Thank you for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book. I enjoy romantic sports novels and am a particular fan of authors like Hannah Grace, Rachel Reid, and Alexia Hall. One aspect I appreciate in their writing is the development of the characters' backgrounds and current circumstances before the romantic elements truly begin to unfold.

Unfortunately, with "Stay," I felt I didn't have the opportunity to get to know the characters on a deeper level, which ultimately impacted my enjoyment of the romance.

Alright, I've got to be real about 'Stay' by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen. I had some expectations going in, as I've loved their work before, but this one didn't meet my expectations.
The whole setup, with Hailey trying to figure out if her favourite client is this hotshot hockey player, Matt Eriksson, had potential, no doubt. There's that fun, slow-burn vibe going on, but honestly, the pacing felt off — like it was dragging in spots and then rushed in others. I found myself losing interest more than once, which is never a good sign.
The characters didn't quite grab me, either. Hailey was fine but forgettable, and Matt's storyline felt kinda cliché like I'd seen it a dozen times before in sports romance. The chemistry between them was supposed to be sizzling, but it never really sparked for me. The dialogue sometimes came across as a bit forced, which made it harder to become invested.
It's not all bad, though. The writing style is smooth, and moments of charm are sprinkled throughout. But overall, the story didn't feel fresh or compelling enough to stick with me. I was hoping for that addictive page-turner feeling, and it just didn't deliver.
In the end, Stay was a miss in my book. It's not terrible, but it's not the kind of read I'd rush to recommend or revisit. It just didn't vibe with me the way I wanted it to.

Thank you Sourcebooks Bloom Books and net galley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As an avid Elle Kennedy fan, and a reader of all her off campus, briar u series books. This hockey book was a miss for me. I am so gutted because I wanted to like this one so bad but unfortunately it just didnt hit the same as the other ones.

This is a good book. The two main characters are Hailey and Matt. Hailey is co-owner of a company called Fetch. Matt is a hockey player and one of Hailey’s clients. They meet and there is an instant attraction. Matt gives her tickets for a hockey game. They start dating. They both have issues but together they work them out and fall in love.

This book was okay. I really loved the Him series and the sequel with the sister, but this story was a bit boring. I ended up losing interest in the characters.

This book was really cute. I thought both characters were good. I didn’t love his ex tho. It was a good book but I feel it coulda been better. Had more depth to it

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author!

Elle Kennedy is just such a great writer I see her name and want to read the book if I haven’t already! The mmc in this book was just so endearing. The way he was a good father to his girls and helped the fmc be more herself. Gahhh LOVE!!

This book was so nice I read it twice! Usually when I finish a book I review it then tuck it away in a folder on my kindle but this one I just couldn’t let go of, so it stayed on my carousel and kept tempting me until I relented and reread it.

A fun read from these two authors, and a nice addition to the hockey romance canon. Easy recommendation for any sports romance library folks.

The only reason I gave this one 4 stars is because it's not my favourite couple.
The plot for Stay is brilliant, very fresh, and so naturally written. No excessive drama or angst, and some very sexy scenes 😉 I love love loved it and really recommend you give it a read.

This author is new to me, but I will be keeping an eye out for anything else they publish. I loved the story and the characters. The pacing of the story was great and the characters were relatable.

I adore Elle Kennedy and all of her books have found their way onto my TBR at one point or another. I hadn't read Sarina Bowen before, but she's on my radar now as Stay definitely didn't disappoint! I really appreciated the way that the dual POV was used here. For me getting to see both characters points of view just amp all the tension up to a new level for me and I was here for it. I loved that our MMC, Matt was a newly single divorced dad rather than the typical brooding single bad guy. It gave the story so much more depth and character. Hailey was also adorable and their chemistry from the very beginning was off the charts. My favorite romance stories are those that have some baggage for the characters to unpack and this book did it in such a lighthearted way that I couldn't help but swoon. It also helps that the spice in here was SPICIN. Matt and Hailey are a couple I won't soon be forgetting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Stay by Elle Kennedy!

I really wanted to love this one, but it just doesn't compare to some recent hockey romance favorites. I couldn't connect with the female main character.

Anything Elle Kennedy touches turns to gold. She’s one of my favorite authors to turn to when I need a break from an intense fantasy novel or I want to laugh. This book was no different. I loved it and I also love dogs, so this was a fun one.

I enjoyed this. Mostly because it's a sports(ish) romance written by two of the icons of the genre. Not gonna lie, most if not all of the issues in this book, Hailey's divorce and her potential buyout from her rich person outsourcing job, Matt's divorce and his overbearing ex wife, and the baggage both drama creates in the burgeoning relationship between Matt and Hailey could have been resolved by TALKING. That said, I did find this to be a quick read but I feel like I would have given it a much higher rating if I had read it closer to reading book 1 in this series and not waiting literal years later. Matt is a pretty awesome hero though, all things considered. And Hailey is a baddie.

I read book 1 and it got 2 stars.. I listened to this and 5 stars..I may need to revisit book 1. I enjoy this so much I was sad to not see a 3rd book in the series.
This book is so real and relatable. It tackles real issues you run into such a divorce, betrayal, 2nd chances, resilient children, an amazing group of friends and found friends.
There is good banter, good bedtime scenes and generally a good book overall.
This book is about a Canadian hockey member and an obsessed fan and when they cross paths sparks ignite and a change is in the air

I really enjoyed this book by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen. Together, the writing is fun, witty, and the book flows so well!

I loved this book! Stay tells the story of Hailey and Matt and I loved them both separately and together. It is not often in rom-com land that I've run across divorcees and this story had both of the main characters divorced and a little wounded and not really ready to get out there again which allowed them to have a bit of a slow burn that I also loved. Have I mentioned that I loved this book? Wile the story revolves around Hailey and Matt, it also includes hockey, the best sport, a successful businesswoman, and a single dad juggling his career and kids. I was excited to find this title and also to learn that there's a prior book in this series to jump into. A big thank you to Bloom Books and NetGalley for the early read in exchange for my honest opinion.