When I Should've Stayed

Red Bridge #2

by Max Monroe

He may have let her slip away, but he never stopped loving her.

Josie: Before the Moment

There are ghosts at every corner. In the stolen kisses while I waitressed at the diner, in the town festivals at the square, in the many jokes about Betty Bagley and her pie at the Fall Farmer’s Market, and in the countless nights watching Clay make drinks with that handsome smile of his while I sat on a stool at his bar.

It should all feel familiar and comforting, and yet, it just makes it hard to breathe.

Tonight will be a defining moment for the rest of my life. I have to end it now…before it ends me.


Clay: After the Moment

When Josie and I said “I do,” I thought it’d be us against the world forever. But I wasn’t expecting the world to be so against us. I know I should’ve stayed that night. And I definitely should have gone back sooner.

Because I don’t know how to be here. I don’t know how to be anywhere. I don’t know how to be without Josie at all.

She’s fun and fiery and strong-willed and stands up for the people she loves—even when it borders on reckless. She’s everything good about humanity—my perfect person.

She might say we’re done, but it’s not over. We’ll never be over.

Genres: Romance, Second Chance, Second Chance Romance, Small Town Romance, He Falls First, Contemporary, Audiobook

448 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2025

About the author

Many moons ago, a dynamic duo of romance authors teamed up under the pseudonym Max Monroe, and, well, the rest is history...

Max Monroe is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author of more than thirty contemporary romance titles. Favorite writing partners and long time friends, Max and Monroe strive to live and write all the fun, sexy swoon so often missing from their Facebook newsfeed. Sarcastic by nature, their two writing souls feel like they’ve found their other half. This is their most favorite adventure thus far. ​

​

Reviews

[Casey Reads 🌸 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book goes back and forth from different time periods of Clay and Josie’s relationship. It starts off very insta-love, but then we find out something went wrong and they are no longer together.

To be honest Josie annoyed me with a lot of her decisions. I think she made a lot of stupid decisions that ended up effecting a lot of people. The saving grace for this book was Clay. He was an absolute golden retriever man that was perfect. I want to meet my Clay.

The side characters also made this book, because if it was just about Josie, I would have been more annoyed. But there is a lot of beautiful and sad stories with the other characters too.

Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

[✨️ Jessica's Bookshelf ✨️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I Should've Said is a book that has stayed with me since the day that I picked it up. I've thought about it daily since I've read it, so when I saw When I Should've Stayed, I was giddy.

If you haven't yet, please read What I should've said first. This is the second book that follows Josie and Clay's story. I loved getting more on Grandma Rose and revisiting Norah, Bennett. and Summer. Josie is a resilient tough woman and I'm so glad to read her and Clay's entire backstory.

I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'm not going to say too much. This is an emotional story but it pales in comparison to What I Should've Said , so there's that. At least my heart wasn't crushed to pieces by this one.

I enjoyed this story but I would've liked a little more follow up on Josie and Clay. This entire story is all of their backstory and abruptly ends, but I still ate it up.

A big thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Entangled Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Expected publication July 1, 2025

[Delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the first book in this series and was super excited to read Clay & Josie’s story. But…

It just didn’t work for me. The time jumps were so excessive and jumbled. It was like time travel whiplash over and over again. I understand why it was done, but it really wasn’t organized in a way that I could enjoy it.

I also felt like I re read the first book in the series, because a lot of the time jumps take place at that time. Overall, I just couldn’t get on board with the way it was written.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ARC

[Irina (semi-hiatus but trying to catch up) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love, in fact, can be the very thing that hurts us the most. It steals our breath and makes fools of our actions. It sinks its teeth into our innocence and begs for happy endings when there aren’t any to be had. It robs us over and over, and, at some point, you have to stop feeding yourself to it as a victim.
    I don't want to leave, but I can't stay. I can't.


I suppose I have set the bar too high for this book just because I loved the prequel, "What I Should've Said", so much. On the other hand, the preview of the love story between Clay and Josie was very promising, and I generally enjoy the second chance trope. So what went wrong?

The biggest problem is, that the authors cover a time span of about ten years and get lost in too many time layers, jumping back and forth and back and forth and back and forth. The idea is (probably) to keep the reason for Josie and Clay's separation a secret for as long as possible in order to build tension. Unfortunately, this trick just leads to boredom, because you never get involved with the story or delve deeply into the plot. There’s always a leap when things get’s interesting.

It's not a bad book, but it's not outstanding either. The love story (until their separation) is nothing special at all, so the authors tell a lot of uninteresting stuff, and I skimmed a lot after the first half of the book. The main characters are not particularly remarkable, but they are likeable overall (except for Josie when she leaves her golden retriever husband for a stupid reason without talking to him).

One of the highlights of the book is the sheep accident at the end of the book, when Clay's sister meets Tad, the world's worst sheep farmer. I hope they'll get their own book! It should be fun, I mean … sheep!!! 🐑 🐑 🐑

[Max Monroe]

She thought they were divorced.
He never filed the papers.
Their love story isn’t over.

When I Should’ve Stayed is AVAILABLE NOW!
Grab it in ebook, Kindle Unlimited, paperback, and audio wherever books are sold!
AMZ: https://geni.us/Stayed_ebook

All other platforms: https://www.authormaxmonroe.com/staye...

Buy online or head to your nearest Barnes & Noble or Walmart or BAM and snag the deluxe limited collector's edition paperback with the gorgeous sprayed edges. Available while supplies last.

⬇️⬇️⬇️

WHAT IS WHEN I SHOULD'VE STAYED ALL ABOUT?

She thought they were divorced. He never filed the papers.
Now he's determined to prove their love story isn't over…

👉Dual POV
🫶The One That Got Away
🥹He Only Wants Her
💍Still Married Twist
💋Lovers to Enemies
🏘️Small-Town Charm
🩷Yearning
❤️‍🩹Find-Their-Way-Back-to-One-Another
🔥Unresolved Tension
🗣️Angsty Conversations, BANTER
🫠Swoony Hero
💕Funny & Sweet Moments
😭Heavy Feels/Emotional

⬇️⬇️⬇️

Important Note: This book can be read as a complete standalone. When I Should've Stayed is an interconnected standalone contemporary romance in the Red Bridge Series.

Happy Reading!
XOXO,
Max & Monroe

[Stefanie Simeone · Rating 2 out of 5]

Duplicate chapters from book 1

If Josie would have just come clean 5 years ago, she would’ve been living a happy life. I found it hard to believe someone would hold on to their grief for so long and would allow it to impact her happiness as well as someone else’s. I only had to skim through this book as practically every other chapter was a duplicate from What I Should’ve Said (book 1). I had to relive Summer’s death as well as some of Norah’s story. I kept trying to find Josie and Clay’s story. All it took from her was an explanation and they got their HEA. Their story only required about 2 chapters.

[BONNIE SMITH · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the first installment of The Red Bridge Series, so I was tickled to recived the second in the series as an ARC.

I dug in and fell head over heels in love with Clay and Josie. We know this couple from the first book, but they were not exactly the stars. The end of What I Should Have Said had me dying to know what would happen with Clay, so I STRONGLY recommend reading this series in order.

This book is probably the best second chance romance I've read in long time and so many passages hit hard and pulled on my heartstrings. This one came out yesterday and I highly recommend this series if you love:

Second chances
Divorce not final
He never stops loving her

The first book in the series is lighter, this one has so much heart and you most definitely shed a tear or two.
Thank you to Hambright PR for the chance to read this one, it will stay with me for a while.

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Josie + Clay

We met them both in Norah and Ben's book. And now they'll tell us their story.
We go back and forth between then and now and it all started so sweet and adorable - but it's not so sweet and adorable now.
Something or several things must've happened in between our meet-cute in Clay's bar and the way Josie hates him now - as already seen in the first book.

What happened? And what can we do to get to our second happily ever after?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!

══════════════════




That was adorable.
I really loved reading this. But I also hated it.
First I'm not a fan of going back in time in my books. I want to read the NOW!
And we do that here a lot - like 80% of the book takes us back in time and half of that is kind of exactly the same what we just read in Norah and Ben's book. Plus the different times were way too confusing for me. We get days and months as a headline but not years and it took me forever to figure out where each chapter was taking me. Plus, having just read the first book for the 2nd time right before starting this one, I was kinda up to date with their non-relationship. I wanted to see how they got back together. I didn't want to see the past! But we only get like 5% of the book with them back together at the end. That wasn't enough for me.
Compared to the first book in the series this second one was disappointing in many ways.
I just wished for more. Not too much of the past and so much more of the present. And also ... I hated that they wasted so many years for nothing! Jeez Josie. Why?

But it's what I got and I still loved the story. Especially since I got to see a lot of Summer. And we did get great moments and I cried and it was sweet and funny and heartbreaking and Clay is amazing. I will never not read a Max Monroe book! Even if they didn't really get me with this one.

Now I really need to read Breezy and Sheep farmer Tad's book!

WHEN I SHOULD'VE STAYED was a sweet + funny + adorable + heartbreaking small-town second-chance romance! Which could've been avoided if she had just stayed and talked to him. But still - great love story! Run to your nearest book dealer for your own Clay - this one is so mine!


If you can't click the amzn button
from your phone - click ► HERE!

[Dawn Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25 stars! Oh wow... this one wrecked me. My heart is still in pieces on the floor. This one is emotional, raw, and heartbreakingly beautiful. It's the kind of story that lingers, like a bittersweet song you can’t stop playing.

The way Josie and Clay’s story just hurts in the best possible way. You feel every regret, every longing glance, every “what if.” The full circle moment at the end? Literal tears. 😭 But heads up, please check the trigger warnings before diving in. This one deals with some really heavy topics.

One small thing too was the timeline switches without giving the years, so I did get a little turned around here and there. But honestly? I didn’t even care once I was fully in my feels.

If you love second chance romance, emotional journeys, and characters fighting hard for love—add this one to your list. Just maybe don’t read it in public... unless you’re cool with ugly crying at the coffee shop. 🥲💔📖

[Jenny · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute train wreck. The timeline jumps are such a fucking mess, none of this makes sense. And I’ll go ahead and say it - Josie is a HORRIBLE fmc. Might be one of the worst I’ve read, and that’s saying something given the amount of trash I read.

I didn’t realize this was the next book in the Red Bridge world, completely forgot about book 1 - but don’t worry! You basically have to repeat all of the major events from What I Should’ve Said. And in between those events, hacksawed into 3 separate timelines with calendar dates that provide no context whatsoever (maybe try adding the year?!), you have Clay & Josie’s story. Which could have been 50 pages, max, because the entirety of their angst is built upon the flimsiest miscommunication. Basically - Josie convinces herself she can’t have Clay and then proceeds to torture herself (and us) for 400 pages all because she can’t have one meaningful conversation with her husband. She even says it at the end - “…if he’s not angry and he still loves me…it was all for nothing.” OH, YA FUCKING THINK?!

I will never get these brain cells back.

[Charley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

I absolutely loved What I Should’ve Said, and I couldn’t wait for Josie and Clay’s story after reading it. And I did love their second-chance romance, but the timeline execution of this book was a little off for me.

Clay was the most smitten man I can imagine, and he wasn’t afraid to show it. He was earnest, sweet, and loving, and he fit into Josie’s life perfectly. Josie was reluctantly and less-publicly smitten with Clay, but she still loved him. Unfortunately, grief got in the way of their new relationship, and the burden of keeping life-altering secrets was too much for Josie to handle. Watching Clay win her back after 5 years was so satisfying and cute, and I swooned hard at how head-over-heels he still was after all their time apart.

The main reason this wasn’t 5 stars for me was the timeline. There was A LOT of repeated scenes from What I Should’ve Said. I understand wanting these two books to be considered interconnected standalones, but they would be a lot better as a duet with the expectation that you read them in order. If they were, then we could’ve jumped past Norah arriving in Red Bridge again and saying goodbye to sweet Summblebee, and straight to Clay trying to win back Josie in the present day. Instead, we got their backstory (which I loved and was all new) layered in with the same book again, just from different POVs, until ~80%. Then we finally got to see the second-chance part of the romance come in, but because it was so late in the story by that point, it was a lot of months-long time jumps and we didn’t actually get to see Clay and Josie live in their new relationship much. I just really wanted to spend more time with them building each other back up, and less time crying for Summer again.

Overall, I still really liked the book and the characters, I just wanted more newness and less recap. I’ll still be reading future books in this series - Breezy better be up next with the world’s worst sheep farmer, Tad!

Thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Amara for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[Ana | SheSaidYestoBooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

The lack of communication was maddening 🤯 so many things didn’t have to happen if Josie had simply talked to Clay, who worshipped the ground she walked on...

Yes, she should have stayed.

[Taryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was so disappointing, probably because it had so much potential.
I appreciate dual timelines and understood how much of this story overlapped with the first book, but the way it’s written is painfully repetitive. The repetition so significant that you could skip reading the first book and follow along with this story without missing any major plot points. It felt like M&M copy and pasted sections from book one into book two instead of adding depth by telling the story / those overlapping moments from another perspective.
The way the timelines jump around, with specific months and dates, but not years or even ‘5 years ago’, is super annoying.
The writing itself misses the mark, too. This book is simply not up to M&M’s usual standards.

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I absolutely loved What I Should’ve Said so I was so excited for this story. However it really felt like a lot of retelling from the first book just from a different person’s point of view. There was also a lot of timeline changes that made it difficult to keep up with the storyline.

[MissPetiteBrunetteBookBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

We met Josie Ellis and Clay Harris in book one but this is their story and starts when they met. They both live in Red Bridge and had an interesting first encounter at Clay’s Bar. He was intrigued by the blonde haired trouble maker. What Clay thought was an instant connection and his forever turned into the fight of his life to get back. Oh Clay is a total swoon fest!!! This goes back and for the between “before the breakup” the after the breakup” until we get to see what really happened between them. If you’ve read book one (which is perfection) then you will know the other town’s members who make appearances including sweet little Summer, Bennett & Norah. Hold on for a bumpy love to hate to hopefully live again ride! Oh, you might want a few tissues handy too. My heart is full with this emotional journey for Clay & Josie. Simply Beautiful! A Top Read of 2025. Told in first person and dual POV


📸 Teaser Collage by Miss Petite Brunette Book Blog

[Catie · Rating 3 out of 5]

*ARC REVIEW*

I cannot believe I’m rating this and writing this review and it pains me to do so… If I feel a book is going to be lower than 4 stars, I usually DNF it and move on but I HAD to get Clay and Josie’s story and I was sadly disappointed.

What I Should’ve Said is probably my favorite Max Monroe book and I was anxious for Clay and Josie’s back story and HEA. I normally don’t mind a dual timeline but the way this one was set up seemed too choppy.

While their story was emotional (and I wanted the emotion), I felt it dragged on too long. Their reconciliation didn’t happen until the very end of the book, so I caught myself skimming a lot.

I hate that I’m even writing this review! I know there will be people that love this book but it just wasn’t for me.

I do appreciate Max Monroe and Entangled/Amara for the early review copy.

[Nicole Hausler · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I Should’ve Stayed had so much potential, especially with characters like Clay and Josie. That said, I found myself struggling to stay engaged because much of the book felt like a repeat of the first installment in the Red Bridge Series.

While I understand the appeal of seeing events from a different perspective, there were so many recycled scenes that it felt more like a retelling than a fresh story. I was hoping for deeper insight into Clay and Josie’s unique journey, with more new content that expanded their relationship and personalities.

I really wanted to love this one, but it just didn’t deliver the newness or emotional depth I was looking for. Here’s hoping future books in the series bring more original storytelling to the table.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing this advanced review copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Keri Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book in the Red Bridge series with dual POVs between Josie and Clay and follows the journey throughout their relationship.

We get to see some familiar faces show up again in the sequel as the plot jumps around timelines from a time before the first book takes place to the What I Should've Said timeline and then goes past it. The titles of the chapters are clues to where you are in the story, but I would still get a little confused at times until it would start mentioning things that had happened five years before or a certain character is mentioned that wasn't part of the past plot to let you know we were in the future.

I enjoyed Clay's optimistic attitude and was thoroughly annoyed with Josie's lack of communication. If you like the miscommunication trope, this book is for you because that is the main theme. It does have some heavy topics that are brought up, so please make sure to check those trigger warnings before reading.

[Mel (whilemelwasreading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Josie and Clay's story takes us back to where it all started for them.

Thank you to Amara/Entangled Publishing for the ARC via NetGalley for my honest review. All opinions are my own and given freely.

You meet Josie and Clay in book one of this series. And if you're like me, you've been highly anticipating their story. Told in alternating timelines, we get before, during, and after the timeline of book one's story. Two people who fall in love, get married, go through trauma and get divorced. Years later, can they have that second chance?

I really loved how this one started. It pulled me in, especially in the before, seeing them fall in love. But eventually it felt like more of a retelling of book one, only from different perspectives obviously. And I understand some of that was important to their story, no doubt... but I found myself becoming less invested in their story along the way. Especially with the miscommunication element. It affected how I felt about the MC's. There are some great moments throughout-don't get me wrong, and I think there's a fun set up for another book in this series perhaps! Not a new fave, but might be perfect for you, so check it out!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a fan of the second chance trope. It might be my own life and experiences, but it's not usually my go to. However, a Max Monroe book is always my go to. I loved What I Should've Said, and I loved When I Should've Stayed. Max Monroe said "it has the lowest of lows and the highest of highs." They were right. This book is heart wrenchingly, stunningly, hilariously well written. I wanted to keep reading and stop reading at the same time. There are a lot of elements of grief that makes it tough to keep reading, but mostly in a cathartic way. I loved Josie and Clay's story. I loved revisiting a small town that reminded me of Stars Hollow, Schitt's Creek, Pawnee, and Bluebell. I love that the town has fleshed out, real characters that add to the story. I liked seeing different perspectives of Norah and Bennett and Summer's story. This book is just as heartbreaking. But it is also just as uplifting and hopeful. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book. Have tissues, pink sunglasses, and maybe some white wine available while you read it.

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the ARC of When I Should’ve Stayed.



wow did i STRONGLY dislike this book. i didn’t read the first in the series, but based on other reviews, it seems like i didn’t even need to since it sounds like this book was a lot of the same scenes from the first book.

this book DRAGGED, even listening on 2.5x speed. it’s never a good sign when i find myself wishing i could speed it up even more 🫠 was the writing bad? no, not necessarily. but the plot was so incredibly frustrating and i genuinely did not feel any connection to any of the characters and they all annoyed me in their own ways.

the time jumps were so, so excessive. i usually love a dual timeline but this was like a 3 or 4 way timeline and it was just so much to follow and keep track of.

then when i realized that the ENTIRE PLOT revolved around the fact that the FMC just needed to have a single honest conversation with the MMC??? absolutely not. i wanted to rage.

the MMC was annoying as fuck at so many different points - he was obsessed with marriage and a wedding despite the FMC making it clear that she needed time and space to process her grandmas death, etc. but he continually pushed her on so many different occasions. BRUH please read the room ffs

and Josie was actually insufferable. like yes, of course, she went through something traumatic. but she literally isolated herself on purpose, and then crashed out about how she didn’t have anyone to support her - then abruptly divorced her husband without even giving him the benefit of the doubt???? absolutely unreal.

tbh, i hate read the second half of this book. i should have dnf’d but i felt like i had already wasted too much time to not finish it.

[Chiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve really loved book one, What I Should Have Said, and I was so intrigued to find out what had happened between Clay and Josie with bomb Clay had dropped at the end of book 1.

The constant back and forth between the past and the present were maybe too man, even though I have loved finding out how they had met and how they had got together. Seeing them interact at the beginning of their relationship was interesting.

I understood why Josie asked for the divorce, even though miscommunication is not my favourite trope so I wasn’t 100% sold on how she acted and the avalanche effect her decision had.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc. All opinions are my own

[Gayane♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I cried more then the first book. 😭 Gave this a 3.5 ⭐️ I enjoyed the characters a lot but some parts were meh.

For example the back and forth between the past and present was so confusing. The way they wrote the chapters part 1-2 etc. I had to read a bit to figure out what timeline we were at. Maybe that’s just me not figuring it out but it was a bit confusing 🫤

Mild spoilers ⚠️
Reason why fmc broke it off was for what? I’m sorry but I was hoping for something else. I loved Clay and I feel like if he were my man and loved me that way I wouldn’t feel the need to hide shit from him. Idk 🤷‍♀️ A better reasoning would have been better. Overall I loved the characters still, I cried like a baby for Summer again. Just like I did in the first book. 😭♥️

[Rene Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Max Monroe has officially become an auto-buy author for me. This book, closely tied to What I Should’ve Said, is a beautiful, heavy, emotional second chance romance. And if you know me, you know if a book has a second chance element, I’ll be obsessed with it. Josie is a bit on the stubborn side, and Clay is so head over heels in love with her that he doesn’t always take enough time to think through his big plans and displays of affection. These two aren’t always on the same page as one another, but their love is so strong. You will be rooting for them!!

This one is set to come out on July 1st. If you haven’t yet, pick up the first in the series and start binging it now!!

Tropes include:
☕️ second chance
☕️ dual POV
☕️ dual timeline
☕️ opposites attract
☕️ “my wife” and “doll”
☕️ banging on a water tower
☕️ “actually oops I didn’t file the divorce paperwork”

🥃 “I promise, if you let me love you the way I want to love you, you don’t have anything to be afraid of.”
🥃“Love is an emergency. I can’t wait another day or another week or another month. I have to make her mine.”

[Catbytheseareads ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved book 1, this is the before about Clay a man obsessed with Josie.
It took me a minute to realize what was going on with book2
in this series because I’d made book 1 an all time favorite read of 2024.
This story is all about second chances and heartache. Grab the tissues because this is quite emotional.
Josie is the strongest woman ever getting through what’s learned in this book. I do wish she didn’t run from her problems but that’s what most of us do in not wanting to burden those we love right?

[Rachel Nahabedian Vallance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed (and Heartbroken)

This was my first read in the series, and now I have to go back and read Book 1. Norah, Bennett, and Summer play a major role in this story, and it feels like both books happen concurrently. I already know how their story ends because of book 2, but I just know seeing how it all started is still going to shatter me as much as this one did.

I devoured this in under 24 hours, and my heart ached the entire time. Grandma Rose gave us the much-needed comedic relief, but even her scenes added to the emotional weight of the story.

I’ll keep this review light on spoilers because it’s best experienced as clean as possible.

Josie and Clay seem to be living their best lives and are totally in love. It reads as a little insta-lovey at first, but there’s a depth to their connection that makes it feel more grounded. Then something happens...something big...and Josie makes a life-altering decision to walk away. Since the book jumps between past and present, we already know their love didn’t get the ending it deserved.

It’s been five years, and Clay still isn’t over her. She’s still the one. Josie seems to feel the same, but we don’t know why she left or what happened…and when the pieces start falling into place, I felt gutted. My heart broke for Clay and I’ll be honest, I was frustrated with Josie. Her people-pleasing tendencies kept her isolated in her pain. She didn’t confide in anyone, thinking she was doing the “right thing” for everyone else, at the cost of her own happiness.

Clay is such a golden retriever: loyal, loving, and emotionally wrecked by a divorce he never understood. Josie’s choices, made with the best intentions, end up hurting almost everyone involved, especially herself.

This book wrecked me in the best way and even though I was annoyed with Josie, the depth of emotion and character development completely hooked me. I’m grabbing Book 1 immediately to fill in the gaps, and I cannot wait to see what’s next. There’s a tease at the end that gives me hope, but if it’s anything like this or the first book, my heart better brace itself again.

Thank you, Max and Monroe and Hambright PR, for the ARC.

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Max Monroe + Entangled Publishing for my copy of When I Should’ve Stayed. 🤍 I received this book for review, all opinions are my own and given freely.

What I Should’ve Said absolutely wrecked me so when I saw the opportunity to read an arc of When I Should’ve Stayed, I’ve never ran so fast. I was so delighted to receive this arc and jump back into this world w these characters. I had so many questions surrounding Clay + Josie’s relationship from What I Should’ve Said so I was all too eager to get those answers. I absolutely do feel like you should read What I Should’ve Said before reading When I Should’ve Stayed.

I’m not sure anything could have compared to What I Should’ve Said. I did enjoy When I Should’ve Stayed. I didn’t love it as much as What I Should’ve Said though. I did love getting more Grandma Rose, Bennett, Norah and Summer. I did feel like there was a lot of repetition w this book and book 1 and even though it was different POVs, I didn’t think it was really necessary. I would have preferred if it had picked up from where book 1 ended instead of feeling like mostly a recap of book 1 for the majority of book 2. I did enjoy it though and will continue to recommend it! I’m absolutely looking forward to book 3 as well.

When I Should’ve Stayed releases today, July 1.

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a tough one for me because I did like the writing and the characters. The story made me feel a lot of different things, (I cried several times), but the way it was written with the “before the moment,” “after the moment,” sections also made me anxious as hell. I was stressed the whole time wondering what the moment was, and as it went along it felt like something that would hurt like hell. And it did. The reader is constantly being tugged between a time of new love and pure joy, and then a time of deep pain and longing. The thing that really got me was all that needed to happen was one conversation and the conflict would’ve been resolved. I don’t mind the miscommunication trope, but it was heartbreaking watching these characters go through it for so long unnecessarily. And when the conflict was resolved it wrapped up so quickly. I enjoyed so much about this book though that I’m excited to jump into some other books from this author.

3.5/5⭐️ 2/5🌶️


Thank you to Entangled and the author for a copy of this book. All opinions are completely my own.

[Hannah gandara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Hambright PR for the ARC of When I Should’ve Stayed by Max Monroe.

This was such a heartbreaking love story between two people who were truly meant to be.
This was my first time reading a Max Monroe book and I definitely look forward to reading more.
This story is a second in a series and I do think I should have read the first one despite these being able to be a stand alone.
Our FMC and MMC have a history together but after a tragedy, Josie feels like it’s best for them to part ways.
This also is a dual timeline between then and now and I do agree the timeline was a little hard to follow in the beginning. I took a Star away for that. Had this been a linear timeline I think I would have had no problem following this story.
This shows how a love story can have a beautiful second Chance.

I agree you should check triggers as some of the subjects in this story may be difficult to read about.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

The anticipation for this book has been building for nearly a year. When I finished What I Should've Said last summer, in a puddle of tears and lovey dovey goo, I was beside myself trying to find out when we would get Josie and Clay's story. That day has finally arrived and it was worth the wait. Told in dual timelines, we are treated to watching Josie and Clay meet, fall in love *swoon*, and eventually see their love story implode; while simultaneously get caught up in their story from when Norah arrives in Red Bridge up to current events. The story goes before and after "The Moment." No spoilers here, as you read you're trying to piece together the clues to figure out what happened that led to their demise. The reveal isn't shocking because the foreshadowing has been there all along. I don't want to give away anything from the story, but there are reasons towards the end that frustrated me which made me take away a half a star, but I'll just leave it at that. However, the epilogue -- *chef's kiss* Classic Max Monroe. Absolute perfect blend of laugh out loud humor and swoon worthy romantic moments - 10/10!