How do you feel about reading books with seasons? When Christmas comes around, do you pick up festive reads? Around Halloween, are you on the look out for spooky stories? It has only been this year that I have found myself swaying towards at least one book for the mood of the month. Though I did not start out December thinking I was going to pick up any Christmas reads, The Wedding Dress Christmas is the first of two books I will be sharing about this month. These are my casual self-care reads so book thoughts are going to be quite casual and laid back too.
So grab a cup of hot chcolate and learn more about The Wedding Dress Christmas – and yes, it does feature a beautiful dress with a mind of its own. 🙂
December comes to quaint Hearts Bend, Tennessee, with a blanket of white and the glitter of Christmas lights.
For JoJo Castle there is no place like home. Her onetime love of adventure ended when her life in the big city came crashing down. Now that she’s home, she never wants to leave again.
Country music sensation Buck Mathews has charmed the world with his smile and his music. However, news of his mother’s illness brought him home to Hearts Bend for the holiday season.
Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. But when her high school crush returns to town, her buried feelings surface.
Busy with his career, Buck hasn’t had time for family and friends, much less love. Seeing JoJo in The Wedding Shop reminds him there are things more important than his career.
But JoJo and Buck have opposing life goals, and there’s no middle ground. Can love, especially the kind that touches hearts at Christmas, overcome her fears and his quest for greatness?
With the help of a very special wedding dress, there just might a Christmas miracle.
Thoughts
I have not read many books centered around Christmas but the few I have read have always been quick one-sitting reads. The Wedding Dress Christmas falls in the same category! Short and sweet, this is the story of JoJo, a woman who tasted the world outside her little home town, and came back to her nest. JoJo made a career as a PR manager in Dallas but something happened there that has shaken her to the core… to the point that a joking phone call from her Uncle can send her flying down the main street, veil on her head, forgotten. 🙂 She isn’t even the bride!
JoJo moved back from Dallas about five years ago and since then, has been helping her cousin, Haley, at The Wedding Shop, selling wedding dresses and accessories to brides. I love reading stories about destiny and childhood romances that did not happen. Yes, you read that right! JoJo and Buck were best friends when they were teenagers but life drifted them apart. But now he is back in town and their paths cross… will they be willing to share their true feelings?
On The Feel of a Small Town
Small town stories are one of my favorites, when everything happens within a couple miles radius. Every one knows every one and nothing is a secret – which can be good and bad, but the sense of community is so powerful, that you can’t quite not take it in your stride. Rachel did a great job of presenting the community at Hearts Bend (isn’t the name of the town romantic?) and what’s even better is that The Wedding Dress Christmas reminded me of Christmas time in Gilmore Girls so many times! I love that show so it is not surprise that I loved this book.
On Facing Fears
It is natural to worry about what-if situations and I often have scary thoughts about random scenarios when I am on my own, like what if there is a fire? Or a burglary? The Wedding Dress Christmas had a subtle way of reminding me that what-if scenarios do not come close to living through the real thing. Readers learn in the second half of the book about the incident that has had such a terrifying effect on JoJo.
On Destiny and Choices
How far would you go to be with someone you love? That seems to be an underlying theme in romances – hard choices, careers on the line, distance – and I think overcoming these obstacles and making things work is one of the reasons I turn to romances. They have a way of making things better. Buck and JoJo both face some hard choices and have to reevaluate their dreams and where they want to be in life. Both are equally intelligent and open to listening to each other. Who would not like to have a chemistry like theirs?
Destiny arrives in the form of a wedding dress, a legendary one at that! A dress that chooses its next fit and clears all doubts away. Who would not love to have such a dress?
Well, JoJo. 🙂
This book is full of heartfelt moments, life and joy. There is so much packed in the 150-ish pages and I am sure you will love it as much as I did. Funny, sweet and a story that will leave you warm and comfy, I highly recommend reading The Wedding Dress Christmas if you love –
- reading light romance
- festivities and Chritmas
- small towns
- Gilmore Girls
- fairy tale romances
** The Wedding Dress Christmas is now out in stores so get a copy and let me know what you think!**
Amazon Print
Amazon Kindle
I am thankful to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for making this book available to me. I enjoyed a pleasurable evening with it, and look forward to reading other books by Rachel in the future!
Cover image: Photo by Beatriz Pérez Moya on Unsplash
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