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joslinreads's review against another edition
4.0
I received an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of this book courtesy of Andrews McMeel Publishing & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
What I Loved:
» A Filipino author!
I never made a concerted effort to read Asian authors until recently. I specifically wanted to read my ethnic background. It’s easy to find English text of Japanese authors, but difficult of Filipino authors. I stumbled onto this title through pure luck of browsing and I couldn’t be happier.
» Building of Elan & Caty
I hated Caty at first. I hated Elan and Caty interacting. Their dialogue was so clunky and stilted. Caty was so immature and brash, while Elan was such a doormat. I almost DNF-ed the book so many times in Part 1. But then at the end of it, she shows she’s self-aware of how awful she can be.
Then, they get to know each other better. They both share more of themselves and I began to understood why they're the way they are. Also, as Elan and Caty open up to each other, their dialogue becomes more fluid and natural. After Part 2 I was full-on rooting for them.
» The Dance Scene
LOVE! I could see it in my mind and I loved it. In my mind it was very dramatic and sweeping and extra.
» The Long Distance Relationship
My husband and I met by chance and spent almost 2 years in a long distance relationship before we got married. Even after we got married, we spend a lot of time separated because of the military. So the angsty goodbyes and the awkwardness of seeing each other for the first time in months made complete sense. There’s a part when Caty doesn’t know how to handle having Elan in her space and it really resonated with me. When Cass came home from his first deployment, I didn’t know how to exist with him physically in my life again. Lanuza did a great job of capturing those feelings and the difficulty of articulating them to Elan.
What I Wished For:
» More of their pasts
They give each other the quick rundown of their complicated pasts, but I wanted more details. I get the gist of how these events from their pasts have effected them, but I wanted just a little more. Especially from San Juan. Caty talks about how everyone gossips about her. I wanted to see more of that.
» More of Jules
She’s friends with both Elan and Caty and I wanted more of her in their story. They talk about and around her, but she doesn’t have much a presence until a chapter toward the end. She could have been the link to their pasts.
» More info in the epilogue
There were very real reasons why Elan lived in Manila and Caty in Toronto/New York. They didn’t address how they were going to bypass Elan’s mother’s health problems and Caty’s career aspirations. They were such huge reasons throughout the story and they felt swept aside with no real explanation.
TL;DR
Realistic long-distance love story with great character development
What I Loved:
» A Filipino author!
I never made a concerted effort to read Asian authors until recently. I specifically wanted to read my ethnic background. It’s easy to find English text of Japanese authors, but difficult of Filipino authors. I stumbled onto this title through pure luck of browsing and I couldn’t be happier.
» Building of Elan & Caty
I hated Caty at first. I hated Elan and Caty interacting. Their dialogue was so clunky and stilted. Caty was so immature and brash, while Elan was such a doormat. I almost DNF-ed the book so many times in Part 1. But then at the end of it, she shows she’s self-aware of how awful she can be.
Then, they get to know each other better. They both share more of themselves and I began to understood why they're the way they are. Also, as Elan and Caty open up to each other, their dialogue becomes more fluid and natural. After Part 2 I was full-on rooting for them.
» The Dance Scene
LOVE! I could see it in my mind and I loved it. In my mind it was very dramatic and sweeping and extra.
» The Long Distance Relationship
My husband and I met by chance and spent almost 2 years in a long distance relationship before we got married. Even after we got married, we spend a lot of time separated because of the military. So the angsty goodbyes and the awkwardness of seeing each other for the first time in months made complete sense. There’s a part when Caty doesn’t know how to handle having Elan in her space and it really resonated with me. When Cass came home from his first deployment, I didn’t know how to exist with him physically in my life again. Lanuza did a great job of capturing those feelings and the difficulty of articulating them to Elan.
What I Wished For:
» More of their pasts
They give each other the quick rundown of their complicated pasts, but I wanted more details. I get the gist of how these events from their pasts have effected them, but I wanted just a little more. Especially from San Juan. Caty talks about how everyone gossips about her. I wanted to see more of that.
» More of Jules
She’s friends with both Elan and Caty and I wanted more of her in their story. They talk about and around her, but she doesn’t have much a presence until a chapter toward the end. She could have been the link to their pasts.
» More info in the epilogue
TL;DR
Realistic long-distance love story with great character development
bookbed's review against another edition
3.0
"Yes, if we’re going by the cover alone because so pretty, but hey that’s not all there is to it. So I want to say this is more for readers stepping into a long-distance relationship, or those already in one, because this romance about a couple in their mid-20s captures such an intimate and resonating account of being apart trying to make it work." Continue reading our review here.
Please note: We don't use ratings but for this purpose, we tag books with three stars by default.
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Please note: We don't use ratings but for this purpose, we tag books with three stars by default.
Would like to be a reviewer/contributor to Bookbed? Sign up here!
We also accept review requests. More info here.
amysariego's review against another edition
3.0
This was ... medium. It started out really good, but after a little while, I didn’t feel like they were believably in love or pining for each other, even though I loved the premise. The characters were just kind of flat and I didn’t feel strongly about them one way or another, and it was short enough that I could skim most of it. A medium romance all around.
kath_reads's review
4.0
I was a little sceptical at first to be honest because I thought this was one of those meet cute stories which I mostly (if not, always) end up not loving. But Stay A Little Longer is so much more!
At first I thought Caty was a bit of intimidating and domineering. She has a very strong personality but underneath she’s hurting and scared. Elan on the other hand is reserved and introverted but loyal and very loving. The two get along despite of their differences. Opposite attracts, right? The chemisty between these two is obviously there and it’s strong eventhough they only spent less 24 hours together. Eventually, they have started a long-distance “relationship” and it wasn’t easy for the both of them. They live in a different continent and timezone. They both have their own dreams and priorities.
The writing is simple and easy to get into which made this a light read. The amount of romance is perfect. Personally, I would prefer more if this book is written in first person perspective. But I loved that it’s not an insta-love. The characters take their time and consider a lot of things like their families and careers before making their decisions. I liked that this book is not only set in the Philippines but also in New York. The side characters were enjoyable to read too especially Lucian. Jules and Kip were an interesting couple too and I didn’t know that the first book from this series is about them. Don’t worry because you can definitely read this book as a stand-alone.
Aside from reminding us that love isn’t always enough, Stay A Little Longer also reminds us to be brave and seize the moment. Overall, this was really a satisfying and wonderful read.
Huge thanks to the Erika of The Nocturnal Fey and Rafael of The Royal Polar Bear Reads for hosting an international blog tour for this book. Thanks to Ms. Dawn Lanuza and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the e-arc. This did not affect my overall opinion of the book.
Check out my other reviews.
At first I thought Caty was a bit of intimidating and domineering. She has a very strong personality but underneath she’s hurting and scared. Elan on the other hand is reserved and introverted but loyal and very loving. The two get along despite of their differences. Opposite attracts, right? The chemisty between these two is obviously there and it’s strong eventhough they only spent less 24 hours together. Eventually, they have started a long-distance “relationship” and it wasn’t easy for the both of them. They live in a different continent and timezone. They both have their own dreams and priorities.
The writing is simple and easy to get into which made this a light read. The amount of romance is perfect. Personally, I would prefer more if this book is written in first person perspective. But I loved that it’s not an insta-love. The characters take their time and consider a lot of things like their families and careers before making their decisions. I liked that this book is not only set in the Philippines but also in New York. The side characters were enjoyable to read too especially Lucian. Jules and Kip were an interesting couple too and I didn’t know that the first book from this series is about them. Don’t worry because you can definitely read this book as a stand-alone.
Aside from reminding us that love isn’t always enough, Stay A Little Longer also reminds us to be brave and seize the moment. Overall, this was really a satisfying and wonderful read.
Huge thanks to the Erika of The Nocturnal Fey and Rafael of The Royal Polar Bear Reads for hosting an international blog tour for this book. Thanks to Ms. Dawn Lanuza and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the e-arc. This did not affect my overall opinion of the book.
Check out my other reviews.
magicalreads's review
4.0
3.75 stars
read on my blog
**I received an ARC from Netgalley. These are my personal opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
I requested this book on a whim because I've heard good things from this author (and I've read some #romanceclass novels before), and I was intrigued by the summary. It definitely lived up to my expectations and then some. Stay a Little Longer tells a tale of a different kind of love, soft and modern and lovely.
From the time Elan and Caty meet, something special forms between them. Yes, this book was a bit insta-lovey, but that's the point! They don't expect to meet each other again, or even if they do, it'll be far into the future, but both form a healthy infatuation with each other that eventually turns into love. I loved this slow-burn because it just felt right for the two of them.
The romance and the plot felt akin to Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi (although this book would be classified as adult), in that it's centered around really getting to know someone through text because there's less pressure than seeing the person actually IN PERSON. The nuances between physically talking to someone and texting them are real, okay, and I loved how Elan and Caty keep up a long-distance relationship, even if it's just a friendship at first.
I haven't read Lanuza's Hometown Hazard yet, but this book features some of the same characters. However, you don't need to have read the predecessor because this book is firmly centered on our main couple. I assume there are some allusions and inside jokes that went over my head, and I liked this book so much that I should really get on reading the first one.
The sibling relationships between the two main characters and their siblings were wonderful. You all know that I love a good sibling relationship, and this book depicted two really great ones.
The only thing that I didn't like about this book was that it was hard to tell who was talking. This was mainly due to one character's dialogue being on the same line as the description for the other character's actions. For example, it would be Caty's words but the action described right after is Elan's. I kept getting confused, and it's easy to think the other person is talking when they're not if you're not paying close attention.
Stay a Little Longer was a lovely, beautifully written story. If you're looking for a new romance to read, I totally recommend this book. In fact, it's out today, so you can pick it up right now! I do think the book was a bit short, but that's probably because I wish I could have stayed a little longer with these characters.
read on my blog
**I received an ARC from Netgalley. These are my personal opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
He was kidding of course, but she was laughing with him now, and he was mesmerized by the sound of it, loved that it was because of him.
I requested this book on a whim because I've heard good things from this author (and I've read some #romanceclass novels before), and I was intrigued by the summary. It definitely lived up to my expectations and then some. Stay a Little Longer tells a tale of a different kind of love, soft and modern and lovely.
From the time Elan and Caty meet, something special forms between them. Yes, this book was a bit insta-lovey, but that's the point! They don't expect to meet each other again, or even if they do, it'll be far into the future, but both form a healthy infatuation with each other that eventually turns into love. I loved this slow-burn because it just felt right for the two of them.
No offense, but isn't it always something when it comes to us?
The romance and the plot felt akin to Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi (although this book would be classified as adult), in that it's centered around really getting to know someone through text because there's less pressure than seeing the person actually IN PERSON. The nuances between physically talking to someone and texting them are real, okay, and I loved how Elan and Caty keep up a long-distance relationship, even if it's just a friendship at first.
I haven't read Lanuza's Hometown Hazard yet, but this book features some of the same characters. However, you don't need to have read the predecessor because this book is firmly centered on our main couple. I assume there are some allusions and inside jokes that went over my head, and I liked this book so much that I should really get on reading the first one.
The sibling relationships between the two main characters and their siblings were wonderful. You all know that I love a good sibling relationship, and this book depicted two really great ones.
The only thing that I didn't like about this book was that it was hard to tell who was talking. This was mainly due to one character's dialogue being on the same line as the description for the other character's actions. For example, it would be Caty's words but the action described right after is Elan's. I kept getting confused, and it's easy to think the other person is talking when they're not if you're not paying close attention.
"I feel a certain calm when I'm with him. It's a strange feeling. My heart is . . . I don't know, settled. Full. When I'm with him, it's quiet. I feel . . . " "Safe?"
Stay a Little Longer was a lovely, beautifully written story. If you're looking for a new romance to read, I totally recommend this book. In fact, it's out today, so you can pick it up right now! I do think the book was a bit short, but that's probably because I wish I could have stayed a little longer with these characters.
farbooksventure's review
3.0
Stay a Little Longer menyajikan kisah romansa manis antara 2 orang asing yang bertemu tanpa sengaja dan memilih untuk "menetap secara permanen" dalam kehidupan masing-masing. Akan tetapi, talik ulur tidak berkesudahan antara mereka berdua membuat kesabaranku menipis sedikit demi sedikit selama membacanya.
A complete review of this book coming soon on my blog!
Also found Farah on Blogger & Instagram
A complete review of this book coming soon on my blog!
Also found Farah on Blogger & Instagram
aphrodite's review
5.0
I think i just found my new favorite author, I'm completely in love with their writing style and some of the lines made me so soft. I totally recommend you this book if you're looking for a quick read that will make you wish you had a boyfriend.
(Okay the parts with them laying in bed and just staring at each other and touching each other's face/hair/body THEY GOT ME !!!!!)
(Okay the parts with them laying in bed and just staring at each other and touching each other's face/hair/body THEY GOT ME !!!!!)
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