confidentleeme's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
This book has solidified me as a Robyn Lucas fan! What a great follow up to Paper Doll Lina. I enjoy how she pushes the boundaries and can provoke so many emotions. Heavy on the 'Read Your Triggers'! This one includes a narcissistic mother and I feel like narc is putting it lightly! The overall message that 'Love conquers All' had me bawling my eyes out at the end.
kbonneville's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
vwannamaker's review
4.0
Thank you for NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC.
This was a good fast paced book. I finished this in one day. I was able to feel the characters pain as we went through all the trauma.
Our main character has a fear of commitment because of the three previous divorces. She never had luck in that department since she was little. The character growth in this book is amazing.
This was a good fast paced book. I finished this in one day. I was able to feel the characters pain as we went through all the trauma.
Our main character has a fear of commitment because of the three previous divorces. She never had luck in that department since she was little. The character growth in this book is amazing.
kookie9200's review
2.0
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.
I'm going to be honest, this was nearly a DNF for me. I told myself I'd give it to 20% to keep me invested enough to keep going, and it barely did. The book is about Nancy Jewel, a woman with a great house, a nice job, and a single and loving lifestyle. Except all of it is built on lies. She has a narcissistic mother, an absentee brother, and a father in prison. She lies to everyone about her family and pretends she is happy-go-lucky. She isn't. She's stuck in an endless loop of meaningless hook ups and one night stands with strangeres as well as her ex husband.. When she's confronted with the fact her father is gravely ill, she has to find a way to help him.
The main reason I feel that I didn't like this book was Nancy. She's a psychology professor yet she is an absolute mess. Now, I'm not saying that just because she's in the field doesn't mean she can't have mental health problems at all, but wow. At some point, she should have had least realized she needed therapy. Instead, she comes off as completely whiny and unlikeable. there were so many times I wanted to shake her and tell her that she was playing into being a victim. The moments meant to make the reader feel bad for her never clicked for me because there wasn't enough substance to the character to build a bond. I just didn't like her. She was judgemental, whiny, and almost childlike in how she handled things. In the moments where we see her as a take-charge woman, it barely reflects who she actually is. This book was basically a "feel sorry for me because I have trauma and crappy parents" fest and it annoyed me.
The so-called growth of Nancy never happened. She spends so much of the book feeling sorry for herself and pushing people away only to snap out of it near the end because someone says they love her. It isn't growth. She put no work into bettering herself or taking the steps to make changes in how she felt about HERSELF. It was like "Oh, okay, this person loves me so I'm loveable and can be happy." It honestly made me want to throw my kindle. If this book was truly about a flawed character that grows into someone who loves herself and realizes she doesn't need all the props she's put into place to make herself feel better, then I could appreciate her falling in love and learning to accept the relationship with flawed parents. That wasn't this book though.
I'm going to be honest, this was nearly a DNF for me. I told myself I'd give it to 20% to keep me invested enough to keep going, and it barely did. The book is about Nancy Jewel, a woman with a great house, a nice job, and a single and loving lifestyle. Except all of it is built on lies. She has a narcissistic mother, an absentee brother, and a father in prison. She lies to everyone about her family and pretends she is happy-go-lucky. She isn't. She's stuck in an endless loop of meaningless hook ups and one night stands with strangeres as well as her ex husband.. When she's confronted with the fact her father is gravely ill, she has to find a way to help him.
The main reason I feel that I didn't like this book was Nancy. She's a psychology professor yet she is an absolute mess. Now, I'm not saying that just because she's in the field doesn't mean she can't have mental health problems at all, but wow. At some point, she should have had least realized she needed therapy. Instead, she comes off as completely whiny and unlikeable. there were so many times I wanted to shake her and tell her that she was playing into being a victim. The moments meant to make the reader feel bad for her never clicked for me because there wasn't enough substance to the character to build a bond. I just didn't like her. She was judgemental, whiny, and almost childlike in how she handled things. In the moments where we see her as a take-charge woman, it barely reflects who she actually is. This book was basically a "feel sorry for me because I have trauma and crappy parents" fest and it annoyed me.
The so-called growth of Nancy never happened. She spends so much of the book feeling sorry for herself and pushing people away only to snap out of it near the end because someone says they love her. It isn't growth. She put no work into bettering herself or taking the steps to make changes in how she felt about HERSELF. It was like "Oh, okay, this person loves me so I'm loveable and can be happy." It honestly made me want to throw my kindle. If this book was truly about a flawed character that grows into someone who loves herself and realizes she doesn't need all the props she's put into place to make herself feel better, then I could appreciate her falling in love and learning to accept the relationship with flawed parents. That wasn't this book though.
kelsiandherbookshelf's review against another edition
5.0
Maybe She’ll Stay is the second book that I have read by Robyn and it was just as heart felt as her debut, Paper Doll Lina. I love when authors develop a character that was introduced in their previous work and that’s exactly what Robyn did with Nancy in Maybe She’ll Stay. Her journey to self love was beautifully written, inspiring, and definitely a tear jerker! It was also great to be reacquainted with the main characters from Paper Doll Lina; their growth and story lines fit seamlessly in this novel. I can’t wait to see what Robyn writes next!
mgarcia23's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
tylahhhmarie's review
3.0
Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!
I'm finding this one quite difficult to rate but I think a 3 is going to have to do. I started reading this almost two months ago and I never once had a desire to pick it back up whenever I would find myself taking a break from reading it. In saying that, I never felt bored when I was reading this one and was quite enjoyable for the most part. The story flows quite nicely but it just didn't grab me in the way I usually liked to be grabbed when reading a book but I think a lot of people will find this story incredibly joyous to read!
I'm finding this one quite difficult to rate but I think a 3 is going to have to do. I started reading this almost two months ago and I never once had a desire to pick it back up whenever I would find myself taking a break from reading it. In saying that, I never felt bored when I was reading this one and was quite enjoyable for the most part. The story flows quite nicely but it just didn't grab me in the way I usually liked to be grabbed when reading a book but I think a lot of people will find this story incredibly joyous to read!
mv1402's review against another edition
0.5
It gets .5 for the very few relatable lines about not being deserving of love. And that’s being generous.
It should be zero just purely for the line:
Nancy repeated her affirmations, first in her head, then out loud. “You’re brave, brilliant, and badass. Boss up, babe.”
The fact that this affirmation gets repeated more than once in the book SHOULD put it into the negatives.
The characters are one dimensional. So flat. Archetypes. Shells of people. I don’t have any semblance of a clue of what any of them look like except for Ashish because they really like mentioning the fact that he’s Indian.
It should be zero just purely for the line:
Nancy repeated her affirmations, first in her head, then out loud. “You’re brave, brilliant, and badass. Boss up, babe.”
The fact that this affirmation gets repeated more than once in the book SHOULD put it into the negatives.
The characters are one dimensional. So flat. Archetypes. Shells of people. I don’t have any semblance of a clue of what any of them look like except for Ashish because they really like mentioning the fact that he’s Indian.
cdubiel's review against another edition
4.0
Another satisfying read by Robyn Lucas! I will expand more in my Booklist review, but I wanted to say that I loved seeing characters from Paper Doll Lina here again. Narcissism in families is serious business, so it feels weird to say that I felt comforted by this book. But being back in that universe with those characters I loved so much was nice. (And I felt a kinship with Nancy, having gone through similar situations on my own).
shankl's review against another edition
4.0
Nancy Jewell has one fear, LOVE. After three failed marriages, she honestly believes she is unlovable. Her career is fantastic, and she has a wonderful best friend. So in her mind, that's all she needs.
So much of Nancy is hidden from public consumption, especially her past and her family. She’s grown-up in a home with a mother who is emotionally abusive to her. Nancy's mother blames her for everything, including failing to secure her father's release from prison. Eventually, Nancy with the help of a former lover gets her dying father home to live out his last days. Ashish has never stopped loving her for her, but he won't push her to commit.
In her mind, Ashish is the one that got away. Is she ready to open her heart to man that continually shows her that she can be loved and give love? This novel can be read as stand alone.
Thank Robyn Lucas for the complimentary copy of this novel.
So much of Nancy is hidden from public consumption, especially her past and her family. She’s grown-up in a home with a mother who is emotionally abusive to her. Nancy's mother blames her for everything, including failing to secure her father's release from prison. Eventually, Nancy with the help of a former lover gets her dying father home to live out his last days. Ashish has never stopped loving her for her, but he won't push her to commit.
In her mind, Ashish is the one that got away. Is she ready to open her heart to man that continually shows her that she can be loved and give love? This novel can be read as stand alone.
Thank Robyn Lucas for the complimentary copy of this novel.