I was very excited about this new series from Toni Blake. I’m a big fan of her Destiny series and when she said that this series would have a similar feel, I couldn’t wait to get started! I will say that I definitely got some of the same feels. Set in a small town, there’s a much sweeter and slower pace to these books that I absolutely adore. But for me, the biggest similarity was the conflict. ONE RECKLESS SUMMER had one of the most interesting conflicts I’ve ever read and this book has something quite similar to it.

I will give a warning to readers though. The heroine, Meg, is in a one-sided relationship with a local guy named Zach. Although they’ve had this thing going on between them, Zach has never really fully committed to her, leaving her wondering if she’s even in a proper relationship at all.

This is where Seth comes in and he basically sweeps her off her feet. Their chemistry is instant and fiery, making her relationship with Zach seem like nothing in comparison. I know a lot of people will see this as cheating, which is why I wanted to give a warning because I know for a lot of people it’s a hard limit in the romance books they read. I’m in the same boat, but actually Blake made this conflict work for the book. This book is really about choosing your own happiness and following your heart and I think she handles it well. But I know that from the blurb, it kind of gives off a different vibe. In the end, I enjoyed it and it’s quite obvious who the heroine will end up with.

I know that I will be looking forward to the other books in the series. There really is no one who writes Contemporary Romances like Toni Blake. She simply writes some of my favorites.

Ahhhhh, I just love small town romance. And Toni is a matter at it. She sucks me in and I usually read her in a day!!!

The One Who Stays is an emotional ride you won't want to miss. This story is filled with ups and downs, some winding roads and a couple of sharp turns that create some unusual conflict along the way, but what a wonderful story with amazing characters.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

Toni Blake is an author whose books I've enjoyed over the years. More than a few sit on my keeper shelves so I was excited to hear that she was embarking upon a new contemporary romance series. The One Who Stays, a slow-paced, small-town story launches her A Summer Island series and left me with mixed feelings. I'm not sure if this book is intended to be a contemporary romance or a women's fiction story so I'll approach it from both perspectives.

As a romance, the story left me wanting more. I knew pretty early on which of the two men in Meg's life I preferred but I was never convinced that Meg's ultimate decision came from a place of deep, genuine, "I can't live without him" love. They have a solid friendship but I wanted more romantic development, more emotional depth between them. I like them both and I'm hopeful that their relationship will continue to evolve throughout the series and that I'll have that certainty by the end.

As a coming of age, women's fiction novel, I enjoyed it very much. Because, even though Meg is almost forty, because of past events that impacted her life, this is in many ways her coming of age. She's just now beginning to figure out what she wants from life, and gathering the courage to go after it. Zack and Seth are both on journeys of their own, and both play critical roles in Meg's journey, as do Meg's close friends on the island, but her main source of guidance comes from the diary that appears during the renovation of her inn. Giving her unexpected insights into her beloved grandmother's life as a young woman, her diary provides both a link to the woman who was so instrumental in Meg's life and a blueprint to aid Meg in figuring out her own life.

Blake does a good job of creating the laid-back environment of Northern Michigan's islands and the close-knit community of individuals who live there year-round. The supporting cast is interesting, with color provided by quirky islanders, and intriguing newcomers with past baggage, and a few secrets, that will undoubtedly be unraveled in the books to come.

Book two in the series, The Giving Heart, is scheduled to be released October 29 and features Meg's sister, Lila and real estate developer, Beck in a Christmas romance. I already have it on pre-order. But the book I'm most intrigued by is The Love We Keep, third in the series and scheduled for release January 28, 2020. I have a suspicion that one will be overflowing with all the "feels."

*ARC received via Netgalley
*Opinions expressed are unbiased and my own

4 stars

[ She supposed if you didn't ask for what you wanted in this world, you could only blame yourself for not having it.]
Warning: Sorry (not sorry), this review is expletive-filled; enjoy!

I'm going to start with the headline that this romance book is unlike any other romance book I have ever read . And I mean that in reference to books that truly fall in the romance genre, not fiction books that heavily feature a romance. When compared to every single other trade romance book I have read ... this was insanity. INSANITY, PEOPLE!!

Let me be clear, it wasn't a bad thing—I mean yes, it was a TOTAL mind-fuck—but as you can see from my 4-star rating, I ended up very much enjoying this book and found it to be a lovely and emotional read.

So where does the mind-fucking come in? you ask. THERE ARE TWO HEROES AND YOU TRULY DON'T KNOW WHO THE HEROINE WILL END UP WITH! AND IT'S ALSO NOT CLEAR WHICH ONE YOU SHOULD BE HOPING SHE ENDS UP WITH!!!! Like WHAT. THE. FUCK. #mindblown Yes, sometimes romances feature a love triangle setup (though it's quite rare to begin with), but at least with all the ones I've read, it has always been extremely clear who the "hero" is and who the heroine should and will end up with—whether the other guy is setup as the villain or actually a supremely likable guy (who is probably then going to get his own story later on). WE HAVE CLARITY, PEOPLE.

I hate love triangles, so was nervous about this from the start. Because of the book summary, I knew that Meg, our heroine, is in a relationship with Zack, but it's one of those "it's complicated" situations and is very undefined (to the point of being non-exclusive, we learn). But whatever, Meg has a boyfriend—no big deal, I'm going to expand my horizons and be a big girl; I can deal with a love triangle, sometimes the author does it well and doesn't make it too angsty (not an angst fan). Usually the new guy coming in is going to be our hero, but from the book summary it actually wasn't clear whether that would be the case—note I wrote from the book summary. Because of course, within the first few pages we're going to know immediately. Duh.

So I start reading ... and I notice that I'm getting much more of the story from Meg's perspective than Seth's. He's staying a bit of a mystery to me longer than I would have expected, not getting a feel for him yet or what he's about, but okay, maybe that's on purpose, sometimes author's don't do an equal balance at the beginning.

Hmm, but this is weird, I'm starting to get third-person perspective from Zack—and not a paragraph or two, I'm talking whole sections. Umm, and he's realizing he actually loves Meg? And he doesn't want to lose what they have? And he's changing his behavior and wants to express himself more to her and make his feelings clear?

(If that's not confusing enough, let me be clear that during all this, it's also very clear that she still loves Zack; yes, it's complicated, because she has resentment towards him and is dissatisfied with their relationship, but she does truly love him.) Soooo ... Zack is the hero?

But she and Seth have this explosive chemistry building up to something, right? Okay, answer received: yes. And now they're developing an emotional connection and bond? I'm also learning about Seth finally and getting bigger sections from his POV.

But. So. What? Zack is off sailing and missing her? And she misses him?? But Seth is drawn to her?? And she's drawn back???

WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE PEOPLE?!?! WHO AM I SUPPOSED TO WANT HER TO END UP? One of the defining characteristics of a romance book is that you know the ending—it's all about the journey. So yeah, this book was taking me on a journey alright, BUT WHAT THE FUCK WAS THE DESTINATION????????

Because I want you to be able to experience the same mind-fucking that I did (I know, you're welcome), I'm not going to say much more. Very compelling and well-written characters. Meg is the main character, Zack and Seth are the supporting actors; the entire story is character-driven and really takes you on ups and downs (clearly).

Blake did such a good job of portraying the tension and confusion that each of the characters feel, the weight of these momentous decisions they're taking and choices they have to make, how their past has shaped them and how they're trying to decide what they want for their futures. Is another one of those few romances that brought a tear to my eye (very rare).

Would have really liked an Epilogue; wanted a closing frame showing me what Meg and (view spoiler) look like together, a little farther down the road.

*This review is of an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Some changes and/or edits may be made to the final published version.

3.5 stars
A quick sweet read with a touch of romance.
Meg is an Innkeeper an Inn she inherited from her grandmother. The coziness and the people on Summer Island are her home. She had been in an on again off again relationship with Zach. But when a stranger comes to the Island her world has shifted. Meg knows what she wants but Zach hasn't shown her that the future she envisions will be possible by his side.
But Seth the handsome stranger might do all that and more. Even though he has secrets and is reserved Meg hire him to work on the Inn and soon a friendship begins to blossom into something more.
The One Who Stays is more than just finding love is about finding yourself.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

The One Who Stays is a heartwarming, inspiring story about Meg, a cancer survivor and innkeeper who lives year round on Summer Island. Meg moved to Summer Island while recovering from leukemia. Her grandmother took care of her, then Meg stayed to help her run the Inn, she never left. Meg is a hardworking woman who is content in her life with Zack, a fisherman who spends as much or more time at sea than with Meg. Recently, she is realizing that she wants more of a commitment than Zack is willing to give. When Seth Darden appears on the island looking for work as a handyman, neither of them is prepared for the emotions each stirs in the other.

This was a sweet, heartwarming story that will have a happy ending if they can move beyond their secrets and be totally honest with one another. They both have issues in their past that they need to deal with before they can move forward to find a happy ending and a place to call home. I enjoyed this hopeful romance. The women who live on the island and are Meg's friends, are supportive, welcoming, and authentic. The story is not only a romance, but there is a bit of a mystery as well as some drama. It has relationship dynamics, emotion, family, friendship, community, life, loss, and love. The story was well written with good pacing. Overall, The One Who Stays is a heartfelt story about accepting the things you cannot change, letting go of the past and the things that make you unhappy, taking chances, and moving on. This story introduces Summer Island and the wonderful people that live there. I read the second book in the series before this one, so I already know this is a great series and I highly recommend both this book and the series.

It took me weeks....scratch that months to read this book and I still haven't finished. It's one of those books that you keep reading just to find out where the story really ends. It's not terrible but it's not the best. Hopefully I finish it.

The One Who Stays is the first book in the Summer Island series. This is Meg and Seth's story. I'll start by saying that I did ultimately enjoy the romance. I liked Meg and Seth as a couple. I was definitely rooting for them to have a HEA. I thought that Seth's story was kind of heartbreaking. I also loved the passages from Meg's grandmother's diary. The little twist that is in the end wasn't too hard to figure out, but it was sweet.

What I didn't love was the love triangle story line. I understand that Meg had a history with Zack, but honestly it dragged on way too long. The "who will she choose?" storyline was ridiculous. I mean we know who she will end up with so the entire scenario was unnecessary and it got old really fast. Despite this, I did end up liking the book in the end. I am looking forward to the next book, The Giving Heart.

This was a great book to read on a summer day. It was extra special to me as a Michigander reading a book set on an island in the Great Lakes. I was drawn in right from the beginning. The story is a great telling of a woman with conflicting loves along with glimpses of her grandmother’s love life in 1957.

A lovely story between two worlds! I really enjoyed this love story. This book was a good wholesome romance for all ages.

3.5 Stars! Romantic, engaging, and sweet!

The One Who Stays is a heartwarming, inspiring tale featuring the dependable innkeeper and cancer survivor Meg and the charismatic, secretive, hardworking Seth as they work together to unravel secrets from the past and find a place to truly call home.

The prose is light and hopeful. The characters are supportive, welcoming, and authentic. And the plot is a dramatic tale full of relationship dynamics, genuine emotion, family, friendship, community, life, loss, love, and a touch of romance.

Overall, The One Who Stays is a heartfelt, entertaining tale about accepting the things you cannot change, letting go of the past, rediscovering one’s self, taking chances, and moving on.

This is book 1 in the Summer Island series and while I normally love books by Toni Blake, I had a really hard time with this one. In it we meet Meg Sloan and Seth Darden. Meg has been dating a fisherman named Zack for years but is tired of him leaving her to spend most of his time on his boat doing what he loves along with his refusal to settle down with her. When she meet's Seth she isn't expects sparks to fly or for her to make a decision on where she wants her life to go this soon. But now she needs to make a choice and hope it's the right one.

I really did try to like this book but I think for me it seemed too much like a love triangle. Parts of it are extremely slow and too drawn out for me. But my biggest issue was that she is supposedly in love with Zack, even though she is tired of him leaving. But she doesn't even break things off with him fully before she decides to jump into something with Seth. And I didn't like that at all. I gave it 3 stars because while I didn't like the actions of the heroine, the writing isn't horrible. It's just not a story for me.

The new book in the Summer Island series is a great book for the beginning of the series. So charming and I find any story that that revolves around an island and an inn works for me. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Good book, though it read more like women's fiction than the romance I thought it was. It was enjoyable, but I frequently found my attention wandering to scrolling through facebook rather than reading the book. The only thing that kept me on task was that I was reading on a transatlantic flight, so distractions were limited.

Meg is an innkeeper on Summer Island, running the inn that she inherited from her grandmother. She retreated to the inn several years earlier, recovering from both a serious illness and the desertion of her fiancé when he found out about that illness. She likes the quieter lifestyle and the closeness of the resident community but also enjoys the bustle of the summer tourist season. For the past five years, she has been in a relationship of sorts with Zack, but she finds herself wanting more than he is willing to give.

Zack is a fisherman who spends long periods on his boat. He is content to leave his relationship with Meg as it is. He likes that she is there for him when he returns to port on Summer Island and doesn't complain when he leaves again.

Seth came to the island in search of work but also looking for something from his past. He visited once as a child, along with his grandparents, and a memory from that time has brought him back. Seth's past haunts him, and he is looking to make some significant changes.

The book opens as Zack leaves Meg once again. It is their fifth anniversary and Meg had made plans, but Zack behaves as if it is just another day. Meg finally faces the fact that Zack is unlikely ever to give her the commitment that she needs. With the idea that Zack may no longer be in her life, Meg contemplates the idea of selling the inn and moving away, starting a new life somewhere that she can find what she needs. Fate intervenes with the arrival of Seth, a handsome, younger man who is looking for work as a handyman. He is light-hearted and charming, and Meg hires him to do some needed repairs on the inn. She doesn't expect the attraction that flares between them.

I had fun watching the friendship that developed between Seth and Meg. He is an outrageous flirt and makes no secret of his attraction to Meg, but leaves it up to her whether to pursue it. In the meantime, they work together on projects around the inn, and Seth's attention to Meg gives her a taste of what could be. I loved all the little things that he did to show her how special she is. Meg is torn between her loyalty to Zack and the feelings she develops for Seth. Things become more complicated when Seth's presence makes Zack realize that he could lose the woman who is such a big part of his life. Can he let go of his past enough to give Meg what she needs? At the same time, Seth gets closer to solving the issue that brought him to Summer Island. His feelings for Meg grow deeper, but so do his fears of her reaction if he should confess his reasons for coming to the island. An unexpected part of Seth's past arrives on the island, forcing him to face those fears, and providing some much-needed healing. But will it be enough for him to believe that he deserves a chance at happiness?

As Meg and Seth work on the inn's renovations, they discover an old diary of her grandmother's, hidden long before. As Meg reads the diary, she finds some unexpected parallels with her own life. I loved Meg's surprise at the things she learned and how she used them to deal with her own problems. There was a surprising twist at the end of the diary that I didn't see coming and made me smile when all was revealed. I liked how it helped Meg face her fears and insecurities and embrace life on her own terms. The ending was terrific.

I liked the secondary characters, such as Meg's friend Suzanne and the other residents of the island. Suzanne was a good friend to Meg. I enjoyed how she was both a sounding board for Meg when she needed to talk, and also a kick-in-the-pants when Meg needed a little extra push to step outside her comfort zone. I liked how the residents looked out for each other, even though there was sometimes a little too much attention for Meg's comfort.

Meg gradually tries to cope with Zack’s lack of commitment. Some of the towns folks really pushed for him which struck me as odd since they were together for five years and he couldn’t commit. She then meets Seth who is a “drifter”. He is in town looking for work. She needs someone to help around the inn and pretty soon a friendship develops.

I love romance stories by Toni Blake. She knows how to deliver a cozy small town romance. So I became so excited to read this story once I discovered a brand new series by her. The problem that I have with this one is that the story has a women’s fiction vibe to it. The romance is very light.

The reader is inside Meg’s head throughout her whole journey of self-discovery. In fact, the reader is inside everyone’s head. There is so much inner dialogue and musings that very little is said. It is hard to stay in the story. I would have rather the story be told in first person.

I really like Seth. He makes his intentions towards Meg known upfront. He is genuinely a nice guy who hasn’t really found a place or reason to settle down. I kind of wanted more excitement for him to be honest.

As Meg is working on her romantic prospects, she is reading her grandmother’s diary. While the story, or should I say the romance, moved a bit too slow for my own romantic preference, I really enjoyed the parallel between Meg’s life and her grandmother’s. It sort of helped Meg figure things out for herself.

I would recommend this as a good beach read.

~ Samantha

This is the story of Meg, an innkeeper on Summer Island who has a lot of soul searching to do when two men are in her life. She has had an open relationship with Zach for five years as he leaves for long periods as a commercial fisherman. However, Zach then enters the picture as a handyman around the inn.
I would definitely call this novel women’s fiction rather than a romance novel. Yes there were elements of romance, but there was a lot more introspection and angst than action. At one point I really wanted to tell Meg to shut up and have a glass of wine.
There were elements that I really enjoyed too though which saved the book. I recently heard Sarah Morgan say that a well written setting becomes another character in the book and this is definitely true in this book. Blake paints a beautiful picture of Summer Island as a peaceful, friendly, safe island where one can go to heal. I could see it in my head and wanted to go there. It also played a large part in the story.
The characters were interesting and well written. I felt like I could also picture them, however I really had a difficult time liking Meg!
Finally, the diary element of the story was very cool and the ending was super unexpected! It was sweet and surprising which made me happy I had finished the book.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved visiting Summer Island. Meg and Seth were the perfect escape from hot summer days. Blake’s books are usually more about the heroine than the hero and this is no exception. I enjoyed watching Meg figure out what was best for her, even as she realized sometimes the best things are right in front of you.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this novel.

Toni Blake sets her newest series on Summer Island in Michigan. She chooses a unique background for her story and it allows her to build a romance in an isolated region. Ms. Blake spends a good bit of the story describing the surroundings. This story could not have taken place somewhere else.
Meg Sloan runs the Summerbrook Inn which her grandparents owned for years. She returned to the island to recover from her cancer treatments and then stayed to take over the Inn when her grandmother died. Meg loves the Inn and the island that surrounds her. Lately, she has found herself looking for something more. Meg is seeing a fisherman named Zack Sheppard. She loves him, but he goes out on the water fishing for months at a time often without warning. Is this a man she can build a life with?
Then she meets Seth Darden, a stranger who arrives on the island looking for work. He is a huge help as Meg starts to fix up the Inn. As she learns more about him, Meg finds herself falling for him and wondering if she can trust him. She has to figure out if he is worth risking her relationship with Zack.
I know that some readers will enjoy the lazy pace of this book especially when reading it during the summer, but for me it was just too slow. The story is told through the thoughts of the characters so there isn’t a lot of action or dialog in the book. I wanted things to move along more quickly and for the secrets that are revealed to have a more dramatic impact.
I also didn’t care overmuch for the characters. I found Meg to be a bit whiney and indecisive. I thought Zack needed to make some decisions and not keep letting his past be an excuse. Seth is someone who can’t really be trusted and keeps a lot of secrets. This book just wasn’t my style or preference.