I thought this one started off promising, but soon fell flat. Same old, same old. Childhood deprivation, dysfunctional families, so on and so forth, by the time I had read three-quarters of the book I was dozing, I finished it because I didn't think it was fair to write a review unless I had gotten to the ending, but basically a waste of time. Not recommended. Sorry.

This book jumps right into four friends on a road trip, with nowhere to stay they hook up with an old school pal. After partying a little to hard, two stay with the old school pal and two go off with his friends to get some sleep. Not thinking straight after drinking and smoking a little too much the two friends put themselves in danger. This is where the book gets a little dark, friends become distance and they question everything they are to each other. Can they come through it? Are they so different that the friendship is over?
The writing in this book was good and clear. My only gripe was with the character Clare; she starts off being a sassy, confident daughter of a famous author and then kinds of sinks into herself. I kept thinking why has she not asked Lee what happened that night? I found myself disliking her more and more though out the book and this kind of dampened on my enjoyment.
That said I really enjoyed the plot and how well it was brought together and would defiantly try another book by the author

Outstanding character study with compelling, sympathetic characters in Clare and Lee and a story that will have you turning pages to see what happens to everyone. I loved the ending. Karen Day is incredibly talented and I will definitely read her next one.

I’ll Stay, Lee says to her best friend, Clare, as they find themselves in a sketchy situation that forebodes something horrendous. In Daytona Beach with their sorority sisters Ducky and Sarah, Lee and Clare have crashed for the night at the home of friends of friends, and their lives change forever.

Clare’s mother is a Milton scholar and author of an award-winning novel about a young girl and her brother who kills himself after returning from the Vietnam war. This book defines and confines her family’s life, and Clare is stuck.

While this started out very promising, it ultimately fails, as the character of Clare somehow goes from a talented writer and confident, ambitious young woman, to someone riddled by guilt for leaving Lee to fend for herself with a crowd of menacing men. And the shadow of Clare’s mother looms large.

It is astonishing to me that Clare has no self-insight whatsoever, never asks Lee what happened, and just coasts through life, married to a workaholic lawyer, trying to take care of everyone. It is not made clear why this caretaker role is so defining for Clare until the very last pages. Ultimately, what could have been a good story just falls flat. It is full of implausible situations and red herrings, all of which show just how shallow Clare is. This book had potential. Unfortunately, it is not realized. It just drags on and on.

I received this book from NetGalley as an ARC. I am under no obligation to write a positive review.

It was supposed to be a fun Florida getaway for four college girls during their senior year, but it turns into a nightmare. Clare and her best friend Lee, are accosted by some men who clearly mean to do them harm. Lee pleads with them to let Clare go, saying she will stay if they do. The girls never speak of what happened that night, but it takes its toll on both of them, especially Lee. Lee has completely withdrawn from the world, giving up on everything she ever dreamed of doing. Clare feels she owes it to Lee to try to help her get over whatever happened that terrible night, but is it even possible?

Karen Day delivers a tense tale of precaution in "I'll Stay," a novel about four college friends who carry the guilt of a long-ago vacation break nightmare. Two friends of the four drift apart when they can't break through the wall of shame after one stayed and one left one night in Florida. The author presents characters carved by deep faults, but yet whose pieces fit together - most of the time. "I'll Stay" is a look at how the past impacts the present and how redemption starts within one's self.

What would you do to protect your best friend? What would they do to protect you? At a party two collage friends find themselves alone with a group of guys who meant to harm them. With what appeared to be a situation with no way out, Lee made the ultimate sacrifice for her best friend Clare when she said "Let her go, I'll Stay" and Clare was able to escape unharmed.

Clare found help and came back for Lee but whatever happened to Lee was never spoken about and Lee became a shell of the person she was.

This story continues years later and shows the growth and changes in friendship and sometimes unspoken words and secrets.

I wish I could give this book 4 stars because this book had so much more potential. I just felt the storyline was dragged out way too much and because of that I give it three stars. I kept waiting for it to get to the point and also to learn about what happens to Lee. Honestly, minus the part of learning what happened to Lee, the rest was a let down.

Unfortunately the second copy of the book wasn't readable either. Hopefully they can get this fixed so it can be read and reviewed.
Thank you Netgalley

I cannot review this book because the actual book was not in the link.