I am a Big Big Fan of Alexa Riley. They are Simple Amazing. Their Stories are Swoon Worthy, Sweet and Plain Romantic. Ivan and Penelope Stole my Heart. This Russian Mafia Soldier is Hard yet Sweet. The First time he laid eyes on Penelope he falls for her Hard.

Stay Close is Another Hit from Alexa Riley. I Could not get enough of it and wanted more. I am so happy Next Novella is coming soon. I Highly Recommend all the Readers to read this Amazing book right now. You will Love It.

What happens when the bodyguard hired to protect you is the man you want to give yourself to completely? What will he do when he discovers your virtue is still intact? Will his past scare her away?
Will her family accept they could find happiness together?

A short read with some spice.

2.5 Stars

I am so sad to say that I didn't like this one. You all know that I love Alexa Riley books but I just couldn't get into this one. It just wasn't for me.

A former Russian mafia soldier is hired to protect a friend’s young daughter, but he knows he’ll do more than keep her safe—he’ll make her his. Forever.
I’ve read books from this author before and have enjoyed her stories and I was glad this didn’t disappoint. It was a hot and quick read that paid off. I can’t wait to read the next story from this author.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Quick and speedy sexy read. Penelope and Ivan and hotter than hot. I really enjoyed their story, I just wish the ending hadn't been so rushed! Other than that, in true Alexa Riley form you get and over-the-top alpha male adnd the woman he falls completely prey to.

I know exactly what I'm getting with an Alexa Riley novel and I think that's why I pick them up. I know they'll be quick, naughty, and happy by the end. These quick reads remind me of the Harlequin novels of old...and even as I'm reading them I can't help but smile at how over the top they are. I love that these writers know exactly who they are, who their characters are, and who their audience is. Very smart writers, marketers, and I love that they've created this niche for themselves. Kudos to them.

3.5 stars

The queens of short stories have created another cute read. Stay Close is your typically AR short story. It’s the story of Penelope Justice. A twin daughter of Ryan and Paige from His Alone (For Her series #2). Since they were brought up in this book, I’m hopeful we’ll get stories about her sister Pandora and their cousin Henry next.

Paige and Ivan’s love happened as quickly as her parents. There’s only a brief hiccuping these characters and their relationship but they were able to overcome over come that pretty quickly.

While I enjoyed this book I’m left wanting more. I wanted more of Ivan’s story. How did he became involved with Ryan and Paige? What secrets lied between these 3 characters?

Both girls have been guarded their entire life but we weren’t given any element of a threat or why they needed guards. I felt that it was missing any sort of drama or suspense.

**Disclaimer: Please be advised this is a spin-off series from the fantastic For Her books, featuring the children of those couples. This is Penelope's story, one of the twin daughters of Ryan and Paige. Their story is told in His Alone, book two of the For Her series. Read them. So good.

Ivan, a colleague of Ryan and Paige's, has been trusted with one of the most precious things in their life, their daughter, Penelope. So, this former Russian mafia soldier is now a bodyguard to the one woman he wants more than his next breath, and yet, he can't have her.

Penelope, at eighteen, knows what her parents do for a living, and as such, as heads of the security division for a well-known company, she's met with some intense people, but there's something about the man, and he is definitely all man, meeting with her dad and mom right now that calls to her.

"As crazy as it sounds I think he’s mine. I don’t know why but when I saw him, it was all I could think." - Penelope

The connection, without a word even being exchanged, between Ivan and Penelope is tangible, intense, and irresistible. Penelope has a history of ditching her guards, but in Ivan's case, she never wants to lose him. As for Ivan, he now knows his whole life happened the way it did to pave his path to her.

"She is mine. I feel it deep down in a place I didn’t even know was there." - Ivan

But Ivan, feeling he isn't worthy of her, that his past, his darkness, can only ruin her innocence, her light, pushes her away, hurting her, and so, he fulfills his own prophecy.

"The only thing that matters is the light in Penelope’s eyes, and as she walked away I saw it fade. A piece of me wanted this to happen, knowing it was for the best. But the rest of me is screaming in agony." - Ivan

However, Ivan knows the battle is already lost, he is hers and she is his. Nothing and no one will stop what is fated to be, least of all him.

How will Penelope's parents react to her and Ivan's relationship? How will Pandora to her twin's, and therefore hers as well, life changing? How quickly can Ivan talk Penelope into having their wedding? Psst...yes, of course there's a HEA. This wonderful duo wouldn't write anything else.

One-click now and follow along as two people instantly fall in love and start their new journey.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.**

A quick fast read by the wonderful Alexa Riley. It catches the reader up on the life of Penelope Justice who we see her parent in His Alone. Penelope is now 18 and is ready to fall in love. Enter Ivan her new bodyguard who see her as a woman not just his assignment. Insta love that Riley is know for. Sets up Pandora's book perfectly for the future.

I'm not sure what I expected from this, but more plot would have been nice. This is really not a story with a whole lot of meat behind it. It's fun and there are some sweet and hot moments. Sadly, the good foundation that started in this story faltered.

This starts out really interesting because Ivan is a former Russian mafia soldier. The potential for a meaty story is there. Sadly, once he meets Penelope it becomes a game of cat and mouse that comes off more childish than anything. Penelope is 18, spoiled, and in need of protection. Though, not once does she come into a situation where she actually NEEDS any protection. And Ivan? This declined man who is dangerous, turns into somebody else as soon as he sees Penelope. The insta love here just didn't work for me and had me bored through most of it.

It's cute, don't get me wrong. But it maybe came to me at the wrong time.

Great short story! Loved how romantic it was and how it did have a HEA ending! I ALSO love how it flashed into the future!! Thanks Alexa Riley! Awesome book!!

2.5 stars.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Alexa Riley, and <i>Stay Close</i> had an intriguing blurb. The opposites attract with a Russian bodyguard and the young innocent miss. The story had a lot of potential, but <i>Stay Close</i> fell short of my expectations. I just wasn’t feeling this one.

Penelope Justice has a new bodyguard, and she’s attracted to the rough and tumble Russian. Ivan seems to have the same feelings towards her. Is there a way for two people from opposite sides of the world to be together?

<i>If she were to simply whisper my name, I would be at her feet, begging to touch what I shouldn’t, taste what doesn’t belong to me, run my hands along the sweet innocence she taunts me with.</i>

I’m not a fan of insta-love, but this one started off pretty well. Penelope’s the innocent virgin and Ivan is the battle-hardened Russian with tattoos. I could understand the appeal on both sides. Ivan wants someone soft, and Penelope is tired of the boys at her school. Ivan is all man.

This story was very, very sweet. Penelope’s kind of sheltered, but I enjoyed her. Ivan definitely nabs her attention. It’s short so I didn’t expect too much background on the characters. There’s enough meat to it, but I still would have liked a more in-depth look. Ivan’s got an interesting back story, but it only gets briefly mentioned.

Penelope, however, just felt very one-sided and flat. There really is no angst, but I would have liked a little more conflict to flesh her out. I didn’t feel one way or another for her in particular.

My biggest hindrance in enjoying this book was the prose. About halfway through, the connection became lost in glossy, flowery language. Ivan spends much of the early pages thinking he’s not good enough for Penelope. All of a sudden, he’s got a magic member and he becomes very presumptuous about Penelope and her feelings. Everything was just a little too easy.

At the end of the day, I like more grit to my stories. While this one was super sweet and had some pleasant steam, the overwritten passages simply left me missing a genuine connection. I think lovers of instalove and a super sweet story will enjoy this one more.

This one was a lot of fun to read, as usual for AR.
Always the insta-love that they have perfected so well!

"She is mine. I feel it deep down in a place I didn't even know was there."

Hot guy!
Beautiful woman!
Scenes that make you steam and sweat!

"Every time we connect there is love - love of our bodies, love of our spirits, love of our souls."

They simply fell in love. No twists and turns, nail biting moments, super angst, it was refreshing!

I am a huge fan of Alexa Riley books so when I saw I heard about Stay Close I was so excited and I dived into this novella as soon as I possibly could . I loved it! , Ivan and Penny's story was a sweet, sexy insta love and I enjoyed every minute of it. I could not put this story down, once I started it I zoomed through it. This is a novella so it amazes me how much Alexa Riley was able to fit into this story . I LOVED LOVED LOVED to stay close and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next novella in the series . If you are looking a sweet, sexy, romance that will warm your heart and make you want to fan your self at the same time then you should definately get a copy of Stay Close as soon as you can.

4.5 stars

I really liked this book. I struggled a bit with their other full length books. But this one hit all the spots for me! This book had all the things I love in an Alexa Riley book. It was swoon worthy... there was some Insta love going on and the most important thing... it was super hot!!

Ivan had a rough time growing up. He had to do a lot of things he didn't want to to do in order to survive. He got out of his situation just in time. He was able to change his life around with the help of Osbourne Corp International.
Penelope (the daughter of Ryan and Paige from the His Alone book) needed a new security guy. Penelope wasn't to happy to get a new guy following her around. But once she laid eyes on Ivan. She knew he was different. She felt this pull towards him. As he felt it too.

"but if she were to simply whisper my name, I would be at her feet, begging to touch what I shouldn’t, taste what doesn’t belong to me, run my hands along the sweet innocence she taunts me with. An innocence I shouldn’t want but crave. Something so pure and untouched like nothing I’ve ever known before."

I like how they didn't just pounce on each other right away. Even though they wanted each other so bad. And yes they got together fast too. They still took their time.

“I know that I’ve never experienced love before and that the feelings I have now for you are unlike anything I’ve felt before. My soul was bound to yours the first time we touched. If that is love, then I love you, Penelope. But it feels like more than that. More than one word.”

Penelope told and showed Ivan that he would always be wanted by her. That she would be his family.

“I love you, Ivan.” She touches my cheek and smiles so sweetly at me. “My heart is in your hands, krasotu.”

I loved the Ryan/Ivan scene! Oh man... confronting daddy that he loved his little girl is never easy! But Ivan handled it perfectly! I loved it!

This was a good read! I can't wait for Pandora's story!!

Stay Close can absolutely be read as a standalone. Even though it is a spin-off of another series, you will not be lost. Although, I’m not sure why you don’t want to read all the AR books in the world! I certainly can’t get enough of them.

Penny is the daughter of Captain and Paige, who we first meet in the For Her Series. It was certainly great to get a bit more of their epic love and seeing how strong it still is. Being a twin of course brings a special bond and Penny’s bond with her sister is no different. However, the two of them definitely have their own personalities. Penny is considered the softer one with a bigger heart. One that everyone seems to want to shield. So when a big bad Russian named Ivan shows up, everyone thinks she should stay away. Yes, he’s her bodyguard but it should be left at that.

Ivan has grown up on the streets and has done a lot of stuff that he would like to forget. Life has made him rough and he’s resigned to the fact that he is emotionally cut off and will forever be alone. Until he locks his eyes on Penny. From that very first moment, he knew she was his.

So in typical AR form, we get the over the top sweetness. Penny is the shy virgin and Ivan is the strong, assertive male. The one thing that was missing for me was the alpha tendencies that we normally get in an AR book. This one was a bit tamer. Sure, he made sure she ate and she has him wrapped about her finger even while he might be telling her what to do but it’s never bossy and full blown alpha that I’ve come to love.

I know I’m in the minority here and don’t let my rating fool you, I did really enjoy this book. I just didn’t connect enough to give that good and tingling vibe that I normally get. This is clearly a case of “it’s not you, it’s me” so make sure you grab this one up and gobble it down. If you are a fan of AR already or just like over the top sweetness with instalove, then get this book!

You loved Captain and Paige story from His Alone? You need to know the love stories of their children. And naturally, no one is doing instalove like Alexa Riley.

The heroine, Penelope is a sweet and quiet one of the twin sisters. But they both like to make some trouble, and for their safety their parents employ bodyguards. Ivan is the new one for Penelope. At first sight he admires her, but his dark past does not allow him to get close to someone so sweet and innocent. She has a different opinion on this.

Standard Alexa Riley. Alpha hero, innocent girl, growing obsession, hot scenes and insta love. I enjoyed it, but sometimes I'm missing the moment of surprise. But it still doesn't bother me enough to not reach for another story from this two.

This is a short novella, fast to read and hot as hell. If you are looking for something like this you will surely be satisfied.

I was mildly disappointed because I thought the book would be longer and it really could've been, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It features Paige and Ryan's (from His Touch) twin daughters, Penelope and Pandora, at 18 years old. It's the intense insta-love that we've come to love and expect from the writing duo, with a measure of sweetness that I didn't expect. I really do wish the book was longer - there's only one (and maybe a half) sex scenes during the book and then 2 quickies in the epilogue and I just expected more. I am intrigued and excited about Pandora's story and I hope her love interest is who I think was hinted at in this book. I give Stay Close 3.5 out of 5 wine glasses.

Stay close is a very enjoyable novella in a new series by Alexa Riley. The for you series is a spin-off of the full-length series by the authors. In this book, we meet Penelope and Ivan. Penelope is the daughter of Paige and Ryan, the main characters in His alone the second novel in the series. They hire Ivan to be Penelope's bodyguard, but they are unable to resist each other. Everything went off too fast and yet not fast enough. I loved this tiny book. At one time I got a wtf thought since I realized how fast the book was going and I would love nothing more than seeing more of Penelope and Ivan. I can see why everyone loves the novellas written by Alexa Riley. There is no room for any character development, but the book didn't lack compare to the full length novel.

This was an okay read. Ivan and Penny were cute.Ivan was dark and swoon worthy.Penny was kind and sweet.This story was sweet and at the same time cute and hot.I love Alexa's books but this one wasn't one of my favorite there were moments it was slow and in some parts boring hopefully the next book will be much better.