Make Me Stay is book 2 in the series but you can read it first if you wish. The story starts before the events in book 1 and end after the events in book 1. Make me Stay is divided into 2 parts.

I'm on the fence about this book really. Part one is how "June" and Matt meet and start dating. Now, it was pretty obvious to me what she was doing, but in case its not obvious to others or to people who haven't read it yet She is an undercover cop working to expose club Panic, owned by Matt, Nick, and their father. Again, book 1 starts after this has happened, so it was interesting to see a bit of how it all went down! But seriously, she was so bad at being undercover!!! Matt and June have a bit of an unconventional relationship because she travels a great deal for work, and he is in Ft. Lauderdale during the week working as an attorney. But, they try to spend their weekends together in Miami. June and Matt grow close and then she is gone.

Part 2 starts long after she disappeared. Matt spent months searching for her with a PI. He is now working at Panic full time. Then, one day, out of the blue, he sees her on the street in Miami. But she is going by Zara. Then he sees her on the news and puts it all together. She tried to talk to him and explain but he was, rightfully so, pissed.

Then the book got strange for me. June is attacked and ends up with amnesia. Not my favorite trope to be honest, but I think what bothered me most about June in this case was what she did and didn't remember. Like she remembers everything up to about 10 years ago but forgot she has Crohn's? Matt has to tell the doctors about her disease; if she remembered everything up to 10 years ago, she would have known that. It was just little things like that about her memory that were irritating.

Matt's struggle was very believable. This is a woman he loved, then found out about her betrayal, and now is torn. He knows he still has feelings for her, but he is still so hurt by her actions. But, now she is beaten and suffering and he feels obligated to help. Its very easy to empathize with Matt-caught between wanting to be a good person and wanting to still lick your wounds and save yourself.

Make Me Stay was up and down for me. I would like it, then not like it. It was hot and cold, yes and no, in and out, up and down (you know, basically a Katy Perry song!). Overall, the book is a lot of things and the plot is not what I expected. For better or worse, I finished it. I would put it down, but then pick it back up to see if it got better. I really enjoyed book one, Pull Me Close, so I might have been tougher on this installment because of the amazing characters in book 1.

 

• POV: dual 1st


• Tears: no


• Trope: amnesia, second chance


• Triggers: none


• Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series


• Cliffhanger: no


• HEA: yes

...then you will probably like Make Me Stay!

 


Make Me Stay





See full review on The Book Disciple ( )

Make Me Stay by Sidney Halston
Book #2: The Panic Series
Source: Netgalley and Purchase
My Rating: 5/5 stars
My Review:

I don’t even know where to start with this ball of awesome! I read this book twice before sitting down to write this review and I still have no idea where to begin . . . .
If I must pick a starting place, I think I’ll go with my weakness, characters 😊

Matt: Simply put, the universe hates Matt Moreno. Though he likes to believe he’s in control, if he’s honest, he’s never been in control of his own life. From birth, his father has groomed he and his twin, Nick to take over the family business. While Nick got a business degree, Matt was shuffled off to law school and as their father begins to age, the twins are taking over more and more of the nightclub’s running and responsibilities. For Matt, that means a full work week at the law firm and then endless hours at the club over the weekend. Matt’s burning more than one candle at both ends and eventually, something’s got to give. The only bright spot in Matt’s life is June, the gorgeous raven-haired beauty who walked into his life five months past. Just when Matt thought the universe was finally throwing him a bone, June disappears without a trace just as Matt, his brother, and father are arrested for a myriad of crimes.

One year later . . . . .

June/April: Matt Morena was both the best and worst thing to ever happen to June/April. He was strong and sexy, smart and successful, and cared for her unconditionally. Walking away from Matt was the hardest thing June/April has ever had to do and the betrayal is more than she can bear. As it happens, Matt isn’t the only person who feels betrayed by June/April which is how she finds herself in a hospital room surrounded by complete strangers. In fact, there is nothing in June/April’s memory, at all. When Matt shows up in her hospital room, the only emotion she has toward him is complete confusion. Her body recognizes Matt instantly, but her mind just won’t recall who he is or why on earth he is so very angry with her. Even more confusing, this man who seemingly hates her is taking her home to aid in her recovery.

The Plot: This is the first time (if memory serves) Halston has split one of her books into two distinct parts and it’s pure genius. Though Matt’s woman occupies a single body, her story is really that of two distinct women and two very different periods in her life. In fact, even as the plot unfolds and the reality of the whole June/April situation becomes clear, it is hard to see the two characters as a single individual – one playing a role and one real. Though there are certainly shared characteristics between June and April, they quite impressively read as two distinct and separate characters. This sort of distinction creates a very rich, very deep plot with characters far more complex than the synopsis implies. Though there is some plot overlap from the first book (Pull Me Close) it is told from a completely different perspective. In fact, it’s told from three completely different perspectives, Matt’s, June’s, and April’s.

The Bottom Line: The very nature of this book - two distinct parts, two distinct characters in a single body, and one very angry man – likely would have gotten away from a less experienced, less talented author. Furthermore, without careful planning and some crafty plotting, Make Me Stay could have become nothing more than a repeat of book one in the series. Instead, Make Me Stay is strong standalone title that shares characters and some plot points with book one, but is in no way a repeat or even a lame rehashing. Matt is by far my favorite of the primary characters and he tugged at my heartstrings from start to finish. Even in his angrier moments, I still wanted all the best in the world for the poor bastard. I found June incredibly difficult to like (to be fair, June felt the same way), but April was so very easy to like and feel for. To see how Matt reconciles the knowledge and reality of these two women in one shared body was really one of the highlights of the read and made me like him all the more. As always, the inclusion of older characters into this story was quite welcome and certainly helped round out the cast and enhance an already excellent story. ( )

A nightclub where the women are sexy, the men are gorgeous, and things aren't always what they seem. Matt is having a bit of a hard time adjusting his two job, and the loss of his lady. Once he's found her again it will take a lot of pleading and forgiveness before their relationship can get back on track. I love these two together. I recommend this book, but be sure to read the first book, Pull Me Close.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. ( )