James Patterson writes more books in a year (admittedly with cowriters) than most people can keep up with. In that dynamic output, most of which is thrillers of one sort or another, occasionally he throws in a soft family story. This one tells of matriarch Gaby Summerhill calling her four adult children home for her wedding—but she’s not telling anyone who the groom is. What’s really happening here is the authors’ deft handling of all the family members, each with their own issues as they try to get their minds around their mother’s big event. A perfect entertainment while you’re waiting for Santa to arrive.