Slayter Brothers #7: Ryder – L.A. Casey

When I started reading this series, I could picture this club Darkness so clearly. I could see this cheating scene in the woods in my mind but it didn’t make sense because it did not happen. And then it did. What I can’t figure out is if I either made up that whole story plotline and then it happened. It all being a coincidence. Or more likely I read this book and this one alone before and never figured out there were other books nor that I started reading the fourth book in an 8 part series. As I am writing this I have come up with another explanation, some cheeky cow (an insult meant as harmless fun) copied this scene in a fanfiction or POV story and I read that. No matter what happened, this book and this pairing are the reason that finally pulled me over the edge to write these reviews. As I said before this series is my comfort series. This book, this pairing. I know I never choose a favourite but I cannot help but say not once while reading did I not like this pairing or this book. In the other books, I have alluded to having choice words for the whole friend group. Thus, here we are today. Let’s get into Branna’s story.

Disclaimer
This book contains erotic material. If you do not feel comfortable with reading erotic stories, I recommend not reading this book. In theory, you could skip over the parts but I do feel that it is very much integrated with the story. There are amazing books out there without explicit materials that I would recommend you check out instead.

The book in short
Branna Murphy is broken. For months now she has been a part of a one-sided relationship to a man she loves more than life itself. She prayed for a miracle, and hoped something would change, but found that was wishful thinking.
Talking didn’t work. Shouting didn’t work. Crying didn’t work. Nothing bloody worked.
Ryder Slater is furious. For months now he has been lying to a woman he would take a bullet for in order to protect her. He is involved in something that goes deeper than his old past, and if he strays off target, people will start to die. People he loves.
He couldn’t talk. He couldn’t slip up. He couldn’t lose focus. He couldn’t do a damn thing.
Things between Ryder and Branna are at rock bottom, and Ryder knows it. Not only will he be taking on a force that could destroy his whole family, but he will be battling tooth and nail to save his relationship and keep the love of his life by his side.
Ryder targeted Branna from the first moment he saw her, and what Ryder targets, Ryder dominates.
I found this information here.

What did I think?
Branna and Ryder have a special place in my heart. I love them individually but I also really love their relationship. It’s the relationship that throughout the books has always been there. It has been this itch to find out how it happened. I would have loved two sets of books, the one we got and then one of the beginnings, a more in-depth version if you will but alas we have to do with what we got (a prequel of their early years and getting to know each other). I do love the set-up of this book as it goes back and forth between the early stages of their relationship, it goes through parts of stories we already know as we read them in the other books. I just wanted more, as it is so pure and such a happy thing. For two people who never put themselves first, who have been caring for their siblings for far too long. Ryder might have been the youngest at six (which you find out in the last book, but gather from the context) while Branna was 19 when they started caring for their families full time. Branna was on her own while grieving her parents too. I did think that Ryder had help with the twins from his older brothers but as Alec has no clue how to change a diaper. I am unsure how much of it Ryder did all by himself. This couple is so selfless and it’s so sad when we find out they have not been doing well. Throughout the other books, you start to question why they are together. They seem to fight a lot when Dominic and Bronagh are around. And then they sort of stagnate in all the other stories, they want to move forward with their relationship but they just don’t, until they are two very unhappy people…

For a while, Branna had everything she wanted but then her relationship didn’t go any further. Imagine having your parents die and having to take care of your sister who does not like anyone. Thus you do not date but then you meet this amazing guy and you are just happy. Until you aren’t. Her sister is in a relationship with your boyfriend’s brother. All your friends are settled with his brothers too. This all makes it very difficult. Branna has nothing of her own, she cannot escape this family. Except at work, where she luckily has a friend. My heart truly breaks for her. Normally, I would never say such a thing as I do not like to curse on the blog. But sometimes you have to do just that to get your point across.

Branna has some sh*t f***ing friends.

Branna’s best friend Aideen has another best friend Keela (which is fine). These girls are all dating the brothers but they don’t hang out? They don’t chat? At first, I was just assuming they did. I was assuming they texted, called, and hung out just the three (or two) of them all the time. As besties, I also thought they would have double dates instead of only hanging in a house or apartment. But if this is true tell me why NOT ONE of these girls knows something is up. Does no one care to ask her what is going on? I am sorry Aideen but what are you doing? You don’t want Kane to be involved with Ryder, which is understandable as you almost had a sniff of Cocaine while pregnant but one of your friends lives with this guy in a house. Do you care to explain why you didn’t tell her? This is some serious stuff, yes it would be hard to tell your friend but you ought to. These brothers are loyal to the core of one another. Learn something from this and protect your friend. I personally would be so hurt if I knew that my best friend knew my boyfriend was dealing cocaine while I worked in the medical field. I mean that could have serious effects on her life and livelihood and her friend does not even care to tell her. Honestly, Branna is there for everyone but is anyone there for her? I understand Bronagh not being there in that way because of their dynamic and Branna being the ‘mum’ figure. But there is no excuse for the friends. Also, none of the boys care to tell Ryder that he is being an idiot. They all seem to understand why he does it. And why he is protecting her. They all agree it is for the best. I am too, fully on board I think it’s also for the best but no one else has this context and when you don’t it is not for the best. This girl though is wasting away. You might as well make her feel loved. Make her feel part of the family? Take her out, and have a chat. Give her a gift, pick her up from her job? Ryder does not even have to do it if he cannot. But none of his brothers stepped up to help him navigate this difficult time. We know why they don’t, because he is the ‘dad’ he helps them not the other way around. How sad for both of them that everyone sees they are in a burning house but they don’t help them. They try in the end but it is too little too late. Honestly, Branna has been there for all of these people and they treat her like trash. This is why I love Ash as a character, he is the only one telling Branna how it is. Everyone sucks and if her guy doesn’t see the wonderful human that she is then it is time to let him go. Also, her so-called family thinks she will not leave Ryder as her family is so entangled with hers. The thing is though if your family makes you feel the way Branna feels. She might be better off without them. Here is the thing, it is so sad as everyone else seems so nice all the time but truly they all live in their own bubble.

So the relationship… It seemed bad before every other book told me it was bad. Therefore I thought it was so good to know that they only fought in the company of Bronagh and Dominic because they stuck up for their own sibling. They are parental figures for their baby siblings and they fiercely want to protect them. The small things like Ryder telling her he loves her because he knows they will stand on opposite sides of an argument if it comes to it. It makes you understand why they fit so well. They are truly two sides of the same coin in a way that is not too much on the nose. Their relationship is just good so it does make you wonder why and how all of this came to be. Or rather, how did it come to an end?

This book is the very one that makes me cry every time. It is one of those stories that hits you right in the heart because you can almost taste it. There are two people who love each other so deeply. People who always have protected others and put their families first. When all is said and done and their family is all alright they realise their own life is going to hell. For the right reasons they are drifting apart yet, it breaks your heart. How frightening must it be, for you to lose your parents and effectively after your sister is so closed off to never date in your 20s because of her? For you to finally find someone, for you to put all your eggs in one basket, and for you to feel as if he does not love you the same way anymore. How hard must it be for you to then not know if you should leave and later if you even can? Due to the stress, the worry, and the loneliness you become a shell of your former self. To see all the people you think of as family gets everything you ever wanted out of life. For you to have to decide if you can leave these people, that rely on you for everything. For someone that cares so deeply, but not to be cared for in the same way. You can tell the way I feel about it, about them. And every time I cry. She knows she should leave and I want her to but also I don’t. As a reader, we are as much in the dark as Branna is and honestly, there is this ping of hope in your chest for them but still, you want to be that friend for her that tells her she can and should leave.

Here we are. Branna and Ryder are going through a rough patch because of Ryders’s shady stuff but I also think it’s because of who they are. They both raised a family when they were young. Ryder raised four brothers. With the latter two probably with help from Kane and Alec but still. Then there is Branna who not only had to deal with the loss of her parents, the difficulty of going to school for what she loves, and getting started in a career while raising a deeply hurt sister. They don’t lie to each other. They are honest. The other boys, know everything but they do not tell their significant others. Which in a sense works for them, but it won’t work and does not work for Ryder and Branna. They are the first and only people that understand each other on a deep level. They probably talked about insecurity about their families. They are deeply loyal to their families they never once chose themselves and I think they are each other’s family. In the end, no one could have hurt Branna the way Ryder could. They find within each other another person that could help carry their burden and for once Ryder does not give Branna the opportunity to do so. With good reason, I might add but it’s wrong. He cannot live this double life and be his normal life towards her. He steps. Away because he loves her so deeply and he cannot be that person for her. He needs to be all in or not at all. Every time I read this book I get so sad. They have put themselves on the back burner for most of their lives. The way they meet, it’s so cute. It’s the best meet cute It’s so relatable you can almost feel yourself in this situation where you are in a club and you just meet him and all is well. And you just know. Even if Branna’s life is bad she always thinks about others, It breaks my heart that they have been together for 5 years, and in the past 1.5 years their families have gone into this rhythm, Bronagh is doing much better, all Ryder’s brothers (except Damien) are in healthy relationships. These two people have nothing to worry about anymore except each other and exactly then their world falls apart and where they have always been there for everyone. Every step of the way, they are left in the cold. Branna has told Ryder that she supports him but only because he is out of that life, she meant it too. He knows that, he knows that if she knows she is gone because Branna is or was rather a strong woman. Branna is one of the original boss babes. She is fierce and independent and doing that to her. She wouldn’t have that for herself and her baby sister, it would ruin everyone’s lives because at her core Branna would protect her family. We can see Bronagh and Branna’s relationship a bit more. They are more like sisters in this book. Branna though is barely exciting and I just want to give her a hug. The fact that she says, let me die when she is kidnapped shows that she is still trying to protect her family. The people that didn’t protect her, that let her be broken down. She loves them so much, it’s truly heartbreaking.

I think I like this book the best because it feels the most realistic. Alright then it sounds a bit stupid with the whole drug trafficking aspect but that is not what I mean. The way Branna and Ryder meet feels much more authentic. They meet in a club, Branna sees him and she thinks that he is very very cute. This meeting turns into a real relationship. Which can happen to any of us. Most people don’t meet their sweetheart in school, take them on a fake holiday, or get pregnant and then fall madly in love. Thus, this story feels like it can happen to all of us.

I think it’s beautiful. I love the double timeline of scenes from what we know. And it feels as if all the puzzle pieces get together. We find out how they fall in love, and why they fought in the presence of Dominic and Bronagh. How much they come to care for each other how they felt out of love and in turn how they broke each other’s heart. I love that they simply have so much fun together. They are just good together. Overall this series is my comfort series, if you never experienced that before it is a bit weird. Some books just strike this cord with you. It can reflect where you are in the moment of your life. It reflects a season of your life. this one is one of those for me therefor I would absolutely recommend reading it.

I read this book for free with my audible account. My thoughts about the audiobooks, in general, will be discussed in the final review. Read my other reviews from this series: Book 1 // Book 2 // Book 3 // Book 4 // Book 5 // Book 6