Title: Pull You Through
Author: Kaylee Ryan
Genre: New Adult/Military
Release Date: June 12, 2018
Life is a series of events, one leading you to another. The hell I lived through with my drug-addicted parents led me to the Marine Corps. Committing my life to my country was easy. My brothers were my family–all I had and all I needed. I wasn’t looking for her, but I should have known life had other plans.
My Review:
Welcome to my stop on the release tour for Kaylee Ryan’s Pull You Through! I am so honored to be a part of this tour and absolutely fell in love with Slade and Austyn’s story!
Slade has had such a challenging upbringing and enlists in the Marine Corps upon finishing high school. Luckily for him, he meets and becomes best buddies with a guy named Brandon from Kentucky, and when they have leave, Brandon insists that Slade come home with him. When Brandon and Slade head to Brandon’s hometown where his girl, Savannah, is waiting, Slade has the pleasure of meeting Savannah’s best friend Austyn, Brandon’s family, and Austyn’s family – and quickly learns things about the heart that he never knew.
Oh, my goodness, I loved Slade from the beginning and my heart was shattered for him just from the prologue. Slade was raised by his grandmother after she took custody of him from his drug-addicted parents, and his Gran was all he had in the world. That was until he met and went home with Brandon. Austyn was raised in a happy home full of love, but for some reason, she had always kept guys at a distance, not engaging in relationships. But when she and Slade meet, the sparks fly and everything they thought they knew about life and themselves changes. Not only was their chemistry incredible, their combined innocence regarding romance, intimacy, and sexuality was the summation of the closest thing to perfection I’ve ever seen or read.
I am not new to Kaylee Ryan’s writing and have been a fan for awhile, however, something is different with Pull You Through. Ryan’s writing has such an amazing honesty about it that the lines are blurred between reader and characters, evoking so many different emotions throughout this novel. There is laughter, steamy moments, moments of pride, and absolutely tears. Despite the repeated need for Kleenex, this is one of my favorite novels that I’ve read this year. Every character is perfectly crafted, the imagery is outstanding, and the balance of happiness versus sadness was incredibly realistic. I felt all the feels right along with the characters, and my only disappointment was when the story came to an end.
I also have to add a quick thank you to Kaylee Ryan and how she addressed PTSD that afflicts so many of our brave service members. As the wife of a disabled veteran, I know the challenges associated with PTSD and felt that she addressed the topic with knowledge, grace, and sensitivity. Kudos the Kaylee Ryan and Pull You Through, this is a must-read to add to your TBR.
Dandelions Inspired 