All Dressed Up in Love {Ruth Logan Herne}

Greg Elizondo hadn’t bargained for this. Any of this. Satin. Lace. Tulle. Pearl inlay, embroidered bodices, and Swarovski crystals. The bridal shop business it took his mother three decades to build, the enterprise that covered his university and law degrees in full, was struggling because he might be part-genius when it came to contract law . . . But corset-style gowns with a mermaid flair? Shoot me now. 

Tara Simonetti hated law school, but loved the community grant funding her presence at Temple University’s esteemed school of law. She could not fail. Would not fail. But when a notice for bridal store help appeared on the community notice board, Tara applied for the job immediately. While grants and loans helped pave her way, money for food was scarce. Legal precedence, moot court, and judicial clerking all had their place, but they were nothing compared to Alcenon lace, tucked silk skirts, and a well-placed peplum. 

Greg had grabbed her help as the act of a desperate man. Within weeks, he was desperate again, this time to win her heart. But after using community funds to get her degree, how can Tara turn her back on the people who helped finance her goal? 

But if she leaves Philadelphia and Greg to return to her small-town in northern Pennsylvania, she’ll be leaving her heart behind. A heart he won, fair and square by posting a help wanted notice on the coffee shop board . . . A heart that filled the missing niche in his mother’s acclaimed bridal store. A heart Greg longed to cherish forevermore.

My Thoughts:
This March installment in the Year of Weddings 2 series is another quick read of a sweet story. With our first introduction to Greg, we realize that he is in way over his head at the bridal store. He is determined to make it work, but at a loss of how that will work out.

And then Tara walks through the door. Tara is in her element the moment she sees the first dress in the store. She not only proves herself with the bridal clients, but she turns the head of Greg. Greg finds himself immediately drawn to Tara and thinking about her all the time.

I thought this was a fun story, but it moved really quickly. I love the idea of the short story, but this could make a great full-length novel with more character development. It seemed that the last few chapters just happened so quickly and I would have loved to seen it stretched out a little bit.

But, I loved the story and I love the series. As with all the other books in this series, this is a stand-alone book, so go grab your copy today.

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Ruth Logan Herne loves Charlie Brown Christmas trees, rooting for the underdog and people who go the distance while others see the path as too long or broken! She loves God, chocolate, writing, dogs and is blessed by a sprawling family, oodles of grandkids and a sweet old farmhouse in constant need of work. She's sure that clean rooms are over-rated, snakes and possums should mind their own business and buy their own farm and puppies and kittens and babies are about the cutest things on Earth. A "pull-up-your-big-girl-panties-and-move-on" kind of gal, she is blessed to be married to her high school sweetheart (although it wasn't as if THEY WERE KNOCKING DOWN THE DOOR to challenge him for her!!!), work with young families who allow her to exploit their sweet children on blogs, and rock babies on a regular basis. An author for Love Inspired Books and Summerside Press, she lives in upstate New York. Visit her online at  ruthloganherne.com