The Christmas Wedding is the first novel I've read by James Patterson. Starting the novel, I didn't know what to expect. To me, James Patterson isn't synonymous with fiction work with a romantic theme.The Christmas Wedding is centered around Gaby and her four grown children - Claire, Liz, Emily and Seth. In the first half of the book, there are several chapters dedicated to each child. I thought that this was an interesting way for the reader to learn about Gaby's kids without being told the information. The book worked best for me when it centered around Gaby's kids and their lives.Gaby sends her children a video telling them that she is getting married on Christmas Day. She doesn't tell them who she will be marrying and the only way to find out is to come home for Christmas. We are introduced to Gaby's three potential husbands - Tom, Jacob and Marty. I found it hard to believe that these three men were okay with Gaby stringing them along. The supposed romantic element of the story was not believable. If a man proposes marriage, he obviously has feelings for the woman, strong feelings. I don't think any man would be okay with being strung along with two other men. I felt that Gaby was being selfish by not saying who she was going to marry. What were Gaby's motives behind keeping it a secret? It felt like it was a game to her. I wish we were given more background information about Gaby so that I could understand her more. For me, Gaby came off as a flighty, selfish person. She cares about her kids and the men in her life, but I felt like what she did was cruel. When she finally chooses her husband, I wasn't overly surprised or emotional about it.The Christmas Wedding was a good story but it didn't wow me. It is a quick read and the plot will keep you engaged. Like I said earlier, the story worked best for me when it centered around Gaby's children. I didn't find Gaby endearing or likable and the sections of the book that were devoted to her did not hold my interest. There were parts of Gaby's behavior that were distracting. I found it odd that her kids and grandkids called her by her first name and she was okay with that. There was no explanation as to how she became Gaby and not "Mom" or "Granma". Again, I wish I knew more about Gaby's history because the little odd things about her were distracting to me. I shouldn't focus on why her family called her by her first name but I couldn't not think about it and wonder.All in all, The Christmas Wedding was an enjoyable read. It was a nice way to spend an afternoon. I'm sure fans of Patterson will love it.C
