I received this arc and devoured it in one sitting. The story was beautiful and full of heartbreak and love. I loved the chemistry between the characters and the happily ever after. It was a moving story that I would definitely recommend.

It’s no secret that Brittainy is an author that I love. Her books always have a way of moving me and getting lost for a while.

Told in alternating POVs and dual timelines, we see Gabriel and Kierra find their way back to each other in the most unexpected way. Gabriel is…. Perfection. He’s a man that seeks Kierra without even knowing. His heart seeks her even when his mind doesn’t know her. You see, Gabriel forgot a large part of his memories…and in those memories is Kierra.

Trigger warnings:
Domestic Abuse
Mental/emotional abuse
Physical Abuse
Belittling
Amnesia

Brittainy Cherry can do no wrong. I've read almost her entire backlist and they are always amazing. I am such a sucker for the amnesia trope. And it was done in a different and unique way. I liked the way she wrote the husband. She made you hate him. Her love for Ava was so perfect. And the angst between her and Gabriel was phenomenal. Thank you netgally for the arc of this book.

Does B Cherry ever write a bad book? The answer would be NEVER!
I have been a huge fan for forever. This book was amazing 👏

4.5⭐️

Brittainy never disappoints. The emotional journey that you experience with her writing never fails.
Love all of this. I love a good second chance romance and Gabriel with the memory loss is like icing on the cake for this story. Very well written but I had no doubt that it would be.

I don't even know where to begin with this review. "If you Stayed" was an incredible read. It hit on some heavy topics (DV, Cheating) but the end was worth it. Kierra showed such strength and truly captured what it meant to be a mother, with or without DNA. The love between Gabriel and Kierra was truly something. They are picturesque soulmates.

Holy emotional roller coasters!!! Gosh, I am sort of at a loss for words. This book just took me through it ALL!!
Kierra and Gabriel were childhood friends and teenage lovers until life tore them apart. They meet again many years later much to Kierra’s shock. Gabriel has no clue who she is but he soul calls to her They become friends again but Gabriel doesn’t know everything and Kierra must come clean about the past. At the same time,
Kierra’s home life is a living hell. She knows it’s problematic but she thinks that she has to do what’s best for her daughter Ava. Ava and Kierra fall in love with Gabriel but they cannot be with him until they break free from their chains. Will Gabriel wait for Kierra? Will she take a chance on being loved correctly? Will Kierra recognize her worth? The answer is absolutely.

This was a very deep and emotional book. It’s about death, grief, regrets, emotional trauma, domestic violence and forgiveness. It’s about surviving all of that and still believing that you deserve better. It’s about “growing as you go”! I loved this book so much. It was real. I have to total book hangover. I give is 5 beautiful emotional heartwarming stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow. Wow. Wow. If angst tension and longing was a book this author just created the blueprint. I am a sucker for a good ankesia trope. I love to have my heart ripped out of my chest only to slowly watch it get put back together. While my heart ached and cried along with what these characters have been through and what tore them apart, I could have asked for a more stunning reconciliation and conclusion for them. Gabriel is just starting to figure out life again, an architect when Kierra falls back into his life again only with a husband. The years together has not dulled how Kierra sees Gabriel and suddenly all those years seem significant, if on KU he could remember her. Diving I to this story you’ll enter a world of heartbreak, longing, an emotionally gripping romance that will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page at how hard earned this second chance was. We have two incredibly kind and gentle main characters who exude such strength that I can’t help but root for them together and individually. Tissues are a must for this one. This was so well written and executed I will be thinking of Kierra and Gabriel for a long time.

I really enjoyed this story. I liked the way the story progressed and gave each conflict an opportunity to be fully resolved. I also enjoyed how their relationship just naturally evolved into what it used to be without them really trying to make it that way. I thought the story line was different and I enjoyed a different take on a romance book. I found it refreshing.

Ce livre ne sors qu'en avril 2025 mais j'ai eu l'opportunité de le lire en avance!
Kierra et Gabriel sont inséparables depuis leur enfance mais un accident va les séparer. Des années plus tard, leurs chemins vont se recroiser et cela sera salvateur pour l'un comme pour l'autre...
Comme toujours avec Brittainy C Cherry, il faut s'attendre à une histoire forte en émotions, en drama et en rebondissements! J'ai adoré cette histoire qui est assez percutante mais aussi assez vraie. J'ai beaucoup aimé la psychologie du personnage de Kierra, elle est forte tout en laissant percevoir des faiblesses. J'ai eu un peu plus de mal à m'attacher à Gabriel. Leur relation est belle, forte et puissante car on sent qu'ils veulent s'aider mutuellement! En tout cas, j'espère que ce livre sera bientôt traduite en France!
En bref, une très belle histoire signée Brittainy C Cherry

I love an amnesia romance and this one was so angsty and sweet! These two truly were meant to be together and when they FINALLY got together, I was so happy for them.

Read this in one sitting. I am big fan of second chance romances and this was one had all the feels. Highly recommend.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was generously gifted a copy of this book through Netgalley, and I'm so lucky and thankful that I was.
I LOVED THIS STORY, it was so engaging, so moving, and I loved the characters. Yes, the storyline is about tragedy, about spousal abuse, but it is so much more. It is about overcoming all this and finding love, love for yourself, and also romantic love. I couldn't put this book down, I read it in once sitting, it was THAT GOOD! Such amazing characters, and such a good story with a HEA. Highly recommend!
Themes in this book:
Lost love, second chance romance, spousal abuse, family love, romantic love. Can't sing enough honest praises about this book. LOVED IT.

Wow what a beautiful and heartbreaking love story.
Second chance at love with your soulmate only to find out he has no memory of you. Crushing. All the Feels too.
Love how Gabriel remembers (subconsciously) little things about Kierra, like calling her Penguin, that about did it in for her. Plus how protective he is with not only Kierra but Ava as well.
Kierra can’t say anything to Gabriel about the reason he lost his memory which is heartbreaking for her. When everything comes to a head and everyone knows everything, will they finally get a happy ending they both deserve?
There’s definitely triggers about domestic violence but Brittainy did well with it.

Brittainy Cherry does it again!! Wow, I felt all the emotions reading this one. Kierra and Gabriel deserve every ounce of love. Their story was heartbreaking, emotional, deep, and so complex. This story had the perfect flow and explored heavy themes with such deep care and recognition for what it is. There is no glorification. Sure the resolution of the story happened quickly, but I felt that was necessary for the amount of themes that are covered and discussed in this book. Kierra is such a beautiful character that I identify with so deeply. Her caring nature and gentleness, her wanting to do everything for everyone else to make sure they are okay, her determination and willpower to just simply get up everyday despite it all…each one of her traits is something I understand and deal with personally. Although her story is far different than mine, I see so much of myself in her. Reading this story gives me so much hope for my future. And Gabriel!!! What the kindest most loving man who deserves it all. He had such a beautiful ability to read people and their emotions so accurately. His patience, empathy, and reassurance is what won me over instantly. From his first introduction I knew I was going to love him and boy did he exceed all expectations. Gabriel is the man we all deserve. His story is so emotional, and with the flashbacks and present day structure of this story, despite what happened, he never lost the heart of himself. What a hopeful, genuine, emotional book that I will for sure be recommending!

📚 Quick Thoughts: This Book Wrecked Me (in the Best Way) 💔✨

I couldn’t put this book down—finished it in less than 12 hours! 😱 But wow, it took me days to emotionally recover. This story is intense. It’s not a fluffy romance, so check those trigger warnings, but trust me, it’s worth every tear. 😭

Kierra and Gabriel’s love story is such a rollercoaster. 🎢 They meet as kids, fall in love as teens, but a tragic accident rips them apart for nearly 20 years. When they reconnect, Gabriel doesn’t even remember her. Cue my heartbreak. 💔 Meanwhile, Kierra’s stuck in an abusive marriage, and Gabriel’s been waiting for the one he can’t seem to find (spoiler: it’s her!).

If you’ve read Brittainy C. Cherry’s Elements series, this has all those same feels—raw, emotional, and unforgettable. I’m officially obsessed and already craving more of her heart-wrenching stories. 😍

Big thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC. This one’s going to stick with me for a long time. 💕

I don't know how she does it, but every story that comes from Ms. Cherry just gets better and better, and I have been a long-time fan girl and have read everything she has written.

This is the story of childhood friends Kierra and Gabriel. Tragedy brings two children together, and tragedy breaks the young lovers apart.

Time and memory doesn't fade the soul-embracing love that exists between Kierra and Gabriel. They are each other's home, and even time and distance don't seem to deter that.

Fate cannot be denied in this story, from the surprise blast from the past to the way that these two gravitate toward each other, even when the present wants to continue to separate them.

This is a story that is going to pull your heart from your chest and slowly give it back to you in bits and pieces. This a love story that gives you a bumpy ride till the end, but it is so worth it!

If You Stayed by Brittainy Cherry
Plot: A-
Characters: B
Writing: A-
Setting: A-
Best Aspect: A good story line with realistic characters.
Worst Aspect: I little corny and predictable.
Recommend: Yes.

A true second chance romance. This book touches on so many topics including abuse {physical, emotional and verbal}, loss of a loved one, grief, guilt but most of all love. Brittainy Cherry has delivered an emotionally charged book with wonderful characters and a poignant story.

Life is never predictable and your course uncharted. One night changes the lives of Gabriel and Kierra and sends them off into the world alone.

Kierra has done well for herself if you look at her life from the outside in. Married to a very wealthy and powerful man, mother to a beautiful girl and a successful therapist. Sadly her loving husband isn't so loving behind closed doors.

Gabriel has moved on the accident that left him with no memory of his childhood and built a very successful architectural firm. When his work takes him to his clients home for a party Kierra and Gabriel cross paths but their reunion is only one sided since Gabriel doesn't remember her.

I loved their connection. It was as if they were tethered together at their souls. Gabriel feeling a connection and calm from just being near or spending time with Kierra.

I like the relationship that Gabriel forged with Ava too. His "fatherly instincts" to nurture her dreams and protect her ay all costs.

Once all of the secrets of their past were revealed the healing began. Gabriel and Kierra started to forge a new friendship but their feelings were definitely growing stronger day by day.

But her marriage to Henry was not just something she could walk away from. Years of "programming" her to play her role as the dutiful wife and threats of taking Ava from her kept her exactly where Henry wanted her.

Can she break the chains of her marriage and reclaim her 1st love and the life they have missed out on? Will Kierra and Gabriel overcome the obstacles in their path and prove that love conquers all?

Be sure to grab this book upon release and see for yourself.
Please be mindful of the author's note of trigger warnings to decide of this is a book for you.

“My soul always knew you, and it called out your name every single day.”

If You Stayed was a tragically beautiful and heartbreakingly emotional love story of two soulmates torn apart by tragedy and reunited in the strangest twist of fate. Gabriel and Kierra’s second chance story was a touching and complex story that absolutely touched my heart and took me on an emotional rollercoaster ride that I will not soon forget.

“Loving him wasn’t simply a choice; it was my destiny.”

My heart broke for Kierra and the life that she built after Gabriel. While everyone else thinks she’s living the perfect life, at home, her husband is emotionally and physically abusive and tears her down at every turn. Yet she has a beautiful spirit and the will to survive even in her darkest days.

“It makes sense that I loved you, because when I first saw you…I didn’t know you, but I could feel you. And when I felt you, I didn’t feel lost anymore.”

Gabriel doesn’t remember his first love after a tragic accident left him with amnesia. When Kierra reenters his life, she strikes a chord in him that brings him to life for the first time since his accident. He’s determined to get to know the woman who haunts his every thought.

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

The longing and bond between Kierra and Gabriel is palpable. You can feel it through the pages even when Gabriel doesn’t understand why there seems to be that string that connects them. This is a story that is not for the faint of heart and will absolutely gut you, but it’s also a beautiful story about the resiliency of the human spirit and how two souls that are meant to be together will inevitably find one another no matter what tries to keep them apart. If You Stayed was a beautiful, emotional and poignant read that will give you all the FEELS.