After a long day at work, Kasey Michaels’ The Bride Plan is a lighthearted, pleasing way to spend a couple of carefree hours. So prepare your favorite beverage, plop yourself down in your favorite reading chair, and prepare to be charmed and entertained. While this is the third book in a series, it works well as a stand alone.

Chessie Burton is the type of person who knows how to make lemonade out of lemons. After being betrayed by her fiancé and maid of honor, she took her unworn wedding dress and opened Second Chance Bridal. Working nonstop for years has now paid off. The business is such a success she decides to take on a new partner, and branch out into a turnkey wedding service. Marylou Smith-Bitters, her new partner, is scary intuitive. She has already used her expertise in securing matches for two of Chessie’s friends and now has her sights set on Chessie. Marylou knows Chessie needs a man in her life but that it is not her big loser ex who just moved back to town.

Chessie is not about to just fall for Marylou’s schemes, though. She is not looking for any type of relationship. However, she suspects that Marylou has matchmaking on her mind when she meets Jace Edwards, owner of Edwards Construction, the company hired to handle the remodeling of the business. Marylou assures her that is not the case. Chessie needs someone refined, not an earthy, manly hunk with six pack abs. Marylou doesn’t want to hurt Chessie’s feelings but Jace is just too much man for her.

Jace Edwards is bowled over with his first impression of Chessie, all coppery curls, big blue eyes, and long legs. Yep, nothing wrong with that picture at all. And she is funny. Well, maybe more funny odd, but still he has never experienced this type of immediate attraction for anyone before. Unfortunately, she is the owner of a bridal shop and being a marital loser himself, he is not signing up for that again. While Jace knows that his long hours contributed to the end of his first marriage, the shock of finding his wife in bed with another man still eradicated any desire he had for the institution.

I smiled most of the way through this pleasing and lighthearted book. I’m not a big fan of mental lusting but Ms. Michaels has a deft touch and uses it lightly when setting a scene. The story doesn’t have a lot of conflict. In fact, the characters’ relationship history is the biggest stumbling block to their future but it makes sense after what they both have experienced. Marylou Smith-Bitters makes a great secondary character, and she could play matchmaker for me anytime. What makes this book work so well for me is the dialogue. While I wouldn’t call it razor sharp, it is fun and amusing.

I tend not to use the word cute very often, but I think it the perfect descriptive word for this novel. I am sorry to see the end of this series, but I know I will be watching for more of Kasey Michaels’ contemporary books.