I just finished When I Should’ve Stayed, and wow, it really hit home for me. This book dives deep into relationships and the tough choices we face, making me reflect on my own life.
The characters felt so real, and I found myself rooting for them through their ups and downs. Max Monroe has a way of capturing emotions that just pulls you in. I loved how the pacing kept me on my toes, mixing moments of tension with heartfelt reflection.
If you’re into stories about love, loss, and figuring out who you really are, you should definitely check this one out! It’s a read that will stick with you.

This was the first book I’ve read from the author duo Max Monroe and now I’m eager to read more from them.

Book 2 in the Red Bridge series, When I Should’ve Stayed, follows Clay and Josie on two different points in their lives as they fall quickly and madly in love compared to the other timeline where they are no longer together. The timelines on both past and present jumps forward quickly but if you pay attention, it’s such an emotional journey of two people that are meant to be.

Their love story is not smooth or easy and due to some unfortunate series of events, it includes devastating heartbreak.

The book however does a beautiful job of taking the reader along for the journey of their relationship and illustrating that not all couples have a straight line to their happy ending.

And I think that’s pretty true in real life too. Once I started this one, the story wouldn’t let me read anything else until I finished.

Recommend if you’re looking for an emotional second chance romance.

Tropes:
He Falls First
Slow Burn
Dual Timelines
Second Chance
Small Town
Enemies to lovers

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and #NetGalley for the ARC to read in return for an honest review.

This is a beautifully written, emotionally raw story that explores the depth of grief, the endurance of love, and the fragility of life. It’s one of those books that hits you in the heart with its honesty and emotional gravity.

The story captures the harsh truths many women face — from loss to sorrow, from hope to heartache. It’s deeply human and incredibly moving. I cried more than once while reading, and I had goosebumps multiple times throughout. That’s how powerful the emotions are on the page.

Told in a dual POV, the structure really helped bring both characters to life. However, the timeline shifts were a bit confusing. I found myself a little lost at the beginning of each chapter due to the lack of clear year references. Once I got my bearings, though, it was smooth sailing.

Overall, this is an easy read, and a poignant reminder that even in the darkest moments, love survives.

Thank you Max Monroe, Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Esta es una historia hermosamente escrita y emotiva que explora la profundidad del duelo, la resistencia del amor y la fragilidad de la vida. Es uno de esos libros que te llega al corazón con su honestidad y gravedad emocional.

La historia captura las duras realidades que enfrentan muchas mujeres: desde la pérdida hasta el dolor, desde la esperanza hasta la angustia. Es profundamente humana e increíblemente conmovedora. Lloré más de una vez mientras la leía y se me puso la piel de gallina varias veces. Así de poderosas son las emociones en la página.

Narrada desde dos perspectivas, la estructura realmente ayudó a dar vida a ambos personajes. Sin embargo, los cambios en la línea temporal fueron un poco confusos. Me sentí un poco perdida al principio de cada capítulo debido a la falta de referencias claras a los años. Sin embargo, una vez que me orienté, fue viento en popa.

En general, es una lectura fácil y un conmovedor recordatorio de que, incluso en los momentos más oscuros, el amor sobrevive.

Gracias Max Monroe, Entangled Publishing y NetGalley por el ARC a cambio de una reseña honesta.

I really enjoyed being back on Red Bridge. I enjoyed seeing more from the town. Getting the beginning of Clay and Josie. Moments of laughter. Moments of swoon. Moments of deep emotions. Moments you’re crying. Moments you’re cheering. Life’s road is sometimes very bumpy with twists, turns and hills and valleys. That was Clay and Josie’s journey. I’m so glad they finally got their forever hea. I do wish there was more of their happy not just the long journey.

This book wrecked me—in the best way. When I Should’ve Stayed is the second installment in the Red Bridge series, and if you thought Josie and Clay’s story was going to be a lighthearted second chance romance… think again.
From the start, you can feel how much love still exists between these two. Their chemistry? Off the charts. But it’s the grief, the heartbreak, and the unresolved pain that drives the emotional weight of this story. Josie and Clay fell fast and hard. Their love was real, but life didn’t play fair—and their loss pulled them apart.
Now, five years later, they’re still in the same small town, still orbiting each other, and still trying to pretend their hearts aren’t broken. The dual timeline adds so much to their story—we see the highs of their first kiss, their wedding, their love… and then the lows that followed. It’s messy, painful, and real. And somehow, Max Monroe keeps you rooting for them even when they’re both hurting too much to say the words they need to say.
Josie is strong but guarded. Clay is stubborn and devoted. They’re both doing the best they can with the hand they’ve been dealt, and that made their second chance feel earned. This book doesn’t shy away from showing how loss and trauma change people—but it also reminds you how love can survive, even after everything.
If you like your romance full of emotion, angst, and healing, When I Should’ve Stayed will hit you right in the heart. Just make sure you’ve got tissues nearby.

᪥ Second Chance
᪥ Dual Timeline
᪥ Opposites Attract
᪥ “My Wife”
᪥ Dual POV

When I Should’ve Stayed was such a great follow up to What I Should’ve Said. We met Josie Ellis and Clay Harris in the first book, but there story was a mystery. I was so excited to get into this amazing story. There were most definitely tears shed, I’m not going to lie. They were some repeated scenes from the first book, although from different POVs. I simply adored this book and cannot wait to meet the Max Monroe girls and tell them how much I loved it in person!!! I would most definitely recommend this book to other readers!!

When I Should’ve Stayed by Max Monroe is the second book in the Red Bridge series. This dual timeline novel was lacking in depth. Clay and Josie’s story involved a retelling of events that took place in the first novel, What I Should’ve Said. I was really hoping for more to this story.

Tropes:
- Second Chance
- He's Obsessed
- He Falls First
- Forced Proximity
- Small Town Romance
- He Only Wants her
- Dual Timeline/POV
- Yearning
- Find Their Way Back To One Another

If you are wanting a roller coaster of emotions type of book this will be the book for you. I love the little town of Red Bridge and the quirkiness of the different people. I would love little novelle's for each one of them.

After reading the first book I was excited to read about Josie and Clay. You get to see their relationship over the years. The ups and very many downs. I found myself wanting to shake Josie a lot throughout this book. I just wanted her to step up and express her feelings. There was no reason they needed to spend 5 years apart. Clay was a man down bad for this woman. He would have done anything for her. Once you read the book you will completely understand what the title means.

Please check trigger warnings.

Thank you Max Monroe, NetGalley, and Entangled for the chance to read this ARC.

#WhenIShouldveStayed #NetGalley

Im not too sure how to express how long and slow this story is! It kept alternating between past and present and was a little difficult to follow to be perfectly honest and made me rather confused.
Probably not the best book the authors have written and being a fan of their writing, this was a disappointing read unfortunately for me personally.
Ultimately I had to power through to see how the storyline ended. But everyone is different and what didn’t work for me may just be the story for you!

The second book of the Red Ridge series continues with the emotional ride that was What I Should’ve Said—this time from Josie and Clay’s perspective. Some scenes are retold for fresh viewpoints, others are new, still tender and heartwarming. Told with dual timelines of past and present (i.e. before and after “the event”), this is true second chance at love story, as the main characters learn to navigate the changes that came and are yet to come with their relationship and whether or not they can rekindle the love they once had. It must have taken Clay much to let Josie go the first time and my heart was breaking for him for most of the story. I have to hand to him, he was persistent in his love, his actions and his words all to get Josie back. He was my favorite, along with the mentions of the water tower. Looking forward to what possibly could be more sheep in the next book of the series?!

He may have let her slip away, but he never stopped loving her 💖🎱🗼

In When I Should've Stayed, we get to read about Josie and Clay's story. We realised when we read #whatishouldvesaid that there's a lot of history there, but we only caught glimpses of it. This book is split into sections covering the past experiences of the main characters before and during the first book of the series, and the present day. It can be a bit confusing, as there's no year added to the titles, just the month, but it's really interesting to read what they're feeling and what went wrong through these time jumps.

I'm continually astounded by the weighty subjects the authors tackle so effortlessly in this series. I'll be honest with you, though. I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive you two (yeah, I mean you, Max & Monroe) for making me feel all those emotions about Summer again, just to lose her AGAIN 💔

I was so engrossed in the book that I couldn't put it down, but I was also keen to find out more about after they got back together. Overall, I still really liked the book and the characters, especially hearing more about Grandma Rose and other side characters like Breezy & Tad. These characters and also reading more about the main characters friendship with Bennet made it possible to not get so annoyed at Clay's constant love bombing (even though he meant well).
I am excited to see what the future in the #smalltown of Red Bridge (can the town really still be called that? #iykyk ) brings and cannot wait to dive into the next story even though I know I am only going to get my heart broken again if a certain angel is mentioned 💞

Thank you to @authormaxmonroe & @entangled_publishing for sharing this book with me through @netgalley & happy #releaseday 🥰
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#secondchanceromance #bookstagram #dualpov #romance #theonethatgotaway #arc

5 Book Hangover Stars!

This book was everything for me! I knew going into it that it was going to be emotional and angsty and I would cry. But man oh man, I wasn’t as prepared as I thought I was because ugly crying going on. Josie and Clay’s story runs concurrent to Norah and Bennett’s story so I got to re-experience some of the most emotional moments of that book all over again but from a different POV.

I loved the connection Josie and Clay and how we got to see how they started and their feelings for each other coming to fruition. But there’s secrets that are being kept that could be the end of them in more ways than one. But Clay is a determined man and while the whole family is making a wish come true for the most beautiful little girl Summer, well, a secret is revealed and it changes everything.

I have to give credit to Josie. She always wants to do the right thing and sometimes that’s taken out of her hands through no fault of her own. The pain this woman goes through is almost debilitating. Through it all, Clay is in the background of her life, it is Red Bridge afterall, so he’s there waiting and ready to do what he can to prove his love.

The path to Clay and Joise coming back together is not an easy one. There are so many tears, but also moments of love that are so beautiful in their simplicity. Along the way, I cried, swooned, laughed out loud and fell in love with this small town all over again. Bravo to Max and Monroe for writing a story that is so beautiful and captivating. There were moments that I thought were going to end me but they turn around and give me a reason to keep reading to see what would happen next. And with a book this emotionally charged, that’s not an easy task. I’ll definitely be listening to the audiobook because I’m a glutton for punishment and want to experience this story all over again. And, if I’m not mistaken, we’ve been given a clue as to what or should I say, will be next in this series and I can’t wait!

When I Should’ve Stayed wrecked me! In the best, most emotional way possible.

Huge thanks to Max Monroe and NetGalley for the chance to read this beautiful ARC early. I still haven’t fully recovered.

I loved "What I Should’ve Said" so much, and getting to revisit these characters, especially sweet Summer, felt like coming home. There’s something so special about being back in their world, and this book made me feel everything. I laughed, I held my breath, and yes… I sobbed. More than once.

The premise alone had my heart aching. She thinks they’re divorced, but he never filed the papers, and what unfolds is a raw, deeply emotional second-chance love story that absolutely gutted me in all the right ways. Josie and Clay are flawed, complicated, and so incredibly human. Their pain felt real, and their love? Even more so.

This story is about heartbreak, healing, and holding on when everything feels broken. It’s about knowing when to walk away… and when to stay. Clay’s devotion, Josie’s strength, their history, the town, the people. I was completely swept up in all of it.

Max Monroe poured so much heart into this book, and it shows on every page. I loved it with everything in me. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

So life happens and I failed for the first time of getting this finished before pub date. However I am predicting a 5 start read. In one sitting I am 1/4 through the book already. It has me having all the feels from cackling to tender sad heart moments. I love how the book is set up so with flash backs and forwards.

So I don’t have my review link yet. But it’s promoted on my story and you can always check BookDragon1988 as I’m sure the review will be soon!

Okay just to start, having to read through Summer’s death again while on period means this was terrible timing and I cried my way through like an entire section of this book but I couldn’t put it down! There is a decent amount of emotional content in this book, and if you haven’t read book 1, I would recommend to go back, but it’s not necessary. I’ve been dying for Josie and Clay’s story since book 1 and it did not let me down! I love the divorced or marriage in trouble trope because the emotional connection between the characters that’s already established and the romance of finding your way back to your person is just like catnip for me. Josie went through a lot of things at the time of her marriage to Clay and that affects how she handles a lot of it, and as you flip back and forth between the present and past, you learn exactly what happened and why it was broken apart.

Clay has just been confused and in love with Josie since the beginning of their relationship and it’s so hard to see him to stay confused for so long while the reader gets to know more and more through Josie’s POV. It’s part of the reason for why this book is so emotional since you start to see him become more and more desperate for the why, and it’s so hard to read especially as he sees her start to struggle with Summer’s death. I loved how this book handles so much complex grief but never makes the story feel heavy and that is honestly my favorite part of this book, and I can’t wait to see what the tone and storyline is for Breezy’s book!

Oh Josie and Clay... your story was one for the ages. As soon as I finished What I Should've Said, I picked up this sequel. It was a sweet second chance romance, with Clay being completely smitten with Josie, doing absolutely anything it would take to get his wife back. Josie took some coercing, but deep down, she knew how much she loved Clay too.

While I absolutely loved the first book, the timeline on this one fell a bit flat for me, but I loved the overall story, and enjoyed the flashbacks to the first book. Sweet Summer will always put a smile on my face and pull at my heartstrings, and I love reading about Norah and Bennett, and their sweet romance. This series has definitely captured my heart, and it gives you all the feels, but be sure to have those tissues ready!

I had mixed feelings about When I Should’ve Stayed by Max Monroe. This is book two in the series, and while I loved the first book—even though it emotionally wrecked me—the second didn’t fully land the same way.

The writing is strong, the love story is heartfelt, and the quirky small-town vibes are just as charming as ever. I adored the romance between the hero and heroine—it’s got a second chance, healing from shared trauma, and that undeniable tension that only comes from years of built-up feelings.

But I didn’t expect so much of this book to revisit the heartbreak from book one. It felt like I was being made to relive the devastation all over again, and not in a fresh or necessary way. A good portion of the story is just the events from book one retold through another character’s perspective, and honestly, that felt like a bit of a cheat. I wanted more from this couple, not a rehash.

Still, if you loved book one and want to dive deeper into the aftermath, you might really appreciate this. Just know you’re in for another emotional ride.

This is the second book in the Red Bridge Series. First book is What I Should’ve said. This story is told in the same timeline as the first book just different view points. I loved the intertwining stories and just seeing the story from another perspective. It’s emotional, heartbreaking but also so heartwarming! A great second chance romance.

Wow! This book was an emotional rollercoaster from the very beginning. I found myself in tears several times. But it was written so beautifully.

Josie and Clay had gone through so much. The banter between the two at the beginning of their relationship had me giggling. They met and their relationship progressed pretty quickly. He was head over heels for that woman pretty quickly and she was a little more hesitant.

One tragic accident changed it all for them. Even though Clay was the one everyone knew was hurt, Josie was too. But she kept it to herself and then decided Clay would be better off without her. She still loved him, but didn’t think it was enough. For 5 years she kept pushing him away, but he kept trying. Clay loved her and he wasn’t ever going to stop fighting for his wife.

Summer, the sweetest and most precious little girl. Oh my heart broke for her and those who loved her. She brought that entire town joy and happiness.

This book is full of sorrow, heartbreak, and even lots of happiness. But just be prepared to have your heart ripped out several times.

5⭐️
2🌶️

When I should’ve stayed - Max Monroe

5/5⭐️

📚📚📚
This one omg!! The sobs it had coming from me at some points I wasn’t ready for but I just loved it. This book is everything heartbreaking to heart warming and the emotional attachment it created with these characters was big for me. The writing I really enjoyed and how the timelines kept switching from the before and after. It flowed nicely so I didn’t get confused at all. Josie and Clay is a book couple I will never stop thinking about. Clay is literally such a top tier book husband. This man shows all his love. That Easter egg hunt totally put a big smile on my face. Now without giving away to much more I highly recommend this one!

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If you like to read:
- Small town
- Second chance
- Romance
- Heartbreak
- Secrets
- Tension
… You should definitely check this out