I have had the pleasure of reading all three of the Ryder Brothers series books. It began with Laurelin Paige’s Close. I fell in love with Nick and Natalie, and I figured the next two books would be good. However, I was certain that no couple would be better than Nick and Nat. Well, then came Kayti McGee’s Want. Once again, I fell in love with the couple, Marlee and Jake. They were very different from Nick and Natalie, but their story was as fresh and engaging. When I read the end of Want, and we were teased Jonah and Hadley, I was nervous. Everything we knew about Jonah came through Jake and Nick’s perspectives. How can you fall in love with a “man-wh0$e?” I figured J.D. Hawkins’s book, More, would be a “wash.”
Boy, was I wrong.
More is my favorite book of the three. Jonah is the main reason for my love for this book. Of course, Jake and Nick would have skewed perceptions of their brother. They don’t really understand Jonah. We find out in More that Jonah is dealing with issues related to fame. He has endured some trauma that has left him with a version of social anxiety which keeps him from performing. To him, performing equates to giving up control, and he would rather not play music than not be in control of his fate, his life. This is the heady stuff of this book. Instead of facing the truth of his situation, Jonah drinks and beds lots of women to avoid the reality of his life.
Enter Hadley. There are many times in this book when Hadley could be a “push-over.” She and Jonah have an easy sexual chemistry. Together, they are dynamite. However, when Jonah and Hadley’s sexual relationship threatens Jonah’s inroads to healing, Hadley embodies strength and confronts him, showing a greater commitment to helping Jonah than to her own happiness. This is her power. She is tenacious and creative in helping Jonah heal.
There is a depth to these characters that you don’t read in the first two books. Don’t get me wrong. I love those characters and their stories. But Jonah’s struggle resonated with me: the worry over losing control. I think that’s why I liked his character so much.
If you haven’t read this series, you really should. Nick, Jake, and Jonah are more than your average former boy banders. They are simply men wanting to love and be loved.
Overall:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In love and romance,
Professor A
Professor Romance 