Love Me Steadfast

A Small Town Second Chance Romance (Love Me Dangerous, Book 6)

By: Dakota Davies

Narrated by: Gregory Salinas, Jill Smith

From USA Today bestselling author Dakota Davies comes a small town suspense romance about a star quarterback and the shy musician he’s never stopped loving.

When I fell in love with my best friend’s little sister, we were just kids. Not that it mattered. Charlotte was my forever. I knew it then and I know it now. But everything fell apart that summer before college. I tried to fight for us, but it was impossible, not with our goals pulling us apart, and her silence. Now she’s back in our small town to care for her sister, and I’m not about to squander an opportunity to win her back.

But even though she’s moved into my guest room, she keeps avoiding me. It’s maddening. I moved back to Finn River to put down roots. I became a firefighter and in my spare time, I run the music club Charlotte and her sister first played at. I’m not the reckless kid I once was, prioritizing my dreams over hers. I’m here, ready to build a life together, if only she’d stop being so damn stubborn and let me try.

But a shocking discovery that finally gives me the real reason she pushed me away eight years ago changes everything. Can I right the wrongs of the past without sacrificing our only shot at a second chance?

Author’s note: Love Me Steadfast is the sixth installment in the Love Me Dangerous series but can be listened to as a stand-alone. Please check content warnings for this book as it contains sensitive subjects that may be upsetting to some listeners. Will and Charlie’s dual timeline romance is emotional and though devastating at times, their happily ever after is deeply healing and uplifting.

©2025 Dakota Davies (P)2025 Dakota Davies

Heartbreaking and heartwarming all rolled together

Dakota Davies is a favorite author of mine. She writes stories that I just immerse myself into and not want to be interrupted. This can be read as a standalone, but it's worth going back to get the whole series. My heart was completely broken, no, it was shattered for these two. I held my breath, with my blood pressure rising, having to put it down and walk away for a bit. Tears. I was so emotionally involved. We get a beautiful HEA that made walking with these characters worth it. Please check trigger warnings.

I also listened to the audiobook and the narrators were perfection! I loved their voices. I'll admit I had to fast forward a scene as I just couldn't listen to it. It helped to know it was coming. The narrators brought the book to life with such emotional performances that it rolled like a movie in my head.

I'll be reading/listening to this whole series again.

Wonderful addition to the series

This latest story in the series belongs to William and Charlotte. Charlotte, a talented musician and William’s best friend little sister and Will, the star football player, were HS sweethearts. But when their life career choices collided, they went their separate ways. Charlotte leaving town.
Eight years have gone by. Nowadays Will is a firefighter and when Charlotte returns to Finn River, he is determined to get a second chance with Charlotte.
But the road to happiness and the possibility of a second chance is a bumpy one. Secrets and trauma have been kept hidden.
The story was at times heartbreaking as well as heartwarming. An intense emotional rollercoaster.
The author touched difficult situations with a great deal of respect.
The narrators, Jill Smith and Gregory Salinas bring the story to life.
Another winner in the series.
I was entrusted a copy of this audiobook. The opinions expressed are solely my own.

Williams & Charlotte captured my heart!

Be still my heart. William & Charlotte had me in all my feels. Their second chance romance will put you through the wringer, but you’ll enjoy every moment. I loved the flashbacks to their youth when they were young and falling in love. It truly gives you the connection to their past and present.

The talented Gregory Salinas & Jill Smith narrated William & Charlotte so beautifully and with all the emotion and yearning there was between these two. The heartache and pain William and Charlotte endured, and then worked through as they found their way back to each other is what second chances are all about.

Beautiful and tender storyline

Dakota warned us that this book would be an emotional rollercoaster & she wasn't jokin! This story has so elements that I love in a great story. It's angsty, emotional & has a touching & sensitive storyline. William & Charlotte's love story left me with the warmest feeling. It's a story about healing, second chances & fighting your way back into happiness.

I LOVE a dual timeline and add a second chance & you've totally got me hooked. Dakota does SUCH a great job with this book. These two fall in love as teenagers. We get to see sweet glimpses into how their friendship & love begins. When we flip back to the present, it makes their journey of finding their way back to each other even more meaningful & genuine. We get Will's story, taking him all the way back to his arrival at Finn River.

Charlotte's story gripped me immediately. She returns home to help her sister whose been struggling with addiction. Her past is filled with secrets and ones she's buried deep & doesn't want to dig up but it's not long before the skeletons in her closet come knocking. The past cannot stay in the past and she's forced to face it head on.

Despite not having had contact for quite sometime, these two find their way back to each other. They were torn apart before but Charlie is determined to find out the reason why. Charlotte's heart & spirit are battered & bruised. She's had the best of intentions trying to keep her sister safe but moving back to Finn River forced her to face the past & deal with her secrets head on.

Once Charlie discovers what's happened in the past to Charlotte, he makes it his mission to help Charlotte heal. He's right there helping & caring for her. This story is filled with so many touching & vulnerable moments for both characters. It's a beautiful & moving story. Dakota pulls at your heartstrings guys! I was all up in my feels over this one and Dakota adds that brilliant touch of suspense that had me on the edge of my seat. Just such a great book!

🎤Let's talk audio: Gregory Salinas & Jill Smith give AMAZING and emotional performances in this. I literally ached for both of these characters & the heartbreaking storylines they had to deliver. These actors performed these emotional story lines with such care & sensitivity! Charlotte's character is so strong & was so easy to connect with. Will's character was exactly the type of MC that we all dream of. Hopelessly in love, devoted beyond measure & wiling to do whatever it takes to take care of the one he loves. I enjoyed this one on audio SO much!

Dakota is such a wonderful storyteller. This book could definitely hit some sensitive spots with some so PLEASE check your triggers. What I loved most about it was that this is a story that shows despite having to deal with tragedy or trauma in your life, you DESERVE and CAN have a full, happy & beautiful life. Finding "your person," can help with that. We don't have to carry the burden all by ourselves.

Folks, if you love romantic suspense & emotional & gripping stories, then you absolutely need to check out this series. Dakota's storytelling is gorgeous & there's a healing aspect to every book she writes! Although this is a series, each book can most definitely be read as a standalone but you'll enjoy every book in this series!

Second Chance Suspense

This story weaves past and present together—normally a structure I hate—but here, it works beautifully. The present timeline complements the past in a way that feels intentional and necessary. Definitely check trigger warnings before diving in. There are a couple of heavy ones, and they play a major role in the plot.

In the past timeline, Will moves from Alaska to Finn River during high school. He struggles academically and with his temper, but he dominates on the football field. He instantly clicks with Theo, and just as quickly falls for Theo’s sister, Charlotte. Will is the popular QB; Charlotte is the smart, quiet band girl who believes a guy like him would never pick someone like her—especially with her brother in the mix. Their slow, uncertain pull toward each other is full of longing and heartbreak.

In the present, Charlotte returns home from Seattle after her younger sister is hospitalized following a suicide attempt. She comes back to help Theo and their family steady themselves. Theo is now living with Will—who has retired from the NFL, become a firefighter, and bought Charlotte’s dad’s music bar. Will has never forgotten Charlotte, and she’s never forgotten him. But between secrets, old wounds, and everything left unsaid, finding their way back to each other means confronting the hardest parts of their past.

A deeply emotional second-chance romance with layered characters, heavy themes, and a past-present structure that genuinely enhances the story.