NOW LIVE! Never with Me by Kaylee Ryan is available now + FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
BLURB
Ramsey
I’m out of my depth participating in a blind-date photo shoot. Not only am I meant to act like I’m open for dating, but I’m meant to be sexy and get up close and personal with a complete stranger.
None of the above is me. But I’m a sucker, and my best friend can talk me into anything.
Deacon is the kind of guy my heart could be safe with. But I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time, and I’m not sure I’m ready to rely on anyone else. Not even the handsome, successful older brother of my best friend.
Deacon
I never saw her coming. One date with a beautiful stranger and I’m hooked.
Technically, Ramsey isn’t a stranger. She’s my little sister’s best friend, the same sister who volunteered me because she claims “I’m a workaholic in desperate need of love.”
All I know is I can’t stop thinking about Ramsey and the way her lips felt against mine. I have to see her again. Good thing I’m an attorney, because convincing her to take a chance on me is going to be the hardest case I’ve ever pleaded. She’s worried about the past repeating itself. What she’s yet to figure out is that her fear is unnecessary… never with me.
GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60554933-never-with-me
PURCHASE LINKS
Free in Kindle Unlimited
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3b5iw8M
AUTHOR BIO
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Kaylee Ryan has been crowned the Queen of Swoon by her readers. With nearly fifty romance books under her belt, she’s known for penning happily ever afters with heart. When she’s not writing, you can find her with a book in her hand or hanging out with her family where she resides in her home state of Ohio.
AUTHOR LINKS
Website: http://kayleeryan.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KayleeRyanAuthor
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kayleeryanauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylee_ryan_author
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7060310.Kaylee_Ryan
.Well, there my heart goes again, being swept away by another one of Kaylee Ryan’s heroes…. And you know what, I wouldn’t change a damn thing! I loved Ramsey and Deacon’s story so much! I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved these two! Never in all my years of reviewing books, have I ever been left so speechless. So I apologize if this review is a rambling mess. I’m still riding the high from all the love this novel had to offer!
In My Own Words:
It all started as a blind date photo shoot put on by Deacon’s younger sister, Palmer. Everything was fine, until the blindfold was removed and there standing in front of him was the epitome of the woman of his dreams. A woman he’d only heart about but never set eyes one. A woman ten years younger than him, and also happens to be his younger sister’s best friend. Ramsey. Deacon’s lives his life trying to climb the attorney’s ladder of success and hopefully one day take over the firm from the partner’s he’s working for. He has no time for a relationship, especially with a woman as young as Ramsey is…. But a nagging feeling inside of him, won’t let Ramsey go. His heart and soul wants to pursue something more with her, but his head is telling him to walk away. Sometimes it’s best to listen to the heart and tell the brain to go for a hike…
Ramsey’s life hasn’t been easy, up until two years ago she was living with her controlling and overbearing father and her neglectful mother. The day she left, her father gave her an ultimatum that led her straight to Aunt Carol’s house and the little town of Willow River. A town where she would soon gain her freedom and the safety that can be found in the Kincaid household.
Now Ramsey finds herself letting down her guard once more to accept a proposal from her best friend, Palmer. It’s a blind date photo shoot, something that is all the rage and will put Palmer’s photography career on the map. Deep inside, Ramsey has to find a way to let go of all of her insecurities and make it through an hour long shoot. What she doesn’t anticipate is the butterflies swarming in her stomach the moment she sets her sights on Deacon, who also happens to be Palmer’s older brother… I smell a set-up in the midst!
My Thoughts:
Never With Me stole my heart! Deacon and Ramsey’s story was everything I’ve come to expect in a novel written by Kaylee Ryan, plus so much more. I feel head over boots in love with these two characters and this story! I was invested from the beginning to the end. I couldn’t put this one down.
So what was it that I loved about this novel, well let’s start with Ramsey. This woman was controlled her whole life but a man who only wanted to gain more power in his career and his family. She finally had enough and put her foot down and told her father no for the last time. My heart broke for her during these moments. I felt her pain through the pages, I felt the anger and the fear she felt for her father. And that right there is one reason why I keep coming back to Kaylee Ryan’s novels. She writes in a way where her reader’s feel her character’s emotions.
When she finally got away, I cheered for her and I cheered for her Aunt Carol who opened her arms to her and directed her in this moment of fear. Anyways, now we are in Willow River where Ramsey is working three jobs to make damn sure she is never in a situation where she has to depend on someone ever again. And here-in lies the second reasoning behind why I loved her character so much, she clutches onto her independence with a vice grip. I also loved her sweetheart vibes. Ramsey wears her heart on her sleeve and it shows.
Now let’s talk about Deacon…. Deacon wasn’t at all what I expected. I expected his character to be a workaholic, and usually with workaholics you get a grumpy/sunshine story line. But with Deacon, there are so many facets to his personality. The basics, this man is swoony as hell and sweet as sugar, he knows when to be naughty and when to be nice. But most importantly he’s attune to Ramsey’s needs and wishes. Ramsey comes from an emotionally abusive home life, she’s had years of neglect and doing exactly what others want her to do, while making little choices for herself. The moments I loved most was when Deacon had Ramsey verbally say what she wanted or how she was feeling. He never pressured her or made her uncomfortable. Their relationship was an open book from the beginning to the very last page. I also loved the fact that this hot shot attorney, or soon to be hot shot attorney, was incredibly gentle and fearful of overstepping a boundary. He was the man Ramsey needed in her life. And this is the reasoning behind why Deacon is now my favorite Kaylee Ryan hero… There was no denying the physical attraction, but it was the emotional attraction that really clung to my heart and wouldn’t let go.
I can’t begin to tell you all how excited I am for what’s to come in the wonderful world of Kaylee Ryan! If you aren’t aware, this standalone opens up the start to a brand new series Kaylee Ryan is writing. It’s the Kincaid Brother’s series, based on Ramsey’s nine older male cousins. Nine Rowdy Boys, and I am ready for all of them to be on my kindle! I need more Willow River in my life and I need more now!
Overall, I loved Never With Me and I think it was very deserving of all five stars I gave it. Deacon and Ramsey’s story pulled on my emotional heartstrings. I was cheering for these two from the start and I loved watching this happily ever after build slowly. My heart feels happy and full of love. So, If you love slow burn romances with not only a Best Friend’s Older Brother trope but also an Age-Gap trope, I highly recommend you pick up Never With Me by Kaylee Ryan!
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Peace Love and Happy Reading,
The Staircase Reader 