The Christmas Wedding

by James Patterson, Richard DiLallo

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.

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Audiobook, Book Club, Holiday

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 17, 2011

About the author

Official US Site
Official UK Site
JIMMY Patterson Books
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James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels with Bill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient of an Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal.

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

If there was an option of 0 stars for this book, that is what I would have given it. The main character Gaby is a self centered bitch who thinks the world revolves around her. There is nothing about Christmas in this book other than the fact that the wedding takes place on Christmas. Gaby is so self centered that she has 150 people join her for a Christmas eve dinner and even more for a Christmas day wedding so everyone can honor her and pay homage to her. None of these people wanted to share Christmas with their own families? There is not even any mention of any special presents or treats being given to the grandchildren of Gaby for Christmas. She is such an egotistical bitch that she doesn't even want her own grandchildren to call her grandma but wants them to call her by her first name. Really? And she is portrayed as being such a giving, kindhearted woman who provides oatmeal to homeless people in her barn and yet she herself is indulging in gourmet meals and wines. She is upset when she finds her 13 year old grandson with some weed and yet she has him warm brandy up for her ... what is wrong with this picture. What a stupid book and a waste of time. Don't waste your money buying this pitiful excuse for a book. What three men would come to a wedding and stand there waiting to see which one she would pick for her husband. The whole premise is stupid!!!!

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas Wedding is by James Patterson. I listened to the audio version of this book.

Gaby Summerhill lost her husband three years ago. She had a wonderful life with him and has four grown children who have all gone in separate directions. The family has not gotten together since the death of their father/husband. Gaby is ready, now, to turn the page. She has fallen in love and is planning a Christmas wedding at her farm. But there are a few surprises with this wedding. She has three men whom she is close with and loves each one in their own way. All three of these men have proposed to Gaby. She is not going to reveal to her children or to the men who she has chosen until the wedding day.



Gaby wants all of her children home for her wedding in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and communicates with them by sending videos. Each of the children have busy lives and things of their own they are forced to deal with. Her son Mike has been dealing with cancer. Her youngest son, Seth, is trying to sell his first book. Emily is questioning her career, and Claire has some serious issues with her husband and her oldest son. But, as the family comes together, the love they feel for one another gives them strength.



This Christmas turns out to be a memorable one for the entire family. The wedding is a beautiful affair held in the barn on Gaby’s property. But the choice of her groom isn’t the only surprise they all receive on that Christmas day.



This was a heartwarming story of the love of family and how they all were reminded of the bonds they share and the strength they have as a family. That Christmas was a new beginning for Gaby and her new groom but turned out to be a new beginning for all of them, both as a family, and individually.

[Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Once upon a time, I adored James Patterson's writing. I couldn't get enough of his books from about ten years ago and prior, but as the years have gone by and he has started pumping out a book or two every couple months, the quality of his stories has really plummeted. Most of Patterson's books these days are collaborations, so I am not sure how much he actually writes and how much is just his name printed prominently on the cover to boost sales. Regardless, his older novels are excellent and his more recent books are usually still not too shabby. They are at the very least, usually quick, easy, entertaining reading. This is not true of Christmas Wedding, which is in fact the worst James Patterson novel I have ever read by far. Honestly, Christmas Wedding is the worst book I have read in a very long time, and I am not opposed to a sappy Christmas story now and then. Christmas Wedding is slow and boring from cover to cover. I kept waiting for an amazing plot twist to pull it all together and make it a worthwhile read, but it never came. The description of the book from the book jacket reads, " . . . 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." After reading this book, I have no idea what this other gift/surprise for her children is. I didn't choose this book expecting it to be action packed, but I did expect it to have more to it than it did. The line above from the book's own description, gave me the impression that there would something to the story that wasn't already mentioned on the book jacket. I was hoping for something on the level of "Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" or a charmingly magical plot twist like the ones Nicolas Sparks does so well. Christmas Wedding has no twists and is neither interesting nor charming. Don't waste your time reading this book. You will be disappointed.

[Briansmom · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is. totally. stupid. Not just a little stupid. Totally, thoroughly, ridiculously, stupid. Let me start by saying that I have read a fair amount of James Patterson books, both murder mysteries and just plain fiction, and have enjoyed most of them. And I have read a fair amount of Christmas fiction, both the fantasy kind (i.e. takeoffs on "A Christmas Carol," Santa-is-real stuff, etc.) and the fluffy romance kind. But I have never read a book, Christmas or otherwise, quite like this. Oh, I've read (part of) "Twilight," so I thought I knew silly and contrived dialogue. But even "Twilight" didn't come close to being this bad. At least in that book, the (non-vampire) characters are teenagers, so at least they are excused from self-absorbed, navel-gazing behavior, which is the stock-in-trade of teenagers. But the main character here, an adolescent in an adult middle-aged woman's body, a widow/mother/grandmother who is so into herself that she can't stand being called "Grandma," even though she's been one for 14 years. Remember, this book is a work of fiction, but it isn't a fantasy. No flying reindeer, no ghostly apparitions of dead friends. But the reader is expected to suspend reality and believe that 1)Gaby is soooo fascinating, amazing, etc. that all of her friends spend all of their time, free and otherwise, with her, and only her. She is "the sun around which all her friends revolve." Gag me with a spoon. 2)Gaby spends lots of time making videos of herself on DVD and sending them, via snail mail, to all of her adult children. They then immediately watch said DVD and call each other about the contents. Has this woman ever heard of YouTube? Or Facebook? Do her children really care that much about the intricacies of their mom's personal life? Seriously? 3)Gaby feeds unmentioned numbers of the "homeless" breakfast at her suburban farm EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. This one is sooooo silly I won't comment further. 4)Gaby's friends include a female best friend who apparently has been "revolving around" Gaby's sun since the first grade and 3 single guy friends, all in their 50's, all who are gorgeous, and all who WANT TO MARRY HER. None of which has a distiguishable career (except the "adorable" rabbi) and all who spend untold amounts of time "revolving" around Gaby, helping her feed the homeless, and apparently basking in her amazing-ness. The female friend does have a husband, who is mentioned only once but whom she never sees, because she's always at Gaby's. 4)Gaby has cozy relationships with all these hunky post-50-year-olds, so much so that she is able to keep all of them, and her family, in the dark about who she has "chosen" to marry until the ACTUAL WEDDING DAY, which happens to be Christmas Day. 5)Gaby lies to her daughter, with whom she has a good relationship, about not finding a joint in her grandson's wallet, even though she does. I'm not sure why she does this, and this decision does come back to bite her, unless she's wants to be seen as the "cool Grandma" type (but DON'T CALL HER GRANDMA!!)

Gaby would win the prize, were there such a one, of MOST SELF-CENTERED MOTHER in literary history, hands down. A Christmas Day wedding? With an unknown groom? This book not only demands that the readers suspend belief but that they suspend any idea of kindness and decency in how to treat people you supposedly care about.

The ONLY reason I finished this book is because it was sooooo amazingly silly, and I needed a good laugh.

[Alicia (is beyond tired of your *ish) · Rating 1 out of 5]

8/25/12: Yeah, this is just not going to happen. Every time I look at this book and think about picking it back up I have the same reaction I do to the prospect of drinking prune juice. I'm not going to continue to torture myself with this one.

2/03/12: I just, I don't think I can, guys. I'm not going to rate this (it will be one star) and mark it as flounced…yet. I'll make that decision later, after I attempt to pick it up again. But it is such an unenjoyable read that I'm not sure I can make myself keep reading.

The premise of the story is so stupid. The bride of this Christmas Wedding is Gaby. She's in her fifties and lost her husband four years ago. She has decided it's time to be loved again and how serendipitous! Three, good looking, eligible bachelors of suitable age have asked her to marry them at the same time! So she has decided to use the occasion to manipulate her four children and their families. To find out who Gaby will marry, they must all show up to the wedding – on Christmas day. Which, they haven't been together since her husband died, okay. The problem is, she won't tell the three men who proposed to her who she has chosen until their wedding day. So this supposedly caring, loving person has decided that for her to have something "for her" she has to deal heartbreak and humiliation to two men she claims to love as friends and force them to watch her marry the third in front of a bunch of other people. Nope, not a selfish bitch at all. She's so hip and with it that she makes video messages for her kids…and then sends them Fed Ex to the kids instead of putting them up on YouTube or something. (This was published October of last year.) Gaby is the kind of egotistical woman who makes her grandchildren call her by her first name because grandma "makes her skin itch." Cue my epic eye roll. She's supposed to be such a caring, giving person who has spent her life doing for others and even feeds the homeless in her barn every day (though she actually says she feels like they should pay something for the meal and collects whatever money they can give). Really she completely reminds me of but she has none of Blanche's wit, charm, and self-awareness.

Then there are her children – we have to jump between all of their stories like a soap opera.

There's Claire, who is dealing with a worthless pothead husband and her burgeoning worthless pothead son. Except she's not dealing with them. Instead she coddles them both and then wonders why her life is the way it is. It's one thing that she can't figure out what to do about her useless, now abusive husband, but everything her son is doing is to be exactly like his father. Would she really not attempt to do anything about him? Reading some of the other one star reviews, there's more messed up stuff with this kid and the pot smoking that will cause me massive amounts of rage.

Gaby's other daughter Emily is basically perfect. Columbia law, law review, published note, big law job out of school, on the partner track and is the firm superstar, she's even perfect at her pro bono work! I can't relate to this woman and I just graduated from a New York law school! I will grant you that there is a lot of bitterness and jealousy working at me on this one, but I cannot be alone in being bored and annoyed with super perfect characters – regardless of profession. To top it off, her husband is a superstar neurosurgeon resident. Of course.


The only characters I like are Gaby's other two children Seth and Lizzie and their families. They're very relatable characters, but of course they're going through really trying and sad times. Still, they were the only ones who kept my interest. If I start reading the book again it will be for them. Unfortunately, not enough time is spent with them, and there appears to be no depth to their stories on the horizon. I suppose the Lizzie/Mark situation is also supposed to give us a glimpse into caring, loving Gaby, and I did like her in those chapters, but it's not enough to change my view of her primary character.

[Chris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Avoid this one and don’t waste your time!

Totally disappointed in James Patterson’s writing. What the hell was he thinking about when he put these characters and story together? It’s one hot mess and the biggest mess is the Mom, Gaby. A widow, looking for love and marriage out of one of her close male friends but it’s a surprise to everyone but her. She is so absolutely full of herself and her plans and “oh, I’m not announcing who I’m going to marry until the wedding day.” So these poor guys are going to be standing there, waiting for the one lucky sucker, oops, I mean, groom selection to be made? What is this???

As I said, it is all about her. It’s all about her as her children are having life issues, but while she says “the right things” to them, she really is of no help to them because all she keeps thinking about is stringing these poor men along, a kiss here, a flirt there, oh gee, will you be the lucky groom to be wedded to ME? - this shallow, self consuming female? She loves to boast. She is self centered. She is a pitiful and pathetic woman. She is narcisstic.

This book had absolutely nothing relative to Christmas other than Gaby’s intended wedding being on Christmas Day and that was her way of manipulating her kids back home for the holidays. The last time they were all home was when Gaby’s husband/their father, died.

I mean, really, out of the blue you get a phone call / videos from your mother that she is getting married on Christmas, the man TBD and story To Be Continued. Her big reveal is planned on Christmas Day in her barn on the farm. So I really want to ask, do you all (family) not talk much to each other? How does something big and life changing like this come out of the blue? Gaby thought it was “cute”; she thought it was “a clever game.” A ruse. To me, it was a joke! You don’t string people/friends along like this.

There is a family relative in the story who is battling cancer. A spin is put on this which is pathetic, really. The guy is having full blown seizures and he is joking about it and so are some of the others. Trying to add levity to a serious situation is in my opinion, in poor taste.

I pity Gaby’s new husband, even though he is the made up character in the book. In real life I’d want to tell him to “Run! Run for your life, man!” 🏃🏽‍♂️And Don’t look back!

And THEN the audacity that the other male contenders were understanding, jolly good fellows after not being selected and were dancing and celebrating the wedding night away is absolutely moronic. They did, after all, all propose to her. So, it’s okay to play with other peoples feelings, as long as yours are all met?

Forget this lackluster, disappointing “Christmas” read.

[Suz · Rating 2 out of 5]

On the prowl for Christmas themed books is quite an easy thing to do given all the platforms I use within the library, I have had so many to sample. This was an easy read, and quite short, a family coming together for a Christmas wedding. The strange thing being the groom is still unchosen, the week before the wedding date- and in fact will be right up until saying 'I do'.

A widow with grown children, has been alone long enough and informs her adult children, and their assorted others, that there are three prospective suitors. Each suitor does not seem to mind they exist in this pool of three.

I enjoyed the quick intro into each adult child, and their prospective others; the ultra-successful lawyer with a position untenable and an unsavoury boss, the couple yet married almost suffering a head on enroute to wedding, and a committed mum with her dead beat drug addict husband which will rub off onto an adolescent who needs direction, not misdirection.

This widow is a woman the town adores; she provides breakfasts to the homeless, even on the morning of the wedding with the linens and table settings. Not a bother, these will be re laundered and re set for the occasion.

I didn’t find it realistic that three men were happy to wait around to have the Russian roulette wedding wheel spun to decide their lives’ fate. I thought it mean of the bride to be, therefore an odd storyline for me. Otherwise well written and narrated. It felt more like a Debbie Macomber/Melody Carlson type of story. It was still sweet, the characters loved each other but too contrived for me.

I listened to this via the Libby platform and my public library.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thankfully a few quick read as this was not a good book, really rushed I thought.

One star.

[Beverly Diehl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wish I could give it zero stars, although it might be useful for authors to read as an example of What Not To Do.

The Good - it's a very quick read. I didn't notice any typos. The cover is pretty, if you think a slender young women in a sleeveless white dress with a long train "works" to represent a 50-60ish widowed grandmother getting married in a pale purple dress and sneakers.

The Bad - The premise is that Gaby, said grandmother & widow, is getting married. She is sending video DVD's BY MAIL (like she wouldn't upload to YouTube and send as e-mail attachments?) bragging on this to her four grown children - with a twist. She won't tell them which of three men she's marrying - in fact, she won't tell the men, either. They have to all meet her at the altar where one gets to "win" her, and the other two are supposed to suck it up and be happy for them.

Right. This doesn't make us like her; doesn't make us like the MEN. What wusses would they be to sign up for this kind of public humiliation?

The four grown children - not enough real estate is spent on any of them to let us know who they are, barest sketches as to their marital and employment situation. No character has a distinct voice.

Claire is married to a deadbeat stoner, and the authors spend a lot of page time trying to staple in a Reefer Madness theme. Said deadbeat goes from being too stoned to enunciate his words or stand up to slapping her across the face. Right. Their 14 year old son is so stoned he stretches out for a nap on the floor of the local mall in front of a busy store. Right. Kid brings a single joint along to Grandma Gaby's wedding because he needs to be stoned all the time; then he inveigles his 8 year old girl cousin whom he rarely sees into the woods to share it with him, because...? I guess because weed makes you crazy. No pay-off for him in either sharing the weed or corrupting this cousin.

Then when grandma catches him and gives him a stern "Just Say No" talkin'-to, all better. Right.

The authors do a great disservice to victims of domestic violence by trying to link it to marijuana use. Ask any cop, they will tell you, stoners aren't violent. *Drinkers* are; those who use cocaine and amphetamines are. People with certain mental illnesses can be. Claire's feelings at being struck by her husband are too quickly glossed over to push to the next plot point. We don't know if this is the first time he's struck her - in which case, she should be WAY more shocked - or the thirty-first, in which case, her reaction and behaviors before and after should be quite different. It's mentioned she doesn't have time to cry (really? like when we cry we check our watches first "okay, I have time, let'r rip") or put ice on her cheek. But there's no pay-off to that, nobody noticing a bruise or red mark and asking her "What happened to you?" She does decide to dump the loser, but she doesn't even ask her lawyer sister about getting a referral to a divorce attorney.

Back to the bride and her three grooms - they may be in their late 50's/early 60's, but they're not supposed to be *dead*. There's no sexual tension in the scenes where they are one-on-one. She spends an hour on a picnic up a tree snuggled with one of the guys, and it's like she's there with a teddy bear. There should be some regret because if she is *not* marrying this guy, watching the sunset while snuggled with him is going to be off the table.

I could go on, but I don't want to spend more time on the review than was spent on the book.

[Trudy · Rating 5 out of 5]

OOOOOOOh! I loved this story! This was a wonderful "very feel good" adventure. I don't normally read James Patterson books because they are not my cup of tea, however it appears that this time he took a completely different turn. Many of his regular fans are not happy with this book because it is just so "sweet and gentle". However, perhaps he's attempting to attract another segment of the reading population. I hope he writes other books like this. The icing on the cake for me is that I was married during the Christimas season 20 years ago. It was a very beautiful wedding and I was blessed with an incredible, precious, generous, very loving guy who still treats me like a queen.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scenario: You're a widow.

Your 4 adult children have not been together at Christmas since the funeral.

What will you do to bring the family together again?

Answer…..invite them to your wedding on Christmas day.

The only thing is…you do not reveal who the groom is going to be.

Why?

Because you haven’t decided between your three suitors, yet.

What?!!!!

Obviously this is not your typical mystery by James Patterson and his co-writer, Richard DiLallo.

And yet, it still has the pace of the mystery…the short chapters…the interesting characters…their own stories.

A very easy, soft enjoyable read for those who like a little mystery and romance.

As well as a little bit of Christmas cheer at any time of the year.

[Kay · Rating 2 out of 5]

While reading this I thought someone was yanking my chain! This is the most ridiculous plot I have ever read!!!! Even Danielle Steel on an extremely bad day could not come up with something so outlandish! And to think it was written by two men is beyond my comprehension.

The plot:
middle age widow lady is proposed to by 3 good looking nice middle age single men [now tell me where are 3 good looking nice middle age single men together?????]. That's not the most ridiculous part-- they all propose to her at the same time in the same place and remain friends for the next month till she announces the one she accepts--- at their wedding no less! She invites family and friends [over 200] and plans an elaborate wedding but keeps the groom secret until the ceremony! As she walks down the aisle all 3 are waiting to see if they are chosen. And no jealousy or angry fits appeared. Pardon me but those old time fairy tales are not as stupid as that.

The only thing that saved this book and I ended up rating it 2 stars was the characters. Her grown children and their families were a delight and made me feel that I didn't waste the few hours it took to read this one.

Come on Patterson you can do better!!!!

[Susie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear. Time to rant. I feel like I could write a scathing review of this book that was actually longer than the novel itself. I had an inkling that this wouldn’t be a good fit for me, but I picked it anyway because I promised my senior book group a happy little holiday novel and, at the end of the day (or the atrocious novel), it’s really about their reading preferences and not mine. If I can make just one of the members happy and maybe have a good discussion about why we hated or loved a book, then I feel like I’ve done my job. But as this is MY Goodreads account, I’m going to bash this book like a Michael Vick piñata at a PETA party.
I’m genuinely curious about the relationship between Patterson and his co-authors. Does he come up with a relatively palatable idea and then draw a name from a hat filled with aspiring authors hoping to cling to his famous shirttails? Seeing as how his solo series do fabulously well and have multitudes of fans, I can only assume that he has no part in the actual writing process at all when it comes to these duos of disaster. (See my review of Patterson’s Zoo for further proof that Patterson + _________ = suck.)
The premise of The Christmas Wedding is that a grandmother, who asks all her children and grandchildren to call her “Gabby” which is just weird to me, is getting married. The whole informal nickname thing is like an elderly woman wearing a tube top and playing beach volleyball. There’s being young at heart, and then there’s denial. So Gabby decides that it’s time to get married again after her previous husband passed away from a heart attack three years prior. The kicker is that three of her homeboys have asked for her hand: a farmer, a rabbi and her brother-in-law. Does this sound like the beginning of a “walk into a bar” joke to anyone else? Not to mention that while it is technically legal and not at all disgusting on a genetic level, I throw up a little on the inside when I hear that someone will be marrying anyone with a familial title: second cousin, adopted sister, step-brother. I feel that banjo music and moonshine will inevitably be present at the wedding reception.
Gabby has chosen her mate and decreed that all four of her children, their spouses and any offspring they may have must be present on Christmas for the wedding. Oh, and she’s not telling anyone, EVEN THE GROOM, who she will be marrying. Wow. This is a woman that I love to hate. First off, it’s totally uncool to ruin Christmas with a wedding. I want to spend the day in my pajamas and if you force me to dress up, leave my house, and play nice with folks I don’t know, then I will humbug you like you’ve never been humbugged before. Secondly, what man in his right mind would stand for that crap. “Ok, so I’ve asked you to spend the rest of your life with me- one of the most important and sacred relationships we can have in this world- and you tell me that I’ll be contending against two other eligible bachelors with no decision to be announced until we’re all standing at the alter??? Sure, sign me up!” Someone’s been watching a little too much reality television if they think this would fly in the real world. Ew, the whole setup is just egotistical, selfish and bizarre.
One of the first scenes in the book is a husband verbally and physically abusing his wife (one of Gabby’s daughters) after-school-special-style because he’s under the influence……of marijuana! Yep, that’s right, he’s stoned out of his gourd. I don’t know about you, but when I think of stoners I think of three things: couches, the home shopping network and cheez puffs. (No, I’m not speaking from personal experience but I feel fairly confident that this generalization isn’t too far off the mark.) I don’t really envision someone higher than a kite to start yelling for iced tea and backhanding his wife for calling him out on his vile behavior. That’s alcoholic and/or cocaine type behavior in my mind. Later in the book, Gabby runs out into the freezing woods in her wedding dress without any shoes on to stop her delinquent stoner grandson from leading one of his cousins down the disreputable road to drugs and lies. Poor Gabby suffers from mild frostbite and a few scrapes and bruises on her feet, wherein she is unable to wear her designer wedding shoes. Oh darn. At this point in the book, I was hoping that it might take a darker and far more interesting turn, like her feet turn black and start rotting and no one knows until her husband lifts her dress to perform the traditional garter toss after the ceremony. That would’ve been cool.
While I really didn’t give a hoot about any of the characters in the book, I was still a little cheesed off that Gabby didn’t choose the guy that I thought she would. On second thought, I’m relieved that this woman’s thought process would differ so much from my own. She actually had foie gras at one of her parties. One of the most cruel and ridiculous foods that you can possibly choose and she serves it as an hors d’oeuvres. I bet she has a secret stash of Styrofoam containers and buys from puppy mills.

[MARQUETTA · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Christmas Wedding is the first novel I've read by James Patterson. Starting the novel, I didn't know what to expect. To me, James Patterson isn't synonymous with fiction work with a romantic theme.

The Christmas Wedding is centered around Gaby and her four grown children - Claire, Liz, Emily and Seth. In the first half of the book, there are several chapters dedicated to each child. I thought that this was an interesting way for the reader to learn about Gaby's kids without being told the information. The book worked best for me when it centered around Gaby's kids and their lives.

Gaby sends her children a video telling them that she is getting married on Christmas Day. She doesn't tell them who she will be marrying and the only way to find out is to come home for Christmas. We are introduced to Gaby's three potential husbands - Tom, Jacob and Marty. I found it hard to believe that these three men were okay with Gaby stringing them along. The supposed romantic element of the story was not believable. If a man proposes marriage, he obviously has feelings for the woman, strong feelings. I don't think any man would be okay with being strung along with two other men. I felt that Gaby was being selfish by not saying who she was going to marry. What were Gaby's motives behind keeping it a secret? It felt like it was a game to her. I wish we were given more background information about Gaby so that I could understand her more. For me, Gaby came off as a flighty, selfish person. She cares about her kids and the men in her life, but I felt like what she did was cruel. When she finally chooses her husband, I wasn't overly surprised or emotional about it.

The Christmas Wedding was a good story but it didn't wow me. It is a quick read and the plot will keep you engaged. Like I said earlier, the story worked best for me when it centered around Gaby's children. I didn't find Gaby endearing or likable and the sections of the book that were devoted to her did not hold my interest. There were parts of Gaby's behavior that were distracting. I found it odd that her kids and grandkids called her by her first name and she was okay with that. There was no explanation as to how she became Gaby and not "Mom" or "Granma". Again, I wish I knew more about Gaby's history because the little odd things about her were distracting to me. I shouldn't focus on why her family called her by her first name but I couldn't not think about it and wonder.

All in all, The Christmas Wedding was an enjoyable read. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon. I'm sure fans of Patterson will love it.

C

[Melodie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been reading James Patterson's work for years. I have enjoyed his crime/suspense novels. He has now entered the romance genre. He needs a reality check before going any further. When I'm reading fiction, I suspend belief a little. But I cannot totally jettison my common sense.
First of all, the cover of a beautiful young(ish) bride in white doesn't jive at all with what is actually in the book. The bride is a fifty/sixty-something widow with grown children and grand children. The bride-to-be is picking her groom on the day of the wedding from among three suitors, who all support this bit of theater. I don't know any self-respecting male or female who would have anything to do with this.I could go along with not telling anyone until the day of the wedding for dramatic effect, but at least let the other two off the hook and swear them to secrecy!
There are enough holes and inconsistencies in the plot to make swiss cheese. At least the women are blessed with strong personalities, no door mats here. The men don't come out so well. However, the pages turned, I stayed engaged and I finished the book. Yay me.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really 1 1/2 stars ...

I can't say how much I disliked the main character "Gabby" ... I finished reading this book just to get the book point in a reading competition with my husband. Gabby is old enough to have grown children (ages 35 - 26) but incredibly immature. She is bossy, manipulative, self-righteous, inconsistent and demands to be the center of attention. I initially enjoyed reading the story lines that involved her children, but eventually the children just became shades of Gabby.

The language and grammar of the novel seemed professional. But some of the characters (Lizzie & Mike) were underdeveloped. Others were only shown in a one-dimensional light. The big question of whom Gaby is going to marry is teased throughout the book, but not really developed. In the end, her choice seemed random.

Also the plot is totally outlandish ... even the tv show The Bachlor/Bachlorette doesn't make the contestants plan a wedding together and line up at the alter before finding out which one has been selected to be married.

And, shame on James Patterson for selling his name... Obviously the co-author (Richard DiLallo) wrote this book. It isn't humanly possible to actually write as many books per year as Patterson puts his name on.

2011 James Patterson Releases:
Tick Tock - January 24
Angel - February 14
Toys - March 14
10th Anniversary - May 2
Now You See Her - June 27
Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life - June 27
Kill Me if You Can - August 29
Daniel X: Game Over - September 19
Christmas Wedding - October 17

[Elci · Rating 1 out of 5]

Imagine this: three men propose to the same woman at the same time, she tells them she'll let them know whom she'll say yes to at the day of the wedding. Yup, they all show up to the f'en wedding where two of the guys are told nope. And they're all like,"right on! It's all copacetic." Yeah, no.

Wait, but there's more... Alas I don't care enough to go on. Let's just say I'm thankful it was a library borrow.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful Christmas story! I read it in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. Not at all like the James Patterson I'm used to, but it certainly had everything to keep it moving along.

Gaby's husband, Peter, died three years ago from an unexpected heart attack, leaving Gaby and her four children, Emily, Lizzie, Claire and Seth, devastated. Since Peter's funeral, the whole family hadn't been together at one time, and Gaby decided Christmas was the time, as she wanted everyone around her.

Gaby had recently received three proposals, all from men she had loved and been dear friends with for a very long time. Jacob, Marty and Tom were her three suitors. So Gaby being Gaby decided on a way to make all her family come together, and that was to announce she was getting married, it would be on Christmas Day, and no-one would know who the groom was (not even the groom!) until they were all in front of the priest!

We read about each of Gaby's children, and their families, their problems, their joys, their heartaches, all blending into the build up to Christmas. We hear about an abusive husband, another husband who is very sick, a son who is going off the rails, and how Gaby is the one they all turn to when the going gets tough!

Join Gaby, her best friend Stacey Lee, the three men in her life, her children, their partners and her grandchildren, for a wonderful ride. You'll find it sad, you'll laugh out loud on occasion, and you'll be touched by a wonderful Christmas tale with a difference. Enjoy!

[Margarida · Rating 1 out of 5]

Acho que é minha primeira 1*...

É o primeiro livro de James Patterson que leio e espero que a sua escrita não seja só isto, senão fico muito desiludida! :(

Li o primeiro capítulo deste “Casamento no Natal”, precisamente por altura do Natal do ano passado e achei uma introdução interessante… Não o pude comprar na altura e ainda bem, senão hoje estaria a chorar o meu rico dinheirinho!

No entanto, fiquei curiosa e assim que pude (consegui-o emprestado) comecei a lê-lo! Aquilo que no início me pareceu ser uma ideia engraçada, ainda que estapafúrdia (quantos homens aceitariam uma situação daquelas?!!!), no final não passou disso mesmo! Achei as personagens sem interesse, a escrita muito má (também pode ser da tradução, não sei!), e nem sequer posso considerar isto como “um conto de Natal”, porque pouco fala do Natal!

Salva-se o facto de ser um livro pequeno, com capítulos igualmente pequenos!

Tenho lido e ouvido imensas críticas positivas aos romances policiais de James Patterson! Depois de ter lido este “Casamento no Natal” e confesso que sem bases para mais, acho que deve continuar a dedicar-se àqueles…

Não seria no entanto justa se classificasse um autor (ainda por cima um com tanta obra publicada) como mau, tendo como base apenas uma primeira experiência infeliz, por isso não vou pôr James Patterson, de lado! Voltarei a ele logo que possível. Mas de certeza que me cingirei ao policial!

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have loved James Patterson's other contemporary romances in the past and was so excited to see that he finally came out with another one. I have been waiting two years for him to write another one so, needless to say my expectations for this book may have been a little high.

Maybe, sadly, a little too high.

I was a little disappointed with this one. Maybe it was the wait or the anticipation that made me a little disappointed with it. Maybe it was the fact that this didn't even really seem like a romance so much as a telling of a family. Their hardhsips and struggles and their strengths and weaknesses, their life than anything else.

Either way, I was in fact slightly disappointed with this book.

Now, don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad story, in fact it was rather good and even a little heartwarming and touching but it just.....wasn't what I hoped it would be.

Maybe I was looking for more of a Nora Roberts type story, I don't know.

The writing was good and the story itself was done well. I even loved the family but I just didn't feel that connection to any of them that I love to have with characters in the books that I read. I didn't find myself really caring who Gaby picked in the end and that just made me a little sad.

If you are a fan of Patterson's romances then I would suggest giving this one a try too, I just wouldn't put it up on a pedestal and hope it is as good as the others because, it just didn't compare.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

My book club reads a Christmas book every year, wraps it up and exchanges it at our meeting. I got this from Heather and wanted to read it before Christmas. I couldn't sleep so I got up, curled up and read the whole book. She's right, it was really quick. I can't remember why I was talking about this book in the car on the way to our Christmas Eve party, but I mentioned that the main character told all of her kids that three guys asked to marry her and she would decide who to marry on Christmas day at the ceremony. My husband burst out laughing and said that he, nor any other man on the planet would ever agree to that. I told him that they all had to help decorate the barn for the wedding and they were best friends who fed the poor every morning. My husband told my son to ask three girls to marry him and help plan the wedding and wait for him at the alter to decide. Now I burst out laughing. Hey, the book cover is really beautiful. We were suppose to pick a part in the book that resonated with us and here it is: "A marriage is the most private thing in the world. Only the people in it know if it works for them or doesn't."

[Donna Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story of a mother who holds a Christmas wedding to entice her kids back together. The husband is a mystery. Fun enough to pass a few hours.

[Laura]

DNF. There is too much language and worldly living going on for my personal enjoyment. Maybe the ending would have resolved some of the issues I have with it, but I don't have the patience to find out.

[Kelli · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where do I start? This book was an utter train wreck. I'm not sure if I have ever given a 1 star rating to a book before, but I have no hesitation this time. The plot is centered around Gabby, a 60 something grandmother who is looking to remarry after the death of her first husband. The weird twist? She makes it a guessing game about who she is going to marry- not only to her children but to the actual groom himself! That's right- 3 men are in the running and even they will not find out who is marrying her until she makes an announcement about who she chooses- AT THE WEDDING ITSELF. Huh? As I was reading, I just kept thinking to myself how stupid and unbelievable the whole plot was. The book was also incredibly cheesy. I think Patterson was aiming for a feel-good Christmas story, but he completely missed the mark. You don’t need cheese to do that.

The thing that irritated me the most about this book was the fact that I don't think Patterson researched brain meningiomas before he decided to make one of his characters have one. The character of Mike has a benign meningioma (brain tumor). However, Patterson repeatedly refers to his tumor as 'cancer.' The proper term for a cancerous tumor would be 'malignant.' A benign tumor refers to a tumor that is the exact opposite- non-cancerous. The treatment Mike receives in the story is chemo and radiation following a brain surgery. Chemo is very rarely used to treat a benign tumor as they usually do not respond to this type of therapy because they are NON-CANCEROUS. Patterson also interchanges the two forms of treatment; the week before Christmas Mike is receiving chemo, the week of Christmas he is receiving radiation. The two treatments are totally different and most of the time not completed at the same time. How did his editors not catch this?? I'm sure readers out there who have suffered from cancer or had cancer touch their lives personally just shook their heads in bewilderment.

A few other completely unbelievable things that happened in the story:

1) 2 of the characters are in a near fatal car accident; a semi-truck jack-knifes in front of them and they spin out on a snowy highway. They are ok, but after hugging each other for several minutes they drive on their merry way and not another thought is given to the jack-knifed semi. Why didn't they call 911 for the semi driver (as any logical person would do)? How did they keep on driving down the highway if the truck was sprawled across it?

2) Gabby not only lets her teenage grandson get away with having/smoking pot not once, but twice in the story. And the second time he is sharing it with his 8 year old cousin! And still she mentions not a word to anyone. I guess if a teenager wants to bring himself down with pot, whatever- but we are talking about involving an 8 year old child here. Surely this warrants some parental discussion between both parties and not sweeping it under a rug??

3) The proposed grooms helped decorate for the wedding without even knowing if they were going to be getting married or not. Then at the wedding itself, they all stood there in a row and watched Gabby walk down the aisle and waited patiently for her to pick one of them. Oh, yeah. And the one's who were not picked were such good sports about it. No hard feelings at all.

Gabby was just a self-centered woman that I actually despised. Everything was for her- knowing who she had picked to marry and not telling anyone else, having her wedding on Christmas (which I'm sure most people would rather be spending the day with their own families), and downplaying her own daughter getting married (oh yeah, did I forget to mention one of her daughters as a surprise decided to get married at Gaby's wedding also? Whatever, so not even going there). Do not waste your time reading this book. It's just plain silly.

[Arlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Filipa · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Patterson é um excelente autor de policiais, como autor de romances não o conhecia até o ano passado ter lido "Abre o teu coração". Fiquei fã.
Este é o segundo livro que leio e posso dizer que ele escreve duma maneira ternurenta e nada nada aborrecida. Tudo o que ele escreve se torna agradável de ler, são sempre experiências em que ficamos a pensar ou que de alguma forma nos identificamos com as personagens. Consegue despertar emoções para com as pessoas que ele cria.

Neste livro, mantém o seu estilo já inconfundível para mim, com capítulos pequenos e muitos diálogos mantendo a leitura leve e rápida. Começamos a avançar e nem nos apercebemos que já estamos no fim.

A história tem o seu quê de misterioso, isto porquê? Porque uma mulher (Gaby), mãe de quatro filhos já adultos e alguns casados, vai casar-se de novo e. . . não revela o misterioso homem até ao dia do seu casamento. Três homens proposeram-se e ela escolheu um, mas nem eles sabem qual deles foi. Escolheu também o dia. TEM QUE SER no dia de NATAL! Assim convida todos os filhos através de vídeos que depois lhes envia por e-mail e vai contando as peripécias dos preparativos e contando histórias dos três pretendentes de quem ela gosta muito. Acima de tudo são os três grandes amigos dela.

Toda a magia do Natal está impressa ao longo do livro. Temos também acesso às vidas privadas dos filhos e claro, aos seus problemas, sejam financeiros, sejam conjugais. . . Assistimos a reviravoltas neste pequeno livro na vida de casais. . .

Acolhemos a vida de Gaby, como mãe, avó, benemérita e professora. Uma pessoa que todos gostaríamos de ter ao lado porque sabe ouvir e dar conselhos parecendo que não os está realmente a dar e as decisões são feitas pelas pessoas que lhe pediram esses mesmos conselhos.
Toda a gente devia ter alguém assim do lado, eu tenho a sorte de ter, os meus papás e família também são assim, por isso, talvez tenha gostado tanto do livro. Adoro este tipo de histórias.

Recomendo a quem como eu, gosta de histórias familiares e pequenos mistérios.

[Nélia Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uma história fofinha para ler no Natal

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Family is important to Gaby Summerhill, and since her husband Peter's death three years before, her family hasn't spent Christmas together. Christmas is the season for Believing and Family is the reason for the season ... Gaby is bound and determined to get her four adult children and their families back to the family home in Massachusetts to celebrate a good old family Christmas like they had in the past. Come step into Gaby's world and see how she gets her wayward family to come home for the holidays in The Christmas Wedding.

Widow Gaby Summerhill feels like her family has lost touch with each other ... her four adult children have all gotten caught up in their own lives, and family get togethers have stopped since the death of her husband Peter, three years before. Determined to bring her family back together again for the Christmas holiday, Gaby hatches a plan that will bring her wayward children back to the family farm in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Using her zany creativity, she starts to send her children videos 24 days before Christmas announcing that she is getting married, and that the groom will not be revealed until the wedding on Christmas Day. Each video she sends documents the updates of the pending nuptials, she is whetting their appetite to solve the mystery of who the groom will be ... funny thing is ... the three men that have asked for her hand in marriage don't even know which one of them will be the lucky groom! Is this enough to bring her children and their families home for the holidays? Will there be a Christmas Day wedding, or is Gaby just using that as an excuse to get them back together again as a closer family? Will each of her four children be able to leave their daily lives full of ups and downs to go home for a family Christmas celebration? Can you really ever go back home? These questions and so much more will be answered in The Christmas Wedding.


As a diehard fan of James Patterson's books, he has written another book that simply made me ride the emotional roller coaster once again. The storyline is so intriguing, I loved how the story is narrated by Gaby, and how the chapters alternate between Gaby's videotapes and on each of her four adult children: Claire, Lizzie, Emily and Seth. In Gaby's chapters, she documents the updates of the pending nuptials for her children, and introduces the reader to the three potential grooms: Tom Hayden, Jacob Coleman and Brother-in-Law Martin Summerhill. In each of the children's chapters, the reader learns about each of them and their families, and the lives that they each lead. In true James Patterson form, the story keeps you guessing until the end who the groom will be, if there will be a wedding, and what happens in each of the Summerhill childrens' lives. This fascinating weaving and intertwining of the Summerhill family's life stories is a heartwarming holiday read that will leave you tingling with the sentimentality that comes along with the Christmas holiday season. Most of all you will come away with a very important message that is such an integral part of the Christmas season: the importance of family ... that families always stick together and will always have each other through the good and bad times!


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[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed in this book, probably because I hold James Patterson to an impossibly high standard, as he has never failed to completely captivate me before. It wasn't just because this was a departure from the type of book that he usually writes, either. Patterson has written romance before, very successfully. If you've read Sam's Letters to Jennifer, or Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas, you know how very moving those books were. No, in this case, it was almost as if he gave his co-author free reign over the book. There really wasn't a hint of the usual Patterson style to it. That's not to say that it wasn't a cute story, as well as a quick read. It just didn't meet my expectations of a James Patterson book, reading more like something by a romance writer such as Debbie Macomber.

The story centers around Gaby, a 54 year-old widow who has received marriage proposals from three different men. They're all close friends, and she keeps them all on the hook up to the moment of the wedding before announcing which of them she intends to marry. The two who are spurned kind of shrug and are just as happy as if they had been chosen. Rather an unrealistic scenario, to say the least. I enjoyed the side stories about her children and grandchildren much more than the drama and mystery that Gaby created. Again, though, this was just not typical Patterson style (never mind subject matter), so as long as you don't pick it up expecting it to read like a Patterson novel, you'll probably enjoy it.

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written, easy to read...but the storyline was pretty laughable. The plot between 2 characters (Claire and her husband) perked my interest the most. I did like Gabbi as a character...her thoughts, etc. Her character really came to life, but it was still a rather stupid storyline. What 3 men are willing to stand at the altar and let someone pick one of them, and the other 2 take that chance at humiliation? Not to mention, shouldn't they know by that point if she really loved them or not--in such a way? I don't think older people get THAT bored! Come on! I also found it convenient and unrealistic that Andy (the g/f) would make the decision she did w/o any friends present or so forth that girls dream of to make something special....so that was a little far fetched. It was a weird book--not exactly sure what on Earth James Patterson was thinking!! Maybe some strange family on some other planet with a slightly different, odd culture....::shakes head:: I don't know. Not to mention, I'd love to know who the beautiful, thin, 20-something year old bride on the front is, since Gabbi is in her late 50s/60s....again, laughable.