she is going to beat him at his own game...But all bets are off when Matt moves in next door to Courtney and he begins to work his magic, not only on her, but her cat too..

I enjoyed this book, although it took me a bit to get to like Courtney at first. But she began to grow on me once you know her back story and her past relationships. And the more you see her character develop in the story the more you root for her to have the HEA after she deserves. I kind of liked Matt right from the beginning. Because his family is all powerful and his father was not treating him with the respect he deserved, you saw him buck the system as a lawyer and stand up for those who needed his help and he went to great lengths to prove his self worth to not only his family, but to Courtney and most of all himself.
I can honestly say this was one of my favs of the series. And I liked all the books in this series.

I like to read Hope Ramsay. This story was not one of her best. Too much whining and insecurity for my part.