Ryder

by LA Casey

This may have been the story that I was waiting for but was it the one that would blow the rest of them out of the water…well?

Branna and Ryder have more pressure than the rest to live up to, Ryder has looked after his brothers for so long that he doesn’t know anything else, they will always be his primary concern. As for Branna, well she put her life on hold following the death of her parents and has devoted herself to her sister Bronagh since that devastating day but when mamma and poppa bear met it wasn’t exactly their families that drew them together, a drunken fumble in the club was never meant to lead to where they are now but then again where they are now is never where either of them would have thought they would end up.

The time they have been together has seen them journey with their family through all manner of trials and tribulations but are what cost, can they truly allow their relationship to fall apart, or is it already too far gone for them to do anything about it.

I felt sorry for Branna, up to a point. I got why she was angry at Ryder but I coudlnt help but feel she needed to have addressed the situation a lot sooner, after all we know she isn’t exactly a shrinking violet.

Ryder well, I really wanted to love him, I wanted to be able understand why he was treating her so poorly but in the end I just ended up frustrated by him for the most part and when his big secret actually came to light I thought he was lucky she was prepared to listen at all, I would have shown him the door. While it was a strange situation, I think he could have handled it much better than he did, he was elective about who was in on his secret, there should never have been a doubt that as the woman that loved him implicitly she should have been his first confidant, but he cut her out because it was the easiest option and you don’t treat those you love like that.

I sort of liked the way that we got to see their relationship right from the very beginning, both the past and present as it hurtled towards the catastrophe that they were embroiled in now. But I found at times it was odd being referend back to something that we already know from the previous books. But the look at the relationship between Bronagh and Dominic before anyone even know about the connection between Ryder and Branna was a neat twist.

One thing that really, and I do mean really got on my nerves was the fact as an intelligent, professional woman she constantly referred to “breaking up with Ryder”, really I haven’t heard that since the secondary school. As an adult don’t you just call it a day and move on, not spend days and tell countless people that you are going to “break up” with him, without actually telling him!

I am also finding it very odd that Damien, constantly shows them that they don’t have to continue to mollycoddle him but all of the brothers, including his twin Dominic insist on trying to keep him squeaky clean, I can’t wait to hear what he has been up to and I hope it shocks the butt off his brothers.

Stuffed with angst and attitude, you will love Ash and be thrilled at the part he plays in Branna’s life. I adore the love that the guys show for Branna despite the situation that is going on between her and Ryder, they love her and don’t want to lose her.

With Branna getting her own shot next, I am looking forward to seeing how her relationship with Ryder shapes up after everything that they have been through.