Book Review ~ Stay by Hilary Wynne

Stay - Hilary Wynne

“You know now that this is really going to happen, right, Alexa?”  He points to himself and then to me.  “And it’s going to be amazing.”

“Not just amazing, Julian.  It’s going to be epic.”

 

Yep, that quote sums up this book perfectly……amazing and epic!!

 

Alexa Reed has basically stopped living life to the fullest after the death of her boyfriend, Brady, 11 months ago.  Unable to have her heart broke in two again; she really does not care if she ever has a boyfriend again.  When her friends finally convince Lexie to go out with them one night, Lexie is finally enjoying herself and having a blast!  Not paying attention to where she is going, she bumps right into the bar owner – no other than the gorgeous Julian Bauer – spilling her drink on him.  She had wanted to run into this sexy man, but this was not what she had in mind.  But, as they touch, there is something there - something electric, and Lexie wants to know more about this sexy man.  Noticing the obvious flirting between Lexie and Julian during the course of the night, Luke, Lexie’s best friend, warns her that Julian is not a man she needs to be involved with.  But does Luke have Lexie’s best interests in mind, or does he love her more than a friend?

 

Lexie is beautiful, feisty, smart and witty…and very emotionally complicated.  I really liked her, but at times, I just wanted to reach into the pages and slap some sense into her.  For someone so smart, at times she just did not have a clue, especially when it came to Luke.

 

Julian Bauer is every woman’s dream man.  He is the owner of Hotel Del Marco and he is not only rich, he’s sexy, smart and sweet.  Of course, Lexie does not listen to Luke’s warning and falls into an intense relationship with Julian.  The two of them are so good together.  The sexual chemistry is amazing and they just ‘click’ so perfectly.  But, Lexie is scared of trusting anyone after what happened with her ex, Brady.  This girl is an emotional wreck.  She has so many demons she is fighting, and Julian is right there with her giving her all the support she needs.  But, she keeps pushing him away….it was so frustrating at times!  It’s obvious that Julian has fallen hard for Lexie, and he has the patience of a saint.  With Lexie’s issues, I don’t know of many men that would put up with such craziness. But Julian does, and gosh I love him for it.

 

“Julian, with you, everything is…amplified.  My emotions, my desires, they’re stronger than they should be.  All of my senses are heightened when you’re around.”

 

This book was such an emotional roller coaster for me.  It had everything I love to read in a romance novel – hot steamy sex, intrigue, humor and realistic characters that you become emotionally invested in. From page one, I was captivated and read the entire story like my life depended on it.  I had to know the outcome and I desperately needed Lexie to open up and give her heart to Julian. This intense story was so well-written and the plot flowed so effortlessly I felt as though I was right there in the story with the characters. I totally loved this epic story and can’t wait to start the second book of this amazing series. 

 

*I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Source: http://avidbookcollector.blogspot.com/2014/08/book-review-stay-by-hilary-wynne-blog.html