Book Title: Holiday Wedding
Series Name: Holiday Romance
Book in Series: #2
Standalone: Yes

In this, there are two love stories happening (two MF couples). It’s dual-POV, but we see both FMCs’ POV rather than FMC and MMC.

This was so cute, and I loved seeing how both couples worked out. One, Gwen and Caleb, was planning their wedding. And the other was Jenny and Dean, both friends with the first couple — the best friend and the bodyguard, respectively.

There was tension and suspense (because Caleb was a celebrity, so there was a lot of drama with his stalker), and love. This was my first book by this author, and I enjoyed it.

4.5 can’t wait for the third book in the series!

4.5 stars!

I loved Holiday Star by Dr. Melissa Dymond and this book was such a fun way to spend time with so many of my favorite characters from her first book! I would recommend reading Holiday Star before Holiday Wedding. I think Dr. Dymond writes her physician characters so well. As a woman in medicine myself, I find so much that I can relate to in Gwen. I also loved Jenny and Dean's romance. This book does have a bit of suspense in it and I would recommend checking trigger warnings before reading this book. I can't wait to read more books by Dr. Melissa Dymond!

Oh what do you know? I didn't exactly hate this book. I just felt like it was unnecessary for this book to even exist. The first book already had the perfect ending. That's the reality of fiction, am I right? Everyone loves a happy ending. Because it doesn't always work like that in real life. But when there's a sequel showing that the perfect ending was in fact not the end and you still have more and it's no longer perfect, it no longer holds the magic.

Since this book has a dual pov and the other pov is Jenny, at least we have a separate cringy romance that I much appreciated because I couldn't stand Gwen. I'm sorry. But which part of dating a celebrity did she not understand? I understand the need to feel accomplished on her own because she is in fact a resident doctor. But you would think it would have been embedded in her brain that her life is no longer just hers. Privacy is overrated when it comes to the media.

She kept repeating herself. She kept questioning if Caleb didn't trust her enough to handle the media or the consequences of dating a celebrity on her own. But everyday she was proving everyone right, and herself wrong. She almost made a big deal when his face was on the media being kissed by his ex. She dismissed Caleb's concern about her security when he offered because she's a strong person. Bullshit. If you're strong, you won't be so easily swayed by a random teenager's comment about hating you because you're engaged to their idol.

Okay, the above paragraph might have been a little contradicting since I mentioned that I didn't hate the book. I didn't. I liked it enough. I just didn't like Gwen enough. Sue me.

I still think this sequel was unnecessary though.

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- The story captured my attention with an intriguing plot that held strong until the final stretch, where it felt a bit over-the-top.

- There is part of the storyline towards then end that took it in a direction I hadn’t expected or necessarily wanted—it seemed to push the intensity a little too far. I would have preferred a softer, more nuanced approach to one of the themes, which could have aligned better with the tone that had developed up to that point.

- While I enjoyed certain aspects of the character dynamics, there were parts of the development that felt a little under-explored.

- Caleb, for instance, came across as overly controlling, with actions that, to me, lacked sufficient justification.

- On the other hand, Jenny and her love interest were beautifully portrayed; their story felt more fully realized and resonated well.

**Despite these critiques, the book was impossible to put down! It had a captivating quality that kept me turning pages, and I genuinely enjoyed the journey it took me on—even with the unexpected twists.

This was such a cute holiday read! Nice story line some spicy and an easy read!

Thank you Melissa Dymond and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Holiday Wedding is told from the POV of Gwen, a doctor and bride-to-be, and Jenny, a journalist and Gwen’s best friend.

Gwen and Caleb, a famous broadway actor, are set to get married on Christmas Eve. Although there’s last minute wedding preparations to attend to, Gwen entrusts her family and friends to handle the wedding to-do list as she heads to California to speak at an important medical conference.

While Gwen is in California, her best friend, Jenny, and Dean, Caleb’s bodyguard, help handle wedding preparations while also trying to figure out who is stalking Caleb.

When a blizzard hits just days before the wedding and flights are canceled, no one knows if Gwen will make it back in time to be at her own wedding.

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This was the first book I’ve read by Melissa Dymond, and it was great! Although there is a previous book in this series, I had no problem following along with the story and reading it as a standalone. I read the spicy version of the book.

I loved having the POVs of both Gwen and Jenny. I equally enjoyed both of their storylines. I haven’t really read romantic suspense before, but the suspense with the stalker made for a more layered story.

Overall, I definitely recommend for a great holiday read!