The Christmas Wedding Guest: A Novel

Susan Mallery

Sep 2021 · Sold by HQN Books

About this ebook

“This two-in-one romance starts a new series that Mallery’s many fans will devour like a Christmas cookie.”—Booklist

Susan Mallery, author of the Fool’s Gold romances, cheerfully invites you to Wishing Tree, where Christmas comes to life…

The Somerville sisters believe in love, but they’ve lost faith it will happen for them. Reggie hasn’t been home since the end of the world’s shortest engagement. When her parents decide to renew their vows, she buffs up her twinkle to help with the Christmas wedding. Unexpectedly, Toby, her first love, is back too, and the spark between them shines as brightly as ever. In the spirit of the season, will they let go of past hurts and greet the New Year together?

Done waiting for the one, Dena is pregnant and on her own—on purpose. But then a gorgeous, sad-eyed songwriter checks in to a room at her inn. Micah, unable to write since he lost his wife, finds inspiration in Dena’s determination to be a mom. One snowflake-speckled kiss and he’s a goner. But Dena is afraid to believe that a rock star could fall for a cookie-cutter small-town girl like her.

As the Christmas wedding draws closer, these two sisters just might unwrap the most treasured gift of all—love.


Don’t miss Home Sweet Christmas, a witty and heartfelt story of two friends who unexpectedly find the person-and the place in which-they belong this Christmas by #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery!

Ratings and reviews

What a lovely, magical story set at Christmastime in the most wonderful town imaginable! Wishing Tree is a small town built around the theme of Christmas and with citizens who all know and support each other. Dena is running a B & B that she inherited while also dealing with morning sickness from her artificially inseminated pregnancy. Her sister Reggie has returned to town from Seattle for the renewal of wedding vows by her parents, a really big affair since her mom wants the dream wedding that she had never had. The entire book is like a dream, with love, romance, conflict and dogs that add humor to the story. The characters are realistic, just sarcastic enough that I could hear the author’s voice as she wrote their dialogues. Perfect casting! The plot moves along at a steady pace, with the story switching back and forth from Dena to Reggie and their love interests. I laughed aloud more than a few times and really enjoyed the antics of Belle, the Great Dane, being fearful of the little dachshund Burt. The addition of a precocious child was absolutely endearing! All in all, this is a sweet Christmas treat that everyone should enjoy, any time of the year, because it will make you feel good. Disclaimer Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley, and I also purchased my own copy from Barnes and Noble. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

The Christmas Wedding Guest is a beautiful and emotional story full of love, family and Christmas spirit. As a Christmas fanatic, this book did not disappoint on filling my soul with the perfect amount of holiday spirit and the love stories were truly fantastic. Here are my thoughts: I loved Reggie and Toby, two high school sweethearts reunited many years later with lots of misunderstandings and unanswered questions between them. I adored how they slowly got to know each other again & Mallery did a fantastic job of highlighting the fact that just because you knew someone a long time ago, it doesn’t mean they are the same person now. It was beautiful to see them fall in love with each other again and realise just how truly perfect they are for one another. Toby was an amazing father to Harrison - who was such a little cutie - I LOVED the relationship he built with Reggie & how encouraging he was of their relationship!! I felt the exact same way about Dena, Reggie’s sister, and Micah, her very swoon beau. It was so heartwarming to see them go from being strangers to being friends, resisting their feelings for each other, and finally to being lovers - it was definitely a long time coming! Micah had his baggage which was the main reason the whole ‘will-they-won’t-they’ situation happened but I loved him so much. He was so sweet, caring, and romantic especially with Dena’s pregnancy. They were just so perfect for each other and I really adored seeing their relationship blossom into something so magnificent, it will melt your heart. This was the first book of Mallery’s I have read and it’s safe to say I will definitely be reading more. 4.25⭐️ | 1💧 Thank you to Netgalley and Mills & Boon for approving me an arc of this book!!

This is a pleasant holiday story to crank up the seasonal reading binge with liberal sprinklings of wit and humor, cute animals, family drama, small town living, community Christmas traditions, and contemporary romance. The storylines were engaging and easy to follow, the pace was slow and leisurely, and the characters were endearing and likable. Everything I have come to expect and enjoy in a Susan Mallery book. And this one kicks off a new series based in a small town near Seattle, which has definite standards and expectations for the holiday season. I look forward to returning there but only on my Kindle, as I am a tropical gal who avoids snow and cold weather.

About the author

#1 NYT bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming, humorous novels about the relationships that define our lives—family, friendship, romance. She's known for putting nuanced characters in emotional situations that surprise readers to laughter. Beloved by millions, her books have been translated into 28 languages. Susan lives in Washington with her husband, two cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her at SusanMallery.com.