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A review by kelsreads_andotherthings
If You Stayed by Brittainy C. Cherry
4.0
It’s good to be back in the clutches of Brittainy Cherry’s emotional angst! It’s been a while and boy did I miss it! You know I always love a story that really puts me through it before giving me the HEA and If You Stayed was this and so much more!
Kierra found the love of her life, Gabriel, as a teen. He was her best friend and so much more. He was her forever, until his memories of her faded in an instant. Guilt ridden with all the what-ifs of their situation, Kierra leaves their hometown and Gabriel behind. Now married to Henry, a man whose love for Keirra is conditional and controlling, circumstances bring Gabriel back into Kierra’s life in a way that is unavoidable. He remembers nothing of their past but she remembers everything, including the way she loved him.
No one does childhood sweethearts to lovers with a bit of trauma in the middle like Brittainy. I swear, she has a special way of writing a couple’s beginning that shows their deep connection, no matter how young the characters are. This easily flows into their re-connection later in life and has you enduring whatever hardship she puts them through as they make their way back to each other. And, wow, do Kierra and Gabriel go through it!
There are so many gut-wrenching moments wound into this story. Kierra has let the past dictate her worth and what she deserves, leading her to a loveless marriage with a horrible man. However, this man has a daughter who has become Kierra’s whole heart and their relationship is the bright light in the darkness. I adored their honest and authentic connection and the hope it brought Kierra daily. Gabriel, even without his memories of Kierra, is drawn to her in a way he can’t explain. I loved watching their relationship rebuild as pieces of the past flutter into their future. Their love story is HARD so please check your triggers but, if you’re an angst lover like me, this is one you have to read!
Kierra found the love of her life, Gabriel, as a teen. He was her best friend and so much more. He was her forever, until his memories of her faded in an instant. Guilt ridden with all the what-ifs of their situation, Kierra leaves their hometown and Gabriel behind. Now married to Henry, a man whose love for Keirra is conditional and controlling, circumstances bring Gabriel back into Kierra’s life in a way that is unavoidable. He remembers nothing of their past but she remembers everything, including the way she loved him.
No one does childhood sweethearts to lovers with a bit of trauma in the middle like Brittainy. I swear, she has a special way of writing a couple’s beginning that shows their deep connection, no matter how young the characters are. This easily flows into their re-connection later in life and has you enduring whatever hardship she puts them through as they make their way back to each other. And, wow, do Kierra and Gabriel go through it!
There are so many gut-wrenching moments wound into this story. Kierra has let the past dictate her worth and what she deserves, leading her to a loveless marriage with a horrible man. However, this man has a daughter who has become Kierra’s whole heart and their relationship is the bright light in the darkness. I adored their honest and authentic connection and the hope it brought Kierra daily. Gabriel, even without his memories of Kierra, is drawn to her in a way he can’t explain. I loved watching their relationship rebuild as pieces of the past flutter into their future. Their love story is HARD so please check your triggers but, if you’re an angst lover like me, this is one you have to read!