Published October 17th 2011 by Little, Brown and Company
The tree is decorated, the cookies are baked, and the packages are wrapped, but the biggest celebration this Christmas is Gaby Summerhill's wedding. Since her husband died three years ago, Gaby's four children have drifted apart, each consumed by the turbulence of their own lives. They haven't celebrated Christmas together since their father's death, but when Gaby announces that she's getting married--and that the groom will remain a secret until the wedding day--she may finally be able to bring them home for the holidays.
But the wedding isn't Gaby's only surprise--she has one more gift for her children, and it could change all their lives forever. With deeply affecting characters and the emotional twists of a James Patterson thriller, The Christmas Wedding is a fresh look at family and the magic of the season.
I’ve had my eye on The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson for a few years now, but the holidays come and go and this book has fallen off my radar one too many times. Well, I’ve finally had a chance to dive into this holiday story. Definitely a good book to enjoy with some gingerbread cookies and hot chocolate. This is a novel that shares one’s family story about heartbreak, sickness and disappointment during a time when we should be rejoicing life. However, despite the chaos in the Summerhill family’s life, coming together during Christmas to celebrate proves to be the perfect remedy.
It all starts with Gaby the matriarch of the family. Through her series of videos she sends to her adult children, who have all drifted off, she entices them to come back home during Christmas for her wedding. No one knows who the lucky mad will be, not even the groom! As the wedding plans come to fruition, we learn about the four children and their current situation. Lizzie’s husband Mike is battling with brain tumors, but remains optimistic through the entire ordeal. Claire is going through a separation from her loser husband. Seth is a struggling novelist hoping to land a publisher for his book. Emily is the most successful of the four, as a high paid attorney, but even with wealth and a perfect marriage, she realizes her career dreams are hindering her happiness.
As we learn about the Summerhill children, it’s evident that they are a tight knight family when they take the time to come together. Gaby proves to be a perfect balance to their chaotic life, where she always offers a word of advice in a way that never feels like she’s dictating their decisions.
Throughout the novel, I was definitely curious who the groom would be considering she had THREE suitors. All three were great men, so it was a shame to see that two were cast aside in favor of the perfect match.
There were moments where the story felt a bit contrived and weird. Yes the whole wedding idea where the groom doesn’t know he’s getting married until the bride picks him felt a bit odd… However what captured me was the secondary characters and their situations.
Lastly, The Christmas Wedding did have that holiday feel I was hoping for, so overall not a bad story to dive into during this time of the year.
3 Suns
Maybe I should read this again. I'm looking for a book with "that holiday feel" and I haven't had any luck yet. I enjoyed this one -- maybe I'll just go for it again. Great review!
ReplyDelete