Review: If I Stay by Tamara Morgan
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 12, 2014
IF I STAY is my first book from Tamara Morgan and will definitely not be my last. I really enjoyed the wit, charm, and at times, laugh out loud style of her writing. The heroine, the beautiful dancer Amy Sanders is vibrant, kind, loyal, feisty, caring, bubbly, a ray of sunshine to all she meets, and hilarious. Amy is my favorite character by far. That girl just says what's on her mind and doesn't appear to see the need for a filter. Unless of course it's for hiding the secrets she's trying to keep from her mother, the Montgomery's and their staff. She's back at the Manor for a second chance. She just isn't ready to come clean with her intentions unless she has to, because despite her mother's ambitious for her futurue, Amy is happy settling back into the safe place she considers home.Ryan Lucas, is also at the Montgomery Manor for a second chance. He has lived his life as a thrill-seeker in every possible way. A Hollywood stunt driver who's no longer employable after a driving a car worth a half a million dollars into a concrete wall because he was driving drunk while on the job. Sober now for over two years, he is just biding his time for the chance to go back to the only life he wants. He has made sure not to form any attachments in a life he considers temporary. I really liked Ryan too. Despite the bad decisions he made before coming to the Manor, it's obvious he is a man a strong moral character. He treats people well if they have earned it or not, tries to always do the right thing, has a strong work ethic, and is very protective of anyone he does care about. Oh and, let's not forget, sexy and brooding in a very tantalizingly male way.Right from the beginning you can see there is a strong attraction between Amy and Ryan, but their goals are at odds. She is determined to draw him out and he is determined to keep everyone away. She is thrilled to settle back into the Manor life and he can't wait to get away from it. I don't want to give away how Ms. Morgan resolves this obvious conflict so I will only say it was a pleasure to read and satisfying to the end. This entire story in fact was a pleasure from beginning to end. Well-written, engaging, at times mysterious & intriguing, but most times quite fun. The secondary characters, especially Jake Montgomery, really added to the story and I am looking forward to reading the upcoming stories in this series. 4.5 stars.~Complimentary copy provided in exchange for a honest review.