Book Review: Holiday Wedding by Dr. Melissa Dymond

Rating: 5 Stars

Holiday Wedding by Dr. Melissa Dymond is a delightful holiday romance that blends sweetness, spice, and just the right amount of suspense to keep you turning the pages. This dual POV tale follows two couples—Gwen and Caleb, Jenny and Dean—as they navigate love, danger, and the magic of Christmas. With its festive charm, heart-pounding romance, and thrilling twists, this book offers a perfect mix for fans of holiday love stories with an edge.

Plot Summary: Gwen and Caleb are madly in love, and their winter wedding is set to be the event of the season. But when a blizzard hits and a mysterious stalker threatens their safety, their dream ceremony quickly turns into a nightmare. Enter Jenny, Gwen’s best friend and a reporter looking to escape her stalled career in LA. She heads to New York to cover Caleb, but there’s a catch: she’ll be working alongside Dean, Caleb’s gruff bodyguard and the one man who’s always rubbed her the wrong way. As Jenny and Dean team up to find the stalker, their banter and tension melt into something far steamier.

This book is a masterclass in combining beloved romance tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and grumpy-sunshine dynamics all thrive here, particularly between Jenny and Dean. The snowy New York setting and Christmassy backdrop provide the perfect cozy environment for love to bloom amid suspense.

Character Dynamics: Gwen and Caleb are the heart of the novel’s central romance, and their love is sweet and full of holiday cheer. However, the real fireworks happen between Jenny and Dean, who start off as adversaries before their chemistry ignites into something much more. Jenny, a spirited journalist looking to break out of a slump, clashes deliciously with Dean, whose tough exterior hides deeper feelings. Their journey from tension-filled sparring to undeniable attraction is deeply satisfying, particularly for fans of the grumpy-sunshine trope.

Romantic Suspense: The suspense element is another highlight. With a stalker on the loose, the stakes feel real, adding urgency to the romance. Dymond expertly balances the cozy, swoon-worthy moments with pulse-quickening danger, giving readers the best of both worlds. The threat looming over Gwen and Caleb’s wedding serves as a powerful catalyst, bringing Jenny and Dean together while creating a sense of urgency that keeps the reader hooked.

Writing Style: Melissa Dymond’s writing is engaging and fluid, blending humor, romance, and suspense seamlessly. She has a gift for witty dialogue and slow-burn tension, particularly when it comes to Jenny and Dean’s interactions. The alternating POV between Gwen and Jenny allows readers to connect with both couples while keeping the story dynamic. Whether you choose the spicy/open-door version or the sweet/clean version, Dymond’s storytelling remains a treat.

Conclusion: Holiday Wedding is a swoon-worthy holiday romance that delivers everything you could want: heart-melting love, holiday cheer, and just the right amount of suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. Whether you’re drawn to the sweet love story of Gwen and Caleb or the steamy, slow-burn tension between Jenny and Dean, this book will leave you with all the warm holiday feels. Perfect for fans of festive romances with a dash of danger, this is one holiday read you don’t want to miss!

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy their holiday romance with a mix of spice and suspense!

Must read for Christmas!

This book was a festive read that I liked. I was quite engaged and couldn’t put it down. I did find this had elements similar to Paging Dr. Hart which can be a good or bad thing (just didn’t want things to feel overdone). It did have a trope I didn’t like, which made me not enjoy this book as much as I could’ve.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing and Dr Melissa Dymond for this ARC.

This is the continuation of Gwen's (a doctor) and Caleb's (a famous actor) story from Holiday Star, with the added story of Gwen's BFF Jennie and beefcake bodyguard Dean.

It's December and Gwen's and Caleb's wedding is imminent. Tensions are high and Jenny and Dean are thrown together by various wedding tasks and a winter storm crippling New York, giving us the grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers and fake dating tropes, with forced proximity and only one bed situation thrown in for good measure.

This is a sequel written for readers who were keen on more of Gwen, Caleb and friends. It is therefore not really suitable as a standalone book, and I downloaded the first book from Amazon before reading this.

It is written in dual POV between Gwen and Jenny, but to me it contains more of Gwen's story. I have to say I didn't find Jenny's story as interesting but that may be because she wasn't given the exposure and the right to her own book.

Like the first one, this book comes in a sweet and in a spicy version (although NetGalley only has the spicy one), with the sweet version only involving kissing, whereas the spicy version being at it from page one. To be honest, I think the author should decide what level of spice she wants to write and then stick to it. I generally prefer less spice but I can always skip a few pages.

It is well written and there is a cute dog but the story itself is a bit of a hotchpotch of romance and mystery, with three couples in various stages of their relationships, a wedding and a stalking plot that escalated rather alarmingly.

With a lot of snow and the action contained to wintertime, it is more Christmassy than the first, but we get the same level of hidden trauma from the main characters, with the mental health issues handled sensitively.

The third book Holiday Love between Helen and Teddy is set up in an epilogue, but while I like epilogues I was a bit overwhelmed by all the bonus epilogues and "click here for Caleb's version" links.

I did however like the colourful illustrations and the romantic tone of the book plus the info on colon cancer detection, and I would like to read the third installation because from history they are often better than the second (waves to Back to the Future and Men in Black).

3.5 stars

Dr. Melissa Dymond has done it AGAIN!! I read Holiday Star and loved every minute so when I learned that Holiday Wedding was coming, I was so excited!! Then to find out Jenny and Dean get their stories?! YES PLEASE! I was pulled in from the very beginning and loved the mixing of genres that Dymond does. You get romcom, of course, but there’s also an element of mystery and thriller. That adds a whole other level to the reading process and can really keep you on your feet while reading! I was honored to receive the opportunity to alpha read and ARC read this book and it couldn’t have been better! I love this universe and honestly… I need a third book!!! Gwen’s brother needs his story, right?!

My first ARC and this did not disappoint!! I am grateful for this opportunity. I loved how this book was written from multiple perspectives! I loved the graphics that were included in the book! But I will say Dean has my heart! ❤️ I've never read a book by Melissa Dymond, and now I'm hooked! I can't wait for the next book!

Oh my! This book definitely delivered on it's promise of spicy romance with suspense. The characters were loveable and interesting. The romance was sizzling and the suspense was good. I especially loved the romance of the side characters since this is a sequel to the original book about the main characters' romance. I didn't miss the original book much because of the side characters. I really enjoyed reading this. Thank you, Netgalley, for giving me the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Our story focuses on Dean and Jenny who are the best man and maid of honor for their best friend’s wedding. They can hardly tolerate one another but must join forces to pull off the wedding for the people they love the most. But the bride and groom are not just anyone. The groom is a famous actor, chef, and singer and Dean is not just his best friend but also his bodyguard. The bride is a doctor making strides in colon cancer advancements and Jenny has been her best friend since childhood. But they had a rocky patch when Jenny’s loose lips led to the bride and groom breaking up. Bound to make up to her, Jenny is going to make this the bride’s dream wedding. As Jenny and Dean start spending time together they become closer and start having feelings for one another. But things start to go awry when Dean has to track down the groom’s stalker who seems to be escalating and the bride gets some news of her own that will change her and the groom’s lives forever. Add in a giant snow storm keeping the love birds apart and Jenny and Dean have their work cut out for them. Will they be able to figure everything out in time and save the day and their blooming relationship?

This is my second book by Dr. Melissa Dymond and once again she has knocked it out of the park! I wish I had known this book was a sequel so I could have read the first book prior. However, this book can be read as a standalone. It was a quick read with spicy and action scenes that made it hard to put down! The health advocacy information in the book was important to me and I felt like it was included in a thoughtful way. Thoroughly enjoyed the book and gave it 4 stars. I plan to go back and read the first book now!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange an honest review!

Dr. Melissa Dymond always puts together a great cast of characters who are believable and dynamic. I truly connected with these characters and their challenges and inner demons. Readers of Holiday Star will love this one, and if you read Paging Dr. Hart from this author, I think you will enjoy the suspense in this one as well.

This book is perfect for the holiday mood with romance, suspense, and comedy.
Tropes: Grumpy Sunshine, One bed, enemies, Wedding, romantic suspense, spicy
After reading Holiday Star I was so excited to read this one. Gwen & Caleb’s wedding with a stalker in presence. The dual PoV of both the couple’s made it even more good.
Along with that, we can see the Love Unfold between two enemies Jenny & Dean. That one bed & stranded in snow Made me squeal like a schoolgirl, I knew they would snap. I Loved their relationship full of tension & angst with a little bit of fake dating The spice is the chef’s kiss.
Coming to the suspense part I didn’t expect it but has a suspicion of the stalker. I loved how everything came together.

I really enjoyed this one. I wouldn't have minded it being just Jenny and Dean's story, but revisiting Gwen and Caleb is just perfect. I hope that Jenny and Dean get similar treatment in the next book. I loved Gwen and Caleb in their book and I really fell for Jenny and Dean in this one. I wouldn't have minded getting more than just the bonus chapter from Dean's POV. I will say, I did not see that drama coming and it was well done. I'm very much looking forward to what I'm assuming is Helen and Teddy's story.

Caleb and Gwen are getting married and they are very happy . Gwen has to travel to be at a conference to talk about her colon cancer cancer researsh in LA . Jenny her best friend will help with the wedding preperations and she will also interview Caleb . When one of Caleb's stalkers sent him a gift Jenny and Dean his bodyguard work together to reveal his identity . As the days for the wedding coming closer the weather in NY is getting worse will she be able to fly to her own wedding ?
I received this book from netgalley , the author and the publicer as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

I adored this sequel. It was great to see Caleb and Gwen's wedding. Typically, a dual POV story is from the two love interests. Instead in this book it was the two best friends and their individual love stories, which I really enjoyed reading. I absolutely connected with Jenny, the second POV in this book and was equally excited to read about both characters.

The story also wasn't your typical rom-com, there was a little bit of mystery/thriller aspect to it with finding Caleb's stalker, and I found myself trying to figure out whodunnit too.

Although this is a Christmas rom com, it wasn't over the top with holiday references, making it a great read at anytime of the year.

And, as always with Dr. Dymond's books, there was great representation of mental health, physical health (cancer screenings), and grief. I'll be reviewing this on my bookstagram page as well soon.

Thank you to Dr. Dymond and Netgalley for this advanced copy - a must read!!

I loved this fluffy holiday romance that also has a bit of mystery. The mix in genres make for an entertaining plotline. The steaminess, the banter, and the suspense caused me to read this in one sitting. Definitely add this to your holiday TBR this year!

Congratulations Gwen and Caleb!

I loved this so much! A great way to kick off the Christmas book season!

The wedding of the year and it’s supposed to go off without a hitch. But There’s chaos, there’s stress and there’s also a blizzard 🔥 can we just get these two married?!?! Caleb has a stalker and Gwen’s best friend/maid of honor; Jenny, and Caleb’s best friend/best man, Dean, team up to try and track down who it is even though they don’t exactly get along. So they have that going on while Gwen is across the country at a medical conference dealing with her own stressful stuff.

🎄 Ok fav parts! I LOVED the dual POV. But we get the POV between Jenny and Gwen. It’s like 2 books for the price of 1. You don’t see a lot of dual POV when it’s not the FMC/MMC. They have their own stories happening at the same time and I found myself really excited to switch back to Jenny’s POV.

🎄This is a romance but it’s also a suspense. There’s a stalker, you have a sleazy boss, and a nor’easter to boot.

🎄I connected so much to Jenny about feeling like she’s too much and too loud and not skinny enough. And the fact that she began to accept herself and grow in her confidence when she began seeing herself as Dean saw her was so relatable.

🎄The twist at the end had me like whaaaaat?!

First off I want to say thank you to Netgalley and Dr. Melissa Dymond for giving me this arc, super super appreciated.

Now into my thoughts. This was a cute fun slightly stressful holiday read. I will not spoil anything, but the bad people in this were not the bad people I was expecting so good job on over my eyes. I love being wrong about who the bad person is and looks like this and makes it more fun. I also loved the dual POV done by the two females in each of the relationships represented in this book. I thought that was a super interesting way to tell the story. I haven’t seen dual POV done this way before and I really enjoyed it.

For me, my favorite character is Jenny. I just found her super relatable, she was fun and quirky, and multifaceted. Overall though,I did love all the characters, including the side characters.

I loved the holiday aspect of this cause I made Christmas junkie. I loved the force proximity in the grumpy sunshine trope with MMCs (Dean) background. I really enjoyed the banter between Dean and Jenny, really really love banter in romance books. It just makes it so much more fun and I think Melissa pulled that off perfectly.

I love how the author (Melissa) Always writes two versions of her books, one with spice and one without so that everybody can read the story and not feel like they have to skip over parts . I read the spicy version of this book.

If you were looking for a suite, romantic emotion filled lighthearted, holiday, romance, with suspense this is the one, just go, read it!!

Seriously, thank you again for allowing me to read this book early and I really can’t wait to read the next book that Melissa comes out with. ❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“Dean kisses the way characters kiss in books or movies. A kind of kiss I thought only existed in Hollywood”

I loved this one!! Such a perfect conclusion to Caleb and Gwen’s story and a wonderful introduction to some new romances! I was a little disappointed we didn’t get a whole lot of Gwen and Caleb moments but I did really enjoy getting to see Dean and Jenny team up together!

I definitely was hoping to see more scenes with Gwen and Caleb together but it made sense not having as many since Gwen was out of town for her important doctor meeting. I was honestly super frustrating when Gwen told Caleb him living out his dream of being famous isn’t as important as Gwen being a doctor. They should find a better way to compromise so they can both have the jobs they want. I still love them together and I’m happy we got to finally see their wedding but I’m hoping to see some more of them in future books working this out.

Jenny and Dean were perfect! I love forced proximity tropes and they really test each other which I feel is something every good relationship needs. I felt it was a little rushed at times but I think their relationship ends off at the perfect point and I’m hoping to see their wedding next 🤞🏻I also am excited to see where the next book takes us!

I definitely think you should read this as well as Holiday Star this Christmas season! You can preorder the book on Amazon

This book follows up on Gwen & Caleb’s story as they’re preparing for their wedding, but also included in the dual POV of best friend, Jenny as she enters her enemies-to-lovers romance with Caleb’s bodyguard, Dean, and damn, do I love them together. From fake dating to learning to calm panic attacks, they complement each other so well. Holiday Wedding is a must-read when it comes out, especially if you’ve read Holiday Star!

I didn't like this book. Nor did I finish it. I probably should have read the book before this so I fully connected with the characters. But im not sure that would have helped. I found the writing to be a bit too much. The conversations didn't feel real and authentic.

Muss up my emotions just like my hair ,do your worst I won’t care , as this is the best of romantic reads , sates my hunger and my needs. If you know what I mean….with the cute and the funny, the dark and the sunny keeping me keen. A wonderful holiday feel read, that’s full of zest and zeal and raw need. This anxiety filled journey nearly has one of them laid out on a gurney! I know ! It is thrilling and a little bit chilling , able and willing. Speaking of which Dean and Jenny are now working together to pull out the stopper to make the wedding go off with a whopper, without a hitch ( well you know what I mean) if only Gwen had Caleb’s tether. He’d already know whether she was alright ,because she gave them such a fright!. But in the end he can depend on his friend..Speaking of alright Jenny and Dean , you know the ones , well it seems that Jenny no longer thinks him mean , in fact she’s rather keen , he’s a bit of alright if you know what I mean. Jenny , I think Dean loves you…WOOHOO!! There’s a story for you! I really loved the ups and the downs , wink, wink , the anxiety too , the camaraderie , even the frowns . They’re all getting in the pink , ready for a bit of a do . Christmas Wedding anyone? I do …. I mean..Yes please I love a good wedding and after this , I need a stiff one , drink that is , so if you please mind out of the gutter what do you think I was meaning to utter….. Haha , so shed no tears , when you come back down to earth from anxious fears . Had me on the edge of my seat keen and not just because of the sex scenes. Hmmmm… where was I ? Oh yes! Next story ? It can’t come quick enough and nor can Dean … 😜 DR Melissa Dymond ? I think she’s pretty neat. Because her storytelling’s a treat that can’t be beat. This particular version it packs some heat as well as being a beautiful romantic treat. Sign me up if you have a reader’s club for the next book you write . I know I will surely love it. The spicy version please . Cos this was HOT alright …..and a heavenly tease. Loved every bit of this spicy love story , as I’m sure you can tell , in ALL of its glory….. Excellent writing and great characters who are swell. The whole of the storytelling flows so well and has been brilliantly and creatively thought out , I can tell. Bravo ! Heat ☑️ Romance ✔️ Christmas✔️ Storytelling ☑️ Excellent Writing ✔️ Edge of Your Seat✔️

Absolutely amazing! It was so great to curl back up with some old friends. I love how seamlessly Dr Melissa Dymond connects the story and maintains the two different POVs. And while I came for Caleb and Gwen's story the story between Dean and Jenny is just perfect. Grumpy/ Sunshine is my favorite! I read the spicy version of this book because Dr Melissa Dymond is so great she writes two versions of her books so everyone is comfortable. This book is definitely one I will read and read again.