I jumped into book two after I finished the first book. I liked the second book better than the first! I want to point out that these covers do not match the contents inside. It’s my first Max Monroe series, so I had no idea what to expect. These look like fun summer romances. They are romances, but they also deal with heavier topics.

The story jumps between the past (before the moment) and the present (after the moment). The duo timelines were well written, and I enjoyed both of them. Reading the first book is a must. You get a lot of details from many of the big moments in book one. I did not expect to have to go through all those emotions again. It’s from a different perspective, so it makes it feel new and different.

Josie and Clay’s story begins in the past, and we see how they met and fell in love. I do think their relationship was a bit too much insta-love. They quickly accelerate their relationship, and I think that’s a big part of the problem. Of course, there’s a lot of miscommunication, but that can also be because they rushed through so many things. They didn’t take the time to get to know each other and find out what the other wants. The banter between Josie and Clay was entertaining. I loved her in the first book. I loved getting to see more of her in this book. She’s had such a hard life, and you can’t help but root for her. I enjoyed seeing her side of the relationship with her sister.

Please note that this series explores some more challenging topics. I was bawling several times throughout the book! There’s one little thing that bugged me about Clay, and it was that he would not take no for an answer. It wasn’t cute or endearing, but just annoying.

Overall, I did enjoy this book! I think there’s a little snippet for what could be another book. I’m all for it, if that’s the case! There are some triggering aspects to the story: death, miscarriage, and illness. I think all the deeper topics worked well and brought some good emotions. I will be picking up more Max Monroe!

Thank you, Entangled: Amara and Netgalley, for the e-ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own!!

When I Should've Stayed is the second book in the Red Bridge series by Max Monroe. I will say I enjoyed this book more than the first, though I had a hard time with the jumping around of the timelines. One of the things I also struggled with was that this book takes place simultaneously with the first book at points, and that made it a bit hard to understand at times, though I did find this a really cool feature after I wrapped my head around it a little bit. I felt like I had a bit of whiplash from all the different time jumps-they were a bit hard to keep track of. Clay and Josie's relationship always seemed good, I did like their chemistry, which made it all the harder to believe the reason they weren't together. I think this was my biggest struggle of the book--the "omg" moment of why they weren't together didn't seem like something that should have been that "big" considering Clay's character throughout the book. Overall, it was an enjoyable, though a bit jumbled, read. 3 3/4*

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and fair review.

Rating: 3.5/5

- small town
- second chance (divorced couple that surprised, aren't divorced!)
- dual timelines
- he falls first
- 🌶️🌶️/5
- dual pov

I was so excited for this book after the emotional rollercoaster of When I Should've Said. But that one is a tough act to follow, and while I enjoyed Josie and Clay's story, it didn't quite hit the same.

The story moves between "before" (when they're married) and "after" (post-divorce), and one thing is immediately clear—Clay falls fast, hard, and never stops loving Josie, even after years apart. The "before" chapters are heavy with grief and emotional weight, as Josie deals with multiple heartbreaking losses. The "after" timeline overlaps with events from the first book, so buckle up!

I personally struggled with Josie's decision to divorce Clay without telling him the truth. He's clearly head over heels for her, and watching him suffer while being kept in the dark was frustrating. Josie holds onto this secret for 90% of the book, and when she finally reveals it, Clay forgives her instantly. While I get the emotional impact the author was going for, I couldn't help but feel like Clay deserved more. I'll always root for open communication, and keeping something that massive from the person who adores you? That stung a little.

Overall, the nosy yet supportive small-town vibes and lovable characters are present. It just didn't live up to my expectations.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing for the early copy.

When I should’ve stayed

This story was about Josie and Clay.

Josie left New York at age 18 to get away from her wealthy mother and step father and heads back to Red Bridge to live with her Grandma Rose. It was hard
To leave her sister Norah but she could not stay. Josie got into a nice routine living with Grandma Rose, working at the diner and later met Clay. They have a fast, passionate romance and decide to get married. Tragedy strikes that comes between them.

Clay also broke away from his wealthy New York family coming to Red Bridge and starting a bar called the Country club. He falls for Josie at first connection.

This story had me chuckling, crying and getting upset.

I loved Clay and his energy and he would do anything for Josie. He was wild and crazy and did some crazy stunts to get her attention. He was very attentive and thoughtful.

Josie was a strong woman who has been through a lot but she also would do anything for the people she loves. She is not the best at letting people help her or always communicating. At one point I wanted to scream “Just talk to him!”

I felt this story came full circle wrapping up the story of Norah and Bennett along with Josie and Clay, it was fun to see the other side of Josie thoughts toward Norah and her family. Max Monroe did a nice job showing the other perspective.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled for the gifted eARC to read and review and give my honest opinion.

Many tears were shed as I read this book. I thought there’s no way it can be as sad as the first book was. Little did I know I was going to have to go through that traumatic experience again. I didn’t mind though. I loved seeing our pink, sparkly princess.

I love a second chance marriage book, and I had hoped this would give all the yearning and angst you get from those. My issue was , whilst I liked Clay and Josie, and I felt they belonged together, too much time was spent on flashbacks and very little time of the present. I wanted to see them fight for each other, work through their issues and ultimately be stronger together. I was also low-key angry at Josie. I hate when a character makes a self-sacrificing decision but doesn’t take into account that they’ve left the other person with no choice.

Little niggles aside, I really did like the story. Even with my copious amount of tears.

I enjoyed being back in Red Bridge and getting to know some of my favorite characters more. When I should've Stayed brings us back to Red Bridge and go back and forth in time to fully understand the timeline of Josie and Clay's relationship and why it ended. Josie and Clay's journey is complex however honestly believable based on what the two have gone through. Dealing with the loss of a loved one is hard enough, having a pregnancy loss that causes complications leads to complex and sometimes self sabotaging/irrational actions. The guilt/shame and oldest sibling energy really spoke to me and the pregnancy loss didn't come off as something for shock value however something organic to the story. I look forward to more from the Red Bridge story.

Thank you Hambright PR for hooking me up with this book and Max Monroe for letting me do an IG live with them! They are THE BEST!

I devoured this book in less than a day! I gasped so many times! Can you imagine thinking you're divorced, only to find out your ex didn't actually sign and file the paperwork? My flabbers were gasted. I felt every emotion for her hurt, betrayal, anger, love, and self-discovery. Truly an amazing book!

3.5 - 4 Star Review When I Should’ve Stayed by Max Monroe

This is the second book in the Red Ridge Series and is Josie and Clay’s second chance at love story.

Told over many years, I found this book to be well written; the characters easy to relate too.

Having read numerous books by these authors I couldn’t wait to read this one. However, this is not my favourite book from this writing duo. I struggled with it on several occasions as although I really liked Clay I had a hard time connecting to Josie.

Told in the past and present I found myself frustrated at times and confused.

I am almost ok after finishing When I Should've Stayed. Almost. This tear-jerker of a rom-com (yes that's a real thing....thanks Max Monroe) did me in. Hear me now...have the tissues ready. 

I'm not gonna lie, Clay was the star of the show here. He is what book boyfriend dreams are made of. The swoon factor of this man is off the charts. Kind and patient. Honest and loyal. Thoughtful and generous. Especially where Josie is concerned. From the first time he talked to her he knew she was it for him. Now he just had to work his magic to make her see it. 

Josie, that woman was larger than life. She lived out loud in her own way. But also had a tender heart after all she had endured. It made her wary to truly let Clay in but she just couldn't resist all that was him. For as fun and flirty as Josie and Clay were, they also faced some truly tragic moments. Events that changed the course of their happiness and lives.

The number of times I wanted to crawl into the book and force these two to just talk to one another...lay it all out there. I laughed and cried and cried and laughed some more as Josie and Clay navigated the terrible beauty that is life and love. As they battled pain and guilt. But my goodness...that ending, it

When I Should’ve Stayed is the second book in the Red Bridge Series. This is the story of Josie and Clay. I always love a romance set in a cozy New England town, and the small town elements of this book were charming. Josie owns the coffee shop and Clay owns the town bar, and the whole town feels like family (for better or for worse!).

Many scenes from What I Should’ve Said were seen again here from the POV of these characters instead, and I thought that worked really well. I also liked the way the time jumps backwards and forwards were handled and labeled very clearly so I was never confused.

I did not love how Clay and Josie communicated, or….didn’t. They were relatively older characters for a romance novel (late 20s - mid 30s through the story, I believe), but their relationship behavior seemed much less mature. He definitely had some problematic boundary issues. While there was some third act character growth, that was not really addressed enough for me to be ok with it.

Overall my rating is 3.5 stars because I was entertained for most of the story and I do appreciate the struggles with thinking about what we wish we’d done differently.

A dual timeline, second chance romance. While Josie and Clay were previously married, we find out that Clay never filed the actual divorce papers. I had trouble seeing these two together because Josie was so bottled up and Clay seemed clueless. Not my favorite Max Monroe book.

I always love the angst that comes with a second chance romance! It was clear that Josie and Clay still had strong feelings for each other when I was reading the first book in this series, so I couldn’t wait to read When I Should’ve Stayed to find out why they weren’t together any more. While they do stand alone, I do recommend reading What I Should Have Said first for a better reading experience.

The book jumps around the timeline of Josie and Clay’s relationship, and we get to see everything from their hilarious meet cute to the devastating lows that wreaked havoc on their love. Clay was instantly smitten by Josie. He fights for their love so hard in both the past and present. These characters both work hard for their HEA. This was a really emotional book.

I also loved seeing all the characters from What I Should Have Said and seeing some of the events in that story through Josie and Clay’s perspective. I can’t wait to see what these authors decide to write next!

I think it is genius when authors can create stories that overlap in time and during events so they can be seen from other characters' POVs. I think it must take extra care and planning. That being, I didn’t read the first book in the Red Bridge series, What I Should’ve Said (April 2024) so I can’t comment on how the two books and characters overlap. I see some reviews commenting about it feeling repetitive but I also can’t speak to that.

Josie and Clay are the main characters and when they meet it is instant everything. The story follows the pair over the years. Josie finds she needs to step away from everything and everyone she loves. She has her reasons. But this is a second chance romance. Clay is always true to Josie and wants to win her back when given the chance. This is an emotional and angsty story. Keep tissues nearby. The highs are joyful but the lows leave you gutted. I found myself emotionally invested and wanted a HEA for the pair.

There are jumps back and forth in time from before and after the moment and I found that a little confusing. I am new to the two writers who together are Max Monroe. But I will read them again.

♥︎𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐲
♥︎𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
♥︎𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧

𝒯𝒽ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈
"𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝,𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝" is the second book in the Red Bridge Series that I have eagerly been anticipating. After devouring "What I Should've Said," I couldn't wait to dive into Josie and Clay’ story.

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 book was a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with sweetness, heartache, and unresolved issues. The story features dual timelines from the past to the present, recounting Josie and Clay relationship and the events that led to their separation.

𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐞 loving these characters, I couldn't help but feel that they never truly understood each other. Josie dealt with her pain alone, while Clay remained oblivious to her struggles. Their inability to bridge the gap between them was a central theme that resonated throughout the story. I believed their miscommunication could have been avoided. That being said, there were moments where I felt sympathy for Josie and Clay. Sometimes love is complicated!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 story did get me in my feels. One, Clay being Clay managed to break through Josie’s walls and did everything to make her smile. That was the sweetest thing. I also loved how beautifully the authors portrayed Summer, a character who left a lasting impact on everyone she met. You can feel how special she is through different perspectives and timelines. Though the tears flowed freely, I loved reliving those little moments. Summer was an endearing character that will live in my mind for quite some time.

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥, if you’re a fan of dual timelines and second chance romances tinged with angst, the Red Bridge series is a must-read. Just be prepared with a box of tissues to navigate these love stories.

Thank you to 𝐌𝐚𝐱 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐞, 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚, and 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 for providing me with an ebook copy. All thoughts shared here are my own.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒⭐️ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥: 𝟐🔥

I knew by the 20% mark that this book was going to break me. And it absolutely did, but it felt deeply therapeutic. I connected with Josie on so many levels. As someone who has experienced pregnancy loss, this story hit me square in the chest. There were moments I just wanted her to open up to Clay, but I completely understood her need to carry that heartbreak alone.
Now, about Clay… toxic is putting it lightly. To me, he’s a master manipulator, a charming gaslighter who twists situations into grand romantic gestures, but only when it benefits him. And as with most emotionally toxic relationships, their friends are blinded by the way he disrespects Josie’s boundaries behind closed doors.
All that said, I will gladly die on the hill that this series has been one of the most powerful reads for me this year. If you’re looking for an ugly cry kind of book that shatters you and then pieces you back together in the most healing way, please read this one.

*Thank you to Max Monroe, Entangled Publishing, LLC and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

When I Should've Stayed follows What I Should've Said in the Red Bridge Series, with Josie and Clay's story. Red Bridge Barista Josie and local bar owner Clay, have history, and now we get to know the details of why the the tension is thick whenever these two are together! Josie and Clay were once in love and married, there are still feelings but Josie has believed them divorced for the last 5 years! This book alternates between "before the moment" and "after the moment", covering events that lead up to their parting and merging with the ending of What I Should've Said.

Josie and Clay's story is hearwarming and heartbreaking by turns and it was a emotional story, that kept me wondering what it was that drove the wedge in their relationship that seems to be so magnetic. There were swoony moments, tempered by devastating events, and some of the drama from the first book spilling over in the retelling. Overall I loved the story, but found some parts repetitive having read the two back to back, with some scenes being re-played word for word. Additionally, I found it difficult at times to keep in mind the time-frame with only month/day in the chapter heading. If the before/after or the year were included I think it would be easier to follow. Perhaps it was a quirk of the ARC.

Funny enough, I was left with the impression that the title "What I Shoulď've Said" applied as much, if not more, to Josie. I can forgive the few repetitive moments for the love and the laughs and I'm excited for Book 3, which I believe is set up for a Breezy/Tad storyline with the hijinks of Crosby, the injury faking sheep. I'm still laughing and I can't wait to get Tad the sheep farmer's story that has been mentioned in both book as being "a story for another time."

Max Monroe, thank you for making me ugly cry time over a sweet, little girl called Summer for a second time. Even knowing it was coming in When I Should’ve Stayed, if anything seeing her grow from baby to toddler to the sweetest little girl who inspired love in everyone she met, made it harder to read. If you keep this series going, I am thinking I should stock up on Kleenex, wine, and chocolate.

Josie and Clay’s second chance story was angsty and emotional even if as characters I wanted to bang their heads together, it was so obvious they were meant to be together. Josie especially but as their story was revealed as the story jumped from the past to present and back to the past, I began to understand her a bit better. She’d lost everyone she’d ever loved one way or another and in walking away from Clay she was protecting herself even as she justified it by telling herself she was doing it for him. I loved Clay who was just such a golden retriever of a hero with the patience of a saint and the stubbornness of a mule as he hung on waiting for his opening to win Josie back. The way their story is told flipping between past, and present doesn’t make this the easiest book to read and at times it felt a bit disjointed, and I know it followed the same timeline, but parts felt familiar to the first book without the perspective changing. I did love the idyllic small-town setting of Red Bridge and the quirky secondary characters, from Tad the hot but very bad sheep farmer to Sheriff Pete and the reverend all observers to the epic romance of Josie and Clay – now doesn’t that sound like a great title for a C&W song.

I'm just going to leave this here.

🧸💔❤️‍🩹🧚‍♀️

Clay loves José!

~~~~~
#claylovesjosé
#maxmonroe
#whenishouldvestayed #josieandclay #smalltownromance #secondchanceromance #entangledpublishing #maxedoutreaders

@authormaxmonroe
@entangled_publishing

What I should've said, which is the first book in this series has stayed with me since I read it so when I saw there was a second book coming out I immediately snatched it up. I was so excited for the opportunity to get an early copy of this book.

This will also be a book that will stay with you. This story is a bit of insta-love on Clay's part, the timeline goes con-currently with the first book, however this book has dual timelines it goes back and forth a lot. The book makes you dislike Josie until you learn everything at the end. Its a traumatic read about child loss. It's not often that a book makes me feel everything, but this one does. This book had me straight up sobbing at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review as always, all words are my own.

When I Should've Stayed is the second book in the Red Bridge series. It follows Josie Ellis and Clay Harris.

Max Monroe are the queens of creating heart-wrenching stories and this one is no different. This book follows Josie and Clay on two different parts of their journey, when they were just falling in love and when they were broken up. I loved this aspect because you get the full picture of their lives before, during, and after their worlds changed.

Josie really went through it in this book. She never told Clay or anyone what happened to make her walk away from their relationship but she never stopped loving him. She is the type of person who bottles up her emotions and puts everyone else's needs above her own. She is also loving, caring, feisty, and stubborn.

Clay is a kind man with such a big heart. He loves Josie so much before and after everything went down. The poor man just wants to be with Josie and never knew what happened to make her push him away. I loved that after years of waiting he decided it was time to show her they were always meant to be. He is protective, sweet, caring, thoughtful, patient, and an open book.

Their story wrecked me in a way I haven’t felt in a while. The emotions of the characters literally roll off the page and I cried my eyes out reading this book. Max Monroe has a way of making you feel what their characters feel which is not an easy thing to do. There are also some funny parts mixed in with some zany townsfolk so it’s not all sad I promise!

I loved every second of their story and I hope all who read it do as well!

You will enjoy this book if you like the following:
- Small town
- The one that got away
- Second chance
- Unresolved tension
- Lovers to enemies
- Heavy moments
- Lots of banter
- Slow burn

While this book can be read as a standalone I highly recommend reading What I Should’ve Said first.

Thank you so much, Max Monroe and Entangled Publishing for the gifted copy!