Ryan by Jessica Gadziala

...when a hot as all sin man went down on you, screwed you blind, deaf, and dumb, and then demanded you cuddle up with him, you cuddled up with him.

-- Synopsis --

RYAN
She was perfect:
Sweet, smart, awkwardly adorable, and beautiful as hell.
The only problem was:
she was terrified to leave her apartment.
And, apparently, she had somehow gotten herself wrapped up with some pretty bad guys to boot.

DUSTY
He was perfect:
He was a living, breathing, walking, talking statue come to life.
But when would a man like that ever want to be with a woman who was too anxious to even walk into the hallway? Let alone go on a date with him. Or meet the family he was so close with.
That being said, he seemed interested for some reason.
So obviously, he was just as crazy as I was.
On top of that whole confusion situation, something was going on with my business partners. And things were about to go straight to hell…

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-- My Two Cents --

5 stars

Ryan's story was a bit sweeter than I expected and I loved it! From his meet-cute with Dusty, to his determination to be in her life, to her willingness to progress, I was a real sucker for this book.

It was great to see so many sides to Ryan. All I knew before was that he was the steady, stoic brother, the one who handled the books, managed the businesses, and was the least likely to have blood on his hands. To find that he was so much more than the sum of his parts made him even more amazing to me. What made me really love this book was the fact that I really liked Dusty. Loving both main characters made this such an easy read!

There's a part where Ryan breaks down the family business and I think it was perfect for those who need to know what's what.

I handled more of the business-end of things. I did the fucking paperwork and kept the books and paid that first 'you owe us, pay up, or else' visits to clients. From there, I would send Mark. If Mark wasn't effective, then Shane stepped up. And, if after Shane was done with you and you still didn't find the money to pay off your debts, then we would sic Eli on your poor ass.

Dusty suffered from anxiety and agoraphobia and I feel that the author handled her struggles with tremendous sensitivity. It was shown in a way that anyone would be able to sympathize and/or empathize with her. It was beautifully done.

Anxiety wasn't rational. I barely understood it myself and it was impossible to explain to others. I had heard it all over the years. You're so obsessed with your mental illness. Maybe because it impacts every single part of my life. It's all in your head. I know, right? It's sort-of like it's a mental illness. Why do you let it stop you from doing everyday, normal things? Hmm, maybe because a mental illness is an actual illness.

When Dusty finds herself in serious trouble, Ryan does what it seems like every Mallick man ends up doing - putting everything on the line to ensure his woman's safety. He didn't have to get his hands dirty like Shane did, and we got the chance to see some other characters from other books (looking at Lo and JStorm), giving this story the suspense I've come to expect from the series. And that epilogue??? Magnifique!! Does Bry end up getting his own book? He was a sweetheart and despite the mess of his life, he was an incredible friend. I'm still very ready for Eli's book, but I'm off to really meet Mark, the ladies' man.

-- About Jessica Gadziala --

Jessica Gadziala is a full-time writer, parrot enthusiast, and coffee drinker. She enjoys short rides to the book store, sad songs, coffee in Big Gulp-sized cups, and cold weather, and has recently developed an unhealthy obsession with acquiring houseplants. She lives in New Jersey with seven parrots and six dogs.

She is a big believer in snark, strong secondary characters, and bada$$ women.

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