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

This book tied in wonderfully to "What I Should've Said", which is a book that I love and highly recommend reading in general and especially before reading this book. This is book focuses on Josie and Clay, who we met previously in "What I Should've Said" and we are taken on their journey of love and loss. Norah, Bennett, Summer and other characters also make appearances and the crossover is done brilliantly. This book is funny, hearritwarming and will once again have you sobbing and begging for more.

Wow! This book gutted me! These ladies have written such a compelling emotional story!!

The style in which it is written is pretty unique. We follow along with three timelines, and throughout, we are connected to the characters from What I Should’ve Said. I loved how closely the two stories are interwoven!! It has made me want to go back and read the first book to see if there were any clues about what was happening with our two main characters!

I hated and loved this book! What an emotional roller coaster! Ok, I didn’t hate it at all, I did love it, but MAN!! I went through a lot of Kleenex while reading it!
Highly recommend!!

Cue in the water works. This book takes the reader on an emotional journey between Clay and Josie. I got to admit, Josie did make me grit my teeth on several occasions as she kept flip floppin between her true feelings for Clay that she gave me whiplash. I give Clay credit for being patient and he was one smart cookie in not giving up on them!! I cried, I laughed, and I said hmmm, many times throughout the book. Max Monroe surely know how to get the reader invested, frustrated, laughing, and crying all in one swoop! Such a great read!!!

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💕4.5 stars! A second chance at true love 💕

When I Should've Stayed by Max Monroe is Book Two in the Red Bridge Series which features Josie and Clay. We saw a little of Josie and Clay in book one and I was so intrigued by them and wanted to know their story. I was really excited to find out their book was the next book in the series. And let me tell you, reading their story was not for the faint of heart. Watching their love story unfold and all the trials that came with it was heartbreaking but it was also beautiful. How love can reveal our true selves and how that translates to decisions that Josie made. This book will make you laugh and cry and ache in all the ways only a truly memorable love story can.

Josie: Before The Moment There are ghosts at every corner. In the stolen kisses while I waitressed at the diner, in the town festivals in the square, in the many jokes about Betty Bagley and her pie at the Fall Farmer’s Market, and in countless nights spent watching Clay make drinks with that handsome smile of his plastered on his face while I sat on a stool at the bar. It should all feel familiar and comforting, and yet, it makes it hard for the person I am now to breathe at all. Tonight will be a defining moment for the rest of my life.I have to end it now..before it ends me. Clay: After The Moment When Josie and I said, ‘I do’, I thought it’d be us against the world forever. I know I should’ve stayed that night, and I should have gone back a heck of a lot sooner. Because I don’t know how to be here. I don’t know how to be anywhere. Truth is, I don’t know how to be without Josie at all. She might think we’re done, but I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure we’re not.

I have been waiting on this book for a hot minute and it did NOT disappoint. I will say please check your TWs because this book does deal with some heavy stuff. I’m not sure whether I want to yell at Max and Monroe or hug them for making me re-live the devastation of book 1 while adding more trauma and heartbreak on top of it. I went through a very similar situation as Josie when I first got married so it just seemed to hit me that much harder. I love the past and present timeline and getting to meet more of the small town I fell in love with. I swear if a man doesn’t love me as much as Clay loves Josie I don’t freaking want it. Clay is quite literally perfection and I will die on this freaking hill and it almost makes me want to forgive Max Monroe for all the tears. ALMOST cause there were a lot! This book definitely broke my heart over and over again but also put it completely back together and is an ABSOLUTE MUST READ!!!!!

What an incredible story. This series was great. I loved getting to know more about Josie and what happened with her and Clay. Josie went through a lot and it made her change and felt like she was holding Clay back.

The story had a lot of back and forth between the years, but it was easy to keep up with. I love how some parts got more in depth from the first book. It was an easy read.

I absolutely loved it. Bravo Max Monroe!

This is a standalone, but I highly recommend reading What I Should’ve Said first.
The first book, What I Should’ve Said was amazing and so emotional. Once this book became available, I stopped reading all the other books I was in the middle of to start this one. I have zero regrets.
First, I love that we got more of Bennett, Summer, and Norah, because I can’t get enough of them. Reading about Summer as a baby was so special. I love her!!
This book explored Josie and Clay and the challenges they faced. She is complicated. That’s not to say she is not likable. She blames herself for a lot of bad things that have happened. Because of those bad experiences, she has built walls. Walls that only Clay had the power to could break down. Their story was a dual timeline that showed where they started and how the relationship took a turn for the worse. But the authors did an excellent job showing how Clay never gave up on Josie. Sure, he had his moments of fear, because Josie was it for him. But he always turned it around to needing to fight for her. Josie was so lucky to have him. Their relationship felt real with all the ups and downs, and living in a small town where they were bound to run into each other.
I don’t want to give anything away, because this was too good not to discover the “why” for yourself. All I can say is all the characters felt real. I could see a lot of these things happening to someone in real life, and I think that’s why it is perfection. Because love and relationships are fragile, but they are also strong and unbreakable. No matter what Josie felt was the right thing to do, there was one thing she could not run from, and that was her love for Clay. Clay was her home, her love, her joy, and she was an empty shell of a person without him.
If you are up for an emotional read, and I hope you are, read this if you like: second chances, he falls first, small town, dual timeline and more.

To start, I loved the insta-love between Clay and Josie. The whirlwind romance was sweet. I didn't expect the back and forth between time periods. It got a little annoying. Josie went through a lot of heartache but her actions were all over the place. It was hard to love her character. I liked the side characters and their stories. My Heart broke and tears were shed. The spice was about a 2.5. It wasn't the main part of the story and that's fine but I wasn't a fan of the way it was written.
Thank you Netgalley for my free advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Entangled: Amara for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

If you were a fan of the first book - you will love this one! Get your tissue boxes ready though, because it doesn't get any easier.

Tons of angst. Purposeful leaving out of important information. Poor timing. I do fell that the authors did a great job of building up Clay and Josie's relationship, but I didn't realize how short it actually was.

Loved seeing more of Red Bridge, and getting Josie's perspective on what was happening with Norah. I also enjoyed seeing more of Ben and Summer, and the rest of the townspeople.

My biggest dislike was the switching between past and present. I sincerely wish it had all been told chronologically.

When I Should've Stayed by Max Monroe is an emotionally charged continuation of the Red Bridge series that delves deep into the complexities of second chance love. This story captures the raw emotions of its main characters, Josie and Clay, as they navigate the aftermath of choices that have left marks on their hearts.

The narrative unfolds through dual perspectives, offering readers an intimate glimpse into both Josie and Clay's internal struggles. The story timeline jumps back and forth and incorporates alternative viewpoints for the gut wrenching parts of "What I Should Have Said". Beyond the central love story, the novel explores themes of personal growth, the consequences of choices, and the enduring power of love. The small-town setting of Red Bridge serves as a backdrop that is both charming and reflective of the characters' internal landscapes.

Max Monroe's writing is both evocative and immersive, drawing readers into the emotional depths of the characters' experiences.

For fans of contemporary romance that doesn't shy away from the complexities of real-life emotions, When I Should've Stayed is a must-read. It stands as a testament to Max Monroe's ability to craft stories that are both heart-wrenching and hopeful, leaving readers with a lasting impression of the resilience of the human heart.

When i should've stayed is book 2 in the red bridge series. Each book can be read out of order but is apart of a family. I did read book 2 before reading book 1. But I loved it. A couple get married not realizing that everyone is against it. Family and friends bring on hardship that drives them apart.

Oh Max Monroe, you’ve done it again!! When I Should’ve Stayed was another five star read! Don’t miss this one!

*ARC REVIEW*

I cannot believe I’m raining this and writing this review and it pains me to do so… If I feel a book is going to be lower than 4 stars, I usually DNF it and move on but I HAD to get Clay and Josie’s story and I was sadly disappointed.

What I Should’ve Said is probably my favorite Max Monroe book and I was anxious for Clay and Josie’s back story and HEA. I normally don’t mind a dual timeline but the way this one was set up seemed too choppy.

While their story was emotional (and I wanted the emotion), I felt it dragged on too long. Their reconciliation didn’t happen until the very end of the book, so I caught myself skimming a lot.

I hate that I’m even writing this review! I know there will be people that love this book but it just wasn’t for me.

I do appreciate Max Monroe and Entangled/Amara for the early review copy.