Christmas songs are officially blaring and I’m happy that my neighbors are putting up their Christmas lights. It really makes me feel the colorful and joyful spirit of the season! I recently finished A Wedding in December by Sarah Morgan and my goodness! This was such an ever so charming book that has you rushing to a reading corner and reaching for a cup of hot chocolate to have an uninterrupted reading session. The story alternates between our three protagonists Maggie, Rosie, and Katie who each command unique personalities which gave A Wedding in December a realistic narrative. I especially felt myself connecting with Maggie and her maternal concerns for her daughters, Rose and Katie, in addition to coping with her own issues with her partner, Nick.
Sarah Morgan's choice of alternating narratives between a mother and her daughters was a particular strength of the book. I believe that it highlighted the overall plot in terms of how each character was mentally, and emotional, coming to terms with the situations that unfolded around them. Being able to get simultaneous perspectives enabled a greater insight into their shared family history which is a rare gem to see in contemporary works. This was a charming holiday read where some aren’t so thrilled by a certain impending wedding, a family secret threatens to break thin ice, and everyone experiences life’s enchantments.
Excerpt from A Wedding in December
Katie plowed her way through the crowds at the airport. Elbows dug into her ribs and Christmas gifts with sharp corners bruised her legs. A baby howled in misery and she turned instinctively before remembering that his welfare wasn’t her responsibility. She was off duty. Today she wasn’t a doctor. She was just another person going home for the holidays. Except that in her case, this wasn’t her home. And technically she was on sick leave, not vacation.
The throng of people made her feel uneasy and anxious. Maybe she should have taken those antidepressants instead of shoving the prescription into her purse.
A woman in front of her shrieked and sprinted toward a man with scruffy hair and an eager expression who swung her into his arms.
What must it be like to be greeted like that?
She was probably never going to find out. Unless she got a cat.
Should she get a cat?
No. She was already responsible for the lives of too many living creatures. Did she really want to add another to the list?
And what would it do when she worked long hours? It probably wouldn’t even be pleased to see her when she walked through the door. It would be like Vicky, disapproving of her lifestyle choices.
She tightened her grip on the case and walked past the couple, trying not to listen.
I love you.
I love you, too.
In that moment, their lives seemed perfect. Katie hoped there was nothing grim waiting for them around the corner. That single, dark thought annoyed her.
What was the matter with her? Was she really so warped by her job that she’d forgotten good things happened to people, too? People fell in love, babies were born, friends were made. Some people went through their lives without ever needing the services of the emergency department.
She had enough insight to know that her vision of the world was distorted.
Being a doctor in emergency medicine was like peeping through a window at a crisis. You saw a glimpse of someone’s life, but never the whole picture. She rarely saw this reality. There was a businessman striding through the crowd, talking on the phone as if the people around him didn’t exist; a couple hugging; a little girl balanced precariously on a suitcase.
And she saw smiles. People who were pleased to see each other. People who didn’t live their lives waiting for a disaster to happen.
She felt another twinge of envy as she saw a family of three generations embrace. Envy and a hollow feeling of loneliness. She felt as if everyone in the world was connected apart from her.
Maybe if Rosie had been here to meet her, she would have felt differently. Instead Rosie had sent the best man, who no doubt was as excited about the plan as she was. Four hours in a car making conversation with a stranger.
Oh joy.
Why wasn’t Rosie here? Did she really have a dress fitting or was she mad at Katie for expressing doubts about Dan?
But if she’d kept quiet and then Dan made Rosie miserable, how would she have felt?
Maybe this journey was a reprieve. A few hours of rest before she had to try to pull it together in front of her family. Given that Mr. Best Man didn’t know her and was simply doing his duty, he wouldn’t be able to identify that she was more stressed than usual. And who better to question about the groom than the best man? Maybe she could tempt him to spill all the gory details he was thinking of including in his speech.
But before that, she had to actually find the man.
How was she supposed to recognize him? Rosie, presumably distracted by wedding arrangements, hadn’t sent a description. All she’d said was that he would be waiting at arrivals.
There seemed to be a million people waiting at arrivals.
She glanced around to see if anyone was holding a card with her name on it.
Maybe she’d end up spending Christmas in the Denver airport. At least it was more cheerful than the emergency department.
“Katie?” A deep voice came from behind her, and she turned and found herself staring at a broad chest and a pair of powerful shoulders.
Happy Christmas, Katie.
She lifted her gaze past the dark shadow of his jaw to a pair of ice-blue eyes. “Hi.” Her voice emerged as a croak and she cleared her throat and tried again. “I mean, hi. Dry throat. I’m probably dehydrated from the flight.”
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About the Book
A Wedding in December
by Sarah Morgan
Publisher: Harlequin
Hardcover: 368 pages
From the USA Today bestselling author of The Christmas Sisters comes this funny, charming and heartwarming all new original Christmas novel. This is Sarah Morgan at her festive best! In the snowy perfection of Aspen, the White family gathers for youngest daughter Rosie’s whirlwind Christmas wedding. First to arrive are the bride’s parents, Maggie and Nick. Their daughter’s marriage is a milestone they are determined to celebrate wholeheartedly, but they are hiding a huge secret of their own: they are on the brink of divorce. After living apart for the last six months, the last thing they need is to be trapped together in an irresistibly romantic winter wonderland. Rosie’s older sister, Katie, is also dreading the wedding. Worried that impulsive, sweet-hearted Rosie is making a mistake, Katie is determined to save her sister from herself! If only the irritatingly good-looking best man, Jordan, would stop interfering with her plans… Bride-to-be Rosie loves her fiancé but is having serious second thoughts. Except everyone has arrived—how can she tell them she’s not sure? As the big day gets closer, and emotions run even higher, this is one White family Christmas none of them will ever forget!
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