I loved Matt and April's love story. It is very unconventional, but it goes to show that when two people are meant to be together fate will bring them together again and again. What will it take for them to move past all the obstacles and history they share to stay together becomes the question. This is a story of love and forgiveness at its finest with a HEA.

“Tell me something to make me stay.”

4.5 stars

A romantic, emotional second-chance-romance with a wonderful twist and lots of feels. Such a fantastic read, I loved it!

The first book in this series, Pull Me Close, completely blew me away, and it also introduced us to Matt Moreno. Twin brother of Nick from book #1, Matt is a lawyer who also helps to run his family’s Miami night-club, Panic. A confident, fun-loving sweetheart, I loved him in the first book and have been eagerly waiting for his story after the hint that was dropped about story to come, but this book can also easily be read as a standalone.

The book is split into two parts. The first part is set in the past with Matt meeting June at his bar. There is an instant spark between them and amidst awesome flirting, banter and some serious chemistry, they fall hard for each other. Their relationship is fun, flirty and super sexy, and I loved every moment of them together.

“You have my jacket, which I bet you sleep in. That’s what girls do, right? Sleep in their boyfriend’s T-shirts?”
“Yeah, T-shirt. Not an expensive silk Armani suit jacket.”
“Aw, look, you noticed all of that. You were sniffing it, weren’t you? Just admit it.”

“You have a dirty mouth, Mr Moreno.”
“Woman, my mouth is the least dirty part of me.”


But right when things are looking like it might be pointing to forever, June disappears – right when he is facing disaster as his nightclub is the focus of a police investigation that reveals dark secrets and tears his family apart. Matt searches for her for over a year for June with no luck, and then all of a sudden he sees her again, except she looks completely different, and he soon learns that she is not who he thought she was. June is actual April White – a detective who was working undercover on the investigation that changed everything for him.

It broke April’s heart to walk away from Matt the way she did, but she knows that she did the right thing and ultimately protected the man she had fallen so hard for. Now that she’s finally free of undercover work, she wants to make things right and see if she and Matt can rekindle what they once had, but Matt’s anger and devastation over what he perceives as April’s betrayal seems too big to overcome.

“I know this doesn’t mean anything to you, Matt. But I wasn’t lying when I said I love you. I still do.”
“Yeah, well, I fucking hate you.”


It seems impossible, but a surprising twist will change everything for Matt and April, giving them a unique opportunity to move on from their past and discover each other all over again.

I don’t want to go into any more detail than that because this book just has to be experienced, but the journey that these characters go on is unexpected, captivating, and beautifully emotional. I could feel everything that they were going through, and I think the author did a fantastic job at exploring both Matt and April and getting us to the heart of all that they were feeling.

“Whatever happens, remember this. This is me and you. This is real.”


I just loved these characters. I loved them together, and as a couple, and the uniqueness of their issues, and the way that they move forward created a truly unforgettable read with a romance that absolutely melted my heart.

Nick and Katie from the first book both make very welcome appearances, as well as some of the other side characters, and I loved the hint given for the next book, which I cannot wait for.

A beautiful story, I loved it!

4.5 stars.

This book was fantastic, Matt who is a lawyer during the week and on the weekend helps his father and brother out with their bar. One day he sees a woman named June and they jotted it off almost instant, but one day she disappears for a year and the reasons are beyond what Matt could ever think.

What a great story this is! Sidney's written a tightly woven story that ranges from the sensual romance between Matt and June, to the suspense lurking in the background and the edge of his brother Nick and running the Club Panic.
Matt is an attorney who works during the week at a prestigious firm in Ft Lauderdale and drives back to Miami on the weekends to help his brother run their father's club. The two brothers pretty much run things now but the old man still refuses to budge on certain things and still controlling. Matt basically provides a reprieve for Nick on the weekends so he can spend time with Katie who we met in book one. If you haven't read it, do!! Great story.
Matt meets June (just June) working one weekend and he's totally flipped his nut over her. It's her eyes. She's saucy, spunky and confident, all the things Matt loves in a woman. As these two begin to develop a relationship it's clear to the reader June is hiding something but Matt just sort of rolls with things. June has a job as a Pharmaceutical Rep and so she does travel but she spends most of her time with Matt. Their time together was not just sexy and steamy but also fun and clearly these two were in deep together. Until the day June leaves for a business trip and never returns.
A year later: Matt has hired private investigators, looked under rocks and turned every page trying to find the woman he loves to no avail. One day on the street he sees a woman with long red hair sporting the boho look and swears its June. He runs after her, she denies she's June but he can tell by her blue eyes that it's her, either that or he's lost it. Matt is angry, spiteful and displaced. After June left, the Club was raided by police, his father now in prison, he and his brother arrested though released and not charged, Matt lost his job as at attorney and they are now working to rebuild the club. When Matt gets a visit at the bar from a woman his life is once again turned upside down and he makes clear in no uncertain terms he wants any part of her. It was painful to listen to his rant and watch his behavior. When "June" whose real name is April is seriously injured and in the hospital her partner contacts Matt. Only because he has to leave town and April has no one else. The second half of the book is the mending of her body and mind and trying to piece their relationship back together if that's possible. Matt is the biggest challenge. His anger is just overwhelming, you can feel it radiate off the pages.
Such a well written story and again with the unknowns and the twists and the romance between these two. the chemistry was perfect. I loved them as a couple. The second half was tough as Matt struggles with all his issues and Sidney really nails his emotions and is able to translate them for us to read (and feel) .
Great book Sidney!!! 4.5 Stars from me. Huge!

**arc from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for a fair review**

Note: I've read book 1 right after reading this.
Omg, this as really good! I didn't expect the use of that trope bring used here to move the story along. There was just enough angst and tender moments while they figure out. I can't wait to find more about Lola. After reading book 1: Oh wow, that cliffhanger at the end to tie into this! Trying to remember if they touch on that in book 2.

This is a voluntary review via netgalley my thoughts are my own!

Sidney Halston writes another winner. This was a romance novel packed with deep emotion and some serious issues. At one point I had no idea where the story was going and how everything was going to be resolved, but like a truly good author Halston tackled the problems head on while showing real life situations and challenges, and gave us a happy ending for Matt and April.

This story was both fun and exciting to read. It had everything from secrets, second chances and a good storyline all wrapped together! Easy to read and a definite page turner, it held my interest throughout. Thank you for the opportunity to have read the title prior to publication!

I begged & pleaded for an ARC of this book after reading the blurb and I can't seem to get enough of it. I loved this theme right now and this was perfect. I loved April & Matt and hope there is more of this series. Thank you NetGalley and Ms. Halston!

Well. I'm normally a huge fan but this one didn't sit well with me. I just couldn't find myself growing attached to the characters as I have in her prior work. It was difficult for that reason to really commit to reading the book. I want to be unable to put the book down and unfortunately, this one was easy to set aside. Her other work I would gladly revisit and I will certainly snap up the next one. I think this was just an aberration.

Man, did I love this book. Sidney Halston is doing amazing things with this series and she continues wow me with her words. Weaving together romance with some steam and a little angst, Sidney has created a new series full of complex, flawed characters that is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Full of twists and turns, Matt and April take you on a journey riddled with love and deceit. The circumstances are honest and raw and the journey is not easy. It's an emotional road full of tears, animosity, forgiveness and love.

It's hard to say a lot without giving too much away. But, I absolutely loved this book. It's emotional and sexy and I devoured it in one sitting. Definitely one of my top reads of 2017.

~ Kimberly Anne

I was excited to read the next book in this series. Ive thoroughly enjoyed this series and appreciate that Sidney incorporates a serious disabiity in each of her stories. Coping with those kinds of things is difficult at best on your own but is made even more so when trying to find someone to share your life. Then there's the hot, passionate sex that is sprinkled throughout the book...oh la la!

3.5 stars - Stick with this read and it will redeem itself. Part 1 of this book (pre-attack) left a lot to be desired for this reader. The hero was more naive than I expected of an attorney. The heroine, while somewhat sympathetic as a character, didn’t really give me the warm and fuzzier. I kept thinking, "I'm going to have to give this one an unfavorable review (and I really don't like giving bad reviews. Authors work hard and their work is like their babies). Thankfully, there was a part 2.

The second part of the story, (post-attack) showed the real goodness of the characters without losing the heat coursing throughout the previous chapters.

If you’re in the mood for a sorta second chance romance with none of the delicateness you might find in a contemporary romance, this is probably for you.

I received an ARC of this book, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

ARC received for review

4.5 stars

This book starts back 18 months before book one. We get to see June and Matt's relationship from the beginning plus parts of Nico and crazy Naomi's. Then we jump into the present and Matt "reunites" with June/April, and it's not pretty at all. A whole bunch of bad stuff happens, and Matt falls back in love her. It wasn't easy but it was worth the fight. Previous couples make lots of appearances and there are hints for the new book with Fox and Lola. What's she hiding?

3.75stars
Make me stay is the second book in the series. It was for me just ok because the first book was really amazing to me. The plot was god interesting, realistic. Both April and Matt great develop character with great passion between them. We see them both in two different sides of them. Matt easy going and funny and then the darker angrier side. April in strong fierce side and then in broken vulnerably one. Matt was really long time very stubborn and I thought that he wouldn’t go past the anger but in the end all ends well.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgelly

Sidney Halston, you "make me stay" with your awesome talent of making characters real! It's not just the fact that they have disabilities like April with Chrones or that their family life is broken like Matt's Dad being in jail. It is the true emotion of love and hate and both are so strong that they control your every moment. I loved that you didn't have April and Matt go through a quick forgive and forget because betrayal doesn't work that way. Sometimes hate just drowns the love and it's a long time before love can kick its way to the top and breath again. So I will stay with Halston forever because you give me a life that is real and my happy ending, too!

This is the second book in the Panic series and was honestly a very, very tough act to follow. Pull Me Close (the first in the series) has become one of my all time favorites. I LOVED that book and gave it a 5 star review--which I rarely do.

Make Me Stay is an excellent addition to the series. Without revealing too much, the romantic element is complex and I could certainly understand the struggles Matt had when thrown into an awkward and frustrating situation with April--the woman he loves.

The bottom line is that no matter what Halston writes, I seem to love it. She brings emotions to the surface and has become one of my favorite authors in the romance genre. If you haven't read any of her books, you're missing out.

Parts of this story was like having deja vue for me...and I'm not sure why. I don't know if it was because I had read something similar before or because of the great follow through from the previous book, Pull Me Close. I'm not complaining about it, but I just had this odd feeling throughout. I absolutely love Matt and it was great hearing his voice in this. I loved revisiting with Nick and the gang, too. We get our hea at the end and also a lead in to the next book.

Wow. The second installment in The Panic Series is a real rollercoaster.

It started out a little confusing for me. I read Hold me Close quite a while ago and needed to go back to the synopsis to refresh my memory a bit, and that helped. The story in Make Me Stay actually precedes the first book at the outset. The characters and the setting were familiar, except that Nick was different, and there was no Katherine. It took me a while to get into the groove of the story because of this. Once I did, I started to enjoy it more.

We meet June/April and get to know Matt a lot better. They have their own set of challenges that are no less hair raising than those of the first book, but they didn't resonate with me quite as well. I enjoyed the book immensely, but the book didn't really come alive to me until the second half. That's when the story became interesting,

There are so many ups and downs for Matt and April, I felt sort of wrung out by the end. Right up to the last page, they are continuing to deal with their issues. I guess that seems authentic, if not a little trying.

I definitely recommend the book, and I think some readers will actually like it better than the first one.

What a story!! Poor Matt I don't he new what to think for half of the story, he falls in love only to be betrayed then to almost lose the girl again. April seemed like a nice girl but a bit naive in thinking just cause what she was doing was for the right reasons, wouldn't make it hurt others a lot and would be easily forgivable. Loved how the author gave plenty of background, so I understood where both characters were coming from.

Pull Me Close was one of my favorite reads of 2016 so when I saw Sidney Halston wrote book 2, Make Me Stay, I jumped at the chance to read it. It is written in two parts, focusing on Matt. Part one is the past. It's the story of what happened to bring down Panic (which we got hints of in Pull Me Close) and it's told from Matt's point of view. In this part we meet June, the woman who Matt falls in love with. Part two is told in the present and alternates between Matt and April (aka June). Sound confusing? It's really not. The story flows beautifully and Halston makes the transition seamlessly. This story has many spoilers so vague as my review may be, you will thank me when you are surprised by how things play out.

While Make Me Stay is written as a standalone, readers who enjoyed Pull Me Close will love catching up with familiar characters (Nick and Katherine, Geo and David) while meeting new ones. It is not necessary to have read Pull Me Close first but it is highly recommended so that the story flows better (not to mention that it is an incredibly moving and poignant read that shouldn't be missed). Halston infuses heart and soul into Make Me Stay and readers will love it. The only thing that irked me was Nick's cluelessness in the first half of the story. At times I just wanted to shake him and say "come on man....wake up!". But love is definitely blind and Halston demonstrates that concept perfectly! And kudos to Halston for bringing awareness to Crohn's Disease! It lends a human side to the characters when an author incorporates a less-than-glamorous disease into a book. As a sufferer of Ulcerative Colitis, it was refreshing to see Inflammatory Bowel Disease be featured so prominently in a story line. Well done!