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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
This is a beautiful, emotional second chance romance between Kierra and Gabriel that I devoured. I couldn't believe how quickly I read this. The characters just pulled me in.
It's been twenty years since Kierra has seen Gabriel. She is now married to a controlling husband, Henry, with a fourteen-year-old stepdaughter, Ava. There is no love in their marriage, but she stays for Ava. When Henry hires Gabriel as their architect to build their (his) new mansion, she comes face to face with her one true love. Only problem is...he can't remember her due to amnesia caused by the car accident that they were in at nineteen years old. She was driving and he lost his younger brother.
This was aiming for a five-star read until the end. The pacing changed a little, seemed rush. It was all wrapped up too quickly.
Overall, I enjoyed it. Please, check your trigger warnings before reading. If you can't handle reading about domestic violence, then skip this book.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts adn opinions are my own.
It's been twenty years since Kierra has seen Gabriel. She is now married to a controlling husband, Henry, with a fourteen-year-old stepdaughter, Ava. There is no love in their marriage, but she stays for Ava. When Henry hires Gabriel as their architect to build their (his) new mansion, she comes face to face with her one true love. Only problem is...he can't remember her due to amnesia caused by the car accident that they were in at nineteen years old. She was driving and he lost his younger brother.
This was aiming for a five-star read until the end. The pacing changed a little, seemed rush. It was all wrapped up too quickly.
Overall, I enjoyed it. Please, check your trigger warnings before reading. If you can't handle reading about domestic violence, then skip this book.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts adn opinions are my own.
“Kierra, you feel like the whole f–king galaxy wrapped up in one human being. I’m not saying that to convince you to want me over Henry. I’m telling you this because I need you to feel how I feel for you. I need you to look into the mirror and know that you are the whole f–king universe wrapped in one. And you deserve better than anything that man can give you.
- second chance romance
- Black MCs
- slow burn
- flashbacks
- 🌶️/5
- dual pov
POV: An accident tore away your first love’s memories and you from him. Twenty years later, you’re a therapist with a 14-year-old stepdaughter in a loveless marriage, and he re-enters your life as the architect building your family’s new home.
This is Brittainy at her angsty, emotional, heartwrenching best. If you want an emotional roller coaster, this book is for you. She expertly builds the tension so you viscerally feel all the feelings (anger, sadness, shock, and heartbreak included) as you wait for the bomb to drop. But oh, how the HEA is so unforgettably worth it. Even if you have to work to get to it!
Kierra and Gabriel are the definition of soulmates. Their reunion twenty years later is fate personified, and the flashbacks help seal the deal. They’re both dealing with old feelings resurfacing, even if Gabriel doesn’t remember the past.
As Ava says, Gabriel is a man, and it is written by a woman. The way he treats Kierra is so soft, tender, and heartwarmingly beautiful. He’s honest, patient, forgiving, and perfectly protective of her. Most importantly, he sees and appreciates the real Kierra, as she can only be her true self around him.
He also shares such a special bond with Ava and don’t even get me started on the empowering moment he shares with her. I cried at the beach reading it! Rosie is the much-needed comic relief to balance out the heavier storylines.
Angsty girlies, PLEASE add this to the TBR!
Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the early copy!
- second chance romance
- Black MCs
- slow burn
- flashbacks
- 🌶️/5
- dual pov
POV: An accident tore away your first love’s memories and you from him. Twenty years later, you’re a therapist with a 14-year-old stepdaughter in a loveless marriage, and he re-enters your life as the architect building your family’s new home.
This is Brittainy at her angsty, emotional, heartwrenching best. If you want an emotional roller coaster, this book is for you. She expertly builds the tension so you viscerally feel all the feelings (anger, sadness, shock, and heartbreak included) as you wait for the bomb to drop. But oh, how the HEA is so unforgettably worth it. Even if you have to work to get to it!
Kierra and Gabriel are the definition of soulmates. Their reunion twenty years later is fate personified, and the flashbacks help seal the deal. They’re both dealing with old feelings resurfacing, even if Gabriel doesn’t remember the past.
As Ava says, Gabriel is a man, and it is written by a woman. The way he treats Kierra is so soft, tender, and heartwarmingly beautiful. He’s honest, patient, forgiving, and perfectly protective of her. Most importantly, he sees and appreciates the real Kierra, as she can only be her true self around him.
He also shares such a special bond with Ava and don’t even get me started on the empowering moment he shares with her. I cried at the beach reading it! Rosie is the much-needed comic relief to balance out the heavier storylines.
Angsty girlies, PLEASE add this to the TBR!
Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the early copy!
Oh my gosh, this book made me feel everything! This was amazing and I just love Gabriel and Kierra’s story! This was definitely an emotional ride and please check your trigger warnings before reading! Ava was just the sweetest and best daughter any parent could have. I am so glad that Gabriel and Kierra ended up together and got the happily ever after they deserved! This book has very heavy topics but let me just say, I admire Kierra for the things she went through and made it through all while making sure she kept her daughter as the first priority! Also the way that Gabriel takes care of and worries about not only Kierra but Ava as well is top notch! This is my second book by this author and I have loved both of them! 5 stars from me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“If I lost my memory every single day for the rest of my life, I would still find my way back to loving you. I’d love every version of you.”
I’m someone who likes their books to hurt them (yeah, yeah, I know… I’m probably a masochist) and If You Stayed did everything I needed it to. Were there tears? No, but this book was still heartbreaking. Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca & Brittainy Cherry for the ARC.
Imagine getting into an accident with your first love and he loses his memory, completely forgetting about you, and then his family thinks you should stay away. And then years later when you’re married (to a horrible guy) you collide with your first love again. He still doesn’t remember you and what happened. But you remember. You still love him; however, you’re trapped.
Yeah, tell me after that you wouldn’t feel like your heart was breaking.
Everything that happens to Kierra in the time that Gabriel and she are separated truly peeves me. The marriage she’s in is truly horrendous and I fully understand why she stays because there’s a child involved that isn’t her biological daughter. It still made me so angry everything she endured. However, Kierra is a therapist and she really needs to take her own advice because like… what?!
Overall, If You Stayed had me hooked right from the beginning and I was invested in what was going to happen to Gabriel and Kierra. I do wish we’d gotten more of their story when everything was said and done at the end, buuut I’ll try not to be too picky.
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Oh this was a good one. It starts off a little slow, not gonna lie—but even from the beginning, I was into it. There’s this quiet emotional pull that just grabs you. The whole vibe is soft, sad, a little tense, and totally addictive. I seriously could not put it down.
The story itself is beautiful and heartbreaking and full of that “what if” kind of love that just gets you. Brittainy’s writing is super easy to read—like, I breezed through it—but it still hits deep. There are so many lines that made me stop and go, ouch... but also wow.
And omg, the last part of the book?? I was on edge, trying to figure out where things were going and getting all up in my feels. Like... what is happening?? What’s gonna happen?? I love when a book keeps me guessing like that.
Honestly, if you love emotional romance, second chances, and stories that make your heart ache a little (or a lot), this one’s 100% worth the read.
The story itself is beautiful and heartbreaking and full of that “what if” kind of love that just gets you. Brittainy’s writing is super easy to read—like, I breezed through it—but it still hits deep. There are so many lines that made me stop and go, ouch... but also wow.
And omg, the last part of the book?? I was on edge, trying to figure out where things were going and getting all up in my feels. Like... what is happening?? What’s gonna happen?? I love when a book keeps me guessing like that.
Honestly, if you love emotional romance, second chances, and stories that make your heart ache a little (or a lot), this one’s 100% worth the read.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you are familiar with Brittainy Cherry's brand of writing, you know she is going to bring the emotional and the angst. And If You Stayed is no different. With a gut punch of a prologue, I knew I was in for it. If You Stayed is a story of second chances, soulmates, generational trauma, heartbreak and hope.
Kierra thought she had found her love when she was young, but tragedy hit and that love was ripped away from her. And then she found her husband, Henry. But he turned out to be one of the worst decisions she made. Besides having Ava as a daughter and being financially successful, Henry was honestly one of the worst characters ever. He is the reason it will be hard to read Kierra's story. Please check the content warnings because this man is full of red flags.
'That was the problem with falling in love when you were out of love with yourself: even monsters looked appealing then.'
When a chance encounter with a ghost of Kierra's past leads her to a broken but never forgotten love, everything in her life gets turned upside down and things get MESSY.
I love a good and messy romance to get to our HEA, but Kierra and Gabriel had so many obstacles to overcome. This wasn't just messy. This was complete darkness. From a marriage filled with abuse, to a mother keeping heavy secrets, to a daughter that just needed someone in her corner to an adult that has no memory of a past, this is a story that will put you through it all. You will want to destroy some characters and you will want to shake others. But in the end, you get to feel a powerful story of love and kindness. A light after the dark.
"Are you happy, Kierra?"
"No. But maybe some people aren't meant to be happy. Maybe some people are just meant to be heartbroken."
While this story had beauty within the pages, the darkness was hard to read about. I loved who Kierra was when she was with Gabriel. They could talk and just "be". It always made me wonder what she found in Henry. But to find the peace and love that went with her past all over again was truly awe inspiring. I wanted to just grab onto it. I loved Gabriel and Kierra's connection and how they called to one another. But Henry? He's a whole other story. Like I said above, please check the content warning because he brings something to the story that I wish he didn't. And because this story has some heavy content I almost wish the ending came with some more difficulties instead of it ending too perfectly. All I know is If You Stayed will be a book that I will be thinking about long after I've finished. It's too real and raw for it not to. A thoughtful story of pain and love and how far we would go to get what we think we deserve.
'Love wasn't always perfect. It often came with bends and cracks. The greatest heartbreaks always came from love more than they came from hatred.'
Kierra thought she had found her love when she was young, but tragedy hit and that love was ripped away from her. And then she found her husband, Henry. But he turned out to be one of the worst decisions she made. Besides having Ava as a daughter and being financially successful, Henry was honestly one of the worst characters ever. He is the reason it will be hard to read Kierra's story. Please check the content warnings because this man is full of red flags.
'That was the problem with falling in love when you were out of love with yourself: even monsters looked appealing then.'
When a chance encounter with a ghost of Kierra's past leads her to a broken but never forgotten love, everything in her life gets turned upside down and things get MESSY.
I love a good and messy romance to get to our HEA, but Kierra and Gabriel had so many obstacles to overcome. This wasn't just messy. This was complete darkness. From a marriage filled with abuse, to a mother keeping heavy secrets, to a daughter that just needed someone in her corner to an adult that has no memory of a past, this is a story that will put you through it all. You will want to destroy some characters and you will want to shake others. But in the end, you get to feel a powerful story of love and kindness. A light after the dark.
"Are you happy, Kierra?"
"No. But maybe some people aren't meant to be happy. Maybe some people are just meant to be heartbroken."
While this story had beauty within the pages, the darkness was hard to read about. I loved who Kierra was when she was with Gabriel. They could talk and just "be". It always made me wonder what she found in Henry. But to find the peace and love that went with her past all over again was truly awe inspiring. I wanted to just grab onto it. I loved Gabriel and Kierra's connection and how they called to one another. But Henry? He's a whole other story. Like I said above, please check the content warning because he brings something to the story that I wish he didn't. And because this story has some heavy content I almost wish the ending came with some more difficulties instead of it ending too perfectly. All I know is If You Stayed will be a book that I will be thinking about long after I've finished. It's too real and raw for it not to. A thoughtful story of pain and love and how far we would go to get what we think we deserve.
'Love wasn't always perfect. It often came with bends and cracks. The greatest heartbreaks always came from love more than they came from hatred.'
ᨳ᭬ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ࿐ྂ
„I was finally home again, because of Gabriel Ayodele Sinclair. My joy had come home.“
- If you want to read this, please check the trigger warnings!! -
As always, it was absolutely painful and yet so beautiful. I can't describe how beautifully Brittainy writes and how amazing her books are. She has never disappointed me, she always makes me absolutely fall in love with her characters or even see myself reflected in them.
This book was difficult for me to read, but I am still glad I finished it because many of the statements were so great and actually help me a lot.
“He was my hero for the longest time. How could my hero be my other hero’s worst nightmare?”
If i could i would immediately hug Kierra and Ava.
- A huge thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest Review. -
„I was finally home again, because of Gabriel Ayodele Sinclair. My joy had come home.“
- If you want to read this, please check the trigger warnings!! -
As always, it was absolutely painful and yet so beautiful. I can't describe how beautifully Brittainy writes and how amazing her books are. She has never disappointed me, she always makes me absolutely fall in love with her characters or even see myself reflected in them.
This book was difficult for me to read, but I am still glad I finished it because many of the statements were so great and actually help me a lot.
“He was my hero for the longest time. How could my hero be my other hero’s worst nightmare?”
If i could i would immediately hug Kierra and Ava.
- A huge thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest Review. -
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Known for her heartwrenching and emotional stories, Brittainy C Cherry brings you an unforgettable and heartbreaking second chance romance.
If You Stayed is a compelling romance that sucks you in immediately and presents the question, when tragedy strikes, what would you do for the one you loved? And so begins an unforgettable journey of heartbreak, loss and second chances. Author Brittainy C. Cherry does not hold back and isn't afraid to tackle difficult and tough issues.
If You Stayed was everything I hoped it would be. This story was well written and consuming. It's a story of pain, heartache, and forgiveness. It's a story of first love and second chances. It's a story that will frustrate you one moment and leave you with all the feels the next. It's a powerful story that will stay with you long after you've reached the end.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the publisher & NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*
If You Stayed is a compelling romance that sucks you in immediately and presents the question, when tragedy strikes, what would you do for the one you loved? And so begins an unforgettable journey of heartbreak, loss and second chances. Author Brittainy C. Cherry does not hold back and isn't afraid to tackle difficult and tough issues.
If You Stayed was everything I hoped it would be. This story was well written and consuming. It's a story of pain, heartache, and forgiveness. It's a story of first love and second chances. It's a story that will frustrate you one moment and leave you with all the feels the next. It's a powerful story that will stay with you long after you've reached the end.
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book via the publisher & NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review*
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was worried I wasn't going to love the tropes in this book, however, Brittainy Cherry did a wonderful job taking my least favorite trope and making it enjoyable.
I will admit that this book took me awhile to get into. I felt like I wasn't able to really connect with the characters easily. The further into the story I got, the more I was able to enjoy it.
The books is overall a quick read, its emotional, and can be triggering to certain people, so PLEASE check your trigger warnings prior to reaching for this book. I loved the duel timeline. We got to see how the character's were while growing up and also while they are older and further into their lives.
The way the last 20% of this book saved it for me. I had such high anxiety while reading the last few chapters that I had to stop and walk away three times before trying to continue. The ending was so well written. I loved the way she wrapped the book up. It was beautiful.
If you haven't read a Brittainy Cherry book yet, I highly suggest you do. She is a queen at pulling at your heart strings and I'm forever thankful she always gives me an HEA!
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Publishing for the early access in exchange for a review. Forever thankful!
I will admit that this book took me awhile to get into. I felt like I wasn't able to really connect with the characters easily. The further into the story I got, the more I was able to enjoy it.
The books is overall a quick read, its emotional, and can be triggering to certain people, so PLEASE check your trigger warnings prior to reaching for this book. I loved the duel timeline. We got to see how the character's were while growing up and also while they are older and further into their lives.
The way the last 20% of this book saved it for me. I had such high anxiety while reading the last few chapters that I had to stop and walk away three times before trying to continue. The ending was so well written. I loved the way she wrapped the book up. It was beautiful.
If you haven't read a Brittainy Cherry book yet, I highly suggest you do. She is a queen at pulling at your heart strings and I'm forever thankful she always gives me an HEA!
Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Publishing for the early access in exchange for a review. Forever thankful!