Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Stay

AUTHOR: Ash Knight

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 293 pages

RELEASE DATE: February 4, 2020

BLURB: 

A quiet coffee shop gives two men who have lost too much a chance at love.

Joe Calloway has been on the run since he was sixteen, homeless and alone. He never lets anyone close. Between his traumatic past and his autism, he isn’t used to people taking the time to understand him. Even so, when a stranger offers him a way to build a better life for himself, Joe finds the strength to go for it.

Madden Fields is fully devoted to his older sister, her autistic son, and his job as a nurse, but when he meets Joe, his carefully ordered life begins to pick up speed.

As their connection deepens, Madden realizes he’s going to have to hold on tight if he wants to be an anchor strong enough for Joe to stay.

REVIEW:

There are many aspects of Stay that I enjoyed, but as the book progressed, they become somewhat overshadowed by a few negative parts. I loved the first half of the book and would give it a five-star rating. I highlighted so many wonderful passages on my Kindle app, I could practically read the entire book from the highlights page. 

Let’s begin with the good: 

Hurt/comfort and a homeless main character are two of my favorite themes.  Madden is a lovely character and about as perfect a mate as Joe could ever wish for. He seems to innately know Joe needs him when they first meet. Joe fills a need for Madden as well; Madden is able to activate his caretaking gene by nurturing Joe, first back to health and then through various events. Madden also has a need for a physical connection with Joe, seemingly afraid he will disappear. 

I stared in wonderment at the beautiful man laid out across my lap. In just a few shared moments over the last few weeks, he’d become so special to me. I could have watched him all night. Just when I had thought he was asleep, he said something to break my heart into a thousand pieces. “You are the only one I’ve ever let touch me, Madden.” 

The love between Madden and Joe – even when Joe can’t verbally express it – is so strong, and their caring for each other so tender. Their love is palpable. I got nervous butterflies in my stomach while reading, as if I was the one in a new relationship. What good storytelling to be able to make a reader feel that vicariously. 

When I’m writing a review, I take notes while I read. As I began to read Stay, they were overwhelmingly positive, but they slowly began to reflect problems I was noticing in the writing. By the end of the book I was frustrated. By far my biggest criticism is what I feel is a far-fetched plot involving Joe’s past. It’s difficult to discuss without spoiling the plot, so I’ll just say I think it’s preposterous that Joe’s problems follow him halfway across the country without a satisfactory reason. Surely Joe could’ve been replaced closer to home. I also feel the narrative becomes repetitive with the stop and go nature of Madden and Joe’s relationship. It’s realistic, but it’s tiring. 

Finally, I feel that Joe is not a good representation of a young man on the autism spectrum. I have a high-functioning adult son, similar in age to Joe, with autism spectrum disorder. I also have quite a lot of interaction with other young adults on the spectrum. It’s important to note that this in no way makes me an expert, particularly since all individuals on the spectrum present differently, but there are some almost universal characteristics that I don’t feel are portrayed accurately here. That said, much of Joe’s behavior is right on the money. 

Overall, Stay is a heartwarming story and a commendable first novel; it’s a good sign of things to come and Ash Knight shows great promise as a talented romance writer. And the cover is fantastic. I feel it represents Madden and Joe perfectly.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon