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Katie A

Weak in the knees

Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2020

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Here’s the thing about JLA books that I will always learn the hard way: you love them, you hate them, you want to scream, and you want to throw your phone. That’s what Stay with Me is like, in a good way of course.

Where do we start? We met Calla back in Teresa’s book and it was hinted that she had a tumultuous past—she suffered tragically and lived through her moms drug abuse. Calla’s mom stole her money for college, ran up a huge debt in her name, and now Calla is on mission to find her mom, Mona, and right the wrong.

But things aren’t as they seem when she returns home and finds the bar her mom owns, Mona’s, being run by another JLA holy hotness creation named Jax. What’s worse is that Mona is nowhere to be found and stepping into her old home meant some shady people would come knocking.

Jax is stubborn, determined, and completely enthralled by Calla—so when he finally convinces her to let him help, all bets are off. He is there, even when he is pushed away, because he truly knows what they are up against. Jax is extremely selfless and it’s shown throughout the book.

Calla is the kind of girl that you would want as your friend. She’s gone through some stuff, she has a horrible scar and some self image issues, but she is so kind and compassionate. I think that’s what I love the most about her and Jax’s relationship: it’s put through the ringer and they have nothing but respect for each other.

Stay with Me was action packed and had me at the edge of my seat from the beginning. From Calla, the fearless detective just wanting to right the wrong, to Jax who has proven time and time again he would take a bullet for Calla.

Calla quickly learns you can run from your past but you can’t run forever. The question remains: what consequences linger from Mona’s shady choices?

5/5 JLA!

Maximus

I revisit this one every so often.

Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2018

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5 stars: Super great book. My favorite in this series. It takes the self-image issues to the next level.

Seriously, Calla is scarred. She's embarrassed by her body. And not in the "oh my thighs have cellulite" or "my brother hit me with a branch when we were kids so I have this scar on my eyebrow" kind of way. She is straight up scarred and skin-grafted and everything. I mean, she might as well be missing both legs and the plot still works. So no wonder she has massive self-image issues. This is what took this book to the next level for me... I'm so tired of reading about self-image issues that don't go beyond "my boobs are small and my stomach has stretch lines." Dude, that's everybody.

I have read 43 out of JLA's 48 published novels and novellas, so obviously I'm already on board with her writing style. But there are a handful of her books that I like to revisit every so often, and this is one of them. I like the surprise at the ending (I find it sweet, not creepy). I like how Jax interacts with Calla at every point. I like the danger aspect. Overall: two thumbs up from me!

Kim U

The hot streak of this series continues with Stay with Me

Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2020

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Calla and Jax continue the hot streak of stories in the Wait for You series with another bonafide addition to the Hot Guy Brigade!

Calla has no stranger to physical and emotional pain, so it's no surprise that she never shared her past with any of her college friends. When her addict mother cleans out Calla's bank accounts and ruins her credit, she has no choice but to go home and try to figure out what to do next. She expects to find Mona laying low but she does not expect the six feet plus of hot guy behind the bar when she arrives. She is even less prepared for his desire to help her and get to know her from the moment she walks in the door. After years of comments and side eyes for the scar on her face, she has never let anyone close enough to see the physical scars inflicted by the fire all those years ago.

Jax is a legitimately good guy on top of his smoldering good looks, and as he informs Calla when he meets her, when he sees something he wants he goes for it. He doesn't even seem to see the scar and proves to her time and time again that he is different from most guys. Of course, he is a guy so he does a few stupid things along the way, and the secret he is keeping is bound to come back and bite him in the butt when Calla finds out.

Stay with Me is filled with plenty of heat, humor, and friendship against the backdrop of the dangerous situation Calla finds herself in when her mom's problems become her own by virtue of their blood relationship. I loved that Avery, Cam, Jase and Teresa were all a part of this story, and newcomers Roxy and Katie were wonderful additions to the growing WfY series family. Now onto Roxy and Reece's story!

4.5 Stars

Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2019

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4.5 Stars

This was not my favorite so far, but I still loved it. I just never really bought into the relationship between Calla and Jax like I did with previous characters. Jax was still a great guy though. If you love a romance with good guys, this series is so far for you.

I did like the positive male roles in this story including the Uncle. It is rare to see males in a postive light sometimes in book series, so this was a nice add in.

The previous characters were also thrown in, but I almost wish they were not. Hear me out! I love them, but I feel they were just there to be there. So many serious things were happening, and they were just chilling at the bar or a hotel room. There is no way they would have been that calm around these events unfolding. I did like seeing and hearing about them, but I wish it was done in a different way.

The whole story you are set up to really be mad at Calla's Mom. However; the part at the end with her Mom was heartbreaking.

This does have triggers for drugs, drug abuse, and violence.

It may sound like I did not like this based on the review, but I really did. I just wanted to show why it was a little less than a 5 star for me. Overall, still loving the series!

Top reviews from other countries

Samantha (The Secret Life of a Bookworm)

Stay With Me by J. Lynn

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 30, 2014

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When I heard that Stay With Me was going to be about Calla I was super excited! I was also really excited that we were going to be introduced to a new guy that we hadn't met before!

Calla is 21 and she's hasn't done much. Her childhood was tough and left her physically and emotionally scarred. She lies to all of her friends about her family because she can't bare having anyone know the truth. But when Calla realises that her mother has stolen her college money and ran a massive debt up in her name, Calla finally decides that it's time to return home and confront her mother. But when Calla arrives at her mothers bar, she's no where to be found. In her place is Jackson James - the hottest guy Calla has ever seen (and that's saying something). Calla and Jax's chemistry is instantaneous and he practically undresses Calla with his eyes. But Calla can't focus on Jax when there are some dangerous guys after her mother. And they've made it pretty clear that Calla will be their target if she doesn't find her mother.

Stay With Me is probably the most intense book of the series so far. The storyline surrounding Calla, her mother and her past was extremely intense and incredibly heartbreaking. I adored Calla when I met her in Be With Me, and I loved her even more in Stay With Me. Even though she could be pretty naive and stupid sometimes, she was also really awesome, strong, determined and bad ass. I loved getting to know more about Calla throughout the book and finding out why she threw up walls between her and her friends.

Jax was incredibly hot. He's definitely my second favourite guy of the series (Cam will always be my favourite). He's intense, sexy, protective, caring, sweet and so freaking hilarious. Jax had my heart as soon as I first met him. I did have my doubts about Jax and there were times I wanted to slap him (and I'm surprised Calla didn't) because he was being stupid and insensitive, but mostly he was adorable.

Something awful happened to Calla and her family when she was young and it left her physically scarred. Calla's mother turned to drink and drugs and Calla witnessed things no child should ever see. Calla had to build up a defense to stop herself getting upset everytime someone commented on her scars because she feels like she isn't beautiful anymore due to her mother. And now that her mother has screwed her over, Calla is left to deal with her mess again and her life is in danger. An extremely dangerous drug dealer is after Calla's mother and his associates make is very clear that they'll come after Calla if she doesn't find her mother. Jax agrees to help Calla find her mother and they both end up in some very dangerous situations that nearly cost them their lives.

The ending was a tear-jerker and Jennifer L Armentrout always feels the need to kick me in the feels extremely hard. But this was the hardest kick. But the ending was my favourite part of the whole book.

While Stay With Me wasn't my favourite of the series - because honestly nothing will live up to Wait For You because Cam and Avery are on a completely different level - it was another fantastic addition to the Wait For You series. I'm super excited for Fall With Me and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it'll either be Britt & Ollie or Roxy (because she's awesome and there's definitely something to explore with her).

Lilly Heart

Welcome change and a fantasic book!!!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 31, 2016

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This is Calla's story.
This is a book that was a surprise. I thought this story was going to be like the other's in the series, Calla at school meeting a guy and getting together. Well, that is NOT how this story goes at all.
There are twists and turns and what is great about this story it is so much further away from the other books in the series that I found it was refrshing and what's more you meet other charaters that are just the best. It's brillient and I loved it. So far I have liked every charater and every book.
This book was a welcome change after reading the other two and although to get the full picture of the relationship's that Calla has made, I believe you don't need to read the other two books to read this one but you should because its a great series.

D Calvert

Seriously epic novel!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 17, 2014

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Oh wow did I love this book. I have been a serious fan of the Wait for You series, Wait for You being one of my all time favourite books and I really enjoyed Be with Me so I cannot begin to describe how much I was excited for this book and let me tell you it did not let me down.
Her characters are so well thought out that you instantly fall in love with them and want every good little thing to happen to them. I adored Jax, he is a serious contender on my top favourite male characters, Damon and Cam being the top two. Wow he was so gorgeous and protective and just all round perfect. I was instantly gripped by him the moment he was introduced, I just knew he would be perfect for Calla. Speaking of Calla, she was so gosh darn cute and shy and I immediately felt protective of her.

The story was also amazingly well written, I got carried away and lost with it and before I knew it was the end. Just like the other two books in the series, Stay with Me deals with quite serious issues, these being self-doubt and image issues, that grinds Calla's confidence to a halt making her believe that no-one will ever love her. Making you really feel for the characters and give a sense of realism to the world it was set in. Not to mention the dangerous and scary situation her mum has put her in. So I was constantly being thrown from cute and adorable scenes to scary and nerve-wracking scenes making it extremely difficult for me to put the book down.

All in all, Stay with Me was just so good and I loved every minute of it.Be warned that there were some seriously...steamy scenes making it known that it was definitely a New Adult novel. But I really loved every minute of this book and it definitely up there with my all time favourites, narrowly being beaten by Wait for You because that book was just epic. I would recommend this book without a moments hesitation to anyone who loves to read new adult, in fact I would probably recommend the whole Wait for You series, and I am so excited for the next installment Fall with Me.

Siobhan Davis

Great addition to the series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2015

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I didn't really like 'Be with Me' so I was a bit antsy starting 'Stay with Me', but I needn't have been because I loved it.

I really warmed to both Calla and Jax, and I loved how he was so protective of her and so accepting of all the baggage she came with. Not only that, he helped her deal with her demons and start feeling her worth.

Calla has a ton of insecurity as a result of all the scars she has from a childhood fire. In the main I felt this was really well written, though I felt Calla gave up the DermaBlend too quick. For someone who has been plastering herself in make-up (to hide a prominent facial scar)to give it up after only two weeks of knowing Jax was a bit unreal.He was very accepting of her scars, but didn't pander to her insecurities and he helped her be brave. I loved him for that.

We get to see a good bit of Tess and Jase, Cam and Avery, which I loved. I'm also intrigued to read Roxy's story next, as she appears to be a character with many layers.

The only part I was frustrated over was Aimee, with two e's and one i. I wanted to bitch-slap her so bad, and couldn't understand why Jax just didn't tell her he was with Calla and get rid of her. Instead he allows her paw at him, and allows her into his home in the early hours of the morning. I cringed reading the scene where Cam & Avery, and Tess & Jase arrive into the bar to see Aimee all over Jax. I really felt Calla's embarrassment and I wanted to throttle Jax for letting her down so badly. When Calla rightly got upset, he couldn't understand it and threw her inexperience back in her face. I didn't like that aspect to his behavior, and it felt out of character for him. He did that a few times when she got upset, and it was insulting to her intelligence. Just because she's inexperienced doesn't mean he has a right to belittle her feelings. I felt he was way out of line.

But he redeemed himself in the last few scenes, where he told her how he felt in front of her friends. Epic. "I fell for you before you even knew my name" he says at one point and I almost cried.

The story is evenly paced, and another classic JLA page-turner. Tons of swoon-worthy romance, witty dialogue and there's plenty of the hot'n'heavy stuff too. Superbly written as usual. Highly Recommended.

4.5 Stars

Emma (Book Angel Booktopia)

Emotional & Uplifting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2014

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We were introduced to Calla in Be With Me as Tess’s friend. Although her facial scar is mentioned she is only a brief peripheral character and I have to say I was a little surprised to see her get her own story. But what a story it is.

Having survived a horrific event as a child and then her parents emotional withdrawal my heart went out to Calla, all my nurturing instincts kicked into overdrive with her. Although she has serious self-esteem issues, that are completely understandable, she has such inner strength you can’t help but admire and love her. She is so much stronger than she gives herself credit for. She doesn’t allow negativity into her life, she really is one of the most upbeat people you could ever wish to meet.

I really liked the progression of the previous characters in the story shown alongside Calla, especially the friendship dynamic between all the characters. How they each relied on the other, they have an amazing support system. the way in which they were unafraid to show their vulnerabilities to each other, especially the girls was a monumental moment within the plot.

Jax has his own issues to deal with but what can I say this guy will melt the coldest/hardest heart. Although I could have quite happily slapped him for the way in which he handled a certain deranged, evil bitch *GRRR* I loved the way in which he was able to push past Calla’s barriers, breaking them down one at a time while simultaneously building her confidence.

This book deals with issues of body image and self perception, alongside the reality that people are generally superficial in the way they view others based on looks alone. My 14 year old daughter generally has a soapbox rant about this issue, she is extremely mature in her attitude that people should be seen for their actions and personality rather than their appearance. Yes, she does make me very proud :)

Stay With Me while being a swoon-worthy, smexy romance covers a lot of emotional issues that affect our perception while promoting positivity and kindness.

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