Book Review: Legally Wed

By Cindy Roesel

Don’t think I’m giving the ending away when I tell you they live happily ever after in Ciara O’Neill’s debut novel, Legally Wed. I mean come on, that’s the title, so it shouldn’t be a surprise, but there’s a lot of book to get through between the beginning and the end and I have to tell you it’s going to be a delightful read.  Ms. Ciara O’Neill has created two of the most likeable characters in Mia Lombard and Max Dylan that I almost couldn’t stand how much I enjoyed spending time with them and I believe you, her new readers will, too.

Mia and Max both work in London for a British finance company. Max is one of the head honchos and he’s American and Mia is an executive, as well, but she’s a local Brit. They don’t know each other much outside of work, but that changes dramatically and we quickly realize that they’ve been very much aware of the other for some time.

Mia has four fair-skinned, light-haired Italian sisters that make her, the darker one, feel like a chunky, lumpy frump. One of her sisters is getting married at a posh country estate and Max is unknowingly on the premises as a guest. There he sees Mia unexpectedly, out of office attire all glamorous and is immediately attracted to her curves and beauty. He ends up meeting her entire family, one thing leads to another, kisses are exchanged and he woos her into feeling like an elegant lady, very different from the office!

Back in London things proceed to get really complicated, which makes for a really good story. Will they or won’t they lose their biggest account? Will the head of the company’s work Visa suddenly be denied and his butt shipped back to New York? And then there is the unexpected reappearance of an ex from the past who is determined to mess things up. "I dos" are done, but will a farce of marriage lead to an unexpected downfall?

At the same time, feel free to pull up a chair and watch Mia and her Mom rearrange furniture and work on Mia’s fixer-upper in what could be called the British televisions version of HGTV's Remodels which has so much work left to be done because she’s always at the office.

Sound complicated? Perhaps in a less skillful author’s hands. Ciara O’Neill manages to pull it all together and make for a wonderful ending. I’m actually surprised this is her debut novel. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next. She certainly has enough material her for a sequel.

Thanks to Ciara for the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

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