"Challenge is to sort through a messy past for a happy holiday"
Reviewed by Sandra Wurman
Posted November 9, 2016
Romance Contemporary | Holiday
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.
SUMMARY
The whole town is ready for the holidays: The Cookie Club is baking, Main Street glitters with lights, the carolers sing . . . There’s even a Christmas wedding. When bodyguard Ryder Southerland sees his best friend’s
sister Katie at an L.A. Christmas party, he mistakes the
slinky blonde for a celebrity stalker and tackles her.
Then they tackle each other . . . at his place. The next
morning, Katie’s gone, and Ryder tells himself it’s for
the best. It isn’t. Now, one Christmas later, Ryder’s
falling for the woman he’s been missing in the town he
hasn’t missed at all . . . Katie Cheek’s outgrown the romantic fantasies she had
about Ryder when she was fifteen. Katie’s packed their
hot night away in a box labeled “fling”—or tried to. But
Twilight’s bad boy is the best man in her brother’s
wedding. And up-close and personal, Ryder’s impossible to
ignore. So Katie can either go into hiding—or surrender
to Christmas magic.
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