Dec 30 books read

Beautiful Day by Elin Hildenbrand
Have read the author's other works and love her style, always a good read. This one is also one of those.
The family will be gathering for the wedding on the island. I found so much of this book to be truly funny as to the things that happen.
With that many people from the same family together there is bound to be some mishaps. Jenna's mother had left a note because she had died and wanted the perfect day for her daughter. She wrote down what tie to wear and every little detail. Now to follow it to the letter.
Each chapter begins with a page from the notebook that Jenna's mother Beth, had written-notes on the wedding. Loved hearing of the different relatives relationships with one another, comparing them to my own.
Everything is planned as time goes on everything seems to go wrong. Love laughing and crying with it all.. Loved all the old music that I grew up on.
Lots of characters but it's easy to keep track of who is who. Touching moments of the past life's.
I received this book from Libbio via the author in exchange for my honest review.
 

Merry Humbug Christmas   by Sandra D. Bricker
This book is actually two stories about the holidays, Joss and Reese are best of friends also, glad each got their own story.
.
Once Upon a Jingle Bell
Love holiday tales and this is going to be a good one. Each chapter starts out with 'on the .. day of Christmas Murphy's Law gave to me..'
Merry Christmas Snow was born on Christmas day but when she becomes 26 she gets a name change to Jocelyn Merry Snow. Her bff is named Reese after a candy bar and for the past 5 Christmas' they have spent the time together away from the holiday hoopla. This year Reese is engaged and so Joss will go on a bah humbug cruise by herself to the shores of Mexico.
She and Ryan and Charlotte run the Image Public Relations. together. Nothing goes right when she gets to the cruise line-they cancelled the first trip but booked her on the second ship-much bigger and it's Christmas themed. Without thinking she checked in and is depressed and orders room service. Connie who she had met earlier takes her under her wing and they go to have dinner decked out in Christmas garb.
She meets many on the trip and one family in particular=their company is trying to get their hotel and spa as clients.
Joss also hooks up with Patrick-he's so caring to watch over his mother. Love the events they have planned on the ship-they do sound fun, even for one who's anti-Christmas. They do spend a bit of time together on land doing exciting things together and they are able to talk to one another and discover they live really close to one another in CA.
The client overhears Joss talking and misunderstands what she is saying...it could make them go elsewhere to hire a different company..
The book follows a few others on the ship and it's very easy to keep them straight.
Misunderstandings has them all divided and you wonder if they will ever meet again.

.



It Came Upon A Midnight Deer is also included.
This book concentrates on Reese and she was name after a Reese peanut butter cup. Her parents do not eat meat but her and Herscel have and they have finally told their parents after 20 years...
Reese is also Joss friend from the previous book.
This story also has the chapters with the 12 days of Christmas according to Murphy's law...
Damian had proposed to her and that's why she didn't go on the anti-Christmas cruise with Joss.
They are on their way to the family cabin at Sugarloaf Mountain  and it's snowing and she's drilling him about the family members, names, ages, etc.
Problem is there are many obstacles keeping them from meeting the family...when they finally arrived she takes in the scene of the home-every room she ventures into is described in detail and you can just picture it all. She feels her life as a doctor is not going to be good enough for his family...
She does not feel like she fits in with any of the family members and she keeps apologizing to the deer...things just are not going as planned....anything that can go wrong does...
Lots of family members to keep track of and it's a bit confusing at times keeping them all straight. Love the scenes and descriptive details, so pretty of a picture it paints in ones mind.
I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review