Blurb:
If you’re lucky, you’ll fall in love – truly, madly and deeply in love. But what happens when that honest and pure love isn’t enough to erase your fears? What happens when your past rears its ugly head and threatens your future?
Maddy and Reid had that kind of love – the all-encompassing, Earth shattering, once in a lifetime kind of love. Then life happened. Old wounds that were thought to be long healed and scabbed over are ripped opened and they are forced to face the possibility that, maybe, they are not strong enough to fight their demons and embrace the light.
Together, they found out what love is, but now they will each need to heal on their own before they can ever be together again. They must face their fears and beat down their pasts in order to find their way through this crazy uphill battle called love.
They’ve let love in, but now, they need to find out how to Let Love Stay.
Review:
I love the story between Reid and Maddy. This is a sweet love story of two college students who have allowed the loss of those most important to them to shape the way they see the world and relationships. It isn’t until they meet each other that they give love a try. If you haven’t read Let Love In by Melissa Collins, it’s the first book of these two characters, you should go get that now. I will post the links for both books further down.
I haven’t suffered the loss either of these characters have suffered through so I’m not able to fully say that I would react the same way they have towards letting people get close to them and letting love in. The question in this book is can they hang on to it once they do let it in? Reid and Maddy’s love story is absolutely beautiful. They have a solid relationship of support and love for each other when they recognize their mutual feelings. They can suffer through their pasts because they have each other, right?
Changing Reid’s mind about seeing his mother is like trying to move a mountain. He’s unwilling to let go of the hurt and anger to make up lost time with his parents. It isn’t until he and Maddy get into a fight and she pushes him away telling him he needs to get his past straight before they can more forward…oh and btw…I’m pregnant! WAAA???? Reid looses it of course. Leaves and doesn’t look back.
At this point in the story they’re both miserable. Both soul searching for what they want and how they will reach out to the other.
There is a little bit of drama in this story…not as much as there is in Let Love In. I truly enjoyed reading Let Love Stay to see how Maddy and Reid ‘s relationship grew, contracted, and grew again. They definitely deserve a happy ever after. Question is…will they let love stay in their life to have their HEA???
4 Stars
Check out this Alternate POV from Maddy:
Chapter 10 from Maddy’s POV
Thank god this day is over. I thought office work would be somewhat easy, but my feet are killing me and my hands are all chapped and cut up from touching the files all day. Kathy calls out from the front office, “Come on girls! Let’s get a move on. It’s closing time.”
Nikki comes up behind me as I’m gathering my stuff out of my small locker in the break room. We’ve hit it off really well this week and I’m really glad to have such nice co-workers. It makes the day move a lot quicker.
“So what are your plans tonight, Maddy? A few of my girls and I are heading to the club. Wanna come with us?” I so want to say yes, I really do. Getting all dolled up and dancing the night away with the girls, sounds like the perfect way to let go of some of this tension.
“Nikki, I wish I could, but I already have plans.” I refuse to call it a date. It is not a date. Well, it might be if you ask Jay, but in my mind it is most certainly not a date.
She’s peering out the window as she says, rather cheerfully, “Oh yeah? Do your plans have anything to do with Mr. Hunkity Hunk in the parking lot.” I have to laugh. She has this weird creative thing where she makes every hot guy’s name into some cute Mr. Something-Or-Other. Just the other day she called the Fed-Ex guy Mr. Schmexy McSexy. Okay, that one wasn’t all that creative, but I think she was a little flustered.
Walking over to the window, I chance a glance at the freshly dubbed Mr. Hunkity Hunk and my stomach drops.
It’s Jay.
Just when I think I can walk away unscathed, without having to explain anything to Nikki, Jay sees me in the window and waves up at us. Yeah, so much for that.
Nikki drapes her arms over my shoulders and waves back at him. “So who is he?” She ask, her voice all proud that she’s just discovered something about my plans.
Huffing at her, I try to defend myself. “It’s not a date. He’s my ex. We’re just getting dinner.”
Tapping her finger to her bottom lips, she looks up to the ceiling pretending that she’s lost in deep thought. When her eyes return to me, they’re alight with playfulness. “So let me get this straight. You used to date Hunkity Hunk down there who,” she peers out the window, “is still smiling and waving up here like a fool in love. You’re going out to dinner with said Hunkity Hunk, but it’s not a date.”
“No, it is most definitely not a date!” My attempts at self-defense are just making me look guiltier. I huff again and try to walk away.
“Okay. Okay. But Maddy, promise me one thing.” She asks, serious all of a sudden.
I stand and wait impatiently for what I just know will be a pointless question.
“Promise that you’ll call me the instant you get home from your non-date to let me know how it went.”
We both share a laugh at her ridiculousness as we make out way to the front where everyone else is waiting to leave for the day.
Walking out into the frigid winter air, I pull my jacket around me. Jay catches sight of me right away and starts walking over to me.
Pulling me into hug, he says, “I’m so glad you agreed to come out with me. You look beautiful, Maddy.”
I can’t help but roll my eyes at his compliments. I look anything but good and that was the point. My hair is in a sloppy ponytail and my make-up hasn’t been touched since early this morning. Disheveled, hot mess is probably more along the lines of what I look like.
Suddenly, Jay’s eyes widen a bit more and he seems to be staring off in the distance behind me. Curious to see whatever has caught his attention, I turn around and my stomach drops again.
It’s Reid.
My pulse skyrockets. My heart careens into my ribcage. My palms get sweaty. My desire surges.
Before I can say or do anything, Jay pushes me behind him and eyes Reid up and down. I want to warn him, tell him to just leave Reid alone, but my brain and my mouth with not function.
Stepping into Reid’s face, Jay says, “Who the fuck are you? What do you want?” Oh God. Reid is going to punch him. I know it. I can see vivid images of Reid laying Logan flat on his ass and I want to step in the middle of them, to protect Jay and embrace Reid, but my goddamn feet are stuck to the floor.
I can’t believe he’s here.
Locking my eyes with his magnetic blue depths, I try to convey my love for him, my apologies for this scene that I can only imagine that he’s misreading.
“Me? I’m the boyfriend, asshole.” Reid bites out a few choice words to Jay, but his eyes are glued to mine.
His voice soothes my tattered soul. It makes my insides clench and my heart soar. He’s really here.
Jay’s voice breaks through to my distracted state. “I’m Maddy’s date for tonight. You know? She never mentioned a boyfriend when I asked her out. Must not be much of a boyfriend if she doesn’t even mention you.” Oh God, no he didn’t! Just as I’m about to speak up and stop the inevitable onslaught that I know he will bring, I watch Reid effortlessly drop Jay to his ass.
Standing over him and holding him up by his collar, Reid barks into Jay’s face, “Whether she mentioned me or not, she’s mine, so lay the fuck off. Got it?”
I’m his? Does that mean that he’s mine?
Reid reaches out his hand to mine and my mind is swirling with so much confusion that my brain isn’t firing correctly. When I finally put two and two together and reach out for him, I see him visibly relax. Fire and electricity travels from his hand straight to my heart and I feel like I’m home again.
In a freezing cold dentist’s office parking lot I finally feel like I’m home again.
Author Bio:
I’ve always been an avid reader. Majoring in English Literature was a no brainer. Becoming a teacher and instilling my love for reading into my students was also a no brainer. I’ve spent the last ten years teaching and I’ve loved (mostly) every minute of it. When I was home on maternity leave for my third son, I discovered a new genre that sparked my creativity. My passion for writing sprang from my love of reading and once I knew I had a story to tell, I couldn’t wait to get it out there. I only hope that my readers enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Social Links:
Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17902155-let-love-stay
Let Love In
Let Love Stay
Follow the tour:
http://wp.me/p3raRE-ha
Giveaway Code:
1 winner gets a signed paper back of each book Let Love in and Let love astay (domestic us only) and another gets a $10 gift card and swag
Leave a Reply