I had to wait a full 24 hours to write this review because last night, I just didn’t have the words! 🤐

This book completely stole my heart and shattered it in the best way possible. 💔✨ This is, without a doubt, my FAVORITE Brittainy Cherry book yet!

I am obsessed with Kierra’s story—her guilt, her pain, her fight to overcome an abusive marriage, and her longing for happiness. 😭💪🏼 Watching her journey unfold was gut-wrenching but so beautifully written. The dual POV and dual timeline were absolute perfection! They gave so much depth to Kierra and Gabriel’s relationship—showing not just their pain and distance but also the foundation of love and friendship that made their connection unbreakable. 💞🔥🔒

Let me just say...there’s ONE character that will make your blood boil. 😡🔥 I wanted to dive into the book and rip him to shreds! My hatred for him was almost too much to handle, but it made me root for Kierra and Gabriel even harder! 💪🏼❤️

This book gave me ALL the emotions— sadness, anger, hope, and joy. If you’re ready for a story that will break you and put you back together again, then this book is an absolute must-read. 🌟💌

This book is an incredibly emotional and beautifully written story that touched me in so many ways. I love brittainy so much

This book is an incredibly emotional and beautifully written story that touched me in so many ways. I’m always one to read the blurb and this one perfectly sets the stage for a heart-wrenching journey filled with love, guilt, and hope. Kierra’s struggle to balance her feelings for Gabriel while being trapped in a loveless marriage is portrayed with such raw honesty that it's impossible not to empathize with her. The author does a fantastic job of conveying the complexities of their relationship and the emotional turmoil that comes with rekindling a long-lost love. What I found most compelling about this one is the way it navigates the delicate balance between past and present, and the hope that blooms in Kierra’s heart despite the shadows surrounding her. The story is a testament to the enduring power of love and the possibility of redemption. It's a powerful reminder that sometimes, the most emotional journeys are the ones that lead us back to ourselves.

This book is a must-read for anyone who appreciates a deeply moving tale of love and second chances.

If you enjoy second chance romance, childhood friends to lovers, and stories that explore trauma, you’ll probably like this book. Just a quick note, be sure to check the trigger warnings first. That said, I really appreciated how the topic of domestic violence was approached and written. The story is deeply emotional, and the characters are well developed and enjoyable.

Kierra is unhappy in her marriage and her husband is not a good man. She met Gabriel who is working with him. And she knows Gabriel, they were in love until he lost his memory in an accident. But there is still a spark between them.
Omg this book! I read it in a few hours. I loved how Kierra is so good and strong. And Gabriel is such a boookboyfriend. It’s flawless to fall in love with him.
Brittainy is capable of makes you feel so much in a few pages.
This book is a big yes!

"𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚊𝚡𝚢 𝚠𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚞𝚙 𝚒𝚗 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐."

🤎

A heartbreaking story of second chance, redemption, forgiveness, destiny, faith in the future despite the devastating storms of the past. The story of two deep, complex kindred spirits who always feel and find each other in the midst of distance, loneliness and suffering.

Kierra is loving, kind, caring, selfless and deserves the world. Every time she struggled, went through hell, her little voice whispered, my heart bled. Then all her moments of kindness, tenderness, resilience and courage to break her chains healed my wounds. I loved feeling my heart being ripped out to see her fly away.

Gabriel is sweet, protective, kind, loving unconditionally, tender, seeing beyond your armor. He's that shelter that keeps you safe when your world is cruel, lets you feel, reassures you and sets the world on fire to protect you while facing his own past.

Brittainy Cherry is one of my “if she writes it, i'll read it”. She poetically writes about everything that's painful, heartbreaking and beautiful in life; deals with important topics with delicacy and accuracy, yet the romance doesn't belittle them but sublimates them to show that there's hope even when the shadows overwhelm us.

Once again, thank you Brittainy Cherry and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC !
Coming : April 22.

Brittainy C. Cherry can never do wrong. Ever. It hasn't been a secret that I love every single word she's ever written and I will jump at the chance to read an ARC from her.

I have to start saying that if you read this book, please make sure you've read and understand all the trigger warnings, since this book tackles strong themes and has many scenes that can be triggering for some.

That being said, IF YOU STAYED is one of those love stories that break you but has all the power to heal you. Gabriel and Kierra had the kind of love we all wish for ourselves because it's so selfless, so beautiful and puts pieces together when everything is falling apart. That's the magic of BCC's characters, the chemistry and the love between them is so real that it actually convinces you that there's a similar love out there waiting for you.

"It makes sense that I loved you, because when I first saw you... I didn't know you, but I could feel you."

I felt so hard in my heart for Kierra. Her pain was so real, her realization that she was being abused was so hard to read but at the same time I really appreciated how BCC wrote it as part as her growth as a character. Her love for Gabriel and her desire to be with him was part of that growth too, because she already knew how love looked like and felt like and she knew she deserved more. I also felt deeply for her relationship with Ava. The found family aspect of the book was simply beautiful, I loved how they loved each other and how Ava chose her above all.

And how could I not fall in love with sweet Gabriel? He was patient and kind and already knew how to love Kierra because he never stopped loving her. I really enjoyed seeing his healing process and how despite everything that went down, he was still present and ready to defend Kierra and Ava. It was such a beautiful thing to read.

The book overall made me tear up, cringe in certain parts for the sake of Kierra and feel hopeful and inspired with such a beautiful, healing romance as only BCC can do it. She is simply a master of words and a real Romance artist. She knows the genre and writes it exactly as it should be written. I had been craving to read another heart-wrenching, swoony and inspiring romance from her for so long and I got exactly what I needed.

I received this ARC from Brittainy C. Cherry and Sourcebooks Casablanca through Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

OK!!! This book hit me outta left field. I had no idea what this was about and I went in blind and holy crap did this book rock me. I absolutely sobbed through this and it broke my heart in two. This was the first time I have read a book by Brittainy Cherry and WOW! Is all I can say. Impressed!

Tropes:
🩷Last and present time line
🌼Dual pov
🩷Childhood friends
🌼Second Chances
🩷Amnesia

One thing I will say is tread lightly if you are someone triggered by DV subject lines. This will be a difficult read for some. I found myself unfortunately, relating to parts of this book. I felt so connected to Kierra and Ava. This is a fantastic book and I’ll speak highly of this one for along time!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @sourcebookscasa for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!

4.5 Soul-Stirring Stars!

This was one of the hardest to out down books for me. The feelings it invoked in me were truly felt throughout the story. Brittainy has a way of making the ugly beautiful again; who else can take heartbreak, death, emotional, physical and verbal abuse and amnesia and make it a heartfelt love story? Kierra is a strong woman who felt weak, she was holding a lot of guilt, she was gentle and caring and she did not give up. I loved her relationship with her step-daughter, it just proved how amazing she truly is. The connection between Gabriel and Kierra was deep, you could feel it even though he didn't remember his past. There were unexpected twists in this that made the story flow even better, making the ending worth the wait.

What has Brittainy done to me after reading this one! Whew, I am an emotional mess after this, but in the best way. I adore the amnesia trope, it's a favorite of mine, and this was done to perfection. For readers who would like to, I recommend checking TW before reading because there is a sensitive topic handled.

This book is an emotional story between two childhood friends who are torn apart, when a devastating tragedy happens in their teen years. 20 years later, they run into each other, but the hero does not recognize the heroine due to memory loss. Kierra, the heroine, is living in a loveless marriage, but cannot walk away because of her strong relationship with her stepdaughter. Running into her old love and seeing that he still feels the same way, regardless of not remembering her, gives her some happiness during a tough time in her life. Although, the connection between the main characters was undeniable, I did not feel a connection to the characters myself. I would recommend this book to someone looking for an emotional, second chance with a swoony hero!

this book made me an emotional wreck.

Im such a sucker for the amnesia trope, and this had that which was exactly why i wanted to read it.

first book by this author and im convinced to read even more now.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🌶️🌶️/5

💜Amnesia

💜Second Chance

💜Childhood Friends

💜Friends to Lovers

“I would’ve loved you through the dark days.”

THIS BOOK WAS AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER! Sorry to my husband who heard me gasp multiple times while reading this while he was trying to fall asleep 😅😂

Brittainy Cherry never disappoints and this book is no different. Please check TW since there is some very sensitive topics discussed in this book.

Kierra is the FMC and she puts everyone’s feelings before her own. She deals with her POS husband so that she can keep her daughter in her life. She makes sure to put on a happy front for everyone else while being a shell of the person she once was. Until Gabriel shows back up in her life, he was once the most important person in her life until tragedy separated them and made Gabriel forget her. Read this book to follow their journey back to each other with some major twists and turns along the way!

“If I lost my memory every single day for the rest of my life, I would still find my way back to loving you. I’d love every version of you…” 🫠

I really enjoyed Brittainy’s writing and can’t wait to post and share my Goodreads review closer to release date!

Brittainy C. Cherry certainly knows how to portray emotion in her stories. I cried whilst reading this book – a number of times too. If You Stayed takes the reader on one hell of an emotional roller coaster ride. One that I recommend all romance readers to embark on as this is a thought-provoking and compelling read.

Gabriel Sinclair - everyone needs their very own Gabriel Sinclair. He's the full package that's for certain, and Kierra is one very lucky lady to have him in her life. I don't, however, begrudge her that for one single moment. What she goes through, actually what they both go through, is heartbreaking at times and I wouldn't have a heart if I wasn't thrilled that they found each other. Their story is a powerful one and I was rooting for them from the very first page of this narrative.

This isn't an easy read. There is trauma and heartache throughout the storyline but as always, the author writes events with consideration and care. As I've mentioned you will need tissues at hand.

I highly recommend this story to you to read. I literally found it to be unputdownable - desperate to know what happens next and crying out for that happy ending.

**A Deeply Emotional and Beautiful Love Story – *If You Stayed* by Brittainy C. Cherry**

*If You Stayed* by Brittainy C. Cherry is a beautifully written, heart-wrenching romance that explores love, loss, and second chances. Gabriel and the narrator were once deeply in love, but an accident robbed Gabriel of his memories, keeping them apart for years. When Gabriel reappears as the architect for her new home, old feelings resurface, and she’s forced to confront her past and the choices that have kept them apart.

Cherry’s storytelling is filled with raw emotion, and the chemistry between Gabriel and the narrator is undeniable. Their journey is filled with heartache, healing, and the hope of reclaiming lost love. The characters are complex and layered, making this a truly compelling and unforgettable read.

If you love emotional, soul-stirring romance, *If You Stayed* will capture your heart and leave you believing in the power of second chances.

The story of Gabriel Sinclair and Kierra was so heartwarming, heartbreaking, and healing as we heard the story of their love as children and later as adults. Thank you for discussing difficult topics such as domestic violence with sensitivity.

You will enjoy this book if you like childhood lovers, characters who face trauma and overcome it, and create their own ending to their story.

I really wanted to like it bit No I felt Kierra was not strong character that she was weak i get it she stay marry for her daughter but really stay in her marriage her husband is a control freak and put her down left to right and cheat on her and then she was a therapist to was helping other patient and she is reunited with Gabriel who loss his memory and he doesnt remember he knew Kierra and that he had a brother that his mom hadnt told him. Kierra spend time with Gabriel. Check for T W and it kind of reminds me of 50 first date with drew barrymore and adam Sandler.

5 stars
This is my first Brittainy book and I can see the hype! Reading the blurb, you expect angst, but you don't expect complex characters.

First of all, who knew penguins would be romantic.

If I were to wrap up one moral to be taken, it's "HAVE THE COURAGE TO BE YOUR FIERCIEST LOVER."

*spoilers ahead*
Henry is the villain of the story, and yes, he is still a jerk, and his actions are not excusable, but his actions has layers. In the pursuit of not wanting to become his dad, he became him. The sentence "At least he never hit me" hits hard. He hit you; it doesn't matter if it's once.

I'm reading while writing this review. Wow, the plot twist! This book is heavy and reminds me of Coleen Hoover's It Ends With Us.

Oh my gosh! I DEVOURED this book in just a few hours! It was amazing, like every Brittainy Cherry book always is… I felt every emotion that Kierra felt as I was reading. Gabriel is the man every woman wishes she had. I loved him from the very beginning & wanted him to find his forever after so bad. This is one of those books that Im still going to be thinking about for days & days. I am recommending it to everyone I know because it is an amazing book. Brittainy Cherry books never let me down!