Stay with Me

( 30 )

Overview

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You and Be with Me returns with a daring tale that pushes boundaries . . . in which a young woman learns that you can't run from your past—no matter how far you go

At twenty-one, Calla hasn't done a lot of things. She's never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a ...

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Stay with Me

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Overview

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You and Be with Me returns with a daring tale that pushes boundaries . . . in which a young woman learns that you can't run from your past—no matter how far you go

At twenty-one, Calla hasn't done a lot of things. She's never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends.

But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now Calla has to go back to the small town she thought she'd left behind and clean up her mom's mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother's bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming.

Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla's business from the moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal . . . and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she's got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn't give them her mom.

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Editorial Reviews

Jay Crownover
“There is a reason J. Lynn will always be one of my go-to authors. She never disappoints.”
Library Journal
04/01/2014
Jax, a soldier devastated by his experiences in Afghanistan, meets Calla, scarred by the fire that killed her siblings, and the rest is romance. The first two books in Lynn's new adult "Wait for You" series were both New York Times best sellers, so great expectations—and the 100,000-copy first printing—aren't unreasonable.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780062294807
  • Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
  • Publication date: 9/23/2014
  • Series: Wait for You Series , #3
  • Pages: 448
  • Sales rank: 31864
  • Product dimensions: 5.31 (w) x 8.00 (h) x 0.75 (d)

Meet the Author

#1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author J. Lynn lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell terrier, Loki.

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4.5
( 30 )
Rating Distribution

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  • Posted Sun Oct 12 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    more from this reviewer

    Author Jennifer L. Armentrout, writing as J. Lynn, has done it a

    Author Jennifer L. Armentrout, writing as J. Lynn, has done it again with this next installment in the Wait for You series. And let me tell you, I have not been disappointed in any of these stories. Each one holds a little place in my heart for the characters, and I especially love that characters from the other books make appearances, and play important roles, in the books. It’s almost like reliving the reason I fell in love with each of their stories.

    I will admit, this book in this series really stuck with me. It was heartbreaking to read about the struggles that main character, Calla, has had to go through from such a young age, to present day. What really pissed me off was just how terrible her life turned out. What kind of father walks out on his family after a tragic fire that leaves two of his children dead, and one horrifically burned. And not to mention the mental toll it took on the mother, Mona.

    But Mona is not off the hook either. Her downward decline was heartbreaking. I can sympathize with her pain and her loss, and I can’t even begin to imagine the difficult time she has had to go through to come to grips with all the loss she had, but to spiral so out of control that she basically abandons Calla for a life of drugs and stupidity? Come. On.

    And poor Calla! Having to lie to her friends in college, telling them that her mother is dead because of the shame of the truth. But as we all know, lies tend to surface, and it sure did, in a big way, for Calla. But what a way to have your mother back in your life! To find out that she basically swindled her out of all her college savings, applied for loans under Calla’s name, and not paying anything, thereby putting Calla into a whole ton of debt, that she did not even know she had! And because of all this, her college plans may fall through, and now she has to go back “home” to fix her moms mess. Geeze, thanks a lot mom…

    But sometimes, coming home to your roots may not all be for the worse. Enter Jackson(Jax) James. A man who has a smirk that can challenge all smirks out there. A former soldier with secrets of his own, Jax is a sexy bartender who seems to say and do all the right things. But because of Calla’s very limited experience with the opposite sex, are things that she feels as inappropriate really inappropriate? Or is Jax just the kind of man who can school her in all the right ways…including accepting who she is, scars and all.

    Not only is this a sexy romantic story for everyone to enjoy, there’s also a little suspense due to the fact that the “mob” is now basically in search of Mona for a deal gone wrong (or something like that). But because Calla has returned home, she now seems to have acquired Mona’s target, and nowhere seems safe…except with Jax…

    I will admit, it did take me a little bit longer to warm up to Jax’s character. I found him arrogant, at first, and wasn’t feeling him. But that did change, and once I was hooked, I didn’t want to let go. He ended up being one of the sexiest, hottest, most lusted after male character that I’ve come across. *fans self*

    And don’t get me started on Calla. How much did my heart break that she felt so unattractive and had come to accept that boys would not look her way. I adored the fact that Jax saw beyond her physical features and found her so beautiful. It was endearing. I enjoyed watching Calla’s transformation as she slowly accepted how she looked, and it’s all thanks to Jax. *swoon*

    I would recommend this read to fans of the Wait For You books, those who are looking for a new book boyfriend to swoon over, and to read a story that will keep you glued to the pages until the very end.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Oct 06 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Another great one

    Always enjoy this series. Enjoyed Cam and Jace now Jax. You cant go wrong. Have read all of J Lynns books and enjoy her writing style. Keep em coming i want more of this group of friends...

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Oct 05 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Nailed it!!!!!

    She can do no wrong! Another booknin this series earns FIVE stars. She is clearly capable of know less. Love her and would love another story. Maybe Roxy and Reece?? *swoon*

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Sun Oct 05 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Great

    Awwww! Wow! Great book! Great series! I loved the plot and characters! Can't wait to read more! Loved it!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Fri Oct 03 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Good book

    I really enjoyed this story. If you a looking for something that has a little of everything in it. This is your book. You will fall in love with all the characters.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Confused

    Is there a book on Ollie and Brittany?

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  • Posted Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Jennifer L. Armentrout writing as J. Lynn. This is third book i

    Jennifer L. Armentrout writing as J. Lynn. This is third book in the Wait For You series. Wait for you is a romantic thriller and Jennifer does not disappoint.

    Calla Fitz is a 21 year old college student with her goals set in mind with the 3 F's : Finish College, Find a career in the nursing field, and Finally Reap the benefits of following through on something. Well Calla's plans come to halt when she realizes her mom cleaned out her college fund and racked up credit card debt in her name. Calla is forced to return home for summer break and attempt to recover some of the money her mother stole from her. This results in Calla facing a past that she never planed on returning to. Calla walks into Mona's bar and instead of finding her mother she meets the hot bartender Jackson "Jax" James. Holy Smokes Jax is the epitome of hotness and is based on Theo James!!! Calla soon discovers her mother messed with the wrong people. Calla has the unfortunate faith of being dragged into her mother's mess. The only option is to find her mother as soon as possible. With the help of Jax, they work together to find her mother. It's obvious Jax has more interest in just helping Calla find her mother. Calla does not have the time to get involved with Jax. She just wants to focus on finding her mother and get back to her life and her three F's.

    I think Stay With Me is the best in the series thus far, and Jax just maybe my favorite character Jennifer L Armentout has written. It's most likely due to the fact hes based on Theo James.Oh and he reads.
    "Oh my God, guys that read were like unicorns. They only existed in fairy tales."

    I recommend everyone read this, but you should read Wait for You (Cam and Avery's story) and Be With Me (Teresa and Jase).

    I'll leave you with an excerpt from Stay With Me




    EXCERPT:

    As I lay there, trying to swallow a loud, obnoxious yawn, I remembered something he’d said when we first met, about life being too short. I imagined he had firsthand experience with shortened lives while he was serving. That mentality came from experience. I got that now. Could even understand it, but there was something I didn’t understand.
    “Why?” I asked.
    There was a beat. “Why what?”
    Jax sounded tired, and I should shut up or point out that I was now tired and could sleep, so he could leave. But I didn’t. “Why are you here? You don’t know me and . . .” I trailed off, because there really wasn’t anything left to say.
    A minute went by, and he hadn’t answered my question, and then I think another minute ticked on, and I was okay with him not answering because maybe he didn’t even know. Or maybe he was just bored and that was why he was here.
    But then he moved.
    Jax pressed against my back, and the next breath I took got stuck in my throat. My eyes shot open. The sheet and blanket were between us, but they felt like nothing.
    “What are you doing?” I asked.
    “Getting comfortable.” He dropped an arm over my waist, and my entire body jerked against his. “It’s time to sleep I think.”
    “But—”
    “You can’t sleep when you talk,” he remarked.
    “You don’t need to be all up on me,” I pointed out.
    His answering chuckle stirred the hair along the back of my neck. “Honey, I’m not all up on you.”
    I freaking begged to differ on that point. I started to wiggle away, but the arm around my waist tightened, holding me in place.
    “You’re not going anywhere,” he announced casually, as if he wasn’t holding me prisoner in the bed.
    Okay. The whole prisoner thing might be melodramatic, but he wasn’t letting me up. Not when he was getting all kinds of comfy behind me.
    Oh my God, this was spooning. Total spooning. I was spooning with an honorary member of the Hot Guy Brigade. Did I wake up in a parallel universe?
    “Sleep,” he demanded, as if the one word carried that much power. “Go to sleep, Calla.” This time his voice was softer, quieter.
    “Yeah, it doesn’t work that way, Jax. You have a nice voice, but it doesn’t hold the power to make me sleep on your command.”
    He chuckled.
    I rolled my eyes, but the most ridiculous thing ever was the fact that after a couple of minutes, my eyes stayed shut. I . . . I actually settled in against him. With his front pressed to my back, his long legs cradling mine, and his arm snug around my waist, I actually did feel safe. More than that, I felt something else—something I hadn’t felt in years.
    I felt cared for . . . cherished.
    Which was the epitome of dumb, because I barely knew him, but feeling that, recognizing what the warm, buzzing feeling was, I fell right asleep.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    awesome read!

    i have followed these books starting with avery in cam. you fall in love with each of the characters. jax is just way hot and knows what he wants. i love the relationship he forms with calla. it just moves like a new relationship does. he takes his time with her and brings her to loving him. everything she has gone thru now becomes a necessity to get to this point. all the new friends they meet in this book become family to her...all her friends from school come into play in this book and i love it. she now has a larger family with lot's of love and care. j lynn you are an awesome writer and you keep us pulling along with the story. i would get mad each time i was interrupted. you really pull us into your stories and keep us there...thank you

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Amazing!!!!!!!! Love love love!

    This is by far my favorite story in these series! You can read this as a stand alone but if you have read J Lynns other stories you can catch up with how your favorite characters are doing. Calla's story is by far the most interesting. Drama drama drama. And dont get me started on how sexy and perfect her man is.... must read!

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Great story!

    I loved everything about Jax and Calla, and especially seeing favorite characters from previous books in this series.

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  • Posted Mon Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    I really wantedto love this story because I really like this aut

    I really wantedto love this story because I really like this author/series. It is a stand alone book and has a HEA. However, I just did not feel the connection between these two characters. Calla is a college aged young woman who has lived thru and seen too much in her life.. She has secrets. Jax is a new character and not in college with Calla. He has secrets too. I just did not like the subplot of Calla's mother. It was distracting and really not a fun read. Then the problem gets resolved too easily. I did not like Jax's ways/attitudes with dealing with Calla. He could be too overpowering. He means well and has good intentions. I usually enjoy this author's books but this one just did not do it for me. This story had more suspense/mystery then romance/love. But definitely a good book.

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  • Posted Mon Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    I Also Recommend:

    *****5 big fat stars***** Quick breakdown Setting: Shepherdstown

    *****5 big fat stars*****
    Quick breakdown
    Setting: Shepherdstown (small town near Philly, PA)
    Timeframe: Calla’s summer break before her senior year of college
    Sex: yes and it ranges from sweet to smoking hot
    Romance level: New Adult
    Tension: body image issues, the ramifications of financial ruin, her mom’s drug abuse and subsequent involvement in drug trafficking, first romantic and sexual relationship
    Realism: high – the author captures the stress of paying for college, having a drug addict in one’s life, and the romantic conflicts that can occur between an experienced lover and a new lover with body images issues flawlessly

    Random things I liked: 
    #1 Calla’s funny verbal style –
    “Good lawd, I could stare at those lips for hours, like way beyond the acceptable time limit and right into creeperville, population Calla.” ~Calla’s reaction upon first seeing Jackson James aka Jax.

    #2 The Jax drink –
    I don’t like the taste of many alcoholic drinks. However, Calla’s description of the “Jax” special drink and her reaction to it definitely has me dying to try it in RL.
    “It was red on top, then graduating into the color of a sunset, with a cherry to garnish. […] My taste buds about had a mouth-gasm at the fruity flavor.” ~Um, yes please!

    #3 Jax’s candor –
    Right out the gate, Jax makes his interest in self-conscious Calla oh so clear. “When I want something, I go for it. Life is way too damn short to live any other way. And I want to get to know you better.” Those lashes lowered one more time, his gaze tracking to my lips like they were some kind of mecca. “Yeah, I definitely want to get to know you better.” And from that point on, he consistently and persistently shows Calla that she was beautiful to him, facial scar and all.

    #4 Their first kiss scene –
    ‘His lips were melded to mine, and I was awed by the way they felt…They followed the curve of my lips, as if he were just mapping them out.’
    “You kissed me,” I whispered, and yeah, it was a stupid statement, but I was feeling pretty stupid.
    “Yeah.” His voice sounded deeper, gruffer. Sexier. “I did.”
    I forced my eyes open and was starring at an unofficial member of the Hot Guy Brigade.
    He leaned in, his arm against the wall taking his weight as he dropped his hand from my chin. “I don’t kiss girls that I don’t find hot as hell or beautiful. So you get my point?”
    There were fuzz balls in my brain. “You kissed me to prove a point?”
    A ghost of a smile appeared. “Felt like it was the quickest way to prove the point.” 

    So not only does Jax have good mack, a hot body, and kissing skills up the wazoo, but he is also genuinely nice. That’s a combination guaranteed to turn any sensible twenty-something female into a puddle of girl goo. Jax agrees to Calla staying to work at Mona’s as a summer bartender while also helping her track down her mom. The latter has done a runner after emptying Calla’s bank account and leaving her in debt to the tune of $100,000 or so. It also comes to light that Calla’s mom got caught up in drug trafficking, and the men involved are hardcore about getting said drugs back. They make it clear that it’s now Calla’s problem, too.

    This was another fantastic installment in the Wait For You series with new characters that are easy to love. I loved that author J. Lynn also had previous series characters popping in often enough to give fans of the series a nice cozy buzz. I look forward to next book, Fall with Me (Wait for You #4) which will feature newly introduced characters, Roxy and Reece’s story.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Mon Sep 29 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Love this

    Love this story...another winner...cant wait for the next story. Hope there will be more of jax and calla

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  • Posted Sun Sep 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    4.5/5 stars I am beyond excited I got chosen to review Stay Wit

    4.5/5 stars

    I am beyond excited I got chosen to review Stay With Me! I love all things J.Lynn and Jennifer Armentrout, so I knew I would enjoy the third book in the Wait For You series. We had already been briefly introduced to the main character Calla in the previous novel, and I thought we had met the love interest as well, but alas it was not meant to be. Who we get instead works so much better for Calla and I was completely satisfied. It was also really awesome to see Cam, Avery, Teresa, and Jase make such a large appearance in the book.

    Pacing: I did struggle to get into this one a bit. Usually J.Lynn's books are unputdownable, but I found this one was easy to step away from when I needed to. I can't quite pinpoint exactly what it was that made it seem this way, as I really liked the development of Calla and Jax's relationship. I did love the added intrigue and danger this book had to it though.

    Storyline: Calla believes strongly in her Three F's: Finish college. Find a nursing job. Finally follow through on something. Having grown up the way she did with her less than stellar mother, it makes sense that Calla would have these goals. However, when her mother takes everything from her and the world drops out from below her feet, Calla must return home to the one place she swore she wouldn't go again to find the woman she told her friends was dead. To make her life even more complicated, she meets Jackson James, 'Jax', and he tempts her in ways she knows he shouldn't, especially with the secrets and insecurities she holds close. The heat is on though and not just with Calla and Jax. Now that Calla's mom has disappeared, it seems Calla is the next best thing for the lowlifes her mother has previously associated with to put the pressure on. Now, Calla's life is on the line as well as her heart....

    Characters: Calla bears both physical and mental scars from her childhood and they really have a huge impact on her life and self-esteem. I can completely relate to Calla, as I bear my own facial scar that used to really make me self-conscious. Her scrambling to cover up her own scar with Dermablend and make up just made my heart hurt as I remember doing the same and trying everything to make it invisible to others. She has never had a boyfriend or even been kissed, but I think a lot of that has to do with Calla's low self-esteem and her need to hide from people. She has come home a desperate woman, as her mother has single-handedly crushed her plans in one swift blow. Coming home to face the woman was hard enough as it is.... but to come home and realize her mother's screw ups are affecting her own safety and well-being? Not cool. It's a good thing she has her Uncle Clyde and Jax to watch out for her. They both warn her it's not safe to stay in town, but Calla is stubborn. Not to mention, she has no money and no where else to go. Jax ends up giving her a job bartending at her mom's bar and takes it upon himself to protect her.

    Oh, Jax. I wasn't sure about him in the beginning, because I was having trouble getting a good read on him, but he proves himself to be such a good match for Calla. He doesn't even know the girl, but takes her under his wing and makes sure she is safe and protected from the thugs looking for her mom. He has scars of his own from his time of being in the Marines, so he knows compassion. He does NOT like Calla constantly tearing herself down and he is always working to build her back up and show her that beauty is more than skin deep. He's an overall good guy. Sometimes TOO good of a guy, as he doesn't handle a certain blonde soul sucking leech in the way he should have.

    I really liked these two together. Jax is the perfect first everything for Calla. He makes her feel cherished and special and that is not something she has felt for a long time. Their relationship isn't perfect and has its ups and downs, but I feel this made the book even more realistic.

    Final Thoughts: I really enjoyed the storyline of this one, even though it wasn't set on campus like the previous novels were. The whole crime/drug underworld definitely made the book even more intense, as Calla's life is being threatened and she is taking the fall for something she has had no control over. Amidst all of that, Calla and Jax's burgeoning relationship is magnified and that much hotter because of the danger they find themselves in...

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  • Posted Fri Sep 26 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Calla and Jax - great book.  I've read the others in this series

    Calla and Jax - great book.  I've read the others in this series and I thought this one was very, very good. 

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  • Anonymous

    Posted Thu Sep 25 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    Love it

    I absolutely love this book.

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  • Posted Thu Sep 25 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    more from this reviewer

    I was completely absorbed by Stay with Me. A must read for any c

    I was completely absorbed by Stay with Me. A must read for any contemporary romance reader in 2014, Stay with Me by J. Lynn (Jennifer L. Armentrout) is flat out a perfect new adult contemporary romance. Lynn has a way of pulling you into the story, you are not a simple by-stander, making you feel the emotions of the characters and become intimately invested in the outcome.




    Calla escaped from a strung out mother and has found a new and much brighter future at college…but when she goes to pay her college tuition her college money is all gone. Calla must return home to discover what happened to the money she’s saved for college.




    Returning home is rocky. Calla’s mother has gotten in deep with some really bad people making Calla a target. Calla finds help and at times torment in the irresistible Jax, a bartender at Calla’s mom’s bar. 




    This story is about dealing with the past but finding the positive in the future. Calla slowly discovers that running from everything in the past sometimes you end up leave good behind, too.




    I loved this story. Stay With Me is heartfelt with the just right amount fun, action, humor, turmoil and lots of romance making it utterly riveting.

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  • Posted Thu Sep 25 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    I think this was the best book in the Wait For You series and my

    I think this was the best book in the Wait For You series and my third favorite JLA couple of all time. Of course, Katy and Daemon take top spot which is closely followed by Syd and Kyler, but Jax and Calla are incredible. This story has the perfect melding of romance, action, suspense, drama, and bow-chicka-wow-wow. Yeppers peppers. The story of Calla is heart wrenching and yet totally believable and the relationship between her and Jax doesn't build too quickly or so slowly that you think its never going to happen. These two actually communicate with each other as well. None of the typical and frustrating "I'm lying to you so I'm not talking and you're mad at me so we both just ignore each other for months until something really bad happens" *couch-Cam and Avery-cough*... well, not too much of it anyway. I all around loved this book and was sad when I finished reading. Jax is strong, sexy, and blunt. Calla is quirky, beautiful inside and out, and is one of the strongest female characters I've ever read. If you love JLA, this book will not disappoint.

    PS: For all you Frigid lovers out there, there's a special surprise for you. I couldn't get the stupid grin off my face after reading and it only made me love Jennifer even more.

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  • Posted Thu Sep 25 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    more from this reviewer

    ***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog*** Stay With Me

    ***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***




    Stay With Me by J. Lynn
    Book Three of the Wait For You series
    Publisher: William Morrow
    Publication Date: September 23, 2014
    Rating: 4 stars
    Source: eARC from Edelweiss




    Official Summary:




    From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wait for You and Be with Me comes a daring tale that pushes boundaries . . .




    At 21, Calla hasn't done a lot of things. She’s never been kissed, never seen the ocean, never gone to an amusement park. But growing up, she witnessed some things no child ever should. She still carries the physical and emotional scars of living with a strung-out mother, Mona—secrets she keeps from everyone, including her close circle of college friends.




    But the safe cocoon Calla has carefully built is shattered when she discovers her mom has stolen her college money and run up a huge credit card debt in her name. Now, Calla has to go back to the small town she thought she’d left behind and clean up her mom’s mess again. Of course, when she arrives at her mother’s bar, Mona is nowhere to be found. Instead, six feet of hotness named Jackson James is pouring drinks and keeping the place humming.




    Sexy and intense, Jax is in Calla’s business from the moment they meet, giving her a job and helping her search for Mona. And the way he looks at her makes it clear he wants to get horizontal . . . and maybe something more. Before Calla can let him get close, though, she’s got to deal with the pain of the past—and some very bad guys out to mess her up if she doesn't give them her mom.




    What I Liked:




    Okay by now, you all have to know how much I have struggled with New Adult contemporary romance. Ever since the dawn of New Adult, I have basically disliked the vast majority of the NA contemporary romance novels out there, because they are all extremely formulaic, generic, carbon copies of each others... yawn. I definitely thought that was the case with JLA's Wait For You, and Trust In Me, but Be With Me was different, which I liked. I had a good feeling about this book, to be honest.




    Calla is a friend of Teresa's, and she has a completely different life compared to Teresa and Avery's lives. Calla's mother drained Calla's bank account of all the money Calla had (which she needed to ay tuition) to buy drugs and whatnot. Calla goes home for the summer to clear things up, but only to find her bank account empty, her mother gone, the house (which Calla has not been to in years) a sanctuary for holding drugs... nothing in Calla's life is safe, or good. Jax, the guy who works at her mother's bar with Calla's uncle Clyde, looks out for Calla in so many ways. But drug kingpins are no joke, and Calla's mother is in deep, which is pretty problematic for Calla.




    I love that this book isn't focused solely on the romance, or the heroine's tragic past, or whatever. It bothers me a little, how each of JLA's heroines of this series (so far) are all *severely* damaged in some way (rape, domestic abuse, first-degree burns and scar down the face), because it makes it seem like the majority of the population of college girls go through something as SERIOUSLY damaging as these three girls did... which isn't necessarily the case. Don't trivialize horrific life events. Not that I think JLA is doing that. Anyway.




    Calla has a unique and tragic past, just like Avery and Teresa. Calla's house wasn't perfectly stable in its electric cables or something, so it basically blew up in Calla's face (literally), killing her two brothers and mangling her skin. Her father left her mother about a year later, and her mother turned to drugs. Years later, Calla's mother drained her bank account, and owes millions of dollars to the drug lord Isaiah. 




    This is the central issue of the book. Calla needs to figure out how to pay for her tuition, and how to not get caught in Mona's crazy crap... although, she is already involved, just by coming home. Calla wouldn't have survived coming back if not for Uncle Clyde, Jax, Roxy, and Katie (all new characters). Uncle Clyde is the rock in Calla's life. Roxy and Katie are amazing friends, and support Calla always.




    Jax... Jax might be my favorite hero of this NA series. Jax doesn't necessarily have a troubled past himself, but he lives in this town - he knows too much about drugs and interactions and getting violent and getting information and all of that. He was never involved with drug dealers or drugs in general, but it's tough growing up in that atmosphere. He's a Marine (sexy man in a uniform), and he is quite the guy. I really like him. He's super honest, super blunt, super nice, gentle, affectionate... not entirely the macho alpha type, though he is. In a quieter sense.




    While I mentioned that the romance isn't the only thing going on, it's totally there, and it's important. Jax and Calla fall in love, but it's not easy for Calla. Being scarred... she doesn't see herself as "pretty", but Jax doesn't care about her scars. He appreciates them, and sees the beauty in them (honestly, that makes sense, especially for someone who was involved in the Marines Corp). I really like the romance, because it isn't about two people who are lost and find each other and themselves. Calla might seem a little lost, but the romance is more about two people that find each other and go from there. Instant connection, but slow growth of relationship.




    This book is seriously long, but the story is really great. JLA is a really good storyteller, I have to give her that. She's written so many books and even though a lot of her characters start to sound the same, the stories always vary. Which is fantastic! I'll definitely be reading the next book in the series, when it comes time.




    What I Did Not Like:




    I mentioned a few things above - I almost wish the heroines that JLA creates in this particular NA series weren't so far on the extremes of having tragic pasts or being damaged or whatever. Not every college girl has life-threatening or body-endangering experiences like Avery, Teresa, and Calla all have. Seriously, I promise.




    Also - JLA's heroines totally all sound the same, after a while. Katy = Avery = Teresa = Calla = Maddie = Sydney = Layla = Samantha = Serena. Not going to lie, it gets old really fast.




    Would I Recommend It:




    Sure, sure, if you like New Adult contemporary romance, if you like JLA, sure! If you're not a fan of NA contemporary romance, then ehhh, your life won't change if you read this one, your life won't change if you don't read it. If that makes sense!




    Rating:




    4 stars. This is definitely the best book of this series yet. There is so much more depth to the story, and the romance really isn't central (in my opinion). Love that direction that JLA is taking her New Adult contemporary romance novels!

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  • Posted Wed Sep 24 00:00:00 EDT 2014

    I absolutely loved loved LOVED this book! I was so involved in t

    I absolutely loved loved LOVED this book! I was so involved in this book. All the times that Calla would get worked up, I would get worked up. Towards the end of the book  when everything goes down between Jax and Calla (trying not to give away spoilers) I literally thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest. Jennifer Armentrout has truly cemented herself as my favorite author ever. You  can't help but just feel emotionally connected with Calla. All around AMAZING book! 

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