I am no longer interested in the content of this book. So, I'm DNF'ing this book for now. I may circle back around to this book one day.

A sweet Christmas romance that revolves around a magical wedding dress.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This is another great read by Rachel Hauck. I just love her books and this one did not disappoint. JoJo and Buck captured my heart and their story was magical and heartwarming.
Many thanks to Hauck House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this Novella. JoJo and Buck were childhood friends who lost touch years ago. Years later, Buck, now a Country Music Sensation, has come home to help his mother who is diagnosed with Cancer. He is attracted to JoJo, but is only in town for a short time.
This story is a short clean romance that is highly recommended.
Thank you Rachel Hauck, Hauck House and NetGalley for allowing me an advance copy for my honest feedback.

I requested The Wedding Dress Christmas by Rachel Hauck and it was such a delightful warm and cozy read. It was set at Christmas, but that shouldn’t stop you from reading it any time of year. I didn’t get around to reading my copy until February and the magic wasn’t missing just because it’s a holiday-read.

The Wedding Dress Christmas follows the saga of one remarkable dress. (Hint: If you haven’t read any of the titles in this series, you’re missing out. Go pick up The Wedding Dress at the least.) This particular title is easy to read as a stand alone – you won’t get lost – but it’s all the sweeter when you know the history of the dress.

Written with the classic charm that Hauck brings to each of her novels, you’ll be enchanted by the small-town charm. The characters are damaged and flawed, but relatable and strong. They grow and change and reconnect. This is a magical, romantic tale that will warm your hearts no matter the season.

I received a complimentary copy of this title via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own .

this was not my favorite rachel hauck book and i think it is because it was a novella so it wasnt as developed and sweet as her normal work. I think it is still clean and sweet just as you have all come to expect from this author. I will continue to read this author and series this just was not my favorite. A sweet novella that winds up with a sweet ending and it makes you feel all warm and happy inside.

I always love a Rachel Hauck book and was so excited when this novella came out. I have yet to be disappointed by a book from Rachel Hauck and this one was no exception. The way that this author makes you feel part of her small town is amazing and throw in Christmas time, so perfect!

JoJo has recently had to give up her dream of having an adventure in life and has moved back home. She is working with her cousin in the wedding shop in town. JoJo is content on not ever leaving home again. JoJo had a crush on a high school friend, but apparently he did not know that she had a thing for him. Has JoJo lost that opportunity forever?

Buck Mathews is a country star sensation that has returned to his hometown for not only the holidays, but to be with his mom. Buck has found out that his mom is battling cancer and he wants to spend as much time with her as possible and support her during this difficult time. When Buck is in town one day, he sees JoJo in the wedding shop and realizes that he has been putting his priorities in the wrong place. Will he be able to fix that now or is it too late?

JoJo and Buck have different goals in life but will the be able to overcome those obstacles that have been put in their path to come together after all this time? This story is such a heartwarming one that you will not want to put it down, and then be upset when it is over. Such a great read. You will not be disappointed that's for sure!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book. Great read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book made available through NetGalley. All thoughts an opinions are my own.

The Wedding Dress Christmas, by Rachel Hauck, was originally published in October of 2019. Although a novella in the Wedding Dress Collection, it works very well as a stand-alone story. There's enough background to get the reader up to speed on the history of the dress without bogging down the current tale. I fell in love with Hearts Bend, the small town near Nashville, TN. Regular folks mix with the rich & famous in a perfect, accepting way. I adore Christmas romances but the story has a little too much reality to be fluffy. It's grounded and fantasy. A magical wedding dress mixes with Christian faith in a lovely way.

Buck & JoJo knew each other as kids but lost touch after college. Each went their own way. When Buck comes home for an extended stay it sets the stage for old and new feelings to surface. They are a cute couple who deserve a HEA, JoJo most of all. All the characters are nice, homey folk, easy to like. I finished the story and wished for a little more. I missed the series the first time around so now I'm going to play catchup.

#Netgalley #HauckHouse #RachelHauck #TheWeddingDressChristmas #TheWeddingCollection #romance #Christmasromance

Jojo has returned to her family home following a traumatic incident, she meets up with a renowned singer. Can he put the past behind her and rebuild her life? Will the magical wedding dress help?really good reading,settle into a comfy chair and get lost in the book.

Oh, where do I start with this one???

I’ve read only one other book by Rachel Hauck. Obviously I liked it because I decided to give The Wedding Dress Christmas a try - even though I decided to forego the reading of holiday-themed books this past year because the previous year (2018) my selection made me feel bah humbug and not the least bit fa la la la la.

This one didn’t make me Scroogey, but it sure didn’t make me want to sing Deck the Halls, either.

Five years ago, JoJo Castle lived in Dallas and had an exciting career in public relations. After a terrifying event shook her confidence, she moved back to her small hometown of Hearts Bend, Tennessee to work in her cousin’s wedding dress shop. It’s not the life she thought she’d have, and is absent of the husband and child she wanted to have at this point in her life, but JoJo is happy and spends her time volunteering for numerous activities around town.

Buck Matthews has spent the past dozen years building his career as a country music star and hasn’t been home much the past ten years. When he gets a call from his sister that their mother is facing her second health crisis - the first of which he knew nothing about - Buck heads home just before Thanksgiving, intending to spend the whole holiday season at home with his family in Hearts Bend. His first day back he gets a glimpse of JoJo - the girl he had a crush on all during high school - and sets his mind on getting reacquainted.

In a plot that’s vaguely reminiscent of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, there’s a wedding dress in the shop that is a hundred years old but looks brand new, has been worn by many women over several generations, and fits each woman exactly right the moment they put it on. It also magically looks different on each woman who wears it! Oddly enough, as much as I like books to be based in reality (as much as possible), this dress - and the premise that it fits any woman who is meant to wear it - isn’t what I had a problem with, even if I felt the execution was a little on the cheesy side.

My problem with this book stems from the lack of relationship development between JoJo and Buck. We get very little detail about their connection during high school (and even then it’s told to the reader and not shown), and they had no contact with each other once they went their separate ways after high school. Then, they share a dinner and Buck all of the sudden realizes JoJo is the woman for him? A couple days later he’s ready to declare his love and plan their life together? With nary the discussion with her??? Even with the leeway I give to novellas because of their shortened page count, this one didn’t connect enough dots for me to feel like I was getting a complete story. I wanted to buy it, but I just can’t.

I also didn’t care for the way the author chose to hold back the event in Dallas that had JoJo running back home. Several people kept hinting at it, trying to build up some suspense, I suppose. But there was no reason for it to be a big secret, and when this storytelling technique is used it usually just makes me cranky.

I wanted to like this one, but bottom line, I didn’t. I’ll give Rachel Hauck another read since the first one I read was so good. This one, sadly, is another addition to the “reasons NOT to read holiday themed books” column.

* thank you to NetGalley and Hauck House for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Wedding Dress Christmas by Rachel Hauck takes us on a journey to Hearts Bend, Tennessee. JoJo Castle works at The Wedding Shop that is owned by her cousin, Haley Danner. JoJo loves Hearts Bend with its special traditions. JoJo, though, does not believe love is for her especially after what happened in Dallas. Buck Mathews, country music star, returns home for Christmas when he hears about his mother’s illness. The last twelve years Buck has spent working on his career and has had little time for his family. JoJo fell in love with Buck when she was in the ninth grade, but he considered her his good friend. Buck now sees JoJo in a different light, and he begins to have thoughts of marriage. While JoJo is happy in Hearts Bend, Buck has tour commitments that would keep him away for months on end. Is there a way for these two to come together and get their happily ever after? With the magic of Christmas along with a very special wedding dress, there might be a special miracle in Hearts Bend this holiday season. I have read every book in The Wedding Collection series and I thought The Wedding Dress Christmas was a lovely addition. It can be read on its own for those new to this charming series. I enjoyed reading this heartwarming holiday novella. It was nice to catch up with Haley and her husband, Cole from The Wedding Shop. JoJo Castle is a woman who loves living in her hometown where she volunteers for several projects. But JoJo has fears that keep her from imagining a love of her own while she helps others find the perfect dress, veil and shoes for when they marry their soulmate. I like the developed characters that were realistic. I like the magical wedding dress that comes in an unassuming trunk with its special history. The descriptions of Hearts Bend bring it alive and make it a place that I want to live. I would avoid Brandi Walsh, though, for fear of being roped into a project. The ending was enchanting. We see how fear can hold a person back if they let it. This is a story that will make you feel happy inside and believe in Christmas miracles. The Wedding Dress Christmas is a magical Christmas tale with a fairy-tale wedding dress, special shoes, a tattered trunk, a custom Christmas carol, concerned citizens, and pageant pandemonium.

A perfect holiday story that was both delightful and entertaining at the same time!
Bring in some old "flames" and memories that re-kindle love and you have the makings of a perfect book!
Throw in some love, magic and a perfect wedding dress and you have the makings of a christmas miracle.
So totally enjoyed reading this book and thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so prior to publication---I just loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley for my copy of this sweet, Christmas book. Jo Jo Castle finds herself back in her hometown after being out on her own. As comfortable and reliable as home is, something is missing. That is when Buck Williams, an old friend and now a country superstar comes back to town and things start to get festive. At the dress shop, old friends and family help Jo Jo see that things can be safe but they don’t have to be boring. This was such a cute story about being kind to one self and about taking chances. The symbolism of the dress, made this story even better. This is a new author to me and Rachel Hauck, did not disappoint.

The Wedding Dress Christmas is a sweet, yet short, festive romance. I didn’t know it was part of a series when I requested it, however this story can be read as a standalone. Yet, I sometimes felt I missed some background information.

It’s a quick read, fun and entertaining, with an interesting moving background story for the female lead.

JoJo returned to Hearts Bend after a incident in Dallas had her running. She works with her cousin Haley at a local wedding shop. JoJo still gets spooked at night and has flashbacks of the incident and still cannot trust men. JoJo still believes the family December curse exists. Buck, JoJo's high school crush, returns to town from his country stardom to see his mom after her health issues crop up again and it is not looking good. Little did JoJo know that Buck always had a crush on her but neither said a word. When Buck sees JoJo at the wedding shop, his singing career goals may change for the white picket fence. Loved the history behind the wedding dress. Seeing that this is book 3.5 in The Wedding Collection series, I am definitely going to be reading books 1-3. Loved the pace of the book, the characters feelings and how they were portrayed. Just makes you feel good when you finish.

This has been such a nice clean and easy to read story. The characters are flawed but in their weakness, we see God holding them up and giving them strength. Jo was such an inspirational character. It was nice to see her come home to the quaint little town of Hearts Bend, Tennessee. The description of the town makes me want to live there and enjoy all the shops and friendly people. I wondered why Jo had left a great job to come back and work at the Wedding Shop. The author gives us snippets of why she came home, but we don't find out for awhile. I thought it was nice how the author didn't rush into Jo's past .

The only thing I can say for Buck is wow. He stole my heart with his charm and humble spirit. He comes home for a reason that is hard for him to accept. The flow of his story was good and there wasn't too much emphasis on his celebrity status while he visited his hometown. I was cheering for him to win Jo's heart but she has put up a wall that is hard to get through. Her fears have taken over her life and she has lost a little of her faith in God. Can Buck break through her barrier and show her how to trust again?

The Wedding Shop is wonderful and the introduction in the story of the wedding dress was enchanting. The dress is very special and I couldn't wait to see who the next bride would be to wear it. The dress mysteriously keeps going on display in the shop and I have a feeling that the dress has picked its next owner.

I enjoyed reading how Jo struggles with her anxiety and fear. It is a battle many of us deal with daily. Will Jo find a way to overcome her fear? The ending is perfect and reminds us that love does conquer all.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.

Such a great Christmas read! A sweet, fun romance with a bit of magic to boot. Buck, cowboy musical sensation is back home in Hearts Bend. Jojo ran from Dallas back to Hearts Bend after an incident. Crossing path around the holiday with Jojo's crush from ninth grade sets Jojo on a path to get over her fear to let love in. Is Buck met to hit the road touring or settle down? The special wedding dress is ready to choose again the next bride.

To be honest I fell in love with the characters of The Wedding Dress Christmas. Falling for both Buck and Jojo and rooting for a forever happy ending. I did find myself sometimes thinking - ya right, like that would happen? but then I remembered this is suppose to be a fun light quick read for the holidays and the author did just that. I have read one other book by Rachel Hauck (How to Catch a Prince) and remember just loving the book. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.

Rachel Hauck's Wedding series is one of my favorites. The Wedding Dress Christmas is a sweet story and I was not disappointed by it. Who doesn't like a sweet love story at Christmas? Jojo is working in her cousin' Haley's wedding shop when Haley's wedding dress starts showing up on the mannequin. Jojo doesn't realize it but the dress has picked her to be the next bride. Meanwhile, she is trying to ignore the overtures of her high school crush.

I struggled so much with this book! I wanted to like JoJo, but it was difficult for me. She claimed to have had a crush/been in love with Buck since high school, but she seemed so mean to him when he was around. I understand about her past, but she knew Buck and I just didn't understand her attitude towards him is she had loved him like she said she had.

The rest of the story was good, i just felt like the romance was lacking.


I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

I was able to read this book thanks to NetGalley. It was a quick, fun read perfect for the holiday season! Thanks to NetGalley again!