A Merry Mistletoe Wedding

by Judy Astley

It is almost a year since Sean and Thea met and it's been a roller-coaster ride: they're getting married on Christmas Eve!

Neither Thea or Sean want a big fuss - a simple wedding, with Christmas carols and just a few sprigs of mistletoe for decoration is all they need. But before they know it, things begin to get complicated. Trying to manage a long-distance relationship in the build-up to their Christmas wedding is one thing, but as one challenge after another comes their way, the happy couple begin to wonder if they'll ever make it down the aisle...

With unforgettable characters, charming romance and lots of laughter, A Merry Mistletoe Wedding is a gorgeous Christmas read - perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Jenny Colgan, Lucy Diamond and Milly Johnson.

Genres: Christmas, Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction

349 pages, Paperback

First published October 8, 2015

About the author

Judy Astley started writing in 1990 following several years of working as a dressmaker, illustrator, painter and parent. Her sixteen novels, the most recent of which are Laying The Ghost and Other People¹s Husbands, are all published by Transworld/Black Swan. Judy¹s specialist areas, based on many years of hectic personal experience, are domestic disharmony and family chaos with a good mix of love-and-passion and plenty of humour thrown in. Judy has been a regular columnist on magazines and enjoys writing journalism pieces on just about any subject, usually from a fun viewpoint. She lives in London and Cornwall, loves plants, books, hot sunshine and rock music (all at once, preferably) and would happily claim that listening in to other people¹s conversations is both a top hobby and an absolute career-necessity

Reviews

[Irena BookDustMagic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Merry Mistletoe Wedding is a continuation to a novel It Must Have Been a Mistletoe.
Although it can easily be read as a standalone, I do suggest, if you plan to read it's prequel, to do it before you grab this one.
The reason: you will be spoiled for the most things that happened in the previous book.
But, if you're just in a mood to read something quick and entertaining, or you don't mind spoilers, then go ahed and read it.

The story is written in the third person and it follows three women: Thea, who's getting married, her sister Emily, who gave birth recently and is dealing with postnatal depression, and Anna, who is selling her old house with the aim to buy a new one.

From all of three stories, I have to say that the one that kept me interested the most was Emily's.
Since I didn't read the first book, I didn't know what actually happened to her in Cornwall and, because of that, I had a difficult time to understand her behaviour.
As the story progressed, I recognized her depression and anxiety.
At first I was looking at her as the one who's acting rude, but later, I saw how people around her misunderstood her.

Thea (I love that name!) had some interesting things going on in her life. After all, she was getting married. I couldn't help but wonder how come her preparation for it wasn't as stressful as it is in real life (at least that's the impression I got from those few weddings I was a part of in a preparation process), but the ex-boyfriend drama and unfamiliar girl in her fiance's flat were enough on her plate.
I have a feeling her story is much more interesting in the first book.

Anna 's story was the least interesting to me but was still enjoyable.

If you're looking for a warm Christmas read I have to warn you: this is not that kind of a book.
The most christmassy thing about this book is it's title and the cover.
The plot follows the time period from summer to Christmas, when the wedding is happening.
There are a few scenes with Santa and, of course, mistletoe.

I really, really liked scenes in Cornwall. I am not even sure what was so good about them, but I am sure they made me want to visit that place.

What I didn't like about this book is how Emily solve her problem just like that. I don't think it works that way in reality.
I wish that aspect of the story was developed more realisticly.

Would I recommend this book?
Definitely!
Will I read It Must Have Been a Mistletoe even though I know most things that happened in it?
You know what? I think I will. I definitely will!

Note: I recieved a copy of this book via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review. Thank you Random House UK.

Read this and other reviews on my blog: http://bookdustmagic.wordpress.com

[Nicola Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author and will not be my last as I really enjoyed it the story line was excellent with great characters and full of love and Christmas. Sean and Thea have been going out for nearly a year he lives in Cornwall and she from London and is a teacher but goes to Cornwall every holiday. She's in love with him and as she heads back to her home he asks her to marry him and she agrees. All they want is an easy wedding but can this be arranged when they live so far apart also how will her sister cope with the news and will she go to the wedding when she wants Christmas at home. Things start getting in the way and people wonder if they will make it down the aisle or not. You must read to find out what happens and if the family can make up.

[Jennifer Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thea and Sean have been together for nine months, dividing their time together between Thea's London home and Sean's in Cornwall. They've spent a blissful summer together in Cornwall but now it's time for Thea to return home to London in time for the new school term and her teaching job. Conducting a long-distance relationship can be tough but Thea loves Sean so when he proposes and suggests a wedding at Christmas in Cornwall, marking a year since they met, she says yes and the preparations begin. But with blasts from the past and family issues, Thea's Christmas wedding may not happen at all.

A Merry Mistletoe Wedding is the follow up from Judy Astley's It Must Have Been The Mistletoe, which was my favourite festive read last year, so I was looking forward to catching up with Thea, Sean and her family. It Must Have Been The Mistletoe was full of festive atmosphere so I was expecting a cosy Christmas read this year too but the focus wasn't really on Christmas at all this time round. It was mentioned as Thea and Sean prepare for their Christmas Day wedding but the majority of the book takes place between September and November. But although the book wasn't particularly festive, I did enjoy it immensely.

It was great to catch up with the characters from It Must Have Been The Mistletoe and see where life has brought them several months later. Last year I found the character of Charlotte brash and a bit annoying but I'm so glad she was brought back again. Charlotte is still brash but I loved her this time round and I think if you scrape away the layers of perfume and exuberance, you find a really good-hearted woman. Of all the characters, she was my favourite, closely followed by Thea's father, Mike. Mike refuses to grow old gracefully and I like his attitude and his humour and I found myself laughing out loud at some of his scenes.

There are quite a lot of characters and we see the run up to Christmas and the wedding through several eyes. I enjoyed this aspect of the book as we get to catch up with everyone and see how they're coping with life and the Christmas/wedding preparations. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Thea's sister-in-law Rosie as I thought she was a great character and we only see the odd flashes of her. I'm not sure I'd like to be on the receiving end of her often tactless observations but she's brilliant on the page.

Although A Merry Mistletoe Wedding is a follow up to It Must Have Been The Mistletoe it works very well as a standalone (although having loved the first instalment, I would highly recommend both). The book is well-written and full of fun and charm and I was completely drawn into the story. I do wish the depression element had been dealt with a bit more sensitively by some of the characters and I did miss the festive atmosphere created previously but overall I thought A Merry Mistletoe Wedding was a fantastic read.

[Suze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thea and Sean want to get married and they want to do it on Christmas Day. They want a small and cozy wedding. There will be a few guests and it's supposed to become a fun and relaxing day. Unfortunately not everything is going according to plan. It isn't easy to talk things through when you live miles apart and some unexpected surprises from the past are making things difficult. Thea's sister is also causing trouble. Will Thea have a happy wedding after all or has she made another mistake in love?

A Merry Mistletoe Wedding isn't as funny as It Must Have Been the Mistletoe, but it is a wonderful sweet story. Because it's mostly about the months before the wedding it can easily be read at any time of year. I enjoyed this story a lot, especially the ending which is very romantic. It was nice to read another story about Thea and her family. I loved finding out more about all the different characters. I think Judy Astley has written a really lovely sequel.

What I like about Judy Astley's writing is that it flows easily. She has a great sense of humor and she knows how to make her characters come to life. I enjoy reading about big family Christmases and love an amusing feel good story. I could read happy holiday stories all the time. I highly recommend this wonderful book. This entertaining Christmas story is great for cheering up and it's perfect for any fan of merry Christmas reads.

[Julia Sarene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the series. It's not as funny as the first, but a bit more serious. Still a light and easy read I enjoyed, even if it didn't much bring up the Christmas spirit, as it mostly just builds up to Christmas, and only a teeny tiny part of the book actually takes place then.

We get to see most of the characters from book one again, and they do grow a little more into themself, and don't feel just as stereotypical as they did in book one. All in all a nice read.

[Deirbhile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute Christmas time story. Good book to relax and escape for an hour.

[Jayne Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful festive heartwarming book

[Agi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Merry Mistletoe Wedding" is my first book by Judy Astley. Of course I have some of her other books on my ever - growing TBR pile, it's just the simple matter of a lack of time that hasn't allowed me to check this author as thoroughly as I'd like. Also, somewhere in between the stream of many, many books one significant information has slipped away - that "A Merry Mistletoe Wedding" is a continuation of Judy's previous Christmas novel, "It Must Have Been a Mistletoe", and I was a little scared that I might miss on something, but no worries, guys, this story is written in such a way that even without big moments of reminiscences and flashbacks, we can easily follow the lives of our main characters, Thea and Sean - no confusion here, and we can guess what happened in the previous book. Nevertheless, I am really hoping to find some spare time to read "It Must Have Been a Mistletoe", as I truly liked its follower.

As I have already mentioned, Judy is a new author to me, so I was really curious about the novel. From the very beginning I was hooked, and immediately fell in love with the writing style - it's so warm and easy to follow, and I had a feeling that I'm not reading it but that someone is telling me the story. The author has a real way with the words and her storytelling is truly exceptional, I really felt a part of the characters' world and had a feeling I've known them for years.

The chapters were told alternatively between characters and sometimes they changed very quickly, making me to wonder who is now telling their tale and where we are in the story, but relatively quickly I got used to this kind of narration - well, I've already mentioned that the writing style here works miracles :)

I liked the relationship between Thea and Sean - it seemed so honest, and you could see they really liked to be in each other company. But also the other relationships and family dynamics were really greatly captured, and they were as different as different the characters were. I think I can't not mention Rosie here, because the few scenes with her were one of the best in the book - her lack of tact was really unbelievable, but also it made the scenes hilariously funny! And well, it seemed that other characters were used to Rosie and her one - liners, as they were also able to laugh, so it shows they didn't take themselves so seriously - a brownie point!

Of course there are a lot of awkward situations in the novel, as it is a slight comedy of errors with a more serious issues touched upon as well. So we have a wedding to organize in a very short time of a few months, we have siblings not talking to each other, stubborn family members, a case of depression, creepy ex asking out of the blue for a second chance ( I mean, WHAT? It was a little too far - fetched, right? Even if Thea reacted in a very clear - headed way was her ex really so naive?) and some secrets - is there going to be a wedding at all?

I was missing a little the preparations to the wedding - I think Thea was the most laid - back bride - to - be in a history, and I thought, well, yes, you can be chilled and relaxed about your wedding, but some preparations by yourself wouldn't go amiss, no? Also, some of the facts were repeated till I was really fed up, for example about Thea's miscarriage, as well as some other issues, and it bothered me a little.

I haven't expected this story to cover so many important issues, such as post - natal depression, family support, previous relationships and family dynamics and I was positively surprised with it. It was a little predictable and not as complex as I'd like it to be, and even if this book isn't going to change the world, and I also had a feeling I've read such story thousand times already, it was still a cute, uplifting Christmas novel. Everything was so easy there, and even if the characters had problems they were solved with happy end - but every once in a while you are a need to read such a light, uplifting book - it has fulfilled its task in my case in 100%.

Copy provided by publisher in exchange for a review.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the follow up to It Must Have Been the Mistletoe which was released last Christmas. Unusually for me, all I had to to do was read a few reviews of the previous book , to remember enough of the story to go into this very happy. A Merry Mistletoe Wedding definitely works as a standalone, but having read the first book, I wanted a quick reminder first.

I needn't have worried, as I was drawn straight into this story, and the writing and the characters are familiar to me again very fast. The writing is warm and cosy, and you feel like you are a part of this family.

There are three main focuses to the book, Thea and Sean's Cornish Christmas wedding, and the plans for that, Anne and Mike's decision to downsize, and where they are going to move to (they are the grand parent generation, but Mike wouldn't be at all happy if I called him old!), and also there is the more serious story of Emily.

Emily, has just given birth to their new baby, and after being out one day, the pram was mugged (without the baby), Emily becomes scared of everything, overprotective and also after an incident last Christmas, is refusing to go to Cornwall for, sister Thea's wedding.

It's the character of Charlotte who intrigues me the most, as she isn't part of the family, was introduce in the first book, and has somehow become a family friend to all the members of the family. She is concerned for Emily's welfare, helps Thea with some of the wedding preparations, offers a friendly ear to everyone, and seems to go in and out of their houses without much on an invite. I can't help but want a book dedicated to her, just to get to know her better.

I can't really explain it but A Merry Mistsletoe Wedding, was like putting on your favourite jumper, warm and cosy, and great to cuddle up with this Winter, to read about a family and their dynamics.

By the end of the book I was getting very emotional at the whole situation, and I was loving every second of this book. It is one of those that will be a really enjoyable read, and is just some warm hearted and loving fiction.

Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for this review copy. This was my honest opinion.

[Marea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book came up as a suggestion after I have read other books taking place in the holiday season and in different parts of the world. I love romances, family and everything so thought this would be good because it wasn’t dealing so much with the romance itself from the start but it is about a part often forgotten. The journey towards getting married. So I had hopes for this one especially after reading the brief outline, I was disappointed in it.

First know there are other books before it and it only mentions it in a glance but didn’t realize you need to read those first to truly understand it. Then there are the parts when you get to the bottom of one page, flick it over and it’s a different couple or sometimes that even happened part way down the page. So it became really confusing. Anna is the mother, Thea and Emily are the daughters so this is a family situation.

It did touch on some sensitive subjects such as depression that happens to a lot of women after having a baby, which was great.

But it really isn’t about Christmas at all when it comes down to it or the wedding. It is about family ups, downs, and drama. The good and the bad drama. Just wish it wasn’t as misleading with the cover and the outline. Make sure you do read the other books first and don’t come in with much expectations.

[Blodeuedd Finland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not realize it when I started, and it did not matter, but this is a continuation of another book. Where the main characters met and fell in love, and I guess stuff went on with family members too. But it works well as a stand alone, but of course I am curious how the mistletoe brought them together the first time.

Sean and Thea met a year ago, and in this one he proposes and they settle for a Xmas wedding. But! First there will be a Fall of drama. There are so many things in the way, he lives in Cornwall, she lives in London. She has a job there, he has a job here. How will they plan the wedding? Are the right for each other? But they are both good people and obviously in love so it will be a happy wedding, just like they want it.

It is almost a year since Sean and Thea met and it's been a roller-coaster ride: they're getting married on Christmas Day!

But the book is not only about them. Thea's mum and dad are thinking of moving. Her sister is having a baby and then gets post natal depression.

A book packing a bit more drama and serious issues than I would have thought. But all good, it made it real. And it all ends well.

[Christi Poulsom · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed this at first, but soon got fed up of all the superior tone of this book. Forest school, ageing hippies, alternatives to nativity play, barbie on the beach - everything Thea or most of her family liked was oh so much better than the standard fare, and there were certainly more than 10 drummers drumming each point home.
Last time I checked, a simple wedding doesn't involve the orangery of a stately home, and a lack of understanding that people have other things to do on Christmas Day.
The only person I could even vaguely empathise with was the sister, who was not meant to be a great character.
Sorry but I don't hold much hope for the 'happy' couple. Anyone who thinks wearing chestnut velvet and a cream silk shirt is a good idea has more to hide than the secret that he didn't even think to mention.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little Christmas story that followed one family over the Christmas period in the lead up to a wedding. There were a lot of issues covered in this book like post-natal depression, moving house, affairs, ex partners etc and they were all paid just enough attention. Although I would have liked a bit more of an exploration of the post-natal depression - it felt like it was too easily resolved (and depression rarely is).
The story was told by focusing on different characters and their stories throughout, however it sometimes jumped very quickly between characters so it took a while for me to get used to how quickly the narrative changed direction.
Overall a sweet Christmas book that has a satisfying ending and enough of a festive feel to it to make you want to get the mince pies out!

[Mandy Radley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Normally I would have finished this book in no time at all. But it's that time of year again, and even though it has the Christmas theme it's just the book to read at this crazy time of year. A thorough good light hearted feel good read and also we get to find out what happens to Thea and Sean and family following on from It Must Have Been The Mistletoe.

[Elizabeth Grieve · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant read, but a little hard to get into at first as I couldn't see what connection there was between the characters. The story was about the whole family coming together for the Christmas wedding of Thea, who is planning to marry her long-distance fiance in Cornwall. I noticed from other reviews that this is a sequel, which I was unaware of but it worked fine as a standalone book. Also I saw that other reviewers called it 'funny' but I must have missed that part!
Thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice easy festive read that followed on with Thea and her family’s story in It Must Have Been The Mistletoe.

The story was a little predictable at times but it had a lighthearted warm cosy feel about it for the majority.

It does lightly touch in post natal depression - although jot in great detail or confirmation of such - having been through it myself I saw the signs and would say it could easily be a trigger.

I’m glad there was a happily ever after and would love to know what next for Thea and Sam. And the other members of the family.

I’d definitely recommend.

[Welzen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Supongo que podría merecer una estrella más pero no es un tipo de libro que tenga una historia que me guste. Va de una pareja que se quiere casar en Navidad, de los padres de ella, de su hermana... es todo muy coral y familiar como una temporada de Cuéntame. Solo lo recomiendo si te gusta este género romántico/doméstico/realista.

[Kim Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like some others I have read this year, the “Christmas” element is only a brief part of the book. But in this instance I didn’t feel short changed as I enjoyed the story and the setting. You can’t go wrong with Cornwall!

[Jodie Portugal · Rating 3 out of 5]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs_aF...

[Jane Woodcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aaaaah, a nice little read. Lovely characters, good storyline. Made me laugh, cringe, and got me a bit emotional. A light read after a few heavy going ones.

[Layla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I ENJOYED THIS BOOK.

it is a good cosy wintertime read,

3 stars for this book as never read any Judy astley books before but it wont be the last.

[Barbara Rudge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light hearted enjoyable read. Convincing characters.

[Cherrie]

Just couldn't get into this story for some reason so gave up after a couple of chapters.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable. Just what I needed as a light distraction in the madness of the lead up to Christmas.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars

[Tania]

Although this can be classed as chicklit it is more than this. Kudos to all people suffering anxiety.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping for something a bit more festive and personally struggled to connect with the characters - but if you're looking for a fluffy romance then it ticks those boxes.

[Pauline Chamberlain · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read really like reading this authors works

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Merry Mistletoe Wedding is Judy Astley’s Christmas novel for 2015. It follows on from last year’s book It Must Have Been the Mistletoe, which I’d suggest you read first if you haven’t already and would like to. A Merry Mistletoe Wedding could be read as a standalone novel but I feel it works best as a sequel as you would miss out on a lot of information which really adds to the story if you haven’t read the first book.
In this novel Thea are Sean are planning their wedding which they want to be held in Cornwall at Christmas just like how they met. All they really want for their day is the beach, some mistletoe and each other but like any wedding they incur a number of setbacks which make them question if getting married really is the right thing to do?
Like Judy’s other Christmas novels this book has a fabulous cover which oozes festive spirit with the Christmas tree and all the twinkling lights. However unlike It Must Have Been the Mistletoe it didn’t feel like it was a Christmas novel at all. In fact Christmas only features in a little of Emily’s plans and right at the very end of the book. Despite this, I did really enjoy this book. I loved following Thea on her journey through wedding planning with difficulties from her family and was hoping she’d eventually find her happy ever after.
Along with Thea and her wedding plans the book also features narrative from Anna who is on the hunt for a new home and Emily who is struggling with post-natal depression after giving birth to Ned her third child. I really felt closer to Emily in this book as we learn more about her depression and her fears of being snowed in again and something bad happening to baby Ned. Surprisingly it seems to be family friend Charlotte who makes the most effort to try and help Emily and these scenes were definitely my favourites in the book.
I really enjoyed this book and Judy’s writing style which is heart-warming and easy to read has definitely put Judy Astley in my “must read more of” for this year. Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley who sent me a copy to review. I’d rate this book 4/5.

[Lisa Bentley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aww. This is how I feel after reading A Merry Mistletoe Wedding. Judy Astley’s latest Christmas book has you revisiting past fictional friends as they embark on their nuptials.

We originally met Thea and Sean in It Must have Been the Mistletoe; in a slight comedy of errors, each thought the other one was gay and spent the short time together trying to suss each other out. One year later, all confusion forgotten and the pair are getting married. They plan to have a beach wedding on Christmas day – a slight oxymoron of sorts but who are we to argue with the bride.

However, things are not going according to plan; with stubborn family members, creepy exes and a lack of wedding dress things start to fall drastically apart. Can Thea and Sean hold it all together and make it down the aisle?

It really was a joy to find out what happened to the characters that I fell in love with a year ago. Astley has kept the things we love about the characters and followed through on the things we learned in the previous book. Thea is still a bit insecure having lost her baby and fiancé in the space of a few days – although she is happy she can’t help waiting for disaster to strike. Her fallibility is what makes her likeable. As readers, it is this that we relate to.

Astley has written the family dynamics to perfection. The wappy parents and three very unique siblings create quite the entertaining scenarios. As with It must Have Been the Mistletoe, A Merry Mistletoe Wedding makes you feel like you have been invited into the family home on Christmas day.

I would have liked to have seen more scenes of Sean and Thea together but maybe this could be done in a short story prequel to this novel.

A Merry Mistletoe Wedding is such a lovely winter read. Make sure you all get yourselves a copy.

A Merry Mistletoe Wedding by Judy Astley is available now.

Follow Judy Astley (@Judyastley) via Twitter.