On to the second one in The Wedding Ring series! I liked the first book, Love’s Funny That Way, so much, I rushed out to get the next one (One Eager Bride to Go and Fiance for Hire follow in February and March of this year). This installment features Charli Rossi, the plain, shy member of the group. It was just as cute as the first book, and it kept me reading way past my bedtime. I had to see Charli turn her marriage around, despite the fact that her husband was a pig.

It’s Charli’s turn to have her friends find her a husband, and she’s looking forward to it. She lives with her parents and grandma, and at 30 she’s still a virgin. Her friends choose Grant Sterling, a lawyer, as Charli’s match. Grant’s handsome, mature, and eager to become a partner in his law firm. In fact, that’s all he wants. When he finally gives in to the unspoken rule that partners in the firm must be married, he decides Charli will be perfect. She’s quiet, mousy, and undemanding. We know where this is going, right?

Okay, so this one is just as predictable as can be. We know what will happen. But there’s something about Burford’s writing that is light, charming, and involving.

Charli is one of my favorite kinds of characters, the Cinderella. I knew she had to become an assertive, knockout woman and win Grant. She’s nice, nurturing, and strong in character. She’s also a 30-year-old virgin. She made a choice to wait, and no matter how Grant tempts her, she sticks to her guns. Charli does have a little downside in that it takes her too long to stand up to Grant. She’s used to taking care of everyone else, but she finally gets over it. She’s a little naive (she’s in love with Grant after the first date), but marriage to Grant opens her eyes.

Grant is a pig. There’s another p-word I’d rather use for him, but AAR is family-friendly. Grant wants someone whom he can tell what to wear, how to look, and how to act, and who won’t interfere in his life at all. In return, he promises Charli a companionable marriage and “discretion.” Like I said, a pig. Fortunately, he has his moments. When he is alone with Charli and they’re having a nice time, you can see the nice guy Grant could be. He definitely has potential when you’re not wanting to slap him. The worst part is a party near the end of the book. Grr.

Charli and Grant don’t have a ton of chemistry at first, but it grows. The underlying friendship between them is almost as good as chemistry. Of course, the pool table scene was a little edgy; it was – oh, what’s the romance cliche? Oh yes: fraught with sexual tension. Charli’s transformation was subtle but it really hit Grant between the eyes (and elsewhere as well).

Charli’s family is a large, Italian family. Lots of brothers and sisters and cousins. It’s the kind of family Grant’s always dreamed of. Her grandmother is a feisty thing, offering Charli advice on her marriage (good advice).

Overall, there were weaknesses in the book, but it bears repeating that Burford’s writing kept me involved and up a little too long. I’ll definitely be reading the last two installments, coming in the next two months. This series is definitely a guilty pleasure!