Last Bride Standing

A high-stakes competition pits a hardheaded couple against each other—while also pulling them closer—in Baird’s feisty final Majestic Maine contemporary (after Second Bride Down). Charlotte and her two sisters were appalled to learn of their family’s plan to save their failing Maine coffee shop by marrying one of them off to the son of a business rival who stole a piece of the company and turned it into global empire Bearberry Coffee. The sisters made a bet to see who could find a husband quickest, with the last one left single stuck in the arrangement. Only Charlotte has yet to succeed. When Bearberry heir Aidan arrives from London, however, he surprises her by declaring that he has no interest in an arranged marriage. He’s there to sign over half of Bearberry, no strings attached. Not satisfied with half, Charlotte proposes a new bet: whoever sells the most coffee at an upcoming town festival gets the entire company. But as a powerful mutual attraction blooms, is winning the contest worth losing each other? The vagaries of the business and the absurdity of both bets occasionally distract, but there’s no denying the appeal of this quaint Maine town and the loves that blossom within it. Series fans will not be disappointed. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. (July)