This was a tough one, both to read and to review.

It was atmospheric read; deliciously dark and gritty. The characters were unlikeable, which I think should have only applied to one instead of the whole cast. It made it hard to connect, to really care about what was happening to them. Some parts were a bit boring but I think that had less to do with the writing and more to do with my emotional connection--or rather lack thereof. The ending . . . it freaking sucked. I hated it. Actually hated it.

A decent read. Slow to start with but the tension builds quickly. A role reversal of the norm for kidnapper and victim. It is gruesome and grim in parts, very descriptive. To be honest I skimmed the grim parts. As the author remarks at the end, it is in a similar vein to Misery. I didn't really relate or warm to the characters. It is a decent psychological thriller and if this is what you enjoy it is worth a read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Headline for an Arc in exchange for an honest opinion

Someone is hunting Connor. Alone, freezing, in the wilderness of Bodmin Moor, on an elite Special Forces training exercise, he'd be a fool to scorn the kindness of a local stranger. Wouldn't he?

If you’re looking for drama and some edge of the seat stuff then this psychological thriller is definitely for you. The tension is really ramped up in places - to the point where I was holding my breath without realising it. The book has a sense of uneasiness throughout even when things seem to be going well.

For me, Connor’s character wasn’t completely believable. Would an elite, highly trained soldier make some of the choices that he did? The author did credit Stephen King’s novel ‘Misery’ in her acknowledgements. There were too many similarities in my opinion but if you loved that film or book, I’m sure you will love this.

My thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very dark and rather gruesome psychological thriller set on a bleak and lonely Bodmin Moor. Elite soldiers on a training exercise are pushed almost beyond endurance, so when a brief respite is offered to a couple of them by a local woman in her small hard to find farmhouse, it is beyond tempting……………
A soldier pushed towards madness meets what could be his nemesis. Well written and paced it will appeal to many, although it wasn’t for me.
Thanks to Headline and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC. This is my unbiased opinion.

First of all, I wanted to thanks Netgalley and Headline for Advance Review Copy in return for an honest review.

I would love to give this book more stars, but I honestly can't because I didn't click with the book or the characters not even a minute. It was really hard for me to get into the story because the first part, where we got to know Connor's background, was really boring to me and I had zero interest knowing his life as a soldier. The book got better when he was kidnapped, but still didn't feel intrigued about what was happening. None of the characters where likeable so I didn't feel invest with any of them. And the end of the story told me... Nothing.

I'm not saying is a bad book and I get why people would like it; I loved the plot before starting to read. It just wasn't for me.

A completely absorbing and tense ride from start to finish. You can tell this has been influenced by Stephen King's Misery but it is no way a copy, the book managed to hold its own unique storyline successfully.
I always love a story where the lead female is particularly unhinged and Eilidh fits this bill perfectly! Eilidh initially comes as a caring and hospitable saviour to the exhausted and mentally strained solider, Connor. There's already such a feeling of unease with her and undercurrents of tension that leaves the reader screaming internally to Connor to leave, but unlike Annie, Eilidh is quite the temptress and soon Connor is under her control.
This book is quite the journey and the tension is so palpable throughout from start to finish. The characters are so well developed and the storyline an intense heart pounder. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and King's Annie definitely has competition now!

I was getting in to this book but then it got dark and creepy and not really my kind of dark and creepy.

It was shockingly descriptive and although the villain was well written and unlikeable, the sexual side I felt was over played.

It was an interesting flip to have a female putting a male character at risk but it didn’t hit the spot for me but I did finish it.

I've gone to write this review a few times and can never figure out where to start! It's dark, very dark. And grim. Think Misery! It wad a nice change to the norm with having the male character in danger from the female. Although.... I did struggle to like him very much either. I found the writing style a bit too "wordy" for my tastes, I prefer less description and more actual plot line progression but that is just my preference and some people enjoy that description of the most minute detail. I read through it pretty quickly but it felt a little like shock value at some points rather than building any sense of shock or uneasy through clever writing or plot lines. If you like your stories a but darker and more grim then this will be right up your alley

Took me a while to get into this book but once I did the pages flew by!
In the vein of Stephen Kings Misery, it follows a soldier who gets himself into a situation he cannot control.
Eilidh was written perfectly, her character unlikeable.
The other characters were also well written and descriptive but never fully likeable which was a bit of a let down.
I liked the story but hated the ending which is why I only gave three stars, I will definitely check out more stories from this author though.

A gripping edge of the seat read that kept me captivated the whole way through. It was well written with an intriguing and mystery storyline that was suspenseful and unpredictable and well developed characters that I really liked. A really enjoyable read.

A plausible plot in this thriller which grabs tight hold and won’t let go. Connor and colleagues are enduring Special Forces training but little does he suspect that the manoeuvres will become even more special for him, in diverse ways, when he encounters an enticing woman.

I was slightly disturbed during parts of this book. It took quite a sinister and gruesome turn. I think the description needs to make this clear as it may put some readers off. It was well written and kept the pace throughout.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline for a free Advance Review Copy of this book.

I haven’t read anything by this author previously, but the cover and book description intrigued me. This is a dark, gritty, and sad read. The ending is not at all what I expected, or wanted, but the story is thoroughly enjoyable all the same.

“She can see nothing beyond her fingers. Darkness smothers the moor.” … from this intriguing opening line, the reader is taken into the darkness that fills Eilidh (pronounced Ay-Lee). And the lesser but still dubious demons that lurk within Conner.

The characterisation was done brilliantly, and even though they’re not likeable people, you still find yourself rooting for them, and personally, the two I really wanted to succeed were Conner and Julie. Bodmin Moor, known and loved by me, was so well described it came alive and resembled a menacing character in its own right. Below are some lines that stood out for me in particular …

“The reflux from his empty stomach had only lubricated his bloody mindedness.”

And …

“He saw his mind slipping away, escaping through one of his eyeballs.”

And …

“A terror that was not rational but made up of the dark, the cold, the peaks, their indifference.”

I could go on, as the writing was so superb. As you may have guessed, You Can Stay gets a solid five stars from me.


***

NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.

5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.
4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.
3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.
2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.
1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

You Can Stay is a tense and gripping psychological thriller by Elle Connel set on bleak and beautiful Bodmin Moor.
Royal Marine Connor wants to join the elite Special Boat Service, the Navy's equivalent of the SAS. Having done the worst parts of the course,the gruelling trek across the Brecon Beacons and the Jungle training he's only got what appears to be a relatively easy evasion exercise across Bodmin Moor and the dreaded interrogation trial to go..
Tracked by Paratroopers with dogs and with the rest of his group either captured or separated from him he stumbles across an attractive middle-aged woman, Eilidh who convinces him to rest up at her Farmhouse by way of a break from the pursuit.
It soon becomes obvious that Eilidh has more in mind than offering Connor Bed and breakfast.

This is the first book I've read by Elle Connel and it's a class act. The story is believable with blurred lines between good and evil. Eilidh is deeply flawed ,to put it mildly,but Connor is a pretty repulsive character himself and some of his behaviour is appalling. Bodmin Moor is perfectly drawn, I speak as someone who used to live there', and is almost a character in it's own right.
An excellent read and one that I see making Elle Connel one of the big names in the genre.

Connor is taking part in a Special Forces Training Programme,he must evade capture for several days on Bodmin Moor.His offered rest by the owner of a local farmhouse,he knows its wrong and his breaking the rules but his partner has deserted him so why not what can go wrong?
Eilidh is a brilliant host and he doesn't want to leave but times running out he needs to rejoin his partner at the next point.
But his walked into something that's not his choice.
This isn't Eilidh's first time she's kidnapped before and why should she let him leave his perfect.
A really good creepy read.

This book engaged me at the beginning and I kept reading, willing Connor to succeed in his trial and get his badge. However, it then took a sinister turn and I was tempted not to read any further, as I am a bit squeamish. I did persist, though, and skimmed and scanned my way to the end. (This is all in one sitting as it is quite short.) My conclusion - well written, certainly a thriller, almost spilling over into horror, but not my cup of tea at all.

#YouCanStay #NetGalley
Awesome.
Someone is hunting Connor. Alone, freezing, in the wilderness of Bodmin Moor, on an elite Special Forces training exercise, he'd be a fool to scorn the kindness of a local stranger. Wouldn't he?At first, Eilidh seems to be an impeccable host. She offers Connor food and a warm bed - he finds it nearly impossible to leave her charming farmhouse. What happened next? Find out in the book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for giving me an advance copy.

I enjoyed this book that in parts turned my stomach and kept me turning the pages to see what the next incident
would be.

The scenery descriptions were very evocative and the characters all relatable, even if you didn't like them.

I would love to know what happens next, the ending is open for you to decide and my imagination is in overdrive

I like this I’m currently racing through it at a breakneck speed. There are some points which did render the disbelief, that said it’s an engaging book that’s got me on tenterhooks.
The characters were engaging and rooted in the reality of the bleak landscape. Like to see Bodmin moor for real now.

A chilling book, lots of tension, sinister but at the same time incredibly sad. I raced through this book desperate for Connor to be free. There are parts that are a little unbelievable and unrealistic and that was frustrating for me as this really was a good story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.