💑REVIEW: "Ray of Light" by E.L. Todd (Contemporary Romance)

RAY OF LIGHT by E.L. Todd
	Publisher: Fallen Publishing Genre: Contemporary Romance Publication Date: January 3rd 2017 Series: Ray, #1 Standalone: No a
Other Books in the RAY Series
#2 #3
Description from Publisher:
My brother is an idiot. He won the lottery and invested all of his money in a run-down bowling alley. Since he’s barely making it, he moved in with me. Great. Having him around the house isn’t the worst thing in the world, but he does make a mess like nobody’s business. My friends Zeke, Jessie, and Kayden keep me sane but there’s only so much they can do. And it’s definitely not the worst thing in the world when his old friend, Ryker, moves to town. The second I lay eyes on him, I’m hot under the collar. He makes my body burn in longing and freeze in desperation at the exact same time. When he talks, I don’t listen to anything he says because I’m staring at that hard jaw and those kissable lips like I already own them. But he’s a bed hopper. A playboy. A heartbreaker. I’m all down for some hot, sweaty, yummy sex even if it doesn’t have a fairy tale ending. I’ve been down that road before. I know the drill. But with Ryker, it’s different. Because I know I’ll fall in love with him. For now, I’ll steer clear of him and keep my hands to myself. It can’t be that hard, right? Or can it?
My Rating:	Heat Rating:
My Musings:
Below is my review after having only read this first book, and not the continuation over books #2 and #3. Though I only gave this particular book 3 stars, I would give the overall story from all 3 books so far a 4-star rating and definitely recommend reading them all!! I am incredibly torn with this one. On one hand, I couldn't stop reading. I liked Zeke and Rex, and the others were fine. On the other, this felt repetitive in the text really often, and I don't care for Ryker basically at all. The characters all seem like teenagers or college kids, too, not adults. I expected this to be more of a romance with a woman who falls for her brother's best friend, but Rae's brother, Rex, isn't even particularly close to Ryker at all. I'm still not entirely sure what to think of this! I don't care for Rae and Ryker and feel no connection between them. Their sex is just sex, and smutty at that. I hate how possessiveness Ryker is. He is borderline abusive. I hated how he didn't take No for an answer several times and he just really pissed me off most of the time!! I want Rae to wake up and realize that her best friend, Zeke, was who she should be with (I really liked him!). Kayden's awkwardness was really, really awkward. It was like she was 12 and never been kissed. The casualness of this was nice, though sometimes too much. I liked how it was from a brother and sister's POV. That's not something I've seen much of, it at all, and I really liked that uniqueness and what it brought to the story. I'm not sure if I liked this that much, but I also really want to see what happens, so will read book #2 (and probably #3).
My Source: I received a digital ARC from the publisher to voluntarily review. This in no way influenced my review. My opinion is unbiased and my 100% own.

About the Author: E.L. Todd
Bestselling author, E. L. Todd, was raised in sunny California where she still lives today, claiming it’s the best place in the country. Easily hypothermic and hateful of the cold, she prefers to be warm all year round. She attended California State University, Stanislaus and received her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, but still pursued her dream to be a writer. She’s written several novels and many series’, and her imagination can’t seem to stop. She tries to find the good in people and she exploits that in her writing, proving that people can make mistakes and rise above their past. Her hobbies include sunbathing, swimming, eating at Surf Taco in San Diego, reading, and learning everything she can about hippopotamuses’, her favorite creature. Her greatest dream is to make people forget about the harshness of reality and dive into a good story with lovable people. When fans tell her they love her work, it gives her the greatest sense of accomplishment.