The Christmas Wedding

The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson

It's been a while since I've posted, but I've been busy--playing video games. I know, I know, but there are worse vices to have, right? I've also been reading The Cricket in Times Square for Battle of the Books, so I can write practice questions. But I can only read a few pages at a time because I really dislike that book. I didn't like it when I was a kid, and not much has changed since then. 

So what have I managed to squeeze in during down time from Nintendo? Since I was already feeling the yuletide cheer, The Christmas Wedding seemed fitting for a post-Thanksgiving read. Although not a typical Patterson thriller, Wedding keeps readers in suspense until the end. Gaby Summerhill, the novel's main character, is a widower who has decided to remarry. But who is the groom? Gaby plans an entire wedding without revealing who her lucky husband will be until after she's walked down the aisle. I've got to say that I was pleased with her choice; it's the person I would have picked based on his personality. And since she described all of them as good looking, personality is all the counts.

During her planning, readers learn about Gaby's family, and the subplots centering around each family develop as the days near Christmas. Gaby's children, Emily, Seth, Lizzie, and Claire are going through trials of their own. One is racing to the top of her law firm to make partner, another has a spouse with cancer, a child is causing an avalanche of trouble at school, and another is a struggling writer trying to sell a book.

Keeping with the tradition of Patterson's short chapters, this book is easy to finish within a short amount of time (hence why I had the time to read it). It's not full of psychotic killers, but still has readers turning pages. I'd recommend it for a fun holiday read.

Target age range: adults