Stay is an intriguingly told story of family which kept the reader engaged until the end.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was quite enjoyable. I liked Lucas, but sometimes it was a bit too long and boring...and the other characters were a bit meh.

Review coming soon. Fell behind due to illness, amd working on all of the old ones now.

This one will not be forgotten. Catherine Ryan Hyde is one of my favorite authors.
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.


Pub Date was December 3rd, 2019
#STAY #CatherineRyanHyde #NetGalley

I am a huge fan of Catherine Ryan Hyde and personally have loved everything I have ever read of hers. I would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a powerful story set over the summer of 1969. It consumed me from the start and filled my heart with love.
The story is told from a fourteen year old boy’s point of view in the first person. We really feel that we ‘know’ him. He is kind and cares deeply about those around him. He is loyal with a huge capacity to love. He champions the underdog and he does not judge.
We witness the damage that others inflict on lives when they judge. If you have not walked a mile in the shoes of another, you cannot possibly know them and you have no right to ever judge them.
Choices we make today will impact tomorrow. Our choices have consequences for us and those around us. If we had chosen differently, life may well have been dramatically altered. We are all interconnected.
When we have people who care for us and people for whom we care, life has a purpose and meaning.
1969 was at the height of the Vietnam War. We see how it impacts the lives of those who have to go and fight, and those who are left behind.
Returning soldiers never come home whole – sometimes it is a physical loss, sometimes it is a mental loss.
The sense of family is strong – family is not necessarily blood relatives but those who love us.
I loved the bond with the two dogs. As they ran through the forest, there was a joi de vivre.
I absolutely loved Stay. I always love Catherine Ryan Hyde novels as they speak to my heart and soul.
I received a free copy via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

I find it amazing that Catherine Ryan Hyde has written so many books, and I have just recently heard of her. The books that I have been able to read seem to have been so thought provoking and deep. She is one talented women.

Catherine Ryan Hyde masterfully tells stories with consistent heart, healing, and usually dogs. This novel was no different. It was actually one of my favorites that I’ve read of hers.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an enjoyable book.

THIS BOOK👏👏👏
I think the best way to describe this novel is BEAUTIFUL. It was a very heartwarming read and it was so easy to fall in love with the characters. Honestly, I almost cried.
I just loved how everyone connected, became each other's support, and healed together.

It talked about a lot of difficult issues but it was done in a way that wouldn't wear you out (at least for me). It was lighthearted but serious.
Nick Podehl did an AMAZING job narrating this.

Epilogue is one of the best I've ever read.
There are books that needs to be read and this is one of those books.

To Lucas, Zoe, Connor, and Roy: I'm so glad I met you.

Lucas Painter's fourteen in the summer of 1969, America’s fighting in the Vietnam War and Luke’s brother Leroy has been drafted. Luke’s parent's marriage isn’t a happy one, they argue a lot and it’s worse since Roy left home. Luke has a best friend Connor, they have been friends since they were three and he likes going to his peaceful house. After Luke receives a letter from Roy, even though most of it has been censored out and Luke’s really worried about his brother.

Luke looks for an escape, he starts exploring the nearby woods, and running. He notices a log cabin in the woods, two large dogs from the cabin start chasing him and Luke thinks he’s going to get bitten. The complete opposite happens, the dogs are friendly and he starts taking them for a run every morning. Two things take place, and they change Luke’s outlook on life, Connor’s parents separate and his friend’s completely devastated. He meets the owner of the cabin, Zoe Dinsmore, she’s struggling as well, and she has a tragic past and has lost all hope. She’s a real loner, lives in the isolated woods, Luke tries to help her and they eventually become friends. Luke, Connor and Zoe form a special bond, it gives both Connor and Zoe hope, and a reason to not give up during tough times.

Stay by Catherine Ryan Hyde, is a moving, emotional, inspiring and uplifting story. You read about teenagers growing up during the Vietnam War, the effect on their families and on the young men who were sent to fight, many were only boys, the terrible injuries and mental trauma they suffered from. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, I highly recommend reading Stay and five stars from me.

Stay is the type of novel that sticks with you long after flipping the last page. Catherine Ryan Hyde created such a complex story filled with happiness and sadness and every feeling in between
, but most importantly she crafted complex characters that were flawed and real---the type you couldn't help loving and rooting for. While I loved all of the characters in this novel, Zoe Dinsmore was the one I found myself thinking about the most. Overall, Stay is my favorite of Hyde's books so far. I highly, highly recommend it.

Unfortunately I had to purchase a new Kindle device and could no longer access this book. I will come back and review if I read this in the future.

Great read! So many memorable lines, and characters who will stay with you for a very long time.
I actually finished this six months ago but didn’t myself coming back to it again.

I really loved this book in a new to me author. The characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

I just couldn’t seem to get into the plot of this book. I couldn’t finish reading it. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley. This is my unbiased review.

Intriguing at first, as the mystery of the dogs and the empty cabin kept me reading. After that, the pacing just got too slow for me.

What a fantastic novel this was,
I was enraptured with the need to keep reading from the very beginning.
Family and friendship and so much more weaved into this story.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for fair and honest opinion.

This is a coming of age story about a 14 year old boy, Lucas, set in the summer of 1969. Lucas' parents argue, his dad comes home later and later, his brother is away in Vietnam, his bestfriend is depressed and talking about hurting himself. Lucas finds himself running in the woods and meets two dogs who become his running partners. Lucas befriends their owner, a lady who has isolated herself in the woods years ago. This is a beautifully written story that is heartbreaking, touching and so very relatable. With likable characters that you find yourself hoping and praying they make it through their tough time stronger than they were. Keep tissues by your side. This one will pull on the heartstrings but also make you smile. A beautiful literary fiction that will stay with you even after you put the book down. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from this author. I give this a 5 out of 5 stars.

Every time I read a book by this author I always think to myself "What a beautiful book". This one was no exception. You just coast along with enjoyment as you learn the characters and you feel such an intense "knowing" of their lives. It is a wonderful book about friendship and finding who you are. Very enjoyable.
#Stay #NetGalley

Catherine Ryan Hyde has become a must-read author for me over the past few years, and this book is a good example of why that's the case. I was certainly drawn to this one because it's set in 1969, the year I graduated from high school. But the time period doesn't guarantee that I'll actually like it - the feel for the time needs to be right, and it was. More importantly I loved these characters. The narrator is a 14-year-old boy, Lucas, who's dealing with a difficult home life (parents fighting, brother in Vietnam), a first love, and most importantly stumbling across a woman in severe crisis. The time shifts from 1969 to the present and back again, as Lucas tells the story from two different vantage points in his life. Hyde deals with the issues of loneliness, depression, addiction, and suicide - tough subjects all. And at the heart of it is the fragile strength and power of love and friendship and commitment. Throwing a couple of awesome dogs in the mix doesn't hurt either. Overall a book that makes you think and feel and laugh and sigh.
My thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing a copy for an unbiased review.