Who would be your "STAY ANOTHER DAY" person? Hopefully, your life is full of so many special people that it would be hard to choose.

For Lili, it is her BFF Em. The two were friends, roomies, and travel companions until an accident ended Em's life too soon. When a phone glitch leads Lili to Dylan, she falls into a one-night stand. (Not my favorite trope, btw). The two share a vision for helping folks clear clutter and recycle, so a business friendship blooms. Could Dylan be her new favorite person?

Here are three things I appreciated about this holiday read:

💖Lili makes friends with a robin and names it Bobbin. The bird eats a special mix of fruit, cheese, and nuts out of her hand.
👗Dylan helps tote away clutter from people's homes, sorting for trash and donations. Lili manages a charity shop called Ware & Care. Love thrift store shopping and a good clutter-clearing now and again.
🛫The two spend some time in Las Vegas right before Christmas. That would be a great season for seeing the strip at its best and avoiding the heat.

I'm sorry to say I was a bit underwhelmed by this one. The cover had me expecting more of a Shari Low experience and it wasn't. There was too much time spent on Lili's Sunday afternoon freedom ceremonies.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

As you can perhaps gather from the book title, this is an emotional read that deals with loss and grief, but not in a way that weighs on your emotions, but replaces that loss with the more powerful feeling of hope.
Initially, we meet Lilli and learn about her loss. Her best friend, Emma, had died a year ago, and Lilli still hadn’t accepted her death. Having discovered that mobile phone companies didn’t reallocate numbers until sometime after the owner had passed away, she had continued to message Emma whenever she felt the urge to contact her. However, when she receives a reply, she begins to believe that she will see Emma again as they arrange to meet in a pub. What she didn’t expect was to meet the gorgeous Dylan or to discover that he had been responding to her messages, assuming they were from someone else.
The way this story is crafted drew me in, and I found myself hoping for a happy ending, despite the clues to the contrary. Lilli was an absolute joy, and her positivity was a source of delight. Having started her life over, several hundred miles from her home in Manchester, she was heavily involved in recycling and upcycling items donated to the charity where she worked. I particularly enjoyed her commitment to her donation ceremonies, where a funeral was held as a final farewell to a cherished item. From the awkward to the heartwarming, some of the eulogies gave me pause and caused me to reconsider my bond with inanimate objects.
Dylan took me a little longer to connect with, as the story is created in a way that doesn’t reveal everything immediately. Still, once I was able to see him clearly, I was invested in the potential of their shared future, if only they could find their way to the same page.
This gorgeous book starts with flashes of hope and then becomes completely hope-filled as the characters begin to share their stories, and my tears gently rolled down my cheeks. Whilst this may not be Sam’s most emotional offering, it still captured my imagination and left me quietly hopeful with a belief that there is a way to recover from grief. I hope you enjoy this book and also the robin...

This book dealt with loss, friendship and slow romance. The most cheerful thing about the book was a robin visitor. I found the story a bit depressing to be honest but persevered and it improved for me as it went on.

This is a nice slow-burn romance with an interesting reference to a ceremony in Japanese culture. Grief over the loss of a loved one is a very strong motif throughout the book, which doesn't make it an easy read and might be a trigger for some.

Lili is still mourning her friend when she first meets Dylan.
This book is about grieving and learning to let go and live again. This was kind of a sad story in spots. It does have some feel good parts tho too.

A cute, heartfelt Christmas story from Samantha Tonge. Will You Stay Another Day has great characters and beautiful settings. Perfect for a cosy, winter night.

Okay, the blurb was intriguing. The book started okay, and although the author was taking too much time to get to the point, it was too intriguing to not read through. So I went on till the 10th chapter and then…bam!

The very first meeting between the protagonist and this new character (the hero), which was supposedly something poignant and emotionally charged, takes a sharp turn from mystery and grief to implausible insta passionate romance, when there's absolutely no chemistry, no endearing or catchy conversations.

It seemed very off putting to me.

Also, the death sequence: it seemed like the author was engineering the situation —using grief as a plot device — to make the mystery work.

Thank you for the copy. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. Not posting my review anywhere else.

Very good romance book

Blurb

When Lili sends a jokey ‘knock-knock’ message to her best friend Em, she doesn’t expect to hear back. Because – as Lili notices the chill in the air, and the little robin in her garden – she realises Christmas must be just around the corner once again. A whole year since she last saw Em.

But then this time someone replies. ‘Who’s there?’ It can’t possibly be Em, but Lili wants to believe it could be, and she hastily suggests meeting.

However when she gets to the meeting place, there only one other person there waiting. A man. And not just any man. The most handsome man Lili’s ever seen, Dylan… And he is also waiting for someone he’s been missing.

As the days get shorter and Autumn turns to Winter, will two lonely hearts spend another Christmas without their loved ones? Or can they welcome an unexpected friendship? Or maybe even more, if they can just help each other to focus on not what they’ve lost, but what they’ve found…

My heart was broken and put back together with this story.

Lili and Em were best friends. Emily passed, but Lili still reads Em's texts. She even writes to her, but there is never a reply. Lili is struggling with her loss, and her grief is overpowering. So when someone replies to her text, Lili is overpowered by the need to find out who replied to her messages.

Sometimes sad,sometimes hopeful, Will You Stay Another Day? It definitely felt like a Christmas story. It brought me sadness and joy. It reminds us all about new beginnings, letting go, friendships, and healing. I was not ready for this, but I enjoyed it and loved it so much.
Thank you, Netgalley and Boldwood Books, for this ARC. All opinions are entirely my own.

I just loved this book! It was heartbreaking but also heartwarming. I loved the way Lili was and how she handled Em not being there but I also love how she met Dylan. I loved how things turned out for them. I also loved how Lili was like with Tommo, Meg, Glenda and Callum she was there for them but in a completely different way and I loved how they were with her. I loved all the characters in this book and how things were different for them all but I loved how they all came together. This is just a beautiful book and it deals with grief in such a beautiful way and I like how it showed that it’s different for everybody.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you love a heartwarming Christmas book that deals with a very difficult subject but in a beautiful way.

I would like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early.

A wonderful book by Samantha with loveable characters and beautiful narratives making it a heart warming early seasonal read. I found this book light-hearted and funny in many places and is very well written.

I really enjoyed this book. An unusual story but beautifully written. Lilly and Dylan’s story.
Grief affects us all and this book deals with feelings of loss after a loved one has left us and how we try and cope. The freedom ceremonies being a point in question.
A very well written book which I would recommend
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Samantha Tongue for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Well, what a wonderful story. Stuffed full of emotion, friendship and family, what an absolutely, lovely read

Finding a partner in grief📱😓

I found Tonge's tale of two young adults dealing with the loss of close loved ones moving and inspirational. And there's even a bit of magic realism and fate woven in as Lili and Dylan learn more about their deceased BFF Em and brother Harry, respectively, and a possible link between them that Dylan and Lili never even contemplated.

The story has more than a few sad moments, but there are happy memories, too, and the building romance between Lili and Dylan. And the Sunday ceremonies for letting go of possessions that were holding people back: loved the concept and how acquaintances like Callum, Jack, Tommo, Glenda and Megan, even Dylan, finally worked up the courage to move on. The robin's appearance in Lili's garden was touching. All good reading, but I did feel the story's pace slowed down a bit too much after the Las Vegas section.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 8/5/25 on Waterstones, Goodreads and Bookbub, and with Barnes & Noble and BAM. To be shared on Google Play and with kobo upon publication.

Charming in its simplicity <i>Will You Stay Another Day?</i> takes readers on a journey straight to the heart of loss, life, love and the holidays. I have an appreciation for Samantha Tonge's writing style it feels authentic without any fussiness and still manages to convey warmth.

Lili's best friend Em died a while back and sometimes for comfort Lili will shoot a text to Em's old phone number. When she sends KNOCK KNOCK to Em imagine her surprise when she receives a WHO'S THERE? Could it be? Surely not, but oh how Lili wants to believe and asks to meet. When she arrives, Em is nowhere to be found, but there's a guy, Dylan. The two hit it off with chemistry and conversation. Lili has no intentions of anything beyond friendship but there's something about Dylan that makes her consider more. 🌃

The scenes when Lili would sit outside and feed the robin were my favorite. 🥹 There is a cardinal that tags along during my winter walks, for me it is both strange and comforting. 🐦

Tackling forward momentum through the rocky terrain of grief isn't easy because it's an individual process. Multiple characters throughout the story are dealing with the loss of a friend, family, or partner and are at different points in their personal journeys. I thought setting a novel like this during the holidays was fitting because the holiday season can bring up a lot of emotions and memories when a person is facing hardship. 💔❤️‍🩹

🎄A lovely read that examines new beginnings.🎄

Thank you to Boldwood Books for providing an ARC via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“Difficult things happen in life”.
This could be a very depressing book about the loss of a loved one and learning to love again, but it has some positive ideas such as the ‘Freedom Ceremony’ which gives hope after darkness.
I enjoyed this book and found the way the characters coped with loss interesting.
Whether I could read it if I had had a recent loss is debatable, but I don’t think so.
Luckily it has hope for the future, and sometimes that is what we have to cling to.

Will You Stay Another Day? was a book that I started reading and really wanted to like the journey of working through grief. For me it was filled with hopes of what would help a person that has lost a loved one. I had a hard time reading it and the end of the book was a struggle for me to get to. This is, I am sure, a book that will help with some work through grief in their lives.
Thank you NetGalley, Samantha Tonge and Boldwood Books for the arc of the book Will You Stay Another Day. This is my personal review.

Samantha Tonge is a favourite of mine - I've followed her work since she wrote short stories for women's magazines and her writing just keeps getting better and better. Loved this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Will You Stay Another Day? was a really sweet romance with so much more. I really loved learning about freedom ceremonies, that was honestly my favorite part. As someone who has trouble letting go of things this idea feels approachable. I really loved Bobbin - again this is something that feels real. I always think of my grandmother when I see cardinals. So it is just a really sweet element in this story. The relationship between Dylan and Lilli is cute. Funny at times and ultimately really sweet. I know I have used that word a few times but it feels this most accurate for this story. You do still typical romance elements like a miscommunication/break up that I don't love. But ultimately an enjoyable read. It's also really crazy to me to be reading Christmas or winter themed books in August when it is easily 90 degrees everyday. I should also add that I loved the supporting characters and Lilli's relationship with her dad. Those both added to the story significantly.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

It’s been nearly a year since ‘Em, Lili’s best friend passed away in a tragic accident, and she’s finding it hard to come to terms with her loss.

She sends a message to Em’s phone, in order to feel that she’s still with her. But she’s not expecting a response back, so when she does, she thinks that maybe Em is still alive, even though she knows that can’t be true.

So, when she meets the person who sent the reply, she immediately feels attracted to him.

When Dylan came to the meeting, he was thinking he’d meet someone other than Lili. But as they start chatting, he too feels a connection.

Lilly doesn’t have or keep relationships, in the past she’s been hurt too many times.

With the festive season approaching they both have to come to terms with what’s happened in their pasts if they want to start any sort of relationship going forward.

The story is one of loss, love and friendship. It will have you hooked from the beginning.

I loved the characters and how Lily helped others to move on in their lives.

I highly recommend this book.