CHRISTMAS BLISS

Andrews (Ladies’ Night, 2013, etc.) spreads tidings of comfort and bundles of joy in her latest Weezie Foley and BeBe Loudermilk romp, the fourth in her Southern series.

Readers don’t have to be familiar with Andrews’ previous books about the Savannah-based best friends to enjoy this follow-up to Blue Christmas (2006). Jean Eloise Foley, aka Weezie, is finalizing plans for an intimate wedding ceremony on Christmas Eve, a scant week away, while her fiance’s in New York serving as a guest chef in a prestigious restaurant. Unable to wait a week until Daniel returns home for the nuptials, especially when she spies a photo of him in a gossip sheet with the gorgeous owner, Weezie hops a plane to the Big Apple to surprise him, thanks to BeBe’s frequent flier miles. Meanwhile, BeBe’s experiencing a great deal of discomfort of her own. She and her boyfriend, Harry, are expecting a baby in six weeks’ time, and she’s feeling as huge as a whale, taking care of a business, trying to oversee renovations on a new home and hiding a disturbing secret from Harry—all while dogsitting Jethro, Weezie’s dog, who’s not exactly howling with delight to be in BeBe’s care. As Weezie worries from afar about her dad’s increasing forgetfulness, her mother’s insistence on baking fruitcake for all the wedding guests and her friends’ flamboyant decorating ideas, she revels in the magical feeling of exploring NYC during the holiday season. Then she’s hit with a bombshell that may seriously impact her life. Important decisions loom for both couples as Weezie and Daniel’s wedding and BeBe’s due date rapidly approach, but will everyone live happily ever after? Readers can expect a delightful diversion that’s fast paced, character-driven and extremely fun.

Andrews delivers a blissfully divine holiday gift.