I can't believe it took me so long to read this book. Jules Bennett is a good author and I really love reading her stories.

Love Jules Bennett's books! Stay with Me is her first book in a new series and it was adorable! I hope there are many amazing books in this series to come!

Very good book with a nice mix of deep emotion and humor. Olivia has reluctantly returned to Haven after the death of her father. She had left at the age of eighteen, along with her mother, when her parents divorced. She hasn't been back since then. Instead, she's made a good life for herself in Atlanta, and is up for the promotion she's been working her butt off for. Now she's discovered that she is half-owner of her father's airport - what she sees as the cause of all her family's heartache. She plans to buy out her partner, then sell the land as quickly as she can - "Get in. Get out. Get the job done." Olivia soon discovers that it isn't going to be that simple.

The last time Jax saw Olivia, he was a thirteen-year-old boy spending every free minute at the airport. Her dad was like a second father to him, and responsible for Jax's love of flying. After leaving Haven for the Air Force, he came home when he became the sole parent of his daughter, Piper. He has no intention of giving up his share of the airport. It isn't just his livelihood; it's part of who he is.

The sparks flew between Olivia and Jax from the moment she appeared at the airport. I have to admit that Olivia did not make a good first impression on me. Her condescending attitude toward the town and Jax grated on my nerves, and I hated her attitude that all it would take was to offer Jax enough money. I loved seeing Jax stand up to her cynical attitude and refuse to even consider her offers. And, yes, I got a teeny bit of satisfaction out of his stunt with the greasy handprint. But underneath the antagonism is an attraction that neither one can deny - though Olivia certainly tries to.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Jax and Olivia. Both of them have issues that keep them from wanting a relationship. Olivia has no intention of staying in Haven. She has a job in Atlanta she wants to get back to, and memories from Haven that are painful. Jax has been burned by a woman before, and opening up to that kind of hurt again is not what he wants. But they are bound together by the airport and have to find a way to make it work. Their chances to do so improve when Olivia's friends, Jade and Melanie, come up with an idea to improve and expand the airport, giving Jax a more secure future and Olivia the ability to go back to Atlanta and forget about it. However, first Olivia has to pin Jax down long enough to convince him of the feasibility. As they were forced to spend more time together, the attraction between them continued to build. I also enjoyed seeing the way that they were constantly being nudged together by Olivia's friends and Jax's daughter. I loved how they gave in to the passion, even though they knew that Olivia still planned to leave. She was willing to give Jax a chance, and he was determined to remind her that there were just as many good memories for her in Haven, if she would let herself remember them. With 20/20 hindsight, Olivia realizes that there were things about her parents' relationship that she had been unaware of, and that now have her reassessing what she believes about her relationship with her father. This is reinforced by a few things that Jax lets drop. As Olivia's time in Haven comes closer to its end, both she and Jax realize that their feelings are stronger than they want to admit, but neither one is willing to risk rejection by talking about them. I was so frustrated with them both at the end because they allowed their fears to push them apart. I also ached for them because they were hurting so much, both for themselves and because they knew the other was hurting, too. The ending was very emotional, as Olivia's friends found a way to force them to face each other. I loved that Jax, even though he wanted Olivia to stay, supported her need for her career. I ached for him and how much it hurt to see her leaving, and cheered when he finally opened up about his feelings. I ached for Olivia, too, because she was so conflicted over what to do. She had worked so hard for her promotion, but she also didn't want to leave. I loved how her feelings burst out of her, how she confessed her fears and admitted her love.

The secondary characters were great. I loved Olivia's friends Jade and Melanie. Both of them had come to Haven with Olivia, to support her as she dealt with her father's estate. Each also has her reasons for wanting to leave Atlanta for a while, though we don't get too much of their backstories yet. As they are the stars of the next books, I'm sure we'll get them then. I loved the way that they teased Olivia about Jax but were also there for her when she needed them. They also had no trouble telling her when she was being an idiot. It was neat to see that they were the ones who came up with the plan for the airport and that they were just as invested in making it work. I laughed out loud at some of their conversations with Olivia, especially when it came to Jax. It was also easy to see that both Jade and Melanie were striking sparks with Jax's cousins, Cash and Tanner. I loved the close relationship that Jax had with both Cash and Tanner. They had been there for him through all his marriage troubles and really stepped up when Jax took on being a single parent to Piper. They teased Jax a lot about what was going on with Olivia, but they also had no trouble showing him that he couldn't deny his feelings for her. I also enjoyed their interactions with Jade and Melanie, especially what was going on between Tanner and Melanie. I laughed at the whole ticket issue.

My favorite secondary character was Jax's daughter, Piper. I'm not sure that I bought that she was only four years old, but overall she was a great character. I loved the close relationship she had with Jax. The love they had for each other was obvious. It was sweet to see some of the things he did with/for her - I laughed out loud at the reason he didn't take his boots off around his cousins. I loved how quickly she connected with Olivia, and the effect she had on Olivia and her views of her future. It was especially sweet to see the parallels that Olivia saw between her relationship with her father and Piper's relationship with Jax. The birthday party scene with Piper, Olivia, Jade, and Mel was sweet and fun.

My only disappointment was a lack of attention to what happened between Olivia and her father. There were a few nuggets of information, such as the few things that Jax told her. Olivia also began to see that maybe she hadn't had the full picture of the relationship between her parents. A fairly big deal was made about Olivia finding her dad's journal, but we got practically no information about what was in it. A few excerpts would have been a nice touch. I did like the way that being back in Haven helped Olivia remember the good times with her dad.

A great start to a new series!

In book 1 of Jules Bennett’s new Return to Haven series, we go back to Haven Georgia for Jackson Morgan and Olivia Daniels’ story.

Olivia’s father Paul, was the owner of a small local airport. When he was alive, he spent a lot of his time and energy at the airport, causing Olivia to feel that she wasn’t his priority. This rift in their relationship was a reason for her to leave Haven never planning to return. Jackson (Jax), spent a lot of his life in and around the same airport, viewing Olivia’s father like his mentor and surrogate father. The airport is his livelihood and he needs it as he is raising his precocious daughter Piper alone.

When Paul dies, he leaves the airport to both Olivia and Jax. Olivia is forced to return to Haven with her 2 friends, with a plan to sell the airport. The two clash immediately, while Jax quickly discovers his love for Olivia he had as a 13 year old boy has resurfaced for the woman she has become.

If I have a complaint about this story, it’s the repetition of how Paul was like Jax’s father, and the fact that Olivia is a few years older than Jax. I would have preferred it to be said, but glossed over by the fact that he acts more mature, while she seems whiny and indecisive. I did enjoy the interactions with all the characters, particularly Piper. I am looking forward to the next book in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Jules Bennett for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book and I am providing my honest review.

Jules Bennett returns to the town of Haven again in the book Stay With Me and the characters in it and this was another one of her books that I really enjoyed. If you've read some of her other books in the town of Haven then you know some of the characters. I loved the sense of humor, the timing of the plot and the hero and heroine!! The start of this series is going to set the tone of this and make this an awesome addition.

Conflict abounds in an emotionally riveting story from Jules Bennett! Olivia seems like an unfeeling person with how she handles the loss of her father, but Jax shows us another side of her as he guides her to find what she truly meant to her father. She's not sure what to make of this attraction that is between them considering he is younger than her, but he shows her that he's wise beyond his years and an overall good guy. An interesting story line and compelling characters. Looking forward to more in the series!

Olivia Daniels left Haven, George at eighteen and never looked back. Her dreams are within sight of coming true when she's suddenly called back to Haven to settle her father's estate. She has zero interest in the run-down airport he put above all else in life, so it won't take her long to unload it and anything else he left her and be on her way back to the city to what's important!

Jackson Morgan practically grew up in a plane with her dad, and he might have just been a kid when Livie left town, but that didn't stop him from being half in love with her! He's half owner of the business, and it and her father meant the world to him, so he'll be holding onto it for all he's worth no matter how much she wants to offload it and hit the road quickly.

4 stars

I enjoyed reading Stay with Me by Jules Bennett.

The storyline is well written, the plot held my attention all throughout the book and I enjoyed watching the relationship between Olivia and Jackson/Jax unfold.

Overall this was a lovely read and a great start to the Return to Haven series.

*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the advance copy.*

This is a sweet and emotional romance. Olivia returns to her hometown to settle the estate of her estranged father. He owned a small airport which is now being run by Jax. Jax was five years younger than Olivia when she left at eighteen with her mother and he had a small crush on her. Now he is all grown, divorced, and the father of a cute little four year old daughter. He loved Olivia's dad Paul and wants to keep the airport running since Paul left him half owner with Livie. She wants to sell and move because her life is in the city and she is up for a promotion that she worked hard for. All Jax wants is for her to give the airport a try. And yes, there are plenty of sparks.
Olivia is a little up tight, but now she is coming to realize some truths about her father and mother and their relationship. I wish there would have been more depth into Olivia and her relationship with her mother and why she never visited her father. It was a smaller length novel, but I would have liked more into this family dimension.
I really liked Jax, he was a good dad and he has two cousins help him with his little girl. Olivia has two friends as her support and they help come up with a business plan that may help the airport. All in all it was a good start to the series an I will be looking forward to reading the next book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.
3.5 Stars

Great read. Keeps the reader interested and engaged. Couldn’t put it down. This was my first book by the author and I can’t wait to read more. Loved it.

This was my first time reading this author, but it won't be my last. I am looking forward to reading more in this series.

Loved, loved, loved Stay with Me! Another fantastic book by Jules Bennett.

Jules Bennett never disappoints with all of her novels. Romance and laughter combine to make her storyline pop every time!!

A good formulaic romance. I couldn't quite figure out if Olivia and Jackson had a crush or an actual relationship when they were young. Yet, I feels like a second chance romance. While we learned the most about the main characters the secondary characters were just as interesting. It’s a nice start to a series that I plan to follow until the end.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGallery, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Olivia Daniels never thought she'd return to Haven when she left, but after the death of her father, Olivia inherits half of the town's run-down airport. Determined to find a way to convince Jackson Morgan they should sell, she soon finds herself locked in a battle she might not be able to win. Will Jackson be able to win the heroine's heart or will Olivia walk away from her chance at happy ever after?

What a really enjoyable read Ms. Bennett has delivered in this first book of her Return to Haven series where although I didn't warm up to the heroine right away I found the further I got in this book the more I began to like her. In the beginning, she comes off as stuck-up, thinking she's better than the small town she grew up in and believes things should go her way. So, I enjoyed that the hero showed her that people don't always get what they want. Will Olivia win Jackson over to her way of thinking?

As for the dialogue, it was very entertaining and I loved the tight friendship the heroine shares with her best friends, as the other two women are determined to convince her that there are better options than what she wants to do with the airport. Will she go with the ideas her friends have or will she continue to fight Jackson on her plan? Moreover, both the main characters were fascinating and I could understand why the heroine doesn't want anything to do with something that brings her back to Haven; a town that she left and never was planning to return to. Will Olivia finally see that Haven held good memories for her and not just the bad? Yet, in saying that, the heroine is resilient, courageous and I liked that she gave the hero a chance, despite the fact that she's going to leave town and knowing that she could end up hurting Jackson and his daughter. I also liked the growing bond between the heroine and the hero's daughter, which is proven by everything that Olivia does for the little girl.

While the hero, he's confident, hard-working, a great father and I liked how determined he was to win over the heroine, even though he knows there's no chance of a future for him and Olivia. She's a city girl now and a woman focused on her career, so how would she ever walk away from the opportunity she has? I also liked the tight bond the hero shared with his cousins because they offer each other good advice. Yet, what I liked most of all about the hero was how good of a dad he was and that he would do anything for his little girl, which is proven by all that he does for her and how he gives the heroine the chance to get to know his daughter just in case things work out for the best between him and Olivia.

Overall, Ms. Bennett has delivered a wonderful read in this book where the chemistry between this couple was intense; the romance hot and passionate; and the ending had me loving what the heroine's friends do in order to get Olivia to see that love is worth fighting for. Will their plan work? Will Olivia realize that there are more important things in life than work and money? However, what I liked most about the ending was the hero's determination to prove to the heroine that she's worth fighting for and his words are perfect. I would recommend Stay with Me by Jules Bennett, if you enjoy the enemy to lovers trope, the friends to lovers trope, the opposites attract trope, or books by authors Rachel Lacey, Catherine Bybee, Jennifer Gracen and Stacy Finz.

First time reader of Jules. What a great story for a second chance. I really enjoyed the chemistry of the characters, their friends and family. It was a superb read!

I loved this story!! It was great to see the history unfold bit by bit over the course of the book and I could not be happier with the ending. A lovely, easy read!

Once more we are transported back to Haven, Georgia in Jules Bennett’s new series, Return to Haven, with book #1 Stay With Me.
If you have read her previous series (The Monroes) you met Jackson, “Jax” Morgan and his precious daughter Piper. His whole life has revolved around flying and the airport owned by his mentor Paul Daniels. But now that Paul is gone, he owns the airport along with Oliva Daniels, who left Haven at 18 and never returned.
Olivia Daniels is a driven, successful woman on the fast track for a promotion she has been coveting, but because she resented that it took up time that her father should have given to her and her mother she wants no part of the run down airport that she once loved. So they left and she never wanted to return. But return she does and wants to see, but Jackson wants no part of her plans to sell the airport. It’s his life and it provides a living for him and his daughter. Can he bring Oliva back to the life she once loved and see that soaring through the skies will bring her the happiness she once knew in Haven.

From the first moment Jaz and Oliva clash, and the attraction that Jax has had for Olivia since he was 13 years old. They cannot fight this powerful, high flying attraction while coming to an agreement on how they want to proceed with the airport. Throw into the mix Piper, who is adorable and pulling at Olivia’s heartstrings for this motherless little girl and her two friends who came with her to settle her father’s affairs and are pushing her to see her true feelings. You also have Jax’s two cousins who have been through thick and thin with him and you have the makings of a great read. Lots of drama, fun and many sweet moments filled with passion and love, I could not put this book down and read it in one day. I can’t wait for the next books in this new wonderful series.

This was a wonderful start to a new series in Haven. The angsty love story was an emotional ride. Seeing the woman he loved as a girl walk into their airport surprises Jax but but doesn’t. He’s been waiting for Olivia to come & deal with her half of their inheritance. Her estranged father left them equal shares in his airport, the same one Olivia grew up in & the same one that took her father from her life or so she thought. Coming back to take care of her father’s estate is opening her eyes to things she didn’t know & it’s causing her all new grief. This story couldn’t get any better if author Jules Bennett tried. Her characters were sassy, sexy, sarcastic, sweet & very likeable. With the expanding stories of Jade & Melanie, Cash & Tanner & the ever loveable Piper. I’m looking forward to reading the next book to see who it’s about & to see the further story of Jax, Olivia & Piper. Recommend to read.

It was a decent book but not one i just couldn't put down. It took me a bit of time to get into this story.

Olivia Daniels and her mom left the small town she grew up in when she turned 18. She never looked back and never returned. Fourteen years later, her father dies and leaves half the airport to her. When she returns home to sell the airport, she finds 13 year old Jax all grown up and looking hot.

Jackson “Jax” Morgan has learned some hard life lessons. He lost his parents when he was 10 and came to live with his grandpa. He gravitated toward the airport and discovered his passion – flying planes. He marries young and takes off for the Air Force. When his wife decides she doesn’t want to be a mom to their two week old daughter, Jax comes home and becomes a single dad. His ex leaves for parts unknown after signing her rights away. The airport and his daughter are his life and there’s no way he’s selling it.

Piper, Jax’s daughter, who is supposed to be only 4, comes across much older.

For supposedly being such a shark in her career, Olivia is wimpy and spineless outside it.

So much repetition. If I heard one more time how Olivia’s dad was like a father to Jax---omg! Such a big deal is made of the fact Jax is 5 years younger than Olivia. It is brought up multiple times. So what?! He’s dealt with a lot in his 27 years and has come out ahead, stronger, mature and with a complete understanding of who he is and what he wants for his life. Age is just a number, life experience accounts for so much more.

Multiple times the next 2 couples are made very obvious. We are also given small glimpses into the back stories of Olivia’s two best friends, Melanie and Jade. I did enjoy the interactions between these three women. They are snarky with each other, laugh together frequently, supportive and call each other out when needed/necessary. Jax and his cousins/best friends, Tanner and Cash have the same kind of relationship.

The ending is completely abrupt and comes too quickly and easily and then it’s over. It needed more. I needed more. Hopefully subsequent books will continue to follow these two as well as the next pairing. Not my favorite from this author but I am interested in reading about the next two couples.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.