Stay by Tia Louise

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


One of my favorite tropes (damsel in distress) mixed with one of my least favorite (virgin) – an interesting combination but it worked out for the better.

Alright- so first I’ll admit that when the story begins I was confused. Based on the synopsis I (incorrectly) assumed that our damsel in distress Emmy Barton had always been just that…a damsel in distress. For the record Emmy Barton and her brother live a comfortable lifestyle and is on equal (or at least closer) footing with Stephen Hastings in their youth. I mention this in case you as a reader also go into the book with that preconceived notion. Now that we’ve got that cleared up I’ll continue with the review.

Emmy Barton is a strong single mother. Several times during the story I wanted to give her a high five or a hug for putting her son’s needs first. As a single mother myself I immediately felt connected to her character. Her ex is a dickwad, her son has special needs, and Emmy does her best to stay afloat.

Stephen Hastings was an interesting character. He was slower to evolve throughout the book compared to many romance heroes. Most stories you’ll read the male love interest will fall in love and immediately want to tie down his lovely lady in holy matrimony. This is not the case for Stephen. While he steps in to assist Emmy and her son his interest in her is temporary with no long term plans to be in their lives.

While I liked Emmy and Stephen’s characters the real highlight of the book for me was Stephen’s aunt. Through her meddling she put Stephen on the path to discover Emmy’s plight. She was wealthy but not judgemental, quick to accept Emmy, and generous in her affection and celebrations. Truly a refreshing character that I found charming.





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