Max Monroe has officially become an auto-buy author for me. This book, closely tied to What I Should’ve Said, is a beautiful, heavy, emotional second chance romance. And if you know me, you know if a book has a second chance element, I’ll be obsessed with it. Josie is a bit on the stubborn side, and Clay is so head over heels in love with her that he doesn’t always take enough time to think through his big plans and displays of affection. These two aren’t always on the same page as one another, but their love is so strong. You will be rooting for them!!

This one is set to come out on July 1st. If you haven’t yet, pick up the first in the series and start binging it now!!

Tropes include:
☕️ second chance
☕️ dual POV
☕️ dual timeline
☕️ opposites attract
☕️ “my wife” and “doll”
☕️ banging on a water tower
☕️ “actually oops I didn’t file the divorce paperwork”

🥃 “I promise, if you let me love you the way I want to love you, you don’t have anything to be afraid of.”
🥃“Love is an emergency. I can’t wait another day or another week or another month. I have to make her mine.”

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Let me start first by saying I've loved every single book I've read or listened to by Max Monroe. Most make me laugh until I have tears rolling down my cheeks, but while this story has a more serious tone with sensitive topics, I loved it just as much as their other books, if not more.

Get ready for a small-town, second-chance romance that brings all of the feels! We're back in Red Bridge, VT where we get to learn the backstory of Josie Ellis and Clay Harris' relationship. The book takes you between the past and present to witness their love and heartache. The characters are so real and raw - you can really feel the emotion throughout the book. My heart is full after reading this heartfelt roller coaster, and I would absolutely recommend reading! Be sure to also read What I Should've Said (first) if you want to get to know the other characters in the story and see how they all connect!

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read the ARC @MaxMonroe!

3.5 stars.

This is a second chance romance that is a follow-up to <i>What I Should've Said</i>, book one in the Red Bridge series. This story follows Josie Ellis, Norah's older sister, and Clay Harris, Bennett's best friend. Josie and Clay had a whirlwind romance that led to them getting married, and then not months later, getting divorced. Only problem is, Clay never filed the paperwork so they're still technically married (a revelation that came about during a fake wedding no less). Josie's determined to put their past behind them, but Clay is having none of that, willing to do whatever it takes to fight to get his wife back.

I think we should all be so lucky as to find a man who is willing to jump over the pews in church and drop to one knee in the hopes of asking you out on a first date. A man who is willing to overcome his fears so long as there's just the right amount of motivation. A man who would do anything to win his wife back. Clay Harris definitely embodies the "if he wanted to, he would."

From the moment Clay saw Josie putting a no-good cheater in his place in the Country Club (so named because his richie rich dad wouldn't lower himself to financially back a bar, but a golf course would do), he was infatuated and wanted to get to know her. Cue the pew jumping when his path was impeded by a bunch of the locals.

Josie and Clay certainly had great banter and chemistry, as seen by how their date ended. Clay fell fast and hard for Josie and she went along for the ride. Impulsive is apparently his middle name, thus the elopement. Unfortunately, a series of events follow that alter Josie's life and serves as her rationale for why they can't be together. She's powered by grief and guilt and regret and all the secrets she carries, and the combination of it all stands in her way more often than not.

To be honest, Josie frustrated me quite a bit. This wasn't a simple matter of miscommunication. She purposely withheld vital information from Clay, and therefore he was operating without the same knowledge base, and she almost sorta blamed him for what he didn't know which, hello, she could've told him. All in the name of her thinking she knew what was best for him. The self-sacrificing grated on my nerves.

Clay was such a lovable golden retriever and I enjoyed watching his friendship with Ben and how he adored Summer. <spoiler>(Losing her for a second time was no easier than the first).</spoiler>

The level of worship he had for José (I swear I read her nickname like this every time, even without the accent) was unmatched.

Among the things that I wasn't particularly fond of was the dual timeline where sometimes it was hard to keep up with where we were because of the constant jumping back and forth. Also, and it very well may have been due to the close proximity in which I read this book to book one, but there was a lot of overlap, the same scenes told from a different POV so it felt repetitive and the pacing dragged for me as a result. I found myself waiting for new information to unfold and it didn't quite hit from that perspective.

I'm hoping that Breezy's story is next, and the she may just have caught the eye of the handsome yet inept sheep farmer, because there definitely seemed to be something brewing there.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled for the eARC.

When I Should’ve Stayed had so much potential, especially with characters like Clay and Josie. That said, I found myself struggling to stay engaged because much of the book felt like a repeat of the first installment in the Red Bridge Series.

While I understand the appeal of seeing events from a different perspective, there were so many recycled scenes that it felt more like a retelling than a fresh story. I was hoping for deeper insight into Clay and Josie’s unique journey, with more new content that expanded their relationship and personalities.

I really wanted to love this one, but it just didn’t deliver the newness or emotional depth I was looking for. Here’s hoping future books in the series bring more original storytelling to the table.

Overall I enjoyed the story, but I really disliked the main female character Josie. I felt like Clay was almost too good for her in a sense. Josie really lacks communication and that destroyed so much of the bond that they built and wasted so many years. The couple falls in love rather quickly and wastes no time getting married.

The conflict did not surprise me at all as I figured it had to be centered around that topic somehow. I felt like Josie should have spoken up sooner about the situation instead of keeping things to herself and wallowing in her guilt. If Clay had really married her and loved her the way he showed he did, than none of that would have mattered. It frustrated me that they lost so much time together because Josie was so selfish and stubborn. I have no complaints about Clay because he shows time and time again how good of a man he really is and fights SO long for her despite her acting like a brat. Thank you to Netgalley, Entangled Publishing, LLC, and Max Monroe for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.

I usually love a Max Monroe book, but this one had too much of the same storyline as the last book just from Josie and Clay's perspective. It seemed alot of it was almost exactly the same content. I felt like it could of been more about Josie and Clay and not the same stuff as last book. So a little disappointed.

4.25 Stars

Josie + Clay

We met them both in Norah and Ben's book. And now they'll tell us their story.
We go back and forth between then and now and it all started so sweet and adorable - but it's not so sweet and adorable now.
Something or several things must've happened in between our meet-cute in Clay's bar and the way Josie hates him now - as already seen in the first book.

What happened? And what can we do to get to our second happily ever after?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!

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That was adorable.
I really loved reading this. But I also hated it.
First I'm not a fan of going back in time in my books. I want to read the NOW!
And we do that here a lot - like 80% of the book takes us back in time and half of that is kind of exactly the same what we just read in Norah and Ben's book. Plus the different times were way too confusing for me. We get days and months as a headline but not years and it took me forever to figure out where each chapter was taking me. Plus, having just read the first book for the 2nd time right before starting this one, I was kinda up to date with their non-relationship. I wanted to see how they got back together. I didn't want to see the past! But we only get like 5% of the book with them back together at the end. That wasn't enough for me.
Compared to the first book in the series this second one was disappointing in many ways.
I just wished for more. Not too much of the past and so much more of the present. And also ... I hated that they wasted so many years for nothing! Jeez Josie. Why?

But it's what I got and I still loved the story. Especially since I got to see a lot of Summer. And we did get great moments and I cried and it was sweet and funny and heartbreaking and Clay is amazing. I will never not read a Max Monroe book! Even if they didn't really get me with this one.

Now I really need to read Breezy and Sheep farmer Tad's book!

► WHEN I SHOULD'VE STAYED was a sweet + funny + adorable + heartbreaking small-town second-chance romance! Which could've been avoided if she had just stayed and talked to him. But still - great love story! Run to your nearest book dealer for your own Clay - this one is so mine!

I was anxiously awaiting the availability of this ARC and when the authors announced it would be on NetGalley for one day I hopped on and grabbed it!! I loved the second in the series. We were introduced to Clay and Josie in the first Red Bridge series What I Should’ve Said. Josie is a coffee shop owner in Red Bridge and older sister of Norah. Clay is the local bar owner and best friend of Bennett. Their story is full of ups and downs and had me feeling all the feels. I loved the books humor, enduring love, the connection to the characters and the overall story. I am hoping the series continues with Tad and Breezy’s story!!!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest review.

This book spans multiple time periods, exploring Clay and Josie’s relationship over the years. I’ll admit, the timeline shifts confused me at first—but once I found a Goodreads comment recommending to read the first book beforehand, everything clicked. I went back, read it, and after that, I was fully on board with the story.

Josie’s character frustrated me at times with some of the questionable decisions she made, but that just added to the emotional rollercoaster. Clay, on the other hand, had total golden retriever energy—loyal, kind, and a joy to read about.

This was my first read from Max, and I was honestly blown away by how well he tells a story. I can’t wait to read more from him in the future. I’ll definitely be buying a physical copy for my bookshelf once it’s released. Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Clay and Josie’s story proves once you find the one…no matter what happens you can’t move on. Josie has put the world on her shoulders for years going through obstacle after obstacle and then she met Clay, who loved her openly and unashamedly from day one. When tragedy hits on a day of joy seeds of regret are planted that grow roots and spread until it becomes too much so to protect him she lets him go. Except he never wanted to be released and knows no matter how much time passes, he’ll never love someone the way he loves Josie. It takes years but the way they find their way back to each other proves that love is resilient and with your soul mate by your side you can get through anything.

The story of Clay and Josie was heartbreaking. The love they shared for each other was evident throughout the story. The Red Bridge series is amazing. Definitely one of the best books of 2025.

This book=emotional damage 😭 (in a good way)

Absolutely wonderful! Clay and Josie ugh my heart. These two went through hell to find their way back to each other!

Welp I didn't see the 🐑 coming and I laughed soooo hard!

Thank you for this early access read!

This book was such a fun and emotional rollercoaster! When I Should’ve Stayed had me hooked from the first chapter. Max Monroe always knows how to mix humor, heart, and heat—and this story delivers all of it.

The characters felt so real, especially the main couple. Their chemistry was off the charts, and I loved watching their relationship grow through all the ups and downs. There were moments that had me laughing out loud and others that gave me a lump in my throat. It’s not just a romance—it’s also about timing, regrets, and figuring out what (and who) really matters in life.

If you're into heartfelt, swoony reads with a bit of sass and a lot of emotion, this one’s for you. Max Monroe never disappoints, and this book just might be one of my favorites from them.

When I Should've Stayed by Max Monroe

Did I really sign up for heartbreak part 2? Yes, yes I did. Believe me when I say It’s totally worth it

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


When I Should've Stayed is part 2 of the Red Bridge Series. Though the first book completely tore my heart apart, I HAD to read this one too. This story follows love birds Josie and Clay who are madly in love but from the very beginning you learn they are actually (divorced). Josie is dealing and no so dealing with grief, having lost so many loved ones but Clay is determined to win her back. No matter how long it takes.

What a beautiful and heartbreaking story. I really enjoyed the first book, “What I Should’ve Said, and this was just as wonderful. Josie and Clay’s story has a rollercoaster of lovely highs and emotional lows.

I loved the dual timelines of the novel. Josie is a fighter and our badass FMC that I just loved, and Clay was so handsome and swoonworthy. This was written beautifully to show how important humor is in moving through life with your spouse, especially during the hard times! This one hit extra hard for me as someone in years of marriage.

Highly recommend!

Thank you to Entangled Publishing LLC and Netgalley for the ARC of this novel; all opinions are my own.

First of all, please don’t get me wrong. I love Max Monroe and their writing. Absolutely love it. However, that being said, this did not need to be a duet. Both books were basically the same just a different version, if that makes sense. It was very repetitive for me because I already knew what happened in the past, and what was going to happen currently.. I’m giving it a 3 because I do like the writing, but it’s honestly more like a 2 because I felt like I already read the book.

I really loved the first book in this series and was super excited to read Clay & Josie’s story. But…

It just didn’t work for me. The time jumps were so excessive and jumbled. It was like time travel whiplash over and over again. I understand why it was done, but it really wasn’t organized in a way that I could enjoy it.

I also felt like I re read the first book in the series, because a lot of the time jumps take place at that time. Overall, I just couldn’t get on board with the way it was written.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

This book not only has two POVs, but also flips back and forth between two timelines of the main characters relationship. The beginning was very love-bombing, and then all the sudden they wasn't together. There timelines were a bit murky, and at times meshed together. Honestly the best part of this book was the MMC, and the friends/family members in the storyline. You also got to dive into some of the friends lives/situations which kept the interest going. All together it was a pleasant read, and I loved the ending!

This was a good addition to the first book with similar pacing and writing style. I felt that it really brought the stories around and fleshed it out a bit more while keeping us in the world. The sprayed edges on the physical copy make it a really pretty addition to a bookshelf, too!

☁️ WHEN I SHOULD’VE STAYED☁️ by @authormaxmonroe out: 7/1/2025

QOTD: Do you have a fear of heights? (The MMC in this story does)

This book deserves an infinite number of stars ⭐️. It completely wrecked me, in the best way possible. This was a beautifully and phenomenally crafted read, that had me teary eyed so much for so many different reasons.
Josie is such a complex character and there’s so much to love about her and Clay. You literally won’t be able to read this story without every character leaving a mark on your heart and I won’t give anything else away because it’s such a ride 🥹 I definitely am going back to read the first book in this series.

Mini blurb: Five years after requesting a divorce from her husband, Josie discovers he never filed the papers.

In this book:
💜Notebook - Allie and Noah vibes
💜small town romance
💜secrets that will shatter your heart
💜 Trauma
💜Tension

🤍Do check trigger warnings🤍

Thank you @entangled_publishing and @netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

#book #romance #bookstagrammer #bookreviewer #tbr #bookrecommendations