Once again I am compelled to point out that you should never judge a book by its cover -- or in the case of A WEDDING FOR CHRISTMAS its title. Knowing that it is written by Lori Wilde should trigger the adage -- knowledge is power -- and A WEDDING FOR CHRISTMAS is a hard hitting emotional entry to this year's collection of holiday stories.

Lori Wilde always cautions us to carefully peel away the layers to get a true glimpse of the person inside. Sure some characters might be larger than life but underneath its their humanity or at times lack thereof that surface.

A WEDDING FOR CHRISTMAS is about giving someone the benefit of a doubt. In this case town bad boy Ryder has had an enormous chip on his shoulder from the time of his mother's death. In a matter of minutes he lost the most important, vital and supportive person in his life. In itself a catastrophe but then anyone would have to acknowledge that. He was in short devastated. The aftermath was even more life altering. A young boy -- hurt -- alone -- a sure recipe for trouble and Ryder didn't disappoint.

However Ryder was one of the fortunate ones. Basically taken in by parents of his close friend Joe. A true light at the end of a very dark tunnel and yet Ryder was still doomed to face life on his own -- his own terms whether it brought him happiness or not.

Fast forward more than a decade has passed and Ryder is back in Twilight, Texas for Joe's wedding. But returning home is an assault on his senses. Ryder is having a hard time absorbing all the stimuli -- old and new. The only person whom Ryder can decompress around is Katie -- Joe's younger sister. And this of course is sure to make Ryders return less welcome.

Katie is torn in her reception to Ryder coming home to Twilight. Still reeling from an unplanned but exciting one night fling with Ryder Katie knows it will be difficult to go back to being just a friend. Neither she nor Ryder expect any kind of future as a couple. Ryder is simply not couple material and Katie deserves so much more than he could ever give.

I think I get it -- to Lori Wilde behind any bad boy is a sad boy. Rather prophetic but telling in many Wilde stories. The tougher they are the harsher the circumstances -- most often of their youth and for many the result of their military experiences. For Ryder -- well he got two hits.

Short and simple Lori Wilde believes everyone deserves a happy ending albeit not all of them traditional. In A WEDDING FOR CHRISTMAS there is so much baggage and stuff to sort through it at times feels like a lesson in futility. But Wilde shows her skills as a writer and as a true romantic. No simple solutions -- not for Wilde and certainly not for the two main characters in this book. But I assure you -- you will come away satisfied. Lori Wilde knows how to spin a tale and bring current issues into play page after page. A WEDDING FOR CHRISTMAS will surprise you with the depth of the storyline and capture your attention to the very last page.