Title: Say You'll Stay
Author: Corinne Michaels
Series: Return to Me #1
Release Date: June 20, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
More Info: Goodreads
Purchase: Amazon US
Purchase: Barnes & Noble
Purchase: Amazon UK
Purchase: iTunes
Purchase: Kobo
Purchase: Amazon Print

One word.
Stay.

It was all he had to do. Instead, he got on that bus and took my heart with him.

That was seventeen years ago.

I moved on. Marriage. Kids. White picket fence. Everything I ever wanted, but my husband betrayed me and I was left once again.

Alone, penniless, and with two boys, I had no choice but to return to Tennessee. He wasn’t supposed to be there. I should’ve been safe. However, fate has a way of stepping in.

This time around, the tables are turned. It’s my decision. Second chances do exist, but I don’t know if we can repair what’s already been
broken...

Title: Say You’ll Stay

Series: Return to Me #1

Genre: Contemporary Erotic Romance

Author: Corinne Michaels

Release Date: June 20, 2016

Cover Design: Okay Creations

Photographer: Josh Norris Studio

‪#‎HenningtonHunks

Excerpt

“Hey.” Zach peers at me as I shake off my thoughts. “I figured you’d be asleep.” He climbs the steps slowly as I get to my feet.

“I figured you’d be gone.”

I walk toward him, unsure of why he’s here. “I left for a bit, but wanted to come check on you.”

“Oh.”

He snickers. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Me either.” He’s close enough that I can smell his cologne. Even after a long night, being in the woods, he smells like home.

I take another step.

Then another.

I’m so close I have to tilt my head to look into his eyes.

I breathe him in, feel his heat, and I can’t stop myself. I want him. I need him. I grip his neck and yank his mouth to mine. I kiss him. I kiss him and give in to everything I’ve been feeling. He doesn’t waste a second. His arms wrap around me, holding my body against his. My fingers grip his neck, keeping him exactly where I need him. This kiss is frantic, but God it feels good.

My Review

Heartbreakingly beautiful, get ready to fall in love with the inhabitants of Bell Buckle, Tennessee. Having devoured all of Michael’s other books, I knew I was in for an angst fest, the likes of which only she can deliver. But nothing quite prepared me for the emotional turmoil in the way that her husband betrays her. Go ahead and guess; I’m fairly certain you won’t figure it out. To say it blew my mind is an understatement and it truly rocked me to my core. Not only are we experiencing this through our main character’s eyes, but there are also two children involved. By the conclusion, my heart was in my throat and I had to fight against everything not to cry. But though the road traveled to get there was rocky and paved with uneven gravel, I can’t say that I would alter it in any way. Each misstep and stumble was completely worth it in the end.

Between the smoking hot, gorgeous cover, the author, and the fact it was a second chance romance, I couldn’t wait to start this story. This was a young couple so in love that everyone in their small town was thoroughly invested in them. Wanted to see them succeed beyond their wildest dreams. The town of Bell Buckle was almost another character in itself. Michael’s expertly described every setting to a point that wasn’t excessive or shoved down your throat, yet allowed you to easily envision each scene as it played out in the book. It was very much a show rather than tell, and I appreciated that even with specific details, our imaginations were still allowed to roam. I also love how she flawlessly weaved all the side characters into the story. I didn’t know going into this that the other two Hennington brothers would be getting their own books, but I was so flipping excited to see they were once the last page was turned. I loved the bond that Wyatt and Trent had with not only Presley, but her entire family. The characterizations were so dynamic and I couldn’t decide who I loved the most. It probably changed with each chapter depending on what was currently going on.

I appreciated that she didn’t spend too much time replaying scenes from their past; rather we got a page or two here and there of pivotal moments in their earlier years. It wasn’t often, and I loved that we were able to work through their problems right alongside them rather than being told how to feel. You go into this story believing there is only one “villain”, but by the time it’s all said and done you realize the situation was more gray than you originally thought it to be. My heart broke over and over for Zack and Presley, yet I kept rooting for them to find their way back to each other. I liked that even though the conclusion was inevitable, the road to get there was anything but. I love that we were eased into it and it wasn’t just assumed right off the bat. I feel like it would have been a disservice to the integrity of the story and its characters had their adult relationship been expedited rather than drawn out. It was gradual, and I feel like for all they went through years before and all the catching up they had to do, a slow building friendship was what was truly needed to blossom into an adult love. A love that would stand the test of time.

I cannot wait to see where we are taken with the rest of the series. It will be hard to beat what she accomplished in this novel, but the foundation has definitely been set and only time will tell if the bar will be met or raised. I can say for sure that this is a book I will be coming back to re-read many times in the future, and to me, that’s the true sign of a fantastic story!

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