A page-turning love triangle story that is deeply felt. It is fun, flirty, and full of emotion. Part of a series but enjoyed it thoroughly without having read the first book.

Great chemistry between characters and a sweet romance - I really enjoyed this one!

A 90 day no strings attached love affair....what could possibly go wrong? Really? Hot, steamy trouble is what can go wrong! Read this!

This is the second book in the Tell Me series by Victoria De La O. I really liked the first book, Tell Me How This Ends so I was really happy to find out that the second book in the series is already out. The book focuses on Jeff and Sam who were support characters in the first book and so we already know how they first met. This book starts with their second meeting.
Jeff and Sam have reasons as to why they don’t want to be in a relationship. However, they are attracted to each other and so they decide to reach a compromise; a no-strings-attached fling. Of course, as you can guess, this wasn’t really the best idea. The story is narrated through the two perspectives and so we get to see both sides of the affair. I like the fact that two had baggage that they were dealing with so this wasn’t just a simple romance story. Don’t let the blurb fool you, the book offers way more than just a 90 days fling.
I also liked the fact that the MCs from the first book also feature in this one so in a way, we got to keep up with them. The story also had such an easy flow to it and so I was able to read in just two sittings. I recommend Tell me not to go by Victoria De La O to fans of new adult contemporary romance. I think it is best to read the first book and get familiar with the characters before getting this one. In addition, the first book is my favorite one in the series so far so yeah, you need to get Tell me how this ends. You can read my review here to see why I liked it some much.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R3UKBXTTLJMELF/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm

When I saw this book was available and I read the synopsis, I immediately fell in love and knew I HAD to read this book. I dived in the minute it hit my kindle. A couple chapters in and I went to see what else Ms. De La O had written and I found Tell Me How This Ends. I'm sure you're figuring out that I bought that and devoured it in a few hours. I did this because everything I saw said that while Tell Me Not To Go could be a standalone, the story would be so much more enjoyable if I read Tell Me How This Ends first. And this is SPOT ON!!

The supporting characters in TMHTE are our H/h in TMNTG. And I loved watching Jeff and Sam fall in love in this book. They're flirty, sexy and have chemistry that's flying off the pages. I so enjoyed reading the words Ms. De La O gave us for these two. Jeff in all his alpha ways had me swooning. He's a man that knows what he wants and he wants Sam and nothing is going to stop him from getting what he wants!

This is the kind of book that you can sit down, relax and fall in love with the story and it's characters. My heart was beating a million miles a minute at several points but that's ok because it was beating that fast because I was SO HAPPY and IN LOVE with this book! I can't wait to get Ryan's story next!!!

Favorite Quotes:

I need to find a way to get out of this cafe, but it’s like I’m that girl about to get axed in a horror movie: I’m frozen. Right now, anyone watching me would be screaming, ‘Run bitch!’ And they’d be right. But I’m not myself right now.

I am, without a doubt, the good guy. The one you want to bring home to Mom... But Sam looks at me like I’m the husband that’s going to screw the nanny – like I’m unpredictable and a tad dangerous. No one has ever looked at me that way before. It’s so annoying, and so incredibly hot.

I’m pretty sure I attract cheaters, the way an NBA player attracts skanks.

My dad’s version of sex ed was throwing condoms at me when I was sixteen and telling me to use them – every single time.

There is so much sagging flesh. I know it’s normal. I know I’m supposed to think it’s beautiful – to appreciate nature. All I’m thinking about is that I better get my ass to the gym more often, because my clock is ticking and nature is cruel.


My Review:

I adored this cleverly written and delightfully amusing book and smirked, snorted and barked with laughter as I read. The characters were adorably flawed, endearingly drawn, and smartly written. This was my first experience reading Victoria De La O’s crafty words, but I hope to make this a habitual exercise. The storyline was relevant and entertaining with sparkles of humorous and insightful details, witty banter, clever snark, and soul touching observations. I need more of this in my life!

If you have not discovered Victoria De La O, stop what you are reading and go read Tell Me How This Ends! I ran into her work a few weeks back and I read Tell Me How This Ends. I was so captured with Victoria's characters that I knew that I needed to read her second book, Tell Me Not To Go.

No words... I have no words how much I love it when I discover a new author that I can add into my life.

Tell Me Not To Go ---> This book can be read as a standalone. I will tell you that you will enjoy it so much more if you read Tell Me How This Ends prior to Tell Me Not To Go. The side characters in Tell Me Not To Go are from Tell Me How This Ends.

In Tell Me Not To Go we read Jeff & Sam's story. Jeff & Sam are trying to find their way through life. In this book, you really get to watch the two of them grow up, per say.

"... what I love most about being around Sam is that I become spontaneous. I forget about trying to be the perfect person, the perfect guy."
~ Victoria De La O, Tell Me Not To Go

The thing that I love about Victoria De La O's writing is that you can sit down, relax, and just enjoy a fun love story. If you are an Abbi Glines fan, you will love Victoria De La O's writing.

Victoria De La O, please, oh please give us (okay ME) Ryan's story!! You know that we all need to see his HEA!

Thank you for allowing me to read and review Tell Me Not To Go prior to its release. You have a fan for life! I cannot wait to watch your writing career take off.

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I feel like I need to state that even though this isn't listed as a second installment to a series, this is indeed the second book following "Tell Me How This Ends". Do you "need" to read it first or in order? Nah, but I think you'd appreciate some of the banter that flows between secondary characters as well as understanding a little more of the dynamic between brother and sister, etc...

For those who have read the "first" book, Sam is Lizzie's BFF and roommate. The one that got her heart completely ripped out while she watched her boyfriend have sex with someone else in her bed. Yep. That one. To say that she's having issues getting over the fact that she blames herself for giving up so much to be with someone like her ex is an understatement. The armor around her heart is so thick. But when the one person who makes her heart beat again temps her, there might just be a crack. One that only gets bigger and bigger the longer she's with him.

Jeff is Lizzie's brother. The one from Utah who appears to be perfectly nice and every parents dream husband for their daugher. But that's not really who Jeff is, at least not to Jeff. He's the guy who's always reliable, doing what everything knows he'll do because he's the good guy. Well...he's ready to change that image and himself by moving to California and starting new. There's just one issue. Sam. She's the total opposite of what he usually likes in a girl, but she's so far under his skin, he can't seem to help himself. Knowing that she's not in to a commitment, a 90 day challenge is issued and it seems to be the perfect fit...for both of them...at least, it sounded perfect. Until it isn't.

No disrespect to the author, but the blurb doesn't do this book justice. This book is so much more than a 90 day challenge between two consenting adults. It's about not being afraid to love again, or at all for that matter. It's about stepping outside your comfort zone and trying something new. About letting your guard down enough to let someone in so that they can truly see you. (Sigh) This book is beautifully written and takes us through a journey that many of us are too afraid to embark on. So sit back and enjoy the ride, because it's a amazing one.

reviewed by Chris

4.5 “Please, don’t go” Stars

ARC via NetGalley.

Thank you, Swerve!!!

Okay, it’s official: Victoria de La O makes me feel so much with her words!

Lesson nº. 2? I need to stop being surprised by how good her books are. It happened with Tell Me How this Ends, and now with Tell Me Not To Go. And since the first book was so, so, so good, I kind of came into this one thinking "okay, I'll like this just as much". Well, I was sort of wrong because.... guess what?

I loved TMNTG even more.

Maybe that’s a result of how much I connected with Jeff’s storyline involving his family, or with Sam’s take-no-shit attitude, or just because the chemistry between them was so amazing….Probably all of that and a little more. All I know is that this book spoke to me in ways TMHWE didn’t--and that’s saying a lot considering how well-written that first book was.

Tell Me Not To Go is the story of Lizzie’s BFF and brother, Sam and Jeff. If you don’t know who Lizzie is, please do yourself a favor and grab a copy of Tell Me How this Ends. You can thank me later.

Sam and Jeff met in the last book and their chemistry was off the charts from moment one. Now, Jeff is coming to live closer to his little sister, which means he’s going to be spending a lot of time around Sam. She isn’t all that happy, because she realizes how dangerous Jeff can be to her heart. As a woman on a mission—she’s leaving soon to go to med school—Sam doesn’t want anything or anyone holding her back.

That’s all rational, mature and smart of her. Except her body doesn’t want any of that. It wants Jeff. All of him. And how could she not want him? Jeff, ladies and gentleman, is a beta/alpha male hybrid at its best. Dude is nice, understanding, listens to what his woman has to say, but still knows what he wants, where and when. Plus, he's a 8 out of 10 in bed. It's safe to say, with all of that, even I want him, too.

Jeff wants Sam. As simple as that. Everything about her appeals to him. She's so different from the other women he dated in his past. Women he couldn't see in his future no matter how hard he tried, because, no matter how nice they were, he still wouldn't fall in love with them. Well, if you ask me, he should’ve known being with Sam would be a completely different experience. She spoke her mind, she had fire and she was incredibly smart. Jeff stood no chance, and he probably knew it.

After trying and failing to ignore their chemistry, Sam and Jeff come to an agreement. 90 days of incredible sex until she has to leave. But there’s a big rule there: they can’t fall in love.

That was when I laughed out loud and said “okay, kids, let’s get this party started, because we all know how it’s going to end.”

No worries, though. Knowing they’d fall madly in love didn't take away from the experience. Victoria de La O made sure I felt everything there was to feel with every step.

I fell hard for Sam and Jeff. I breathed their chemistry. I experienced their angst when their feelings started to get too real. I panicked when they did. I was jealous of everyone who got near them. I laughed when they did, and teared up when they cried. I cheered when Sam gave not-capitalist-but-not-communist speeches. I rooted for Jeff when he confronted his parents and tried to live a life that would make him happy, regardless of his family's expectations. I swooned hard. I took a shower when they had hot, sexy scenes. I cursed Victoria de La O for making me feel so much.

I also praised her for writing Jeff’s relationship with Lizzie the way she did. Or for how she gave us scenes between Lizzie and Jude that reminded me of why I loved the first book that much. Or how Sam’s friendship with Lizzie made me want to meet them in real life, and Sam’s relationship with her eccentric family made her even more unique. And, of course, for how she gave me Sam and Jeff, and the perfection that was the two of them together.

And in case you're wondering if Jeff and Sam find a solution to their problem, rest assured this story ends on a high note. The ending is great and right and brings you all sorts of feelings. Good feelings.

Bottom line, judging from how many variations of "My heart can't take this" I left on my Kindle notes, this book hurt and felt so good at the same time. It was just about everything I wanted and a little more. So, whether you liked this author's first book or not, I'd still advise you to read this one. Tell Me Not To Go will stay with me for a long time.

P.S.: Victoria, I read that excerpt for the next book and I see you're a woman after my heart. I suspect Ryan's book is going to break me, but MY BODY IS READY!

Tell Me Not To Go by Victoria De La O was such a fun read. Something light, which sometimes is just what you need, that pulls you in and keeps you interested.

Jeff Price is tired of being Mr. Nice Guy. He is ready to let go and have fun. First step? Leaving Utah behind to start fresh in California. He loves his family, but is ready for the freedom to explore his own choices. The weight off expectations from others was sometimes just too much. Especially when it came to women, where he always seemed to find himself in long-term relationships with the wrong kind of girl who expected more than he was willing to give.

Sam is struggling to move past her last relationship. Hurt and devastated by her ex-boyfriend’s cheating ways, she gives her studies her all. Only allowing herself the random hook-up here and there. She refuses to enter another relationship any time soon. Especially with medical school right around the corner.

When Sam learns the brother of her roommate is moving close, she remembers the chemistry and tension from their first encounter when they met months ago. She is not sure if she can keep him at arm’s length or if she even wants too. All she knows is she is not ready for any type of relationship or commitment. Jeff on the other hand cannot stop thinking about Sam. But neither wants a long term complicated mess.

But when their chemistry is too much to ignore, can they stay away from each other? Solution? A no strings attached pact for remainder of time Sam has before medical school. All the fun with no commitment or falling for each other. Easy, right?

As they begin to spend time together, it was nice to see their interaction and easy way with each other. Their story was sweet, their chemistry off the charts and very little angst. And I loved all the characters. They were hilarious in their interactions. I am definitely going to go back and read their friend’s story in the previous book. Though these are truly independent, but interconnected standalones.

This was a fun, quick read I really enjoyed about two people who were not ready for each other, but who could not ignore what was happening between them. Jeff is really a good guy you can’t help to love and Sam is strong, determined, but a bit vulnerable as well. Two characters easy to root for.

I was pretty wary of this story at first because, even though I requested it, I had no idea it was young adult which isn’t normally a favorite of mine. But Victoria De La O made it work because they were—for the most part—pretty mature. Well aside from their whole snarky bickering thing at the beginning.
This was a good story filled with emotion but not excess drama, which I did appreciate. Samantha had already been through the wringer once with her cheating ex and alleged friend/roommate so the absolute last thing she wanted was to fall in love. Especially with a guy like Jeff who’d just moved to the city to start the next chapter of his life. But she liked him.
A lot.
She wanted him.
A lot.
So they made a plan. Ninety days of hot sex and nothing more. Easy peasy right?
Not so much.
But the not so much is where the fun really began. Obviously since this is a romance they were doomed from the start but watching them fall was truly a pleasure. Jeff and Samantha suited each other very well, bringing out the best in each other so they could shine as bright as possible. I really liked how well they meshed even with the ridiculous deadline.
Probably my favorite part of the story was the last quarter. The rest of the book was good—really good—but the emotions during that last part were so real, so visceral and heartbreaking that it brought the story to another level. I felt their pain and agony as if it were my own so kudos for Victoria De La O on that.
And I absolutely LOVED that Samantha didn’t have to give up her life or her dreams to get her happy ending.

This was an okay read for me.. This is a story of 2 people, Sam and Jeff, both hurting from a bad breakup, found out that they were attracted to each other but not willing to get into a relationship again and decided to just have a fling instead.. However, during the course of the hot passionate fling, feelings started getting in the way but both didn't want to make the mistake of throwing away their dreams/work for a relationship.. Sam was going to med school and Jeff had his job to think of... Jeff didn't want to be the kind of guy to cheat her of her dream and Sam didn't want to ask him to give up his job too.. See where this is going? Throw in a co-worker of Jeff trying to make a play for him and Sam's ex trying to get back into the picture once again and all hell breaks lose..


I'd like to thank NetGalley, Ms. Victoria De La O and St. Martin's Press for providing me with the ARC

Very cute story and likable characters, I enjoyed it

I gotta say this book blew me away! I'm not sure what I was expecting when I started reading it but what I got was a story full of emotion and characters that touched my heart. I just realized that this is actually the second book in the series so now I need to go grab the first one, not because I need it to understand this story but because I NEED to read Lizzie and Jude's story. In this one Samantha and Jeff's story. Sam is just a few months away from leaving for med school and Jeff is just starting a new job. Neither wants to start a relationship right now but the attraction between them is intense. They make a deal that a fling for a specified period of time is the best way to go. Best laid plans and all that!!

I highly recommend this one!

Tell Me Not To Go,  Victoria De La O

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre:  romance,

Second book in a series about connected characters. I’d not read book one but that’s OK as each novel is a stand alone one.

Jeff and Sam, cute couple, both burned by past relationships, and don’t want another right now. Jeff has become something of a player in his new found freedom, while Sam has simply sworn off men, vowing her career will come first.

They’re a sweet couple, feel very genuine and I liked them both. They liked each other too when they met, very much so. Jeff is Sam’s flatmate’s brother so it was inevitable they’d meet sooner or later.
They can’t ignore the sexual pull between them, that string of lust that keeps tugging them. What to do though when neither want a relationship? Well, they’ve ninety days til Sam leaves for her next training stint on her way to becoming a doctor.
A no-strings affair strikes them as a sensible answer, they’ll have some hot and sweaty sex, lots of fun and games, neither will all in love, so no feelings get hurt, no hearts get broken.
What was that? How can a person stop themselves from falling in love? Exactly!

You just know what’s coming, and to that end the novel was pretty predictable. There’s no big twists, no great dramas but a series of little side plots that show how they both fall in love but hide it, even from themselves for a while.
Being alongside them its easy to see why they fell for each other, they are both really good people, share ideas and adventures, respect each other – in short they’re Good People, but all good things come to an end and the ninety days are up far too soon....

Its a fun read but pretty easy to see what’s going to happen, and there are few surprises along the way, with the story running along on well used lines. I enjoyed it OK, but its not one I’d reread.
There's nothing new here, nothing exiting. Great characters who are really believable but the plots is just that bit too bland IMO.
Its a simple, one-off easy read, a relaxing romance for those times when you don’t want anything too challenging to read, just a simple tale with a HEA..

Stars: Three, a little mundane in plot but well written, with some serious sensuality 

ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

Tell Me Not To Go is the second book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone. Told from alternating first person present tense POV it gives us the story of Sam and Jeff. It’s intense and intimate, but as there are no dramatic backstories, it never gets overpoweringly angsty or melodramatic. Both characters are likeable and I especially enjoyed how overly considerate and nice guy Jeff learns to regard his own wishes and preferences as important.
Tell Me Not To Go is Victoria De la O’s second novel, but it reads as if it were written by an well-established author. Unfortunately, there are a few inconsistencies, and I thought the pacing was a bit slow in places, but apart this points, this is a solid contemporary romance.

Jeff and Sam's story was just as great as I could have imagined. I couldn't stop laughing at the part where Jeff meets Sam's parents....that made me laugh so hard I cried! It was a nice break to have a not alpha male main character, sometimes you have to switch it up a bit. Can't wait to see what Victoria De La O has written next!

a good read. Jeff not an alpha male at all, which is good every now and then.