Oh my! Such gorgeous writing! Author Barbara Meyer hooked me from the first paragraph with her impressive writing, and her characters and storyline kept me glued to my seat reading.

If You Stay is the story of returning home and starting again. Joy returns to Iowa mostly to reconnect with her daughter, but the move also gives her the opportunity to reconnect with her parents. Joy is a not-so-prodigal daughter returned and trying to make good. In the process, she meets Granger and his daughter Cassie. Granger presents an opportunity for some romance to be built into the story as well as to expand the storyline beyond Joy’s immediate family. Additionally, Granger and Cassie have their own familial issues which add complexity to the story.

If You Stay is a true family drama. It is a story of love and forgiveness. The plot is straightforward, realistic, and well paced. Ms. Meyers makes the parent-child struggles easy to relate to and sympathize with. There are strong messages of acceptance and forgiveness, and I loved the denouement (which I won’t give away with further discussion) that represented the give and take of every relationship.

If You Stay is a beautifully written story with universal messages. Relatable characters and issues make this family drama easy to recommend.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Backlit PR and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Family isn’t easy, neither is romance. This tells a tale of both and navigating through it all.

A sweet and angst filled family tale and romance. The road to forgiveness is not smooth. A few tears may have been shed along the way. I skipped over the intimate details portion. This was my first visit to Red Bud, Iowa. I would like to read the previous ones. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.