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dwbooks's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
secret_librarian's review
4.0
Rating: 4.5
Steam: 4
PoV: dual, 1st person
MM | hurt / comfort | small town | disability rep
Make Me Stay was a beautiful story, with a lot of emotions and intrigue! I must say that I’m a big fan of this series’ premise of characters finding love while working on solving a cold case murder.
I loved the journey of self-discovery that Cal went through in this story. His loneliness and reluctance to letting people in broke my heart, as it was obvious that he was hurting and that he had no support system at all. Holden was so careful around Cal at first, trying to take care of him without spooking him while initiating their friendship. The double hurt / comfort was so well written here and it was sweet how they both took care of each other in different ways.
Neither of these men trusted easily, so it was beautiful to see them feel safe enough with each other to explore things sexually. Their explorations with kink was super hot and steamy, I loved the bondage, edging and dirty talk! Holden was such a bossy top, and they really met each other’s needs perfectly.
I liked how Annabeth Albert handled the struggled that these men had. There was a depth to their story and characters, and it felt realistic to me. It was easy to get attached and intrigued by Holden and Cal.
I’ve really enjoyed this series so far, the balance between the investigation and the romance plot has been fantastic, and I’m excited to see how it will all be wrapped up in Sam’s story!
Steam: 4
PoV: dual, 1st person
MM | hurt / comfort | small town | disability rep
Make Me Stay was a beautiful story, with a lot of emotions and intrigue! I must say that I’m a big fan of this series’ premise of characters finding love while working on solving a cold case murder.
I loved the journey of self-discovery that Cal went through in this story. His loneliness and reluctance to letting people in broke my heart, as it was obvious that he was hurting and that he had no support system at all. Holden was so careful around Cal at first, trying to take care of him without spooking him while initiating their friendship. The double hurt / comfort was so well written here and it was sweet how they both took care of each other in different ways.
Neither of these men trusted easily, so it was beautiful to see them feel safe enough with each other to explore things sexually. Their explorations with kink was super hot and steamy, I loved the bondage, edging and dirty talk! Holden was such a bossy top, and they really met each other’s needs perfectly.
I liked how Annabeth Albert handled the struggled that these men had. There was a depth to their story and characters, and it felt realistic to me. It was easy to get attached and intrigued by Holden and Cal.
I’ve really enjoyed this series so far, the balance between the investigation and the romance plot has been fantastic, and I’m excited to see how it will all be wrapped up in Sam’s story!
sydney_h's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bexbookrex's review
5.0
Be my comfort...
Make Me Stay by Annabeth Albert is the lovely story of Cal, a former Navy SEAL and Holden, a former cop. There are hurt/comfort and grumpy/sunshine vibes, not to mention mental health/PTSD and chronic pain representation.
These guys really touched me. Albert did a truly wonderful job writing the deep pain, both physical and psychological, that these characters lived with daily. And the way they became comfort and support for one another was beautiful.
Make Me Stay by Annabeth Albert is the lovely story of Cal, a former Navy SEAL and Holden, a former cop. There are hurt/comfort and grumpy/sunshine vibes, not to mention mental health/PTSD and chronic pain representation.
These guys really touched me. Albert did a truly wonderful job writing the deep pain, both physical and psychological, that these characters lived with daily. And the way they became comfort and support for one another was beautiful.
redhairedashreads's review
4.0
4 stars - It was really good
When a prickly SEAL rescue diver comes to Safe Harbor to help with the cold case Holden and Monroe are working on, Holden finds himself offering to become his roommate when his RV breaks down and he needs to stay long term. As Holden gets to know the prickly SEAL he finds himself falling for the hurt man who is learning about his sexuality and to love again.
This was a very enjoyable story that was filled with a lot of emotions. Holden uses humor to disguise his insecurities and chronic pain, but with Cal he reveals his true self. I like that we are finally getting to see the real Holden and that he finally starts showing his true self to his friends by the end of the book. Cal is a veteran who has PTSD, survivors guilt and is struggling with the loss of his best friend. He is also a very independent man who struggles with asking for help so we see him spend a lot of this book struggling with his need for closeness but fear of losing it again, which is understandable coinciding what he went through.
These two had a beautiful relationship that was all about comfort and healing, but also some steamy sex with bondage. I love that this relationship was all about consent, asking for what you want pleasure wise, and exploring your sexuality since it's relatively new to Cal. It was just a beautiful relationship that showed that consent is key and I loved how Holden let Cal set the pace for the sexual aspects of the relationship.
Overall, this was a very good addition to this series. I really loved this couple and look forward to seeing what will happen next after that epilogue. Also, I am very interested in seeing what will happen with the cold case next.
TW: chronic pain; PTSD, survivor’s guilt, and insomnia; death of a friend during a dive mission discussed; grief; death of parents mentioned;
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Death, Grief, and Death of parent
kjnrose's review
5.0
AHHH! I just loved this book so much, even better than the first one and I thought that one was wonderful. I loved the characters and the story keeps you wanting to read more. I can't wait to see what comes next!
marzi's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
tsuyoi's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nicki_theoverflowingbookcase's review
4.0
With the murder mystery gaining traction, Cal is called in to find clues under the water. But this snarky SEAL does not play well with others. When an injury sidelines him and causes him to spend time in Safe Harbor he ends up as Holden's roommate. Can the extrovert who is hiding his own kind of loneliness bring Cal out of his shell? Or will the attraction the opposites feel cause more harm than good? With characters you want to hug in sections of the book while at the same time want to slap upside the head in other sections this was a great addition tot the series. I look forward to reading more not just for the other characters to get their story but to find out more of the answers to the mystery everyone wants solved.