I crawled into Ryan Jensen’s bed that first night by accident.I barely knew him. I thought it was his sister’s bed—her room. It took seconds to realize my error, and I should’ve left…I didn’t. I didn’t jump out. I didn’t get embarrassed.I relaxed.And that night, in that moment, it was the only thing I craved.I asked to stay. He let me, and I slept.The truth? I never wanted to leave his bed. If … slept.
The truth? I never wanted to leave his bed. If I could’ve stayed forever, I would have.
He became my sanctuary.
Because—four hours earlier—my twin sister killed herself.
** Standalone full-length novel, Mature YA themes
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I loved this story. Mackenzie’s story was wonderfully written. It takes you on a journey of loss and healing. It was realistic and really had me feeling all sorts of feelings throughout the whole book.
There were also great supporting characters. Ryan really helped due to his own life experience. I think adding Kirk and really talking about how they coped was an added bonus. The scenes with her family and friends were just really real. I felt sad for Mackenzie and the different situations she was in. I really recommend reading this book!
Ryan’s Bed is a beautifully gripping tale that will captivate you whole body, mind, and soul while leaving you completely breathless by the intensity of the author’s words and the emotion behind them. This is the kind of story that will leave your heart raw and exposed by the emotions that you will experience throughout Mackenzie’s journey of understanding and healing from the loss of her twin sister.
Tijan manages to show readers the truth and heartbreak behind the aftermath of suicide and helps us to understand the healing process that loved ones experience. The author handles it perfectly in a delicate manner and I am still trying to repair the pieces of my shattered heart. Ryan came into Mackenzie’s life at the right time and helped her to discover that there is life after death. He became her savior when she needed him the most and she became his happily ever after. Their love was just what each other needed to heal.
All I can think about right now is why the heck did it take me so long to read this book??? This story took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride and I think it’s safe to say that this story has forever changed my life, especially after that unexpected reveal at the end of the story. Let’s just say I did not see that one coming at all, but at the same time it was what this story needed. Hands down one of my all-time favorite read…forever and always!
Read: 5/18/19
Ryan’s Bed was a stand-alone by Tijan. I have enjoyed some of Tijan’s books in the past and this theme intrigued me out of the gate. i read it straight through and couldn’t put it down.
Ryan and Mackenzie were high school seniors. They met in the summer when Mackenzie’s family moved to Portside. Mackenzie’s twin committed suicide and she found solace in Ryan.
It was told from a single POV, Mackenzie’s. The storyline was a mixture of coping with tragedy, mean girl and finding one’s self in high school. I loved Ryan. At times I loved Mackenzie, but at other times, not as much; however, she was grieving so it was understandable. It was primarily her journey, yet Ryan played a role. I became intrigued by the fitted pieces. No spoilers so you’ll have to read it to figure it out.
All in all, it was written well and was well developed; albeit emotional.
So I’ve been seeing the mass quantities of praise comments since Ryan’s Bed was released, but until you read it you don’t understand the magnitude of the story. The book was amazing and as a person who felt some of the feelings in the book when I was her age really helps me see where I am today. It’s an important story and thank you for writing those amazing words Tijan. It was beautiful and eye opening =)
At first, I wasn’t sure I liked this book, but as it went on it grew on me and I couldn’t wait to see how the relationship between Mac and Ryan would develop. So many angsty moments, and wondering about everything that went on with Willow kept me turning the pages all day long. The twist at the end only left more questions, but it was well executed.
I’m not going to be able to write this review and do the book justice – I just know it. I’m lost for words right now. My thoughts are all over the place but what I can tell you is that I absolutely loved this book from start to finish. Now that I have read that ending, I have a need to re-read the book again.
I thought this book was written wonderfully. It was recommended to me by a few friends and I do tend to go into books blind, so having not read the blurb at all I didn’t know anything about the journey I was going to be taken on, and what a thought-provoking and emotional journey it was.
Mackenzie is such a wonderful character. The author made me feel every emotion towards her as I read what she had to go through. I feel overall she is such a strong person but she had so much to work through following the death of Willow, and without someone to love and support her I am not sure if she would have been able to get through that year. Mackenzie’s support came from a boy named Ryan and I’m certainly glad that he was there for her….. I think they are perfect for each other actually.
If you’ve experienced grief, I feel this book will touch you on a personal level…. it certainly did me. It’s a story of loss, love, hope and healing. Ryan’s Bed is such a fabulous story and the first book written by Tijan that I have read….. and it won’t be the last.
Absolutely loved this book. Tijan kept you and the edge of your seat and in tears. The characters were fantastic. Hate that this was a satandalone.
I’m truly speechless. I was first drawn to this book by the gorgeous cover and of course because it was written by Tijan!
Throughout the book I found myself crying, smiling, feeling upset and happy, crying again and it kept going like that until the last page.
Let me just tell you that the last sentence of this book changed my entire outlook for the story, and had me in tears. I’m not even exaggerating when I say that I reread those last few pages for a good fifteen minutes just to really let it sink in and realize what I had read.
This book was heartbreakingly beautiful and Tijan has outdone herself yet again.
A solid five stars!
Definitely my favourite Tijan book. While Logan Kade will always be my favourite Tijan character – this book is on a whole other level and that last sentence well it just made me want to read the book all over again.
*More than 5 stars*
Holy wow! I’m just at a loss for words right now. I’m feeling so many emotions after reading this book and this one was my first read from this author. It was recommended to me and I can totally understand why. It blew me away! From the first word until the very end, the story just captured me and didn’t let me go. Somehow somewhere I felt connected to Mackenzie and what she was going through and all the emotions you could feel she was having, it was a shot through my soul ‘cuz once upon a time I felt exactly the same way. Don’t think many words could come close to how this story was written down. I couldn’t be more grateful towards the author for writing this emotional yet loving story about a topic that is and will always be something that is so raw and real! Sometimes you end up losing yourself but sometimes you end up finding yourself again…
Mackenzie has lost her twin sister to suicide and isn’t dealing very well with it. Neither is her family but somehow she finds herself in a boy’s bed, Ryan, and it seems the only place she feels at peace; no longer feeling the pain of losing someone so very close to her. She clings to him to numb the pain and maybe she starts using him in the beginning but with time it becomes something much more. Along the way there’ll be people trying to bring her down but the centre for her is still Ryan. But even with her grief and not dealing with it entirely she’ll have to find a way to move on and be happy again… But will she be able to do it and find the peace she so desperately wants or will her grief consume her completely?…
This was my first book by Tijan. I have heard that others were much different but this is the one that intrigued me the most. The love story wasn’t front and center in this one and I feel like it was done amazingly. Mackenzie’s twin sister willow commits suicide and MacKenzie finds her. That night, she accidentally goes into the wrong bedroom in a house she isn’t familiar with and lays in Ryan’s bed. It is the first time she feels safe in a long time. This begins a journey for them both. At first you see the many struggles that she goes through trying to cope with the death of her twin. This whole book is from her perspective and what you come to realize is that Ryan needs her as much as she needs him. This story was beautifully written and painful at time to read but also healing. The struggles of the family after the death are also very real. Once I started reading, I didn’t want to stop. I will definitely read more of Tijan.
This was such an emotional and intense read. It was a beautiful story. I definitely recommend this book and this author.
Powerful and unforgettable…5+stars!
Tijan brings us a story that addresses a topic that might have triggers. It’s a serious, intense, gut-wrenching, angst-filled beautiful book. You will cry fat ugly tears from all the emotions and feel wrung out at the end of this book. For myself, I didn’t know I was holding my breath until the end. And OMG! That ending. It gutted me and left me speechless.
On the topic of suicide, specifically, teen suicide is told from the viewpoint of Mackenzie Malcolm. From her eyes, we see and feel all the turmoil, pain, and regrets over the loss of her twin, Willow. Her days are filled with heart-wrenching guilt, wanting so much to disappear into the background, and trying to numb herself from all the pain and emptiness she feels every time her family looks at her. They can’t bear to look at her as she looks identical to Willow.
She copes whenever she’s with Ryan Jensen. Ryan knows all too well about grief, as he’s also recovering from the loss of his best friend and understands the support Mackenzie needs. Loss also changes the dynamics of a family with such a traumatic event. My favorite line:
“Everything else was flat, black and white, gray, dull, cold, and then I went to him, and it felt like color was turned on.”
Ryan’s Bed is a powerful, amazing and truly unforgettable story. Tijan’s style of writing is wonderful, giving us a perfect blend of plot, characterization, all the feels, and romance. I loved every word.
Omg………wow
Wow…….Ok I don’t give a lot of 5 stars because for me it has to be something special and omg is this something special it’s heartbreaking and beautiful you can’t get through this book with dry eyes.Mac is such a strong mc I adored her ,the way the book is written is perfect fair play tijan I felt every emotion in every word this book is a MUST read but……. that ending OMG if there’s no more to this story I’ll be gutted I need more what happens next ?????????
Great Story & Audible Listen Heart-Wrenching & Beautiful! 4.5
Ryan’s Bed
By: Tijan
Narrated by: Therese Plummer
This is a realistic and well written story, one that tugs at your heart. Suicide is a difficult subject yet Tijan created this beautiful story of what it does to those who are left behind. She shows what it does to loved ones, friends it also shows how others respond to them or how they do not know how to respond. This book was raw and emotional but it captivated me from start to end. And what an ending it was. Tijan captures teenage life, the fun times of those years, the angst and the struggles including peer pressure, popularity, bullying and insecurities. Thank you for this great read.
I listened to the Audible edition, Therese Plummer a wonderful narrator and voice performer. She brings the characters and their story to life from the pages to your ears. Thank you for a great listen!
Ryan’s Bed deals with the very sensitive subject of teen suicide. Mackenzie is broken, somewhat before her twin sister’s death and most definitely afterwards. Ryan is there from the first day it happened and is there for Mackenzie throughout her healing process. She learns to become the strong one and how to fight her own battles. I had no idea where this book was going and the ending was a complete surprise. Very well done.
Love this, everyone should read this book.
I have loved to read as many books as I can get my hands on by Tijan. “Ryan’s Bed” is by far, my most favorite book my Tijan, and I have read almost all of them. I know her books are going to be amazing, but “Ryan’s Bed” completely blew me away. Thank you Tijan! It’s absolutely amazing, and I can NOT wait to see what you come up with next!! xoxoTijan
Sometimes the hardest reviews to write are for the books you’ve adored the most. I have all these thoughts in my head but can’t seem to put them to paper. My heart bled for Mackenzie and her family throughout this book. I know from experience that losing a sibling changes you forever. I couldn’t imagine the added devastation when that loss is by their own hand. I was immediately wrapped up in this story and thought the author depicted the pain and grief a family goes through after a death accurately. The last line in RYAN’S BED was an eye opener. I knew there was something about the note but I never would’ve guessed what it was.
Such a great book!! So emotional. And that ending…