Absolutely a bittersweet story of Clay and Josie! I love the way this one tied into What I Should’ve Said! The POVs and timelines that’s gave us all the details, unraveling everything we needed.there is just something about these characters and this town that I am so in love with! It gives Stars Hollow but there is something so much more underlying here. I can’t get enough Red Bridge and can’t wait to scoop up a physical copy in July

When I Should've Stayed is a beautifully written second chance romance. Following the characters of the first Red Bridge book, What I Should've Said, Josie and Clay find their way back to each other after a long bought of turmoil, life, and other miscellaneous circumstances. While the book follows the characters of book one, it can be read as a stand alone. However, you don't want to miss out on the goodness that both books brings. Max Monroe did a wonderful job with the plot, characters, and filling in this book.

The characters were lovable and relatable. The plot brings you to a world where even though bad things happen there's a happy ending. As someone who's currently struggling with a case of bad juju, I can appreciate a series of misfortunate events only to arrive with a light at the end of the tunnel and a happy ending.

I can't say I loved the dual timeline, it took some time to reorient with what I was reading and when but it didn't take anything away from the story.

Overall, I wish I could give half stars because I don't feel like a 4 star gives this book enough credit. I'm hoping there's a book three with Breezy.

I gave When I Should’ve Stayed 3.5, rounded up to four ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you MaxMonroe for the ARC. These are my honest opinions.

I met Josie and Clay in What I Should’ve Said (Norah and Ben’s book) and couldn’t wait to read their story.

I didn’t like this book as much as I like What I Should’ve Said. I just loved Norah’s quirky personality and her and Ben’s love story. Josie wasn’t as much fun as Norah. I didn’t care much for Josie as a person in parts of the book. I adored Clay though! And they didn’t waste any time on the intimacy department - I prefer the slow burn of Norah and Ben’s story.

I also wasn’t a huge fan of the timeline going back abs forth. Normally, this doesn’t bother me, but I don’t think it was as clear in this book as it could have been.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this!

This is my second Max Monroe book. I read What I Should’ve Said last year and really enjoyed it.
When I Should’ve Stayed has overlapping timelines with the first book so there will be better appreciation if you read the former.
This book follows Norah’s sister Josie. This gives a backstory of what really happened with Clay and Josie in the first book.
This is dual timeline, dual POV, second-chance romance.
In typical Max Monroe fashion, there will be heartbreak and explores really heavy topics.
Overall, I liked it. The writing is digestible and very easy to follow. I give this a solid 3.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

I love Max Monroe books. Each one I’ve read I’ve always given honest glowing reviews and recommendations that they deserve to all my book friends. For the first time, I can’t do it because I didn’t finish the book.

Reasons why I DNF:
-the different time jumps (before, after, part I, part I….) why? I didn’t like that at all and hard to follow along with what was going on in the plot.
- I didn’t not like Clay. He went 0-100 in liking her so quickly. Just something about him gave me the ick.

Perfect follow up from the first book. Clay and Josie’s story gave me so many emotions. I love that there were many mentions of summer from the first book and you got to see her story a little bit through Clay and Josie’s eyes. Max Monroe is my favorite. They have a brilliant way with words.

The perfect follow up to What I Should've Said! I loved Josie and Clay's story so much. I laughed, I cried a little, and I couldn't help but root for them from the very first page. In typical Max Monroe fashion, this was written so well, it was so easy to just fall into the story and not even realize that I was 100 pages on before I knew it. Such a heartfelt and easy read!

I’ve been waiting for Josie and Clay’s story since we met them in book 1. I knew their story would be intense, but holy moly what a story. I was not prepared going into it and to relive Summer’s passing…I have no words. That little girl had everyone rapped her fingers, she was the happiest, kindest, most loving little kid. The love Josie and Clay had for her, it was like she was their own.

Clay knew from the first moment he spoke with Josie in his bar that he would do anything to get her to go out with her. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and he knew that she was his other half. He wasn’t looking for a relationship and was happy with his life, but once he met Josie he knew he could not live without her. After she agreed to go on a date with him they were inseparable and one day hopefully very soon he would make her his wife.

Josie had been through so much tragedy and loss. First her father, then her little sister and at 18 years old when she decided to leave her toxic mother and move in with her grandmother, she lost contact with her middle sister. Josie’s first priority was always her grandmother, she was basically all she had left and would do anything for her. But that all changed when Clay came into her life. Now she had someone that loved her in a way she has never been loved by anyone. He would give her the moon and stars if he could. She was all he saw and needed and she knew that. But it was getting harder and harder for her to leave her grandmother to spend more time with Clay.

Choosing between family and the love of your life is hard, but add loss and your life can flip upside down. Josie felt like she was drowning and everyone around her was leaving her or getting hurt. She couldn’t see an end where she and Clay would be happy and she can give him everything he wanted in life. So she made the difficult decision to let him go. She would never be able to move on but he had to, he has to move on and get everything he deserves. The only thing was that Josie couldn’t see that the only thing Clay ever wanted was her, nothing else. If he had her by his side, then nothing else mattered, but how could you show and explain that to someone when you don’t even understand why they left you in the first place.

For 5 long years he tried everything he could to get her to open up to him, to work it out, but was there to much loss and sadness to move one? Would she be able to see that their souls were meant for each other and all they needed to survive and live was each other?

Received this ARC for my honest review and opinion.

When I Should've Stayed is a bright light drowning in heartache. From haunting emotion to neverending romance, Monroe knows how to break a heart in the most captivating of ways. Clay and Josie wrap the soul in little moments. Endearing and heartbreaking collide with explosive results.

Get your tissue ready because you are going to cry, laugh, cry and fall madly in love with Clay and Josie!

Wow…just….(wipes tear)…this is one of the most gut wrenching yet beautiful stories I have read in awhile.

Josie and Clays story spans a few years and I loved how these two amazing authors wrote their story. It was easy to follow and everything flowed beautifully. If you haven’t read book one just be warned it will be spoiled.

I love how much Clay loves Josie. It’s a steadfast forever kind of love that doesn’t give up. He is the rock Josie deaerves and needs and their journey is a tough one but the love they have is worth the fight.

Another great read from Max Monroe but definitely another tearjerker, especially reliving the events of What I Should've Said. Clay and Josie's story was well worth the journey.

Max and Monroe, I don't know what gets into your mind when you write these books but this series especially pulls every heartstring I have. I cried throughout this book but only because I was so moved by the story and the flashbacks from the previous book. I will think about this series for years to come because it just sticks to me.

I am so glad I got to read this book before it was released because I was so looking forward to it. This couple is everything and it was so nice to see how their story played out.

If you do not get into this series you are missing out. The characters and the stories are just amazing.

Prepare your tissues, fellow Max Monroe fans, because When I Should've Stayed is an absolute masterpiece of emotional storytelling! As someone who devours everything they write, this book hit me right in the feels and reminded me exactly why I love their work so much.

This isn't just a second-chance romance; it's a heart-wrenching, beautifully messy journey through the "before" and "after" of Josie and Clay. The dual timeline and dual POV were expertly handled, slowly unraveling their history and showing us every agonizing step of their separation. I was on the edge of my seat, desperate to understand what went wrong, even as my heart ached for them.

And can we talk about Clay? Oh, Clay! He is the ultimate golden retriever MMC – swoon-worthy, devoted, and just an absolute dream. His love for Josie is so palpable, so unwavering, it practically leaps off the page. Even when Josie was making choices that made me want to pull my hair out (bless her strong, kick-butt heart, even if she could be a little frustrating at times!), Clay's unwavering affection was a constant, shining beacon. Their connection is pure electricity, even through the heartache, and that's the magic Max Monroe always delivers.

This book is an emotional rollercoaster in the best possible way. It delves deep into loss, sacrifice, and the brutal reality of growing apart, but it also celebrates the enduring power of second chances and unconditional love. If you're a fan of angsty, deeply emotional romances that will make you cry happy and sad tears, and if you live for a devoted hero, then you absolutely need to dive into Josie and Clay's story. Just make sure you've read What I Should've Said first to get the full, glorious picture!

***ARC Review***
When I Should've Stayed by Max Monroe
Release Date: July 1st

The concept of this book intrigued me immediately. Clay and Josie's meet-cute at his bar was unexpected. It was cute, funny, and flirty. I loved their banter, and their connection was clear. Watching them fall in love was so sweet. I adore Clay's utter devotion to Josie. The dude was down so bad so quickly! I also enjoyed the dual (or triple?) timeline, even if it got a bit confusing at times. I also loved the Sweet Home Alabama vibes (IYKYK.)

Clay's boisterous personality and determination were sweet until he started to unintentionally invalidate Josie's feelings, and while Josie went through A LOT in this book, her lack of communication was very frustrating. While I did get all in my feels at the end when Josie finally explains to Clay why she divorced him, I am not a big fan of the miscommunication trope, especially when it's such an integral part of the plot or is drawn out for so long. It just hurts my brain when a few words could have saved 5 years of drama and heartache.

This story is full of angst, loss, and grief, but there's also love and healing. The small town vibes and friendships were heartwarming. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot!

4.25⭐ 1.5🌶️

I read an advanced copy of this eBook, and this is my honest review. Thank you to Author Max Monroe, Netgalley, and Entangled Amara for the eARC!

3.25⭐️ Book 1 broke me and like the sadistic person that I am I ran at the chance to read this one. We met Clay and Norah in the first book and I was already intrigued, I love getting the dual timeline and their full story, but sadly, this one didn’t live up to my expectations.

With the story overlapping with Ben & Norah’s story it felt a lot like re-reading book one and as much as I will always wish for more time with Summer, I wanted more Clay and Josie.

Ultimately though I just didn’t get Josie at all. Clay is a sweetheart and very patient man this is all I’ll say.

It didn’t quite work for me but still Red Bridge is special to me, I’ll definitely tune in for Breezy and Sheep Farmer Tad.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing, NetGalley and Max Monroe for the advanced reading copy, all my opinions are my own.

I haven’t read a lot of second-chance romance novels, so I don’t have much to compare this to, but I really liked how the trope was done here. The time jumps were an interesting (in a good way) choice, though I do wish they had been toned down a little.

Max Monroe did a great job making me feel all kinds of emotions. I was giddy and excited in the beginning, and totally gutted in some other parts. (If you haven’t read the first book, I’d recommend starting there—there’s quite a bit of overlap.)

Overall, I loved the book and I really like the direction the authors are taking lately.

I got the eARC from NetGalley. Thanks to Max Monroe, Entangled Publishing, and NetGalley for the copy.

When I Should've Stayed

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶

“I choose you,” I say in a rush. “I choose us. I choose to stay.”

Clay is the man of all men. He is obsessed and in love with every bit of Josie. He's kind of a golden retriever; goofy, loyal, big. I absolutely loved this man!

Josie doesn't make it easy on Clay... at all. Not even in the beginning, and sure as hell not in the end. To a point that I was frustrated with her. I know in her mind that everything she was doing was to save herself more heartache and to save Clay.

While I loved Clay and Josie's story, I was a little lost with all the bouncing around in the timeline. At times, it was hard to figure "where and when" we were. I think having years with the dates at the beginning of the chapters or even 'blank' years ago would have helped tremendously.

[A list of (spoiling) trigger warnings can be found at the end of this review.]

When I Should Have Stayed is the second book in a series about couples in a small Vermont town called Red Bridge. Prior to reading this ARC, I read What I Should Have Said: Bennett and Norah's story. Throughout the first book, there are references to another couple: Clay (Bennett's best friend) and Josie (Norah's sister). 

I suppose the second book could be read as a standalone; there is a lot of overlap between overall storylines. Most plot points from the first book are summarized or fully retold from Josie & Clay's perspectives. However, there is a major plot event with maximum emotional impact in the first book which features heavily again in the sequel, but it doesn't quite hit the same way if you don't have the background and details surrounding all of that. So if this series is up your alley, I do recommend reading all the available books in order of publication. 

Josie and Clay's story begins with a flashback to 5 years ago, when Josie decided to rather abruptly file for divorce, blindsiding her husband. Cut to the present storyline, and it is clear Clay hasn't been able to move on, and Josie still loves him - she divorced him for a reason known only to her. They don't speak, which is how Josie prefers it. But everything threatens to unravel when her younger sister Norah suddenly arrives in town. When Norah finds herself entangled with Bennett, Clay's best friend, Josie finds it harder and harder to avoid her ex-husband. As these two passionate former loves attempt to manoeuvre around each other today, more flashbacks are woven through, telling us the story of how they fell in love to begin with, and how their relationship came to an end.

There's a lot to like about this one. The timelines were well done. It took a bit of orientating here and there, but the authors give plenty of pointers and overall it isn't too hard to determine where we are in the timeline at a given moment. (Although I can understand that a "5 years ago" or "present time" header would have helped put us readers in the right headspace immediately.) 

But the way Max Monroe told the story, the flashbacks were dosed perfectly, both in amount and in where in the story overall they take place. I thought it a rather seamless reading experience, because the storytelling was clear; the three different timelines culminate beautifully. Once the timelines catch up to the present, we then roll through to the conclusion of their story in a smooth, orderly fashion with all the information we need. 

Now, I don't know about everyone else, but I love a romance that has some type of intense conflict. Give me angst! Author duo Max Monroe definitely write angsty books. The way my heart was practically ripped out on not one, but several occasions... Romance novels aren't thrillers but I felt such an adrenaline rush regardless. Bringing out intense emotions in readers, that's not an easy feat, in my opinion. It's what's beautiful about art: how people react to it. I think the lead-up to Josie & Clay in book 1 definitely contributed to that; there was a subtle build-up of tension between these two and I just really, really wanted to read their story. How I liked book 1 didn't even factor into this. I just needed to read this story, too. 

But Max Monroe lost me a when the angst kept on angstin' almost passively. We're just told over and over how much they love each other (to the point of it being too much, especially from Clay's PoV) but meanwhile they're not handling the conflict satisfactorily. 

I just found myself disappointed in Clay for putting up with Josie's crap; his entire personality is loving his wife and telling us about it. But I mostly just felt so aggravated by Josie's unwillingness to just freaking communicate with the man. The reason why she left him is tragic, and having actually shared a bunch of Josie's experiences, I do come from a place of deep understanding. But Clay's own traumatic experiences (he goes through several of his own) are completely minimized - not just by Josie and Clay himself, but by the authors. 

The best parts of the book - the most evocative - were the scenes describing Clay's pain. His reactions to Josie's actions. That's where the real drama resides, the real conflict. Those scenes felt the most real, but there were too few of them, and they were too short. I needed him angry. I needed him bitter. I needed him to work through a journey of not just understanding, but forgiveness. If a book is intended to be dramatic, push through and REALLY bring it all. Confront it fully. Instead, Clay was just sitting there as a golden retriever placeholder waiting for, basically, circumstances to pull Josie out of her stupor (which... she just kept this up for so long). Had Norah not arrived in town, Josie would have kept Clay in the dark without the closure he'd have needed if he ever had any chance of moving forward. 

The book had amazing potential and started off so well, and I really wanted to love it, but it fell so flat in the end. I found myself questioning how Clay could still love her. But probably worse than that: I found myself questioning if Josie ever really loved him at all. 

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing LLC for generously providing me with a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are honest, and 100% my own. Now follows a list of (spoiling) trigger warnings: 

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TWs:
- Grief
- Loss of a child
- Childhood illness and subsequent death of a child
- Life-threatening accident

3.5 Stars
When I Should've Stayed is Josie and Clay's romance. Josie was Norah's sister, and Clay was Bennett's best friend in the first book in this series, What I Should've Said. That first book left me curious as to what their story was, and I was excited to read this book. There was obviously a lot of history between them, and I couldn't wait to find out what it was.

To be honest, When I Should've Stayed wasn't quite what I expected. I was expecting Josie and Clay's story to begin where the first book left off instead of starting back at the beginning of how they got together and then jumping around in time. I found the headings for the chapters that defined what timeline I was in a little hard to follow until pretty much the end when I understood why the story was set up the way it was. Sometimes I felt like I was being told what happened instead of experiencing it. And then there were moments I didn't need to experience again. I really didn't need to revisit the tragedy of book one that closely.

I was also frustrated with Josie for much of the book because of how she treated Clay when she still loved him so much. I really liked Josie and how she stood up for those she loved and took care of them, but she wouldn't give Clay a break. It didn't make sense until it did and then I was just mad because I felt like she wasted so much time and emotion. Clay, on the other hand, was a great guy who showed up for those he loved. Even when he wasn't able to be there for Josie the way he wanted, he still managed to show up for her. I hurt for him for most of this book. I was so relieved when they finally figured things out.

This book had its pluses and minuses for me, but overall, I was happy with Josie and Clay's HEA. I'm hoping we get a book for Breezy next because she was probably my favorite side character this time around.

When I Should've Stayed, Max Monroe's second story in their Red Bridge series delivers quite the punch. It's emotional, funny, heartbreaking, and raw. I cried buckets when I read What I Should've Said, and one would've thought I'd be prepared for the same level of emotional wreckage for this book, but alas, I was not. Monroe destroyed me a second time, and I'm not sad about it!

When I Should've Stayed is Josie and Clay's story, and it's a doozy! The authors jump from past to present throughout the book, giving lots of background story and taking readers on a complete journey. We get to see Josie and Clay's meet-cute, the development of their relationship, their downfall, and ultimately, their reconciliation. It's gritty, it's hard, it's difficult. They go through a lifetime of ups and downs in a few short years until they finally find their happily ever after.

I love Josie's feistiness, her drive, and her perseverance. But boy this woman is one stubborn chick! Clay on the other hand is an absolute golden retriever. I love his loyalty, his affability, his dedication, and how hard he loves. Together, they are a powerhouse and I was rooting for them from the very start. They get put through the wringer but the ending is worth all of the heartbreak.

When I Should've Stayed is a story of resilience, second chances, true love, and second chances. I knew going into this book that I'd be bawling my eyes out, and the authors did not disappoint. Balancing out the heartbreaking storyline is a colorful cast of characters who will make you smile and laugh. It makes those heavier moments just a little bit lighter. This entire story was a joy to read and I can't wait to see what's to come next in Red Bridge! 5 stars