Married for Christmas  - Noelle  Adams

Another Christmas in July pick. This is the first book in the Willow Park series. I read the second book in the series (A Baby for Easter) in April.

 

Summary:

After years of dreaming, Jessica is finally getting married, but the marriage isn't exactly what she thought.

Daniel is her best friend, and she's known him all her life, but he's never gotten over losing his wife two years ago. His dream is to become the pastor of the church in their hometown, but the small-town congregation keeps balking over calling an unmarried minister. Since Daniel needs a wife and Jessica wants a husband and family, she proposes an arrangement that benefits both of them.

They can get married. They can build a life together. They can celebrate Christmas as a couple. It's fine that he doesn't love her. And it's fine that she's not exactly suited to be a small-town pastor's wife. And it's fine that she's more attracted to her sexy, brooding husband every day.

Jessica can be practical about this marriage. She knows what she's getting into, after all...

 

Review:

I was set to give this book 3-3.5 stars until the last 1/3rd of the book destroyed the entertaining story I was reading. That last part consisted of Jessica crying, shaking/shuddering with emotions, repeat over and over again until the reader cries "Uncle!". Daniel was so obtuse at times with his new bride. However, I did like the fact that Daniel, a pastor, wrestled with his faith and came to peace with both his relationship with God and his wife. Jessica was the one who kept Daniel's dead wife's shadow alive like a black cloud over their marriage.

 

Skip this book and start the series at book 2. You are not missing anything remotely important to the series.