A best friend’s brother stand-alone from small-town romance author Brooke Montgomery about a girl who falls pregnant by the wrong man and the cowboy who takes her in…
I've crushed on my best friend's brother for years.
He's a six-foot-three, dark-haired cowboy who works on his family's ranch and sends butterflies to my stomach anytime he looks at me. But he's never made a move, so I need to get over it.
Except, when he reads a text message about me liking a mysterious guy, he snaps and demands answers. Little does he know, it's my code name for him.
When he finally confesses he likes me too, I find out I'm pregnant. With my ex-boyfriend's baby.
After spending three weeks together in secret, my world turns upside down when that little white stick reveals a positive sign from the one-night stand I had before him.
Now everything's a mess and my life's spiraling out of control.
I can't expect him to date me anymore, so I insist we return to being friends. The last thing he needs is a girl who's carrying another man's baby and about to be a first-time mom.
But when my apartment gets broken into, and there's a suspected criminal on the loose, he insists I move in with him to keep me safe.
Staying platonic proves to be harder with each passing day as he goes with me to my appointments, takes me baby shopping, and stocks the kitchen with all my weird cravings. He's so involved that everyone assumes he's the father. And I don’t correct them.
But the truth always comes out in a Southern small town.
Stay With Me is book 2 in the Sugarland Creek series. Each book in this Southern, small town series is a stand-alone and ends in a happily ever after.
Brooke has been writing romance since 2013 under the USA Today Bestselling author pen names: Brooke Cumberland and Kennedy Fox, and now, Brooke Montgomery and Brooke Fox. She loves writing small town romance with big families and happily ever afters! She lives in the frozen tundra of Packer Nation with her husband, wild teenager, and four dogs. Brooke's addicted to iced coffee, leggings, and naps. She found her passion for telling stories during winter break one year in grad school—and she hasn’t stopped since.
Excuse me.. we must protect Tripp at all costs. He is PERFECT 🥹🥹
The prologue freaking broke me into a million pieces and then I cried again several more times throughout this. Ugh.. 😭😭
I really loved how fiesty, confident, and real Magnolia was. She was so fun and had such a bad ass attitude…. BUT Tripp stole the show here. He is absolutely perfect. Not a single thing wrong is about that man 👏🏻👏🏻
I really enjoyed this! My only complaint was that I felt like the middle dragged a tad and the main trope of the story didn’t really hit until further in the end.
Also when Magnolia said “don’t offer me money because I won’t be able to say no.” I FELT THIS 😂😂 IT WAS SO REAL
✨best friends brother ✨accidental pregnancy (not his baby) ✨MMC is dealing with grief ✨small town ✨cowboy ✨she owns a coffee shop 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Stay with Me is the second book in the Sugarland Creek series and this is a small town, best friend’s brother romance. It was described as having “a girl who falls pregnant by the wrong man and the cowboy who takes her in.” So I definitely went into this with expectations and it just didn’t meet any of them sadly.
The surprise pregnancy part doesn’t even come into play until 65-70% into the story. Legit the whole time I was reading this I was waiting for her to find out and wondering if I was reading the right book. There was just a lot going on in this story and it felt so disjointed and I never got behind the couple.
Basically he’s the youngest of the Hollis family, his family owns the Sugarland Creek Ranch and he works there too. We start off with him losing his best friend in a car accident in the prologue, then jump forward in time a couple times to showcase him and Magnolia over the years. She is best friends with his sister (the heroine of the first book in this series). one of his brothers crushed on her for a while but when they didn’t work out they became friends instead.
There was just so much in here: on her 21st birthday her on-again-off-again boyfriend at the time drugs her (and accidentally her best friend) just to try and have some fun later in the night and “loosen her up” to a certain activity she has previously said no to. Major ick! While she does get rescued from that, I was surprised it didn’t become more of a thing. Instead, a couple years later, that is the guy she ends up hooking up with again (like what ma’am?!) when she’s wasted and that is how she gets knocked up. In the weeks following the hookup with her ex, her and the hero finally admit their feels for one another even though every one around them knows and they’ve been dancing around one another for years. They’re instantly in love and have a breeding kink immediately, and then of course she realizes she’s pregnant with the other guy’s baby. The hero is instantly down for raising the baby as his, even suggests she just say the baby is his and never tell anyone. There was also a point where one of his brothers crushes on her in the past, they even tried to date but realized they’re better as friends. She is so close with him now that she even sends him pics in her lingerie to ask his opinion on which are good options….oh and the lingerie her best friend’s husband-to-be pays for (like he gave her his credit card to use in exchange for her helping him pick out her friends lingerie, but still). Like whaaaat?! Also the over-describing of multiple popular movies/tv shows (Ghost, My Girl, Hart of Dixie), didn’t need the time spent on any of that (and I love those movies and shows)! Once we get to the pregnancy part it’s 70% in and just rushed, their only connection seems to be having the hots for one another all the time. And omg I forgot about how the baby’s father was handled in the end, yikes. I don’t know what happened with this book. I loved the first one in the series and this just felt so different, and not in a good way.
I did receive an ARC, all thoughts in this review are my own.
CW (majority provided by author): drunk driving and death (in the prologue), loss of a loved one/grief, mention of drugs, anxiety attacks, animal death, accidental pregnancy
I already fell for Magnolia when I read Here With Me last year, so I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of Stay With Me to my kindle. I love all the tropes included in this story but it was so much more than that!
Tripp is sensitive, a bit broken, and completely gone for Magnolia.. but there's 2 problems... She's his little sister's best friend AND he thinks his brother is into her too. So he's never gonna say anything. Even if his whole freaking family tries to get him to make a move. Normally that kind of ignorance could get on my nerves, but his heart is in the right place and he also doesn't want to get in anyone else's way.
Magnolia has been with a frog, instead of the prince of her dreams, off and on for years. That last little indiscretion leaves her with a determination to NEVER go back but also with a little memento of the occasion in the form of a surprise pregnancy.
When she FINALLY has a chance with Tripp, it might be too little too late. But never underestimate a Hollis when they have their future in their hands. Tripp's devotion, dedication, and love for Magnolia is gonna make your heart warm and fuzzy. And maybe leave a few other parts of you tingling too...
I loved the humor, the big hearts, and the beautiful family in this series. I think Brooke Montgomery has a smashing success on her hands! I can't wait for Landen's romance next!
The audio book narration was excellent. It made a reread of the book go be so fast. Great storytelling by Aiden Snow and Savannah Peachwood!
5 stars 3 on the spice scale
TW: death of a loved one, danger to a pregnant woman, anxiety attacks, gun violence, stalking
i enjoyed this one! tripp is a whole mannnnn i loved him. would absolutely learn to drive a stick shift if he was teaching hehe. magnolia is all of us, backsliding to an ex and the immediately regretting it lmao. she did the best w the cards she was dealt and she was a fun character to read about! tripp was so patient w her and ready to do whatever she wanted/needed it was so sweet ugh. excited for book 3!!!
DNF @ 72%…. Which is so unfortunate because I loved the first book and was so excited for this one but my goodness this just wasn’t for me…
Magnolia and Tripp have been obsessed with each other for years but wouldn’t tell each other because he was dealing with the grief of losing his best friend and she was on and off with her terrible ex. One night she gets jealous seeing Tripp with a girl at the bar and she literally goes and has a one night stand with a man who DRUGGED her? (Strike one. I hated this. Like why are we going back to a man who drugged you??) This book is an accidentally pregnancy but you have to get through 70% of it before she even gets pregnant. It’s literally just smut (which we all know I love the spice) but it was pretty cringey at time I won’t lie. Tripp and Magnolia finally get together and both of them somehow have a breeding kink? And then she finds out she is pregnant with her nasty, terrible ex’s baby and still wants to tell him about the baby? (Strike 2) and then Tripp is all in and she continuously pushes him away until like 90% when she hands him a onesie with Tripp’s last name on it? (Strike 3, I’m sorry)
This book just wasn’t for me and the singular star goes solely to my guy Tripp Hollis. Tripp deserved a better story than with Magnolia. I wanted to love this one so much but I don’t believe I will be continuing with this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
So, hear me out - I knew I wouldn't like this book based on the premise but I really like this world and I was bored tonight so I picked it up. There were things I liked ... but overwhelmingly this book is just infuriating. Not only do we apparently live in the 1800s were women don't have options (well, to be fair that is horrifyingly accurate for the US these days) but she also actually doesn't find out she's pregnant until 70% into this book!!! I kept thinking I've missed something. Having said that, obviously the last third is just lightening speed and everything is just GREAT. YAY! Ugh. Call me a hater but ffs what will it take for romance authors to actually have some balls for once?? I'm sick and tired of these pregnant-by-the-ex anti-choice tropes. Also, I don't get why the graphic prologue was necessary? Didn't really add anything to the story imo.
This book must get better for there to be such high ratings, but I just couldn’t. This chick is so ridiculously stupid I couldn’t go any further. It was actually making me mad. She breaks up with her on again-off again bf (again… for realsies this time) after he DRUGS HER and two years later she sleeps with him again? SERIOUSLY?!? How am I supposed to root for someone that shallow. Also, these trigger warnings are getting ridiculous. Since when is pregnancy a trigger? It’s in the description of the book! I totally get some of the warnings (and appreciate them) but that is just absurd.
I have one thing to say: Tripp Hollis should be protected at all costs. That man is what dreams are made of 👏🏼 He absolutely made this book for me.
This was such a good best friend’s brother book! I was nervous I wouldn’t like the accidental pregnancy aspect of this specific book but I truly loved it simply because of how Tripp handled everything. A true gentleman with a filthy mouth 😮💨
I’m loving this series so much so far, I can’t wait to continue it with ‘Fall With Me”. Thank you Brooke for the ARC!
Tropes: - Small Town - Cowboy Romance - Best Friend’s Brother - She’s Pregnant (but it’s not his) - Forced Proximity/Roommates
there were sooo many tropes in here i cant even. so much happens within the 7 years this book takes place (there’s some time jumps; most of the book is present day)
i forgot how pronounced this author writes her southern accents and it gets annoying after a while. also forgot how childish all the brothers are. i’m definitely stopping this series after this one
i picked it up bc i loooove a baby by om especially in this situation where they’re just dumb. but i wish the dad would’ve been ANYONE else.
cowboy 🤠 best friends brother childhood (friends?crushes?) to lovers surprise pregnancy (not his) forced proximity/roomate small town
the first part of the book is basically just magnolia and tripp skirting around each other. she’s with her on again - off again boyfriend travis. each time they breakup she tries to send signals to tripp that she wants him but he’s working through his own grief of losing his best friend (drunk driving) and then he doesn’t want to end up tossed aside when she ultimately goes back to travis.
present day they’re 23 & 25. magnolia has been broken up with travis for two years but nothing has evolved with tripp. she gave up throwing blatant signs and that’s that. they go out one night and she thinks he’s going to take some girl home so she gets trashed and ends up going home with…. you guessed it, travis. literal days after this tripp finally has had enough of putting his feelings to the side and is determined to get the girl.
their relationship is fine. kinda boring until literally 60-70% of the book when she finally realizes she’s pregnant and tripp is not the daddy as they just had sex like 5 days before she finds out.
she decides she’s breaking up with tripp. he deserves better and thinks he won’t be okay with the baby being travis’s (of all people.) tripp is having none of it and doesn’t care but magnolia leaves regardless. until someone breaks into her apt and trashes the place and she goes to stay with tripp. last minute roomate trope thrown in here 🙄 they go her whole pregnancy being “just friends” and there’s some drama with her baby daddy owing money to a bookie. A LOT happens in the last 20% of the book.
anyway it ends with her baby daddy being murdered by the person he owes money to, that guy goes to jail so magnolia is safe and she decides she’s ready to get back together with tripp. so he gets to be the dad now just like he wanted and the end. happily ever after
I can see why this was such a hit for many readers. I was having such a good time in the beginning, and my head was spinning with all the incredible microtropes featured: squ*rting, s*x in cars, ride a cowboy, dirty talk etc. Seriously such good things included. What fell short for me was the multiple pages spent discussing the plot of the movie Ghost. It really took me out of the moment. I could probably have overlooked this, but then they spent pages discussing the plot of the movie My Girl and then the TV show Hart of Dixie. It felt like when you are a kid and you have an assignment and a set word count and you start waffling to fill the time.
This book could have been a 4.5/5 star book for everything else, but those moments really ruined it for me.
I loved Tripp so freakin much, he’s absolutely perfect. He’s so sweet and patient with Magnolia “Sunflower” he was willing to do anything for her. Everything was so sweet in this book and I can’t wait for book 3.
The audio was amazing and I highly recommend listening to this one.
the way that i was foaming at the mouth to read this book was on another level. i desperately needed this book as soon as i finished reading here with me. the wait was so worth it, this book was everything and more!
i was a big magnolia fan since the first book. she’s so authentic and unfiltered, and just says it how it is. she has a fiery personality and i love how fierce and hardworking she is. she has a strength like no other and though she doesn’t show it often, there is a vulnerable side to her and it just took the right person for her let her guard down.
tripp was out of this world. he’s selfless, protective, caring, and just everything. this cowboy has had it bad for his sisters best friend for years. he’s waited long enough and when he finally gets his chance there’s no stopping him. swoon, swoon, swoon for dayyyyys.
magnolia and tripp were every-freaking-thing. i was completely and utterly obsessed with them! there’s no denying they have explosive chemistry and the connection they formed was out of this world. their banter was top notch, their attraction was off the charts scorching, and they were just so perfect for each other. the way that tripp was there for magnolia and would do anything and everything for her, stick a fork in me i was done. these two were so incredibly good together and even better, they were so good for each other.
stay with me was an incredible small town romance packed with all the feels. just like tripp was obsessed with his sunny i was equally if not more obsessed with this book! i loved everything, especially the interactions with all the hollis siblings, the best. i just love the charming town of sugarland creek with my whole heart and i can’t wait to be back for landen’s book.
*thank you brooke for providing me with an arc*
——————————————————————————— adding to this review as i just finished listening to the audiobook. and oh my gosh it was sensational.
aiden snow and savannah peachwood did an amazing job bringing tripp and magnolia to life. you could feel the emotion by both while listening. i just loved the fact that we got the southern accents as well, it made the listening experience that much better!
the audios for the sugarland creek series are some of my favorites. not only are they enjoyable to listen to, also the care and dedication from the narrators is so evident in the performances they give, it’s authentic and incredible.
Tripp and Magnolia are everything. They are perfect to each other in every way. Their relationship was so good, the way that she always had a crush on him and the way that at the end it was always to be them, was so good. The prologue was heartbreaking, and i cried so much. Magnolia was the best, she was feisty, incredible and so fun. there was just one thing that i didn´t like about the book, and it was Magnolia´s ex boyfriend, how could he do everything that he did to her? Tropes: - Best friends brother - Small town - Found family - Accidental pregnancy (it´s not his)
OMG Daddy Tripp in all senses of the word. This is a best friend’s brother romance based in a small town with cowboys. What more could you ask for? Oh and both the FMC and the MMC have been in love with each other for forever but Tripp has been holding back and sending super mixed signals to Magnolia. This was a wonderful read in the Sugarland Creek world.
Magnolia is finally at a point where she is considering moving on from the one man she has always held out hope for. Her best friend’s brother- who she just can’t get a read on. He is hot with her then cold. He teases her endlessly, but she thinks he may have gone home with someone the other night so of course she made the mistake of hooking up with her ex and now she is thinking about moving on all together. But Tripp gets word of this. See Tripp has been punishing himself from a tragedy that he feels responsible for back in high school involving his best friend. He doesn’t think he deserves to be happy. He doesn’t want to bring anything bad into Magnolia’s life but all of that changes when he reads a text from her to his brother Landen. Who is this Thor they are referring to? Does Magnolia really have feelings for him? It’s now or never for Tripp and he decides to FINALLY acknowledge what he has always felt.
And then we have about two weeks of pure bliss. Magnolia feels like she needs to pinch herself by how much Tripp is spoiling her. Their chemistry is off the charts and this feels like more of a forever thing than a just right now fling. She wants to tell him how she really feels but then she takes a pregnancy test and it’s positive. And the worst part is the timeline means it’s not Tripp. So she does what she thinks is best and tries to cut ties with him. She doesn’t want him to bordered with this for the rest of their lives but what she doesn’t realize it that there isn’t anything she can do that will make Tripp walk away from her. He just has to convince her he is in it for the long haul.
Yall these two were the absolute SWEETEST with each other. And how Tripp handled Magnolia’s pregnancy stuff was just absolutely the sweetest. The way he treated her throughout all of this was how any woman would want to be treated- like a true queen of his heart. The spicy scenes were fantastic as well. Like wow Daddy Tripp had me blushing!! I can’t wait for book 3 Landen and his barrel racer who lost her memory :) If you haven’t started this series, I highly recommend it!
Favorites:
The fact that Tripp calls her every flowers but Magnolia except when it’s serious All of their spice scenes especially with the cowboy hat The scrapbook & ending had my heart The movie nights and the way they knew each other so well
just finished this and have no idea what to rate it, either 3.75 or 4... i think.... maybe
let's go back all of a week when i finished the first book in this series and said that i wasn't going to pick this up right away... i lied. one tik tok about it came up on my for you page so i took that as a sign and downloaded it immediately. overall i think i liked the first one more but i still heavily enjoyed this.
tripp became just the ultimate book boyfriend in all of six chapters and i love that for him, and for magnolia. she was already a character that i like because of her personality in here with me. she's the best friend and i love that she's never afraid to speak her mind. all the relationship moments were amazing and i had zero problem with the romance aspect of this story. even the pregnancy trope didn't bother me, i was confused why that was used in the description even though it doesn't come into the story until like 60% but i digress. what i had issues with was some writing choices, the multiple, overly long descriptions of movies or tv shows, the amount of oversharing between brothers/friends, and the talk of guns when it came to the third act conflict was bothering me slightly. these are all very personal but they did hinder my overall enjoyment of the story.
so obviously i will be continuing with the series because now i am invested in ellie's story. when it comes to the older brothers i'm still up in the air. they are so incredibly immature and it's not attractive so some serious character development will need to happen. one thing i will say about ellie and landon is that if i open that book when it comes out in may and the event where ellie gets hurt doesn't take place until over halfway through the book, i will be a bit mad. pick up this series if you are missing the vibes that elsie silver's books had.
“See, That’s how we shoot here down in the south. We don’t just wave it around like a flag. If it’s in our hands it’s to be used.” - Landon
And this is why I love Cowboy, western romance because these men know how to handle business. Being a southern gal myself, I appreciate these type of men and how they are uber protective of their women. This story I loved!! Tripp was everything! 6’3” rancher, that scrapbooks and has a breeding link - yes please! The chemistry. The scorching scenes between him and Magnolia. Although I did get a little aggravated with Mags during a certain part, she redeemed herself. Honesty and upfrontness is always the best policy. I love a surprise baby trope when the hero of the story isn’t the father. I love a good man that steps up to the plate when it counts and doesn’t care that the child isn’t his. I don’t want to give spoilers, but give me Tripp any damn day of the week. That man is fire 🔥
I used to think a surprise pregnancy trope wasn’t for me and then I’ve read several over the last year that I absolutely loved, so I was SO wrong. I think if it’s done right it can be such an amazing trope and friends, it was done so incredibly well here. I was also obsessed with the first book and just utterly delighted to be back in this world, Magnolia was a character I needed to know more about and she is such a firecracker, she cracked me up so many times with her larger than life personality. Tripp is a top tier book boyfriend, the way he takes care of Magnolia in what seems like the smallest of ways really adds up to mean so much to her. The Hollis family as a whole is quickly becoming one of my favorite fictional families, they are all so funny and entertaining. This one was also pretty spicy, the mouth on both Tripp and Magnolia had me blushing but I loved them together so much. If you like BFFs brother, surprise pregnancy, small town, cowboy, and forced proximity with a dash of suspense this one was so freaking good. Last thing, if you’re an audio fan I did a reread via that format and Aiden Snow and Savannah Peachwood were absolutely perfect as Tripp and Magnolia.
You really only need one reason to pick up Brooke Montgomery’s newest release, Stay With Me, and it’s Tripp. Freaking. Hollis.
I would guard this man with my life because he is an absolute gem. He put up one hell of a fight trying to resist what he felt for Magnolia, but when a girl carries herself the way she does, it’s no wonder he fell head over heels. He was a goner and I got all of the warm and fuzzy feelings watching him show Magnolia that she was someone worth fighting for. The scrapbook, his tattoos…SWOON.
Aside from Tripp and Magnolia, I really enjoyed seeing more of the Hollis family. Landen and Gramma Grace are national treasures who never failed to make me laugh. And that moment with Landen in Magnolia’s trailer? I’ve been replaying it in my head nonstop since I finished this book.
I freaking love the first book I was invested and kinda like Magnolia in that one that I was looking forward to read her story.
However in her book I hate her so much. She couldn’t be more dumb. I get it her relationship with Travis is on off but he DRUGGED HER, gaslight her and emotionally abuse her and she didn’t do anything about it? If he drugged me I’ll report it to the police end of the story. But since he will be the baby daddy this horrible situation was sugarcoated. And he kinda get away with it.
Authors please please please stop using love or having a person to fix mental health issues, of course your other half will support you and help you but don’t rely on that and don’t romanticised that. Tripp clearly needed help with his mental health, anxiety and grief, but of course since he is with Magnolia and the power of her pussy he is heal. MIRACLE.
I get the author tried to put as much tropes as possible but was too much. I found this book really slow till 70% of it and then was like you were in a rollercoaster all happening at once. And also, there is no need to name Taylor Swift every 2 seconds. And 23 year old women having a sleepover with girls 10 years younger than them. Hell no. CRINGE.
In the first book I didn’t like the Hollis parents, I found them really annoying and the scrap book? Pure BS.
We don’t need pages and pages explaining old films, I know what happens in “ghost” and if I don’t know it I google it. That made this book really long and those parts telling me about films were dragging and did not add ANYTHING to the plot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Update #1 : I’m only 90 pages in but currently I will not forgive you for chapter 8 😐. Will update my thoughts later but I bet the sour taste won’t go away.
Update #2 : This is the last time I go in blind lol. I read the synopsis… Pregnant with her ex’s baby?? I have finally found my most hated fmc ever 🤩 There’s honestly nothing ickier than that but also not mentioning you slept with the devil
UMMM.. I AM OBSESSED. Tripp Hollis is EVERYTHING! I devoured this book! I couldn’t put it down! Also Brooke girl you got me crying not even 5% in.🥹
Stay with Me is the 2nd book in the Sugarland Creek series following Tripp & Magnolia. Magnolia has been bestfriend’s with Noah Hollis her whole life and always had a crush on Noah’s brother Tripp. She dropped many hints to him throughout the years. She always thought he just wasn’t interested in here until many years passed when he confessed he has liked her for a very long time.
Magnolia is hilarious. I was laughing so much. I love her friendship with Noah & started to love her friendship with Landen! But our boy Tripp, I wasn’t expecting to love him as much as I do. BOY OBSESSED. He will always take care and showed up for her and that melted my heart. Plus the mouth on him. The way he stepped up and be a father to a baby that wasn’t his but didn’t care. He will loved them endlessly. He couldn’t get any better.
I cannot wait for Landen & Ellie’s book! I have a feeling I am gonna love it.
Thank you Lovenotes PR for the eARC. I was so excited when I got the email.
Huge thank you to LoveNotesPR and Brooke Montgomery, for the e-ARC!
This book was so sweet and cute, I loved watching Tripp and Magnolia fall in love in a best-friend's brother, small town romance, it's always been you sort of style. It was so wholesome and Tripp needs to literally be protected at all costs. Also this is an accidental pregnancy romance (the baby isn't the mmcs) but it did not take away from the story at all, it just added. It doesn't come into the book until around 300 pages. Which meant you get to see Magnolia and Tripp fall in love and start their relationship and Tripp was so wholesome for his response to when Magnolia told him. Anyway, I highly recommend this book. One thing was how long it was, it was a little long but honestly you don't really notice it once your like 200 pages in because the family and the romance and seeing Noah and Fisher from book 1 well swoon and love.
tropes ✉️ best friend's brother 🌷 small town romance 🤍 accidental pregnancy 🎀 found family - 2nd in a series of interconnected standalones
I have a new favourite cowboy and his name is Tripp Hollis. Are you joking?! This whole book from start to finish was pure magic (even after that crushing prologue). Tripp and Magnolia are going to consume my thoughts for daaaays! So many scenes had me swooning and sweating I can’t deal
“Take your clothes off. Grab my hat. And then ride my cock.” 🫠🫠🫠
Tripp is the standard, the way he stepped up, no hesitation and never backed down when came to protecting the ones he cares about put him top tier in my books. And Magnolia was a firecracker, I was really surprised by her character in the best way! Doesn’t matter if she gets knocked down, she lifts her chin and doesn’t let it get the best of her ❤️
I love this small town world and I love both Tripp and Magnolia separately but I didn’t love them together. I didn’t feel a connection between the two characters because a lot of thier relationship was just physical. I just wish there would have been more emotional moments between them which would have made me believe their love story. It’s very rare I say that there is too many smut scenes in a book but it felt like that’s all Tripp and Magnolia’s relationship was for me. So when they did confess their feelings for each other I didn’t believe it. This is definitely just a personal preference because I do prefer more emotional connections over just spice. However I did absolutely LOVE Tripp this man was so sweet and I always love a good boy obsessed trope. I did also love Magnolia and watching her navigate though everything with her ex and the pregnancy. I also loved the glimpses we got of the other brothers and their stories to come. I’m sad this book didn’t work out for me completely but I’m still looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series!
Stay With Me had such promise, but unfortunately the pacing tanked this rating HARD.
Magnolia has had a crush on her best friend's older brother, Tripp, since high school, but he's never truly shown interest until now. Living her dream with the man of her dreams is easy until a drunken hookup with her ex-boyfriend three weeks ago catches up to her and she finds out she's pregnant. Knowing how much baggage and hurt can come from dating someone pregnant with the guy he hates baby, Magnolia decides to cut off their secret relationship and be friends again. That is until Magnolia's apartment gets broken into and she feels unsafe being there. Feeling protective over the woman he loves, Magnolia moves into Tripp's house, but it's hard being in the same room with the man you love that you just friendzoned. When he goes to her appointments, picks up the food she's craving and is with her baby shopping, it's easy to pretend he's the father, especially when people keep congratulating him and he doesn't correct them.
The reason this book went from a potential five-star to a three is because of the pacing. It took almost 300 out of the 410 pages to get to the actual plot: The baby, the break-in, and the moving-in. The first 105 were backstory on Tripp and Magnolia and then the present day plot, then pages 106~290 were just Tripp and Magnolia hooking up, her saying how she's thinking of what they did so much she's had to change her panties 800 times, sexting, her getting fingered, him calling her a good girl, and then them saying "breeding kink" in the same chapter like eight times (exaggerated).
I'm not a smut girlie and I don't knock a book down if there is too much smut because I bought the book so that is just fully MY BAD if I didn't know, but this one had a LOT more than the previous books in the series which is completely fine, but I wanted less of them (finger)banging, more of them being cuties and we only really get that when she's drawn the boundary of them being friends.
I also didn't like the romantic suspense storyline. I had this problem in the prequel to this series, Come With Me, where the first half of the book feels miles different than the second half. The suspense storyline in this one just comes out of left field. While the robberies and break-ins are talked about throughout the story, it's in passing and very sparingly. It's one of those types of dialogues where it is ONLY there for the sake of having this huge moment in the latter half of the book but doesn't really need to be there nor make much sense. By the time you get to the second half/ the last 100 pages, it's deadly, threatening, and guns are ablazin'. It just felt so silly because that's not the tone of the first half! I wish it was blended a bit better.
It kills me to give this three stars because Tripp and Magnolia are PERFECT for each other. They balance each other so well and they're genuinely one of my favorite book couples. Magnolia is just so outspoken and cute and Tripp has been set on Magnolia since the beginning. It was only ever HER for him and I adore that.
I also wish the Billy storyline was explored more/ wasn't there at all. It was only brought up when it was convenient and I once again felt like it was one of those things just added for the sake of having depth when the author wanted to have an emotional scene. He was brought up in the first chapter, then here and there when he was having his anxiety attacks, but perhaps that's just my contemporary fiction-loving brain nitpicking.