Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5

In order for this book to make sense you need to have read the first book in the series, Holiday Star.

This is a continuation of Gwen and Caleb stories. The twist with this book is we get the POV of two best friends. We are now seeing events from Jenny’s POV along side Gwen’s.

🎄Christmas wedding
🎄Best friends
🎄Fake dating
🎄Forced proximity

If you want a feel good Christmas romance this book is for you

This holiday read was absolutely adorable, and I adore Melissa Dymond’s writing!

I loved experiencing two love stories in this book. Gwen and Caleb's journey, navigating wedding planning amidst a blizzard and a stalker, was a thrilling ride. Meanwhile, Jenny reunited with Dean, Caleb's bodyguard and her old adversary, sparking an enemies-to-lovers romance with captivating chemistry and witty banter.

Whether you prefer open or closed door romance, there's a spicy or sweet version available, which I think is great.

Looking for a holiday romance that's steamy, suspenseful, and entertaining? Holiday Wedding is the perfect choice, offering a great balance of passion, emotion, and intrigue.

Holiday Wedding by Melissa Dymond is a delightful and multifaceted novel that seamlessly blends several genres, making it a captivating read from start to finish. Fans of romance, thrillers, mysteries, romantic suspense, and even medical drama will find elements to love in this story. The book’s dual point of view adds depth to the narrative, allowing readers to fully immerse themselves in the lives of two separate couples whose stories intertwine in unexpected ways.

For those who have followed Dymond’s work, the return of Gwen and Caleb is a treat. Their chemistry is undeniable, and witnessing the planning of their wedding is both heartwarming and entertaining. Dymond crafts their relationship with warmth and authenticity, making them a couple that readers can’t help but root for. Alongside them, a secondary romance unfolds, adding another layer of intrigue and emotion that enhances the overall plot.

One of the standout aspects of Holiday Wedding is Dymond’s consideration for her audience. The availability of both sweet and spicy versions of the book is a thoughtful touch, ensuring that readers can select the option that best fits their preferences. This adaptability showcases Dymond’s dedication to creating inclusive stories that cater to different comfort levels.

Overall, Holiday Wedding is a well-rounded novel that delivers a mix of excitement, romance, and tender moments. With its skillful balancing of various genres, compelling characters, and the innovative dual-version approach, it’s a must-read for those who enjoy stories with a blend of heart and suspense.

I am absolutely LOVING Melissa Dymond’s unique storylines. I have never read anything quite like her books that include so many genres in one! Romcom, thriller, mystery, suspense, trauma healing and more. It’s a whole trip reading her books and I can’t get enough of it!

In Holiday Wedding we get a continuation of Caleb and Gwen’s story which you don’t have to read first, but man it would help to get their backstory from Holiday Star. Their engagement and wedding planning, with some mystery and thrills mixed in were so freaking good! I was not expecting the adventure we’d get to go on in this book. It was so much more than I had expected and I loved every minute of it.

Then we also get Jenny and Dean’s story mixed in with it and it was a a whole story in and of itself. I loved their banter and their story of growth and change that we see throughout this book. There’s sweet yet steamy, fun and flirty while also suspenseful and dramatic… So much goodness packed into one book!!!

With the POV of both Gwen and Jenny it was seriously so unique and worth every minute. I was committed and couldn’t get enough, especially as the storyline picked up and started getting crazy. It had me gasping and sitting up in bed wondering what was going to happen!

I can’t wait to see what Melissa has coming next. I am all in ready for more! Do yourself a huge favor and read her books! My favorite thing that I haven’t seen from others is that she offers her books in both a spicy and sweet version. You can’t go wrong here!

I just read and devoured Holiday Star!
Holiday Wedding is book two in the amazing Holiday Romance series by Melissa Dymond.
This book was super cute it felt cozy and was a lot of fun reading.
An entertaining read with sweet funny moments that I adored.
I thought the characters were great and you see a lot of growth throughout.
A very interesting story with amazing writing that sucked me in and was a hard one to put down.
This is an author I’m keeping eyes open for.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Victory Editing for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

Trigger Warnings: PTSD; stalker; mental health

It starts off on December 10 which is 14 days until the wedding. We are literally thrown in as Gwen, the bride and her fiance, Caleb Lawson are making love. Quite mildly steamy but not “OMG” smutty steamy.

Caleb is a star who is getting married to Gwen Wright…Doctor Lawson if you please. They broke up once because Caleb was scared Gwen would be overwhelmed by his stardom and crazy fan base. This time, he’s in a better mental space but it does come and go. Gwen is his anchor so as long as she is by him, he’s fine.

Jennifer is Gwen’s best-friend from childhood. Jennifer is an unofficial member of Gwen’s close-knit family, which includes Gwen’s mother, Teddy, Brandon but he checked out when their father passed, and of course, Seth, the step-dad.

Jennifer works for the entertainment section of a news and while she is covering Gwen and Caleb’s wedding, she still intends to keep things private and she is letting Caleb have the final say in what she can submit. She had caused Gwen and Caleb’s first break up by divulging a secret and she knows, not everyone fully forgave her. For one thing, Dean, Caleb’s bodyguard, is constantly scowling at her and bickering with Jennifer.

The story is told in a dual point of view, Gwen’s and Jennifer’s. We get some steamy romance, heartfelt romance, suspense from someone stalking Caleb, a snow-storm, and a kidnapping. This is a fun, guilty pleasure read as I started this and could not put it down. It’s a HEA troupe and I am here for it. I must confess, I favored Jennie’s romance more.

The author even gives us a bonus chapter of Caleb’s point of view and it was just as sweet.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for an ARC for my honest opinion. The publishing date is November 1, 2024

What better way to celebrate the start of the Holiday season than with Holiday Wedding! It had me hooked from the beginning, I mean that opening scene in the spicy version! (Yes!!!) I love that you can read Melissa's novels sweet or spicy, and me I chose spicy because duh, how could I not! Anyways, this is such a cute holiday romance that has a great amount of romance and suspense! Yes, suspense! I was on the edge of my seat! Caleb and Gwen’s relationship progresses through the novel which I really appreciate. But, Jenny and Dean!! OMG!! I love them! They really stole the show for me. Dean is a dream boat and just is a great book boyfriend! And then Jenny is so cute and loveable and fierce, you don't want to mes with her! They are my favorite! What I really love about both females is that they are strong in their own ways! If you need a cute fun read to start off the Christmas season, look no further!

Holiday Wedding was an enjoyable read and would be cozy to read in the winter and around Christmas. I didn’t read the first book of the series but I still enjoyed following the continued story of the original couple. And I did really enjoy the “new” couple’s story. I would even read a book that’s only about them.

This is a sequel, and the important events of the first book are recapped in the first chapter so that you’re not completely confused if you didn’t read the first book.

Gwen and Caleb have been together for awhile now, and their holiday wedding is quickly approaching! When Gwen has to travel for a work presentation, she is met face to face with the reality of now being a public face now that she is engaged to a celebrity. The soon to be newlyweds have to learn to navigate how Caleb’s fame and intense fans affect their relationship all while being miles apart.

Meanwhile, Jenny (Gwen’s maid-of-honor) and Dean (Caleb’s security and best man) are “suffering” from the opposite issue. Instead of forced distance, they are forced together. Since they met Jenny and Dean have had tension between them, but they must put that aside to try to solve the mystery of Caleb’s stalker.

•Story of 2 Couples
•2 POVs (first person), both FMCs
•Forced Proximity
•One Bed
•Celebrity
•Body Guard
•Cozy with some suspense

This would be a good book to pick up while traveling during the winter holidays.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me access to an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. The writing and plot kept me turning the pages and I loved Caleb and Gwen's connection. Their love is so pure and cute, and they are both loyal and committed to each other. I enjoyed all the characters and Jenny and Dean's blossoming romance as well. I was genuinely happy for them when they got together and slightly more interested in their story.

There were a few things that bothered me, though.

This has one of my least favorite tropes ever. I won't say what to avoid spoilers, but it was something I saw coming, and is overused and I'm over it. There were a couple other things that were predictable as well.

The first sex scene between Jenny and Dean was partly hot, and partly cringe. The cliche trope of the FMC seeing the MC naked for the first time and her shock of him just being sooo big that he won't fit, and him saying "don't worry, you can take it, I'll make sure you're ready." *EYE ROLL* I just read another scene like this in a different book that I DNFed. I'm begging all authors... please stop writing this.

I can't say much more due to spoilers, but I did love the ending and would read the next book in the series.

RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️

Holiday Wedding is the second book in the Holiday Romance series.

I’m going to start this off by saying I probably made a mistake. I should have read book one first! So don’t be me! I think I would have just connected more with Gwen’s part of the story, if I had already read her and Caleb’s back story.

I really did enjoy this book even despite my mess up! I think it was a great balance of getting to see an established relationship mature and develop while also watching another begin. Jenny is such a ray of sunshine who takes a job following her best friend’s fiancé around for a month. But what she learns is that his life is not always easy, especially when people don’t respect his privacy and he has a stalker. As Jenny is forced to interact with Caleb’s body guard Dean more she finds she wants to know more about him!

Gwen decides, with the support of her fiancée and family to go to a medical conference on the west coast just a couple weeks before her wedding. But she finds that not everyone wants to support her, especially Caleb’s fans. I loved seeing Gwen find the balance between being a doctor, who just wants to help save more lives from her father’s terminal disease, and a supportive fiancée.

If you are looking for a holiday romance, this is a great book to get your hands on!

Thank you Dr. Melissa Dymond for the gifted ARC!

Tropes:
🩷 Enemies to lovers
🩷One bed
🩷Grumpy Sunshine
🩷He falls first
🩷Forced proximity
🩷Found family

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing and of course, Dr. Melissa Dymond for providing me this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This was such a cute holiday read that has a great mix of romance and mystery! I had never read a book that has both of those but Dr. Melissa Dymond exceeded my expectations. Although this is the second book in the series, I truly had no issue keeping up (will definitely be reading “Holiday Star” after this though!) The story follows two couples, and although I wasn’t sure how I would like that when I first started reading, I really enjoyed it! The romance between both couples was captivating and sweet, and the suspense had me trying to put all the pieces together, trying to figure it all out. Can’t wait for her next book!


Tropes:
- grumpy x sunshine
- doctor x celebrity
- journalist x bodyguard
- one bed
- forced proximity
- he falls first
- snowed in

4.5 stars

I did not read Holiday Star (book 1) and it did not impact me in being able to read/enjoy this book at all. I do, however, have a renewed sense of urgency with going back and reading book 1 to fully appreciate all the characters.

That being said, Gwen and Caleb are on the road to having the wedding of their dreams after a very rocky start in book 1. Both are dealing with their own things that they keep from the other while also navigating things together. One thing after another just pops up to derail this wedding, but in the end, not even a blizzard can stop their love. The way they learned to let the other in and ask for/accept help from not just each other, but those around them is a lesson I can probably learn a little more.

This book doesn't just give us the continuing love story of Gwen and Caleb, but we get a BONUS love story between Jenny and Dean. Gah I loved these two so much! My heart ached for them both in different ways. Jenny for never feeling good enough and feeling like she's always stepping in it. Dean for his trauma and survivor's guilt/lack of self-worth. I'm not saying someone should find their sense of self or measure their worth based on someone else, but the way these two helped teach the other that they are good enough, they are perfect, and they are just...enough was so touching. Everyone needs someone in their life (not necessarily a romantic partner) to help remind them of how amazing we really are. The grumpy/sunshine, frienemies to lovers vibes that these two have...I'm a little obsessed with them both.

We also get a mini-bonus love story with Alvina and Wayne! How adorable are the two of them? I can't wait to go back to Holiday Star to get some more background on the two of them. They seem like a fun arc.

The story ends with a wonderful set up for Teddy and Helen (hopefully there's another one with them?)

I loved the dual POV with both women and the suspense (stalker!) was perfect. Since there was no 3rd act break up (seems like the one in the first book was dramatic enough and this one didn't really need it, but it needed some kind of drama) it fit in nicely. I thought I figured out the stalked right away, but I was wrong.

Lastly, THE ILLUSTRATIONS! I'm such a sucker for illustrations and the ones in this book are sooooooooooooo perfect!

• Dual POV
• Suspenseful Romantic Comedy
• Spicy & Sweet Version
• Two Different Couples
• Forced Proximity
• Mental Health Representation
• Holiday Vibes

Thank you, Dr. Melissa Dymond and NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this story! I hadn’t heard of the author (relatively new to my renewed love of reading) and I was not sure if I was going to like it. However, from the first page I was like “OKAY GIRL! Starting off with a bang hunh?!” 😂 I stayed up way too late last night reading, so thanks for that lol.

I saw so many examples of communicating boundaries that I had to highlight so that I can share with my clients (I’m a therapist). There were so many aspects of this book that spoke to me that I really appreciate. This one got me “Why can’t I be both? Why can’t I be more…” I see so many clients who are battling the boxes. Other people are just trying to make sense of their world and so they categorize. But we aren’t two dimensional. We get to define ourselves and the definition can be flexible and adaptable.

My silly self didn’t read Gwen and Caleb’s story but now I definitely have to. Jenny and Dean were sweet. Imma need him to get some consistent therapy though lol maybe a little EMDR. I was a little taken aback by the bonus chapter mid story but I’m glad I read it honestly. Also, the spice is pretty great 😊 I truly look forward to reading about Teddy and Helen. I need to read what happens next 😈

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for my first ARC! 🥰

I have been waiting for this book and I am obsessed with it! The book is fun to read, entertaining and lighthearted. Along with all the fun of celebrating the wedding of Gwen & Caleb, Dymond weaves in the topics of PTSD, challenges couples face even before marrying and the importance of family & friends - all still in a light manner befitting the book. There are a few twists in the book, but also there is an underlining story that takes time to develop as the book moves along. It is a mini mystery and adds to the fun of the book.

I read the spicy version of the book and it was good. The spice is on the mild side yet enough if the reader does like spice in their books.

This is a good book for Christmas wedding vibes and for anyone who read HOLIDAY STAR, the story of how Gwen & Caleb came to be a couple. (Note: This is a stand alone book, so reading HOLIDAY STAR is not necessary). I absolutely recommend giving this book a read.

I absolutely love being back with Caleb and Gwen, and getting to see new couples emerge made this book all i hoped it would be. I love all the artwork that is in the book and I can not wait to read Hoilday Love next

☆Holiday Romance at its best♡

I can't get enough of this story! I'm completely blown away by the fact that this author is so incredibly talented she mixed two couples into one book. I really enjoyed the dual pov. It was pretty cool flipping back and forth between couples and what's going on in their worlds. Gwen and Caleb were great, but I think I might love Dean and Jenny a tad bit more. Their banter was so enjoyable, and I just loved them so much. This is honestly a perfect book to kick off the holiday season with!

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for this arc.

So this is actually a 3.5 rating for me. It’s actually not a bad book and at some point, I did enjoy it. But I what didn’t like is that I feel like Gwen was more the main character rather than Jenny. I would have really liked to have it focus more on Jenny and Dean‘s story. I did not read the previous book and maybe it was written and like this double point of view thing but when reading the summary it said this follows the story of I think the story of Jenny it did say there was a double point of view between Gwen and Jenny it just really bothered me that we were switching between these two, especially when Gwen was the previous protagonist of the first book from what I’m gathering it just really did not do to me. I would’ve liked to be more in Jenny and Dean's story rather than this whole bit with Gwen and Caleb so that’s not something that I really enjoyed but the story itself was easy to follow and easy to read and I finished it quite fast. I think I'd have finished sooner if I wasn’t so put off by the double point of view.

There is also not really much character depth which is fair because I feel like that’s supposed to be a feel-good romantic comedy Christmas story but it really wasn’t that but it was nice. I’ll give it a 3.5 only because it was easy to follow and at times I really liked Jenny.

Review posted on October 11 on Goodreads. October 31 on Netgalley.

Holiday Wedding by Dr. Melissa Dymond is the perfect mix of holiday romance and suspense, offering more than your typical seasonal romcom. The story follows two couples: Gwen and Caleb, who are navigating wedding planning amidst their busy careers, and Jenny and Dean, whose chemistry and witty banter steal the show. Gwen’s best friend Jenny, a lively entertainment writer, adds humor and warmth, especially in her interactions with the stoic Dean, Caleb’s bodyguard. Their “sunshine-and-grump” dynamic is irresistible, blending tension with genuine heart.

Dymond skillfully balances the holiday charm with a touch of suspense, adding a mystery twist that keeps you guessing. This is an ideal pick for anyone looking for a cozy, spirited holiday read with just the right amount of romance and intrigue.

Holiday Wedding is the sequel of Holiday Star and i got lucky again for the 3rd time receiving an ARC from Melissa!

just so y'all know, 10% of this book proceeds to colon cancer research which is so cool & generous.

i really really enjoyed the continuation story of Caleb & Gwen + their friends Jenny & Dean (my new favorite btw?!) the story starts off with them getting married in 2 weeks, the couple are super thrilled for it but there are certain circumstances that are in the way—Caleb's celebrity status & Gwen trying to further more of her medical career as a doctor. one thing after another just pops up to derail this celebration including a stalker & kidnapping but in the end, not even a snow storm can stop their love from blooming.

i love that the focus doesn't just focus on the main characters but we get to see some romance from Jenny & Dean too. my heart was hurting for these two because they are both imperfect people just looking to be loved. Dean from his trauma & ptsd (military related) and Jenny for her self confidence. their story is beautiful and i love that they got a healthy communication.

this book got all that you need if you're looking for a romantic and swoony suspenseful story <3

• dual POV from both girlies
• so much comedy that made me laugh so hard
• sweet & spicy
• two stories in one!
• forced proximity
• mental health rep/military trauma
• christmas vibes

this book comes out Friday, November 1st! make sure y'all read it if it's your type of book. i loved it so much and cannot wait to read more from this author. thank you netgalley <3

this is my 5 star read. well deserved.

Holiday Wedding is the continuation of the love story between Caleb Lawson, a world famous actor, and Dr. Gwen Wright. It is also the love story of Caleb's body guard, Dean, and Gwen's best friend, Jenny,....AND a teaser for Dr. Dymond's next book! There is a lot packed into this book. I read the beginning of Gwen and Caleb's story in Holiday Star. That is what attracted me to this book. If you haven't read Holiday Star, I suggest that you grab it now. I think this book will be more enjoyable if you know the beginning of Caleb and Gwen's story.

This is a spicy book as is evident from the opening paragraph. It's the continuantion of a celebrity romance and it's an enemies to lovers, forced proximity romance. Mostly, it's just swoony. This book has it all, romance, spice, swoon, mystery and danger. I read it in one sitting and actually got upset when the plot took a turn I wasn't expecting. I felt like I understood each of the four main characters and was attached to each of them and the two love stories happening contemporaneously. There was the obvious villian (or maybe more accurately the a$$ of an ex) that I really didn't like and the villian you don't see coming. But this is a romance novel, so in the end you get not one, but two happily ever afters and a preview of a third yet to come.

Read Holiday Star and then grab Holiday Wedding. You won't regret it.