LEAVE BEFORE I LOVE YOU by Max Monroe is book #2 in the Midnight series and can absolutely be read as a stand-alone.

Favorite Quote: "The one person you can always count on is yourself, so you might as well be your favorite b****"

I am a HUGE fan of this writing duo and while this isn't my all time favorite, it is classic "Max Monroe". Filled with banter and wit, it's the classic "I have always loved you" romance. There are no surprises in this story (except for the pilot, actually - what was that?) and it was definitely a 1 sitting read for me.

4 solid stars

Read via KU

This was my first Max Monroe book and I have zero regrets about it.

What a super fun twist to a forced proximity read. I loved the back story and all the phases of the epilogue. You rooted for this couple and wanted to see them happy.

I really enjoyed the evolution of Avery’s character and how Henry encouraged her the whole way. Swooning 😍. So spice for those who love it - that shower scene!

Can’t wait to read book one of the series.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was so cute and fun to read! I loved it, it really took a whole journey and had a very detailed conclusion.

The characters were great! She was ditzy and silly but overall very smart and I loved her quick and funny remaks. Oh Henry! He is like the perfect mmc! The protector and so confident. I loved how sweet and down bad he was for her. His grand gestures were next level.

This was a very light and fun book to read. My third book by Max Monroe and it is my favorite so far.

I loved this book. Both the audio and book were amazing. The narration was just on point. I really liked the second half of this book. From book 1 we see Avery grow into more, all because of Henry who stands by her, protects and cherishes her. Its in every action, every word that he throws her way.

Avery too is deeply madly in love with Henry and I loved they caved into their sizzling attraction that has only had 14+ years to grow.

Perfect book, perfect vibe, read more as an emotional romance than a rom com.

#netgalley #LeaveBeforeILoveYou

Leave Before I Love You by Max Monroe is the kind of romance that makes you laugh, swoon, and ache all at once. Avery is the rich, party girl with a long-standing crush on her brother’s best friend, Henry. What starts as a casual fling quickly shifts when forced proximity pushes them together and suddenly the unspoken rule to “leave before love” feels impossible to keep.

The banter was witty, the tension delicious, and the chemistry between Avery and Henry? Absolutely electric. I loved watching Avery wrestle with her feelings while Henry slowly revealed just how deep his ran. Max Monroe always delivers a rom com with heart, and this one gave me everything, humor, heat, and just the right touch of angst.

💖 Tropes you’ll find:
✨ Brother’s best friend
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Casual fling, something more
✨ Guarded hero with a soft heart
✨ Steamy, heartfelt romance

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC i

I can honestly say I wasn't expecting this from Max Monroe! Something funny, sure...but the life defying antics deployed from the start had me on the edge of my kindle.

If ever there were two opposites, it was Avery and Henry. But as they were forced to spend time together they learned they had more in common than they thought. And I'm not just talking about the chemistry that was simmering just below the surface.

I loved seeing the softer, hidden side that they both possessed. Especially Avery. Behind her party girl persona was a woman with a tender and giving heart. A heart that didn't want Henry to be alone as life got back to normal. Or as normal as it could considering what they had been through.

Avery and Henry's forced proximity romance with a touch of the forbidden almost makes me want to try skydiving. With laughter and tears, family and friendships, Leave Before I Love You was just fun to read and I couldn't get enough.

I did go into reading this book without reading the first book in the series but that really wasn't an issue to the storyline at all, it is a standalone story. I was just a little unfamiliar with the backstory with some of the secondary characters in the book, it did make me want to go back and read the first book though because I need to know what happened there too. As for this book, I liked the plot vacation gone wrong, 2 opposites stranded together on a deserted island. A 27year old spoiled rich virgin and her brother's best friend. I loved their time together on the island. They created their own little bubble of survival, but what happens after they get rescued?

Thank you to Max Monroe for the E-ARC of this book.

I have never wanted to skydive and now I really don't want to. A friend-cation takes a nosedive (literally) as Henry and Avery end up on a deserted island after their pilot has a heart attack and they are forced to take an early jump.
A virgin and brothers best friend in close proximity on an island where they have limited supplies. The stakes are high and the chemistry is off the charts.
Thank God for Henry because Avery is as good as a high heel in this circumstance.
This book is full of fun banter, heartfelt moments, and ultimate swoon

🌶🌶🌶 is delicious

Leave Before I Love You by Max Monroe was a fun and captivating read! Although it's the second book in the series, it can be read as a standalone, and I didn't feel like I missed out on anything by not reading the first book.

The story follows Avery and Henry, who embark on a disastrous New Year's trip to an island with their friends. However, when everyone cancels, they're left to skydive to the island alone. But things take a dramatic turn when their pilot passes away mid-flight, and Henry must take control to ensure their safety.

Stranded on the island, Avery, a rich party girl, must confront her high-maintenance lifestyle, while Henry, a former Boy Scout and adrenaline junkie, uses his skills to keep them alive. I loved watching Avery's transformation from a shallow, fashion-obsessed girl to a strong, resilient woman who learns to appreciate the simple things.

Henry was a sweetheart, putting on a brave face for Avery despite the uncertainty of their situation. The forced proximity between them created a strong and genuine connection, making their romance all the more believable.

What impressed me most was how Max Monroe balanced the traumatic aspects of their experience with a lighthearted tone, making the story enjoyable without being emotionally overwhelming.

Overall, I highly recommend Leave Before I Love You to fans of emotional, unique storylines with strong character growth. This book will keep you rooting for Avery and Henry until the very end!

Avery Banks is the rich party girl who’s always been interested in her brother’s wild best friend, Henry Callahan. When a trip gone wrong throws them into forced proximity, the banter and tension between them starts to look a lot like something deeper, if they’re both brave enough to let it happen.
Avery and Henry both show real growth beneath their public personas, and the payoff is satisfying and heartfelt. It took me a little while to get into Leave Before I Love You. The beginning felt slower than I expected, but once the story found its footing, I really enjoyed it. Max Monroe delivers a fun mix of brother’s-best-friend and forced proximity with plenty of banter, which was quite entertaining. I also enjoyed the slow-burn chemistry between this couple.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Henry and Avery have been in each other’s lives forever. He is her brother’s best friend and her crush since she was a teenager. They have flirted with each other but have never admitted to their true feelings. When a group trip turns into a trip only the two of them can make, their lives change forever.

En route to their destination, the pilot has a medical emergency and Henry has to save them both. He runs his own company and has jumped out of planes before, so he calms Avery down and they jump from the plane. Unfortunately, they are on a stranded island with no way to communicate with their families.

Over the next while, they only have each other and hope (which dwindles every passing day). She proves she isn’t as fragile or flighty as everyone thinks and he does everything he can to keep them alive. Neither wants to admit that they are afraid of what will become of their newfound relationship.

I really enjoyed this book and how they grew separately but as a couple as well. He never let her give up hope and she supported him as best she could. What happens when they get rescued exemplifies their close bond and I found myself rooting for them from the beginning.

I can’t wait for more from Max Monroe. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

I went into Leave Before I Love You hoping for a fun, swoony romance with the brother’s best friend trope, but I struggled to connect with the story. While Henry had his moments, Avery never fully won me over, and much of the plot felt both predictable and over the top. The island survival setup had potential, but the pacing dragged in parts and the emotional beats never landed in a way that made me truly care about their journey. In particular, the pilot’s death felt unnecessarily dramatic and tipped the story into melodrama. In the end, this book is just not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Max Monroe for the ARC!

4 Star Review Leave Before I Love You (Midnight #2) by Max Monroe

Ebook/Audio:
This is Henry Callahan and Avery Banks’ story and it was an entertaining read/listen.

Well written the characters were easy to relate to and I quickly became hooked in the story that the authors wove.

Avery had had feelings for Henry for a long time and when they are forced together thanks to circumstances you know it’s going to get complicated.

Henry and Avery were so different and he brings calm to her chaotic life.

The narration by M.K. Blackwood and Will Damron did a great job with their narration. They brought the characters and story to life for me and were well voices suited to the characters with voices that are pleasant and easy to listen too.

I enjoyed their path to love and happiness. It was full of humour, passion, and romance.

I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

I really liked Avery and Henry’s story. Henry is Avery’s older brothers best friend. Their group of friends plans a trip to a remote island. But at the last minute everyone ends up backing out leaving Avery and Henry going alone. Henry owns an adventure company and has them skydiving onto the island. Despite Avery not wanting to skydive, and not being able to take all her designer clothes and skin care items she agrees. But when the plan goes down they end up stuck, hoping someone will realize they never made it. And come rescue them. Spending that much time together they start to see each other in a new light. And the attraction grows. This was an entertaining read.

Loved the character development with Avery! I didn't like her much in Meet Me at Midnight so I was really happy to see a different side to her. I love that Henry sees the real her. They had great chemistry. Overall a great read!

Max Monroe’s Leave Before I Love You is a witty, spicy, and irresistibly fun romance that takes a familiar trope—the brother’s best friend—and gives it fresh life with humor, heart, and undeniable chemistry. From the very start, the banter between the leads feels electric, pulling the reader into a love story that is equal parts playful and passionate.

At its heart, the novel follows a woman navigating her own desires and independence at 27, balancing the vulnerability of being inexperienced with the thrill of discovering what she truly wants. Her dynamic with her brother’s best friend is deliciously complicated, filled with tension, teasing, and moments that will make readers laugh out loud. Monroe captures that perfect balance of heat and heart, allowing the romance to feel both swoon-worthy and grounded in genuine emotion.

What makes this story especially enjoyable is the way the characters are written. They’re more than just archetypes—the virgin heroine and the charming, off-limits hero. Instead, Monroe gives them depth, quirks, and vulnerabilities that make their connection feel authentic. Watching them wrestle with boundaries, expectations, and their growing attraction is as entertaining as it is endearing.

The humor woven throughout the narrative keeps the tone light and engaging, but the spice adds a whole new layer of intensity. The chemistry between the leads leaps off the page, and Monroe writes it in a way that feels natural, playful, and deeply satisfying. Every scene builds on the last, ensuring the momentum never falters and the reader remains hooked until the very last page.

Ultimately, Leave Before I Love You is the perfect blend of flirty fun and heartfelt romance. It’s a story about taking risks, embracing vulnerability, and realizing that sometimes the best love stories come from the least expected places. Max Monroe delivers a rom-com that will make readers laugh, blush, and fall head over heels for characters they won’t soon forget.

When I read Meet Me at Midnight (the first book in this series), Avery was by far my favorite character! I was sooo excited for Leave Before I Love You, and I loved this book so much! I actually did an immersion read of this, so I enjoyed the audio and e-reader version together.

Avery is seemingly a spoiled party girl. She lives her life with very little responsibility and follows her whims. She also has a massive crush on her brother’s best friend, Henry. Henry is a total adrenaline junkie, but is very intentional and strategic. They are pretty opposite of each other. When they find themselves in a very unexpected and tense situation together, they give into their feelings.

I knew these authors were going to explore Avery’s layers, but I had no idea how emotional this story would get. I love her so much! She was not at all the way she seems and I loved discovering every misconception as Henry did. While this book does completely standalone, I definitely recommend reading this series in order to fully appreciate Avery’s character evolution.

If competency is your thing, Henry is your guy. He is so dependable, resourceful, and good in a crisis. He was so swoony, but needed Avery’s heart and chaos to get him out of his shell.

The audiobook was narrated by Will Damron and M.K. Blackwood. I thought both narrators did a great job with their characters and added so much to the already emotional story.

This book was a fun read! I loved the development of the relationship between Avery and Henry, both in the current timeline and the flashbacks of their friendship/history. I couldn't really identify with Avery, but her character development made her fun to read instead of annoying/frustrating/unrelatable. I adored Henry as a book boyfriend so much! I love a man who loves his woman exactly as she is and appreciates her quirks!

Leave Before I Love You
by Max Monroe

***FIVE STARS***

I went into this book knowing the tropes and that was it. No details. It was the BEST way to do it and so I am not going to give any of that away in my review either, in hopes that you can experience it in the same way.

Listen, we all have preconceived notions about Avery. She's bold. She's unapologetic. She's spoiled and bratty. Her story though, I just love her. Maybe more than any other MM FMC.

This entire week has made me emotionally raw and it made me feel everything in this book so much more deeply. I cried so many tears reading this book. Make sure you have tissues ready.

This book is out TODAY, so there is no reason to wait. Go read it. Right now.

Every time I read an ARC I appreciate the fact that the publisher or the author(s) did not have to give me the opportunity. So MEGA thank you to NetGalley and Max Monroe for this.

#LeaveBeforeILoveYou #MaxMonroe
#AverysStory #ForcedProximity
#BrothersBestFriend #ChildhoodCrush
#ARCReview #FavoriteAuthors #NetGalley

I was the biggest fan of Meet Me At Midnight so I was beyond thrilled for a sequel of Avery. I don’t think it had the angst that I found with MMAM but it was a fun story with great characters. I still enjoyed my read immensely!