REVIEW - Ryker - Cheryl Douglas

TITLE - Ryker (Steele Brothers #1)

AUTHOR - Cheryl Douglas

Synopsis:

Mackenzie Steele assumed she’d be with her husband forever. He's still her best friend and the father of her children. But when weeks turn into months without intimacy, she realizes she's too young to feel so old. She wants to feel desirable again, to find the woman Ryker fell in love with twenty years ago. And there’s only one way to do that… by asking him to move out. 
Ryker's blindsided when his wife tells him she wants to separate. He knew they’d hit a rough patch, but he’d never allowed himself to imagine his life without her. Now he has no choice. She seems happy without him, living life on her own terms, and he knows if he doesn’t find a place for himself in her new life, it will be too late to save his marriage. 

My Review:

Wow. That’s the first word that comes to mind when I think about Ryker. At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to enjoy this book. It revolves around two older characters, and I was unsure if I would be able to relate, as I am in my early twenties. I am very happy to say I was wrong. I loved this book. I devoured it within a day being unable to put it down. 

Ryker is a wonderfully told story of reconnecting and rekindling love. The opening scene of the book sets the tone for the rest of the book and allows the author to take the reader on a slow journey of rediscovery for the characters. Although the timeline in the book is a little fast, in my opinion, the story is unfolded in a sweet and slow way. This story shows that no matter what your age is, there can be issues and insecurities in relationships. I think this was the area that I related to most. I have been in relationships and have had some of the same concerns that Mackenzie had. I think I related to her most because of this.

The characters, Ryker and Mackenzie, are written beautifully. Ryker is a man’s man with a tough exterior and has trouble showing emotions. Mackenzie is a women who feels like she has lost direction in her life and feels she needs a big change. I think the author did an amazing job portraying each person’s feelings. This story is told from both Ryker and Mackenzie’s point of view, which gives the reader a better insight into how each person is thinking and feeling. I think this also allows the reader to be sympathetic to both characters. 

I also loved the smaller characters. We were able to meet several other characters throughout the book who had their own thing going on. Sometimes these smaller plots can overshadow the main plot, but that wasn’t the case with this book. This author was able to show us glimpses of the smaller characters, while keeping the story on track with the main focus. I can see this author setting up at least two different plots that can be developed into their own books. I might even be able to see three, if she was willing to show a back story of Mackenzie’s mother and fathers relationship, which I would absolutely love to read. 

The only real complaints I have about this book is the timeline, as mentioned above, and the major climax of the book. I do not feel we, as the reader, really felt a major climax for this book. While I love that it was sweet and slow moving, I felt the climax was missing a small part. Like maybe it was resolved too soon. With that being said, it didn’t both me too terribly much, as I loved this book and would read it again.

Overall, I think this story was written well and has some good life lessons for anyone who might read it. All relationships have issues, but it is up to each person in the relationship to decide what is best for them and make their decisions based on solely that. I also this this book tells women that it is ok to make decisions for yourself and to self-reflect on what is best for you. Although having a man is nice, it is also important to stay independent and be able to do things for yourself. 

Star Ratings:

Plot = 4/5

Characters = 5/5

Heat = 4/5

Writing Style = 5/5

Overall Rating = 4/5

Favorite Quotes:

“Look at the way that smoky shadow makes your blue eyes pop and that pale pink lop glass practically screams kiss me.”
“What if I don’t want him to kiss me?” I asked.

“Trust me, you’ll want him to kiss you.”- Molly and Mackenzie, Ryker

“I remember when we couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”

“Newsflash-I’m having a hard time keeping my hands off you right now.” Mackenzie and Ryker, Ryker

“You’re not afraid to take risks, and you don’t care what people think. I think that’s the main reason I fell in love with you.”-Makenzie, Ryker

CLICK THE COVER TO PURCHASE: