There once was a man who loved me, until he forgot every memory we’ve ever shared…
Gabriel Sinclair would forever be my first. My first best friend, my first kiss, my first love…and my first heartbreak. The accident that nearly took his life ripped the memory of me from his grasp—and for the last decades, I’ve let the guilt of that one terrible night keep us apart.
It took me years to make peace with the fact that he would no longer be in my life, so when he shows up as the architect for my new home, my world’s tossed upside down. Now, I’m trapped in a loveless marriage, raising a child, while Gabriel stirs up feelings I thought long buried. It feels like my soul is waking up after years of being in a deep slumber—and my controlling husband will do whatever it takes to keep us apart.
I know I should push Gabriel away to protect him from the shadows surrounding me. Yet, I can’t deny the hope that blooms whenever he’s near—the chance that he might remember me, that we could reclaim the chapters of our story that we’ve lost.
Nothing good could come from us, but I can’t help but wonder what would happen if this time…he stayed.
There once was a man who loved me… And now he’s my only hope for tomorrow.
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Sunny Shelly’s Review: 5 Stars
Brittainy C. Cherry is the queen of angsty, emotional stories, and she does it again with Kierra and Gabriel’s second chance in If You Stayed.
From the moment Kierra and Gabriel cross paths at a dinner party, the thread between them pulls taut. She never expected to see her first love again, and he has no idea why he feels such a connection to his new client. The reunion between these two characters is two decades in the making, and is a messy road full of family secrets, memory loss, heartbreak, and grief. There are so many complexities to this story, as Kierra is stuck in a loveless, abusive marriage, and Gabriel can’t remember most of his childhood, especially the whopper of a secret his mother has been keeping from him.
I loved going along for the ride as these two found their way back to one another. Kierra absolutely adores her stepdaughter, Ava, and everything she does is to protect the teen — even at the risk of her own safety. Gabriel really takes Ava under his wing as an intern, and she just blossomed in a way through her friendship with him. And Henry… how I loathed Henry. Which is exactly how the reader is supposed to feel about him, I suppose!
It’s heartwrenching and emotional, and it will make you cry, but If You Stayed is another fantastic book by the brilliant author. There are several red flags in this book, so check out the trigger warnings if you so desire. It’s rough to read at points, but the ending of If You Stayed is a well-deserved one for Kierra and Gabriel after all their hurt and healing.
I received an advanced copy thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca and voluntarily left a review.
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