BINGLE BELLS BOOKS: THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

  RING IN DECEMBER!
It's BINGLE BELLS Time Again!

BINGLE BELLS BOOKS are books I recommend for reading during the holiday season and/or giving as gifts. If a book is on this list, you can expect the warmth of the season in the story, or a book that anyone would love to receive as a gift.

THIS YEAR'S NEXT

BINGLE BELLS BOOK IS:

  

GIVEAWAY ENDED
THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING

BY JAMES PATTERSON
with RICHARD DILALLO

ABOUT THE BOOK:
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.

AN EXCERPT FROM THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING:

GABY'S FIRST VIDEO

ONLY TWENTY-FOUR DAYS until Christmas, and this Christmas is going to be one you won't forget.

Need proof? I think I can give you proof.

I want all four of you to take a good, long look at the screen and your mom.

Everybody watching? Emily? Claire? Seth? Lizzie? Emily? You see anything unusual or, well, kind of stunning?

Okay. Let me turn around for you...Turning...Turning again.

Yes. Your eyes tell the truth. I have lost twelve pounds and several ounces. 

Stop, stop! No worries, no frets or fears. No neurotic theories about my health.

I'm not sick or anything like that. Maybe a little sick in the head. As always. Part of my charm.

I just gave up Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and the occasional beer before bedtime. And I banished mayonnaise—low-fat or otherwise—from the house. And white bread. Dunkin' Donuts for sure. It made me somewhat miserable...and hungry. But it also made me thinner. And, I must admit, happier. Yes, I'm happier than I've been in a long time.

I needed a big change. Everybody needs a change. If you don't change, you're stuck in a rut. 
To finish reading this excerpt, visit James Patterson's website HERE.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

James Patterson has had more New York Times bestsellers than any other writer, ever, according to Guinness World Records. Since his first novel won the Edgar Award in 1977, James Patterson's books have sold more than 230 million copies. He is the author of the Alex Cross novels, the most popular detective series of the past twenty-five years, including Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider. Mr. Patterson also writes the bestselling Women's Murder Club novels, set in San Francisco, and the top-selling New York detective series of all time, featuring Detective Michael Bennett. He writes fulltime and lives in Florida with his family.

MY THOUGHTS/REVIEW:
James Patterson and Richard DiLallo have written a sweet story for this time of year. I personally like to take a break with short, easy to read, holiday themed books during this hectic time of year and THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING fit the bill. While I am a big fan of James Patterson’s mysteries, his other genre is something I enjoy and take for what it is. THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING is a book you can read in one sitting and come away with a contented feeling and a bit of holiday spirit as well.

As for the story itself, I thought it was a pretty improbable plot. Gaby Summerhill is a young widow having lost her husband three years ago. She lives on a country farm in western Massachusetts and decides to make this Christmas a really big family reunion. Hopefully it will be something her children will be happy about. That is, she is planning on getting remarried on Christmas Day. She actually sends short videos to all her children letting them know and inviting them for Christmas and the wedding. Also, since their father’s death, the family hasn’t been together since the funeral. Gaby hopes this will bring all her family together again to renew their closeness and enjoy the holiday and wedding.

The twist, if you can call it that, is that Gaby isn’t telling them who she is marrying until the wedding itself on Christmas Day. The twist also was the most improbable and hard to believe for me because, you see, Gaby was proposed to by three men, all part of her close knit group of friends, and she isn’t going to let the men know whose proposal she accepts until the wedding. Can there really be three men who are that saintly and would agree to such a thing? Also, how deep could these relationships really be that would qualify this marriage if there are three men who are all that important in her life? Tom, Jacob, and Marty are all nice looking, good men. Marty is Gaby’s brother-in-law and a huge help to her since she lost her husband. Jacob is a Jewish rabbi who is kind and thoughtful but also ready for fun like anyone else. Tom was a hockey player and also has grown up with Gaby since they were kids. Not only do these three friends buy into this crazy idea but also agree to help plan and set up the wedding!

The part of the story I enjoyed the most was getting to know about Gaby’s children. Their interesting characters were the part of THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING that I thought should have been expanded on rather than only touch on so we got a feel for who they each are. With 3 daughters and a son, Gaby has a lovely family. Claire lives with her children and husband, Hank, in South Carolina. Her story is one of an abusive, pot smoking husband who finally drives Claire to leave him and the trip for the wedding is the perfect time. Does Claire’s trip become the perfect break or does she get sentimental and want to try again? And what of her rebellious pot-smoking teenage son? How will they both handle this family gathering when tensions between them are at an all time high?

Emily is a corporate lawyer who is waiting for a partnership in the fast paced work world of Manhattan. Her husband, Bart, is a doctor and they both live busy, much too busy, lives. Taking off time from work to make this trip is something neither thinks they can afford to do but does something in Emily’s life make the trip much more important after all? Her other sister, Lizzie, is dealing with the heart breaking illness of her husband who is fighting brain cancer. A trip away from their normal medical care might be awfully difficult to take but also might wind up be very beneficial to both their emotional psyches.

Finally, there is Gaby’s son, Seth, who is a struggling writer just living through rejections for his book that he put heart and soul into. His girlfriend is supportive and they are in love but with all that is going on in his career, Seth just can’t seem to commit. He is also not sure he can face his other wise successful siblings at this time in his life.

Although I wish the kids’ lives had been expanded on, I still liked the book enough for a fun and light read. The zany proposal that anyone would pull off what Gaby tries to do didn’t keep me from just enjoying the book over all. With co-author Richard DiLallo, and the trade mark short Patterson chapters that I love, Patterson has put out yet another best seller. However, this time the mystery from Patterson is just how does he ever do all this? 

GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO ANNA AND MY GOOD FRIENDS

AT HACHETTE BOOK GROUP, I HAVE ONE

COPY OF THIS DELIGHTFUL HOLIDAY

TALE BY BEST SELLING AUTHOR,

JAMES PATTERSON, FOR YOU TO WIN!

 
--U.S. AND CANADIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO 
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON WHAT YOU THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT YOU READ ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS WEDDING  AND REVIEW THAT MADE YOU WANT TO WIN THIS BOOK, AND DON'T FORGET YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS

+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG AND/OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND COME BACK HERE AND LEAVE ME YOUR LINK

+1 OR MORE ENTRIES: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FIND INTERESTING AT JAMES PATTERSON'S WEBSITE HERE. YOU MAY WANT TO COMMENT ON A BOOK OF HIS YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ, OR HAVE ENJOYED ALREADY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON ONE WAY THAT YOU FOLLOW MY BLOG. IF YOU FOLLOW MORE THAN ONE WAY, YOU MAY COMMENT SEPARATELY TO RECEIVE EXTRA ENTRIES

GIVEAWAY ENDS AT

6 PM, EST, DECEMBER 29

GOOD LUCK!