Stay: An Enemies to Lovers, Stand-Alone Romance

By: Tia Louise

Narrated by: Lucy Rivers, Teddy Hamilton

Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's Summary

Stephen Hastings is a control freak.

He's arrogant. He's smart as a whip and sexy AF.

He has too much money. He's bossy, and he's usually right.

All I saw were his clear blue eyes, tight butt, and ripped torso.

I gladly handed him my V-card that night, 10 years ago.

I was so stupid. I swore I'd never be that stupid again...

Emmy Barton works for a dry cleaner?

Yes, that Emmy Barton - long, blonde hair, bright blue eyes, pretty smile...

Sexy little body. Smart mouth.

She was the only girl who interested me, but I was leaving to be an officer in the Navy.

Now I'm home, running my business. My life is perfectly ordered until I bump into her, divorced and struggling to make ends meet.

I hate seeing her like this. I hate that she married Burt "The Dick" Dickerson. What an a--hole.

She says she hates me, but when we fight, it's all heat and lust.

I won't leave her this way.

She will let me help her and her son. She will stay...

It's a thin line between love and hate, and this line is on fire.

Stay is a stand-alone enemies-to-lovers, second-chance, marriage of convenience romance. No cheating. No cliffhangers.

©2019 TLM Productions LLC (P)2019 TLM Productions LLC

Breathtaking Second Chance Romance!

This sexy, second-chance romance was so breathtaking! There was so much to love about this romance! It had a sexy, bossy, alpha hero, an independent, devoted single mom, and an adorable little boy, Eli. Add in a marriage of convenience between enemies to lovers, and you have a sweet, sexy and emotional romance that I couldn't stop listening to! This story started with Stephen about to leave for the service and saying goodbye to someone he loved dearly. Emmy has had a crush on Stephen for years, so when she sees him at a party later that evening, they have a passionate encounter that ended with Emmy in tears. Fast forward ten years and Stephen and Emmy meet again under very different circumstances. Stephen can't understand the pull he has to this sexy single mom, but when he see's her difficult struggles, he can't help but want to fix them all. Emmy will do anything for her son, even put herself back in the path of the man who broke her heart. Stephen and Emmy's story was a rollercoaster of emotions! It was so hot and sexy but it had me in tears at times as well! I wanted Emmy to be a bit stronger and not give in so easily to Stephen. But as a mother I can understand her wanting only the best for her son. She also had long suppressed feelings for him so the scorching chemistry they had between them couldn't be denied!
I loved the narration by Lucy Rivers, Teddy Hamilton. They nailed these characters perfectly, including Eli. Their pacing, inflections, and dynamic voices brought out all the complex emotions, making me laugh, cry, and swoon. Their voices compliment each other so perfectly that I was completely lost in their storytelling!

BRILLIANT STORY.....

Fantastic book! Loved Teddy Hamilton parts. Unfortunately I didn't like Lucy's. I feel bad saying that but it was rough!
Overall i'm satisfied.

Absolutely amazing narration

This book has a perfect combo for me, second chance, enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience. Emmy and Stephen story is amazing. They met and he tossed her aside, years later, with a son and after a divorce they find each other again, this time he wants her. You will find angst, sexyness, chemistry off the charts, a billionaire and a single mom, with a past and a future you need to find out. Lucy Rivers and Teddy Hamilton did a superb job narrating this book. The emotions portrayed in their voices were felt to my very core. I absolutely loved the story, but the audiobook took it to another level, definitely great sound edition and great interpretation overall.

I Loved It!

Oh gosh! I couldn't stop listening to this. It was amazing! Stephen and Emmy were so hot and scorching. I know their relationship ended on a sour note but Stephen made up for it. It was great listening and getting to know them all over again and how they navigated their new lives. Ten years is a long time and it helps them grow. I just can't describe this. Even if you haven't read this and you listen to the book, you will love it.

Wonderful Story!

I read this book first and then listened to the audiobook.

The story is so sweet and fun! I love how Steven connects with Eli first and the worms his way into Emmy’s heart (again lol)

She works her magic on him at the same time.

I seriously want to punch the ex husband at all times lol such an a$$hole!!

So much love for this story!!


Teddy Hamilton and Lucy Rivers just NAILED this book!!

Loved, Loved, LOVED!!!

Audiobook: Narrator – Lucy Rivers and Teddy Hamilton

It’s official. After listening to two audiobooks back to back narrated by this duo, I’m in total love with them. This story has some seriously angsty moments filled with deep emotion and both of these narrators added another dimension to these moving scenes. And I have to say that Mr. Hamilton gave new life to one of my favorite heroes. No one could have done Stephen Hastings better!

Oh my gosh! This book is a little bit of everything I love in romance! Enemies to lovers, second chance, and a marriage of convenience all rolled up with a couple that set my Kindle on fire! This book left me with all the feels and a serious case of hero worship!

Ten years ago, Emmy Barton gave herself to Stephen Hastings and was casually tossed aside.

Now, divorced and raising her son, Eli, her dreams have changed from those of that girl so long ago. All she wants now is to find a cure for the seizures that rule her son’s life. The last thing she needs is Stephen Hastings reappearance.

”Cringing, I know I’ve made a critical error. I actually thought I was over this guy. I actually thought I was in control. I was a fool. And I was so, so wrong. This is Stephen Hasting we’re talking about, my kryptonite.”

Stephen has never forgotten that night with Emmy. Through the years it’s been a recurring memory. When he sees her again he’s determined to see even more of her. Emmy may be stubborn, but Stephen is relentless and soon he realizes nothing matters except having her in his life after their expiration date.

”I couldn’t relax in the cab home from Emmy’s place last night. Sexual frustration was part of it, but also thinking of her in that apartment clenched my jaw. It’s cramped and dangerous. The location is bad, and it’s not enough space for Eli. Hell, what if he had a seizure? He could hit his head on any number of objects if he fell in that rattrap.
Emmy’s resistance nags at the back of my mind. Why won’t she stop fighting and do what I say?”

I can’t even express how much I loved Stephen! From the first moment they reconnected, his sole purpose was to have Emmy, to make Emmy his, and to make Emmy stay.

The fact that with each step along the way he’s a bit clueless regarding his motivations had me grinning because there was never a doubt that he was all in from the first moment he saw her again. His heart was leading him and for a very smart man, his brain was lagging a bit behind.

There were some pretty intense moments here that had my emotions racing from one extreme to the other. I love when an author can make me feel like that. The chemistry between this couple was absolutely scorching and seriously, I had to crank the A/C down to survive this one. In addition to all the heat, with Stephen’s fierce protective instincts, and the instant connection he had with Eli, I was a swoony puddle of goodness.

Highly recommend!

A charming romance not to be missed!

Spoiler Free Review

What I enjoyed most about this Contemporary Romance novel: Complex Characters / Cute kid / Perfect amount of steaminess / Happily Ever After

Format Read / Collected: Unabridged Audiobook

Formats Owned: Dual Kindle and Audible

Ratings
Story - 4.5 stars!
I'm always curious about couples who met when they were younger and then later reconnect whether they had a long-term early connection or not. This couples' love story was engaging and had a cute kid with a serious medical condition added into their romantic dynamic. I really liked that Stephen stepped in to be Emmy's modern day knight-in-shinning-armor even though fortunately most 21st century women don't need a man, especially not to rescue them.

Women today want a man as a complement to their lives while remaining fiercely competent and independent in all aspects of life. But every now and again, I like to experience a love story where the hero can step in and provide that extra safety net (financial and legal) and security for a heroine. It wasn't a requirement but rather a bonus in Emmy and Stephen's case which really appealed to my old historical romance loving ❤️ .

Performances - 5 stars for both narrators!
I'm already a fan of both Lucy Rivers and Teddy Hamilton. So, I wasn't surprised at all to thoroughly enjoy this narrating duo's vocal acting. I have zero complaints, bravo!

Overall - 5 stars!
It was nice to get back to reading a Tia Louise's novel again now that more of her new releases are also being released in audiobook format, my primary reading format. She is still one of my favorite contemporary romance authors, and I look forward to enjoying more her novels in audiobook format.

Final Thought: Don't miss this charming romance!

It was a beautiful love story

This was a beautiful love story. I loved it. The narrators were wonderful as well. I definitely recommend this book.

Loved the story

Such a sweet story about second chances. Lots of chemistry, romance, and a little bit of sexy times on the side. Worth the credit.

Sweet, swoony, and steamy

Though Stay is a stand-alone novel, it features one of the secondary characters I loved from 'Make Me Yours' so I was super excited to read it. Like 'Make Me Yours', this book has the single parent troupe that I love so much!

Stephen Hastings is smart, successful, and single. He's a great guy, but Emmy Barton has been holding a grudge a decade long... Now Emmy is a single mom to an adorable boy who suffers from a serious medical condition, needs help. Stephen has a solution. He wants to help, but Emmy is hesitant to let him. She doesn't know if she can get over their past and trust him, but she'll do anything for her son.

I loved both Emmy and Stephen so much. Emmy was a strong and independent single mom who was doing her best and Stephen was just the man she needed. I adored Stephen and I loved how he stepped up in Eli's life. Their relationship was the best. And that ending- sigh. It was great.

Stay is narrated by Lucy Rivers and Teddy Hamilton. These two do a fantastic job narrating together. I love both of their voices and the audiobook is high quality. I enjoyed listening to this book so much. It was sweet, sexy, and swoony. I definitely recommend if you like the single parent troupe!

Emmy and Stephen!

Emmy and Stephen grew up together and she had been crushing on him for years. When they spent the night together she believed it was the beginning of a future between them but he had other ideas as he needed comfort that night and was planning to leave to join the Navy.

Ten years later their lives are very different. She regrets her marriage however her son Eli is the light of her life and no sacrifice is too large to put an end to the seizures he has while Stephen has left the Navy and forged a successful career in IT.

They reunite when he shows up at her work and he has questions. He has never forgotten Emmy and is intrigued by why she hates him so much and why she is not living the life of wealth and privilege she was raised in. Emmy wants nothing to do with Stephen as she has not forgotten the heartbreak of the past, but will he be able to give her the one thing that she wants the most?

I loved both these characters. Emmy has not had an easy time but the love she has for her son is beyond measure while from the moment that Stephen sees Emmy again he knows that she is all he ever wanted and will do anything for her and her son. I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook and thought the narrators did a great job of bringing the emotion and heat of this story to life.

It's swoony and steamy

Emmy Barton gave up her virginity to Stephen Hastings and was brushed off right after. Emmy has been holding a grudge against Stephen ever since, while Stephen couldn't forget that one night they shared.

Ten years later, they see each other again when Stephen moves back to home and is surprised to learn that Emmy is now divorced, a single mom, and she struggles to make ends meet. Stephen is determined to help Emmy but how will he convince her to accept?


I loved listening to this audiobook! It's swoony and steamy with just the right amount of drama. I loved the chemistry between Emmy and Stephen, and listening to them banter.


Lucy Rivers and Teddy Hamilton did a fantastic job at narrating. This is the first time I've listened to Lucy Rivers and it definitely won't be the last!


Stay is a single mom, enemies-to-lovers, marriage-of-convenience, second chance romance written in dual first person POV. It's a standalone that ends with a HEA. No cliffhanger, no cheating.

I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review.