If You Stayed is an emotional and beautifully written second-chance romance that completely pulled me in. Brittainy Cherry has a way of writing love stories that feel raw and real, and this one was no exception.

Kierra and Gabriel’s story is filled with heartbreak, hope, and healing. Their connection felt so natural, and I loved seeing them find their way back to each other after everything they had been through. Gabriel was such a swoon-worthy book boyfriend, and Kierra’s journey—especially as she navigated her marriage and her past with Gabriel—made her an easy character to root for.

“Passing by people and places that felt so black and white. But Kierra felt like color. Not just any color, either. The most vibrant of tones, which made my heart pound wildly in my chest.”

Kierra’s daughter, Ava, was such a great addition to the story. She brought warmth and lightness to the book, and her interactions with Kierra and Gabriel made me smile. One of the things I loved most was how much the characters grew throughout the book. The emotions felt real, the pacing was just right, and I never wanted to put it down.

If you’re a fan of emotional second-chance romances, If You Stayed is definitely worth reading. It’s the kind of story that sticks with you long after you finish.

Read if you like: second chance romance, amnesia, angst, childhood friends, failing marriage, then and now chapters
Check the TW - heavy themes of DV

I wish the TW was included in the ARC sign up because I would not have picked up this book if I knew.
Did I read the same book as everyone else?

There were so many things I didn’t like in this book 🥲
- I needed Kierra to take her own advice as a therapist
- Usually I love kids in stories but I found Ava very annoying, sometimes she was too mature for her age and other times very childish
- I found this story inconsistent, in an earlier chapter Kierra tells Gabriel that she doesn’t love Henry and she isn’t happy. In a later chapter, Gabriel is saying how Kierra isn’t lonely like he is because she’s got Henry. Like what??
- Amma’s apology was forced by Gabriel and I hated that. I wish she came to the realisation herself and apologised
- Romance was meh
- In theory it is an angsty plot, but I didn’t shed a single tear or even tear up? I cry at EVERYTHING so I am shocked

This was not a book for me, but if you like angst then maybe give this book a go

An emotionally packed childhood friends to lovers, second chance where the MMC lost his memory. I really loved it. I think all the hard parts were handled well. There are the two timelines of them as kids and how they grew up together and then there’s the present day 20 years later and she’s in an abusive relationship and he’s the architect designing her future house.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A sweet love story about childhood friends who were separated due to a horrific accident.

Henry, an abusive man, meets his ideal counterpart in Kierra, a woman whose life was forever changed by a devastating accident. Trapped in a loveless marriage marked by mental abuse, Kierra unexpectedly crosses paths with her first love, Gabriel. Though Gabriel has no memory of her, he feels an inexplicable sense of familiarity and comfort in the presence of this mysterious stranger.

What a beautiful story!!! This one has so much depth! It felt incredibly real! I could identify with the characters. It definitely had me on the edge of my seat. Amazing job author!!! Worth the read!

Kierra’s journey is one of pain and self-discovery. She enters a marriage hoping for peace, only to find that the man she married isn’t the person she believed him to be. The story touches on themes of emotional and physical abuse, which readers should be aware of before diving in. At its core, this book is about finding a second chance at love, overcoming the scars of abuse and depression, and learning to feel worthy of a love that endures despite all challenges. It's a powerful, though heavy, story of healing and resilience.

I enjoy Brittainy's writing and look forward to more from her.

This book was almost perfect for me...I just wish it were a little longer bc there were some things I wish got more time.

Gabriel was the perfect man. Honestly, I loved him as a character. I rarely read about fully green flag men, but they never disappoint. Everything that happened to him had me in tears.

These characters are a little bit on the older side in the present; they are not in their 20s, they are more mature. I don't remember the exact age, but it made sense.

I'm not a hugely emotional person, very rarely will a book have me full on sobbing, but I did tear up multiple times for both of them. They went through so much, but the good thing is that they both came out of it stronger. They both came out it with each other's love and support.

Can I just say that Kierra's husband was an absolute asshole, mind my language, sorry. No spoilers, but that man did not get everything he deserved. What a gaslighting idiot. But honestly, my heart goes out to the woman in marriages with men like this. Narcissistic, gaslighting, manipulative, maybe even slightly misogynistic, and borderline crazy.

This book gives you the hurt before it gives you the happy, but you would be thankful for the hurt that comes before the ending.

Thank you to Brittainy Cherry, SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and NetGalley for this arc! 💕

If You Stayed by Brittainy Cherry
Release: April 22, 2025

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️ 🌶️

Gabriel was Kierra’s childhood best friend, her first love, her everything. That all changed when one night they were involved in a car accident that left Gabriel without any memory of anything prior to that happening. Kierra was shut out of his life by his mother soon after.

Fast forward 10+ years and Kierra is now married to Henry, and a mom to his daughter Ava. Their marriage is toxic, and emotionally abusive. Then out of the blue Gabriel shows up to their house, now a famous architect, he is in charge of building their new home.

This book navigates Kierra and Gabriel’s POVs as they navigate through the complications of their past and present and what it means for their future.

This was my first read by Brittainy Cherry and it will not be my last. I was immediately captivated by how beautifully she is able to string sentences together. This books is heartbreakingly poetic and a must read for everyone in 2025.

Thank you to @bcherryauthor, @sourcebookscasa, and @netgalley for allowing me access to this ARC.

Thank you Sourcebooks and Netgalley for allowing me to read this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

The flow of this book was nice and easy to read even though it was a bit predictable.

Brittainy did well writing a friends to lovers with drama. This was very emotional and Ms. Cherry did well describing the details in this story with Kierra and Gabriel’s story. I’m not usually a fan with past and present stories but I felt the author did well explaining this throughout the book.

She definitely knows how to show emotions in a book and will break you and bring you back together! That’s what makes her writing so well written.

I would definitely check your trigger warnings before reading as this story has abuse in it as that might not be a cup of tea for others!

There was a lot of quotes I liked in here but one that stood out to me was from chapter 1 when Kierra’s mom will tell her “Let go of what’s dragging you, baby girl. Then you can walk more freely.”

Tropes:
💜Memory loss
💗Second chance love
💜Friends to lovers

I love Brittany Cherry’s work. She writes with so much passion and emotion. I love a good second chance romance. Cherry knows how to break your heart and put it together in the same space. Even though some of the plot was predictable i enjoyed it.

Such a sweet story and so romantic!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the pacing in this book. This was my first book by Ms. Cherry. This romance definitely had some drama but it was so well written. The second chance love from childhood to adulthood I loved. Learning the past and present.

One can remember the last 19years of life. One will never forget.

Kierra has had some sad and darkness in her life. She thought meeting a man whom she thought loved her will give her peace only to find that this man she married is not who she thought she was. This story deals with emotionally and physical abuse so that is something the readers should be aware of. This book is about second chance at love and overcoming abuse, depression and feeling of not worthy to find a love that stands against all odds.

This was a heartbreaking, sweet second chance romance.

This is my first Brittainy Cherry book so I was super excited to pick this up (have heard nothing but good things about her books). I was very happy that I ended up liking this and will be trying more of her books.

Kierra & Gabriel really stole my heart. Their love story is for the true love/fate believers. This is a beautifully told second chance romance. Gabriel and Kierra were separated due to tragedy and Gabriel's amnesia. When fate brings them together again he still doesn't remember Kierra but their connection/bond is still there. The characters and the history between them weaved a tragic but hopeful love story that will stay with readers.

Highly recommend! Especially if you want a book to make you cry and believe in love.

4.5 🌟

“It makes no sense, but I feel you, Kierra.”

Another book by Brittainy Cherry that absolutely broke me then put me back together. I can always count on her for an emotional read.

Kierra and Gabriel grew up together from not liking eachother as kids to becoming friends to falling in love. Tragedy struck and pulled them apart and years later they have a chance encounter. Gabriel doesn’t remember much from before the accident so when he sees Kierra he just feels this pull to her he can’t explain.

The amount these two go through is heartbreaking. I love how Gabriel is just always there for Kierra no questions asked and loves her through it all. These two deserve all the happiness.

“Because I finally know what love is. It’s patience during the storms. It’s sometimes waiting. I’ll wait for you.”

“If I lost my memory every single day for the rest of my life, I would still find my way back to loving you.”

Y’all I highlighted half this damn book 😅

Read if you like
🩵Second Chance
💜Memory Loss
🩵Forbidden Love
💜Friends to Lovers

Thank you to sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC!

I loved everything about this book. This was the kind of love story that make you believe in love. Gabriel and Kierre had a heartbreaking story. Ripped from his memories, Gabriel forgot everything about Kierra. I love memorie loss as a trope and BCC did this one so well here.

This was such an emotional read from the very beginning. The first chapter was heartbreaking. Gabriel and Kierra were childhood sweethearts only for tragedy to tear them apart. Years later at a party Kierra sees Gabriel again.

This was a great read that had so many emotions on all levels. Kierra's life is complex and I felt for her the entire story. Gabriel brings a light to her otherwise harsh life. Will they have a second chance.

Be prepared for every emotion to encompass you while you read this story. There were tears, a few choice words, wanting to throw my kindle, joy, happiness, worry and being scared. This is a book that each chapter is a rollercoaster.

4,5 stars

I love Brittainy’s stories because she writes emotional, warm, wholesome stories with some or a lot of angst to keep us invested.
I always fall hard for her characters and that happened in If You Stayed.

If You Stayed is an emotional second chance story on a background of grief, guilt and abuse.
And yet, it doesn’t feel dark thanks to Kierra’s solar personality and Gabriel whole support for Kierra.

The trope is pretty straightforward: after being childhood sweetheart, Gabriel and Kierra separated after a horrible accident. Said accident left sequels for Gabriel and a huge guilt for Kierra.
She never was the same and bore a profound feeling of guilt, something that will lead her to live in a toxic relationship because she doesn’t think she deserves something perfect.
Years later, they will reunite and… you will have to read to know what happens!

Going back and forth between present and past, between Kierra and Gabriel’s point of view, Brittainy weaves a deeply emotional story with wonderful characters.
You also have an evil villain, Henry and a sweet girl, Ava.

Kierra is a strong yet fragile heroine who will have a whole journey in the book. I would love to count her as my friend!
And Gabriel is the strong, handsome and supportive type, my favorite kind of hero!

I read that story very quickly, totally invested in the romance and the drama, with heart pounding at some part of the story. A very good Brittainy Cherry and a very good contemporary romance!

This one didn’t hold the same magic that some of Brittainy cherry’s others have for me - but it was still cute! I loved how the story came together but it was a bit too “on the nose” for me. It was a second chance romance with amnesia, which is one of my favorite tropes! I didn’t feel as much angst with this one as I normally do with amnesia but I still think it was done well.

I ended on 3.5 stars for a few personal reasons. Gabriel was very tropey and finding out that Kierra met her daughter when she was 5 years old was mentioned far too many times. I do think this can be edited out and it would have been a solid 4 star for me!