Book Review: A Wedding In December by Sarah Morgan

“But life goes on, right? You keep walking, even when your feet are bleeding and you can hardly stand upright.”

Published in 2019, A Wedding In December by Sarah Morgan is set in the snowy Aspen, where the White family gathers for their 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 about their own: they are on the brink of divorce. 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. Meanwhile, bride-to-be Rosie loves her fiance 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.

Rating:

This is the first book that I’ve read by Sarah Morgan and I’m slightly in love. A Wedding In December is a beautifully written feel-good story about how different relationships shape us, the importance of surrounding yourself with loved ones when things aren’t going well, and how finding a connection with somebody can help you to bring out the best in each other.

Full of heartfelt messages about the different stages of love, from falling in love and getting to know somebody else to an aged love that always lingers between people despite whatever’s happened in between, there is so much heart in this book and its characters. I especially loved the discussions between Maggie and Nick–two people who have let life get in the way, as it usually does. My heart ached for them both. They’ve put so much of their efforts into their family that they’ve neglected each other along the way, and it was so emotional to see them talk about the things they wished they had done differently.

With many meaningful discussions going on, there’s so much to take away from this book. This is down to Morgan’s wonderfully developed characters who are all relatable in their own way. Rosie is trying to make her own way in life, Katie is silently screaming for help, and Catherine is trying to redirect her love to anywhere it can be appreciated. Each of them play such an important part in bringing the story together and I wanted them all to find happiness in their own way.

There are even a few raunchy scenes which took me by surprise. Some of the lines of dialogue during these were undeniably cheesy, but Morgan captures the emotions of her characters perfectly. The heart-racing and butterfly-inducing attractions between the different couples is what kept me so engaged, making 100 pages fly by in what seemed like only minutes.

And of course, I can’t forget to mention the winter wonderland of Aspen, Colorado. The scenery suited the story perfectly and is described so beautifully that it made these characters feel like a warm hug in a festively-lit blizzard. I’ve never thought about going on holiday somewhere cold before, but I want somebody to take me on a trip to Snowfall Lodge right now please.