The Bride Next Door

Ramsay spins a thoroughly entertaining story for her fourth Chapel of Love contemporary (after A Small-Town Bride). Feisty, sensitive Courtney Wallace plans weddings for a living in a small, picturesque Virginia town. Having been hurt many times herself, she’s dubious about the prospect of happy romance. When she hears that local lawyer Matthew Lyndon has a bet going with a friend that he can seduce her in less than two dates, she seizes on it as an opportunity to teach Matt a long-overdue lesson about women. Instead, she learns that Matt isn’t the callous player she assumed he was, leading to a dramatic moment that could change their relationship forever. The clever plotting and skillful characterization lend an appealing depth to this story. The enjoyable subplots include Matt’s attempts to help a group of low-income tenants dodge eviction and some glimpses of earlier brides. There’s also a romance between a shy songwriter and an Irish bartender that neatly sets up the next book in the series. Readers will want to come back again and again. Agent: Elaine P. English. (Apr.)