Stay with Me

February 15, 2018
A woman returns to her small hometown after the death of her father, where she finds the run-down airport she's inherited and the stubborn co-owner who wants nothing to do with her.Olivia Daniels never thought she'd return to Haven, Georgia, but after her dad passes, his beloved airport is left to her. Her plan is to buy out the co-owner and sell the land, a quick deal that would leave everyone with a nice chunk of change. There's also no love lost between her and the airport. Though she'd learned to pilot on that strip, it still took her father away from her too much while she was growing up. Unfortunately, the co-owner of the airport is Jackson Morgan, a former crush and a man who was taken under the wing of Olivia's father. Now he's a single dad who did a stint in the Air Force; managing the crumbling airport and running small, personal flights is his livelihood. He wants nothing to do with Olivia or her money. Olivia doesn't seem to have much of a fondness for Haven and prefers making her career dreams come true in Atlanta. It comes as a complete shock to the reader when she decides to stick around and put down roots. Meanwhile, Jackson is a prickly hero who is impossible to like. He belittles Olivia during business negotiations by calling her "princess" and openly displays derision for her choice to give up small-town life for the city 16 years ago. He also puts his arms around her and smears grease on her face within the first five minutes of their reunion. Though there are some cutesy moments between Olivia and her childhood friends, it's not enough to turn the romance around from a rough start.There's nothing romantic about a blatantly rude and handsy hero who frequently treats the heroine like a spoiled brat.

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February 26, 2018
In this solid spin-off from her Monroes series, Bennett (Lost in You) revisits the small town of Haven, Ga. Corporate climber Olivia Daniels returns from Atlanta to sell her childhood home and her estranged father’s business, a local airport. She’s stymied by sexy pilot Jax Morgan, her father’s loyal protégé and devoted single dad of adorable four-year-old Piper. Jax intends to continue his mentor’s legacy and refuses to sell his half of the airport. When Olivia’s girlfriends suggest a joint business venture refurbishing the airport, the two opponents seek common ground; however, the sparks flying between them prove distracting. Supporting characters provide strong friendships and amusing subplots, including Jax’s sheriff friend giving Olivia’s lawyer friend a speeding ticket that leads to testy flirtation. Bennett’s repeated restating of her protagonists’ priorities (her promotion, his daughter) and their apparently irreconcilable conflict (“Livie was wanting to go one way, and he wanted to go another”) slows the narrative’s pace, but the convincing chemistry between the lovers builds to playful, humorous sex scenes and touching domestic moments. Readers will hope for Bennett to continue telling Haven’s love stories. Agent: Elaine Spencer, Knight Agency.