Blurb:
What would happen if
you lost everything? If the people who were supposed to love you
unconditionally were no longer there for you, how would your world
change?
Madeleine Becker lost everything when her parents died
when she was ten years old. Ripped from her home and everything that
she has ever loved, she is forced to start all over again. The only way
for her to move on is to build walls around her heart and keep everyone
at a safe distance. Her logic: she can't get hurt if she doesn't fall
in love.
That theory is blown to pieces when she meets Reid
Connely during her freshman year at college. He is gorgeous and darkly
mysterious. He understands Maddy's pain all too well, but sharing his
pain would mean breaking down the walls he put up around his own heart.
Conflicted between loving Maddy and hiding his dark past, Reid starts to
reevaluate his world. Maddy's inner strength, snarky personality and
breath taking beauty help Reid to make peace with his past.
Together they find out what happens when they let love in
Angie J's Review:
Ok so I signed up to Read Let Love Stay not realizing it was book 2 in the series. Well I am an OCD reader and cannot read book 2 without reading book 1. So i quick downloaded it and poured through the book today. I was hooked!!
I loved the concept of the idea. 2 people who have lost loved ones who are broken. Maddy is open to finding love where Reid feels he is a lost cause. The 2 meet at a party and instant chemistry. Maddy SEES the pain Reid has and he SEES that she can SEE him. He FREAKS out. Being the total Douche Bag Player he hooks up with a total hooch and is a jerk to Maddy. Well she is hurt because she felt the spark but wont be played by a player. The two have a few more run ins but Maddy is over it. She is hanging out with Reids roomie and Reid isn't happy but doesn't understand this connection he feels for her. Well one night he saves Maddy from a bad situation and they confess their feelings of attraction. Both admit to having walls but seem willing to try a relationship.
The books is really good at keeping you in the characters heads but also letting you see how they feel about the other. You can see each character self doubting why the other wants to be with them because they are soo messed up. The big plot lines are when Reid starts getting phone calls and he wont answer...is he cheating???? Then Maddy and him have an argument about his mother and LOTS of hurtful things are said which causes more drama for Maddy. The BIG CLimax of the book is the last chapter. Maddy is given some pretty life altering news and her relationship with Reid is rocked to the core. When the books ended I was immediately opening the next book because I need to know what happens.
I enjoyed this couple. I enjoyed them opening up and growing. I enjoyed them both risking their hearts on another when they haven't relied on others in a very long time.
Blurb:
If you’re
lucky, you’ll fall in love – truly, madly and deeply in love. But what happens when that honest and pure
love isn’t enough to erase your fears?
What happens when your past rears its ugly head and threatens your
future?
Maddy and
Reid had that kind of love – the all-encompassing, Earth shattering, once in a
lifetime kind of love. Then life
happened. Old wounds that were thought
to be long healed and scabbed over are ripped opened and they are forced to
face the possibility that, maybe, they are not strong enough to fight their
demons and embrace the light.
Together,
they found out what love is, but now they will each need to heal on their own
before they can ever be together again.
They must face their fears and beat down their pasts in order to find
their way through this crazy uphill battle called love.
They’ve let
love in, but now, they need to find out how to Let Love Stay.
Bonus
Scene #2 – Let Love Stay Blog Tour – Melissa Collins
“What about this one?” I hold a random carton of ice cream in front
of me. Picking out an ice cream flavor
should not be this difficult.
Leave it to Maddy, though.
Holding the pint of Ben and Jerry’s, she’s actually
reading the label. “Maddy! Does it really matter? It’s ice chocolate. It’s peanut butter. What else could you want? Let’s just get this one.” I wrap my arms
around her waist and nuzzle into her neck.
I know what’ll get her ass in gear.
“The sooner we get home,” I lick her neck to emphasize my point, “the
sooner we can start the movie. And the
sooner we start the movie, well, then,” one more lick just to bring the point
home, “the sooner we can get distracted by other things.” I shove certain “other things” into her fine,
tight ass just to continue emphasizing my point.
Damn! Now I
want to get out of here for entirely different reasons.
I feel her melt against me and I know I’ve won.
“Hmmm,” is the only response of which she’s capable.
The superhero fanatic in me fist pumps in the
air. I have been dying to see the new
Batman movie since it came out on DVD, but well, even when you put Batman up
against hot sex with your girl, well, sex always wins.
Walking hand in hand to the cashier, Maddy stares up
at me dreamily. “I know what we could do
instead of watching one of your silly ‘boy movies’.” She arches an eyebrow at me and I know
exactly what she means. She’s not
getting off that easily. Well, I mean
she will, eventually. But, dammit I’m
watching my movie first.
I pull her to my side as we walk away from the
cashier. “Oh no you don’t! The last time we rented this DVD, you won.”
She huffs a sigh at me. “What the heck is that supposed to mean, ‘I
won?’” Her words are shocked, but playfully so.
She knows exactly what I mean.
As we walk up to the car, I open the door for her
and lean into her neck once again. “You
know exactly what I mean. Now, if you
let me watch my movie first”, I lick
a seductive path from her neck up to her jawline and hover above her lips.
When I’ve rendered her speechless, I move my lips to
speak at they flutter on top of her.
“Well, if you let me watch this first, then you’ll win over and over and
over again.”
Her responding groan is all I need to hear to know
that I’ve won. Boy movie night it
is. Not to be overshadowed by “the
hottest sex of your life” sex night either.
*****
In true Maddy fashion, she passed out on my lap less
than thirty minutes into the movie. That works out perfectly for me
actually. I got to watch the movie and
now I get to carry a drowsy Maddy up to her room and, well, you know.
She barely stirs as I move to pick her up, but by
the time I’m halfway up the stairs she finally wakes up.
“Did I miss the movie?” She asks sleepily while pressing her lips
against my neck.
“You sure did, sweetheart. But don’t worry, we can watch it again
tomorrow night.” My response is met with
a playful swat to the ass.
I didn’t even realize her hand was back there!
As I drop her onto the bed, she looks up at me
lustfully. Oh, hell! Two can play at that game. I feign a yawn and plop down next to her. “I’m beat, Maddy. Let’s go to sleep.” Trying my best to hide my smile, I turn on my
side and curl away from her.
I can hear her harrumph and fidget on the bed. Before I can say or do anything, she’s
pinching me on the side, tickling the shit out of me. Oh it’s on now!
With lightning quick reflexes, I turn over to her
and wrap my legs around hers, essentially pinning her into place. “So that’s how you want to play it,
huh?” I pull her arms above her head and
encircle both of her tiny wrists in one of my hands.
Her eyes dilate and I can see how hard she has to
work to swallow past her desire. Just
when I have her where I want her, I reach for her breast with my other
hand.
Hovering above her supple flesh, I wink at her and
then change tactics quickly. Pinching
and tickling at her sides and underarms has her squirming beneath me in
seconds.
“Reid…stop…please… that tickles…” Her words trail off into a fit of hysterical
laughter.
When she’s out of breath, I press my lips softly to
hers and stare into her deep green eyes.
“Love you, babe.”
“I love you, too, Reid. Now can we finally go to sleep?” She arches her hips up into mine on the word
“sleep” and I know “sleep” is the last thing either one of us have planned.
Angie J's Review:
I received this book for an honest review.
So I fell in love with the characters of this series....Reid the bad boy player turned whipped boyfriend and Maddy the girl who has had nothing but heartache who transforms said bad boy.
The end of the first book was not a HEA because both Reid and Maddy have serious issues to over come. Throughout this novel, the two of them are trying to fix their past demons to make it right for two of them to have a future.
Reid has shown sooo much growth from the first novel. He is doing everything to get his girl back. I loved when he shows up at Maddy's work and sees her with another guy. WELL, Reid isnt a very big sharer soooo he knopcked the guy out. I had to giggle a bit because WE, the reader, know there is nothing going on BUT Reid is Mr. Possessive Alpha Male. I did like Reid and his mother making a connection and finding out her side of what happened when Shane dies (Reid's brother). it was also very eye opening to find out a little bit more about Shane and his love life.
Maddy matures but because she is expecting she has to make grown up decisions. She is always hoping Reid will be there but she has to worry about her baby more then him. She definitely helps him make better choices WHEN they stop yelling and talk to figure things out.
The tone of this book is very different from the first. This book they are struggling to be together and make their situation work where the last book was "college fun times". I did enjoy the book and can't wait for Melanie and Dylan's books. I really want to know if Melanie and Bryan can make things work.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Let Love
Stay by Melissa Collins
Blog Tour
Schedule
August 5
August 6
August 7
August 8
August 9
August 12
August 13
August 14
August 15
August 16
About the Author:
website
twitter username
I am an independent author /
self-publisher in the Contemporary Romance / New Adult genre. I hope
that you love reading my stories as much as I love writing them.
My
other job is teaching high school English. I'm passionate about
reading and love getting lost in a good book, especially when it's the
one that comes from my own mind.
I'm a wife, mother of 3 beautiful boys and lover of all things romance.
