If you haven't already experienced the first book in this series, PLEASE do so, before grabbing this one. Since 'What I Should've Said' has a concurrent time line to this one, and since this is book two, reading this first will spoil that read.

This author duo has done it - again - delivering a fantastically gripping and emotional journey into two people's lives that are destined for each other, but who can't seem to hold onto their HEA. If you sobbed along with Bennett, Norah and Summer's story (like I did), you'll be revisiting those tears and feelings here, as well as the desperately heartbreaking ones for Josie and Clay.

There are seriously tough topics (and emotional cliffs to follow these characters, as they fall) in these pages and I highly recommend setting aside reading time. For me, the way the imagery of events was crafted provided me a deep emotional connection to all in Red Bridge, and the situations they faced.

I have enjoyed over 40 titles from this author duo, and while most of their work kept me laughing for days, this series is completely opposite. The way the emotional grief and psychological pain these characters deal with is crafted delivers an unforgettable reading experience, and has a very special place in my heart.

I highly recommend any and all from this author duo's catalog of work, and cannot wait for the next new release. I received an ARC (thank you) from Netgalley, and my thoughts are shared freely.

This book just wasn’t it for me. I normally love Max Monroe, but this one was hard to follow. The time jumps felt awkward and I had a hard time keeping up with where we were in the story and how much time had passed. I also didn’t like how much overlap there was with Norah and Bennett’s story. It almost felt like a rehash of their book in some places.

The only character I really liked was Clay. I didn’t enjoy Josie and her wishy-washiness. I appreciate Max Monroe going a more emotional route, but I think I’ll stick with their rom-coms in the future.

As always, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

When I Should Have Stayed by Max Monroe completely broke me—in the best possible way. This story is a stunning blend of raw emotion, deep character connections, and steamy romance that kept me flipping pages way past my bedtime.

The characters feel so real—flawed, complicated, magnetic. The story doesn’t shy away from the messy parts of love: the “do I stay or walk away?” moments, the silence when words matter most, the heartbreak that comes from trying to protect someone you love. It’s emotionally charged in all the right ways, and the payoff is so worth it.

And oh, the miscommunication (or lack thereof) nearly drove me insane. I was mentally screaming at the characters to just say the thing already. The tension was deliciously painful, and there were scenes that genuinely broke my heart. I was so invested—not just in the main couple, but in the side characters too. They all felt like people I knew, and I cared deeply about every single one.

The chemistry between the leads absolutely sizzled. There’s this perfect mix of tension, banter, vulnerability, and genuine connection that made their relationship feel so authentic. Their journey was full of highs, lows, and little moments that made me smile, swoon, and yes, sob like a baby.
I haven’t read anything this gut-wrenching in a long time—it hits you right in the feels and doesn’t let up. The emotional weight sneaks up on you, and when she finally tells him the truth? I cried ugly fat tears right alongside her. It was raw, vulnerable, and absolutely devastating in the best, most cathartic way.

And that ending? Pure perfection—with just the right tease of who’s next in the Red Bridge series. I already can’t wait.

Even though it technically works as a standalone, I highly recommend reading What I Should’ve Said first. It gives so much context and emotional depth, and you’ll appreciate the character arcs even more.

Tropes I loved:
❤️ Second chance romance
💔 Emotional angst
🤐 Miscommunication (the kind that hurts)
🔥 Insta-lust
🏡 Small town feels
👨‍👩‍👧 Found family
🧠 Mental health matters

I honestly can't thank the publishers enough for the advanced copy of what’s easily one of my favorite reads of the year. Huge thanks to the brilliant duo that is Max Monroe, and to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for absolutely wrecking my heart—and then somehow putting it back together, piece by piece, with love. A million stars. 💫

Thank you Netgalley and Entangled for the arc of this book! I knew immediately after finishing "what I should've said" I needed Josie and Clay's story like I needed my next breath. I knew Max Monroe would not disappoint. The story of Josie and Clay is full of love, heartbreak, and trying to crawl your way back to the love of your life. I bawled, I giggled, I felt every single emotion under the sun. 5/5 star read for me.

I really wanted to jump into this as soon as I received it because it's been a minute since I've read a Max Monroe book, but I neglected to realized that this is a 2nd book in a series. Now, that being said, I'm sure I didn't "need" to read the first book, but I feel like I would have been more invested and more involved had I done that. I don't like to give negative reviews, most especially if it's because it's my fault, so this isn't a negative review but more of a DNF because I couldn't grasp the back and forth and past and present. Again, I think I would have enjoyed what I did read more if I would have read the first book. I'm grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book, but it's my fault for not paying attention.

I really liked Clay! As for the rest of the book, I found the back and forth confusing at times. I found the book to be quite the sad fest. There is lots of stuff going on, lots of sad, some swoony. It just had to be told again I guess. Clay was really great!

Thank you NetGalley and Amara for the ARC!

5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Ugh they really know how to get you right in the ❤️ that Max Monroe! I absolutely adore this series. I’ve cried, smiled, laughed and wanted to throw my kindle! 😜 I am so glad we finally got closure on Josie and Clay cause we for sure needed it!!!! Their love story is beautifully heartbreaking and is one I can 100% relate to. It’s beautiful absolutely beautiful. Highly recommend.

This book was good however it felt like Josie and clay were barely even a couple that much since the timelines kept going back and forth. Other than that I liked it. It was a nice change to read about a woman who can’t have kids since most books they always have a kid and it’s more realistic when then they can’t have kids. I liked that they wanted to adopt. I also loved Summer, she was the cutest little girl with so much personality. It was sad she had that disease and didn’t live very long. Overall great book! I hope breezys book is next. Thank you for the ARC!

There was potential but it just fell flat for me. I felt like some of the characters choices were childish so I was struggling to stay engaged. I have heard book 1 is fantastic so I am definitely going to keep it mind. Thank you to entangled publishing for the opportunity to read this!

4.5 stars rounded up. Strongly recommend reading What I Should’ve Said before this one, because the two stories interlock and form a beautiful, heart-wrenching and ultimately uplifting whole. It took me a moment to get to grips with the timeline jumps of Clay and Josie’s relationship, but once I did I was invested - particularly in Clay, who is steadfast, loyal, and a man whose love for his wife shines through. Josie frustrated the hell out of me at times, but it’s surely a sign of a well-written character when you want to shake some sense into her even though you can see what’s driving her decisions and stubbornness. Full of humour, emotions and love - and not just between the two main characters - this return to the town of Red Bridge is a triumph. Just have some tissues handy.

This is a story about a couple who broke apart, but still feel so much it is hard to put into words what they made me feel. Because they made me feel ALL THE FEELINGS. I loved how the book develops. I loved the couple. I loved being mad at them, wanting to hug them, falling in love with them. I loved the angst, the love. It deserved all the 5 stars.

This book was fun and I’ve been loving this author. The books are so fun’ and cute. Highly recommend to romance lovers, but with so much more plot.

I mostly enjoyed the book. There was one scene where two of the characters were drinking and the way it was written that the characters were speaking sounded more like a toddler than someone who had been drinking. For some reason that specific chapter really irritated me. Overall, I enjoyed the characters. The ending felt rushed.

This is the second book in the series and you need to read What I Should've Said first or you will be spoiled.
It should be noted that I received an arc of this book, so changes may be made before it is published.
I loved the beginning and end of the book. The middle felt more like a retelling of Norah and Bennett's story than one of Josie and Clay. I would have liked more focus on them.
This is the story of Josie and Clay who fall madly in love and get married but then a series of events transpire and Josie asks for a divorce. For five years they avoid each other and then are forced to face their relationship and why Josie asked for the divorce.
Five years felt like longer than Clay would have let pass without fighting for her based on his personality.
Overall, I really enjoyed both Clay and Josie.

I was so excited to be able to read Josie and Clay's story. The anticipation from book one was so high for me. I loved their instant love/romance connection. I really wish there was more of it...the love from the beginning. I understand that would have made the book quite a bit longer, but I think that would have given my rating an extra star. The tension and the love was palpable for sure. I really loved being able to get more of Summer's 'story' intertwined into this book as well. Overall, I was very pleased with this book and am glad I was able to review it ahead of time!

I am not a fan of the second chance trope. It might be my own life and experiences, but it's not usually my go to. However, a Max Monroe book is always my go to. I loved What I Should've Said, and I loved When I Should've Stayed. Max Monroe said "it has the lowest of lows and the highest of highs." They were right. This book is heart wrenchingly, stunningly, hilariously well written. I wanted to keep reading and stop reading at the same time. There are a lot of elements of grief that makes it tough to keep reading, but mostly in a cathartic way. I loved Josie and Clay's story. I loved revisiting a small town that reminded me of Stars Hollow, Schitt's Creek, Pawnee, and Bluebell. I love that the town has fleshed out, real characters that add to the story. I liked seeing different perspectives of Norah and Bennett and Summer's story. This book is just as heartbreaking. But it is also just as uplifting and hopeful. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book. Have tissues, pink sunglasses, and maybe some white wine available while you read it.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of this book!

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝’𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐱 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐞
𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ★★★

First let me say I am a huge Max Monroe fan! I have loved all of their books so much up to this point and while this wasn’t my favorite it was still good.

The main reason this didn’t work so well for me was because I read this book right after reading What I Should’ve Said. That book was everything! An easy five star read that I would consider giving all the stars!!!

75% of this book was pretty much just a retelling of that same book but from different character POV’s. I was honestly bored since I literally had just read the book.

Also this book jumped timelines constantly, and was very choppy when doing so. This made it very hard to connect with the two characters of this story. The depth and emotion in their story felt lost because right as I was starting to understand something or connect it would jump to another time leaving me rather confused.

I know this all sounds a bit harsh but I do think this would have been much easier to read if I would have spaced these books out a lot more. I was looking for the depth and connection like in the first book that I had just finished and this one just didn’t compare.

I knew returning to Red Bridge would break my heart, but yet again, Max Monroe surpassed my expectations!

They manage to write such dynamic characters and such a dynamic town, while keeping it realistic enough to make it feel familiar.

This book, we explore Josie and Clay’s relationship, which we saw some of in What I Should’ve Said. The book is scattered into two parts: before the moment and after the moment, with the before showing us the relationship and marriage and the after showing us how everything fell apart.

As usual, please check the tag warnings because the book deals with some hard hitting, real life topics, and deals with them very well. I’m definitely buying this one for my shelf and can’t wait for what comes next out of Red Bridge (I’m hoping for a Breezy book!)

Thank you NetGalley and Max Monroe for an ARC copy of this book!

Max Monroe delivers a deeply emotional, character-driven follow-up in When I Should’ve Stayed, the long-awaited second installment in the Red Bridge series. This isn’t a simple love story—it’s about heartbreak, silence, sacrifice, and the brutal work of clawing your way back to the person you thought you lost forever. If you read What I Should’ve Said, you know Josie Ellis and Clay Harris carry a complicated history. This is that history, and it’s messy, raw, and sometimes hard to read.

The novel unfolds across a dual timeline: Josie narrates “Before the Moment,” and Clay takes over in “After the Moment.” Their voices, distinct and emotionally layered, guide the reader through the past and present, stitching together a love story that was never really over. This structure can be disorienting at times—the timeline jumps frequently and without consistent anchors—but it reflects the nonlinear way grief and regret often play out in real life. The storytelling is intentional and immersive, but it asks the reader to work for their footing.

Josie is the kind of heroine who splits a room. Some readers will relate to her stubborn silence and protective self-isolation; others will be frustrated with her choices and lack of communication. Her decision to leave Clay—and to stay gone for five years without ever truly explaining why—feels unforgivable until you see what she’s carrying. Her trauma is immense, her guilt even heavier. And though she’s not always likable, she is honest in her pain. She believes she’s doing the right thing by keeping Clay in the dark, and that belief is both her greatest strength and her deepest flaw.

Clay, on the other hand, is easy to love. He’s the heart of this book. A golden retriever in human form, Clay is loyal, tender, romantic, and devastated. He never stops loving Josie, not even after she walks away without warning. He doesn’t understand her silence, but he respects it. He’s angry, yes—but mostly he’s heartbroken. And yet, even in the lowest moments, he doesn’t let go. His love is unwavering, to a fault. And while some might wish he showed more resistance, more bitterness, there’s something powerful about a man who chooses patience over pride. He doesn’t need to be loud to be strong.

What makes this book shine is its emotional precision. Max Monroe writes with devastating clarity, cutting through cliché and fluff to land straight in your chest. The dialogue, the internal monologues, the aching pauses—all of it feels real. And while there’s a thread of small-town charm—quirky locals, nosy neighbors, a rogue sheep—it never overshadows the emotional weight. This is a book about love, yes, but more so about what we do in the name of love, and how sometimes that means making the wrong choices for what feels like the right reasons.

One of the biggest challenges here is the pacing. The bulk of the book is spent in the past—how Josie and Clay met, fell in love, and fell apart. Readers waiting for the reconciliation, the present-day healing, will need patience. When the story finally returns to the now, it’s in the final act. Their reunion, while satisfying in its emotion, is brief. It could have used more time to breathe. After all the heartbreak, we need more of the healing.

Still, it’s a powerful story. Not just about a couple who lost their way, but about grief, trauma, and the quiet ways we destroy ourselves thinking we’re protecting others. There are moments that will make you cry—especially those surrounding Summer, a character whose loss casts a long shadow over the series. And there are moments that will make you laugh, often courtesy of the vivid supporting cast. But above all, there’s heart in every chapter. Even when it’s breaking.

When I Should’ve Stayed isn’t easy. It’s not light or quick. It demands your attention, your emotional investment, and your grace. But if you give it those things, it gives back tenfold. It hurts in all the right places—and heals just enough to make the journey worth it.

Max Monroe isn’t just telling a love story. They’re telling a story about what it costs to lose one—and what it takes to try again. Read What I Should’ve Said first. Then get ready for Clay and Josie to wreck you, one regret at a time.

This book was amazing!
Clay and Josie’s relationship was a rollercoaster of emotions. They fell in love hard and fast, but so much else transpired that you really don’t know which way the book was going to go!
The banter and chemistry between the characters was unmatched.
I laughed, I cried, I swooned.