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RAPTURE
Makai Hall reigns supreme as the owner of the hottest club in New York City. A businessman of magnetic charm, he thrives in the realm of glittering lights, exclusive parties, and the vibrant nightlife. But on one pivotal night, fate takes an unexpected turn. He crosses paths with the one person he least expects. Lauren Weller. A beautiful woman with a tumultuous past, yet fierce spirit, who captured his heart since day one. Now a successful attorney, she has long since blossomed from the around-the-way girl he once knew. Fond memories rush back. Old feelings resurface. And Makai finds himself caught up in the whirlwind of his past. But there’s only one problem.
She’s the love of his brother’s life.
And as the saying goes…some lines aren’t meant to be crossed.
Or are they?
She’s the love of his brother’s life.
And as the saying goes…some lines aren’t meant to be crossed.
Or are they?
538 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 9, 2023
87 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Taisha S. Ryan
17 books82 followersTaisha Ryan is a writer and artist from New York. Writing has been her passion since the age of 12, allowing her to express her wild imagination through words. Taisha has written short stories, novels, poems, songs, and screenplays. In March 2014, she published her debut novel, Cuffed. And since then, has published three additional novels. She would describe her stories as raw, creatively uninhibited, and true to life. Words are power. And her intent is to take readers on an emotional journey as they experience the world through her mind's eye, while also providing them with a sense of purpose with each word that drips from the page. And with her gift, she believes she can do just that.
Look out for more of her projects in the future!
Look out for more of her projects in the future!
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 25, 2024
Imagine being in love with a girl since you were 14 years old and 18 years later nothing has changed. In fact, the feelings are still just as deep for her if not deeper. You both connected on an intense level throughout your teenage years and ended up being the only safe space for her to get away from her drug addict mother and abusive boyfriend. Now imagine that same abusive boyfriend being your brother.
This was Makai and Lauren’s beginning middle and end. Despite being in an extremely abusive relationship with his brother Malik, Kai and Lauren formed a bond and even blurred the lines of their friendship. Due to many traumatic incidents that led these three down a spiraling path, Lauren makes a run for it barely escaping yet manages to make something of herself and now 18 years later when she thought she’d left her past way in her rear view, that same past comes barreling through with a vengeance and no one is exempt.
I honestly enjoyed this story and it had tons of potential. This was my first read by Taisha and I’d definitely read more in her catalog. While I did enjoy the story overall, there were a few issues I had with the book that led to my rating.
🛑 POSSIBLE SPOILERS 🛑
▪️The book was too wordy and a lot of details were repetitive. A good 150+ pages could have been shaved off that just simply weren’t needed or had been conveyed on several occasions.
▪️What happened to the grandmother? She was such an important part of their upbringing and I get that she was ill in a nursing home but she started out as being a huge part of the story then we just never heard about her again.
▪️When Jarvis found out the truth and had the heart to heart with Lauren he went from condemning Kai to practically advocating for them to work out in the next breath. That whole scene lacked cohesion.
▪️The ending pissed me off because because why was he even arrested and tried for murder. The evidence was more than enough for that to not have made it to court. That just didn’t seem believable at all.
▪️How did Jarvis and Kai mend their relationship while he was on trial for murder and Jarvis was also in prison for 5 months of that time. When did they have the time?
There were a few other things that I questioned which led to my rating. All in all the talent is evident with this author and I really enjoyed how the flashback scenes were written into the storyline. I plan to keep Taisha in rotation and look forward to her next release.
This was Makai and Lauren’s beginning middle and end. Despite being in an extremely abusive relationship with his brother Malik, Kai and Lauren formed a bond and even blurred the lines of their friendship. Due to many traumatic incidents that led these three down a spiraling path, Lauren makes a run for it barely escaping yet manages to make something of herself and now 18 years later when she thought she’d left her past way in her rear view, that same past comes barreling through with a vengeance and no one is exempt.
I honestly enjoyed this story and it had tons of potential. This was my first read by Taisha and I’d definitely read more in her catalog. While I did enjoy the story overall, there were a few issues I had with the book that led to my rating.
🛑 POSSIBLE SPOILERS 🛑
▪️The book was too wordy and a lot of details were repetitive. A good 150+ pages could have been shaved off that just simply weren’t needed or had been conveyed on several occasions.
▪️What happened to the grandmother? She was such an important part of their upbringing and I get that she was ill in a nursing home but she started out as being a huge part of the story then we just never heard about her again.
▪️When Jarvis found out the truth and had the heart to heart with Lauren he went from condemning Kai to practically advocating for them to work out in the next breath. That whole scene lacked cohesion.
▪️The ending pissed me off because because why was he even arrested and tried for murder. The evidence was more than enough for that to not have made it to court. That just didn’t seem believable at all.
▪️How did Jarvis and Kai mend their relationship while he was on trial for murder and Jarvis was also in prison for 5 months of that time. When did they have the time?
There were a few other things that I questioned which led to my rating. All in all the talent is evident with this author and I really enjoyed how the flashback scenes were written into the storyline. I plan to keep Taisha in rotation and look forward to her next release.
November 12, 2023
Makai and Lauren was somewhat of a second chance romance. Lauren comes into Makai’s after an incident at his club. Secrets are revealed but I loved the outcome of that secret. Malik was straight trash & deserved worse. Even though it took years I’m glad Makai and Lauren got their HEA
February 12, 2024
I truly enjoyed this story, although there were some difficult subject matters that can be triggering; like abuse (mental, emotional, and physical), rape, gaslighting, and manipulation, just to name a few.
Lauren suffered a lot at the hands of her first love, Malik. But her resilient spirit prevented her from giving in to being victimized or allowing the abuse to break her. And though her closeness with Malik’s brother, Makai seemed to overstep boundaries, he played an integral role in her survival. He was a safe space for her. They were a safe space for each other. And though how they came to be together could be seen as shady or disloyal, you can’t help but root for their love and relationship. That speaks to the authors ability to create a connection with the reader and characters that I cared enough to want to see their relationship win.
This story entailed secrets, unexpected revelations, trauma, abuse, guilt, healing, forgiveness, and hard lessons, amongst other things. There were some gems dropped in this story as well. One of the most important gems was the one from Ms. Edina about how parents can stifle their kids growth by constantly bailing them out of trouble instead of allowing them to take accountability and suffer consequences for their choices and actions. A difficult truth for a parent, but a necessary one.
Now, below are some of my reasons for the four star rating instead of five although I really enjoyed this story. Please note: there is a spoiler in the second bulletpoint below so please proceed with caution.
1. Malik and Makai’s grandmother. There was no conclusion as to what happened with their grandmother. She seemingly played an integral role in their life and she was there in the first half of the story, but practically vanished in the second half. The author got me invested in the relationship with Makai and his grandmother and the impact her condition had on her and those that love her. It would have been nice to read what happened with her in the end.
2. Makai’s court trial. How on earth did Makai end up arrested and on trial for manslaughter? How sway?!?! It was clearly self-defense. Considering all of the events that took place in that one moment and what lead up to the incident, a situation like that would have never made it to trial in real life. No district attorney would have taken that on. This was such an unrealistic scenario and irritated me to no end.
3. The overuse of a non-existent word: severalth. I don’t know where this author got this word from, but it isn’t an actual word and she uses it a lot throughout the book. It grated on my last nerve.
4. Grammatical issues. There were a number of misspelled words throughout the book and some incorrectly used words. For example, the author kept using the word “swing” instead of “swig” when referring to a character taking a gulp of liquor.
Overall, this was a really good read and I recommend it. This is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be my last. Hopefully, the author will hire an editor for future books. And if she already has an editor, hire a new one.
Lauren suffered a lot at the hands of her first love, Malik. But her resilient spirit prevented her from giving in to being victimized or allowing the abuse to break her. And though her closeness with Malik’s brother, Makai seemed to overstep boundaries, he played an integral role in her survival. He was a safe space for her. They were a safe space for each other. And though how they came to be together could be seen as shady or disloyal, you can’t help but root for their love and relationship. That speaks to the authors ability to create a connection with the reader and characters that I cared enough to want to see their relationship win.
This story entailed secrets, unexpected revelations, trauma, abuse, guilt, healing, forgiveness, and hard lessons, amongst other things. There were some gems dropped in this story as well. One of the most important gems was the one from Ms. Edina about how parents can stifle their kids growth by constantly bailing them out of trouble instead of allowing them to take accountability and suffer consequences for their choices and actions. A difficult truth for a parent, but a necessary one.
Now, below are some of my reasons for the four star rating instead of five although I really enjoyed this story. Please note: there is a spoiler in the second bulletpoint below so please proceed with caution.
1. Malik and Makai’s grandmother. There was no conclusion as to what happened with their grandmother. She seemingly played an integral role in their life and she was there in the first half of the story, but practically vanished in the second half. The author got me invested in the relationship with Makai and his grandmother and the impact her condition had on her and those that love her. It would have been nice to read what happened with her in the end.
2. Makai’s court trial. How on earth did Makai end up arrested and on trial for manslaughter? How sway?!?! It was clearly self-defense. Considering all of the events that took place in that one moment and what lead up to the incident, a situation like that would have never made it to trial in real life. No district attorney would have taken that on. This was such an unrealistic scenario and irritated me to no end.
3. The overuse of a non-existent word: severalth. I don’t know where this author got this word from, but it isn’t an actual word and she uses it a lot throughout the book. It grated on my last nerve.
4. Grammatical issues. There were a number of misspelled words throughout the book and some incorrectly used words. For example, the author kept using the word “swing” instead of “swig” when referring to a character taking a gulp of liquor.
Overall, this was a really good read and I recommend it. This is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be my last. Hopefully, the author will hire an editor for future books. And if she already has an editor, hire a new one.
August 24, 2025
Rapture started off with so much potential. The setup felt refreshing. Realistic characters with everyday professions, a grounded storyline and a romance that seemed like it could unfold naturally. I wasn’t walking into a billionaire fantasy or a dark mafia world, which honestly made me more excited to see where the author would take things.
However, as the story unfolded, the direction shifted into something much more dramatic than I expected. What began as a believable, relatable romance took a sharp turn into over the top territory. The way the end played out felt a little too much, almost like watching a Lifetime movie. It was out of sync with the grounded start and it was hard for me to buy into the central relationship.
However, as the story unfolded, the direction shifted into something much more dramatic than I expected. What began as a believable, relatable romance took a sharp turn into over the top territory. The way the end played out felt a little too much, almost like watching a Lifetime movie. It was out of sync with the grounded start and it was hard for me to buy into the central relationship.
January 28, 2024
Love Love Love this!
This story had me on the edge of my seat and I could not stop reading. The author did a wonderful job of making me root for Makai and Lauren despite the circumstance of them getting together. Makai and Lauren built a strong emotional connection because Makai was her friend and confidante through her abusive relationship with his older brother Malik. I think my biggest gripe was the characters, particularly the male characters, harping on Makai betraying his brother. To me, that concern paled in comparison for the year of abuse and cheating that Malik put Lauren though. The fact that she had a loving partner, regardless of him being Malik’s brother was the most important thing to me. Makai was everything I would want in a partner, except that I wish he would have stood on business with his brother and did not let Malik interfere with his relationship with Lauren. Malik was disgustingly abusive to her and deserved everything he got.
This story had me on the edge of my seat and I could not stop reading. The author did a wonderful job of making me root for Makai and Lauren despite the circumstance of them getting together. Makai and Lauren built a strong emotional connection because Makai was her friend and confidante through her abusive relationship with his older brother Malik. I think my biggest gripe was the characters, particularly the male characters, harping on Makai betraying his brother. To me, that concern paled in comparison for the year of abuse and cheating that Malik put Lauren though. The fact that she had a loving partner, regardless of him being Malik’s brother was the most important thing to me. Makai was everything I would want in a partner, except that I wish he would have stood on business with his brother and did not let Malik interfere with his relationship with Lauren. Malik was disgustingly abusive to her and deserved everything he got.
December 8, 2023
well what a nice introduction to this author
This story had me in a chokehold. Lauren and Malek were toxic as all get out. Makai was a breath of fresh air for the broken Lauren who did t understand what love looked like. The brothers at odds was heart wrenching. The difference between karmic and soulmate.
This story had me in a chokehold. Lauren and Malek were toxic as all get out. Makai was a breath of fresh air for the broken Lauren who did t understand what love looked like. The brothers at odds was heart wrenching. The difference between karmic and soulmate.
November 19, 2023
🔥🔥🔥🔥
I love a long standalone and this gave me everything I was looking for! First time reading this author and I was NOT disappointed!! Download NOW! You won’t regret it. Makai is my baby!!
I love a long standalone and this gave me everything I was looking for! First time reading this author and I was NOT disappointed!! Download NOW! You won’t regret it. Makai is my baby!!
December 14, 2023
great read!
Some lines aren’t meant to be crossed but once they are you can’t uncross them. Makai and Lauren crossed the line 18 years ago. Can they withstand the fallout?
Interesting take on this scenario. This book had me stopping to take a breath more than once.
Some lines aren’t meant to be crossed but once they are you can’t uncross them. Makai and Lauren crossed the line 18 years ago. Can they withstand the fallout?
Interesting take on this scenario. This book had me stopping to take a breath more than once.
December 27, 2023
It was a good read but a little dull. I found myself skipping large paragraphs and skimming at times. It really didn't become interesting until Malik crazy abusive ass came home him jail. I did enjoy the flashbacks though.
January 15, 2024
Great Read🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews