The Christmas Wedding is another of James Patterson's collaborative efforts. For this one he is paired with Richard DiLallo and between them they have created a sweet story about Christmas and family. It is not a complex read in any sense but rather is just a light, airy treat that is perfect for holiday reading.
The plot concerns a widow named Gaby Summerhill who lives in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Her husband has been dead for three years, and during that time her four children have not come home for Christmas. But Gaby knows a surefire plan to get them there that Christmas, and she sends them a video stating she has a big surprise for them when they come.
Eventually she lets them know she is getting married at Christmas but she will not reveal who she is going to marry. She does narrow it down to three people - her childhood friend Tom, a friend named Jacob who is a rabbi, and her husband's brother Martin. Not only does she refuse to tell her children who she is going to marry -- she doesn't let the three men know, either. They have all proposed but they do not know who she has picked.
The book also explores the lives of her children. Claire lives in South Carolina and is married to a slacker. Emily is an attorney married to a doctor. Lizzie is married to a man who has a brain tumor. Seth, the only son, is an aspiring author. Each child has some form of crisis going on in his or her life.
The book is written with the same trademark short chapters that Patterson uses in all his novels. He and DiLallo don't give a lot of depth to the characters, but they do provide enough information for the plot to be enjoyed.
If you are interested in a light, enjoyable book that is perfect for the holiday season then you should pick up The Christmas Wedding. You can't take much of it very seriously but if you take it just as a fanciful story then you can glean the entertainment value that is there.
Patterson and DiLallo aimed for the heart with this one and they hit the mark. Christmas, family and romance are the ingredients and they are served in abundance.
The Christmas Wedding is published by Little Brown and Company. It is 288 pages and sells for $25.95.